Uw AIF for computer science coop. Part A Question 1

University of Waterloo application essay

Question:
Please tell us about your educational goals, your interest in your chosen program(s), and your reasons for applying to the University of Waterloo. If you have applied to more than one program please discuss your interest in each program. (900 character limit)

My Answer:
Taking a computer science course at my high school and doing programming as a hobby sparked my interest in this field and defined my decision to pursue a career as a computer software professional. I aspire to develop the skills of interpreting problems in such ways that I can use machines and computation to solve them. Studying computer science will allow me to advance my programming skills and expand my knowledge of the mathematics needed for developing algorithms and solving complex problems with the help of technology. Being an international leader in mathematics and computer science, the University of Waterloo is perfect for achieving these goals. Its innovative culture and world renowned coop program would be huge motivators for me to grow academically and professionally. Rotating between school and work would allow immediate application of my academic skills to the real world.

This is an example of the run of the mill response. It is a generic response that any student could have come up with. It gives and answer to the question, but not a a definitive response to the question. It is this definitive response that the reviewer will be looking for in this short statement. The way to improve the response is to relate it to a tangible educational objective. For example, one could say that "My decision to major in Computer Software Design was pushed by my desire to develop a medical app that will go beyond simply keeping track of vital signs. At the University of Waterloo, I look forward to gaining the theoretical knowledge that will help me write the code and use the computer lab of the university to test the app I will be developing as an undergraduate..." Define who your educational goal in more solid terms and work forward from there.

As Holt mentioned, try to be more specific in your goals and what led you to them. For example, instead of just saying "Studying computer science will allow me to ..." you could say "Majoring in these fields will give me the tools to develop scientific and medical systems that can greatly benefit the research community and greater public." Another thing that I find helps is to mention a specific course you are looking forward to.