I would appreciate your criticism on my SOP and welcome as many feedback as possible. Thank you for your time and anticipated help.
Dear Admissions Committee,
As a child, growing up under the roof and care of my parents, I have always been encouraged not to give up on my dreams but to believe in myself and my ability to make the dreams come true. Hard work, persevere and determination are some of the skills I gained from my wonderful parents. They taught me not only how to set goals but also how to work on achieving them.
I went through a very rigorous undergraduate study and graduated with a Bachelors in Geology in the year 2000. Many of the courses at first did not make sense to me until we started taking courses in Petroleum Geology and Stratigraphy. Understudying the processes of oil formation through diagenesis sparked a new interest in me and from that moment I made up my mind to study until I become very well versed in the subject. I decided I will enroll for a Master's program immediately I finish my undergraduates.
After graduation, I did my compulsory post-graduation internship with the Geoscience department 0f XXXX in Lagos, Nigeria. This was my first introduction to the oil and gas industry and it was a fantastic one in that I was introduced to technologies that I never knew existed. I was introduced to seismic interpretation and reservoir characterization using GeoGraphics, Petrel and other in-house software. My computer appreciation was developed at this time. I also helped with well planning during this period. This further increased my interest in graduate school as I was made to understand that a post graduate degree would be very beneficial for me to work in such organization at a professional level. My assigned mentor who, apart from introducing me to marginal field studies also gave me lots of advice on how to succeed in the industry. When I told him about my plans to go for my master's degree, he advised I should have some work experience in the industry before going for the post-graduate studies as it would be very helpful during the graduate studies. I agreed and decided to work for two years before applying for Master's program.
At the end of my internship, I had to leave XXXX but got the opportunity to work with XXXX, a XXXX company where I worked as a XXXX to gain experience on how all the geological findings are brought to live (drilling for oil) using a combination of different technologies. After two years in the field, I decided to pursue my graduate studies and started applying to graduate schools in the USA. I got admission offer to a number of graduate schools, including the XXXX. I was so happy that my dream was working out as planned. Unfortunately, this was short lived as I couldn't secure a study visa to leave Nigeria for school in the USA. I didn't give up but continued to try and after three years of inability to secure a study visa to study in the States, I decided to pause for a while.
I continued with my career as a XXXX, moved to a different company (XXXX) as an international staff. This gave me the opportunity to work in different countries in Africa and further increased my ability to work in a multi-cultural and multi-discipline environment. I grew to the position of a XXXX working in both office and field environment.
My desire to study in the USA kept burning all along and the passion was increasing by the day as I get more exposed to the industry. In 20XX I took a giant step of relocating my family to Canada as permanent residents under the Federal skilled workers program and continued working with XXXX as a XXXX. Here, I got introduced to the unconventional oil and gas, and also learnt new exploration and production technologies that were not available in Africa.
All through my career life, I was undergoing professional and personal continuous career development. My passion for knowledge in the oil and gas industry has led me to, as part of my career development, complete courses/trainings in well control techniques, well log interpretation, Formation Evaluation and Reservoir characterization using drilling gas, and drilling and completion fluid engineering. Also, I completed an associated degree in GIS to increase my knowledge in spatial technology and its application to Geology.
I just couldn't let go of my dream to school in the USA, it's a lesson I have learnt from childhood. I have therefore decided to follow my heart by obeying my thirst for a master's degree. For this reason, I am applying to your reputable school, the XXXX for admission to the MS Geology program.
My quest for the masters in Geology at the XXXX is as a result of the need to take my career to the next level. I believe the master's program in Geology (with a special interest in Reservoir Characterization) in XXXX will enable me acquire in-depth skills and the necessary knowledge/tools to be a successful geoscientist in the near future. It is my desire to become a prominent consultant reservoir geoscientist and I know, from what I have read and heard about XXXX that studying in this reputable institution will be a catalyst for me to achieve my goal.
My years of excellent job performance, international (and multi-field) experience and personal continuous career development have adequately prepared me for excellence in graduate study. I have over the years built a strong interpersonal and communication skills. I also have excellent computer application skills including but not limited to some G&G software like Petrel, Petra, ArcGIS and some basic knowledge of the JewelSuite. I have good data management and data analysis skills. Given the opportunity to study at your school, I am confident that the aforementioned skills coupled with my perseverance and determination to succeed will see me through my goal of successfully completing a master's degree in Geology.
My immediate goal is to successfully complete a master's degree in Geology, work for some major operators in the oil and gas industry then proceed to pursue a doctorate degree in Geology. My long term goal is to be able to stand on my own as a consultant Reservoir Analyst in Nigeria, my home country. I am excited at the prospect of joining the MS Geology program at XXXX, and I look forward to a positive response from the admission committee.
Yours Sincerely,
Syvester G.
Dear Admissions Committee,
As a child, growing up under the roof and care of my parents, I have always been encouraged not to give up on my dreams but to believe in myself and my ability to make the dreams come true. Hard work, persevere and determination are some of the skills I gained from my wonderful parents. They taught me not only how to set goals but also how to work on achieving them.
I went through a very rigorous undergraduate study and graduated with a Bachelors in Geology in the year 2000. Many of the courses at first did not make sense to me until we started taking courses in Petroleum Geology and Stratigraphy. Understudying the processes of oil formation through diagenesis sparked a new interest in me and from that moment I made up my mind to study until I become very well versed in the subject. I decided I will enroll for a Master's program immediately I finish my undergraduates.
After graduation, I did my compulsory post-graduation internship with the Geoscience department 0f XXXX in Lagos, Nigeria. This was my first introduction to the oil and gas industry and it was a fantastic one in that I was introduced to technologies that I never knew existed. I was introduced to seismic interpretation and reservoir characterization using GeoGraphics, Petrel and other in-house software. My computer appreciation was developed at this time. I also helped with well planning during this period. This further increased my interest in graduate school as I was made to understand that a post graduate degree would be very beneficial for me to work in such organization at a professional level. My assigned mentor who, apart from introducing me to marginal field studies also gave me lots of advice on how to succeed in the industry. When I told him about my plans to go for my master's degree, he advised I should have some work experience in the industry before going for the post-graduate studies as it would be very helpful during the graduate studies. I agreed and decided to work for two years before applying for Master's program.
At the end of my internship, I had to leave XXXX but got the opportunity to work with XXXX, a XXXX company where I worked as a XXXX to gain experience on how all the geological findings are brought to live (drilling for oil) using a combination of different technologies. After two years in the field, I decided to pursue my graduate studies and started applying to graduate schools in the USA. I got admission offer to a number of graduate schools, including the XXXX. I was so happy that my dream was working out as planned. Unfortunately, this was short lived as I couldn't secure a study visa to leave Nigeria for school in the USA. I didn't give up but continued to try and after three years of inability to secure a study visa to study in the States, I decided to pause for a while.
I continued with my career as a XXXX, moved to a different company (XXXX) as an international staff. This gave me the opportunity to work in different countries in Africa and further increased my ability to work in a multi-cultural and multi-discipline environment. I grew to the position of a XXXX working in both office and field environment.
My desire to study in the USA kept burning all along and the passion was increasing by the day as I get more exposed to the industry. In 20XX I took a giant step of relocating my family to Canada as permanent residents under the Federal skilled workers program and continued working with XXXX as a XXXX. Here, I got introduced to the unconventional oil and gas, and also learnt new exploration and production technologies that were not available in Africa.
All through my career life, I was undergoing professional and personal continuous career development. My passion for knowledge in the oil and gas industry has led me to, as part of my career development, complete courses/trainings in well control techniques, well log interpretation, Formation Evaluation and Reservoir characterization using drilling gas, and drilling and completion fluid engineering. Also, I completed an associated degree in GIS to increase my knowledge in spatial technology and its application to Geology.
I just couldn't let go of my dream to school in the USA, it's a lesson I have learnt from childhood. I have therefore decided to follow my heart by obeying my thirst for a master's degree. For this reason, I am applying to your reputable school, the XXXX for admission to the MS Geology program.
My quest for the masters in Geology at the XXXX is as a result of the need to take my career to the next level. I believe the master's program in Geology (with a special interest in Reservoir Characterization) in XXXX will enable me acquire in-depth skills and the necessary knowledge/tools to be a successful geoscientist in the near future. It is my desire to become a prominent consultant reservoir geoscientist and I know, from what I have read and heard about XXXX that studying in this reputable institution will be a catalyst for me to achieve my goal.
My years of excellent job performance, international (and multi-field) experience and personal continuous career development have adequately prepared me for excellence in graduate study. I have over the years built a strong interpersonal and communication skills. I also have excellent computer application skills including but not limited to some G&G software like Petrel, Petra, ArcGIS and some basic knowledge of the JewelSuite. I have good data management and data analysis skills. Given the opportunity to study at your school, I am confident that the aforementioned skills coupled with my perseverance and determination to succeed will see me through my goal of successfully completing a master's degree in Geology.
My immediate goal is to successfully complete a master's degree in Geology, work for some major operators in the oil and gas industry then proceed to pursue a doctorate degree in Geology. My long term goal is to be able to stand on my own as a consultant Reservoir Analyst in Nigeria, my home country. I am excited at the prospect of joining the MS Geology program at XXXX, and I look forward to a positive response from the admission committee.
Yours Sincerely,
Syvester G.