Sample Statement of Purpose for Operations

Research (Management)
Cornell has a good program in Operations Reseach. A lot of cutting edge research initiatives are being under taken
there. If you are applying to this program, or similar operations research / management programs - this SOP might be
of interest to you.

“It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.” ~ Alfred North Whitehead
Man’s insatiable thirst for knowledge forces him to explain every perceptible phenomenon. Man developed Science
because it always begins by assuming that the world is inherently understandable and that we can learn how it works
by observing it and by examining the processes that affect it. We are now entering an era in which new ideas and
disciplines are helping scientists to try and answer fundamental questions pertaining to various fields of study.

Operations Research is one such discipline of applying advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions. It
is characterized by its broad applicability and by a wide variety of career opportunities and work styles it embraces. It
is also characterized by its interdisciplinary nature. Ford used Operations Research for optimizing prototype vehicle
testing which saved the company $250 million. IBM used it for matching Supply chain demand at IBM
Microelectronics. Thus it is evident that knowledge of operations analysis can be applied to any industry ranging from
automobiles, to manufacturing and to management of logistics. I wish to pursue a Masters’ degree in Operations
Research, as I believe it is a program that will build on my skills in Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science.

During my undergraduate studies, I was exposed to topics like Probability, Statistics, Differential Equations and
Numerical Methods. I was particularly interested in Statistics because it has deep roots in both mathematics and in
substantive scientific fields. Mathematics provides the language by which models and the properties of statistical
methods are formulated. I always had a strong aptitude for mathematical concepts which is evident from my
undergrad grades and the distinction of securing the highest marks in Mathematics at school for 10 consecutive
examinations from the 7th to the 9th grades, which to date is a school record. In topics pertaining to Computer
Science I was interested in Microprocessors, C and C++ Programming, Computer Networks, Mobile Computing and
Distributed Computing. I was particularly interested in GPS, Wireless LANS, and Bluetooth. I also realized that
though the curriculum was exhaustive enough to give anyone an in-depth theoretical background of every subject,
but as an Engineer is it enough? I needed to have something extra in my repertoire. In pursuit, I started involving
myself in many projects like ‘Time Table Editor’ and ‘Online Adaptive Tests’ and also got myself the tag of Database
Associate’, IBM Certified (DB2 Universal Database V8.1 Family). These projects helped me hone my analytical skills
and develop a logical approach to problem solving.

I worked on my final year project at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai. At IIT, I and my team were
allotted the project titled “A Framework for cascading payments in P2P”. The basic idea of the project was to
introduce a cascading payment system in the Gnutella Network wherein the owner gets the royalty for his content and
the intermediate peer gets the commission. Various important modules that we implemented were payment
distribution, secure routing and content exchange modules. This project gave me the opportunity to work with some
of the best analytical minds dedicated to engineering research in India. Further, I and my team were awarded a
scholarship of Rs 50,000/- under the ‘Red Hat Scholarships’ program conducted jointly by REDHAT India and Kanwal
Rekhi School of Information Technology (KReSIT) at IIT, Bombay. This project was the highlight of my academic
career.
Based on my performance during my undergrad study, I was consistently ranked in the top 10% within the Computer
Engineering department at DJ Sanghvi College. I am currently working as an Assistant Systems Engineer – Trainee
at Tata Consultancy Services, one of the most reputed organizations in India. I am part of the development team of
the Interfaces module for the State Bank of India’s Core Banking Project being handled by TCS. This experience
gave me the opportunity to observe the operations strategy of a software giant like TCS. I realized how the
company’s in the software industry are facing a new challenge from a new competitor everyday. Success is attributed
to the organization, which is agile and quick to respond to change. The opportunities for any organization go hand in
hand with the challenges of being prepared for the unknown. Decisions have to be made keeping the global
parameters in mind. As my understanding of variables affecting a business increases, my skills to use statistical
models to make objective decisions will be in greater and greater demand. A Masters’ degree in Operations
Research shall help me achieve my goal to become an Operations Research Analyst and playing a vital role for
helping analyze and run a business with maximum efficiency and success. In the long run, I hope to climb to the
highest ranks of decision-making and lead a company to the forefront of change.

Having spoken my academic interests, I would now like to talk a bit about myself. I am a highly motivated individual
with varied interests. I love reading books on Paranormal Science and also performing magic tricks for my friends and
family. My passion in Paranormal Science was aroused when I attended a seminar on ‘Miracle Sciences’ at school.
But at that point of time, the topic was conceptually beyond my grasp. The ‘grandfather paradox’ seemed like a fairy
tale. But after years of reading, books and articles by prominent scientists like Carl Sagan, Kip Thorne and Ronald
Malett I got a grasp of the subject. This prompted me to write a technical paper on the same, which covered the
theoretical possibilities, practical limitations, available and proposed technologies to build a Time Machine. I was
selected to present this paper at ISAAC’03, PROTOCOL’03 and TECHTRIX’03 which are intercollegiate tech fests
organized by the IEEE and Computer Society of India (CSI).

I actively participated in several inter collegiate events like Junkyard Wars, Programming Contests, Software
Presentations, Treasure hunts etc where I won several prizes and accolades. As a member of the Computer Society
of India (CSI) and IEEE, I volunteered to organize various events and competitions and in the process had a chance
to hone my organizational and leadership skills. I was also responsible for organizing and heading “Cric
Superselector” which is model based on the Superselector contest of ESPN. I also spent time with the, ‘The National
Association for the Blind’, to help them achieve their vision.

In the near future, my aim is to attain an advanced education in Operations Research through a Masters Degree
Program. A postgraduate program in Operations Research specializing in Applied OR will help me build on my strong
educational background by giving me the required knowledge, expertise and confidence to achieve my goal. In
pursuit, I decided to apply for the M. Eng. program at Cornell University. I have consulted with my professors, seniors
and colleagues about my choice of university, and have chosen to apply to Cornell University, impressed by its
research initiatives in the areas of Data Mining, Financial Engineering, Networks and Infotech Modelling. Studying at
Cornell would give me the opportunity to learn first hand from its distinguished faculty like Prof. Eric Friedman, Prof
Shane Henderson and Prof. Louis Billera.

I am particularly interested in the research areas such as modeling and analysis of resource allocation problems in
complex system and stochastic modeling. The flexibility of course choices, creative learning methods and the
multicultural environment would be the perfect learning ground for me. I hope to take up courses, which include
applied optimization, parallel-computing methods for computational analysis, and decision making using sophisticated
numerical techniques. I have examined the extensive courses offered, the type of projects and research implemented
at Cornell University, and therefore I am confident that this program will give me the competence to provide practical
operation management solutions based on the latest developments.

A career in operations research will empower me to play a vital and necessary function for helping analyze and run a
competitive business. Operations research methods and technologies will enable me to work in business areas such
as supply-chain management; logistics network design and computational analysis and interpretation for any
organization. I will be competent to deal with a broad range of new business challenges that require a balancing of
numerous variables to make wise decisions and effective action plans.