I dug up my Personal Statement
Every student applying to university in the UK has to write a small essay about themselves for the admissions department to read. I remember being seventeen and immensely stressed about this peice of puff prose. I think it’s a load of drivel now. I unearthed as an example for a family friend now of the same age, I thought I’d publish it and you can play the role of an admissions officer from the comfort of your own screen:
Having attended a lecture by the leading researcher Alex Pentland entitled “The Human Strategy: Building Human-AI Ecologies”, I was inspired to think about how so much of the modern world is now dependent on computing. Society’s progression will be highly dependent on technological and electronic innovations, an exciting field which I want to be a part of. The discussion made me consider how we can use the decision feedback loops in AI systems to improve communication and operations in a business setting - and since then, I began to fully appreciate how vast the applications of computing are. As more and more computerized systems are developed and integrated into everyday workflows, there is a greater need for technologically-minded people to make them intuitive, purposeful, and accessible.
At school, I chose to study Mathematics and Further Mathematics in order to complement my chosen field. The Decision and Statistics modules have been particular highlights so far, providing me with a more in-depth insight into areas such as network design and data science. Doing Physics has helped me think about the practical side and how systems are actually implemented, along with their limitations. This knowledge was particularly useful at the 2018 UK Space Design Competition, where I won the National Final as part of my team’s automation department. We worked together to design robotics and computing systems for a human settlement in orbit around the Earth-Moon L4 libration point; it was an incredibly stimulating weekend. I am also the Lead Academic Prefect for Computer Science and the school’s CompSci Society President. The opportunity to develop articulation skills and present my ideas to people, even if they know nothing about the subject, has been very beneficial to me.
In June, I had some work experience with the marketing company Persado, whose clients include The Telegraph and Barclaycard. It was really interesting to learn about their product, a machine learning platform that optimises emails and online adverts by predicting the most engaging words and phrases. I enjoyed seeing a real, working example of machine learning technology implemented in a business setting. During my placement, I spent time not only looking at the tech, but also managed to get some insight into client interaction and meetings. It was incredibly useful to have the opportunity to have hands-on experience in the ‘real world’ of business, and to develop my communicative skills.
I have a particular love of Cyber Security and ethical hacking, qualifying for the Government’s CyberStart Elite camp, one of 23,000 who entered. I picked up vital skills such as cryptoanalysis and cross-site scripting. I was also chosen for Cyber Security Challenge UK’s Masterclass event, to take place in November, for my interpersonal skills and technical knowledge. This was following a Face-to-Face competition inside the Bank of England, where my team was tasked with solving issues such as network infrastructure weaknesses, staff education, and incident response.
Outside of academia I have strong passions for sport, playing volleyball at the London Youth Games, and running in cross country events for my school. I have recently learned to play the clarinet, taking part in ensembles at school concerts, and also making a few appearances on stage. Computer Science encompasses my want to work with the theory that underpins so much of modern technology and to develop future innovations that will change the world. I have a great desire to thoroughly study this subject, and I am exceedingly eager to attend university.
You are allowed to apply to five universities, I picked Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol, Bath… and the fifth escapes me. Courses were either Computer Science or Cyber Security. I went to Warwick for four years.