1、A Sample Graduate School Personal StatementA continuation of the article Getting Personal, this sample statement follows the rules outlined in the article.Growing up in Canada with a life-long fascination for Canadian geography and the environment, I have always been interested in returning to the c
2、ountry. Although my family moved to the United States before I entered high school, I have always kept my eyes turned north, especially in recent years as I began to read journal articles about research conducted at the University of Alberta on John Evans Glacier, located about 80 N latitude. Now I
3、see the opportunity to return to my birthplace and study a topic I am passionate about. Graduating next semester with a B.S. in computer science and engineering and a minor in geographic information systems, I am especially interested in attending the University of Alberta for graduate study.Geograp
4、hic information systems (GIS) is a field especially suited to investigating spatial patterns, unearthing elusive geographic parameters, modeling diverse scenarios and overlaying spatial data. This semester, in my advanced GIS course, Spatial Data Structures and Algorithms, I am part of a team develo
5、ping a temporal database and program for tracing historical trading data. My computer science skills have also been put to use in two summer internship projects, where I acquired proficiency with using LIDAR (light detection and ranging) technology, now favored by NASA in its current 10-year study o
6、f Greenland and changes in the ice cap extent. Through my coursework and project experience, I have also accrued skills in using Arc/Info, ArcView, Microstation, and RDBMS software packages, and I am equally comfortable programming in Visual Basic, C+ and Java.温馨提示：专业的事情，交给专业的机构来完成。10 年来，监审留学一直致力于留学
7、文书和留学论文的写作服务，已经帮助过无数留学生申请到理想的大学，留学过程中如果时间不够的都找我们监审留学写作课堂作业，不敢保证高分，但最低保及格。如果您有写作方面的需求可以 联系QQ：970865017，按时交稿，绝不拖延，再也不用发愁。For my graduate research project, I would like to investigate methods for improving current GIS data models to better incorporate time as a variable in studying climate change. Chan
8、ges in glaciers and polar environments occur rapidly, and these changes become important indicators of broader, potentially catastrophic, global changes. By developing and applying temporal GIS methods to glaciology, I can contribute to improved spatio-temporal analysis techniques that will provide
9、better insights into the factors impacting the polar environment and glaciers. In addition, I can discern which temporal methods generally serve as the best predictors, and provide benefits to the GIS research community that apply to areas other than glaciology.Once completing my masters program, my
10、 long-term goals include either entering the GIS field as a professional consultant or continuing my research and earning my Ph.D. at another program of international reputation. Having advanced experience with temporal GIS technology would make me a valuable consultant to a company, especially in t
11、he twin burgeoning fields of computer science and GIS. If I decide to continue on the research path, I would be most interested in a Ph.D. program that allows me to conduct field research in Antarctica.The University of Alberta is an ideal location for my masters degree study because it allows me to
12、 integrate my facility for computer science with my chosen application areageology. My academic advisors and my own research into your university programs have confirmed your strengths in both computer science and glaciology, and the recent application of these areas to field research at Ellesmere I
13、sland in Nunavut, Canada, is especially appealing to me. With my deep-rooted interest in Canadian geology and recognition of the quality of your university programs, I hope you will give my application every consideration.For more information on writing grad school personal statements, read the full article Getting Personal, from Graduating Engineer & Computer Careers, Nov. 2000.Joe Schall is the Giles Writer-in-Residence for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.
