Economics and management degree personal statement example (1g) Oxford offer

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Management is a natural choice for me to study; the word "entrepreneur" has characterised me for some years now. By the age of 10 I was negotiating wholesale mobile phone prices with Far Eastern wholesalers - a result of Globalisation. By 12 I was importing video games from America, and by 16 I was the Managing Director of a small enterprise, overseeing more than £6000 of shareholder investment. We traded in refurbished electronics, which we resold on e-commerce platforms to generate revenues exceeding £10,000.

With this strong practical backdrop to inform my learning, I would like to now study management academically. This desire was sparked by reading "The Goal" by E. M. Goldratt. It was an intensely enjoyable book which introduced the "Theory of Constraints". It also exemplified the key principles that H. Fayol identified as the definition of management: planning, organising, commanding, co-ordinating and controlling. I particularly enjoyed a precious few pages that offered an insight into the philosophy of accountancy principles. By the time I had turned the last page, the book had opened an academic avenue that I knew I wanted to explore.

I am also enthralled by a natural partner to management: economics. At A2, I have gained initial exposure to the subject, which I have furthered by reading books such as John Kay's "The Truth About Markets". However I want to explore the subject further still. I particularly would like to study Developmental Economics, as its relevance to international business is set to grow. For example, the still gaping real wage differential between the OECD and the BRIC economies will inevitably lead to continued economic growth in the latter. How will this shape the global business environment in which the modern management graduate operates? In being able to answer this question it is clear that understanding Developmental Economics, and economics as a whole, is acutely important to business.

The eyes of an economist are invaluable in interpreting the world around us. Its relevance as a subject is unprecedented in today's precarious, and bleak, global economic climate.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

Economics is analytical, methodical, thought provoking and logical, and, as a result, it is of intrinsic interest to me. However the true beauty of economics lies in its pragmatism. I recently read in "The Economist" an article in support of an end to income tax exemptions for charities. Though the argument was inherently counter intuitive, the case was reasoned with flawless rationale. This demonstrated the importance of challenging convention, and the capacity of economics to assist in this, as Steven Levitt ("Freakonomics") would have it. So, for someone as excited about economics as me, to not study it further would represent an insurmountable opportunity cost!

I have seen the effects of the economy at the organisation level at Game Retail Limited, where I worked for one year as a sales assistant. My time there also made me realise the importance of two key assets to any organisation and how not to treat them: people and information.

As far as information goes, I have become adept at organising it into coherent arguments in the spoken word as part of my LAMDA Public Speaking Award in which I gained a distinction. This is testament to my skill as an orator, which will serve me well in the Bank of England's Target 2.0 competition, which I will be involved with this autumn.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

In my spare time, I enjoy playing tennis, which helps alleviate stress. I also enjoy a strategic game of chess or, when feeling a little more creative, I like to get involved in drama and theatre.

"The Art of Japanese Management" speaks of the importance of not being a prisoner of our own assumptions and our ignorance. My interests lie in enterprises, organisations and economies. I no longer want to be a prisoner of my ignorance. I want a degree that is the key to the outside world of business, and economics.

Universities applied to:

• Oxford (Economics and Management)
• Warwick (International Managmeent)
• Warwick (Economics)
• UCL (Economics)
• City University London (Management)

Grades achieved:

• Economics (A2) - A*
• Mathematics (A2) - A*
• Further Mathematics (A2) - A
• Physics (AS) - A
• Drama (AS) - B

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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