Motivation letter for university

Hi to all of you wanting to help me out here... I just wrote my motivation letter for the International Business Administration bachelor program. Would someone be so kind and correct any mistakes or irregularities I have made?

25-04-2013
Dear Sirs, Madams,

My name is Wessel van der Plas and I am currently in my last year of VWO. For quite some time now I know my goal is to pursue an internationally and business related career, something which I never ought to find in the Netherlands. However, The Rotterdam School of Business and Management really changed my perspective on this. I think IBA would give me an excellent head start in a world where new opportunities are continuously being created through globalisation and innovation.

The international dimension

I have lived in the Netherlands for all my life, so there are a lot of things I take for granted, or better said, I took for granted. Because the last couple of years I have been lucky enough to participate in multiple exchange programs. Which really changed my view of the world, and myself. In my third year of high school there was an exchange organised with the Bilfen middle school, located in Istanbul. This is a very prestigious private school in Turkey, where only the brightest of the Turkish youth are accepted. In order to participate in this exchange I was required to write an english motivation letter, stating what I was hoping to learn from the turkish students. Thankfully, I was among the first to be accepted. After my new turkish friend stayed in The Netherlands for a week, he took me to his family in Istanbul. I had visited Istanbul once before, nevertheless this was a complete new experience for me. Being a part of a the city, rather than a tourist in it, gives one a whole other experience. This was the most east of europe i had ever been, it also was the first time I witnessed extreme poverty with my own eyes. Because we were in such a prestigious school, most of the students attending it were from privileged families. Making the contrast between both worlds I saw even bigger.

Turkye was not the only exchange my school organised, in my fourth year I had the chance to stay with a Norwegian family for a week, and to welcome the Norwegian student in my home for another week. We got a long so well, that the following summer I was invited to stay at their summerhouse in Norway. We are still very much in touch.

During my fourth and fifth year in highschool we had two students from Brazil and one from Venezuela participating in all of our classes over a period of one year. This is what made me decide I wanted to pursue an career in an international diverse environment. Especially in the beginning, I was one of the few friends they had in our school. I think the main reason of this was because they had difficulties relating to this new social environment they were dropped in. I showed an interest not just in them, but was also curious about where they came from. It taught me that acceptance, and the ability to adapt can be very rewarding for both sides.

This last summer, I stayed in Venezuela for the period of two months with the family of the Venezuelan student whom was studying in The Netherlands two years before. I stayed in Barquisimeto, the capital of the state of Lara. I knew I would be staying in an environment where my english skills would not be of great use. So in preparation, I taught myself the basics of the Spanish language. This made it a lot easier to connect to people, and not be the one in the background. Of course, I my Spanish skills grew intensively over the two months period. Next to Spanish, my time in Venezuela has also taught me that the difference between our more western, and the South-Amercian world are a lot less astronomical than they seem at first glance. When you solely follow Venezuela in the media, especially with the political issues there nowadays, you get a fixed idea of what the country is like. But I have witnessed that there is a lot more than meets the eye. Being at a electoral meeting of the political opposition party just before the october elections there, I saw they truly had positive ideas for economical growth and stabilisation. Whereas when you read the dutch newspapers, solely the idea is given it is a struggle for power between left and right. I will spent my entire next summer in Venezuela again.

Why IBA

For as long as i can remember, most of the times, the topic of discussion on the dinner table were about my mother her business. So i grew up understanding several business related terms, I think this gave me my initial interest in business and economics. I like to know what is happening in the world around me, and what kind of effect certain changes have on a business or an economy. Therefore I follow the news a lot, and with business related issues, I try to imagine what kind of effect this would have on the stock market. IBA would give me even a greater insight of how a business is build and governed. Something I am very interested in. I am also fascinated by the fact that one simple idea can turn in to a whole new business, and I would like to be part of that process some day in the near future.

Looking towards the future, I believe the international aspect is an essential for new business ownerd. Country borders are seeming to disappear more and more, creating new markets to enter and opportunities to catch. But to put your product out there, teamwork is essential. I have also learned this in during my time as a rower. Like many other sports, teamwork here is essential to achieve victory and to be the very best. People tend to stick to their believes and thoughts, but as long as these are accompanied by acceptance and understanding of others, the perfect team is there. I expect the international aspect of IBA to give me exactly this, the skill to interact with people with other nationalities on a academical level.

Why IBA at RSM

Rotterdam was never the city where I thought I would continue my education until I decided I wanted to study something business related. After seeing the publication in The Guardian stating that the the Erasmus was the best university in the Netherlands concerning economical and finance studies, it was clear that the RSM was the place to be, After receiving a brochure for IBA and attending a Business Administration open day, I was positive I wanted to go for IBA. Nevertheless, I contacted a second year student and asked if she could spend a day with me at IBA. After following International Marketing Research, Marketing Management and talking to some different students about the whole bachelor program, my decision was final.

My future plans

I am not someone who likes to have his future all figured out. The dutch sociologist Fabian Dekker showed that the majority of small business owners these days in The Netherlands prefer security instead of freedom. This is something I find hard to relate to, in my opinion you can not be really successful without knowing what it is like to have a few set backs. Meaning, success does not come without the occasional risk. I like to believe I am someone willing to take that risk. My current interests are in the direction of South-America, during my stay there I saw a country with an extraordinary amount of possibilities. My prediction is that when a more exterior-friendly government will be seated, they truly have the potential of being the next Brazil. Which is has currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world. I would like to be part of that process. This could mean having my own business overseas, or working in a multinational organisation. Now this is merely speculation, but what I do know for certain, is that I want to extend my reach outside the comfort of my own country.

Sincerely,
(NAME)
(Signature)