This is kind of short of one-page, but I also want to be straightforward and not include any meaningless sentences just to add to the word count. This is pretty much what I'm planning to submit. Any critiques are welcome, don't be afraid to be harsh if you think it will help. Thanks!
Please submit a one-page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s). This essay should include the reasons why you've chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. If you are applying to more than one college or program, please mention each college or program you are applying to. Because our admission committees review applicants by college and programs, your essay can impact our final decision. Please do not exceed one page for this essay.
Math is the pure universal truth. I am addicted to the magical satisfaction I get when I solve a problem, everything falls into place, the key clicks and I unlock that truth.
I grew up to the gentle sound of my mother tapping numbers into a computer while I played on the threadbare floor of her accounting office. I grew to love math when my fifth grade teacher taught me to see math not as simply numbers and shapes, but as puzzles that can be solved and patterns to be explored. Most importantly, he infused in me the confidence that I can be the one to solve and explore. From then on, I have taken the most challenging math classes offered and even a summer program at the local university. The further I have gone in my math education, the more I have realized that mathematical puzzles and problems are omnipresent in every single field - Physics is applied calculus, Computer Science is mathematical logic. But what fascinated me the most was that knowledge of advanced math gives people the ability to calculate the possibilities of each investment in the financial market. It goes back to the problems my teacher gave me when I was ten - how many combinations of coins can make up a dollar? What's the most amount of candy Tommy can buy with a set amount of allowance? Explore the possibilities. Solve the puzzle. Unlock the answer. It was at that point that math became tangible to me - a science that not only helps me to understand the world, but to change it. This is what attracted me to a Carnegie Mellon education.
I am interested in an interdisciplinary education in the Mellon College of Science and Tepper School of Business because I want a math education which I can apply to the business world. To simplify the expression above: the BS in Computational Finance is a program tailored for me. When I research the necessary qualifications for a financial engineer, it is daunting: advanced knowledge of calculus and computer programming is a given, but also theoretical physics and electrical engineering? Yet because of CMU's structured programs, I feel reassured that I can learn all of this. Because of the MCS's focus on applied math and the opportunities that Tepper offers, I am assured that I will have adaptable skills in an ever changing world.
I want to study at Carnegie Mellon not only for the resources it would provide - faculty accessibility, research opportunities, top-notch programs - but also because it is a school that encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and learning, research, and internship experience. It is a place where I might live in the same dorm as somebody from a different background holding a different perspective, a place where I can race buggies and guard sacred fences. Here I can have the eye-opening experience that college is supposed to be. I would not only have the knowledge I need for the real world, but also the collaborative skills.
And finally: In my future career as a financial engineer by day, I secretly hope to be a prolific artist by night. Carnegie Mellon means that I could take classes in the College of Fine Arts and continue my interest in art.
Please submit a one-page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s). This essay should include the reasons why you've chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. If you are applying to more than one college or program, please mention each college or program you are applying to. Because our admission committees review applicants by college and programs, your essay can impact our final decision. Please do not exceed one page for this essay.
Math is the pure universal truth. I am addicted to the magical satisfaction I get when I solve a problem, everything falls into place, the key clicks and I unlock that truth.
I grew up to the gentle sound of my mother tapping numbers into a computer while I played on the threadbare floor of her accounting office. I grew to love math when my fifth grade teacher taught me to see math not as simply numbers and shapes, but as puzzles that can be solved and patterns to be explored. Most importantly, he infused in me the confidence that I can be the one to solve and explore. From then on, I have taken the most challenging math classes offered and even a summer program at the local university. The further I have gone in my math education, the more I have realized that mathematical puzzles and problems are omnipresent in every single field - Physics is applied calculus, Computer Science is mathematical logic. But what fascinated me the most was that knowledge of advanced math gives people the ability to calculate the possibilities of each investment in the financial market. It goes back to the problems my teacher gave me when I was ten - how many combinations of coins can make up a dollar? What's the most amount of candy Tommy can buy with a set amount of allowance? Explore the possibilities. Solve the puzzle. Unlock the answer. It was at that point that math became tangible to me - a science that not only helps me to understand the world, but to change it. This is what attracted me to a Carnegie Mellon education.
I am interested in an interdisciplinary education in the Mellon College of Science and Tepper School of Business because I want a math education which I can apply to the business world. To simplify the expression above: the BS in Computational Finance is a program tailored for me. When I research the necessary qualifications for a financial engineer, it is daunting: advanced knowledge of calculus and computer programming is a given, but also theoretical physics and electrical engineering? Yet because of CMU's structured programs, I feel reassured that I can learn all of this. Because of the MCS's focus on applied math and the opportunities that Tepper offers, I am assured that I will have adaptable skills in an ever changing world.
I want to study at Carnegie Mellon not only for the resources it would provide - faculty accessibility, research opportunities, top-notch programs - but also because it is a school that encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and learning, research, and internship experience. It is a place where I might live in the same dorm as somebody from a different background holding a different perspective, a place where I can race buggies and guard sacred fences. Here I can have the eye-opening experience that college is supposed to be. I would not only have the knowledge I need for the real world, but also the collaborative skills.
And finally: In my future career as a financial engineer by day, I secretly hope to be a prolific artist by night. Carnegie Mellon means that I could take classes in the College of Fine Arts and continue my interest in art.