Many times, it so happens that one would want to apply for more than 1 graduate program, at the same of different universities. At such a time, you need to have the skill to be able to market your skills in different ways to different people. The same achievement may go to prove your worth as a computer science professional, and you may have to use that to prove how you gain valuable domain knowledge (such as finance) through the same project. Basically, being able to present the same idea in more than one way to different people in your statement of purpose is what is required. Here is the perfect example of that happening. Below is the SOP - which, if you have been paying attention to the SOPs posted on kaaledge.com last week, is of the same person. This one is for programs related to Management Science and Engineering.

“It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.” ~ Alfred North Whitehead

Man’s insatiable thirst for knowledge forces him to explain every perceptible phenomenon. Man developed Science because it always begins by assuming that the world is inherently understandable and that we can learn how it works by observing it and by examining the processes that affect it. We are now entering an era in which new ideas and disciplines are helping scientists to try and answer fundamental questions pertaining to various fields of study.

Engineering is one such discipline of applying advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions. It is characterized by its broad applicability and by a wide variety of career opportunities and work styles it embraces. It is also characterized by its interdisciplinary nature. Knowledge of Engineering can be applied to any industry ranging from automobiles, to manufacturing, to Information Technology and Finance. I wish to pursue a Masters’ degree in Science and Engineering, as I believe it is a program that will build on my skills in Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science.

During my undergraduate studies, I was exposed to topics like Probability, Statistics, Differential Equations and Numerical Methods. I was particularly interested in Statistics because it has deep roots in both mathematics and in substantive scientific fields. Mathematics provides the language by which models and the properties of statistical methods are formulated. I always had a strong aptitude for mathematical concepts which is evident from my undergrad grades and the distinction of securing the highest marks in Mathematics at school for 10 consecutive examinations from the 7th to the 9th grades, which to date is a school record. In topics pertaining to Computer Science I was interested in Microprocessors, C and C++ Programming, Computer Networks, Mobile Computing and Distributed Computing. I was particularly interested in GPS, Wireless LANS, and Bluetooth. I also realized that though the curriculum was exhaustive enough to give anyone an in-depth theoretical background of every subject, but as an Engineer is it enough? I needed to have something extra in my repertoire. In pursuit, I started involving myself in many projects like ‘Time Table Editor’ and ‘Online Adaptive Tests’ and also got myself the tag of Database Associate’, IBM Certified (DB2 Universal Database V8.1 Family). These projects helped me hone my analytical skills and develop a logical approach to problem solving.

I worked on my final year project at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai. At IIT, I and my team were allotted the project titled “A Framework for cascading payments in P2P”. The basic idea of the project was to introduce a cascading payment system in the Gnutella Network wherein the owner gets the royalty for his content and the intermediate peer gets the commission. Various important modules that we implemented were payment distribution, secure routing and content exchange modules. This project gave me the opportunity to work with some of the best analytical minds dedicated to engineering research in India. Further, I and my team were awarded a scholarship of Rs 50,000/- under the ‘Red Hat Scholarships’ program conducted jointly by REDHAT India and Kanwal Rekhi School of Information Technology (KReSIT) at IIT, Bombay. This project was the highlight of my academic career.

Based on my performance during my undergrad study, I was consistently ranked in the top 10% within the Computer Engineering department at DJ Sanghvi College. I am currently working as an Assistant Systems Engineer – Trainee at Tata Consultancy Services, one of the most reputed organizations in India. I am part of the development team of the Interfaces module for the State Bank of India’s Core Banking Project being handled by TCS. This experience gave me the opportunity to observe the Management strategy of a software giant like TCS. I realized how the company’s in the software industry are facing a new challenge from a new competitor everyday. Success is attributed to the organization, which is agile and quick to respond to change. The opportunities for any organization go hand in hand with the challenges of being prepared for the unknown. Also having worked as a Financial Equity Analyst Intern helped me to understand that, business decisions have to be made keeping the global parameters in mind. The internship experience increased my understanding of variables affecting a business and helped me develop skills in objective decision making. Hence I feel a Masters’ degree with a Management background shall help me achieve my goal to become an Operations Manager and play a vital role for helping analyze and run a business with maximum efficiency and success. In the long run, I hope to climb to the highest ranks of decision-making and lead a company to the forefront of change.

Having spoken my academic interests, I would now like to talk a bit about myself. I am a highly motivated individual with varied interests. I love reading books on Paranormal Science and also performing magic tricks for my friends and family. My passion in Paranormal Science was aroused when I attended a seminar on ‘Miracle Sciences’ at school. But at that point of time, the topic was conceptually beyond my grasp. The ‘grandfather paradox’ seemed like a fairy tale. But after years of reading, books and articles by prominent scientists like Carl Sagan, Kip Thorne and Ronald Malett I got a grasp of the subject. This prompted me to write a technical paper on the same, which covered the theoretical possibilities, practical limitations, available and proposed technologies to build a Time Machine. I was selected to present this paper at ISAAC’03, PROTOCOL’03 and TECHTRIX’03 which are intercollegiate tech fests organized by the IEEE and Computer Society of India (CSI).

I actively participated in several inter collegiate events like Junkyard Wars, Programming Contests, Software Presentations, Treasure hunts etc where I won several prizes and accolades. As a member of the Computer Society of India (CSI) and IEEE, I volunteered to organize various events and competitions and in the process had a chance to hone my organizational and leadership skills. I was also responsible for organizing and heading “Cric Superselector” which is model based on the Superselector contest of ESPN. I also spent time with the, ‘The National Association for the Blind’, to help them achieve their vision.

In the near future, my aim is to attain an advanced education in Management Science and Engineering (MS and E) through a Masters Degree Program. A postgraduate program in MS and E will help me build on my strong educational background by giving me the required knowledge, expertise and confidence to achieve my goal. In pursuit, I decided to apply for the Masters program in Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. I have consulted with my professors, seniors and colleagues about my choice of university, and have chosen to apply to Stanford University, impressed by its research initiatives in the areas of Economics and Finance, Systems Modeling and Optimization, Decision Analysis and Risk Analysis and Information Science and Technology. Studying at Stanford would give me the opportunity to learn first hand from its distinguished faculty like Prof. Kathleen Eisenhardt, Prof. Arthur Veinott and Prof. David Luenbeger.

I am particularly interested in the research areas such as Systems Modeling and Optimization, Decision Analysis and Risk Analysis. The flexibility of course choices, creative learning methods and the multicultural environment would be the perfect learning ground for me. I hope to take up courses, which include applied optimization, stochastic modeling, economic analysis and decision making using sophisticated numerical techniques. I have examined the extensive courses offered, the type of projects and research implemented at Stanford University, and therefore I am confident that this program will give me the competence to provide practical solutions based on the latest developments.

A career in Engineering and Management will empower me to play a vital and necessary function for helping analyze and run a competitive business. It will enable me to work in business areas such as supply-chain management; logistics network design and computational analysis and interpretation for any organization. I will be competent to deal with a broad range of new business challenges that require a balancing of numerous variables to make wise decisions and effective action plans.