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Statement of Purpose
Why statistics
The last century has witnessed the fascinating development of statistics. The rapid improvement as well as the wide-spread of computers, the overwhelming data accumulated during the recent years, the manifestation of ever faster transportation and ever more convenient communication all provide fuels for the progress mankind has made in statistics. Over the last decades, statistics has not only evolved into a mature discipline but also has played a significant role in nearly every field of endeavor. To be able to have my academic pursuit in statistics has always been my innermost goal ever since I entered college.
Preparations
My talents for mathematics never failed to impress both my teachers and my fellow students. When I entered college in 2004 with a full score in the mathematics test, I chose mathematics and applied mathematics as my major without hesitation. During the consecutive 4 years I spent in Beihang University, having always been on the honor roll, I have not only greatly expanded my vision but also have achieved a better understanding of mathematics. “The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.” This is the quote that I have always kept in mind when solving the mathematics problems. I could always find the beauty of mathematics every time I try to solve the problems with my own understanding of the basic axioms of mathematics. My efforts are not in vain, my competitive GPA, which is ranked fifth among that of 120 students, as well as the several prizes of a wide range of contests that I won, indicates that I am a potential researcher in any field related to mathematics.
Being fully aware that intensive math training can not compensate for the lack of data-analysis skills, I took an active part in some research programs to be better prepared for my future academic pursuit. As early as in my second year in Beihang University, I participated in a research project focused on the prevalence of epidemics which helps me to apply what I learned about statistics into real research. In the effort to predict the infection rate of a certain epidemic, Professor Cuiping Li instructed me to refer to the statistical models to write programs to analyze the date we have selected. From this fascinating experience of selecting and analyzing data with statistical methods, not only have my computer programming skills been greatly developed, but my interested for statistics was greatly ignited and reinforced also. Matching my outstanding academic performance and the hands-on research experience, my inner characteristics such as diligence and inquisitiveness, I am sure, will be able to help me to succeed in my future academic life. I could never forget the second prize for the mathematics contest in modeling which I won with my teammates when I was a junior. We had an obvious disadvantage compared with most of my competitors who were seniors and had either experience in attending the contest before or having more free time in preparing for the contest. Realized that we were left behind by our competitors in the starting line, we had to work extremely hard everyday extremely on the days of the contests, during which I slept less than 3 hours everyday. The result, though not glamorous, is quite satisfactory given where we had started. Of all the awards on my resume, this prize is the one I treasure the most because the contest of modeling aims at measuring the integrity of original thinking and solid problem solving skills.
Academic plans and research interests
Because of my earlier experience of transferring to another high school, I am fully convinced of what a difference a good academic environment could make to an individual. Being one of the world's most influential Statistics research institutions, Berkeley's Department of Statistics will provide a perfect academic milieu for anyone who wishes to accomplish an academic goal in statistics. Besides, Berkeley's Department of Statistics covers a wide spectrum of research areas such as theoretical statistics, applied statistics, and probability, which would attract the most talented individuals in every subdiscipline of statistics, which makes it possible for me to contact the most brilliant minds in statistics.
With my strong background in math training and solid data -analysis skills been developed, I am now ready to pursue a doctor's degree in statistics especially in interdisciplinary researches. I am particularly motivated to develop the links between statistics and computer science, which is another important reason for me to choose Berkeley's department of statistics which is renowned for its links between statistics and a wide range of other areas. I intend to spend the first two years in Berkeley mainly focusing on the core courses of statistics and computer science and gradually transfer to a specific research focus, and spend the following years being deeply involved in process of a research program striving to make a difference in the methodology and applications of statistics. | 
GO
发表于 2008-8-6 20:25:34
回应
1.why MSU2.你的research经验3.关于一个project的提问
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