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Sample Personal Statement for Electrical Engineering
My deep interest in Electrical Engineering has provided me with a
focus to my life that many people search a lifetime for but never
find. XX University’s Ph.D. program in Electrical Engineering is the
perfect fit for my aptitudes and for my future career as a university
professor and professional researcher, and it is my sincere desire to
continue my studies at your honorable university.
At the beginning of my university studies I was searching for
direction. I tried many different areas including electric motor
control design, and I conducted research on micro-motor drive
controls. I learned to develop a sound, methodological approach to
control circuit design. This area was underdeveloped in China, and
initially it seemed that I had found my focus.
After graduating from university, I went to work for XX, one of the
best and most progressive companies in China. As an engineer, I
learned the latest technologies in micro-processing systems, personal
responsibility and teamwork. But the longer I worked at XX, the more
dissatisfied I became. I found that the work was repetitive and
techniques were simply copied from others – there was little room for
innovation. Discouraged, I knew that I needed to find another
direction where I could pursue my own creative development, so I
returned to XX a research assistant in the Advanced Control and
Simulation research laboratory. Using C language and Matlab, I worked
on flight system simulations, automatic drive modeling and system
identification, but as I studied and worked at XX, I realized that
what I was learning was too limited and out of date. I became even
more determined to study abroad.
Currently I am working towards my Master’s Degree in XX, where I have
finally found my motivating field of interest. My major is in the
theory and applications of nonlinear control, which involves research
into the ability to control systems while making them more human. With
only four classes in graduate school, I have done a tremendous amount
of outside reading in the field of nonlinear control. Furthermore,
writing papers, reading books, and working as a teaching assistant
have inspired me to pursue a career in academia.
In addition to outside reading, I have also attended many conference
and workshops where I have had the chance to listen and learn from
many prominent scholars that has further motivated my research and
study. For example, I attended the Symposium on Automation Science and
Engineering in China, the XX Conference (as a volunteer), the XX
Congress on XX, and the XX International Symposium on Complex Systems.
All of these events have only deepened my interest in system and
control.
I am working on my thesis in the field of the application of output
regulation methods to altitude control and disturbance rejection of
spacecraft. I have just passed my yearly oral presentation. Most
papers in this field use adaptive methods to deal with uncertainties
and gain global convergence, however, the adaptive method cannot
guarantee asymptomatic disturbance rejection – at most, it can gain
disturbance attenuation. I used output regulation theory to formulate
the problem and then solved it with the associated method. The global
robust control problem with uncertainties could be solved in this way
and I was able to achieve disturbance rejection the very first time.
Although only my first paper, it may be published for the
highest-ranking academic conference in the field of Control in China.
The study of nonlinear systems has met with great difficulties,
including the solvability of the global robust stabilization problem,
global output regulation problems etc. I want to use my strong
research abilities, my professional knowledge, and my deep motivation
to find progressive solutions. I would also like to apply the current
nonlinear control theories to practical systems such as spacecraft
control, ship path following, robot trajectory control etc. My
education has given me strong motivation and a clear sense of purpose
while my diverse experiences have broadened my horizons and stimulated
my mind with an intense desire to succeed. I am well grounded in
engineering and I have taken many related courses, such as circuits,
electric motors, spacecraft, robots, intelligent materials and neural
networks.
One reason that I am very confident in my abilities is that my
supervisor in the Chinese University of XX, through a rigorous
screening process, was recently selected as an IEEE fellow – the
highest honor for an IEEE member. This professor has not only
encouraged me but also enthusiastically endorsed my application to
your Ph.D. program.
The United States is the world leader in technology and education and
where I can best apply my talents to reach my full potential.
Polytechnic University’s Ph.D. program is highly attractive to me
because of its reputation, diverse student body and excellent teaching
faculty. I am familiar with Professor XX, who is a friend of my
supervisor – in fact I attended his short course earlier this year. We
share very similar research interests and I look forward to working
him within your program. Furthermore, XX’s laboratories in Control and
Robotics and Control and Telecommunications Research fit perfectly
with my research and future career interests.
My personal attributes include great originality and creativity – I am
not afraid to face challenges. I have an indomitable willpower that
helps me to overcome difficulties and an enterprising spirit that
helps me find innovative solutions to difficult problems. I am brave
in facing my shortcomings and good at self-analysis, self-correction
and self-stimulation, which has helped me to become successful in the
past and will lead to me to even greater success in the future. It is
my heartfelt desire that I may continue on my path to success within
your esteemed Ph.D. program.
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