"Tell us about your academic achievements during your secondary (and tertiary) education."
I dont know what to write to this question apart from my O & A level results. Please give me some ideas.
1.Why do you want to study at KAIST and what are your future plans (academics & career)?
Ans:My interest in the sciences began from an early age. As a child I spent hours catching frogs, toads and insects in the gardens so I could observe them and understand how they lived. My fascination grew as we began to learn about the human body at school, and the way different organs interacted. As I learned more, this developed into a strong interest in the basic processes of life, such as molecular biology and genetics: how something so small like the base sequence on a polynucleotide can affect so much. Reading books like "The Language of the Genes" by Steve Jones has made me realise that this is still a very recent and developing area of science, with huge potential to change the way we treat genetic diseases and tackle other biological problems. Another area of my interest is neuroscience. I recently learned about the place cells in brain which signal position and provide spatial memory capacity. Damage to the place cells in the brain explains the symptoms of dementia and other brain diseases. Through this I have come to understand the importance of new research leading to medical advances, for example development of the anti-cancer therapy delivering drug by Professor Ji-Ho Park. I feel that biological sciences are at the heart of some of the most exciting and fast-moving advances in science currently, and I would very much like to contribute to that by pursuing a career in this area. To achieve my goal, I will complete my bachelors followed by masters and Phd and do research on brain diseases. I believe KAIST is the place where I will be able to achieve my goals as it is the birthplace 'Bio & Brain Engineering'. KAIST is also the home to the brilliant professors, researchers and students of Korea from whom I will be able to satisfy my thirst for knowledge. KAIST also offers undergraduate research program through which I will be able to carry out research before graduating. I am very eager to work in the Brain Dynamics Laboratory and understand the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric diseases. As KAIST is the best international university in Korea, I will have no trouble to live and study. In the meantime I will also learn about the Korean culture. In conclusion, KAIST will help me reach my true potential both academically and personally.
2.Tell us about your academic achievements during your secondary (and tertiary) education.
Ans:Through persistence, determination and commitment I was able to get straight A's in physics, chemistry, human biology, maths and further maths in IGCSE exam. For my outstanding result, I was awarded the Daily Star Award, which is the highest award an IGCSE candidate can receive in Bangladesh. I was also awarded a full-tuition scholarship from my college. In college, I continued studying the subjects I was studying in IGCSE. I obtained 98 percent marks on AS core mathematics and AS mechanics and received A's in both AS Biology and AS Physics. Studying chemistry, physics and mathematics at A Level has helped me recognise the critical role that these subjects play in extending our understanding of biological processes. For example, learning about intermolecular bonds in chemistry, such as hydrogen bonds, helped me understand biological molecules. I fully understood water and its qualities and then how these help organisms survive. My different science courses have also helped me know how to plan, complete and evaluate experiments successfully in different scientific contexts. Studying mathematics has also made me confident in applying statistical processes to analyse how much we can rely on the results. I extended my knowledge beyond the A-Level syllabus by taking university-level courses online. Now I am also taking the CS50 class of Harvard University online. Being active in my college's maths club and chess club also helped to develop my problem-solving skills.
3.What was the most important extracurricular activity that influenced you and the people around you?
Ans:Throughout my high school career I was fortunate to be involved in quite a few volunteer opportunities. However, the one activity that has had the biggest influence in shaping my personality to who I am today would be tutoring. When I was in tenth grade, during the summer vacation I decided to teach under-privileged students for free. I made a group which consisted of students from very poor families and tutored them. By teaching them, my presentation, verbal-communication and listening skills improved. Seeing how the students didnt give up even during times of hardship made me more postive. As I taught them through the whole summer vacation, my love for teaching strengthened. I became more confident as I was able to improve people's lives. I have also been very much active in sports. I was the captain of my college's football team for two years and I established my team in the finals of inter-college football championship both the time. Through football, I have learned the importance of punctuality, teamwork and communication skills and became a better leader. I have also won numerous local badminton tournaments.
4.What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Ans: One of my greatest strengths that I have recognized would have to be my ability to be a well-organized individual. I tend to write what I have to do down on paper and prioritize what is more important to least important. In doing this, it helps me organize and accomplish my work and meet deadlines that are important. I am also a very independent and self-motivating person. I completed my first year mathematics course on my own without any help. One of my weaknesses is that I dont give up on any new opprtunities, as I result I lose focus on my current activity. I am trying to work on it by restricting myself to complete current project before taking a new one.
Well...what academic achievements, in a brief description, have you made? Which ones stand out, and which ones truly describe you as a person? I wouldn't focus on the achievement part, however; try focusing on how and why you achieved these goals.
