Hello, I want to get some feedback for my personal statement. As the application deadline is approaching, I would really appreciate such feedback!
Prompt: Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
When I was 5, mom always asked me what I wanted to be in the future. Full of confidence, I gave her tons of roles that I dreamed of. I said "doctor," for my mom was one and therefore I should follow her path. I said "painter," as I liked playing with colors and drawing scenery on my little canva. I even thought of being a merman, for I was obsessed with 'The Little Mermaid' movie. I used to have dreams - many of them.
In my first year of high school, mom asked me again what I wanted to be. However, I could not come up with any ideas. Ever since I became a teenager, my interest shifted more towards friends and external distractions, which somehow made me neglect exploring my inner self. I said I wanted to do something related to English, just because I was in an English specialized class. However, deep down, I did not find it interesting. While I was still wondering what I liked, my peers already had their future planned out in their heads, for which I felt left behind. Therefore, I was even more doubtful about my ability and whether what I thought I wanted to do was the right one for me. I had no dream.
That changed when I studied abroad in America. There, I chose to be brave to take the chance and be open to learning. I met Mr.G - my AP Statistics teacher who made Maths fun and accessible. Moreover, it was his story that truly inspired me: Mr.G also did not have a dream at first, and teaching was a last-minute decision for him. I was surprised by how his story was so different from what I thought: he always seemed sincere and passionate while teaching that I believed he must have loved teaching so much from a long time ago. However, his love for teaching only grew after joining college. Therefore, he advised us to keep trying, even when we feel lost, because we will eventually discover our purpose.
My viewpoint about having a predefined dream has changed completely since then. Instead of stressing over my uncertainty, I opened myself up to trying and learning different things. I started joining art clubs, my school's musical ensemble and different courses at school to find what my true interest was. Studying in the US also made me realize that I study for myself, not to keep up with others. Throughout this process, I found a different aspect of myself: I like working with numbers, graphing and doing Maths. I found my passion for Statistics.
In the summer break of my junior year, my sister advised me to take an online data course, saying that it would be fun and useful. I was not so interested at first but still gave that idea a try. I started with Python. As I learnt more about coding, from the easiest 'print' command to the complicated conditional 'loop', I got hooked. I spent hours trying to write nested functions in Python, then I took up Excel and enjoyed decorating my spreadsheets with conditional formatting or thinking about what graph best represents my data. From doubting my sister, I took 7 short-term courses about Python and Excel over the summer. Through this experience, I once again realized how important stepping out of my comfort zone is. If I had not tried, I would not have found my passion in Data Science.
Data Science has become my interest along with Statistics. I love the feeling of using my analytical skills to tackle problems. It amazes me how numbers can give insights of tendencies and tell stories. Therefore, I want to continue this passion in college, which will help me pursue a statistician or data scientist career in the future. Now, I finally have a dream.
Prompt: Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
When I was 5, mom always asked me what I wanted to be in the future. Full of confidence, I gave her tons of roles that I dreamed of. I said "doctor," for my mom was one and therefore I should follow her path. I said "painter," as I liked playing with colors and drawing scenery on my little canva. I even thought of being a merman, for I was obsessed with 'The Little Mermaid' movie. I used to have dreams - many of them.
In my first year of high school, mom asked me again what I wanted to be. However, I could not come up with any ideas. Ever since I became a teenager, my interest shifted more towards friends and external distractions, which somehow made me neglect exploring my inner self. I said I wanted to do something related to English, just because I was in an English specialized class. However, deep down, I did not find it interesting. While I was still wondering what I liked, my peers already had their future planned out in their heads, for which I felt left behind. Therefore, I was even more doubtful about my ability and whether what I thought I wanted to do was the right one for me. I had no dream.
That changed when I studied abroad in America. There, I chose to be brave to take the chance and be open to learning. I met Mr.G - my AP Statistics teacher who made Maths fun and accessible. Moreover, it was his story that truly inspired me: Mr.G also did not have a dream at first, and teaching was a last-minute decision for him. I was surprised by how his story was so different from what I thought: he always seemed sincere and passionate while teaching that I believed he must have loved teaching so much from a long time ago. However, his love for teaching only grew after joining college. Therefore, he advised us to keep trying, even when we feel lost, because we will eventually discover our purpose.
My viewpoint about having a predefined dream has changed completely since then. Instead of stressing over my uncertainty, I opened myself up to trying and learning different things. I started joining art clubs, my school's musical ensemble and different courses at school to find what my true interest was. Studying in the US also made me realize that I study for myself, not to keep up with others. Throughout this process, I found a different aspect of myself: I like working with numbers, graphing and doing Maths. I found my passion for Statistics.
In the summer break of my junior year, my sister advised me to take an online data course, saying that it would be fun and useful. I was not so interested at first but still gave that idea a try. I started with Python. As I learnt more about coding, from the easiest 'print' command to the complicated conditional 'loop', I got hooked. I spent hours trying to write nested functions in Python, then I took up Excel and enjoyed decorating my spreadsheets with conditional formatting or thinking about what graph best represents my data. From doubting my sister, I took 7 short-term courses about Python and Excel over the summer. Through this experience, I once again realized how important stepping out of my comfort zone is. If I had not tried, I would not have found my passion in Data Science.
Data Science has become my interest along with Statistics. I love the feeling of using my analytical skills to tackle problems. It amazes me how numbers can give insights of tendencies and tell stories. Therefore, I want to continue this passion in college, which will help me pursue a statistician or data scientist career in the future. Now, I finally have a dream.
