Master of Taxation, Personal Statement Example

I wish to enter the daytime Master of Taxation program at Golden Gate University so that I can expand upon my knowledge of American taxation, business issues, and related fields.

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Tehran Azad, where I received a full scholarship and was on the Dean’s List for academic excellence.  I have successfully passed the Financial, Regulation, and Business sections of the CPA exam and I anticipate that I will have passed the Auditing section by September 2011.  I have extensive professional experience in both the academic and business world.  Most recently, I worked as a research assistant for a Finance MBA professor at UC Berkeley, where I assisted in researching a number of projects on Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions and assisted int he preparation of the article “Acquisition Values and Optimal Financial Flexibility” which was published in Oxford Journals.

Prior to immigrating to the United States, I was employed by the Nestle Corporation in Tehran, Iran as both a Senior Accountant and a Business Analyst.  Although my promotion with the corporation allowed me increased responsibility and the opportunity to engage in the analytical and financial work that I love, I was inspired to come to America so that I could take the necessary steps to further my knowledge of accounting, taxation, and business.  I grew up in a family of businessmen, and was lucky enough to help my father and uncles with the accounting for their companies from a very young age.  I knew that I had found my passion because the work never felt like a chore; instead, I would often find myself poring over their account books until dawn, captivated by the columns of numbers.

I’ve found that the concepts of accounting translate into almost every culture and country.  However, taxation rules are much less universal.  Thus, the MS Tax degree will help to acclimate me to taxation issues that are specific to the United States, as this is the country in which I have chosen to build the rest of my life.  I am excited at the opportunity of attending such a prestigious program, and I believe that its emphasis on career development and placement support will be invaluable as I embark on my future professional goals.

I truly believe that the United States offers unparalleled academic and professional opportunities, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to study in a field that offers so many creative and challenging ways to help people from a variety of backgrounds.  I intend to eventually start my own company, much as my father did, and I am confident that your program will prove to be an invaluable learning and professional experience.