This my first time posting on these forums so if I screwed up with the title or the formatting of the essay, please let me know. Any and all help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Prompt:
The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application.
I stumbled upon my passion: Mathematics
Essay:
As I walked onto the campus for the first time, my mental state was one of paranoia. I walked past other students on my way to class and wondered 'Can they tell?'. When I finally sat down in the classroom, I still had the irrational, yet powerful fear that the entire campus was watching me and judging me for what I was: a high school dropout.
Due to an unforeseen medical condition, I was forced to drop out of high school. I was eventually diagnosed and treated, but during the interim between dropping out and completing treatment, I was faced with the worst symptom of all: boredom. To allay my boredom, I decided to read and, suddenly having a surplus of free time, I read a lot. I went through a plethora of books, and during this frenetic period of discovery I stumbled upon my passion: Mathematics
While exploring a science text, I became fascinated with the equations. Their symmetry was both orderly and abstract, and the proofs used to find them were fascinating. I soon found math taking over my thoughts, with a problem always in the back of my mind and a solution just out of reach. As the treatments gave me my strength back I dedicated more and more time to my newfound obsession, until I had finished my treatments, and nothing was holding me back. I was going to be a mathematician, and now nothing could stop me.
This is how I found myself standing on the campus of the University of Houston, feeling out of place but with a plan nonetheless. The transition from dropout to freshman was far from painless, with my first semester being a comedy of errors in every sense of the phrase, but unlike many of my classmates I had one advantage: I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and I knew how to get there. So, I persevered and did what I always did, I dove deep. Over the next three semesters I took as many math courses as I could, finishing roughly two years' worth of mathematics in the first year alone. It was during this glutinous period that I took a course in Differential Geometry, and I fell in love with it.
Everything that I loved about mathematics was present in the subject, the elegant symmetry of the equations and mind-bending proofs pulled me in immediately. Unlike other subjects I had studied however, I could clearly see the theory develop from the perspective of its founders. There were flashes of insight of course, but also false starts and conceptual dead ends. It was a story whose characters were brilliant, but fallible, and as a result more relatable. The course gave me insight into what research in the field is like, warts and all, and I knew it was something I would enjoy. So, I decided to become a mathematical geometer! Unfortunately, I ran into a problem: UH has virtually no higher geometry courses.
The irony was not lost on me, I had chosen UH because of the breadth of the material it offered, yet my chosen field happened to be the schools blind spot. I discussed this with my professors, and surprisingly their advice was to transfer. So, I set out to find schools with great geometry programs. This is what brought me to the University of Texas at Austin.
The number of geometry courses that UT offers is staggering, especially in areas of Topology. The yearlong Topology sequence, M367K and M367L, offered by UT's math department, as well as the courses on manifold theory, such as M375T, would be a massive boon in preparing me for grad school in geometry. I won't be stopping at undergrad courses, and plan on taking as much of the graduate topology sequence as I can during my time in undergrad at UT.
These courses were not my only reason for applying to UT, with the main attraction being the Geometry Research Training Group in UT's math department. The ability to get hands on research experience with the wealth of geometers in UT's faculty will be invaluable in gaining insights into the current modes of thought in modern geometry. These experiences will allow me to figure out where in the mathematical community I fit, and in which directions I should develop. In short, UT is a geometers paradise, and with the wealth of opportunities available I have full confidence that UT will prepare me for becoming a full-fledged mathematician.Holt Educational Consultant - / 14,835 
4783 Jordan, your story of dropout to mathematician is interesting and fun to read. However, aside from becoming a grad student in Topology, you do not seem to have any solid purpose for your line of study. Now, since you cannot become a professional student, even though that is sometimes referred to as a scholar's dream occupation, that should not be your only goal in this instance. Aside from your academic goal, try to present a professional goal to the reviewer to balance out your love of the study of math with a proper career goal that will help you promote your love of math to others. What your professional goals should be, I will leave up to you to develop. After all, the statement of purpose primarily focuses on the combination of your academic goals in relation to a professional application. So after your undergrad studies, but before your grad studies, tell the reviewer what sort of career you hope to have in between to help you hone your skills and sharpen your talents in the field. That way your SOP will come full circle in terms of presentation requirements.
