I remember the day as if it were yesterday. During my second year in college, I was attempting to transmit a group of characters comprising my name from one computer to another. I connected the computers using RS-232 cable, wrote the necessary programs and executed them. I typed my name on one terminal and rushed to the other to see the results. "Wow, this is magic!" I exclaimed as I read 'Tom' on the screen. While I realized intuitively that a complex version of this elementary network could achieve much, at the time I had no real idea what. Now, four years later, I know that Networking makes possible a plethora of applications, from video-conferencing over the Internet to linking banks through private networks. It still seems like magic. Or rather, a grand adventure - one that I most certainly want to be part of.

My interest in applied science dates back to my school days. During high school, I was fascinated with electronic gadgets. Soon thereafter, designing and building basic circuits started as a hobby. Along the way, however, I realized that the problem-solving aspect of making electronic gadgets was what I enjoyed the most. Engineering was a natural career choice after this.

During my undergraduate studies at the Electronics & Communication department of M.K. College of Engineering, subjects like Microprocessors, C-Programming, Computer Networks interested me the most. I was awestruck by the potential of Intel 8086 microprocessor, more so by the manner in which its faster and more powerful cousins revolutionized the working of computers in a decade. I was now determined to focus on microprocessors during my Final Year project.

I elected to do the project at National Space Research Organization (NSRO) as it has an outstanding infrastructure setup and a stimulating, world-class research environment. This enabled me to work with some of the best minds dedicated to engineering research in my country. I gained a lot from this association - in particular, an idea of how rewarding and meaningful a career in research could be. The more tangible benefits have been a deeper insight into architecture and working of microprocessors and thorough C-programming skills. Sometimes I spent more than ten hours a day at NSRO, reading manuals and troubleshooting circuits and debugging code. I am glad to say the effort paid off in the end. Mr. Tendulkar, my project guide, deemed the results of my project to be most valuable. The interface card that I designed was later added to NSRO's Spacecraft Interface Simulator (SIS) systems. This project was the highlight of my academic career. Most importantly, I left NSRO with the decision to study advanced computing.

During my first job at Neville Engineering and Locomotive Co. (NELCO), I developed a real-time monitoring system for the Molding Line in Foundry. Success on this project gave me the confidence to provide software solutions to real-life problems. Although I liked the job, software development at NELCO was a support function. I therefore switched to Mohinder Belgian Telecom Ltd. (MBT), a multinational company providing software solutions in wide-ranging fields, telecommunications being its forte. At MBT, I have been involved with Project ART, Belgian Telecom's new front-end system providing intelligent access to its Customer Service System (CSS). Working on this project has helped me hone my programming skills on real-life problems. I developed an appreciation of 'the big picture', and conversely how important details are. I also discovered leadership skills in myself, and frequently assisted colleagues who had little or no background in computers. As an outcome of this, the company asked me to take occasional seminars on Operating Systems and C-Programming for my colleagues. I have been appointed Team Leader within a year and today, I independently look after enhancements and maintenance of three modules out of the sixteen in Project ART.

During my work on project ART at MBT and through my interaction with colleagues, I have grown to admire the role of Computer Networks in empowering end-users. I am not directly involved with Computer Networks in my job, but through avid reading of periodicals and journals like 'Network World', I have sustained my interest in the field. In fact, after reading about the immense potential of path-breaking protocols such as 'Multicast' and applications like 'Voice Over IP' and 'Virtual Private Networks', I cannot help but feel excited about the potential for new research in this area.

While my present job has helped me develop a thorough insight into project handling, the industry environment that I am currently in cannot support my desire for research. I possess industry-hardened skills in Computers, but I must build on these to achieve my goal of undertaking cutting-edge research in advanced computing, with specific reference to Computer Networks. I therefore believe that I must return to the academic world for further growth.

I wish to earn an MS degree in Computer Science. I intend to follow this up with a Ph.D., and later, a career in research and teaching. I have spoken to my professors, seniors and colleagues about my choice of University, and have applied to Princeton University because it is reputable for its research facilities and computing resources. The department web site revealed a very strong faculty involved in extensive research in the area of Computer Networks. This has strengthened my resolve to study at Princeton University.

I bring along a strong grasp of fundamentals in Electronics and Computers, an aptitude for teaching and team work, a zest for challenges and an enthusiastic desire to learn all I can. I would like to take with me, in addition to knowledge of Computer Networks, a network of strong and lasting relationships with my teachers and fellow-students. I hope that my background and qualifications are found suitable for an MS in Computer Science at Princeton University.

點(diǎn)評(píng)：

這篇文章主要是以對(duì)專業(yè)認(rèn)識(shí)的逐漸深入、專業(yè)技術(shù)掌握水平的逐步提高為主線進(jìn)行寫作的。所以整篇文章容易給人一種很緊湊，中心鮮明突出的感覺。而另一方面，作者想要出國(guó)讀的具體專業(yè)方向（網(wǎng)絡(luò)）也是在工作中逐漸發(fā)現(xiàn)和培養(yǎng)出來(lái)的。雖然作者在這個(gè)方向沒有在工作中頻繁的接觸，但是作者的計(jì)算機(jī)技術(shù)與豐富的經(jīng)驗(yàn)已能給讀者一種感覺:即使是換一個(gè)小方向，以作者的專業(yè)基礎(chǔ)也能夠很快掌握好的。而這正是一個(gè)申請(qǐng)專業(yè)方向與原有的研究經(jīng)歷不是很相符的申請(qǐng)者特別需要在PS中花心思雕琢的部分。這篇文章是非常值得這些申請(qǐng)者用心體會(huì)的。

譯文：

仿佛是昨天剛發(fā)生過(guò)一樣，在我大二那年，我嘗試把包含我名字的一組字符從一臺(tái)電腦傳輸?shù)搅硪慌_(tái)電腦。我使用RS-232電纜連接兩臺(tái)電腦、編寫了相應(yīng)的程序并執(zhí)行程序。在一臺(tái)終端機(jī)器上打完自己的名字后，我馬上跑到另一臺(tái)電腦前看有什么反應(yīng)。當(dāng)我看到屏幕上顯示出“Tom”的字樣時(shí)大聲叫道：“哇！真是不可思議！”憑我專業(yè)上的直覺，我相信更復(fù)雜的網(wǎng)絡(luò)結(jié)構(gòu)將會(huì)很有意義，不過(guò)它具體會(huì)如何發(fā)展，我當(dāng)時(shí)也不知道。四年后的今天，網(wǎng)絡(luò)的應(yīng)用范圍已十分廣泛了，不僅有網(wǎng)絡(luò)視頻會(huì)議，還有網(wǎng)絡(luò)個(gè)人銀行。這一切都是那樣的神奇，同時(shí)，我十分想成為為了網(wǎng)絡(luò)發(fā)展的每一項(xiàng)偉大創(chuàng)舉而奮斗的一份子。

我對(duì)應(yīng)用科學(xué)的興趣要追溯到我在中學(xué)讀書的時(shí)候，高中時(shí)我就對(duì)各種電子配件很著迷。從那時(shí)起，我就培養(yǎng)起了設(shè)計(jì)和編排基本電路的興趣愛好，我最喜歡做的事就是解決電子配件制作中的各類問題。因此，我選擇了工程學(xué)作為以后的職業(yè)目標(biāo)。

我本科是在Milton Keynes大學(xué)工程學(xué)院讀電子與通信專業(yè)，其中，我最感興趣的專業(yè)課是微處理器、C語(yǔ)言編程和計(jì)算機(jī)網(wǎng)絡(luò)。我十分驚訝于因特爾8086微處理器在近十年內(nèi)的發(fā)展?jié)摿σ约捌洳考目焖俣鴱?qiáng)大的變革對(duì)計(jì)算機(jī)性能的改善，因而決定就以微處理器作為我畢業(yè)設(shè)計(jì)的項(xiàng)目。

我選擇在國(guó)家太空研究所做畢業(yè)設(shè)計(jì)，因?yàn)槟抢镉惺纸艹龅目蒲袌F(tuán)隊(duì)和一流的科研環(huán)境。我可以從中吸收到許多有關(guān)我國(guó)工程研究的很好的想法。從中我受益匪淺，尤其是它使我認(rèn)識(shí)到工程研究會(huì)是一份很有意義、很有價(jià)值的職業(yè)。我深入探討了微處理器的結(jié)構(gòu)、工作方式，以及C語(yǔ)言編程技術(shù)，因此對(duì)微處理器有了更直觀的了解。有時(shí)候我會(huì)超過(guò)十小時(shí)呆在研究所里閱讀指導(dǎo)手冊(cè)、排除電路故障、調(diào)試代碼。我很高興付出了這些努力能夠獲得回報(bào)。我的畢業(yè)設(shè)計(jì)導(dǎo)師Tendulkar先生認(rèn)為我的研究成果很有價(jià)值。我設(shè)計(jì)的接口卡后來(lái)被研究所的航天器對(duì)接模擬系統(tǒng)所使用。這個(gè)項(xiàng)目是我在學(xué)術(shù)研究中最為突出的一個(gè)。但我對(duì)研究的追求并沒有在此停步，離開研究所以后，我開始學(xué)習(xí)更先進(jìn)的計(jì)算技術(shù)。

我的第一份工作是在Neville工程與機(jī)車公司，為鑄模流水線開發(fā)了一個(gè)實(shí)時(shí)監(jiān)控系統(tǒng)。這個(gè)項(xiàng)目的成功使我對(duì)運(yùn)用軟件解決實(shí)際問題更有信心。雖然我喜歡這份工作，但是軟件開發(fā)在Neville公司只是出于一個(gè)支持性的位置。所以我后來(lái)去了MBT電信公司，這是一家為客戶提供廣泛的軟件解決方案的跨國(guó)公司，其優(yōu)勢(shì)在于無(wú)線通信。我在這家公司里參與了一個(gè)ART項(xiàng)目，主要是為客戶服務(wù)系統(tǒng)提供一種新的、前沿的智能登陸系統(tǒng)。這個(gè)項(xiàng)目很好地鍛煉了我解決實(shí)際問題是需要的編程技術(shù)。我對(duì)程序項(xiàng)目的整體規(guī)劃有了認(rèn)識(shí)，另一方面，也明白了各種細(xì)節(jié)的重要性。這同時(shí)也培養(yǎng)了我的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)才能，我經(jīng)常幫助一些計(jì)算機(jī)知識(shí)薄弱的同事。由于我的表現(xiàn)很好，公司有時(shí)會(huì)要我去參加有關(guān)操作系統(tǒng)和C語(yǔ)言編程的同事們的討論會(huì)。我擔(dān)任研究小組組長(zhǎng)迄今為止已經(jīng)一年了，我還獨(dú)自負(fù)責(zé)ART項(xiàng)目的16個(gè)模塊中3個(gè)模塊的維護(hù)與更新工作。

在MBT公司的ART項(xiàng)目期間和同事們交流了許多，我開始對(duì)計(jì)算機(jī)網(wǎng)絡(luò)給客戶端授權(quán)的這一權(quán)力產(chǎn)生了興趣，我的工作沒有直接接觸到這方面的任務(wù)。但我自己比較好奇地閱讀了一些期刊雜志，如“網(wǎng)絡(luò)世界”，我一直很喜歡這些研究。事實(shí)上，看了這些正在發(fā)展中的網(wǎng)絡(luò)協(xié)議廣闊的前景（如：多點(diǎn)傳送）和 應(yīng)用范圍（如：網(wǎng)際協(xié)議和虛擬私有網(wǎng)絡(luò)），我不禁為這一領(lǐng)域的發(fā)展前景激動(dòng)不已。

我現(xiàn)在的工作培養(yǎng)了我研究、開發(fā)項(xiàng)目的能力，但是我現(xiàn)在所處的生產(chǎn)環(huán)境無(wú)法滿足我對(duì)科學(xué)研究的追求。我擁有能夠落實(shí)到生產(chǎn)上的扎實(shí)的計(jì)算機(jī)技術(shù)，而我還想在這個(gè)基礎(chǔ)上進(jìn)行更前沿的算法的研究，尤其是有關(guān)計(jì)算機(jī)網(wǎng)絡(luò)的。我很清楚自己必須回到學(xué)校接受深造。

我想要獲得計(jì)算機(jī)科學(xué)的碩士學(xué)位，隨后攻讀博士學(xué)位，然后在教育或科研領(lǐng)域發(fā)展自己的事業(yè)。我和我的教授、領(lǐng)導(dǎo)和同事交流過(guò)我的選校。申請(qǐng)普林斯頓大學(xué)是因?yàn)樗谘芯吭O(shè)備和計(jì)算機(jī)資源上很出眾。計(jì)算機(jī)系主頁(yè)上能看出它在計(jì)算機(jī)網(wǎng)絡(luò)研究方面有很強(qiáng)的師資隊(duì)伍，這更堅(jiān)定了我要去那里讀書的決心。

我掌握了很扎實(shí)的電子和計(jì)算機(jī)原理知識(shí)，有較強(qiáng)的教導(dǎo)別人和團(tuán)隊(duì)協(xié)作的能力，還有對(duì)學(xué)習(xí)與各種挑戰(zhàn)的熱情。除了能學(xué)習(xí)到計(jì)算機(jī)網(wǎng)絡(luò)技術(shù)，我還希望能認(rèn)識(shí)許多優(yōu)秀的學(xué)生和老師，與他們一直保持很好的聯(lián)系。希望我的學(xué)術(shù)背景與技術(shù)水平能夠適應(yīng)在普林斯頓的碩士學(xué)習(xí)。