Personal Statement for Applying Graduate Program in bio-statistics
I will never forget my experience of working alongside doctors to fight against the horrible disease, SARS, in China in 2003. This work taught me the great impact of disease control and prevention and motivated me to apply for the biostatistics program at Yale University, with the ultimate career goal of becoming an influential professional or_ researcher in the field. I firmly believe that my constant thirst for knowledge, high regard for the work in the biomedical and public health fields, and my courageousness will drive my graduate studies and help me achieve personal and professional success.
Stature of John Harvard in Harvard Yard, photo by Bo Yang.
I first became interested in biostatistics when the SARS epidemic breakout in China in 2003. As a member of the University Red Cross Association, I was responsible for assisting the university hospital to publicize disease prevention methods, distribute medicine, and complete health surveys. I learned from that process the value of survey dates in supplying useful strategies for disease prediction, prevention and control. Afterward, when I served as Vice President of the Student Union, I organized an introductory lecture and health survey about hereditary disease for the local community. I truly enjoyed these voluntary public health services, as I was able to use my knowledge to enhance the quality of life for my fellow man. These achievements gave me the determination to fully devote myself to public health services and global health care development.
My academic training to this point has provided me with a wide range of general knowledge and skills related to the biological sciences. This training is an excellent first step in preparing for the professional career that I desire. As an undergraduate student in bioengineering at XX University, I acquired a solid foundation in the theoretical concepts associated with genetics, molecular biology, immunology, and biochemistry. I also gained knowledge in the several areas of industrial significance, including bio-products, fermentation, and biotechnology. In addition to the comprehensive studies in my major field, I received as well extensive training in mathematics and computer science, both of which were of great benefit to my study of biostatistics, an important area in various industrial and scientific research efforts. For example, as I learned during my summer internship as an Assistant Researcher at the XX Pharmaceutical Company in 200X, biostatistics has a vital role in the development and marketing of new medicines, in the control of the quality of products, and in the tracking of consumer trends, attitudes and purchases. I have also worked as an undergraduate research assistant for a map-based cloning project in the XX Biology Center, where I used statistical methods to develop WW genetic markers and to calculate the probabilities of recombination. These hands-on training activities gave me a clearer understanding of and a deeper insight into the bio-statistics of biological and clinical problems.
I look forward to furthering my knowledge of bio-statistics at Yale University. Indeed, I believe that Yale’s dynamic environment coupled with the emphasis placed on both statistics theory and real-life biological issues in the bio-statistics program will prepare me well to stand out in future competition. Therefore, my well considered decision to choose your program will certainly help me realize my dreams. I am confident that with Yale’s beneficial guidance and training, I will be well on the way to becoming a noted professional in the area of public health.
Sample Personal Statement for Applying Graduate Program in Computer Science
The future of computing lies in the management of data. The term “data” refers not only to structured data, but in a broader sense to semi-structured and unstructured data. In the past three decades, research in information retrieval and data management has already transformed the world.
Extracting value out of semi-structured and unstructured data, however, is still a problem at large and has huge potential in sculpturing a new computing landscape. There are two parts to this that I am equally passionate about: finding new ways to extract value out of data and building efficient systems that enable the former.
My interest in building systems started in high school, when I co-founded a business offering bulletin board solutions to large-scale websites. I was immersed in exploiting techniques to improve system performance and thrilled that our product outperformed competing solutions. Intrigued by learning more about the design and implementation of highly scalable systems, I joined a team at IBM building a new shared-data distributed database product dubbed DB2 pureScale. My work focuses on the efficient use of buffer pools and algorithms to optimize them in a multi-tiered, distributed context. This experience of building large systems for real clients makes me contemplate about differences between ideal academic settings and reality.
Interested in further pursuing the field of data management, I enrolled in a full year thesis under Professor XXXX’s supervision working on a framework for data integration [1]. I implemented a new SQL-like language for specifying linkage between data silos. The framework translates user specified queries in LinQL into SQL, taking into account both syntactic and semantic meaning of data. This research experience has confirmed my understanding about status quo that a large amount of value is buried in all kinds of data and we have yet to find good ways to make use of overwhelming flow of data.
Take emails as an example. Studies show that over 45% of business-critical information resides in email messages . Collectively, emails reflect the behaviors and intrinsic social patterns of the people involved. Nonetheless,with the exception of spam filtering, information in emails is absorbed and consumed only by the human that actually reads them.
With this belief in mind, I spent a period of time researching emails after my graduation. I prototyped ideas to facilitate email searching and the exploration of email social networks. What I had realized is that no single field alone can fulfill the goal. This area is incredibly interdisciplinary.
Personal Statement for Applying Graduate Program in Biochemstry
Studying life processes in molecular terms deeply appeals to me. I was fascinated by the importance of simple molecules, such as water molecule; playing its role as a biological solvent, reactant molecule and temperature regulator. Studying Biochemistry will enhance my interest in the structure and the functions of biological molecules. I enjoy the fact that it uses the principles and techniques of chemistry to understand basic biological process in living things. I am interested in both the practical and theoretical study of biochemistry, in this area of study I believe that I have the motivation, commitment and determination to succeed.
I am looking forward to studying Biochemistry, in particular genetics, pharmacology and neurology because I find them very fascinating and exciting. I enjoyed studying A-level chemistry, especially the biological aspect of the subject such as protein synthesis and neurotransmitters. Studying mathematics and physics at A-level allowed me to think clearly and logically, providing me with the ability to work accurately, and hence increasing my problem solving skills.
My first schooling was in 2003. I had no formal education for the first 14 years of my life due…… Considering the disadvantages I have faced I believe that I have made huge progress, not only in the acquisition of the English language but also academically. This meant working harder than my contemporaries and I was fully prepared to do that, by working independently and teaching myself. In my gap year I want to develop myself in order to build up my self-esteem and gain self-confidence. I want to focus on the skills I wish to develop in order to contribute to a more sustainable future.
I find volunteering at Cancer Research very rewarding; allowing me to use my personal qualities to help the community and to contribute to the world and its worthy causes. It also gives me the opportunity to learn new skills and gain much needed experience, hence increasing my confidence. It is hugely fulfilling as I’m doing it out of passion and interest. I undertook a 5 week work experience at ***** Hospital; spending my time at different departments, including pathology, hematology, and imaging. My duties included taking measurements, carrying out Statistical analysis using my Mathematical skills and observing the staffs performing their duties. The hematology and nuclear imaging departments were very exciting as it involves diagnosing any disease through different methods. I can also link this to my career as they both are applied to the needs of the community by way of diagnosis of disease and use this to provide the building blocks necessary to develop solutions to their health. Combining this experience with the knowledge I have gained helped me to appreciate and understand not only what biochemistry is about, but also the reasons I am doing it for.
I enjoy craft work, including sewing and knitting, which increases my ability to be more creative and I’m willing to extend it to a more advanced level in my gap year. I have also enrolled in Arabic classes as my ambitions include becoming multi-lingual and broadening my horizons and interests.
I am certain that biochemistry is the right course for me because not only will it fulfill my interest in science, but also help me achieve my long term goal of becoming a Biochemist. I am looking forward to extending my knowledge and developing my analytical and research skills in order to reach my full potential.