Sample SOP for MS in Computer Science Course, US

As a Data Engineer at Target Inc., I’m often told that my love for mathematics and computer science is a rare combination amongst women. As someone who enjoys challenges, I take the statement in my stride, bridging the technological gender divide, one program at a time. Ever since my first tryst with a computer, I have been in awe of the tremendous power of technology. I was amazed at the ability of a little silicon wafer to store infinitesimal amounts of data and captivated by potent portmanteau of the Internet. Working on Big Data and Analytics at target Corporation has only whetted my appetite for unraveling the computational conundrum. Programming encapsulates the idea of relieving the monotony of repetitive and complicated tasks though a single line of code. An MS in Computer Science from ___________will empower me with profound knowledge and critical skills to explore the complete spectrum of the limitless possibilities and creativity in this exciting domain.

Right from schooling, I have been a bright student – securing a high 97% in Grade 10 and Grade 12. Getting a personal desktop during high school enabled me to develop a profound interest in computers, which has only strengthened with time. Competing with Lakhs of engineering aspirants, my perseverance and hard-work bore fruit when I was able to crack the coveted JEE Exam to secure admission into the Bachelors of Engineering Program (Electronics and Communication) at the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Calicut. NIT provided a platform to delve deep into academics, laying a strong foundation of software and hardware fundamentals, programming in C, C++, Java, Python, Data Structures, computer architecture. These experiential projects during under-graduation, gave me an opportunity to consolidate and test my learning. Building a Bluetooth controlled home appliance for my major project in the third year, I worked on C Interference mitigation of wireless body area networks. In my fourth year, I developed methods to mitigate interference and to provide differential service through priority-based transmission, dependent on criticality of the sensed data in wireless body network of a person. I also developed an Emergency Emailer Application using the SMS Manager of Android to send emails offline. From organizing the college technical festival ‘Tathva 2016’, being the class representative for my B.Tech batch, to expressing creativity through Carnatic Music as a singer, I have always strived towards holistic growth through co-curricular activities. Badminton is another passion I have pursued, taking part in many tournaments as a part of the college badminton team. My academic orientation and diligence have ensured that I graduated with a CGPA of 7.3, Securing an S Grade, the highest grade for exceptional performance in Statistics and Probability. 

With an aim of using my undergraduate learning to solve real life technological problems, I joined Target Corporation, Bangalore as a Data Engineer. I was a part of the Target Stores Food Scrum Team, which is one of the crucial growth areas of the company. Quickly learning on the job, I evolved professionally to build and automate dashboards for the department, gaining proficiency in Hadoop, Spark, Ubuntu, Mongo DB and MySQL. One of the most challenging and satisfying assignments has been the ‘Starbucks Dashboard’ which displays around 25 metrics like sales, gross margin, payroll of the employees, trainings etc. I was instrumental in coding all the metric calculations and loading the data into a single table in Hadoop, which was a significant learning experience. I was awarded with the coveted Pyramid award for my work on the same and have recently been conferred with the Vice President’s Award for my work on “The Food Order Guide” for use by all target stores.

Throughout my academic and professional journey, I have strived for opportunities to use my theoretical and practical learning. A graduate program in Computer Science is a logical progression in my academic journey. It will equip me with the necessary skillset to become a software researcher, driving innovation and charting new frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning and Dig data. My quest for the most cutting-edge programs in Computer science led me to America and the University of ____________. The US has been a front-runner in Technical and Computer Science education, with a mission focused emphasis on research and innovation. The MS in Computer Science at ______ University is a once in a lifetime opportunity to undertake cutting-edge research and education in Computer Science under the expert guidance of leading professors and scientists. State-of-the-art infrastructure and advanced research laboratories, hands-on learning through research projects in the industry at ________will help me to consolidate and accelerate my learning curve. I am confident that I shall acquire expertise in cloud and parallel computing, embedded systems (mention subjects according to univ). Advanced knowledge about designing and implementation of computing systems, models and processes under professor Dr. ________ is very much in line with my academic and research aspirations. The ___________community is a mélange of extraordinary academicians and a diverse student network. Gaining from the intense intellectual environment, research projects and the vibrant student organizations will help me to achieve my goals.

The Internet of things, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence are setting new paradigms in technology and I find myself craving to push the boundaries of innovation in these domains. A desire to create something of significance in these futuristic technologies gives me the confidence to take up the challenges offered by this pioneering program. Transcending continents to meet an equally passionate set of students and developing critical computational skills at _________will surely ignite my metamorphosis into industry-ready computer science professional!