Undergraduate /
Help with my Statement of Purpose - ApplyTexas Topic A/UT Austin/International Undergrad Transfer [7]
@Holt
Sorry for the delay. I spent the last 14 days rewriting the essay, and now I think it fits the structure you gave me.
Here's the essay:
Even before I was born, my family struggled with psychiatric disorders and genetic predispositions for them. I am the younger brother of two, but we used to be three - I was born two years after a brother of mine died due to a rare disease, which left scars on my family, mainly on my father. That made him develop psychopathological traits that occasionally led his marriage with my mother to an end, right before my birth. He turned out to be an absent and relapsed father to us because of those events.
My grandfather took for himself some of the functions his son did not perform. Me and my brother started going to his house when my mother had to work, and there we got in touch with our aunts, who still lived with grandpa. One aunt has an undiagnosed type of social-behavioral psychopathology, and presented rather odd behaviors that made me very intrigued, since they were not what I used to see on anyone but her. My big brother also has a disorder - a minor type of Autism. Living with him inspired me and made possible to experience Psychology, watching the unique way in which my brother's mind worked and how he used unusual qualities from his intelligence to adapt to the world around him, despite his own adversities.
Ever since I enrolled in Psychology, I've been attending a top 5 brazillian program at PUCRS. For three years I've developed myself both academically and personally. Until today, I'm sure that choosing Psychology was the best decision I've ever made - while experiencing the life of a college student, my passion for Intelligence grew even more. I made sure to get familiar with the research environment since freshman year, joining a research group that studied Neurobiology, with the guidance of a renowned professor from my university. This period was much valuable to me, since because of that I realized that being a world-class scientist is indeed what I want to. Furthermore, the knowledge acquired inside the classroom, from professors and classmates, giving a special attention to contents and experiences that were related to Intelligence, reinforced the choice of deepen my studies into the field.
After this period, I believe that a qualification only obtained here wouldn't be complete, given my objectives. The reason lies on the fact that the main Psychology centers and figures are all abroad and I feel like I've already harnessed everything my course had to offer. To be the kind of professional I want to become, it's imperative to seek an institution that can provide me a challenging education of worldwide excellence.
Why did I chose UT Austin? First, because of the qualification I can obtain by attending one of the best programs in America, along with the fact that your country is currently the biggest scientific center in the world. Also, the cultural diversity from both the university and the city of Austin seems like it could provide an environment that is conducive to meaningful experiences and learning, with people from everywhere contributing with diversity and different ideas in a valuable multicultural exchange. This foreign-friendly aspect of yours along with its strong latin influence can mean a smoother transition for me while adapting to the life on a different country.
There are specific factors which I felt instrumental to my application for UT Austin. Programs such as the Undergraduate Research (Undergraduate students assisting professor's reaserches) and Summer Undergraduate Research Experience will help me to improve the skill set required to succeed in the academy. As told above, I intend to work with Intelligence, and for that I've focused my studies on Cognition and Neuroscience. UT Austin Psychology BS program's focus on them would benefit me greatly, as most PUCRS's classes are inclined towards Clinic or Social Psychology. Moreover, the Institute of Neurosciences is a major reference in terms of research, and to have the opportunity to study or assist in research with some of the biggest names at their fields - such as Dr. Francisco Gonzalez-Lima - would be of inestimable value.
Given my personal desires to seek new and better things for the sake of self-improvement, I need a change. The combination of one of the best Psychology programs in the U.S with a city providing a safe and quality environment for the development of my potential is seen by me with great enthuasiasm. There, my passion for learning will be able to be duly harnessed and will propel me to greater achievements in life.