Actuarial Science Personal Statement Example 1

Catering for the future is one of the most beneficial practises of everyday life, and without foreseeing what liabilities may lay ahead, it is difficult to propose a plan of action in the event of such circumstances. Therefore I find it intriguing that Mathematics can be put to practical use, so that we can develop a logical consideration of financial prospects and aim to eliminate monetary risk by reducing unfavourable outcomes, hence my desire to understand and acquire the skills of an actuary via a degree in actuarial science.

My appreciation of Maths has slowly matured over the years and my A at IGCSE level gave me enough self-confidence to take on the challenge of A-level Mathematics. In terms of my intended degree, my most useful applied module is Statistics, as I have seen its importance and regular usage in Actuarial Science and because I am fascinated at how convenient it can be to handle and process figures so that they may be manipulated to produce a feasible mathematic model.

As Actuarial Science requires a sound combination of mathematics and a business background, I decided to take AS level Economics to thus improve my analytical approach to business and familiarise myself with the techniques involved. This process was aided by taking AS Critical Thinking which has not only developed my problem solving skills under extreme time limits, but also my powers of interpretation when evaluating more extensive documents.

I strongly believe that an actuary is a person of solid judgement and organisational skills and that it is important to be able to apply these techniques in all areas; both academic and extracurricular, to gain versatility.

In view of that, I have worked hard to obtain titles that convey authority and reliability such as House and School Prefect. In the former, I have the main duty to sort out teams for House competitions and in the latter it is essential that I communicate academic and social discipline with the younger students of the school and be of assistance to the teachers in any way possible as well as performing regular duties alongside fellow Prefects. I have represented my House on numerous occasions over the last 7 years, participating in sports such as cricket, rugby, volleyball, swimming and athletics and I try to give my best and relish the competition involved.

Inside my school, I am also a member of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award scheme, successfully achieving the bronze and silver awards; I am currently pursuing the gold which I hope to finish before my time at St. Andrews ends. These awards are particularly helpful at constantly challenging my physical and mental dedication and I hope this practice can help me coordinate my commitment when it comes to times of perseverance as an actuary, encouraging me to build up consistency in all my approaches so that I can have the courage of facing the real life consequences of my actions.

Outside of school, I have spent many hours of my free time during the last year completing my community service: I use some of my Sunday afternoons attending a local orphanage in which myself and a few friends help out in any way, including entertaining the children by organising and playing football matches. Other than being in the school volleyball team, I also am a member of a private volleyball team that enters various competitions throughout the course of the year and this has improved my ability to act as a "team player".

I have chosen to study in UK for its teaching reputation and in the hope that it will build effectively on my British-style education here in Malawi; the contrast between an upbringing in the 3rd world and life as a student in the 1st will hopefully inspire me to make the very best of this opportunity. I trust that in due time I will have developed the necessary skills and experience to have what it takes to tackle the course but as far as confidence goes, I am passionate about my career choice.