MSC In Statistics Personal Statement Example

Statistics is the study of the organization and presentation of data. Through systemization and rigorous application of scientific method, data can be presented in such a way as to reveal many esoteric facts that would have otherwise gone unnoticed without the utilization of various statistical methodologies. Statistics is a branch of mathematics that is universally applicable. It is used in fields as diverse as political science and biology. Using statistical methods, we are able to predict outcomes of various events including things such as: the progression of human disease, the performance of financial markets, or a local election.
My academic background is primarily based around the sciences. My GCSE subjects that I performed best in were: Mathematics (A*), Further Mathematics (A), and Physics (A). After I left school, I enrolled in the University of Bath for the BSc in Statistics. As part of the coursework at University of Bath, we were required to study analytics, algebra statistics, probability, and accounting. I believe my academic background has made me a viable candidate for a Masters program in statistics. My advanced studies in mathematics and my coursework in statistics, probability, and accounting have provided me with a solid foundation from which I can build and expand my knowledge of the field.
I have also worked in a variety of positions and partaken in extra curricular activities that have shown me the importance of statistics in daily life. During my summer internship with AIA, I learned the fundamentals of financial planning and did a two-day licensing course on IIQE Paper I and III. While working as a summer sales executive in SKYphoto, I had to input sales information into databases, and also sell plans to the customers. Both jobs had a high reliance on statistical methods, particularly using computer modeling to extract useful data that the corporate bodies could use. I have held several volunteer positions and was rewarded for my dedication to helping the community with the HKFYG and ISSHK. Furthermore, I am an avid basketball player and was a member of the starting line-up at school. In retrospect basketball also provided me with a basis for my interest in statistics insofar as while preparing for games, my teammates and I would pour over the statistics of the other teams performance. In order to accomplish this, we understood that we had to look at the data of not just the team, but also the individual players. While our application of statistical methods in this regard was by no means rigorous, I believe it set me up for a later appreciation of the power that statistics has.
Studying for my MSc in Statistics will enable me to employ statistical methods to a wide range of applications. I am particularly interested in computational finance and the use of computer platforms to solve practical problems in the world of finance. Using the knowledge that I gain from my coursework, I will be able to develop applications to support a wide range of positions within a financial institution. The fields that would utilize my work include the corporate governance arm of an institution as well as the trading arms of the company.
I believe myself to be an excellent fit for your program. The combination of academic rigor and diversity of the faculty and student body make this program unparalleled in the field. Finally, I will bring a history of successful problem solving as well as my talent for foreign languages that I think will be a great complement to university life. In sum, statistics has become my passion and this program will allow my passion to expand and grow to something that will be of utmost practical utility.