Hi guys, I am an international student residing in New York and I am applying to NYU for a second Bachelors in Computer Science. I have a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from City College so I'm hoping to get a job in CS after this career switch. Below is my personal statement; I would be very grateful if any of you could review and give me feedback. Thank you so much guys!
Since childhood, science was something that always fascinated me as I had an innate interest in learning about the mysteries of the unknown particularly in the field of chemistry. While in Abu Dhabi, I often visited my father's laboratory where I watched him formulate cement recipes and conduct experiments to evaluate properties such as thickening time and compressive strength under simulated well conditions. Inspired by my father's profession, I knew I wanted to be a chemist. However, since I come from a family of engineers, I decided to pursue chemical engineering. At that time, it felt right to study engineering as it applies the principles from science to find practical solutions to real-world problems. But as time passed by, I realized that the world is shifting towards technology.
My five oscillating years at City College have been nothing short of opportunities amassed. I have learnt so much from my fellow colleagues and mentors, experienced great things and have had the chance to push my limits to the maximum. Upon graduation, I realized that there were not many job opportunities in chemical engineering especially for an international student. I was unemployed, depressed, and felt that I had wasted five years of my life. But that pessimistic approach towards life was only temporary and I decided to make my own path. I read articles online, networked with professionals on LinkedIn, and sought career advice from my brothers only to get one answer - learn a programming language. So I started learning programming on my own and enrolled in online certified courses on Udacity and Coursera. Some of the courses I took included Intro to Computer Science and An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python. In a span of few months, I was able to develop games like Pong and Blackjack. I felt great and therefore decided to learn more about computer science.
NYU has one of the country's best computer science programs and their graduates are exceptionally talented and well educated. Being admitted to NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering would be a dream come true as your school is very prestigious and amongst the best in the country. An undergraduate degree in computer science from NYU would help me better my technical skills and prepare myself for a career in IT. With my passion for learning and unending strive for success, I can make significant contributions towards your school as well as learn a great deal. I believe my successful years as an undergrad at City College has given me the confidence to face greater challenges ahead and therefore, I kindly ask you to consider me as a possible student.
Thank You,
Mohsin Iqbal
Since childhood, science was something that always fascinated me as I had an innate interest in learning about the mysteries of the unknown particularly in the field of chemistry. While in Abu Dhabi, I often visited my father's laboratory where I watched him formulate cement recipes and conduct experiments to evaluate properties such as thickening time and compressive strength under simulated well conditions. Inspired by my father's profession, I knew I wanted to be a chemist. However, since I come from a family of engineers, I decided to pursue chemical engineering. At that time, it felt right to study engineering as it applies the principles from science to find practical solutions to real-world problems. But as time passed by, I realized that the world is shifting towards technology.
My five oscillating years at City College have been nothing short of opportunities amassed. I have learnt so much from my fellow colleagues and mentors, experienced great things and have had the chance to push my limits to the maximum. Upon graduation, I realized that there were not many job opportunities in chemical engineering especially for an international student. I was unemployed, depressed, and felt that I had wasted five years of my life. But that pessimistic approach towards life was only temporary and I decided to make my own path. I read articles online, networked with professionals on LinkedIn, and sought career advice from my brothers only to get one answer - learn a programming language. So I started learning programming on my own and enrolled in online certified courses on Udacity and Coursera. Some of the courses I took included Intro to Computer Science and An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python. In a span of few months, I was able to develop games like Pong and Blackjack. I felt great and therefore decided to learn more about computer science.
NYU has one of the country's best computer science programs and their graduates are exceptionally talented and well educated. Being admitted to NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering would be a dream come true as your school is very prestigious and amongst the best in the country. An undergraduate degree in computer science from NYU would help me better my technical skills and prepare myself for a career in IT. With my passion for learning and unending strive for success, I can make significant contributions towards your school as well as learn a great deal. I believe my successful years as an undergrad at City College has given me the confidence to face greater challenges ahead and therefore, I kindly ask you to consider me as a possible student.
Thank You,
Mohsin Iqbal
