Essay and Statement of Purpose
Study Abroad
The Statement of Purpose is the single most important part of your application that will tell the admissions committee who you are, what has influenced your career path so far, your professional interests and where you plan to go from here.
As the name signifies, the Statement of Purpose is your personal statement about who you are, what has influenced your career path so far, your professional interests and where you plan to go from here. It need not be a bald statement of facts; several successful SoPs address these questions through anecdotes, stories or by describing their hero. But whether your SoP is subtle or to the point, it must be well written to be successful.
This is because the SoP is the only part of your application packet over which you have full control. Your academic and extra-curricular records are in the past. Most people only take one or two shots at the GMAT, GRE or TOEFL, and these scores could be adversely affected by conditions on the test day. It is important to choose recommendation letter writers carefully, but while you hope they give you the best possible recommendation, this is not within your control.
Civil Engineering - SOP
In this essay I outline my academic and extra-curricular accomplishments. Also discussed are my career objectives and the motivation to pursue the graduate program in Civil Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
The undergraduate curriculum in Chemical Engineering at IIT, Kharagpur, introduced me to a wide gamut of subjects, both in and outside the field. Various courses like Mass Transfer, Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena have provided me with a strong footing in the theoretical concepts of Chemical Engineering.
It was the field of Environmental Technology which particularly captured my interest. The desire to delve deeper into this subject persuaded me to take elective courses in Industrial (Air) Pollution Control, Non-conventional Energy Engineering and Environmental Earth Sciences. While offering both depth and breadth across this field, these courses put into perspective the importance and relevance of Chemical Engineering and the application of its fundamentals to environment related problems. I came to realize that although traditionally Environmental Studies has been under the domain of Civil Engineering, the increasing complexity and magnitude of Environmental problems have resulted in a growing need for the services of disciplines other than Civil Engineering.
During the eight week Summer Training at the Development Consultants Ltd.,I was assigned to the Cement Cell, where I received a detailed knowledge of the cement manufacturing processes. As an Industrial Intern, I was assigned a project on Cement Plant Design (1800 TPD), which encompassed Raw-Mix Design and Capacity Calculations for various equipment. Here, I got aquainted with the Pollution and Energy Conservation problems faced by the Cement Industry and devoted a significant portion of my project to the pollution abatement methods.
My final year dissertation was on the Manufacture of Phosphoric acid from rock phosphate using Sulfuric acid (Design of 100 tpd Plant). This covered the design of Reactor, Extractor (for acid purification) and Evaporator (for acid concentration). As a natural outcome of my interest in Pollution control, adequate emphasis was provided to waste gases and waste water treatment which involved off-gas scrubbing (venturi design) and discharge method details, gypsum disposal methods, disposal of fluosilicic acid as waste material and the incorporation of all these in the Plant Layout/flow-sheet.
At IIT, Kharagpur, I have received the best possible undergraduate education in Chemical Engineering in India. Throughout, my scholastic records and achievements have been outstanding. I have consistently ranked in the top 2% of the students of my class, in school, and consider the high point of my achievements as being ranked in the top 1% of more than one lakh students who wrote the Joint Entrance Examination for admission to one of the six Indian Institutes of Technology.
Throughout my school and undergraduate education, I have been a keen participant in extra-curricular activities. Getting elected as the School Pupil Leader ( Head Girl) helped me hone my organizational and interpersonal skills. At IIT, I have been involved in the Annual cultural Fest as Head of the Control Tent Team. I have also taken active part in dramatics and made my contribution to the Technology Dramatics Society (English chapter) at IIT, as its member and later as the Governor. I was also the member of the NSS at IIT where I had the opportunity to be involved in it's Literacy and Health & Nutrition Programs. I continue to be a member of the Helpage Society of India, which provides palliative care to the terminally ill cancer patients.
The years of undergraduate education have been an enriching experience - both academically and otherwise, and I am determined to maintain the high levels of excellence throughout my career.
My immediate degree objective is an M.S in environmental engineering – a rapidly evolving field with an immense potential for research. I wish to follow it up with a Ph.D, to pursue a career in research and experience the excitement and satisfaction of being at the forefront of this vast expanding field.
An extremely distinguished faculty, a milieu replete with academic activity, and a graduate program which blends high quality course work and research facilities at the cutting edge of every sub-field are the factors which have motivated me to choose the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for graduate studies. I believe the program offered will help me acquire the versatility needed to reach my full potential as an engineer.
It would, therefore, be a privilege to be able to secure admission to pursue graduate studies, with adequate financial assistance at U.Massachusetts, Amherst. I am confident that I will match the high standards set by your university.
Computer Engineering
As a student in the final year of undergraduate study for a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science & Engineering, I look to graduate study to refine my knowledge and skills in my areas of interest. I believe it will also serve to give direction to my goal of a career as a research professional at an academic or commercial, research-oriented organisation. I intend to pursue an MS degree in order to reach that goal.
Academic Background & Research Interests
In my undergraduate studies, I have benefited from the breadth of Shivaji University’s syllabi content that has given me a comprehensive exposure to the core areas of Computer Science and a strong conceptual understanding of the same. In these three and half years of study, I have strived to maintain an approach of expending independent effort in all my endeavors. Learning by myself and sharing my knowledge with others has been most worthwhile, when comprehending a concept.
Over the past two years, I have developed an interest in the areas of Compiler Construction and Information Retrieval. The Compiler Construction lab sessions last semester required the design of a compiler for C++ programs that were restricted to For loops, Switch case statements and simple input and output. The work involved in this, as well as the courses, Formal Systems and Automata and Compiler Construction, have lead me to appreciate the intricacies involved in this field. However, for my MS degree, I remain open to other topics as well.
For my B.E project, I have decided to concentrate on my other area of interest viz. Information Retrieval. I’m attempting to evolve a technique that, when employed in a search engine, will maximize the comprehensiveness and precision of the query listings. The ongoing work has introduced me to a vast body of pertinent research, such as the University of Washington’s Dynamic Reference Sifting technique for locating an individual’s homepage, among others. This has served to sharpen my inclination to engage in active research within this area.
(Please see attached Resume’ for the Academic and Co-curricular distinctions)
One person’s life influences the lives of an unbelievable number of people, one of the most important lessons I learned, being the Head of the Apex Body at senior secondary level (11th and 12th standard). Hence the need of responsible actions. Becoming the youngest Head of the Apex Body ever and the only one to have served for a period of two years eventually turned out to be a confidence booster. It taught me that the basis for good work is self-reliance and very importantly, time management. Not all of my entire two years were devoid of shortcomings. I learned to accept both criticism and praise with a positive frame of mind. My work involved organising various events, that brought with them the opportunity to work and interact with various kinds of people. This was a distinctively gratifying experience for me, which I feel would stand in good stead in the future, especially in lieu of any teaching experience.
In conclusion, I would like to add that the essence of University education lies in the synergetic relationship between the student and his department. I feel that graduate study at your University will be the most logical extension of my academic pursuits and a major step towards achieving my objectives. I would be grateful to you if I’m accorded the opportunity to pursue my graduate studies with financial assistance at your institution and am able to justify your faith in me.
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