#GraduateStory | Veronica Tan: To Be True Is to Be Unique



At the heart of what motivates me is a desire that predates any choice of major: to understand the unfamiliar and contribute to expanding what we know.

Part 01: Discovering an Interest



I plan to study business, with particular interests in entrepreneurship and marketing, as well as sales. My interest developed gradually, and I can hardly identify when it began. I remember enjoying videos on Bilibili that analyzed business cases, national industrial structures and economic conditions, including short series introducing a business innovation or economic concept each day. I liked understanding how businesses and economies develop and what contributes to success. Videos examining why companies succeeded or failed, or explaining a brand's marketing strategy, were as compelling to me as suspense films.

Part 02: Putting Ideas into Practice

After entering Beijing Academy, I chose courses and clubs that reflected my interests, including Macroeconomics and Microeconomics, Behavioral Economics and the BAID Cultural & Creative Club. I wanted to apply the theories I learned in class. I worked on products inspired by Miao intangible cultural heritage and a pop-up exhibition about Nüshu, pursued digital marketing research, and explored designs for Beijing Academy's own branded characters and products. Following through on these ideas helped me develop creativity and leadership, along with the ability to get work done. Strong revenue figures also affirmed the effort behind each project.



I enjoy studying across the humanities and sciences. Through business projects, I found ways to generate economic value from different cultural traditions and explore contemporary approaches to preserving intangible cultural heritage. Seeing the concrete difference these projects made in my community strengthened my commitment to this field and my desire to pursue it over the long term.









Part 03: Making Choices and Finding Direction

Like many classmates, I faced difficult decisions during application season: which countries and universities to apply to, which major to choose, and what to write about in my essays. I considered location and climate, campus life and safety, the city's cultural atmosphere and employment prospects, as well as recognition in China. Every university offered a different combination, so the process required continual decisions about my priorities.



Writing my essays brought a prolonged struggle of its own. The repeated emphasis on uniqueness troubled me. I enjoyed trying new things and leading teams, and I was good at carrying projects through. Would listing those qualities make me memorable among so many applicants? Thousands of students described themselves as creative leaders eager to explore. What would make an admissions officer remember me? That question accompanied every essay I planned and wrote. The harder I tried to sound different, the more hollow and artificial my writing became, until I barely recognized myself in it.

My perspective changed one ordinary evening while I was scrolling through my phone's notes. Over two years, I had recorded late-night reflections on organizing events and observations about brands, analyses of industries prompted by the news, and thoughts from a taxi ride home after a creative market: “Bringing an idea to life, however small, feels especially meaningful.” Looking at those fragments, I asked myself whether I doubted my own individuality or worried about meeting someone else's definition of it. One concern questioned my own value; the other revealed how much I had relied on other people's standards to judge myself.

Part 04: Writing Honestly

I realized that my task was to help admissions officers see me clearly: a girl full of ideas who sometimes procrastinates or feels anxious, and who keeps working and growing. I could let my own experiences convey my creativity and courage. My uncertainty about being distinctive enough remained, but I felt free to move forward.

If someone asks me now, “Do you think you're unique?” my honest answer is, “I'm not sure.” I am certain of the experiences I have had and the sincerity of my feelings, and my writing expresses what I truly think. Admissions officers can decide how distinctive they find me. My responsibility is to write honestly and present myself openly.

I want to thank my Homeroom Teacher Liu Siyu; Liang Xiao, my Head of Grade and cultural and creative projects mentor; my College Counselor Shuai Junyu; and every teacher who has taught me or supported my activities. Your encouragement helped me believe in my abilities. I am grateful to my classmates and collaborators, with whom I organized successful events and shared our products at Beijing Academy. Finally, thank you to my parents for your wholehearted, unconditional support.

As I continue to grow, I believe I will find wider opportunities to contribute as myself.