Personal Statement

"Know Yourself!" This immortal motto that Socrates imparted to his disciples on his deathbed have had important implications for me, serving as my constant spiritual guideline and prompting me to develop a clear understanding of myself. Only a perceptive understanding of oneself will enable one to chart his proper course of action, to make right choices at right time. For me, the choice is Computer Science.

By the time I graduated from my high school, I was admitted into xxxxxx University (one of the key universities in China) exempted from the highly competitive National University Entrance Examination, a special honor only conferred on the most distinguished student in a high school. What with my solid foundation and what with my improved study strategies, I managed to procure a GPA of 3.4, which enabled me to remain consistently among the top 10%, ranking 16th in a total of 226 students of my grade. On account of the sustained achievements in my scholastic performance, I was rated Departmental Student of Excellence for three consecutive years and scholarships ranging from 1st class to 3rd class. I scored 640 on my TOEFL Test and I have full confidence of achieving a score of over 2100 points in the prospective GRE Examination.

I chose computer software as my area of specialization for my undergraduate studies because this field agreed perfectly with my long-cherished interests, my latent capacities and my life objective. As early as a child, I liked robots and automated devices. Equipped with sound abilities in logical reasoning and mathematics, I started to pick up BASIC programming and other fundamental subjects of computer science in the middle school and tried my hands on simple programs of games. When I began my formal studies in computer software after entering university, I excelled in my coursework, especially in PASCAL Language, Analogue Circuits, Discreet Mathematics. My participation in a variety of seminars, lectures, special training programs and field trips also contributed to my expertise in those areas. My graduation thesis is entitled The Software Development for Internet Chatting (ICQ). I chose this subject because I became strongly interested in it since I came in touch with the Internet in 1998, and at the same time I was also interested in various application tools on the Internet. Moreover, my advisor strongly suggested that we create an Internet chatting software. In this project, I was responsible for designing the software interface and Internet communication. The tool employed was DELPHI because it could provide us with a lot of convenient software.

I acted as product engineer at the Zhongwang Industrial and Machinery Company Ltd., one of the major enterprises in China, from June 2000 to August 2001. My main responsibility was to opportunely and accurately keep track of the technology and the market dynamics of the Internet products that we utilized and surrogated. At the initial stage of the project, I provided technical support and allocation of internet products. I was involved in the following specific work: the merging of 163/169 networks, the overall telecommunication charge calculation system, telecommunication access net channels, telephone management system of IC Card company, comprehensive computer management system for inner-city telephone communication.
Many fruits were born out of those activities. For one thing, the knowledge that I had acquired from my university education was applied to solving actual problems. I developed a deeper understanding of the nature and the significance of my field. In addition, I realized that only by exercising my knowledge and expertise in serving the society at large would it be possible for me to update my existing knowledge and keep in pace with the rapid social development. In this way, one may win respect from others for his social contributions and come to feel a proud sense of social identity after the full materialization of one's individual value.

It is perhaps safe to say that, over the past few years, I have developed all the necessary personal qualifications for pursuing further studies. First, I have cultivated relatively strong ability to carry out independent research. In my graduation project, my advisor was only responsible for stipulating general guidelines and I executed the specific procedures of actual designing. The entire project was at once a test and an improvement of my capacity for independent research. Second, I have accumulated one-year work experience. I played an active role in various projects, especially in the preliminary formulation of project plans. I have developed comparatively in-depth insights into the operations of major telecommunication companies, the topological network structure of small and medium-sized companies, and the allocation and installation of equipment. Finally, I have significantly enhanced my team spirit and interpersonal communication and cooperation.

In my career practice, I have come to realize that the professional fields in the graduate program I am applying for (high-performance exchange technology, wireless network technology, and multi-media network technology) represent the future directions of the Internet development and promise tremendous prospect of extensive application. In China, however, the relevant technologies are virtually nonexistent and the only way to obtain them is by importation. China lacks innovative research findings and patented technologies, which can be attributed to the scarcity of basic research in network technology. China has not yet designed and produced the internationally recognized high-performance network protocol and has failed to attempt at any systematic study and analysis of the structure of network system. In order to participate in international competition in the network industry and to develop future network technology, China needs to focus on the research in the following two areas: network protocol model, and protocol control algorithm. The United States plays a leading role in the world in those areas. There are a large number of senior researchers, advanced facilities, and liberal and democratic academic environment. Therefore, I plan to seek admission into the Graduate School of your esteemed university where I believe I may come into extensive contact with the world-class technologies and the education system.

Toward this objective, I have framed my tentative study plan. First, making full use of the unparalleled resources of the faculty members, researchers, and up-to-date equipment to lay a solid theoretical foundation in high-performance exchange technology, wireless network technology, and multi-media network technology. Second, making field trips to local companies and enterprises to further improve my hands-on abilities and technical expertise. In this regard, I will investigate the existing technologies, discover their possible defects and propose possible solutions. Finally, on the basis of both my academic and empirical efforts, I will endeavor produce a high-level dissertation. Upon completing my proposed degree program, I will immediately return to China where accomplished professionals of network technology, especially those with international training and background, are sorely needed. My degree program will help me develop a superior competitive advantage and I am fully confident that I would score important achievements in my future career.