RafaAkd
Dec 12, 2012
Graduate / SOP from a passionate Geoscientist adressing OU [2]
This is my SOP so far. I'm going to apply to 4 different universities, Oklahoma University among them. I'm an international applicant and never have done a SOP before. I would truly appreciate some remarks on it. Thank you in advance!
While I grew up in a big metropolis with its vehicles, buildings and noises I was always fascinated by the silent giant mountain that surrounded the valley, and which seemed to watch and protect the city and its habitants like a fantasy hero. I wondered how such a magnificent nature's artwork could be just there, rising between the city and the sea. The Earth Science course at high school unveiled the first glimpses of the geological world and its principles. However, I still craved to go further on this gripping topic.
Then, just four months before I started my college studies, a natural tragedy took place. One week of continuous rain caused debris flows and flash floods from the mountain to the coast, devastating the towns located in alluvial fans along the coastal line. This event was the ultimate eye opener regarding my passion for Earth's dynamics. Consequently, when I entered the school of engineering at Universidad Central de Venezuela I was convinced I wanted to study an Earth Science related major. During my second semester I took a class of Physical Geology and made a field trip to the devastated area as consequence of the debris flows. There, I truly understood that what I was experiencing and watching was life Geological History at first hand; it was the way how climate could model the Earth surface and control sedimentation processes. The professor remarked how lucky we were for being able to witness such a didactical event. And, also, how small the human kind is compared to the mother Earth and the processes that model it. All these situations reinforced my desire for understanding the rules and laws of Earth's physics phenomena. As I also really relished Mathematics and Physics, I decided to go for the Geophysical Engineering path.
After finishing all my courses and developing a thesis during a long internship at PDVSA, I graduated first in my class and published my thesis project at the First Venezuelan Congress of Geoscience and Applied Geophysics. During that project I was able to map and build a structural model, which was part of the Orinoco Oil Belt reserves quantification campaign. Since then, I have worked in the Venezuela Oil Industry over two years performing mainly as a seismic interpreter and a reservoir geophysicist. During this time my interest to hone my knowledge of basin analysis using sequence stratigraphy along with seismic stratigraphy and seismic attributes has done nothing but increase. I have participated in a Spectral Decomposition project and have made different seismic interpretations for building static reservoir models. Nevertheless, I feel that in order to fulfill my long career dream of becoming a truth basin analysis and reservoir geoscience expert I have to take an important step forward and continue my studies at a graduate level program, where researching would be the priority rather than daily office routines and production operations.
Furthermore, it is my primarily goal to become a strong and recognized geoscientist in the oil exploration and production industry. I really desire to meet the requirements to be in a workplace where I have the necessary tools to develop and try new ideas, in order to publish high quality papers and participate at professional conferences and meetings. Five years after having finished my desired Master degree, I picture myself holding a senior position at a global oil exploration solution company, managing different kind of projects and delivering first class products for all types of geological basins and reservoir conditions. When the time comes, I wish to become a world known reservoir geoscientist consultant, and even to pass on all my acquired knowledge as a university lecturer or professor.
And it is at this point where I personally find the University of Oklahoma the perfect fit for my needs and skills. At the ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics I will not only encounter a working environment with first class technology; I would also be delighted to work with professors like Dr. John D. Piggot or Dr. Matthew J. Pranter, whose research interests are aligned with my desired career path. In addition, I would be in a key location for finding internship and working opportunities due to the strong presence of oil companies in the area. Finally, I believe that living and interacting in a student town such as Norman would be a once in a lifetime experience, which I would definitely enjoy and be grateful for during the rest of my life.
This is my SOP so far. I'm going to apply to 4 different universities, Oklahoma University among them. I'm an international applicant and never have done a SOP before. I would truly appreciate some remarks on it. Thank you in advance!
While I grew up in a big metropolis with its vehicles, buildings and noises I was always fascinated by the silent giant mountain that surrounded the valley, and which seemed to watch and protect the city and its habitants like a fantasy hero. I wondered how such a magnificent nature's artwork could be just there, rising between the city and the sea. The Earth Science course at high school unveiled the first glimpses of the geological world and its principles. However, I still craved to go further on this gripping topic.
Then, just four months before I started my college studies, a natural tragedy took place. One week of continuous rain caused debris flows and flash floods from the mountain to the coast, devastating the towns located in alluvial fans along the coastal line. This event was the ultimate eye opener regarding my passion for Earth's dynamics. Consequently, when I entered the school of engineering at Universidad Central de Venezuela I was convinced I wanted to study an Earth Science related major. During my second semester I took a class of Physical Geology and made a field trip to the devastated area as consequence of the debris flows. There, I truly understood that what I was experiencing and watching was life Geological History at first hand; it was the way how climate could model the Earth surface and control sedimentation processes. The professor remarked how lucky we were for being able to witness such a didactical event. And, also, how small the human kind is compared to the mother Earth and the processes that model it. All these situations reinforced my desire for understanding the rules and laws of Earth's physics phenomena. As I also really relished Mathematics and Physics, I decided to go for the Geophysical Engineering path.
After finishing all my courses and developing a thesis during a long internship at PDVSA, I graduated first in my class and published my thesis project at the First Venezuelan Congress of Geoscience and Applied Geophysics. During that project I was able to map and build a structural model, which was part of the Orinoco Oil Belt reserves quantification campaign. Since then, I have worked in the Venezuela Oil Industry over two years performing mainly as a seismic interpreter and a reservoir geophysicist. During this time my interest to hone my knowledge of basin analysis using sequence stratigraphy along with seismic stratigraphy and seismic attributes has done nothing but increase. I have participated in a Spectral Decomposition project and have made different seismic interpretations for building static reservoir models. Nevertheless, I feel that in order to fulfill my long career dream of becoming a truth basin analysis and reservoir geoscience expert I have to take an important step forward and continue my studies at a graduate level program, where researching would be the priority rather than daily office routines and production operations.
Furthermore, it is my primarily goal to become a strong and recognized geoscientist in the oil exploration and production industry. I really desire to meet the requirements to be in a workplace where I have the necessary tools to develop and try new ideas, in order to publish high quality papers and participate at professional conferences and meetings. Five years after having finished my desired Master degree, I picture myself holding a senior position at a global oil exploration solution company, managing different kind of projects and delivering first class products for all types of geological basins and reservoir conditions. When the time comes, I wish to become a world known reservoir geoscientist consultant, and even to pass on all my acquired knowledge as a university lecturer or professor.
And it is at this point where I personally find the University of Oklahoma the perfect fit for my needs and skills. At the ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics I will not only encounter a working environment with first class technology; I would also be delighted to work with professors like Dr. John D. Piggot or Dr. Matthew J. Pranter, whose research interests are aligned with my desired career path. In addition, I would be in a key location for finding internship and working opportunities due to the strong presence of oil companies in the area. Finally, I believe that living and interacting in a student town such as Norman would be a once in a lifetime experience, which I would definitely enjoy and be grateful for during the rest of my life.