Statement of Purpose/Essays plays a major role in admissions in foreign universities.It is a only chance to demonstrate your unique qualifications for and commitment to your chosen field and also about the admission committee and faculty members of your area. Every institution expects mainly 5 points from the student namely 1) What you'd like to study or on which field you want to concentrate.2)Why you choose to such field.3)What background you have in the field.4) Why you choose a particular school.5)What you plan to do after you graduate.If more than one students have marginal score for a particular University then these are the only things that will decide admissions.
So, here are the some Do's and Dont's that we should keep in mind while applying for foreign university.
Do's
1)Concentrate on demonstrating what you know about your field and what you hope to accomplish in graduate school and even beyond.
2)Make concrete references to the program you are applying to and to the faculty you would like to study with.
3)Clearly state your reasons to choose a particular school.
4)Write about what interests you, excites you. That's what the admissions staff wants to read.
5)Revise your essay at least three times.
Dont's
1)Do not present a complete list of courses in the field you have taken.
2)Avoid excessive, unreasonable enthusiasm.
3) Do not try to show your vocabulary skills.
4)Don't start your essay with "I was born in...," or "My parents came from..."
5)No jokes please!!
As a sample usage I'm posting my statement of purpose that I have applied for Ohio State University.
Sample Usage
The engineer's reach is not confined to the boundaries of the earth but can extend far into space and beyond and have telling effects on mankind. My internship at the National Mineral Development Cooperation Ltd at Hyderabad gave me a toast of these poignant watchwords where my research on De fence and its structures had direct ramifications with the most vital and extravagant Defense industry. I intend to transform this grand beginning into an eventful and fruitful career and hence my application to your esteemed university for a Graduate Program in Metallurgical Engineering.
My sound understanding of Mathematics and Sciences coupled with hard work and enthusiasm had initially helped me gain a place among the top 0.5 percent students in the prestigious and highly competitive IIT entrance examination. An undeterred curiosity to dig into the underlying concepts of various day-to-day devices and the importance that manufacturing and design of the components play propelled me into choosing Mechanical Engineering as my major. As an undergraduate in Metallurgical Engineering at IIT Madras I was introduced to a number of courses such as Thermodynamics, Strength of materials, Fluid Mechanics, Mechanical Measurements, Heat Transfer and Manufacturing Technology that were instrumental in establishing my basics on a firm footing. I got a clear idea of what Metallurgical Engineering is all about and the various concepts and ideas central to it. With such a firm grip on the rudiments of Mechanical engineering, the stage was set to delve deeper into this field with application courses such as Design of Machine Elements and Power Plant Engineering where foresight and imagination were the primary requirements I thoroughly enjoyed my Finite element course in which we were introduced to a very exciting method for analyzing structures. A course in Continuum Mechanics, which I am currently pursuing in the Mathematics Department, has helped me complement vital mathematical parts required in these analyses. Further, in my course in ‘Design and Optimization of Energy Systems' I am beginning to realize the importance optimization plays in the design of components and the various methods employed in it..
Aircraft structures have fascinated me not only in terms of their sheer multitude of embedded components, intricate manufacturing and involvement of multi-faceted fields, but also the vital role they play in everyday life. This fantasy soon turned into reality when I was selected as a summer trainee at the NMDC .Here, I learnt that theoretical knowledge alone was insufficient and a commensurate amount of practical knowledge is also required. The prospect of working on the Sponge Iron thrilled me. The existing method of detecting delimitations in aircraft wings after grounding the aircraft needed to be supplanted by a cheaper and time-efficient method. The tendency of delimitations to buckle under compressive loads was exploited and the problem was dealt using Finite Elements .The strain patterns matched well with experimental results. This valuable experience was my first encounter outside the confines of my academic life and threw light on the myriad of aspects that make up a successful industry.
Apart from this, I was involved in a project under Prof. T S Sampath Kumar, a pioneer in the field Biomaterials and Bio-Medical Applications, who is also my undergraduate project guide. Apart from this, I have been involved in two projects during my course work. I designed and modeled a water jet cutter as a part of my Fluid Mechanics course and a Geneva Wheel mechanism as a part of our Dynamics of Machinery course.
My undergraduate project in the area of preparation of titanium nano fibers, will focus on applications in biomedical.I have done elaborate spadework for this project, which has purely arisen out of a practical need in the industry, and have chalked out meticulous plans to achieve my objectives.
In parallel, I kept myself up-to-date with computer languages like C++ and Java. In my course on Applied Finite Elements, I wrote MATLAB codes for solving certain real world structures using Finite Elements. Curiosity to know more about the world of computers propelled me to choose my minor stream in ‘Theoretical Computer Science'. Though it is not relevant directly to my research interests, courses like ‘Elements of Logic' (which I am currently pursuing) have improved my logical and analytical skills tremendously. I also intend taking up a course on ‘Science of Programming' in my final semester.
My life as an undergraduate has served to focus my interests mainly in the areas of Corrosion, Iron & Steel Making and Design mechanics. The motivation for these germinated during the lecture classes and now I am convinced that pursuing research in these areas would be my lifetime goal. Having worked in areas comprising all these under eminent faculty, I feel that my research abilities and skills would be best put to use in the aforementioned fields. After a thorough research of various colleges, I strongly feel that your university, which boasts of latest facilities as well as a distinguished faculty, would provide me a perfect platform for me to pursue my research goal. With a judicious mix of intellect, determination and enthusiasm for pursuing research, I am confident that I will prove myself worthy of a place at your esteemed University.
|