My reason for wanting to pursue graduate physics in graduate school is simple: to understand and work with elementary particles. The idea of understanding the behaviour of particles with the human mind has been a fascinating prospect for me for quite a while. This interest has been supplanted by reading the biographies of many physicists and their interesting journeys in science. So far, I have mostly limited myself to book knowledge and some minimal research. However, I would like to take this further by pursuing graduate studies ultimately leading to professional development.
The physics department in Cornell has a number of characteristics which makes it a great place to pursue graduate studies in. Although I mentioned that my interests lie in particle theory, I would like to experience other fields in physics as well. The first two years at Cornell would allow me to take general courses such as quantum theory. This would allow me to fill any gaps I have in my knowledge followed by specialized courses during the second year to enhance my physics knowledge and the Advanced Laboratory (Physics 6510) course would equip me with the necessary experimental skills. Furthermore, the ability to take courses offered by other departments (With consent from the special committee) would allow me to enhance my knowledge in mathematics (In Differential Geometry, for example), which I firmly believe a physicist should continuously broaden knowledge in.
Furthermore, Cornell has a broad spectrum of research, from the scale of the quantum foam to that of the largest galaxies, in both theoretical and experimental sciences. The research groups that hold particular interest for me are the Theoretical and experimental elementary particle group, carrying out research into "New-Physics" as well as the unification of the standard model with gravity. What makes the particle group even mokre interesting is its membership with CMS and LHC. With interesting research going on non-stop, coupled with the cooperative nature among everyone in the department, would allow me to frequently discuss and exchange ideas with supervisors, seniors and colleagues alike.
My background in physics may raise a few eyebrows, Simply because it is highly unusual. I am engineering major and never took a college level physics course (Except courses on electromagnetism). My knowledge in other fields of physics solely comes from teaching myself using various media.
I learned a myriad of things in engineering school: Real-Time systems, Control Engineering, Signal Processing, Power Electronic Design, etc. Yet, such topics never appealed to me as much as my studies did in high school. As I finished my first semester of my second year, I browsed the library and picked up books on various topics, stumbling upon Serway, Moses and Meyer's "Modern Physics"
My interest on physics was in a "Full swing" after a few days. Before long, I finished learning a semester's worth of relativity and quantum mechanics. Summer gave me ample time and opportunity to explore different avenues in physics: Classical Mechanics, Statistical Physics, as well as different avenues of modern physics. Besides physics, I have taught myself the basics of certain branches of mathematics such as Group Theory and topology. My studies would often be carried late into the nights, which I enjoyed. The sheer effort put into covering a broad spectrum of material has enabled me to appear for the GRE Physics test, in which I scored a 790, being in the 71st percentile.
I tried my hand at Physics research during the summer at a separate university. One professor was kind enough to introduce me to a doctoral student of his. Through him, I was able to carry out some small research into Supersymmetry. Although I had conversations discussions regarding other fields of the so called "New-Physics" such as string theory and grand unified theory. Moreover, this phase was particularly important to me as it was an opportunity to explore the world of particle physics, something I had an interest in for a while. This, combined with my late nights, has consolidated the fact that I can quickly adapt to the heavy course load and new, yet difficult material I will encounter in graduate school.
Further research experiences include working on two microcontroller projects and submitting a research project titled "Forward Error Correction in Communications Systems" to a national-level engineering competition entitled "Innovate Malaysia". My project has been one of the few chosen amongst countless entries, which has allowed me access to expensive and advanced engineering software for which I will receive fully paid training.
Other than academia, I have participated in a number of extra-curricular activities. I have been the IT officer and the secretary of The Bangladesh Society at my university. Furthermore, I have been to different countries before and have met people from diverse backgrounds. These experiences are important for two reasons. Number one, it has significantly improved my communication skills; Number two, it has built up my adaptability to change.
All in all, despite the anomaly, I believe that through sheer willpower and tenacity, I can acclimate well to graduate school and hopefully prove to be a valuable asset and a student. After completing graduate studies, I hope to continue to work in theoretical physics, be it in huge labs or small groups while shouldering any additional responsibility and hardship; continuing to explore the quantum world using my mind.
Hello,
Many issues here. First, your SOP of purpose is completely out of order. You need to first build your story and THEN state why Cornell is the best place for you to learn. However, your biggest mistake here is the way you belittle your experience. You downgrade everything physics related that you have done. "Small research this," "Never took a class that." This will read as someone that is unsure. Cornell WILL NOT give one of their valued seats to someone that is unsure. You need to attack this SOP ONLY from a standpoint of strength, clarity and resolve. When I finish reading your SOP, I need to feel a resounding sense that you belong. If you are applying for an entry MA/MS degree, your credentials thus far certainly can fit the bill. - Admissions Advice Online
Do you suggest I try fixing this essay? Or should I start completely from scratch?
Avoid my last comment. I have a few questions:
1. Should I keep the part where I discuss why Cornell would be a good place to study, or should I rewrite that too.
2. I'd like to bring it to the attention of the admissions committee that I'm mostly self taught. My intention isn't to belittle my own experiences, but rather to point out that I'm.... "unusual". Can clever wording help me tackle this with strength, clarity and resolve? Or is my background fundamentally weak enough to prevent me from actually having a chance?
So, being self taught will just not work on the graduate level, especially without any major research under your belt. The next step then is to paint yourself as having adequate knowledge. Since you studied engineering as an undergrad, and there are many synergies between engineering and physics, you need to exploit these. Talk about how your academic and professional experiences have prepared you to undertake this level of study at this institution. Whether or not you should keep your "Why Cornell" will depend greatly on how you align your goals with the mission of this program. - Admissions Advice Online
I considered your opinions, and rewrote my background. See if this is more up to standards
I had a strong performance in Sciences and Mathematics back in high school, but no strong direction as to what I wanted to do in life. The usual route for students strong in sciences and mathematics in Bangladesh is to study engineering or medicine, and accounts of the returns one can have during their professional period with a degree in either field sounded appealing. Therefore, I took up electrical engineering as a major and hoped everything would proceed fine.
It took me a few months to realise that for the first time I simply could not enjoy the majority of the classes I took or the material I studied. My lack of interest in the subject meant chaos for me, particularly because I can only produce excellent results if something can captivate my interest. And the thought of having to do something I simply did not enjoy for a living frequently lead to bouts of frustration. As a result I was simply not involved in my studies the same way I was before joining university. I did do well in my classes, but not great.
The search for a different direction and an impetus lead me to the Nobel Prize website, and the biographies of several prize winners. Everyone seemed to be doing interesting work and learning interesting things since their undergraduate years. What was even more interesting and perhaps encouraging was that there were a number of scientists who made bold transitions to a field completely different from their educational background. This provided the much needed inspiration to take a step forward and apply for graduate physics.
It was a nice surprise to find a nice collection of physics books in my library, considering my university did not have a physics department. My studies in Quantum Mechanics and Relativity began in earnest and it was not long before I considered switching over to physics once I was finished with my undergraduate studies. On a whim, I emailed a few graduate departments, explaining my situation, and received a few encouraging replies, with the mention that it is possible to be a successful physicist with an unusual background.
Although fulfilling the requirements to apply for physics graduate school is quite daunting, especially regarding the extant knowledge applicants are expected to have, which is reflected in subject test scores. Thankfully, not everything during my undergraduate years turned out to be completely useless, given the synergy between engineering and physics. My classes in circuits, electricity and magnetism equipped me with the necessary to tackle any undergraduate level problem. And my knowledge in mathematics (both learned in classes and self-taught) allowed me to ease into material which I could not learn in classes.
Given the common ground in engineering and physics, combined with my knowledge of mathematics, a new-found passion of physics and a renewed interest in studying, my pedagogical process went ahead at full-speed. During my second year, I would attend my engineering classes, finish up homework and assignments as quickly as I could, and devote my nights to study physics. This allowed me enough time and opportunity to cover material taught in undergraduate level physics, including more advanced topics such as relativity, QM in three dimensions, Boltzmann functions and partitions, etc.
As second year ended, I emailed a few physics professors at different universities, asking around if anyone would be interested in taking me in as a research assistant. One professor from the University of Malaya was kind enough to introduce me to a doctoral student of his. This was beneficial in two ways. One, this allowed me to fully understand whether I was covering the required material. Second, I was introduced to particle physics. This was an interesting opportunity to learn what was going on at the forefront of the field. Besides my studies, summer was spent learning what a professional physicist does: Solve Feynman Diagrams, plough through a multitude of data to detect and observe the behaviour of new exotic particles, and perform monte-carlo simulations to predict the existence of any new physics.
As tedious and difficult it was, the work was enjoyable nonetheless and heightened my interest in physics.
Your wrote:
I had a strong performance in Sciences and Mathematics back in high school, but no strong direction as to what I wanted to do in life. The usual route for students strong in sciences and mathematics in Bangladesh is to study engineering or medicine, and accounts of the returns one can have during their professional period with a degree in either field sounded appealing. Therefore, I took up electrical engineering as a major and hoped everything would proceed fine.
It took me a few months to realise that for the first time I simply could not enjoy the majority of the classes I took or the material I studied. My lack of interest in the subject meant chaos for me, particularly because I can only produce excellent results if something can captivate my interest. And the thought of having to do something I simply did not enjoy for a living frequently lead to bouts of frustration. As a result I was simply not involved in my studies the same way I was before joining university. I did do well in my classes, but not great.
Once again, a good SOP should ONLY come from a point of strength. Writing about any doubts on uncertainty is not advisable, especially in the opening paragraph. Everything you write needs to come from an angle of strength. For example...I was good in math and science and took up engineering....talk about why...give a concrete reason why you decided to study engineering. Do not say that I did just because that's what people do. Then talk about how you really enjoyed the courses that had aspects of Physics in them....this will be your tie in. Then you should go on to build your story, continuously weaving in aspects of Physics with your academic, professional, and personal life. At the end, the reader should get a sense of, yeah he did not study physics per se, but he has a well thought out journey that has prepared him for graduate level work at this time....Think about it this way. When writing these SOP's, it is important to think methodically. This should take you a few days to write correctly. If you can write this in less than 2 hours, it is probably not strong enough. -Admissions Advice Online
Hope this helps
"My classes in circuits, electricity and magnetism equipped me with the necessary to tackle any undergraduate level problem. " With the necessary what?
I think that the newer version of your background is stronger, but I agree that you seem to be making yourself look like you are under qualified rather than playing up why you would be beneficial to their program. I have very little experience with physics or engineering so I can't give concrete examples but I think there are ways to acknowledge that you don't have much physics experience without making yourself look like you wouldn't thrive at Cornell. Think of the benefits of having an engineering background in a graduate physics program - this can help you stand apart from other applicants that solely studied physics; giving a concrete example of something you've experienced as an engineering student and applying it to physics could show how even without as strong of a physics background you would be able to thrive in the program. I also think that playing up your physics research would be beneficial. That section just reads like a list of tasks you completed - perhaps try elaborating on a particular example in the lab (as a reader, I find this to be more interesting than simply stating that you did x, y, and z).
As I look over your statement again, you're listing everything you've done without really using any anecdotal support. It doesn't quite seem like you're passionate about physics or confident in your abilities to perform in a physics grad program. Be confident in yourself! You have a lot to offer a graduate program, don't be afraid to let them know what that is!
