STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
(From http://www.vartahar.com/sop.html)

This a kind of a personal application essay. You can write application essays in many different ways, but the human interest story provides an effective model for writing your essay. Aim is to engage the reader's interest, persuade him or her of the writer's point of view. Thus the personal application essay or statement of purpose must engage the admissions staff, convince them of your viewpoint, and sell you.

Human interest stories typically have the following structure: lead, thesis, body, conclusion. Using that structure for your personal statement provides you with a framework around which to build your essay.

Begin with a lead which is usually a brief anecdote, a question, a startling statistic or quote, or a gripping description of a scene. The lead has a very important job: hooking the reader. Any writer will tell you that the first few lines of an article, ad, or letter determine the success of that piece. And the same is true for your essay. Put your most interesting tidbit at the beginning.

Now that you have the reader's attention, tell him/her the point of your essay--the thesis. The thesis can be a one-sentence summary or road map of your personal statement. It typically follows the lead and introduces the body, the longest section of your paper.

The body provides evidence to support your thesis. In writing the body avoid generalities and platitudes; give concrete examples from your life. Writing about specific experiences has a number of advantages:

All good things must end; so too must your essay end with a conclusion. The conclusion ties up the essay by briefly referring back to the lead, restating the thesis, and if relevant, mentioning some long term goals.

Lead, thesis, body, conclusion. That is the structure of a successful human interest story and personal statement. After all, the effective personal statement really tells a human interest story--a human interest story about you.

 Ask yourself


1. Why are you interested in your chosen field of study? How and when
did you begin to get interested?
2. Why do you want a graduate degree?
3. Why do you want to study abroad?
4. What was the most rewarding class you took in college and why?
What was the most rewarding assignment you did and why?
5. In addition to classes, how else did you learn about your field of
interest (e.g. books, seminars, lectures, conversations)?
6. Do you feel your grades (university and graduate school if
applicable) and test scores (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, TOEFL, etc.)
accurately reflect your academic ability and potential? Why or why
not?
7. What kinds of academic skills (research, lab, etc.) did you learn
in college?
8. Were you involved in any especially memorable academic
accomplishments in college? Describe them.
9. Who or what has been the biggest influence on your academic
development and why?

Career Plans:

1. What are your short and long-term career plans? How certain are
you of them?
2. How will pursuing a graduate degree help you reach your career
your goals?
3. What current and past work experiences have you had? What were the
most important things that you learned from them?

Extracurricular activities:

1. What hobbies do you do in your free time?
2. What clubs or other extracurricular activities did you participate
in during college? Did you hold any leadership positions?
3. Have you won any awards for your extracurricular achievements?
4. Have you done any volunteer work?


1. Is there anything impressive about your background (e.g.
experiences, accomplishments, family history, cultural
background)?
2. Did you have to overcome any unique obstacles growing up?

Personality Questions:

1. Are you responsible? If yes, describe how.
2. Are you creative? If yes, describe how.
3. Are you honest? If yes, describe how.
4. Are you independent? If yes, describe how.
5. Are you mature? If yes, describe how.
6. Are you hard-working? If yes, describe how.
7. Are you confident? If yes, describe how.

 

Ten Tips for Better Writing

1. Express yourself in positive language. Say what is, not what is not.

2. Use transitions between paragraphs. Transitions tie one paragraph to the next.

3. Vary your sentence structure. It's boring to see subject, verb, object all the time. Mix simple, complex, and compound sentences.

4. Understand the words you write. You write to communicate, not to impress the admissions staff with your vocabulary. When you choose a word that means something other than what you intend, you neither communicate nor impress. You do convey the wrong message or convince the admissions officer that you are inarticulate.

5. Look up synonyms in a thesaurus when you use the same word repeatedly. After the DELETE key, the thesaurus is your best friend. As long as you follow Tip 4, using one will make your writing more interesting.

6. Be succinct. Compare:

The first example takes many more words to give the same information. The admissions officers are swamped; they do not want to spend more time than necessary reading your essay. Say what you have to say in as few words as possible. Tips 7, 8, and 9 are tools for implementing this suggestion.

7. Make every word count. Do not repeat yourself. Each sentence and every word should state something new.

8. Avoid qualifiers such as rather, quite, somewhat, probably, possibly, etc.

The example contains nonsense. Deleting unnecessary qualifiers will strengthen your writing a 1000%. Equivocating reveals a lack of confidence. If you do not believe what you write, why should the admissions staff?

9. Use the active voice. Compare:

They both communicate the same information. The active voice, however, is more concise; it specifies who is performing the action and what is the object. The passive voice is wordier and frequently less clear.

10. Read and reread Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. Containing basic rules of grammar, punctuation, composition, and style, this indispensable classic is available in paperback and is only eighty-five pages long.

 

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

‘For Knowledge Itself Is Power’. This is one of my favorite precepts and at this point in my life when I am about to complete my graduation and my future spreads in front of me like a dream, this adage has never influenced my life more than this before.

Knowledge and proper training are essential to succeed in today's highly competitive world. The best place where I can achieve this is in the United States of America - the undisputed leader in developing new products and processes. Not only is America the birthplace of my chosen field of study, it has also nurtured it for it's full growth and continuous development. To achieve my goals, I want to pursue a Master's program in Computer Science. It is the ideal way for me to gain the knowledge and skills to stand tall as a computer professional.

During my undergraduate studies, I acquired a comprehensive knowledge of computer hardware in all its complexity. I also learnt of diverse software and their applications. The highly dedicated teaching staff of my college taught me the various concepts involved in the field of computer engineering. Some of the subjects I studied were computer graphics, computer methodology and algorithms, logic circuits, principles of communication engineering, C programming, object oriented programming as well as programming using different tools.

I take a keen interest in Networking and Database Management Systems. As a part of my final year curriculum, I am working on a project with one of the India's finest web-site designing companies - MicroGiga Info. Sys. Ltd. The aim of the project is to create a web-site. The web-site, called "Jobs4All", aims to provide the user with a job depending upon his qualifications. Various database concepts', programming scripts and the maintenance of a server are some of the features included in our web-site. Some of the products and tools used are ASP scripts, Java scripts, Microsoft Access '97, Personal Web Server, etc. I am also interested in System Programming. For this very reason, I have selected Compiler Construction as the elective subject for my final year.

There is truly no end to learning, as this has become a world where a constant addition to abilities is the key to growth in a dynamic world. I am fortunate to belong to a family that places a high value of education. I have been given all the encouragement and facility to develop my talents and interests. I have completed several courses in public speaking and leadership training. Sports, music and reading also fill my life. I was also one of the organizer's for the Open Software competition in TECHNOMANIA '98, which is an inter-college festival annually, organized annually by my college. I am also an active participant in various events held in other institutes.

I seek to fulfill my goals in an environment that encourages creativity and motivation. I feel confident that the staff and facilities in your institute will provide me with such an environment. I am well aware of the demands of studying in the more competitive American environment. I am certain that I am mentally and physically competent to succeed at your school. I am basically a hard working and a sincere person. My enthusiasm and urge to excel will help me to make the best use of every learning opportunity.

In conclusion I would like to say that the knowledge gained from 4 years of engineering has provided me with a solid foundation. This will certainly help me in my desire to specialize in my chosen field. My country India has a thriving software industry. I aim to study abroad and return with the skill and competence to find my mark and be a vital part of this booming, futuristic industry. I assure you of my sincerity, dedication and hard work.

 

 

Statement of Purpose 

Professional education has its own merits, particularly in the field of Information Technology. My primary education from an Anglo-Indian school and a Computer Engineering Bachelor’s degree from the University of Mumbai, has inculcated in me a thirst for higher education. It is in this respect that I wish to pursue my Masters studies in the United States of America.

Skills I have mastered

The University of Mumbai with its recognition and comprehensive education makes its students a wonderful choice overseas. In addition to my course work, I have been trained in diverse disciplines of programming logic. A range of academic programming courses in C, C++, Pascal, SQL have strengthened my fundamentals. I have enhanced my skills with recent Internet technologies like Active Server Pages (ASP), Visual Basic 6.0, Java, COM / DCOM. My choice of courses for the Master’s program in your university, will in fact be a sequel to these.

Projects I have handled

Computer networks and the Internet have for long been my fascination, which is rendered in my Final Year Project. The project was successfully completed in a group of three at Microgiga Infotech Pvt. Ltd., a Web development major. Exposure to various aspects of Internet security was a great learning experience. The details of the project are included in the addendum. My other projects included ‘File Fragmentation / Concatenation’ in Pascal/C, ‘Birthday Forecaster’ in Visual Basic 5.0, ‘Slide Viewer’ in Java, ‘Purchase Management System’ in FoxPro. Consequently, I have learnt one thing; deadlines must be met.

My Co-curricular activities

In principle I have always maintained a balance between my academics and co-curricular activities.

In addition to my undergraduate work, I have written technical articles that dealt with the Internet and its Security aspect. My third year project, ‘File Fragmentation / Concatenation’ won the SECOND prize at a national level, competing among forty final year projects. I have also been a finalist in several software project exhibitions at various technical meets. 

My work experience

I am currently employed at ‘Systime Computers Systems (India) Ltd.’, as a Software Developer on ASP. Systime is an ERP partner of JDEdwards (USA). Some of the real-time projects that I have been involved in are:

  1. ‘Human Resource Management - Automation’ project for Philips (India) Ltd. involving VB6, MTS, ASP, and COM/DCOM
  2. ‘Inter-Department Communication’ involving ASP, IIS.

Several overseas projects are expected to be handled by our team in the coming weeks. As part of a highly skilled team, I have learnt camaraderie and team spirit; essential qualities for a team member. The will to learn from my mistakes and taking criticism in the right spirit are values that I have absorbed during my stay in the industry. My experience of one year and the skills I have acquired will be mutually beneficial to your university and me.

My future goals

On completion of my Masters course, I plan to get work experience for six months to a year in America. In the long term I plan opening an E-Commerce consulting firm. E-Commerce, with its deep roots in networking and as yet rudimentary in the Indian scenario, I am sure that I will be able to contribute to the betterment of my country. I have chosen your university because I feel that my career goals would be best realized here. The comprehensive nature of your course, the facilities offered, the ecology and the location would be better suited to me than elsewhere.

Personal Statement

At a time when Industrial giants are being hammered by Infotech scrips at the bourses worldwide, I chose Industrial Engineering for one simple reason - This is what I have always wanted to do.

Born in a family related to Manufacturing companies, I was exposed from an early age to the intricacies of trade. Although I can join any hardcore mechanical company immediately after graduation I believe I would not be doing justice to my education if I were to take the easier way out. My father always advised me to be independent. This was emphasized by my mother who encouraged me to set high standards for myself and work towards achieving them.

I opted for Automobile Engineering since its flexible course allowed me to combine the core subjects of Mechanical Engineering along with the design, dynamics, construction and manufacturing processes of an automobile.

Mainly, my interests are in the fields related to Computer Integrated Design and Manufacturing. The use of computers in the manufacturing industry in India is gaining ground at tremendous speed. It holds enormous potential in the developing nations and will be dominant in the years to come. And I want to be at the forefront in contributing for this development

My second area of interest lies in putting advances in manufacturing like robotics, mechatronics, solid modeling and CAD/CAM and new processing methods to use in solving real life problems.

Although not required by my program, I undertook two months in-plant training on the shop floor of Isha Engineering Private Limited in a serious effort to gain cutting-edge, real world experience.

I worked as a trainee in the Pre-production section, in particular the Machine Shop and Assembly Department. I was assigned a job of Process and Production Planning & Control of automobile ball bearings. This has given me a proper insight into the responsibilities of a mechanical engineer on the shop floor.

As part of my final year project, I have designed a prototype of a steering mechanism which can be used easily on new vehicles without compromising on its aesthetic appeal and comfort value. Special attention was given to the selection of the material. Maximum use of off the shelf components was made to control the manufacturing costs.

I am confident that the knowledge and skills I have acquired will keep me in good stead in the years to come. But to be the best in your profession you have to be up to date with the latest technologies. Most of the technical papers today come from the U.S.A. and this according to me is because of the importance given to research by American Universities. I am sure that the hands on research experience I will gain at your university will enrich my intellectual abilities and also enhance me as a person.

The fact that more than three of the faculty of your department are working on subjects that I would like to pursue further and your specialized research Centers for industrial engineering has in large part determined my decision to apply to your university. I feel that your department has a lot to offer me and at the same time, I am confident that I would be able to make a positive contribution to ongoing research work there.

I am aware that life abroad will be tough and knowledge will have to be hard earned. But as an ancient African saying goes-"Smooth oceans do not make skillful sailors." My objectives are clear. I want to be an engineer who does more than simply justify the trust placed in him. A workman is only as sharp as his tools and my inherent qualities of concentration and perseverance along with a degree from your esteemed institution are the best tools to shape my future.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

I am recently in the final year of the undergraduate program in Computer Engineering from

Sardar Patel College of Engineering ,Bombay (University of Bombay), one of the most

Prominent technical institutes. I am planning to pursue Higher Studies at graduate level, and

then unto doctoral level in Computer Science for a wider perspective.

I schooled at one of the best schools in the state , North Bombay Welfare Society High School

(N.B.W.S) upto tenth standard . I was always among the top 3 students in my

class and in my S.S.C (Secondary School Certificate Examination ) ,my rank was 5th of the

250 students in my School With an aggregate score of 87.85% and 97%in Maths and Science

I completed my 11th And H.S.C.(Higher Secondary Certificate Examination ) in Ramnarain

Ruia College .

On Academic Merits I Secured Admission in Bharti Vidyapeeth College of Engineering

(B.V.CoE) (University of Bombay) in Computer Engineering .There are more than 30 colleges

in the University of Bombay. During my First Year I Topped the College in the University

Exams in a batch of 300 students from 5 branches (Computer, Electronics & Telecom ,

Instrumentation , Civil , Mechanical ) the Certificate for which is enclosed in the Application

Package . Due to this Achievement I Secured Admission in Sardar Patel College of Engineering

in the Second Year (Computer Engineering) which ranks second amongst the Technical

institutions in the University of Bombay .I continued my studies there and thereafter I have always maintained a position amongst the Top 5 % Students in the Computer Engineering Branch.

The Undergraduate Course has been truly Formative in terms of my Career Objectives , the

outlook and training required to pursue them . I had the Opportunity to learn many subjects like

Computer Graphics , Data Structures , Microprocessor(8085/86/386) , Operating Systems ( Unix ,

Dos and Windows95 ) , Computer Organization , Compiler Construction etc . Apart From the

extremely necessary theoretical concepts of Computer Science , I truly believe in the

Implementation of these Concepts for better learning and understanding . So I have mastered a

few tools like C Language, C++(MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes)(Visual C++5.0) and

Java(JDK1.1) by which I was able to implement many concepts .

During the Undergraduate program I successfully completed several software projects amongst

Which the major were a Graphics Package Under Windows very much similar to Microsoft

PaintBrush using all the fundamental concepts and algorithms of Computer Graphics and

Object Oriented Programming . I had represented my college in the all-India contest called

TECHFEST-98(sponsored by AMD) .It is an open software contest conducted every year at

IIT Bombay .

In my final year project, which is nearly under completion, I am developing a Proxy Server

(Under Windows95) giving internet access(proxy) to all the clients(browsers) in the intranet of an organization. As a part of this project , I learned a lot of fundamental things about TCP/IP

protocol ,HTTP,FTP,SMTP,Gopher,NNTP And the basics of Winsock . I have Independently

developed algorithms in the server which Constantly monitors the web pages demanded by the

different clients , stores the information in a Database and uses this information To access the

sought web pages quickly thus making the server more efficient .

 

Networking is the prime area of my interest . I am substantially familiar with the related concepts

as well as the techniques through my Undergraduate course material and more importantly

projects . During the graduate program I propose to garner more in-depth , and expansive ,

Knowledge of advanced technological developments in computer science with a special

concentration on Computer Networks . The Projects gave me a lot of confidence and I am sure

that I will be able to excel in this field and make a significant contribution to this branch .

Another area of my interest is Distributed Computing . I am Currently using the technologies

For Distributed Programming in the form of DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model ) and

CORBA(Common Object Request Broker Architecture) . I am very much interested in learning

such architectures . I feel that the next decade will be the decade of Distributed Computing .

I strongly believe in ‘Innovation’ in the above fields of study as both of them are very extensive

and creative . I understand that Innovation can be brought through the creation and implementation

of new algorithms which is possible only through intensive research . I understand that a

considerable amount of research is going on in these areas in your institution . That is why I am

highly interested in further studies so that I can join the group of researchers in these fields who

are busy creating new ideas and innovations . I believe that the professional guidance and updated scientific training at your institution will help me greatly in achieving my career goals .

Eagerly looking forward to an opportunity to learn at your reputed institution .

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

For the past three years, my undergraduate education has exposed me to the various sub-fields of Computer Science (CS). However, our syllabus has focussed mainly on "traditional" CS topics, such as Operating systems and single-CPU systems. We have had barely a glimpse of the newer technologies that are likely to change the way computing is done in not-so-distant future. The desire to examine such subjects in greater detail is what has prompted me to opt for graduate study.

Most of my interests are in the fields related to information systems and sharing of computing power and resources. I am interested in Database management systems. We have had a course on this topic in our undergraduate program and I would like to explore it greater detail. Another subject that I would like to study further is that of Distributed Operating systems, a topic which we studied briefly under the course on Operating systems. Networking is the third field I consider interesting enough to study in greater depth. We have not yet had a course on this subject but I have a fair amount of knowledge through independent reading.

I have tried, throughout my undergraduate career, not to restrict my activities to those imposed by the syllabus. I have been a member of the organising team of my college’s annual intercollegiate technical festival. I have participated in an Internet Workshop conducted by Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, whose aim was to explain the underlying concepts used in the Net such as routing, domain naming, protocols & also to give an overview of Internet related languages such as HTML, VRML, JavaScript and Java. I have also attended a seminar on E-commerce organised by Verifone India Ltd, an Indian subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard. These seminars have given me " extra" information which was not possible through the undergraduate program.

In addition, I have participated in Software Developing Competition where I had developed ‘Graphical Sorting Tutor’ in C along with my co-developers. This project sought to demonstrate and explain the various sorting techniques graphically. I am also developing an Intranet e-mail Client and Server in Java as my final year project. This will be developed using SMTP & POP3 protocols with minimal MIME conformance. These projects have exposed me to the industry standards in software development along with the invaluable experience I gained from them.

The fact that more than five of the faculty of your department are working on subjects that I would like to pursue further, especially information systems, parallel computing, and distributed systems, and that your department is nationally ranked has in large part determined my decision to apply to your university. I also believe that I possess the capacity for hard work & the motivation required to perform well in an undergraduate program as competitive as yours. Since my economic resources permit me to partially fund myself for the duration of graduate course, I request you to consider me for any form of financial aid such as teaching and research assistantships.

In conclusion, it is my belief that a higher degree in CS from an esteemed university like yours will prepare me for the challenges of the rapidly evolving computer industry.

 

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

They say that the biggest prerequisite for brilliance is the inclination to learn. The above truism should certainly meet no qualms as it has formed the basis for man’s incessant progress over the ages. Nothing exemplifies this progress more aptly than the meteoric rise of computer engineering as a major field of research.

I Perumal Venkatesh have recently finished my undergraduate program in Computer Engineering from Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering, Bombay (University of Bombay), one of the most prominent technical institutes. I am planning to pursue Higher Studies at graduate level, and then upto doctoral level in Computer Science for a wider perspective.

My love for Computers began when I was in tenth. It was the time when people in my country did not give much importance to this new fascinating field, which changed the course of human life. This was the time when I decided that computers will be my career, and over the years this field blended beautifully with my adventurous and curious nature. I have heard many people say that within everyone there is talent and zeal towards a particular field and when the right door is opens, a world of intelligence automatically unfolds itself in front of you. Something like this happened with me, Computer slowly became the right tool to express my ideas and make into a reality. I slowly and gradually moved towards the field of my life and did my undergraduate studies from one of the highly reputed engineering college of Bombay. Even during my undergraduate years the quest for computers made me explore those frontiers which very few thought of entering.

In my third year, I did my first project in Visual Basic (Not taught in College), a File manger in par with Windows FileManger. I was selected to present my software in an IEEE competition held by Thadomal College of Engineering. This break turned to be the turning point in my career. I went on to do my second project for IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Bombay. The project’s aim was to make a Tetris Player in which the computer would play depending on the input we supply. This project gave me an insight into the field of artificial intelligence. The project was made in Visual C++. About this my confidence had really boosted. I went on to do my third project for Dipex (A National Level Competition). The competition required new innovative ideas to be presented. I decided to simulate an Experimental breadboard System in which the students could build various circuits and see the results immediately without the hassle of involving any hardware devices. The project became an instant success with junior students who dreaded on the thought of using hardware devices in their first year. The project thought them all they wanted, in doing their college curriculum. Shortly thereafter this project was selected for another IEEE competition held by Pune Institute of Computer Technology. It was one of the two groups selected from the entire computer department and only ones to represent the third year category all over India. My fourth project was Forecasting stocks using neural networks; a project made for IIT Bombay.

After attending various competitions, I and many of my friends felt a need for a technical festival of our own and thus I became one of the creators of our college technical festival called Technomania (Crazy for technical innovations). Since I had actively participated in many competitions the student body unanimously selected me to organize the Open Software Competition, a very prestigious event. The Event was an instant success. So successful was the event that the next time when we organized the event Verifone (Sister Concern of Hewlett Packard) and Pentafour (A leading software company) decided to become the sponsors for the event. I was again selected to head the Open Software Event seeing my past performance.

Much was expected from me in my final year project and hence the Head of department as the project guide spearheaded my group. The project was a multi-featured Intranet E-mail Client Server suite. (Implementing SMTP & POP3 protocols, and Mime functionality). The project was made in Java and used Windows NT as the operating system. The project gave me an in-depth knowledge of Networking features and ability to apply object oriented design in my project. The project is going to be implemented in the college on the recommendation of a Senior Software Engineer, who was the external examiner for my project.

Networking, Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence are the prime areas of my interest. I am substantially familiar with the related concepts as well as the techniques through my Undergraduate course material and more importantly projects, I have been involved in. During the graduate program I propose to garner more in-depth, and expansive, Knowledge of advanced Technological developments in computer science with a special concentration on these three fields. I feel that the next decade will be the decade of Distributed Computing with artificial intelligence as a major part. My projects have given me a lot of confidence and I am sure that I will be able to excel in this field and make a significant contribution to this branch.

I strongly believe in ‘Innovation’ in the above fields of studies, as the three of them are very extensive and creative. I understand that Innovation can be brought through the creation and implementation of new algorithm, which is possible only through intensive research. I understand that a considerable amount of research is going on in these areas in your institution. That is why I am highly interested in further studies so that I can join the group of researchers in these fields who are busy creating new ideas and innovations. I believe that the professional guidance and updated scientific training at your institution will help me greatly in achieving my career goals.

Eagerly looking forward to an opportunity to learn at your reputed institution.