Saturday, February 5, 2011

SOP sample for History

The History Student, admitted to Rice
 
Why in the world do you want to become a historian? Heaven knows Russia doesn’t need professional historians! » Having studied for five years at the department of history at Moscow State University, I was constantly surprised by how frequently I have been asked that particular question. Many have urged me over the years to make a change, to align my career with more basic interests. Unlike these people I have a firm believe that every person can create his happiness with his own hands, and my happiness is in history.

An intense interest in history has always been a trademark of mine. I grew up in a family of historians, so since early childhood I got used to the sounds of disputes in history, in which later I took part myself: Some day I grew to challenge my parents and win, using my own rules of logic and argument, in spite of their influence on my theories about history.

It was time when the USSR began its painful transformation into the new Russia; the time, full of revolutionary events and ideas, hopes and expectations for a new life after crush of communism. Conceptions, opinions and ideas, freedom of speech and opening of archives created favorable mental atmosphere, which inevitably stimulated my interest in history and aspiration for cognition. When I read books of Walter Scott, I was fascinated by Scotland. Soon my interest of Scotland became more concrete — I tried to examine actual resources of economic growth and rapid formation of capitalist system in XVIII century Scotland in order to find «remedies» for the diseases of Russian economy. My decision to become a historian followed logically the desire to grasp the meaning of the present and the perspectives of the future through understanding of the past.

Entering the department of history at Rostov State University (in my native city) was the first important step in my life. But after the first year of studies I realized that Russian «wind of change» didn’t influence «soviet» ideological approach to history, at least in the Russian province. At this time I have chosen the opinion of English philosopher Joseph Priestly as my motto: «We have to make our lives ourselves.» Inspired by the idea, I decided to do the next important step in my career: to change the kind of education and the way of life. I transferred to Moscow State University, the best institution for getting education in history in Russian Federation.

This year I graduated from Moscow State University and faced the dilemma of choosing the best way to continue my education. Today, standing on the threshold of the next vitally important period in my life, I am going to follow my principle in shaping my own life.

To help you understand my current goals better, I would like to explain my educational experience up to this point. While studying I was interested in modern British history, my research work was devoted to the British Enlightenment. The first course paper with the title «Political ideal of Joseph Priestly» had won recognition as one of the three best student’s works of the year at the department. Later I narrowed my focus to a particular problem of the Scottish Enlightenment, because my early interest to the Scottish Enlightenment was born of passion for Scotland. So in my next written works I investigated a contribution of Adam Ferguson, a famous Scottish philosopher, to development of political economy. The graduation paper had the title: «Social and economic thoughts of Adam Ferguson» and it took its place in the department’s library of the best graduation papers.

During educational process I had different experiences connected to history. For some time I was lucky enough to teach at school and work in archives and libraries (see attached Student report summary of academic records). Also my educational background and scientific importance of the theme helped me publish articles in historical magazines and to take part in conferences.

In terms of career, my goals are to teach history, conduct research projects, and publish results of the projects. To achieve my aims means to become a specialist with high qualifications. Unfortunately, the latest changes in Russia brought about not only positive democratic reforms and political freedom but also reduction of employment possibilities for scientists and curtailment of stable government subsidies for scientific projects. As a result, history suffers from this situation as all other fields of science do.

To my mind it is of key importance to have possibilities to obtain excellent education and to conduct certain research projects independently that is why I consider doctoral studies at Princeton University as the next professional stepping stone in my career. First of all, teaching assistantship program could provide me with the practical teaching experience. My desire is to learn in practice how to guide others in their explorations of the world through history, to encourage them to see in history all I see in it: the whole of human experience and the power of human intellect and imagination.

Further, earning a Ph.D. in history would advance my other goals by adding to my creative and analytical skills in history as well as in working with language. Development of history as a science in Russia depended on ideological strategy of the only ruling political party for the last seventy years. Inevitably it left traces on the main approach to history. With certainty I can assert, that manifestations of such approach are still very powerful in historical education in Russia. Apparently, we should take not only external democratic institutions, but rather change our approach to life, which can affect our approach to history. However it may be, Russian historians should use experience of colleagues from the countries with democratic traditions. I still feel I have so much more to learn about different approaches to history.

Taking all the circumstances into consideration, I came to the conclusion, that the best opportunity to pursue my «chosen path» would be to continue my education as a graduate student at Princeton University. The facilities, scholarship, and traditions of your university, combined with the caliber of the student’s body, make me confident that I will be stimulated throughout the course of my studies. Upon graduating from your program, a variety of options are available for pursuing my objectives.

In conclusion I must say that I would regard my being admitted to the graduate program not only as a great honor but more as a high responsibility and obligation of hard work.

SOP sample for Hospitality Management

MBA Hospitality Management (sop sample)

Hospitality is distinctive business activity and has a critical role in global economy leading to create percentage of jobs worldwide. And also it performs major role in satisfying guest requirement in one or the other way.
Looking at the fast growing hospitality industry, it is necessary to have a strong base in education and work experience. There is a scope of continuous growth and learning through practical experience depending on capabilities too.

It is my ambition to work as a key player in challenging and creative environment, to be instrumental in organization’s growth, to realize my potential and explore myself in productive manner and thus prove myself to be an asset for an industry.

I completed my graduation in hospitality from National council of Hotel management with second division and I still can improve my career and promotion prospects through Masters. Hence I would like to pursue my higher studies in hospitality sector from UK.

It is my keen aspiration to study my master’s degree in UK which has world’s best universities and education program for all students.

If given an opportunity to be a student of MBA in Hospitality from Ealing Hammersmith and West London College, I will be very fortunate to shape my career in advanced manner and I can furnish my knowledge and skills which I gained throughout my experiences. I will follow the rules and regulation set by the university and will focus on gaining maximum out of it.

**PG Diploma in Hospitality Management (sop sample)


Hospitality as a career is an assured one because hospitality as an industry can never wane and never can it come to an end! My first job was in McDonalds where I tasted the thrill of being part of a high end electric work environment. That was the start of the process of my falling in love with the career in hospitality industry.
Now after five years of experience in the industry, after joining yet another international brand KFC, after handling many positions and maturing as a professional, the thrill or excitement of the hospitality career has not lost its sheen a wee bit, rather it has put in mind dreams and visions of my future in hospitality business with my won set up.
 
I am from Delhi, India. As I gathered five years experience in international brands of restaurants, I did my commerce graduation and now I feel that I need more formal managerial education to further my career in the Hospitality industry. And to realize my dreams and visions of having my own hotel or a resort I do need strong formal managerial educational foundation and hence is the decision to go in for Post Graduate Diploma in Hospitality Management.
 
At the last a few months at KFC I practically run the restaurant doing everything like managing, purchase, stores, finance, sales, staff, accounts etc. That was quite an experience, still I feel that formal education in a good institution with good faculties with innovative programs and projects is a must for my growth and that is the single reason of selecting your institution and the post graduate diploma in Hospitality management from Ealing Hammersmith and West London College.
 
My choice of pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Hospitality Management has been motivated by a desire to be a part of my father’s business. This career appears to me, as one that is most absorbing and challenging and at the same time exciting.
 
Getting the chance to study at your Institute will definitely equip me with the knowledge and expertise to excel in Hospitality industry and with the backing of a prestigious institute like yours, excellent guidance and support from your experienced and knowledgeable faculties will give me extra boost to enhance my knowledge and skills.
 
I will be interacting with different people from diverse cultures will greatly help me to understand the values of a global family. I have grown up with a broader vision towards different cultures. Therefore, I believe I will be able to contribute significantly to your institute.

SOP sample for Fisheries

Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

From: Katharine DeVilbiss
Date: 12-15-2009
Subject: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
     
Our world’s fisheries are in a decline and I would like to learn and develop ways to preserve and sustain this vital natural resource. For most of my childhood my father and I fished on the Saint Lawrence River. The abundance of pike, perch, and blue gill declined substantially in those fifteen or so years. While we would still love to visit that area, it just wouldn’t be the same if we couldn’t catch fish. 

    It is an immediate goal to obtain a research assistantship for a Masters of Science degree in fisheries.  After I obtain my MS degree, I may decide to go on for a Ph.D. or I may find a suitable position in a state, federal, or international fisheries management agency or non-governmental organization.  I obtained my bachelor's of science degree in wildlife and fisheries biology from Clemson University in December 2008, with a 3.68 GPA, and a 3.89 in all WFB courses. I plan on beginning Graduate school in the spring or fall of 2010.      
As I have furthered my education, my fascination with this field of study has continued to grow. As I’ve mentioned, I grew up fishing and have grown to love eating, watching, dissecting, and learning about fish. I don’t have to fit the mold- I can think outside of the box. That’s what scientists are encouraged to do. I want to solve problems, and hopefully see direct results. If asked what my top three qualities are, I would say I am focused, organized, and conscientious. The qualities of loyal and inquisitive are top contenders as well.      
Unfortunately, while my degree is in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, there have been few courses in fisheries available to me. However, I have developed a strong foundation in biology and ecology. Some of the relevant courses include vertebrate biology, evolutionary biology, fisheries biology, and conservation biology, organic chemistry, and freshwater ecology. Fisheries biology consisted of fish identification, a good deal of electrofishing practice, and material on sampling methods and habitat characteristics. Freshwater ecology highlighted the chemical, physical and biological processes in various bodies of water. This included diverse topics such as disease, hydrology, nutrients, and ecosystem assessment. Evolutionary biology focused on population genetics as well as principles of speciation, adaptation, and phylogeny.     
 To gain additional experience in fisheries, I assisted Dr. Jeffery Foltz, a professor of fisheries with his turquoise darter (Etheostoma inscriptum) population restoration project. Six Mile Creek is a site where natural populations of this darter have diminished due to a variety of factors. I worked with two other students to gather habitat quality measurements to determine habitat suitability of different reaches of the stream. We would determine the current populations of each reach by using electrofishing. When populations were low, we would supplement these populations with darters of the same species from a nearby stream. To monitor and evaluate the success of this program the same procedure was repeated the following year. I became familiar with equipment used to collect dissolved oxygen readings, temperature, and flow. I also learned the different ratings of substrate and areas of streams (pool, riffle, or run) as well as preferred turquoise darter habitat. I received a few introductory lessons on GIS software. We were successful and a stable population of the turquoise darters in Six Mile Creek was re-established.     
 During my collegiate career I acquired an independent internship in Australia.  I volunteered for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries as a technician for one semester. Of the many jobs in the lab, I performed otolith extractions on yellow fin brim, mullet, whiting, pearl perch, amberjack, snapper, and mackerel. I learned to identify species and sex. I learned a procedure for using night trawls to capture blue swimmer crab: Tying a cod-end, handling by-catch, controlling a winch, and taking salinity and temperature measurements. Other sampling methods I learned were boat ramp surveys, commercial catch sampling, charter catch sampling, and some fishery-independent sampling (i.e. in fish markets). I was amazed by the variety of by-catch species and became quite proficient at otolith extractions.     I have specific interest in fisheries including both marine and freshwater especially edible species of finfish including salmon, trout, tuna, and cod. The broad areas of fish ecology, life history, population dynamics, genetics, and nutrition, excite me. I am very interested in learning aquaculture techniques for these species. I am especially interested in projects pertaining to higher efficiency fish cultivation, be it through higher yields, cost control, or reduction of nutrient loading for instance.     As a graduate student, I would like to pursue a research program that will provide in depth skills and knowledge of fisheries management and/or aquaculture. I am eager to learn and seek a program that allows for specific training in fisheries as well as to spend the majority of my graduate time in the field, gaining valuable experience and applying my classroom knowledge to real situations.      
I hope to attend a university with a program that matches my interests where I can learn and grow into a competent professional. I am an excellent candidate for graduate school because of my strong work ethic, my commitment to this field, and my ability to work both independently and with a team. After graduate school I am interested in living in the Mid-atlantic, Great Lakes, west coast, or New England area.  I would be thrilled to work with NOAA, or a federal or state hatchery.

SOP sample for Finance

MSc Finance from Newcastle University is an ideal fit for my ambitions because of the overall academic excellence, emphasis on corporate finance, and the industry-oriented environment. Exposure to the financial services industry in the UK will provide me a great opportunity to apply my acquired theoretical knowledge of finance. I plan to capitalize on these strengths as they relate to my interests.

My passion of mathematics and electronics led me to choose Electronics & Communication Engineering as my undergraduate major. After completing my graduation, I went on to do my PGDM in Finance and Marketing. I have always enjoyed and been strong in areas that require problem solving, analytical and mathematical skills. I am anxious to combine the knowledge of, and aptitude for, these skills with my interest in finance. Finance had always fascinated me right from my undergraduate studies. Engineering Economics and Management, a 3rd year undergraduate course, aroused in me a keen appreciation of the discipline of finance field. Motivated to learn more, I took short courses in Accounting, Finance and Business Management.

I have also passed various financial exams such as Financial Market, Securities Markets, and Derivative Markets exam conducted by the National Stock Exchange of India. During my PGDM course, I undertook Internship in International Tractors Ltd, wherein my topic was “Supply Chain Financing” for customers and dealers of ITL. I am a regular reader of the Financial Times, Times of India and PC World Magazine, enjoy keeping up with current affairs and business news. I actively participate in recreational activities including debate and sports competitions as well.

To achieve my career goals, I need to learn much more about current developments and techniques in finance, financial markets and financial applications and acquire hands-on experience of financial analysis. A Master’s Degree in Finance from Newcastle University, UK will provide me with theoretical understanding, an in depth idea of practical approaches in aiding managerial decision-making and research skills to enable me to develop an expertise in the core areas of financial strategies and global corporate financial operations. I would like to probe specific problem areas such as the application of quantitative analysis to understand various issues in global finance and improving decision-making and effect of increase in global communications on international finance decisions. My interests are Capital and Derivative markets, Corporate Finance, International Capital Budgeting, and Foreign Exchange Markets.

I want to build my existing skills with a degree in MSc in Finance from Newcastle University, UK. My initial goal immediately after the course is to obtain a rigorous, demanding and rewarding position in this profession. I hope to gain practical corporate experience in areas such as capital management mergers and acquisitions, risk management, pricing and sales strategies for stability and maximum returns on capital. To this end, I would also like to gain knowledge in the fields of investment analysis, financial planning, strategic finance, international finance and global financial markets during my postgraduate studies in the UK.

SOP sample for Fashion Design

Fashion designing is one of the most exciting and demanding professions of today. The world of design has always fascinated me. Since my childhood I have enjoyed designing my dresses and helping my friends and family members to manage their outfits. From my primary stage of education I have a passion for drawing, sketches etc. From that very beginning stage, I believe that I have to be a Fashion Designer. I feel even though “designing” is one of the youngest professions but it is one of the oldest human acts.

My country India has a very rich and culturally varied heritage. India can be called a Center for Fashion, where all varieties of dresses from Indian to western in multiple shades of fusions are experimented with. India is emerging as one of the major players in the world of fashion. I aspire to be a globally renowned Fashion Designer with my own Brand. To gain a global knowledge of fashion culture I have decided to earn a good Bachelors Degree in Fashion Designing from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, UK.

The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, 2nd EditionI have completed my class 10th(ICSE Board)with 91.4%(best five subjects) in 2007; currently I am in Class 12th and will complete it in March 2009. With my studies of class 12th, I also did a short term Fashion Designing course from “Lal Bahadur Shastri Training Institute” which helped me to develop my designing skills.

My Family is a simple one but aesthetic in their choice of outfits. They have been a major source of inspiration to turn my dreams into reality. I understand that hailing from a suburb of a small town with very limited exposure; I have been unable to portray my abilities and aptitude in the basic portfolio I could manage to prepare by myself. A true Fashion designer must have the complete knowledge about garment combination of line proportion, color and texture.

I truly enjoy designing clothes and its various accessories. I intend to learn everything about fashion designing because a complete knowledge is essential for success. I want people to dress themselves in the outfits designed by me. Today a large number of students interested in designing are crossing continents in search of new artistic sensibilities, methodologies and opportunities. I want to be one of those design students to break my regional barriers for higher and the best education I can get in a country like UK. Design education in UK is addressing the new and emerging fashion scenario. My aim is to be a graduate from your esteemed institution. By pursuing my BA Fashion from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication in UK, I will be able to gain knowledge and develop my aptitude and skills at a global level which will help me to create my niche in the International Fashion Scenario. This is my dream and I will work hard to achieve it.

SOP sample for Civil Engineering

Statements by Americans,The Engineering Student
 
A simple bridge truss was the first structure I ever analyzed. The simple combination of beams that could hold cars, trains, and trucks over long spans of water fascinated me. Having the tools to analyze the loads on the truss further increased my interest in structures. I encountered the bridge in a textbook for my first engineering class.

Knowing that the professor, Mr. John Doe, was a tough teacher, I asked him for the textbook so I could study and get ready for the class over the summer. Just arrived from Belize, I was determined to succeed. In class we learned about forces on simple members and then we put the members together to form a simple truss. At this point I had almost decided that structural engineering was the career for me. From there the class just took off: We went on to frames, distributed loads, considered friction; basically we were incorporating real world considerations into structural members. I loved the practical, problem solving aspects of the field.

At UC my classes were even more advanced. In my analysis and design classes, I especially enjoyed studying steel design because we not only learned the use of the load resistance factor design but also applied that knowledge — I designed a four-story building. The professor was a practicing engineer, and he always related the subject to real life steel structures he had engineered, for example, the SB Medical Center, an all steel building with a base isolated campus. This is the kind of project on which I would like to work, designing the structure and considering how the building will respond to ground motion. After two quarters of structural analysis, I had come as close as possible to analyzing real world structures. Looking back I realize, I had learned great tools for structural analysis, but my "tool box" was still inadequate. I lacked a very important tool: finite element analysis. According to my professor, finite element analysis has revolutionized structural analysis.

Although I liked my classes, my internship experiences really confirmed my interest in structural engineering. While working at Caltrans as a student volunteer, I reviewed computer grading output for streets under construction. The computer suggested numbers for the road grading, and I had to plot the numbers and make sure there were no abrupt grade changes so the water can drain off easily to the sides of the road. It was exciting to know that I was the last checkpoint before the whole project went for approval. It was enjoyable working on something real — Main Street — but I was somewhat disappointed I did not have the chance to work on any structures.

At UC I volunteered through the Student Research Program to work in the geotechnical library. I worked directly with a doctoral student and helped him to develop a geotechnical data base for the local area. I interpreted the data Caltrans had collected and recorded it in a form accessible to the computer and easy to read. It took hours to finish the job, but I enjoyed the precision involved so I did not mind putting in the time. My supervisor liked my work so much, he hired me to continue the project during the summer. Working on this project also showed me the importance of soils in determining buildings’ responses to earthquakes and awakened my interest in the response of skyscrapers to seismic stress and movement.

At First Choice U, I plan to enroll in the structural engineering and geomechanics program. In this program I hope to draw on my structural analysis and geotechnical research background as a foundation for studying more advanced concepts. I am particularly interested in researching the ties between the structural engineering, geomechanics, and applied mechanics. I believe research is necessary to acquire data and formulate theories, but it is just as important to know how to apply those theories and use that data in the real world. I hope to be involved in some structurally related research at First Choice U. I am particularly interested in two research facilities: The Structures and Composites Laboratory and the Earthquake Engineering Center.

After completing my degree in engineering and working on engineering projects, I know I want to design structures. That is what has fascinated me since I took Mr. Doe’s class. I also know, however, that designing structures of a complexity that appeals to me requires "more tools in my toolbox." Those I can acquire only by continuing my education. To be competent and competitive I will need a masters degree. After completing my degree, I would like to work for an American engineering consulting firm and engineer complex structures and tall buildings, perhaps focusing on the problems surrounding designing for earthquakes. My long-term goals are to return to Belize and found my own engineering consulting firm there.
 
Structural engineering will allow me to pursue a career where I can be creatively involved in problem-solving and design functional structures, like the simple truss bridge that initially captivated me in Mr. Doe’s class. My classes, work at Caltrans, and internship in geotechnical engineering have increased my knowledge of and interest in structural engineering since I first looked at the textbook shortly after my arrival in the U.S. A masters degree will give me the up-to-date tools and knowledge to be competitive and competent.

SOP sample for Engineering

The Engineering Student
 
When I heard that theoretical strength of a material is higher than its practical strength as much as hundreds times and that is all only because of presence of cracks, I was surprised. I decided to learn this phenomenon and carried out great number of various investigations to understand how cracks grow and how to predict demolition of materials with cracks. Now I can definitely say that I approached the final explanations of these questions.

I have been interested in science for a very long time. In high school, I attended additional physical course that included theoretical training as well as work in a school laboratory. There I first tried myself as an experimentalist making a simple hologram. When I started my studies at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) my interest in experimental physics only increased. MIPT opened great opportunities for my growth. After close acquaintance with laboratories of our department and their researches, I decided to work in field of experimental mechanics.

Investigations of mechanical properties of materials attracted my attention. In my second year I had spent all my spare time in the laboratory and it allowed me to make great progress in my investigations. My first research project was about stress concentration, especially at the top of the crack. My oral topic at Final Exam in physics was "Determination of stress concentration at the top of the crack". Later my interest shifted to more complex problem - investigations of crack creep growth and creep fracture. With results of this research, I took part in Scientific Technical Conference of MIPT with report "Investigation of kinetics of cracks by polarization-optics method". I was the only student from my Department who took part in this Conference. My work won third place award in the section "Physical Mechanics" and as one of the best works of the Conference will be published in the collection "Transactions of MIPT 1997". Currently I prepare my latest work for publication in scientific journal "Applied Mathematics and Mechanics".

Work in the laboratory gave me many qualities that will be needed for successful Ph.D. study. The strongest is skill to work with laboratory equipment. Participation in Scientific Conference developed my public speaking skills. That all and Bachelor of Sciences that I will receive next June will help me in graduate study at Your University. Another skill that work in the laboratory gave me is skill to communicate with people and as a result I became the captain of my department soccer team and later the captain of my institute soccer team. In addition, I think my participation in the Students' Theater helps to form my personality. I think I will not only enhance scientific potential of Your Department, but also enrich cultural and sport life of Your University.

Unfortunately the latest changes in Russia brought about not only positive democratic reforms and political freedom but also reduction of employment possibilities for scientists and curtailment of stable government subsidies for scientific projects. As a result the concerns about students suffered a lot. All this encouraged me to look for possibilities to continue my study in the USA. I think it would be a good chance to receive high-level education under guidance of strong scientists and excellent teachers and with the help of first-class equipment.

SOP sample for Environmental Engineering

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 Environmental Engineering from University of Liverpool.

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 in this subject persuaded me to take elective courses in Air Pollution Control, Non-conventional Energy Engineering and Environmental Earth Sciences. 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 acquainted 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. 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 its Literacy and Health & Nutrition Programs. I continue to be a member of the Help age 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 doing MSc in Environmental engineering from University of Liverpool in UK – a rapidly evolving field with an immense potential for research. I wish to follow it up with a PhD, to pursue a career in research and experience the excitement and satisfaction of being at the forefront of this vast expanding field.

They have extremely distinguished faculty with academic activity, and a graduate program which blends high quality course work and research facilities which motivate me to choose this University of Liverpool. I believe the program offered will help me acquire the versatility needed to reach my full potential as an environmental engineer.
 
It would, therefore, be a privilege to be able to secure admission to pursue graduate studies, with adequate financial assistance at University of Liverpool, UK. I am confident that I will match the high standards set by your university.

SOP sample for Economics

The Economics Student
 

In this essay I am going to concentrate mostly on the incentives that stimulate me to pursue further studying, and reflect the motives for my choice of Princeton University as well as state my future career objectives.

I have chosen to work in the area of international microeconomics because it has such a demand for new ideas. At the same time it requires a good mathematical background and has obvious implications in real life.

My education suits this field very well, I have Master of Science with Honors in the field of applied mathematics and physics and a Master of Arts in economics with a specialization in international economics. I already have extensive research experience both in applied sciences and economics, know basic economic models and have strong background both in abstract modeling and data manipulation. All this probably makes me an economist, but my objective is to become a good one.

I have been taught by very good lecturers. After course I took with Professor Branson I decided that there is nothing more interesting than international economics. Professor A made issues of monetary economics and government policy fascinating. Lectures delivered by Professor B attracted me to labor market problems. I enjoyed listening to them and want to teach my mind to operate in a similar manner -- attention is paid to every individual fact and each formal problem solved reflects a real economic situation.

While writing my master's thesis I had a chance to see that a simple look at a graph can be more useful than application of sophisticated economic techniques. One of the reasons I want to study further is to reach at least the same level of intuitiveness and panoramic view of the subject as my teachers have.

My Master of Arts degree was in the field of Health Economics, which I am very interested in. It was mostly empirical dissertation. My dissertation was titled ".." and I worked under the guidance of Professor C. The greatest part of my work was devoted to macroeconomic cross-country econometric (panel data) analysis. The task was complicated by the necessity to work with omitted variables and low quality data as well as the low reliability of data for developing countries and countries in transition.

We also made efforts to build a model that explains the impact of macroeconomic parameters on health deterioration and the probability of death. My master's thesis has been presented at the "Russian Economic And Political Institutions In Transition" conference and currently we are preparing it for publication.

At this time I am also doing empirical research devoted to inflation and monetary policy. I feel cautious specifying which area of economics interests me most for further study, but I do not think that this is a drawback. I find economics particularly attractive for the fact that it is broad, and has not yet been split into a set of narrow sub-branches -- economists all speak almost the same language. I also think that in the face of complexity we face in this discipline, it would ineffective to specialize too narrowly.

This year I realized as I had not before that I wish to continue my studies. Being a teaching assistant in Professor A's Macroeconomics and Advanced Macroeconomics classes, I understood a lot of effort must be applied for a good student to turn into a good teacher. I feel that a similar gap lies between a good student and a good researcher.

I am a hard-working and determined person, and I am ready for a new leap in my economics career. I will work hard in hope that the quantity of the effort I put in will result in high quality knowledge. The fact is that the best possible supervisors and a highly competitive atmosphere are necessary for this quality. The only reasonable decision for me was to aim for such a place. All this gives me the motivation to apply to Princeton University.

SOP sample for Disaster Management and Sustainable Development

There is not a single country that can be considered free from various types of disasters.  There is no doubt that the vulnerability of the people in the underdeveloped country is more than those of their developed counterparts.  This can be attributed to various factors.  One of them is extensive research and awareness generation activity undertaken by the governments of these countries. This could be possible only in those countries who understand the long term effects of disaster on the overall economic development of the country.  Now even the under developed countries are realizing the need to take steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.  But the problem is lack of expertise availability.  I come from the area in Gujarat, India that has been affected by the worst earthquake of the century. I wish to learn the methods that will be helpful in mitigation and thereby help in reducing the vulnerability of the people not only in my own country but in other underdeveloped countries as well.

Right from my childhood, I was a compassionate person; always ready to help people in any possible way.  I also used to take initiative in management of various activities, if not by direct involvement then by supporting the organizers.  But I was not aware about the field like disaster management. During any disaster it is essential that the people affected are treated with compassion and their needs are taken care off.

I came to know about such specialize organizations and their role after joining the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), which has been established after the earthquake that not only Gujarat but many other states of India.  I have been very lucky in being a part of one of the world’s biggest rehabilitation and reconstruction project ever undertaken.  Today, the organization is very well renowned not only in India but also globally.  The UN Sasakawa award of merit for Disaster Reduction has been awarded to GSDMA.

After obtaining more than three years experience in this organization, I wish to serve humanity so as to reduce their sufferings during the times of disaster.  In order to fulfill this wish, I felt that it is essential to have better understanding of the causes of disasters, the different methods of mitigation and reducing the peoples vulnerability, and creating awareness about what steps an individual can take to ensure his and family’s safety.  Education is essential, and this has led to my decision of pursuing further education in disaster management.

My current job profile at GSDMA includes looking after the matters related to housing and emergency communication system.  The housing sector is responsible for monitoring of the owner driven house construction that is taking place in the earthquake-affected areas of Gujarat.  We have to deal with public grievances that arise at taluka and district level, solve this and also take up policy level decisions as per the different packages declared for the assistance that is to be provided to the affected population.  The job includes meeting the beneficiaries who come with their grievances.  It is essential to understand the problem and then present it to the decision maker after proper interpretation of the information and correlating the same with the provision laid-down.  In the emergency communication system the best means of communication during emergency had to be determined. It has been the experience that the regular means of communication fail to meet the demands during emergency, so other means of communication like the VHF/HF radio, satellite phones, etc have to be used.  The basic requirement and permission (license) to operate a VHF trans-receiver has been obtained by me.  The Central Government Ministry of Wireless Communication issues the license.

Along with all this I have been lucky in being allotted a set of diverse tasks which further helped me in understanding the need for specialized training requirements.  I have been given the task of documentation and therefore could go thorough reports highlighting the works done by different countries, their approaches etc.  The nature of taking a lead in any management task helped me in being a part of the team organizing various workshops and seminars where I could informally talk to participants from different fields and countries.  I have been very impressed by the visit of the team from FEMA (they came for a workshop which was organized by GSDMA), and the way they organize themselves before reaching any area affected by any disaster.  Their training and professionalism made my resolve to get further training and knowledge in this area firmer.  The work of monitoring various website for observation of any developments and occurrence of any event around the country helped me broaden my horizons and made me think about people of those countries way behind on the development ladder.

I aim to serve not only people of my country but people around the world suffering due to any kind of disaster are natural.  But to do that proper training during crisis knowledge is essential.  I wish to obtain my MSc Disaster Management and Sustainable Development from University of Northumbria, which is one of the few organizations offering this kind of specialization. A renounced institution like your will help me not only by providing me with better knowledge by will give me an better understanding of steps to reduce suffering that befalls humanity.

Friday, February 4, 2011

SOP sample for Mathematics

This application is very important to me because completion of a PhD degree in Mathematics will be the best chance for a unifying career development with my labor of love - mathematics. I am confident that when I become a serious and mature researcher my desire to make a contribution to mathematics and to our understanding of this world will remain my main driving force.

I don't remember when I became keen on mathematics. At first it was only entrainment as I found it exciting to solve intricate problems. Later it became something more than a mere hobby. I particularly enjoyed the ineffable feeling of triumph when you realize that the problem is solved; that you have got the idea. I think it is the profundity of this feeling that made mathematics my chief enthusiasm. I have taken part in Olympiads and Conferences. The most valuable contribution of these competitions was a possibility to meet the same enthusiasts in mathematics. I was particularly impressed when I was invited to participate in an International Summer School and Conference in the ancient town of Pereslavl-Zalessky. There I had an opportunity not only to work on appealing research problems but also to interact closely with working mathematicians such as X and Y. It is difficult to describe the feelings that overwhelmed me but they did incite me to further progress.

Being a high school student I was doing a course on inequalities at Kiev State University where I conducted my first research work. It was essentially proof of Karamat inequality that utilized properties of convex functions and Murhead inequality. It was unforgettable, how the main idea of my central proof dawned upon me. That evening I went to sleep the happiest boy in the world. Although, relatively simple, I did something really innovative, something that no one had ever done before with elementary methods. That was my first moderate contribution to mathematics.
Later, while being a freshman at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), I refined the proof and presented it at the 52nd MIPT Scientific Conference where it was honored the first prize.

In my fourth year when students of our University get involved in research activity, Professor X suggested to be my supervisor. Under his guidance I wrote my thesis ”Integration of Multivalued Mappings“ and defended it with Honors. Essentially it consisted in a study of necessary and sufficient conditions under which there exists Riemann integral of multivalued maps. My task was to find some classes of sets of attainability and to investigate relation between Lebesgue and Riemann integral for Multivalued Maps. In this work I analyzed properties of spaces of compacts with Housdorff metric and properties of support functions of convex compacts and applied these theoretical findings to several problems of theoretical mechanics. During this work I acquired a broad range of research experience and background necessary for further research in convex analysis.

My current research work is devoted to differentiating of multivalued mappings and differential inclusions. The main task is to become familiar with ideas and approaches introduced in the Sci. D. thesis of Professor X and to improve the results that are obtained in it. One of the most challenging tasks in the project is to obtain Pontryagin maximum principle in Hamiltonian form from Lagrange form (in terms of tangent cones).

After graduation I plan to continue my scientific career in mathematics. Differential games, convex analysis and Optimization theory are of particular interest to me. I have the strongest incentive to advance as far as I can in this captivating science and feel confident that application to the University of Chicago is the best possible step to accomplish it. I would regard my admission to your University not only as a great honor but also as a great responsibility and an obligation to work hard.

Ivan Ivanov                                               

SOP sample for Construction Management

“Nature has made occupation a necessity to us; Society makes a duty; Habit makes it a pleasure.”

Introduction:

I am an architecture graduate from MIET, Gondia Professional Studies Academy that provides best faculties & facilities in architecture. Bachelors’ degree in architecture is a five-year course, affiliated to Nagpur University & AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education). I wish to pursue my higher studies in Construction Management from London Metropolitan University commencing fall 2010.

Educational Background:

I would like to introduce myself as an active, diligent, optimistic and self-made person. As a kid I was fascinated with the buildings and wanted to make them. With each passing years, I realized that my career would be around the field that dealt with development of buildings. My interest for creating new dimensions and spreading my knowledge of creativity led me to select Architecture as my field of higher studies.
As a student of Architecture, I was introduced to the world of Graphic designing, Conceptual Design,

Detailing, 3 Dimensional Conceptualization.

During my six month of professional training in the fifth year of my studies, I got the biggest break of my life when I joined one of the biggest and world-renowned Architectural consultancy firm of Mumbai, M/s Pheroze Kudianwala Consultancy Pvt Ltd. Working with the father of high rise buildings in Mumbai gave me the first insight into corporate Architecture. Their I got the chance to be a part of design team of several high Profile project like K.D.Malaviya oil museum in Guwahati , office building of securities and exchange board of India in Mumbai, UNIWORLD in Dubai, Mass Housing for TATA India in Mumbai, multi storied Head Quarter for Bank of Baroda in Mumbai.

There I realized that construction field-tests my brains with different level of questions each day. Each passing day brought in more opportunities to learn, explore, and stretch my capacity to work & on top of that it involves a lot of fieldwork, unlike other fields where monotony
governs in working environment & tasks both. Though I found myself to be suitable to work in construction field but it was required to give a direction to my interest. It involves a wide variety of challenges and an accelerating factor that something new, unique & functional will come up in end.

“You can’t do things differently until you see things differently”

Why shift from architecture to construction management:

Architecture a science based on aesthetics and functions of building, involves factors like sociology and psychology, but it stands basically on the process of construction, design and structure. Materialization of those aesthetics & functions
occur when proper management of construction, design & structures is done.
I’ve been associated with the construction field for a couple of years & had done various tasks ranging from drafting, designing and site supervising. I had worked as trainee architect then assistant architect and now I am working as a Project Architect. And during my exposure to profession, I realized the importance of management in the process of construction. My education as an architect is helping me to deal only with the designing aspect of the process of construction of a building and when it comes to management I realized my education is inadequate. And here I felt the need to become a construction manager. I realized that a construction manager had to be ‘a master of all’ kind of person & parallel to it should possess core knowledge of project management. In my opinion this course will broaden my perspective of multi-functional aspects of construction business, contract management and related subjects, and equip myself with the knowledge and skills to exercise higher managerial responsibilities successfully. Moreover, the need of managerial positions in construction industry is at a steep rise, which reinforces my decision to pursue a research-oriented career in construction management.

“One can because one thinks one can”

My Extra-Curricular Activities:

All through my school and college life I have played an active role in extra-curricular activities. I enjoyed taking part in debates, extempore, dances etc. I always was at the forefront in organizing different events in school as well as the colleges. I was on the editor of the college magazine ‘Ankur’. Writing is one of my hobbies and I take pleasure in reading and keeping myself a best of latest technical developments in construction industry .I also have a keen interest in photography and I had organized many photography exhibitions during my years in architectural school. I had presented papers in NASA conventions (national association of students of architecture) and I had won prizes on my papers related to environmental architecture, low cost housing techniques, Importance of management in architecture, vernacular architecture in India. I am enclosing one such paper. I had been participating in lot of students design competitions during my years of under graduate studies and had won IIA design trophy (Indian Institute of Architects) and Ganu memorial design trophy for Two years continuously. I was an active participant in design competitions held by National Association of Students of Architecture. I love playing basketball, tennis and chess.


Academic interests, future education & career plans:

The curriculum of architecture exposed me to various components of construction industry & helped me broaden my horizon. The subjects whom I thoroughly enjoyed were Design, Construction, Building Services, Building Management, Building Economics & Sociology, Estimating & Costing, Site Survey, Building Materials, and Specification of Works etc. I always emphasize on the practical aspects of the subjects & enjoy a lot on project sites.

As my area of interest is in the field of Building management, the high-rise mass housing project I did in 4th year was accompanied with the details including Estimating, Scheduling, and Project Controls involving PERT, CPM, WBS, etc. Along with these I now wanted to explore about-Advance Building Management, Computer Applications in CM, Safety management, Land development etc. to furnish my mind to think and perform with a good university like you in UK. It is my firm belief that if the principles of construction management are extended in construction industry, it would result in an overall profitable, economical, safer, qualitative & speedy construction. I want to see myself as a remarkable contributor in the construction industry, which would be for the betterment of the society. Keeping in view my background and career plans, I would prefer a research assistantship but I would also like to have teaching experience. I have studied in English medium through out and have had teaching experience, which makes me confident that I would be a successful teaching assistant.


The actions of men are like the index of a book; they point out what is most remarkable in them.


Why I wish to study MSc Construction Management from London Metropolitan University in UK:

My undergraduate studies has burgeoned my interest in research. A graduate program from London Metropolitan University would help me in increasing my technical understanding of the subject and in widening my perspective of life. I wish to acquire practical information and knowledge about the most modern techniques in construction field and apply them for the betterment. The well-designed course along with highly qualified and experienced faculty will be an ideal environment & platform for achieving my goals. I look upon the graduate program in your department & its curriculum as an avenue to hone my skills and enhance my intellectual ability. In all, it is a comprehensive university that furnishes an education that will serve me well in my career and prepare me for a lifetime of learning.

“If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”


I thank you for considering my application & assure you that if given an opportunity; I shall bring credit to your institution.

SOP sample for Biomedical Engineering

The Biomedical Engineering Student
 

Draft version. Some of my comments are left in italic.
I am interested in Biomedical Engineering as a field to pursue my career in.  I find its unique mix of Engineering, Medicine and Life Sciences very exciting. It is a fast growing area with tremendous potential for research and also an increasing number of applications in today's world of medicine and technology. I am paricularly interested in the application of microsystems technology and the latest microelectronics technology in developing implanted biomedical devices and other medical products. My research interests lie primarily in the areas of Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems. My parallel areas of interest are the design and fabrication of Biomaterials and determining the mechanical, transport and biocompatability properties of implantable artificial materials and the applications of Biomedical Instrumentation. To help you understand my current professional goals and research interests better, I would like to first explain my educational experience up to this point.

I have recently graduated from the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at XX University where I completed a non-thesis Masters program in Computer Engineering. My decision to pursue graduate studies in Computer Engineering was the natural culmination of my undergraduate coursework in Electrical and Electronics Engineering where I majored in Computer Organization and Microcomputer Systems. Also, I wanted to broaden my horizons and gain relevant exposure in the field of Computer Hardware.

During the one and a half years of my graduate studies I gained a deep understanding of various fields in Computer Engineering mainly microarchitecture, VLSI System Design ,Analog Electronics and the fundamentals of computer networking and communication. As part of my graduate coursework, I received a number of opportunities to work closely with semiconductor technology through various design, implementation and research projects. Working on key projects like the design of a 4-bit slice microprocessor, 6-bit FLASH Analog-to-Digtal Converters and a number of simulations and experiments to design and determine the performance of computers at the microarchitecture level, I got the opportunities to use state-of-the-art hardware design and simulation tools like the Cadence , Synopsys, Hspice and Verilog.

It was during this phase that I developed an interest in exploring the areas of application of semiconductor and microsystems technology in non traditional fields like the Medicine and life sciences. My studies revealed to me both a high research potential and a significant growth in the application of microelectronics and microsystems in the field of Biomedical Engineering. What I discovered significantly improved my understanding of the subject and further enhanced my fascination for it.

[Have you worked on any particular research projects? If yes, definitely elaborate on this. Are you interested in any particular faculty at W.University? If yes, definitely mention it.]
 

I look forward to a career in committed research where I can not only use my academic background to achieve my research goals but also make original scientific contributions to my field of interest and to mankind in general. I believe that graduate studies would provide me with the opportunities to attend advanced courses and be the stepping stone to my career in research. Graduate study at Wayne State University holds this promise for me. The quality of the faculty, flexibility of the graduate program, the diverse areas of ongoing research, the carefully designed depth and breadth of courses, cultural diversity in the graduate school, seem to me as the right ambience to nurture my research interests and work towards my goal. It would be a matter of great pride for me to be a part of this rich interdisciplinary interface [This is all very general ideas and your statement needs to be personal, about you. Plus next paragraph gives praise to the university and one paragraph is plenty, so I would suggest eliminating this paragraph altogether or partially adding it to the last one]

My strengths are a strong academic background, sense of teamwork, integrity and ability to put in sustained quality effort consistently . It is my desire to have a mutually beneficial association with your University and to contribute my best to the field of Biomedical Engineering .I am aware that X University has high standards for admitting students to its graduate programs. I believe that my academic credentials together with my research interests and potential would help me gain admission to the esteemed Department of Biomedical Engineering at X Universuty. I hope that on reviewing my application package, the University would be convinced of the same. [You might want to change your last paragraph, especially last two sentences. It needs to be more powerful, not hopefull. See examples on my website. I would rewrite this paragraph altogether.]

Ivan Ivanov

SOP sample for Computer Science

The Computer Science Student
 
This application is very important for me because completion a PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering is the best chance for a unifying my interest in information technologies and my natural inclination to mathematics. I am confident that when I become a serious and mature researcher my desire to make a contribution to science and to our understanding of this world will remain my main driving force.

It took a long time until personal computers became widely available in this country and until then my only single interest was mathematics. At the age of 14, during my school holidays, when my classmates had a rest, I willingly got up at about 7 in the morning and till the evening was absorbed by mathematics. At that time these were mostly Olympiad problems, but two years later, still being a High School student, I attended a course on inequalities in Kiev State University and conducted my first research work. Essentially it was a proof of Karamat inequality that utilized properties of convex functions and Murhead inequality. It was unforgettable, how main idea of my central proof dawned upon me. Although, relatively simple, it was something innovative, something that no one had ever done before with methods of elementary mathematics. That evening I went to sleep the happiest boy in the world. Later I refined the proof and being a freshman at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology(MIPT) presented it at the 52nd MIPT Scientific Conference where it was honored the first prize.

In the third-year at MIPT I started working at the Institute of System Programming (ISP), which is a part of Russian Academy of Sciences. Lectures on computer science at the ISP expanded my knowledge in many important fields such as complexity of algorithms, parallel computing, compiler technology, software engineering and so on. Especially I enjoyed studying new Autonomous Adaptive Control (AAC) method under the guidance of Prof. X. The essence of the AAC method is in simultaneous solution of such problems as pattern recognition, knowledge obtaining, presentation and decision-making. During my work in the ISP I had rare opportunity to interact closely with scientists who stood at the origin of computer science in Russia: Prof. X, Dr. Y and Prof. Z.

In my fourth year I joined Moscow office of NetCracker Corp. that selected several students for training. NetCracker produces software for modeling, analysis and interpretation of complex telecommunication networks. My work in NetŠ”racker gave me solid practical knowledge of many technologies and concepts such as Java, Oracle, XML, Object-Oriented Design and Programming. But much more important is that the project required extensive knowledge of both mathematics and computer science. I personally wrote some modules to NetCracker where actively utilized graph theory, parallel computing and discrete mathematics. Moreover sometimes generalization of classical algorithms was required. For example, I extended Dejkstra algorithm to allow multiple search of optimal paths.

Along with my study of computer science I am involved in research activity in fundamental mathematics. Under supervision of Professor X I conducted research in convex analysis, wrote my thesis ”Integration of Multivalued Mappings“ and defended it with Honors. Essentially it consisted in a study of necessary and sufficient conditions under which there exists Riemann integral of multivalued maps. During this work I acquired a broad range of research experience and strong background necessary for further research. My current research work is devoted to differentiation of multivalued mappings and differential inclusions and is mostly concerned with nonconvex case. One of the most challenging tasks in the work is to obtain Pontryagin maximum principle in Hamiltonian form from Lagrange form (in terms of tangent cones).

My research topic is closely related with and often serves as a background to theory of optimal control and theory of decision making that are widely used in network optimization and graph algorithms - areas that are of great interest to me. Moreover my work on network performance in NetCracker adds up to this framework. Investigations in these fields, in discrete mathematics and in the theory of compilers are widespread at the department and it makes admission to your University particularly desirable. I have strongest incentive to advance as far as I can in this field and to discover something that has not been known before. I am certain that application to Carnegie Mellon is the best possible step to accomplish it and I would regard my admission not only as a great honor but also as a great responsibility and an obligation to work hard.

Applicant: Ivan Ivanov