Prompt:An important part of this application process is a letter (<800 words) in which you should describe
your educational background, goals, computer skills, and scientific interests. The letter should contain any additional information you consider relevant to the evaluation of your potential for success as a participant in this program.
I remember as a child constantly telling my mother that I wanted to be a NASA scientist one day. As I grew older the ambitions I had for myself as a child faded, and the faith I had in myself turned into fear of failure. Just like many others going into their teenage years, I became rebellious and didn't pay much attention to the importance of education. However, all of that changed when I became a junior in high school, and one teacher's faith in me sparked my love for learning once again. My perspective on my future and education changed, and I realized how every move I make would affect the outcome of my future career.
From then on, I was worried of where I wanted to head career-wise. All I knew was that I loved math but wanted to go beyond, use math with a purpose. What better way to do that then physics? Physics was very interesting and challenging. I was also taking an astronomy class, and the vast unknown beyond the Earth still intrigued me. Going into college, I had no specific major and started with general studies. However that one memory still replayed in my mind every time I tried to figure out what career path to take; I decided I would stop being afraid. I decided to pursue a major in physics with a minor in math and astronomy and do my thesis in astrophysics to earn a PhD. I am now currently a sophomore-junior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and although it has been a tough road, I can't imagine choosing any other path for my future career.
I have already taken a variety of physics classes ranging from modern physics, to mathematical physics, to classical mechanics, and with many more still to come. My background in astronomy and astrophysics has just begun to expand. The only class I have specifically taken for astronomy was in high school. Any other information pertaining to astronomy and astrophysics I have learned on my own through books, educational shows, and the Internet. However, I am finally getting the chance to take Fundamentals of Astronomy at the university I attend this 2014 spring semester. I plan on taking other classes that will benefit my future research in astrophysics.
Among this spring semester I will also be doing undergraduate research, although not in the field of astrophysics. The research will be pertaining to the modeling and theoretical calculations of quasicrystals to be applied to material science. I found this to be a great opportunity to improve my computer skills. As of now my skills consist of programs in Microsoft Office. However, I am taking a Fortran programming class and will be learning others during my undergraduate research like MATLAB and Python. These computer skills will be of great use in astrophysics and astronomy and research involved in Cornell's REU summer program.
Participating in the astronomy and astrophysics research program at Cornell University will help me gain the knowledge needed to further my education in the field and help me decide what astrophysics topic to choose for my thesis in graduate school. Not only will I experience doing actual research, it could possibly open doors to other future internships or jobs. Being guided by an experienced professor would also be a great privilege. Learning what they know and taking any advice that will benefit the choices I make for my future career would be very useful.
The passion I have for the mysteries of the universe has driven me to continue pursuing my degree in physics and be a part of research in astronomy and astrophysics in whichever way or place that may be. As of now I am most interested in cosmology and the combination of particle physics and hope to learn more it. From the research projects listed at Cornell University I found the search for Cosmic Superstrings and Computer Visualization of black holes from Supercomputer Simulations very interesting. The research projects being offered at Cornell University will bring me one step closer to being a part of great discoveries, further explorations, and publications that will take this generation a step further on the many unanswered question of how the universe began and understanding the many things that fill and make up outer space.
I Will return the favor! Thanks :D
your educational background, goals, computer skills, and scientific interests. The letter should contain any additional information you consider relevant to the evaluation of your potential for success as a participant in this program.
I remember as a child constantly telling my mother that I wanted to be a NASA scientist one day. As I grew older the ambitions I had for myself as a child faded, and the faith I had in myself turned into fear of failure. Just like many others going into their teenage years, I became rebellious and didn't pay much attention to the importance of education. However, all of that changed when I became a junior in high school, and one teacher's faith in me sparked my love for learning once again. My perspective on my future and education changed, and I realized how every move I make would affect the outcome of my future career.
From then on, I was worried of where I wanted to head career-wise. All I knew was that I loved math but wanted to go beyond, use math with a purpose. What better way to do that then physics? Physics was very interesting and challenging. I was also taking an astronomy class, and the vast unknown beyond the Earth still intrigued me. Going into college, I had no specific major and started with general studies. However that one memory still replayed in my mind every time I tried to figure out what career path to take; I decided I would stop being afraid. I decided to pursue a major in physics with a minor in math and astronomy and do my thesis in astrophysics to earn a PhD. I am now currently a sophomore-junior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and although it has been a tough road, I can't imagine choosing any other path for my future career.
I have already taken a variety of physics classes ranging from modern physics, to mathematical physics, to classical mechanics, and with many more still to come. My background in astronomy and astrophysics has just begun to expand. The only class I have specifically taken for astronomy was in high school. Any other information pertaining to astronomy and astrophysics I have learned on my own through books, educational shows, and the Internet. However, I am finally getting the chance to take Fundamentals of Astronomy at the university I attend this 2014 spring semester. I plan on taking other classes that will benefit my future research in astrophysics.
Among this spring semester I will also be doing undergraduate research, although not in the field of astrophysics. The research will be pertaining to the modeling and theoretical calculations of quasicrystals to be applied to material science. I found this to be a great opportunity to improve my computer skills. As of now my skills consist of programs in Microsoft Office. However, I am taking a Fortran programming class and will be learning others during my undergraduate research like MATLAB and Python. These computer skills will be of great use in astrophysics and astronomy and research involved in Cornell's REU summer program.
Participating in the astronomy and astrophysics research program at Cornell University will help me gain the knowledge needed to further my education in the field and help me decide what astrophysics topic to choose for my thesis in graduate school. Not only will I experience doing actual research, it could possibly open doors to other future internships or jobs. Being guided by an experienced professor would also be a great privilege. Learning what they know and taking any advice that will benefit the choices I make for my future career would be very useful.
The passion I have for the mysteries of the universe has driven me to continue pursuing my degree in physics and be a part of research in astronomy and astrophysics in whichever way or place that may be. As of now I am most interested in cosmology and the combination of particle physics and hope to learn more it. From the research projects listed at Cornell University I found the search for Cosmic Superstrings and Computer Visualization of black holes from Supercomputer Simulations very interesting. The research projects being offered at Cornell University will bring me one step closer to being a part of great discoveries, further explorations, and publications that will take this generation a step further on the many unanswered question of how the universe began and understanding the many things that fill and make up outer space.
I Will return the favor! Thanks :D