締切・編入スケジュール

BerkeleyではGPA4.0の学生でも受からないことがあります。教養面だけでなく人間性やリーダーシップを養いエッセイでアピールしなければなりません。



エッセイの質問はほぼ毎年同じで2つ(Total 1000 words)＋Additional Comment (500 words)の計3つです。

下記のエッセイは私（Takuya Suzuki）が実際に出願時に提出したエッセイです。

 

①What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field — such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities — and what you have gained from your involvement.

 

　　My academic career started relatively late compared to my peers. My intended major is political economy. My goal in studying this field is to improve working environment. After graduating from high school, my first work experience was in construction. Going into blue-collar labor was largely a result of my disinterest in education; I was not a stellar student growing up and never thought about higher education. After one year of repetitive and mundane work, I thought more about educating myself to improve my work and overall life. I enrolled at a community college in Japan and buckled down, passing the computer science certification exam from the Japanese government. I was then employed by a reputable IT company and was content there because it was a vast improvement from my early years. Then in 2008, the financial crisis took the world by storm and once again I found myself at a crossroads.

    　 When the financial crisis occurred, I came to see that politics and economics have a strong impact on every person's life. This fueled my desire to study political economy to learn more about how all of these systems, businesses, governments, and society as a whole interact. The situation at my own company particularly struck a chord with me. For example, my principal client asked to end our contract in Japan because they decided to outsource facilities overseas to reduce labor costs. After following their progress I noticed their profits increased, their work circumstances brightened, and their employees were happier. My company, however, was much worse off. My coworkers feared the uncertainty of the crisis, causing a very stressful work environment. Personally, I felt pressured to increase sales, but I unfortunately could not keep up with the unrealistic expectations I set for myself I could not make a better work environment alone.
     　Later, the Japanese government subsidized many companies facing bankruptcy, including my own. Why did the crisis occur in the first place? Why were companies moving away from domestic suppliers to foreign suppliers? What business did the Japanese government have in bailing our industry out? While I could feel that the market was tough, I lacked an understanding of the reasons behind the crisis; I lacked a foundation in political and economic knowledge. It was from there that I decided to study more about politics and economics.
    　 The economy has a large impact on business, politics and individuals and causes hardships when it abruptly changes. I wish to learn about political economy in order to overcome obstacles and improve the working environment of others around me. I need to understand the macroscopic causes that so strongly affect the microscopic work environment of individuals. I want to know how these issues can be managed, and to do so from many perspectives. I also hope to gain knowledge of related topics such as politics and the historical impact of financial crises. In order to lead others, I plan on finding solutions to many unexpected situations. I can most effectively do this as a political economy major.