摘要:个人陈述personal statement详解。
Personal Statement即PS，不同学校叫法不一样。有的学校叫Statement of Intent(如Notre Dame，该校去年经济系重组没招人)，有的叫Statement of Purpose(Columbia)，但是不是一回事呢?我认为是不一样的，如果学校只要求写一篇个人的EASSY，那你的选材可以很广泛。如果学校是Statement of Intent/Purpose，那么你的重点应该放在为什么选这个学校?他的哪一块你认为对你以后的学习和研究最有帮助?你对你要concentrate的领域的看法，这一点很重要：比如一个北大的G们就写了GAME THEORY对国际贸易的作用：
I am fascinated by game theoretic modeling of issues pertaining to International Economics. I believe that game theoretic models can be effectively used in international economics as many policy issues such as negotiations over mutual reductions in tariffs, formation and preservation of customs unions, establishment of cartels in the case of internationally traded goods, all have some game theoretic character. The current "Regionalism versus Multilateralism" debate holds its own attraction. It should be interesting to analyze the trade diversion effects of Preferential Trading Agreements and also their impact on multilateral institutions like GATT. The strategic trading that takes place in foreign exchange markets and the variety of auction like mechanisms that have been used for foreign exchange trade, especially in developing countries, are intriguing. During my graduate studies I aim to equip myself with some advanced tools and develop my analytical and research capabilities. I want to get an excellent command over econometrics to be able to confront stochastic statistical data with exact models of economic theories and also for empirical verification of other models, which might otherwise be set in a partial equilibrium framework. I expect to emerge as an economic engineer and an expert in model building. Econometrics perse, also interests me as a subject of economics and I might like to research in econometric methodology.
显然，他是看了克鲁格曼的战略性贸易理论深受启发，提出了自己的观点。
这是我自己谈金融方向的观点：
I would like to concentrate on financial markets development, as I was always wondering whether those established theories apply to the behavior of developing countries or whether there are alternative models to explain such market behavior. What should be the appropriate strategy to ensure stable development of financial markets in developing countries? Can the lack of supporting funds be the reason for the huge volatility and low liquidity of the financial markets? Are there any common factors driving the market variations? … Sophisticated answers to these questions require sophisticated training, which I hope I can achieve in my advance study. Experiencing through the dramatic changes of the financial markets in China after the 1997 Asia financial crisis, I couldn’t have learned a better course of the financial fragility and the importance of managing risks. Therefore, I also have great interest on asset pricing and risk management, especially on how to use financial instruments to control risks in emerging markets.
我觉得在写Statement of Purpose的时候，最重要要谈自己个人的观点和见解，然后说自己将来打算怎么搞，这样才鲜明而显的有思想。我看以往申请人中大部分还是集中在写个人的成长历程那种模式的PS，如我是怎么样考上大学的，我在大学里面当过哪些官、我的成绩优异多次获得奖学金(这谁都会写，所以很不来劲，老外看多了一定会烦的，而且年年都还要看。。。)
所以很多申请的同学会问我没有自己的观点，怎么办?对!你说到点子上了，我去年这个时候也没有形成自己的观点。所以，你要多看书，最好看经济学/金融学相关的评论，不要杂，只要精，如前几年信息经济大行其道之时，很多人都看，几乎每个人都懂得“信息不对称”这个名词，，可实际上去研究起来，去解析整个GAME的模型却很难很难，，所以国外教授一眼就可以看出你的水平来。个人认为，在查阅经济学/金融学相关理论时一定要多看书(至少不该下于三本吧)，经济学门派林立，有时不同的教授持有的观点是截然不同的，最经典就是Samuelson和那个哈椰克的，虽然观点相对立，却分享了同一年的诺贝尔经济学奖(也只有在经济学领域会出这等怪事了)。看的书多了，自然就会有自己的看法，选的书不要太难，不需要有太多的模型，然后谈谈自己的感受和想法，将来怎么做研究或做哪一块的研究。
另外，在写那个个人自传式的PS时(我相信写这类PS的人还是占大多数的)不要什么大大小小的事都扯进来，要把你最PROUD最NB或对你影响最大的事情写进来。我总结一般写自传式的PS的方向大概集中在这几点：
1、成绩很好，多次获奖
2、经过某些事情，发现喜欢经济学/金融学，表达浓厚的兴趣，此后努力学习，然后回到(1)
3、数学很好，对学习经济学/金融学很有帮助(此类一般为数学、物理系转过来申请经济/金融的)
4、有研究经历并发过PAPER的
1)没有什么好讲的了，每个人都会说的。2)有点像编故事，但要编的好听也一样，2001年就有一个英语系的编的故事申请到PHD的全奖的，他的故事是小时病了进医院，发现中国太穷了，然后。。。。(这个故事很没水准，但他后来谈International Economics的那一段把Trade和Finance的区别和联系谈的很好、很透彻，很闪光)，3)类情况当然就是强调自己的数学功底和对经济研究的兴趣了，4)就比较有利一些，毕竟有PAPER，可以展开来吹了。如我去年自己是这样吹的：
Among all the research work I have complished so far, I am very proud of the one "The Possibility of Universal Banking in China", published in Finance & Technology (May 2002), a famous Chinese financial journal. This paper, in response to those who advocate the universal banking mode like Germany, points out the unreality of adopting the mode in current China due to the different industrial structure, big entry barrier, and immature financial regulations. With the theory support of Walter (1994) and Kruger (2001), I organize my discussion by analyzing the problems may caused by the universal banking, like risk accumulation and transfer, oligopoly, and conflict of interest. And I also explain how they will occur under current economy circumstance. At last I give my self-prediction of the trend of future Chinese financial system.
其中，发过PAPER的又分国内和国际的，显然国际级的人牛出一个档次，要是有些什么SCI之类的就直接报TOP 20 PHD吧，FELLOWSHIP不保证但RA应该没有问题。国内的又分核心的和口水级的，但对申请是没什么影响的，因为老外不知道国内的研究水平。像些“财经问题研究”、“财经科学”翻译成英文都很好听，所以有实力和精力的同学就多往这类期刊上发吧。另外，第一作者是很要比第二作者重要的多的，所以自己有实力的同学不要跟在老师屁股后面，结果做了主要贡献还只能当个第二作者，还成全了人家，最不爽了。
其实写PS的过程就是在考查申请人的三个方面：
(1)英语水平
(2)专业水平
(3)耐心
其中我以为英语写作能力最为重要。你有多少想法、专业观点还有很多个人素材都是靠英语写作去表达的。因此，很多人写完PS都会感觉到自己的写作比以前有所进步。建议大家把完成后的PS发给NATIVE SPEAKER和国外过来的同学看看，让他们提出意见，从而不断的修改，修改的过程中除了语病、还要注意文章结构、陈述的逻辑、用语简练等问题。最终把你的PS由1.0升级到2.0再升级到Final版。由于本人的英语写作能力较差，没有太多的资格讲PS的东西，这方面大家在申请过程中就见仁见智吧。
