Hello All
I have drafted the SOP for the MS in CS program which I am going to start applying to in August. It has taken me a long time to make this first draft. But when I read the essay , I feel it doesn't look as it should. I tried to maintain the common theme throughout the essay which is "I like working with computers". I have also tried to establish Computer Networking as my area of interest and backed it with the courses I have taken and a paper presenation I have given in college . The fact is I am also interested in Computer Graphics and programming languages but I am not sure how to substantiate my interests . Simply stating that I have interest and giving reasons wouldn't work .I have to show some work that I have done on these fields to make it work. I am copying the essay below. Please evaluate it and share your suggestions for improvement or a total rehaul.
____________________________________________ (SOP below)______________________________________________
When ever a discussion arises about computer science between me and my friends or family, the first thing I hear them saying is that it's not real. They tell me that my future depended on the markets.But for me, the joy I experience when I see my programs run is real. weather it's a boom or a bust in the market, the satisfication I get when I work on my ideas on the computer have given me more satisfaction than my pay check.I could recount every phase of my life right from childhood to the present moment being influenced by computer.When I was 10 years old, my father enrolled me in a small computer institute as there were no computer labs in school. It was my first introduction to computers. I looked at pixellated instructional anmiationsion computer usage in awe. It was during that time I learnt my first program langugage called LOGO. The programs that I wrote could draw houses and ships on screen.To see my ideas being projected on the monitor is the most ecstatic experience which I experience to this day whenever my programs run to shw the results. It is not only pleasure
that computer science has given me. Thinking out solutions to problems in terms of algorithms has helped me better my logical reasoning skills and my thought process.Unlike other branches of study where the prototyping ideas requires a lab setting , in the filed of comptuer science, an idea which ilks me could be put to test right away in the form of animation or a program even in the middle of the night. All my career choices be it the specialization for undergraduate study or the job after my graduation are borne out of a reason. The reason that I like everything about computers.
My score of 96% whith centum in Maths and Physics has helped me secure admission in one of the top engineering institutes in India.My four years at the university have been enriching experience. The first challenge I had to overcome was my difficulty in speaking. Though my grammar was good my english speaking skills were not on par with my peers who came from various parts of the country. But speaking in English was a necessity because not many spoke in native language. I spent time in the library during breaks reading news papers and journals and started talking often though I sounded stupid to myself. But I kept on and eventually , after an year, I became a better speaker than I was before and also developed a passion for reading.Courses in first year of college introduced me to the basics of various branches of engineering like electrical enginnering and mechanical engineering. The major course during first year related to computer science was the C programming theory and lab. Progamming in C made me come to an important realization. Programs written in a language are translations of the steps our brain undertakes in solving a problem , to the computer. The more clearer our thoughts are on a problem, the better and faster our programs turn out. In a way, programming in C helped me in understanding and refining my own thought process.Through the remaining years of college, I took courses on Computer System Architechture, Computer Networks , Microprocessors and Compilers which gave me an understanding of inner workings of the computers. Two specific courses that I was interested in were Computer Networks and Programming languages course which I took as an elective.Computer networks course was an opportunity to learn about the underpinnings of the most influential innovations of our times, the internet.Though the course lasted for only a semester, I enrolled in the ccna modules course which helped me in understanding the concepts better as I gained hands-on experience in configuring the routers and switches in the Cisco certified network lab in our university. At the end of second year of college , I got an opportunity for a summer internship at Megasoft , a multinational product development company.
Internship at Megasoft was my first peek into the corporate world where various fields of computer science are put to use in implementation of the large scale projects. I was briefed about various projects and the methodologies that the projects use which ranged from traditional waterfall model to the latest agile software development methodologies. One of the projects the firm was undertaking at that juncture , a Cell Phone Theft control system which is based on IMEI numbers embedded in the mobile phone. The project caught my interest caught my interest. In a period of one month,we (team of two) plemented a simulation of the Cell phone theft control system. It was a simulation of the actual project depicting the process of theft control. The project was subjected to rigourous testing process by our mentor at the firm.As a result of the testing, numerous bugs came out which were not revealed during our team testing. The project helped me gain technical knowledge on the VB programming langauge and the relational databases. Most importantly, I realized the importance of asking lot of "what if?" questions before and afetr the implementation of an application. Questions like " What if the user does this?" , "What if something else happens?" etc are important in factoring in every possible way that the application could be interacted with.This valuabe insight on the testing of an application and the exposure to the various software development methodologies were important take aways from my first internship.
During third and fourth year of college, I took courses on some of the specialized fields of Computer science like Computer Graphics, Cryptography ,Distributed Computing and Data compression.As part of the Data compression , the most basic compression techniques like Morse Code and Braille code to the complex k means algorithm for clustering of data were introduced. I applied this knowledge of k means alogirthm in the paper presenation on Intrusion detection systems.Based on literature survey, I understood that a modified version of k means algorithm called online k means is used for intrusion
detection. I implemented the online k means algorithm on a set of data simulating data at the nodes of a network and presented the information using charts. The paper presenation on intrusion detection along with the implementation of online k means won appreciation from the reviewers and was awarded top grade( S grade) in the finals. The fours years at college has been a fun ride which was both challenging and enligtening. I won accolades from my teachers ,I won three merit scholarships which are awarded by the school of computer sciences for the top 10 % percent of the students in Computer science department. In my final semester, I got the internship opportunity at TCS , which is the top IT service exporter in India. As part of the internship, we (team of 3), implemented a Weather analysis and represenation system. The weather data collected from remote systems (2 systems were used) is presented using maps and charts and the data is used to represent high pressure zones and low pressure zones on a map. The remote connectivey was achieved through .net webservices.We used Charting APIs and shape files were used for graphical represenation of the graphical data.The project won accolades from the mentoring team at TCS and also the review team at the university and we received the top grade for this project as well. At the end of my course,I got an offer for employement at TCS.
During my tenure at TCS, I have worked as a developer enhancing the Customer Relationship Management application called Clarify. A customer requirement which looks simple to implement at first sight may turn out to be so complex that it takes months to actually implement it in the system. Developing various forms and interfaces on this application helped me understand that it is not only important write a code that works but also to write it in such a way that it doesn't break existing code and the other systems that are supposed to work with it also work. While on the first assignment, I worked on a single application that is part of a complex project, in my second assignment I got the opportunity to see the bigger picture. I worked as a Function Point Analyst for the projects executed by USAA , an insurance firm. During this term, I analyzed the desing documents and Functional Specifications for various projects to come up with a Function Point counts for the projects. Working experience at TCS has not only helped me better my technical skill but also taught me the mportance of team work.
Undergraduate education has helped me equip myself with the basics of computer science and helped me become a better person. It also helped me in realizing my area of interest which is Computer Networks. The Computer Networking theory and lab sessions and also the Cisco Modules that I have taken in the course of four semesters have introduced me to the field of Computer Networks and helped me understand the underpinnings of the Internet which I consider to be the greatest innovations of our time. Given an opportunity, I would like to pursue the Masters in Computer Science with specialization in Computer Security. This will help me in becoming a better networking professional as securing a networking or building a networking without security loop holes is of paramount importance in todays world where even behemonths like Sony also fall victim to the computer hackers. I am looking forward for an admission in the university which would help me to challenge myself further and gain knowledge and skills in being a competent Computer Security professional.
I have drafted the SOP for the MS in CS program which I am going to start applying to in August. It has taken me a long time to make this first draft. But when I read the essay , I feel it doesn't look as it should. I tried to maintain the common theme throughout the essay which is "I like working with computers". I have also tried to establish Computer Networking as my area of interest and backed it with the courses I have taken and a paper presenation I have given in college . The fact is I am also interested in Computer Graphics and programming languages but I am not sure how to substantiate my interests . Simply stating that I have interest and giving reasons wouldn't work .I have to show some work that I have done on these fields to make it work. I am copying the essay below. Please evaluate it and share your suggestions for improvement or a total rehaul.
____________________________________________ (SOP below)______________________________________________
When ever a discussion arises about computer science between me and my friends or family, the first thing I hear them saying is that it's not real. They tell me that my future depended on the markets.But for me, the joy I experience when I see my programs run is real. weather it's a boom or a bust in the market, the satisfication I get when I work on my ideas on the computer have given me more satisfaction than my pay check.I could recount every phase of my life right from childhood to the present moment being influenced by computer.When I was 10 years old, my father enrolled me in a small computer institute as there were no computer labs in school. It was my first introduction to computers. I looked at pixellated instructional anmiationsion computer usage in awe. It was during that time I learnt my first program langugage called LOGO. The programs that I wrote could draw houses and ships on screen.To see my ideas being projected on the monitor is the most ecstatic experience which I experience to this day whenever my programs run to shw the results. It is not only pleasure
that computer science has given me. Thinking out solutions to problems in terms of algorithms has helped me better my logical reasoning skills and my thought process.Unlike other branches of study where the prototyping ideas requires a lab setting , in the filed of comptuer science, an idea which ilks me could be put to test right away in the form of animation or a program even in the middle of the night. All my career choices be it the specialization for undergraduate study or the job after my graduation are borne out of a reason. The reason that I like everything about computers.
My score of 96% whith centum in Maths and Physics has helped me secure admission in one of the top engineering institutes in India.My four years at the university have been enriching experience. The first challenge I had to overcome was my difficulty in speaking. Though my grammar was good my english speaking skills were not on par with my peers who came from various parts of the country. But speaking in English was a necessity because not many spoke in native language. I spent time in the library during breaks reading news papers and journals and started talking often though I sounded stupid to myself. But I kept on and eventually , after an year, I became a better speaker than I was before and also developed a passion for reading.Courses in first year of college introduced me to the basics of various branches of engineering like electrical enginnering and mechanical engineering. The major course during first year related to computer science was the C programming theory and lab. Progamming in C made me come to an important realization. Programs written in a language are translations of the steps our brain undertakes in solving a problem , to the computer. The more clearer our thoughts are on a problem, the better and faster our programs turn out. In a way, programming in C helped me in understanding and refining my own thought process.Through the remaining years of college, I took courses on Computer System Architechture, Computer Networks , Microprocessors and Compilers which gave me an understanding of inner workings of the computers. Two specific courses that I was interested in were Computer Networks and Programming languages course which I took as an elective.Computer networks course was an opportunity to learn about the underpinnings of the most influential innovations of our times, the internet.Though the course lasted for only a semester, I enrolled in the ccna modules course which helped me in understanding the concepts better as I gained hands-on experience in configuring the routers and switches in the Cisco certified network lab in our university. At the end of second year of college , I got an opportunity for a summer internship at Megasoft , a multinational product development company.
Internship at Megasoft was my first peek into the corporate world where various fields of computer science are put to use in implementation of the large scale projects. I was briefed about various projects and the methodologies that the projects use which ranged from traditional waterfall model to the latest agile software development methodologies. One of the projects the firm was undertaking at that juncture , a Cell Phone Theft control system which is based on IMEI numbers embedded in the mobile phone. The project caught my interest caught my interest. In a period of one month,we (team of two) plemented a simulation of the Cell phone theft control system. It was a simulation of the actual project depicting the process of theft control. The project was subjected to rigourous testing process by our mentor at the firm.As a result of the testing, numerous bugs came out which were not revealed during our team testing. The project helped me gain technical knowledge on the VB programming langauge and the relational databases. Most importantly, I realized the importance of asking lot of "what if?" questions before and afetr the implementation of an application. Questions like " What if the user does this?" , "What if something else happens?" etc are important in factoring in every possible way that the application could be interacted with.This valuabe insight on the testing of an application and the exposure to the various software development methodologies were important take aways from my first internship.
During third and fourth year of college, I took courses on some of the specialized fields of Computer science like Computer Graphics, Cryptography ,Distributed Computing and Data compression.As part of the Data compression , the most basic compression techniques like Morse Code and Braille code to the complex k means algorithm for clustering of data were introduced. I applied this knowledge of k means alogirthm in the paper presenation on Intrusion detection systems.Based on literature survey, I understood that a modified version of k means algorithm called online k means is used for intrusion
detection. I implemented the online k means algorithm on a set of data simulating data at the nodes of a network and presented the information using charts. The paper presenation on intrusion detection along with the implementation of online k means won appreciation from the reviewers and was awarded top grade( S grade) in the finals. The fours years at college has been a fun ride which was both challenging and enligtening. I won accolades from my teachers ,I won three merit scholarships which are awarded by the school of computer sciences for the top 10 % percent of the students in Computer science department. In my final semester, I got the internship opportunity at TCS , which is the top IT service exporter in India. As part of the internship, we (team of 3), implemented a Weather analysis and represenation system. The weather data collected from remote systems (2 systems were used) is presented using maps and charts and the data is used to represent high pressure zones and low pressure zones on a map. The remote connectivey was achieved through .net webservices.We used Charting APIs and shape files were used for graphical represenation of the graphical data.The project won accolades from the mentoring team at TCS and also the review team at the university and we received the top grade for this project as well. At the end of my course,I got an offer for employement at TCS.
During my tenure at TCS, I have worked as a developer enhancing the Customer Relationship Management application called Clarify. A customer requirement which looks simple to implement at first sight may turn out to be so complex that it takes months to actually implement it in the system. Developing various forms and interfaces on this application helped me understand that it is not only important write a code that works but also to write it in such a way that it doesn't break existing code and the other systems that are supposed to work with it also work. While on the first assignment, I worked on a single application that is part of a complex project, in my second assignment I got the opportunity to see the bigger picture. I worked as a Function Point Analyst for the projects executed by USAA , an insurance firm. During this term, I analyzed the desing documents and Functional Specifications for various projects to come up with a Function Point counts for the projects. Working experience at TCS has not only helped me better my technical skill but also taught me the mportance of team work.
Undergraduate education has helped me equip myself with the basics of computer science and helped me become a better person. It also helped me in realizing my area of interest which is Computer Networks. The Computer Networking theory and lab sessions and also the Cisco Modules that I have taken in the course of four semesters have introduced me to the field of Computer Networks and helped me understand the underpinnings of the Internet which I consider to be the greatest innovations of our time. Given an opportunity, I would like to pursue the Masters in Computer Science with specialization in Computer Security. This will help me in becoming a better networking professional as securing a networking or building a networking without security loop holes is of paramount importance in todays world where even behemonths like Sony also fall victim to the computer hackers. I am looking forward for an admission in the university which would help me to challenge myself further and gain knowledge and skills in being a competent Computer Security professional.
