Dear Members of the Committee, I would like to use this opportunity to show you how my personal characteristics, my previous

education and professional experience, as well as my future career plans, make me a very suitable candidate for you Master Programme in Advanced Economics and Finance. My name is Aleksandra Dimovska and I come from Macedonia. In July 2013 I got my Bachelor`s Degree in Economics, from the University Ss.Cyril and Methodius-Skopje. This is the oldest and number one ranked University in my country. I am proud to state that I finished the studies on the department of Financial Management, as one of the best students in the generation with a GPA of 9,88 out of 10. I am a dynamic and ambitious person, always up for new experiences and challenges, willing to take risks and I would definitely not want to limit my studying and career in the borders of my country. Having in mind the mentioned above, I made the decision to continue my education abroad. Since the beginning of my studies, I was trying to answer myself the question what would I want to do for the rest of my life? The answer was always the same something dynamic, something that requires continuous learning, developing, analytical and logical thinking. I realized that I will find all this in the job as a financial analyst at a consulting company or a bank. The choice for master studies came down to Copenhagen Business School and the Master Programme in Advanced Economics and Finance for several reasons. First, the knowledge that I will gain from this program will be an essential first step towards my desired career path. Second, there is no greater challenge for me as studying at a top ranked University, where while working and at the same time competing with only the best students, you have no other choice but constantly improving yourself. Furthermore, the international environment and the collaboration between students with different backgrounds that CBS and this programme provide, will allow me to expand my horizons and knowledge. Since we live in a global economy, the different experiences shared by the students could be of great significance when facing the real life. Another thing that I like about CBS is the fact that CBS works together with the business community, which means that besides the good theoretical knowledge, students gain valuable practical knowledge. All these things considered, CBS produces highly qualified experts, that have the theoretical as well as practical knowledge to face the challenges in the real world, and I am eager to become one of them. Speaking about the programme itself, I believe that it meets both my short and long term goals. In the long term, I see myself obtaining a PhD and this programme provides excellent educational background for PhD studies. Furthermore, the content of most subjects is very similar to what I have studied during my four-year Bachelor`s programme. I have already gained extensive knowledge in areas like macroeconomics, financial markets, corporate finance, derivatives and statistics and this helped me establish a solid foundation and understanding of the economy as a whole and also the way corporations interact with their surroundings, which will lead me to successfully completing this course. In October 2013, I started working at MM Investment, Winery Lozar Veles, in the accounting and finance department, as cost accountant. Having the chance to see how a company works from the inside has given me the opportunity to understand the significant role finance has to the daily operations of a business. This practical experience made me realize how complex, challenging and interesting the area of finance is, and now I am even more convinced that the career that I plan on starting will be the right one for me. Another important work experience is the one as a demonstrator

on the subject Statistics for Business and Economics at my University. The University gives this opportunity only to its highest achieving students. My main responsibility was to help the first-year students to understand the application of statistical methods and models in solving economic problems. The benefit for me from this experience was that I had to go beyond what I have studied and take my analytical and problem-solving skills to a higher level a level that would allow me to transfer my knowledge to other students. CBS provides an international environment for its students, and I am a person that enjoys working in such an environment. A proof of this is my stay in the USA, during the summer of 2011 and 2012 (a total of 8 months), as a participant in the program Work and Travel in the USA, a program for international cultural exchange. Its main goal is to allow international students to improve their English language skills, to get familiar with the American culture and gain new friendships. For me, there was much more than this. I completely changed my way of life and I had to become more responsible, since I had to support and rely only on myself. I succeeded in all of this and I easily adapted to the new environment. This is why I believe that I will have no problems adapting to the new life in Copenhagen. Another very important thing is that I improved my English skills so much, that at the end of the second stay Americans didn`t even notice my accent. Becoming a student at CBS, I will be able to do much more than just achieving my personal goals. First, I could share my experience of living and working in a developing country with the other students and make a comparison between the functioning of a developing and a developed country. Hopefully, I could learn more about the reasons behind the differences between those economies, but also learn how we can help the developing economies accelerate their economic growth. Second, since I was 15, I am a member of a local environmental association Vila Zora - Veles. It`s main objectives are protection of the environment and nature and promotion of sustainable development. I have been a part of many projects aimed at reducing the level of air, water and soil pollution in my city and the areas nearby. As a student at CBS, I would love to continue with my activities in the fields of ecology and sustainability, through membership in the student organization 360 Students for Sustainability. I am very aware of the challenge and the high expectations that I need to accomplish if I get accepted at your University. Whether it`s about studying, starting a new hobby or new working position, I always put the most of me to it. If I get accepted at your University, I will continue with the hard work, devotion and dedication towards academic excellence as until now. The combination of the quality of your program and my dedication to the studies will make me a very competitive expert on the job market and a role model of how a student studying at a reputable University such as yours, should look like. After completing the programme, I expect to be not only an excellent expert in the field, but also an improved and grown person. I would like to thank you for your time and consideration of my application. I look forward to hearing good news from you. Yours sincerely, Aleksandra Dimovska