An Interview with two senior students

On March the 17th, two twelfth grade IB full diploma students Allen Chen and Haoxiu Chen were interviewed by Cecilia Zou from 11(1) and James Shen from 10(8). Allen and Haoxiu have both taken the IB HL Economics course. As of right now, they have both been accepted by New York University Stern School of Business and have both decided to major in Finance.

James:When did you guys decide on your major?

Haoxiu:I made my decision when I was still in tenth grade. My decision was made earlier than most other students so that I could start working towards it earlier.

Cecilia:When did you find out about your interest in Finance?

Haoxiu:Probably in ninth grade when I first started getting in touch with Economics. Since ninth grade did not have Economics course, I could only read about Economics by myself. At first, I felt that our Economics was not really related to Business, but after taking Economics course in tenth grade and doing research, I concluded that Finance was the area that I was most interested in, compared with other areas such as Chemistry or Physics.

Allen:My decision was made sometime between tenth grade and eleventh grade. One of the main reasons why I chose Finance is because my father works in this field and he often talks to me about his experience at work. Also, I think that business in general can combine skills that I have learned in Math and Economics, which are my two favorite subjects.

Cecilia:Alright. How did you guys manage your summers starting from ninth grade?

Haoxiu:Well before ninth grade I went to a summer program hosted by a top ivy league university. The program was not targeted at Finance nor did it give any credit. I realized that a summer program didn't really help much if it was not related with what I really like. I started to look for opportunities which were more related to Finance. After 10th grade, I went to an island in Africa as a volunteer where I did a research about its financial system and how the financial system was related to the unemployment rate. In eleventh grade after taking IB math, I was quite sure that Finance was probably the best suitable major for me. Therefore, in the following summer, I decided to work as an intern in a finance company.

Allen:At first when I applied for summer school in the U.S., my main goal was to understand American culture and the environment in the U.S. After knowing more about US colleges, I decided to spend my summer after tenth grade preparing for standardized tests such as SAT or TOEFL. At the same time, I was also actively involved in some volunteer work. After eleventh grade, I attended the Stanford Math Tournament in the summer because I had decided my major at that time. I also interned at a finance company in the same summer for more experiences.

James:Do you think that preparation for standardized tests should be a priority?

Allen:Personally, I think that it's better to prepare for the tests and finish them as early as possible. Otherwise, the tests will constantly limit you when you are doing other things that are either academic or non-academic.

James:Any other suggestions for students in grades 9-11?

Haoxiu:I think that if you aren't actually interested in an event, there is no point in taking part in it. For example, don't volunteer for something or attend a debate just because you think it will build up your resume. It's best if you just stick with the things that you really enjoy and are meaningful to you. Also, try to decide on a major and work on things related to it.

Allen:I think that people are worrying too much about their grades. If you actually want to be recognized by a university, it is crucial that your application essay and resume can really tell who you are. You must be able to define yourself and explain your interests and dreams. If you are not able to define yourself, how will you be able to write an excellent essay describing yourself? I think that it is really important to understand who you really are, what you really want in college and what fields you are actually interested in.

Haoxiu:Exactly, if you don't do things that you enjoy and follow in the footsteps of others, how are you going to write an essay about yourself? The admissions officers can easily tell whether you are making things up if you can't even be truthful to yourself. Therefore, do the things that makes you unique and different from others.

From the interview with Haoxiu Chen and Allen, we can acknowledge the importance of deciding on a major as soon as possible. Taking the time to plan out the future is a useful skill and it really helps us focus early on a major and work towards it. We hope that everyone can learn from this interview and successfully make plans for the future, no matter it is for future studies or for a future job.

(Written by 10（8）James Shen Picture by College counselor Zhang Li)

Allen Chen (left) Haoxiu Chen ( Right)