Hi everyone, I am planning to apply for a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and have written a SOP for the same. I have seen people giving valuable suggestions and comments in this forum. I would also like you guys to go through my SOP and give comments in order to make it better. Your suggestions will be highly appreciated. Thanks
University's Instructions:
Describe the kind of research problem you would like to study and your career goals. Give all information that may help us in your initial assignment to a graduate faculty member in this Department.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
My purpose in applying to [University] for graduate studies is to prepare myself for a career in research and development in the field of Hypersonic Flows. I am keen to pursue PhD under the guidance of Dr. []with hypersonic flows as my primary area of interest. My motivation for graduate studies comes from the desire to be at the forefront of the pioneering developments in the field of high-speed flows. I am confident that I possess the technical capabilities necessary to succeed in [Univ.] core requirement for PhD.
During my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, the fluid motion and its behavior under the application of different kinds of forces captivated my attention. In order to have an in depth knowledge of Fluid Mechanics I undertook courses like Fluid Mechanics, Energy Conversion, Fluid Machines and Heat Transfer. These courses enabled me to develop a strong foundation for undertaking novel, challenging research projects. I also garnered considerable industrial training having worked on the analysis of high pressure and low-pressure die casting machines and tower furnaces with [some private company]. I was able to suggest ways of saving energy in the Foundry during summer internship. My undergraduate project was 'Hybrid Car' under the supervision of Prof.[]. It was based upon a diesel engine working on a blend of Kerosene, Ether Solvent and Castor Oil. The solar cells on the top provided additional power to charge the battery and also run the car to save fuel. I led the designing section and fabricated new designs with the help of AutoCAD, which resulted in the reduction of aerodynamic drag by 5%. Our project was acclaimed as the most innovative idea of the year and we also bagged 2nd prize in the Annual Inter-University competition. This project testified the role played by the fluid mechanics in the vehicle designing and gave me enough confidence to undertake challenging research tasks in future.
The strong liking of Fluid Mechanics and deep interest in the field of Aerospace Engineering motivated me to pursue M.S.E. program in Aerospace Engineering at [University] with Gas Dynamics as the area of specialization. After taking the core Gas Dynamics courses such as Viscous Flow, Molecular Gas Dynamics, Compressible Flow, Turbulent Flow, Aerodynamics and Computational Fluid Dynamics under the guidance of pioneers in this field of study my curiosity to explore the research area of fluid flow especially high speed flows was further enhanced and I realized the best way to realize my goal is to pursue a PhD program at a prestigious Aerospace Engineering department such as the one at [University].
In order to gain research experience in the area of high-speed flows, I undertook a directed study with Dr. []. The main objectives of this research project were to 'perform a parallel efficiency analysis of the current version of LeMANS' and to 'study the effects of mesh alignment, boundary layer refinement and shock refinement on heat transfer and other surface properties.' The problem of interest was a Mach 10 monatomic gas flow over a cylinder, for which transport properties were determined using the variable hard sphere (VHS) model. Simulations were run using parallel computing and LeMANS, a finite volume Navier Stokes solver being developed at the [University] . LeMANS simulation results were compared with results from recent simulations using particle schemes based on the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, which in appearance do not need the same requirement for the mesh to obtain good results. This study therefore constituted a first look at the differences in surface property evaluations for a hypersonic blunt body flow between CFD and particle methods and helped in confirming the existing ideas for the influence of mesh alignment on surface property calculations in this type of flow. This research project helped in polishing my numerical and parallel computing skills and gave me an opportunity to work independently in a highly competitive research environment.
The department of Aerospace Engineering at [University] is recognized as one of the best aerospace engineering departments in the country and possesses an outstanding faculty, extensive research program and provides ample interdisciplinary research opportunities to lay down a strong foundation necessary for a successful researcher. The research carried out by the Research Team headed by Dr. [] is of great interest to me. Research interests of this group mainly lie in the simulation of non-equilibrium gas flows using numerical techniques such as Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), which aligns well with my research interests and experiences. I am confident that pursuing doctoral studies with this group will help in providing me a strong basis for basic and advanced research in the development of numerical methods for simulation of hypersonic flows.
I possess the ability to work extremely hard even in the most trying conditions and I never give up. My faith in my abilities has helped me to succeed, sometimes despite tremendous odds. If I am admitted to [University] I know that I will make the most of an unparalleled educational opportunity and with my background, experience, ability to think independently, practical skills and research ability, I am confident that I will be able to make an effective contribution towards the academic and research arenas on campus. All that I need is an opportunity and an opening.
Rohit,
Your essay is marvelous! You have written a concise, succinct essay that definitely defines who you are and where you want to go. You use words extremely conservatively, which is an essential part of writing such an essay. I commend you on your authority over the English language!
Good luck with your studies!
Mark :)
Hi Mark,
Thanks for such a prompt and motivating reply.
Rohit
Hi Rohit,
I am responding to your essay again so that it comes up on top of the page -- this way, perhaps some of the others might see it and choose to respond to it. Like I said, I don't think that you should change anything -- it is fine the way it reads -- but others, like Kevin, for example, might have a different opinion.
Mark
I also garnered considerable industrial training having worked on the analysis of high pressure and low-pressure die casting machines and tower furnaces with [some private company].
Since this essay is on fluid mechanics and applications, it would be better if you explain your training experience a bit more. There are a lot of applications of the principles of fluid mechanics in die casting and furnaces. Can you point out some?
I was able to suggest ways of saving energy in the Foundry during summer internship.
How?
The department of Aerospace Engineering at [University] is recognized as one of the best aerospace engineering departments in the country and possesses an outstanding faculty, extensive research program and provides ample interdisciplinary research opportunities to lay down a strong foundation necessary for a successful researcher.
This is some clichéd flattery. Avoid this.
Good essay, Rohit! Quite impressive!
The first paragraph needs at least one personal detail. For example, ...my interest in hypersonic flows, which began when I was neglecting my homework in favor of a 2006 article by John Anderson, compels me to apply....
In that brief intro, give a brief glimpse into a personal experience. Otherwise it looks generic.
During my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, the fluid motion and its behavior under the application of different kinds of forces captivated my attention. (right after this, give a brief sentence to show what you mean, what kinds of ideas you had while feeling fascinated by it. Just make this a brief sentence.)
The department of Aerospace Engineering at [University] is recognized as one of the best aerospace engineering departments in the country, which offers an outstanding faculty and ample interdisciplinary research opportunities to lay down a strong foundation necessary for a successful researcher.
:-)
This is certainly impressive. Good luck in your fascinating work!
Thanks a lot guys for such valuable suggestions.
