A personal statement is an integral part of any university application. Some programs have strict word limits in place, while others do not have any word limits. Here is an example of a 700-word limit personal statement that was admitted to top programs in the US and Canada.

700 Word Personal Statement Example

Last year, IT services exported from Denmark totaled US$ 2.6 billion. With steady IT enrollment and a startup culture being ferociously promoted, the situation is expected to get better. But let us take a step back and compare these numbers to those of Israel. Israel’s software exports alone exceed US$ 165 billion. In an industry with practically no entry barriers nor infrastructure requirements, here is a country with a population less than 50% of my country, exporting 70 times more value. There are a lot more Danish IT professionals registered on a single freelancing website than the total size of Israel’s software industry. So, the problem is not one of quantity. As a percentage of GDP, Israel is the second largest research and development spender in the world and has top-notch universities with excellent research culture. Leading global tech companies have R&D offices in Israel. As a result, most of Israel’s software industry has higher-end, IP (intellectual property) based revenue models as opposed to the services-based models of Denmark. We have attempted to produce programmers in bulk when we should have been looking for inspiration elsewhere.

I have always wanted to work on the most challenging problems. After developing an interest in computers, computer science research was the obvious way forward. I chose Copenhagen University as it had the highest number of CS Ph.D. faculty and research collaborations. It started to pay off soon. Besides building a solid background in basic CS math and programming skills, I was getting to meet people who had done distinguished research at the world’s leading universities. By the start of the third academic year, I had already had a meaningful professional experience at a local software house and was working on a 500,000-dollar industrial research project. It was this experience and a term project in which I explored Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms for chess that I hooked with Machine Learning (ML). Despite not getting an AI or ML course from university, I have read books, taken online courses, and worked on two research projects involving ML.

My experience in the industry after my undergrad has made me realize that only a few companies in Denmark are working on the higher end of the technology spectrum. Initially, I worked for a company that made smartphone applications and websites. Though I learned some new technologies and platforms, the work didn’t challenge me intellectually. I soon shifted to Interacta, a TV-to-smartphone interaction startup, and worked on a fascinating learning and fingerprinting problem. However, Interacta is the exception and not the rule.

Most companies in Denmark work on issues that have already been solved and adapt pre-existing solutions to suit the needs of a particular customer. The work is not very challenging, and thus we face fierce competition from within and outside. We are not competing on skill but on price. Even in the international freelancing market, most Danish developers are happy working at rates that qualify as minimum hourly wage in the US. Through observation, I have concluded that most public institutions in Denmark do not inspire students to learn independently and aim big. That is why we are competing for the leftovers of the technology industry instead of leading from the front.

I recognize the need for an advanced degree in my field to achieve my current goals. A research-focused master’s program from a reputable graduate school will provide me with the opportunity to conduct meaningful research in collaboration with the best of the industry. It will equip me with the skills to work on challenging problems in CS. It will also help me grow my network and build connections that will open doors for future collaborations.

Upon graduating, I aim to get employed at a university as a researcher. With my exposure, experience, and connections obtained through the postgraduate degree, I will be well able to start research collaborations and acquire funding for projects. As Senator Matthews himself says, “Education is a slow-moving but powerful force.” I agree, and I firmly believe that the teacher is an essential part of the education system. I aspire to be a college instructor who expands his students’ horizons and provides them with tangible opportunities to advance their careers.