Essay Questions for application of Wake Forest University

Name
Instructor
Course
Date Question #1: Share an experience where you incurred risk to demonstrate respect for others (i.e., interacting with others in a manner that acknowledges their value and worth as human beings and colleagues). Be sure to discuss why respect is important to you.
Sometimes, pursuing noble efforts may inadvertently introduce unexpected challenges which further complicate the situation in context. I appreciated this life lesson while participating in the Financial Management Trainee Program organized by the Hong Kong-based MassMutual Financial Group at the summer vacation of 2014. Throughout the program, I was responsible for directing a ten-member multinational team to design a business plan for the company. In the course of our deliberations, individuals presented varied viewpoints which, admittedly, tested my interpersonal skills. At least, I understood their diverse cultural backgrounds as being the source of those conflicting views. For instance, one task involved analyzing the market for potential customers whose calculated targeting would reveal opportunities for expanding the firm’s customer base. My opinion was that group concentrates on the mainland Chinese market, but four team members opined narrowing that focus to the city of Hong Kong. Two-thirds supported my perspective. However, being in a leadership position, I was obliged to demonstrate consideration for the views of the minority. Therefore, I compromised to include both the mainland and Hong Kong market spaces into the scope of our investigation despite the risk that such would require enhanced coordination, possibly even a deadline extension.

Alternatively, I might have discounted their opinions, but the priority was maintaining a harmonious working environment where everyone felt respected. After all, I believe that upholding personal respect enables individuals to take the initiative and contribute to the limits of their potential rather than submit to a popular decision. Ultimately, the team remained positive, cooperating until we realized our initial objectives.
Question #2: Share an experience where you demonstrated perseverance (i.e., the strength of will to sustain the motivation to work until an objective is achieved, especially in the face of adversity) over time to achieve a valued goal. Be sure to discuss what provides you the strength of will to persevere.Whenever I pursue an objective, I rarely quit. At three years old, I took an interest in the piano, but my instructor cautioned that my finger coordination was pathetic and that I needed daily practice daily to improve. Consequently, I would train for six tedious hours every day. Another challenge was that the training sessions were tedious due to the routine of mastering different keys, reading the stave, and the songs. On the positive, I appreciated the value of patience and hard work even on seemingly minor goals. Reflecting on the early stages of learning the piano, I readily admit that I was not the most unrelenting of characters. As any learner would confess, learning the piano is similar to a baby’s first steps – awkward and arduous, yet exciting. Only until after a few months did I start to improve my attitude, gradually becoming a pertinacious individual as my piano skills matured. As my confidence grew, I envisioned participating in piano competitions with the ultimate objective of achieving the reward of Grade Certification. This ambition only enhanced my resolve, and my professors eventually certified me. I remember the emotions accompanying the accolade of Highest Grade Professional Certification which I received while I was only twelve years old. It was gratifying to finally witness the rewarding end of ten years of hard work that turned me into a nifty pianist. To maintain my will, I split ostensibly large goals into meaningfully smaller yet manageable tasks which I pursue to completion before embarking on the rest.
Question #4: Share an experience where you demonstrated openness to feedback (i.e., one’s degree of willingness to seek out and embrace new experiences, ideas, knowledge and perspectives) that stung and how you used the feedback to grow. Be sure to address how you maintain your openness.
During my studies study at the university, one of the most challenging courses was Computation in Finance. The course established the relationship between knowledge of computing and finance, demonstrating the importance of computational skills in economic studies. The course was my first opportunity to interact with VBA code, learning in the process how to use different code instructions to solve financial problems. I remember that in the midterm examination, I only achieved an overall mark of B-. But I worked hard, reading important book severally so that I could confidently recall the various codes. I also went a step further by talking with students who attained higher marks and listened to their studying experiences. Also, I spoke with my instructor seeking advice regarding my exam paper. After listening to their feedback, such as practicing more questions and thinking by oneself, I realized that I was not spending enough time to practice the code language on the computer, and neither was I applying them to real questions. Therefore, during the remaining semester, I improved my efforts on practicing VBA code on my computer, doing the practice questions more than five times at any training session. Eventually, I overcame the weaknesses which resulted in my rather weak performance in my mid-term semester and got A+ (top 3%) in the final exam. In my opinion, listening to external feedback was an effective way to make progress. This observation resulted from the realization that others can find the drawbacks that one may not notice by themselves, especially those who are prosperous professionals in the relevant field. Reflecting on the benefits I received from their opinion; I realize the importance of being open to criticism.
Question #3: Share an experience where you demonstrated integrity (i.e., being honest in both word and deed—acting in accordance with one’s and/or the organization’s values, and being transparent about thoughts and feelings). Be sure to discuss what drives you to maintain integrity.
During my internship program at Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), I served as an analyst in risk management and auditing. Part of my job description involved performing industrial analyses and evaluating financial statements for credit investigations. It being an auditing firm of international repute, PWC is expected to demonstrate utmost integrity while auditing other companies. Indeed, it is critical that in the business environment, such an institution acquires the trust of its clientele. However, the company’s commitment to ethical business practice – and mine too – were put to the test when a client attempted to persuade me to alter my findings of their company’s financial statements. The customer’s company was under pressure by the local anti-corruption body after being accused of concealing revenues in a scheme to defraud the local government of taxes. Indeed, the company’s books were not balanced, raising suspicions for a conscious effort to hide income. The individual offered me a paid position at his firm in return for fabricating the results of my assessment to save its image and possibly avoid legal penalties. Being a person of sound moral grounding, it would have been a great contradiction to my character had I accepted his advances. Personally, I consider it unethical for individuals or organizations to seek illegal favors through the backdoor. As a result of my sense of morality, and by PWC’s anticorruption policy, I reported the incident to my immediate supervisor for appropriate action to be pursued. Being a business student – and occasional researcher – I understand the implication of corrupt activities on individuals’ and nations’ socio-economic welfare, and this continually propels me to exemplify integrity in my daily undertakings.
Question #5: Share an experience that illustrates your work ethic (i.e., one’s commitment to engage in hard work to achieve goals and fulfill duties and obligations). Be sure to discuss what drives your work-ethic.
During my stint at Nottingham University’ Business School, I worked as a part-time assistant researcher under the supervision of Prof. Carl Fey. I had several responsibilities: designing questionnaires, identifying sample corporations for surveying, summarizing data through mathematical statistical methods, and presenting data in charts and tables for the research team’s further analysis. Indeed, the activities were quite demanding in terms of time owing to the very complexity of the exercises themselves. Also, I recognized that I had to improve my skills in statistical analysis, in the process having to undergo some training in statistical computer software. Furthermore, working part-time meant that I had to balance my student and work life, trying to meet my supervisor’s deadlines and research team’s expectations while attending to my academic obligations. To excel at both, I reexamined my personal schedule and redirected more time for research – time that I would have otherwise used on less pressing concerns. I began spending less time watching television, instead opting to conduct research on the internet late at night when interference from friends was minimal. My efforts were rewarded when my supervisor cited data I examined on his publication in The Journal of International Business. It was hard work, but a worthy trade-off if I was to gain the research skills necessary for realizing my ambition of embarking on a career in quantitative research in the US or emerging Asian markets. Besides, my personal belief is that due diligence and unrelenting dedication to a worthy cause comprise a healthy work culture.