The following statement of purpose was written by an applicant who was accepted into several top graduate programs in machine learning. It effectively covers all of the important points that are typically included in a strong SOP. In fact, variations of this statement of purpose were accepted at Duke, Cornell, and Boston University. Use this example as a guide to understanding the key elements of a successful statement of purpose in ML.

Example Statement of Purpose for Machine Learning

Crime on the streets has long been a significant concern for governments worldwide. In third-world countries, the crime rate is even higher. The cherry on top is that third-world countries like Afghanistan face terrorism, increasing public unrest, and concern for street safety. With surveillance camera technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancements, it is now possible to develop intelligent systems to detect such criminal activities. Investigating such systems is my focus for my Master’s, wherein I want to explore Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms to develop intelligent security systems.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in machine learning. Machine learning has fascinated me since I learned about it during one of my undergrad courses. Not getting the opportunity to learn it thoroughly at college, I opted for several online courses and got well-versed in its theoretical and practical aspects. I am also very good at math, so I am well-equipped to handle mathematical theory and its programming. Machine Learning will be a game-changer and will soon replace most classical systems. It will also have a massive impact on Industrial Control Systems, where a continuous update of the variables based on past data is required.

Problem-detecting and predicting human behavior through images are still challenging for AI designers. Even though people have investigated such systems, they have yet to be very successful. The dynamics of the challenge are just as intricate as human behavior. However, more is possible now than ever due to the vast advancement in data integration and the ever-increasing processing and internet speeds. The video feed data is no longer a stand-alone input and can further integrate with sensory data. This meaningful integration of video and sensor streams is a real modern-day challenge, and a novel approach is required. If realized, a much better level of AI analysis is achievable. This analysis can set off sirens, alert the Police and the ambulances nearby, etc.

At Nestle, where I work, we proactively work on the industrial revolution 4.0, IoT, and AI. We have solved some long-lasting problems at Nestle by integrating Machine Learning algorithms into our operations, such as building custom-made defect detection systems. In my current job, I am getting first-hand experience with data science. I am working on a particular quality system whose data we feed into different machine learning algorithms to gain insights. Our long-term ambition is to use the current data to make accurate future predictions regarding our product quality. Another project that I am currently working on relies on statistical data analysis of a measurement system, and the project aims to operate at the six-sigma level. We use data analysis to determine if we have any variation. Then, I use more data to specify its sources, and we work on the system to minimize these variations.

Machine Learning is a need of the modern world. Even though there is a good deal of relevant literature available online, having gone through several of its courses, there is no substitute for a university. The US has state-of-the-art universities in this regard that offer the best data science programs, and getting into one of these would be a dream come true. After completing my Master’s program, I want to return to my home country and associate myself with the Safe City Project. This project has already helped save hundreds of lives and aided the Police in managing the city more efficiently. With the addition of my technical expertise to their already established infrastructure, their operations will improve manifold, and the dream of making the streets safer than ever before will be one step closer to coming true.