Chepu- (guest from India)    •   07/03/2008 03:30:27 AM

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1. Discuss an experience that has had an impact on your development as a leader. (400 word limit)

My leadership capabilities developed most significantly during an ‘operations improvement program’ that I am currently leading at India’s second largest alcohol beverage company. The program extends across it’s Beer and Liquor businesses and across 11 plants spread throughout India. This summer, the program was falling apart, with no one at the client being able to lead the effort. I was asked to step in to ensure that the bottom-line impact target of the US $30 million was met by the year-end. The massive industry attention, the extremely tight timelines and the geographical difficulty in implementation made the situation extremely challenging.

Not surprisingly, the morale in my senior client team was extremely low. I also had to problem-solve with experts of beer and liquor manufacturing, consult with external systems experts and negotiate with vendors across three continents. But firstly, I had to raise the team morale by convincing them what a valuable contribution they were making towards the company. To demonstrate to the senior client team the importance of taking ownership of the problem, I had to take on the task of actually running a beer unit for 2 weeks by leading 58 plant executives, generating efficiency improvement ideas, and reducing production cost by 30%. Before I knew it, the teaming was raring to go. So I quickly assessed each member’s existing skills, potential skills and preferences and allocated them tasks accordingly.

The team has been working round the clock and the results till December have shown that our overall profit has increased by US $32.5 million till now. There were three key things that I learned about being an impactful leader from this experience.

Firstly, I learned that the key to having impact is to lead the team by example and to motivate and inspire them with results.

Secondly, I learned to ‘crisis-manage’ difficult situations. For example, as part of our effort, we were redeploying manpower in the plants. The insecure workers at a particular plant misunderstood this exercise as a manpower reduction effort and went on strike. Rather than waiting for HR people from Headquarters, I went ahead and talked to the workers’ leaders and even spoke to all the 400 workers to explain the objective of our exercise. Apart from saving time and money, we also got great cooperation from the workers.

Thirdly, I learned the art of resource-management as I directly managed over 150 people and developed skills required for a long-term continuity of impact.

Thus, I was able to pull-off an operational improvement program for an organization in a bad financial state. It was remarkable that the team succeeded against strong discouragement and skepticism from the middle management. The owner greatly applauded the efforts of the team. This experience has developed immense confidence in me to be a leader.

2. What are your three most substantial accomplishments, and why do you view them as such? (600 word limit)

Fight with uncertainty in life: In July 2000, my father was diagnosed with third stage cancer. It was a crisis for my family. Although I longed to be with the family, I had to continue with my first job and provide financial and moral support to my family.

My father underwent the painful treatment of chemotherapy for over one year. It was a tough year for us, and I had to work hard at my job and find the time to look after my father and my family. Just as things started to improve slowly, a second cancerous growth was detected in the lungs last January. We were shattered and my father, tired of the painful treatment, was losing his enthusiasm for life. Even the doctors were not optimistic and future of the family seemed uncertain for a second time.

I realized that getting the family together encouraging my father to maintain his zest for life had become much more critical for his recovery. I moved my family with me and I started to spend much more time with my father boosting his morale. I took all the responsibilities of my litter sister from my parents and made sure that the family has a smile all the time.

Despite being detected with a third cancerous growth five days back, I see a remarkable shift in his spirit to fight the disease this time. I view this as an accomplishment as I have been able to make my family strong enough to fight this once more and not be deterred by setbacks in life.

Creating a National Technology Festival: As a student at IIT Kanpur, the biggest challenge for me was when I became the Festival Coordinator: I wanted to take the technology festival of IIT Kanpur, “Techkriti”, to a national platform. Leading a talented team of 250 students, I restructured the festival and gave it a ‘purpose’ that would benefit both the student body and the local populace, since I strongly believe that one cannot grow in isolation , without the growth of society or the country. I objectively clubbed the alumni reunion of the year with Techkriti and orchestrated the active support of eminent alumni. From an insignificant position, we managed to take Techkriti to being the second largest student technology festival in the country where around 1200 students from all over India participated. I consider this a significant achievement, as I was able to mobilize three strong forces-students, alumni and school administration-to create a phenomenon that now has a national status in India.

Launching a telecom startup: The most intellectually challenging assignment was during the course of McKinsey’s work on the launch of a nationwide telecom network: my job was to define the mobile-handset strategy for the CDMA-1xRTT (2.5G) mobile network. I studied the telecom growth cycle of Bell-South and Belgacom, held discussions with telecom experts, and understood TRAI requirements. But when I presented my strategy to the CEO and his top management, they disagreed with it vehemently, pushing me to stick to their original strategy. Although I was not convinced I had to assure them that I would re-think the strategy and go back to them with a fresh viewpoint.

But I believed in what I had proposed and persevered in my earlier direction. To prove my point, I coordinated with a Korean handset provider to do a pilot-run in a controlled environment. The results were encouraging and ensured 25% faster growth for the business.

I went back to the CEO with enhanced confidence to explain the strategy once more. This discussion did not start on a positive note, but in the next one hour, I used the results of the pilot to change his point of view on the strategy.

The CEO and the top management, finally, adopted my strategy

I consider this a significant achievement as I boldly stood up against the CEO and his top management based on what I believed to be correct and emerged a winner in a difficult situation without shifting from my stand.

3.Recognizing that successful leaders are able to learn from failure, discuss a situation in which you failed and what you learned. (400 word limit)

I was working for disabled people through an NGO known as the NCPEDP and I had organized its first ‘advocacy’ camp, which turned out to be a disaster. As a team leader, I was coordinating with local politicians and local government officials who had agreed to help spread the message and also felicitate some selected disabled people for their achievements. The motive of the camp was to create awareness about the disabled people amongst South Delhi residents. For me, the camp was an important event as I saw it as a first step towards making an impact on the lives of people of a segment of Indian society. However, the camp was a failure, to my surprise, as none of the residents turned up. The politicians and government officials left with a negative impression of NCPEDP and me. The look in the eyes of some of the fellow disabled people said it all. It seemed as if they had lost a ray of hope, which could have improved their lives substantially. At that moment I decided to hold the camp once again.

I took the responsibility for the failure and went back to the whiteboard to assess where I went wrong in my execution. Hindsight revealed two important mistakes I made. First, I was busy with my telecom client work and left my NCPEDP working pending. By the time, I got in touch with the chairperson of the South Delhi community center, we were left with limited options for the choice of dates: we had to settle for an inauspicious time in the midst of a busy marriage season. Secondly, I made a mistake in educating the people about the camp. I had assumed that people would see the benefits of the camp.

I went back to the politicians and the government officials and requested them for their support one more time. They eventually agreed. I had learned that I must persevere till the end to make an effort successful and also that I must plan everything in advance. Thus, all the volunteers had their responsibilities clearly laid out. I personally ensured that the people in the region were informed and educated of how the camp would benefit the disabled. This time, and every time after that, everything worked fine.

The store does not end there. After sustained efforts in the region, the residents acknowledged the needs of disabled people and a new shopping complex built here has separate access provisions for disabled people. The community has identified some public buildings, which will be also remodeled to incorporate the requirements of the disabled.

4.Discuss an ethical dilemma that you experienced firsthand. How did you manage and resolve the situation? (400 word limit)

While working on a US $30 million operations improvement program’ for an Indian alcohol giant, I was visiting all its 11 manufacturing units to improve operational process. During my stint at a plant in Aurangabad, an industrial town in the middle of Maharashtra, I detected some illegal practices: the plant management were under-reporting the alcohol recovery percentage and then illegally selling the accounted alcohol in the ‘unregulated’ market. The key people involved, both government officials and senior plant managers, were generating obscene money.

Obviously, persuading them to stop this illegal activity fell on deaf ears. In fact, they subtly offered me money for not disclosing this. I obstinately refused the offer. But over the next two days, I was taken into many different meetings and they used various tactics to sway me from my stand. I was even give a life threat.

‘What should I do now?’ was the questions, which I was not able to answer. I was in a dilemma as I saw two separate paths. First, I could overlook the whole scam, complete my work, and walk away unscathed. Second, I could risk my life to stop the illegal money making which would also hamper the momentum of other improvements being introduced to the plant.

Common sense pointed towards the first path. But more than the client reputation and the license to do business in Maharashtra being at stake, it was my inner-self that was not allowing me to overlook the illegal money making. Thus, I decided to take a risk and clean up the whole mess.

I went up to the owners of the company and explained to them the whole imbroglio along with the seriousness of the threat to my life. They understood the issue and appreciated my initiative. I wanted to make sure that the whole issue was resolved in such a way that neither my work in the plant nor my life would get affected. So we decided to appoint an external agency to do a thorough ‘operational’ and ‘financial’ auditing in all the plants. This would surface any other such activities being followed elsewhere also.

Though the agency is yet to release its report, I am confident that in the new few weeks, such decade-long illegal practices will be curbed. I am satisfied with my honest work-attitude and handling of the situation where I could safeguard McKinsey values and solve the dilemma remaining within the ethical system.

5.Provide a candid assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. (400 word limit)

Following are my key strengths, which I believe will be instrumental in achieving my ambition:

Exceptional leadership skills and courage to take bold steps: Especially over last one and half years, I have successfully demonstrated these skills in different situations. I led one of my toughest assignments for a telecom client where I pioneered a new mobile handset strategy despite the aggressive opposition from the top management. In another situation, I took the challenge of orchestrating an operational change program across a client’s 11 plants spread throughout India. I managed over 150 people to achieve the US $30 million savings target, an accomplishment that helped the client come out from its bad period in business.

Taking initiatives: I took the first major initiative in reviving the lost relationship between IIT Kanpur and its alumni with the purpose of gathering support for the school during its tough times. The relationship with the alumni and the success of the initiative gave me courage to take the Technology Festival of IIT Kanpur to a ‘national’ level. This was my second significant initiative. In addition, I am currently doing voluntary work for a NGO, NCPEDP, to help define employment policies for disabled people.

Understanding of India: I consider understanding of this emerging economy to be one of my key strengths as I plan to set up a power company in India. My hands-on experience in improving the power situation in an Indian village, experience of working for the welfare of disabled people and understanding of diverse business in McKinsey has helped me form a perspective on India.

Following are my key weaknesses which I am/will work on to make sure they do not hamper my quest to achieve my ambition:

Not pushing back enough: I have a tendency not to say “no” to work even if that means altering my personal plans. Over time, I have realized that this attitude is counter productive in the long run as it will affect my personal life. I have received feedback on this front and have been working to improve this aspect.

Not using the 80:20 principle effectively: At times, I tend to become to critical of the work and delve too deep into the questions, losing sight of the ultimate objective of the work stream. This quest for unfolding the sky demands a very large amount of effort and work from the team which leads me to become oblivious to the other needs of the project, some of which maybe more pressing. Thus I would like to develop the ability to carefully quantify the effort needed in relation to the objective of the outcome.

6.What are your career aspirations, and how can Harvard Business School help you to reach them? (400 word limit)

My goal is to provide an efficient source of power to the Indian industry and community and improve the life of every Indian. Thus I want to build a world scale utility company in the power sector of India. My experiences with UPSEB’s thermal power stations had exposed me to the beleaguered Indian power standards. India ranks 127 on the global power performance index with a per capita consumption of 0.3 MWh, which is just 4 percent of the U.S. consumption. Working in the power plant had helped me analyze the reasons for the inefficiency in the power sector in India like poor infrastructure and low capacity utilization due to higher levels of outages. The ambition to improve the power sector in India has also been shaped in part through my interactions with my father, who is an eminent leader in the Indian power sector. My love for my country and my abhorrence for its current condition where constant power is available to only 15% of the population make me passionate about generating change.

While, my hands-on experience in improving the power situation in an Indian village, in-depth technical expertise from IIT and understanding of diverse business in India at McKinsey have been learning opportunities and vital to shaping my aspirations, I want to build my skills and networks at HBS to ensure that I am successful in realizing it.

I believe HBS can help me achieve my ambitions in the following three ways:

Firstly, I believe that Harvard’s case methodology combined with its excellent faculty is one of the best ways to get formal business training. Analyzing and discussing more cases than at any other MBA course, especially with other high caliber, exciting individuals, will add a richness to my learning experience in a way that a pure lecture based approach cannot.

Secondly, the diversity of backgrounds at Harvard, presents a unique opportunity to share and learn from other’s experience. I hope to learn the best of the world at Harvard and then apply my learnings to develop the power sector in India. I also hope to add to the learning experience at by sharing the experiences I gained while leading the execution of an operations improvement program in different parts of India, or working with an aggressive management to craft out their mobile strategy to launch India’s largest telecom company, or helping an Indian village light up, and/or working towards improving the lives of 60 million disabled people.

Finally, an MBA from such a reputed institution as Harvard would build my credibility and my network in the developed markets, which will be vital not only to bring in the best practices to India but also best resources for my company.

7.Is there any other information that you believe would be helpful to the Board in understanding you better and in considering your application? Please be concise.

My personal credo is to bring about a positive change in society around me, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I am able to achieve this. I would like to take this opportunity to present to the Admissions Committee how I would enhance the experience of others in HBS through sharing my two personal experiences from different facets of life, which I believed helped create an improvement in the society.

Improving the lives of the people of a village: Throughout my life, I have felt the need to improve the power situation in the villages and thus improve the living standards of the people there. During my undergraduate years, I worked with the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board to improve the power situation in the villages surrounding Kanpur. I analyzed the operations of the power station and the distribution of power in villages with State Electricity Board managers. We came up with ideals like monitoring power outage from each transformer on an hourly basis to improve the working of the plant and its distribution in villages. We decided to do a pilot in Panki Thermal Power Station and in a nearby village called “Tikra”, which had an average of 2% power availability during a day. After three months of rigorous implementation of our ideas, the power station’s efficiency increased by 10% and transmission and distribution losses in Tikra were reduced by 35%; making it the only village in the area to have uninterrupted power supply. I hope to add to the learning experience of HBS by sharing my power sector experience of bringing about a positive change in the life of people in an Indian village.

New beginning to the alumni-school relationship at IIT: The school was going through a financial crisis to improve infrastructure for the students and I decided to make an attempt to help that by reviving the school-alumni relationship and leveraging our alumni.

I led a talented team of undergraduate students towards the effort for many months. We contacted all the alumni from the silver jubilee batch and generated enthusiasm in them to meet their old batch mates and to visit the school they had left twenty-five years ago. The effort gave dividends when over 80 alumni came with their families, sixteen families even came from U.S., for the three-day function from the batch of 1973 and went back and revived sentiments for the school and its growth. They contributed over rs. 2 million towards improving the facilities for the students and establishing an Alumni Association Office in the school and agreed to transfer this momentum generated in the alumni-IIT relationship to other batches. The alumni –school relationship has never looked back after that and I feel proud to have orchestrated this change. I hope to contribute to HBS society by sharing the learning from my initiative to mobilize the strong forces of alumni to create an improvement in the School.

Sarika- (guest from India)    •   06/23/2008 01:27:55 AM

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As a young schoolgirl, I remember how I used to dream of myself as a well-known Astronomer, after whom a star or a galaxy would be named! My fascination for the stellar bodies fuelled an irrepressible urge to learn and know more about them. I read books and watched various programs to quench this thirst for knowledge. As I entered college, horizons of my knowledge expanded. I was amazed and thrilled by the “omnipresence” of various branches of science in our lives. Of all the branches, Chemistry always fascinated me the most as I realized how every process in human life was based on it.

In the first year of my graduation, a completely new topic of Nuclear Chemistry was introduced to us and it strongly attracted my attention. With time I found myself drawn more and more towards it. My fascination for the subject spurred me to make my Foundation course project on ‘Nuclear explosions and their impact on environment’. I further presented a seminar on Synthetic Elements and wrote an essay on Nuclear power and non-power programs in India in the final year of my graduation. All these activities helped me increase my knowledge and understanding of Nuclear Chemistry, under the able guidance of my professors. My confidence was boosted by my appreciable performance on the ‘Chemistry Aptitude Test’ conducted by ‘The Indian Chemical Society’. This encouragement, along with the immense interest in the field of Nuclear Chemistry, led me to the decision of pursuing a research career in it.

Today, Nuclear Technology is a major contributor to the vitality and health of the society with its widespread use for electricity generation and industrial and medical diagnostics, and as an indispensable tool for scientific research in fields ranging from pharmaceuticals to environmental studies. The most unusual quality of the Nuclear sciences is that a certain experiment or discovery can be used both constructively as well destructively. I was, however, surprised and somewhat disappointed to know how the common man always equates the word “Nuclear” to “destruction”. If this notion is to be changed, what is needed is an application of nuclear technology that would help improve the daily life of the common man. Having reasonable confidence in my ability of logical thinking, I realized that I could make such a contribution through my research and what I needed was an able guidance. When I studied the website of Oregon State University in detail, I was thrilled to know about the research that was taking place and facilities that were available at the Chemistry department of the OSU as well as the history of the OSU. Any budding chemist would feel proud to work at the university and department which produced the great Nobel laureate Linus Pauling. The Nuclear and Radiation chemistry division, housed in the Radiation Center, is well equipped with facilities like the 1MW Triga reactor. The interesting research here includes the study of nucleus-nucleus collisions under various conditions. The skills that students acquire here lead to jobs in nuclear engineering, nuclear energy, archaeology ect. The Valley Library, containing over 1.5million volumes, maps and government documents, is the source of vast information for the students at the OSU. The Graduate Student Multimedia Resource Center as well as the Chemistry department provides access to various CD’s, software etc., useful to the students for study and research. I am therefore applying to the Oregon State University for the PhD degree.

I am confident that the professors and the university won’t be disappointed with me. I have the patience to pursue a particular task till I succeed in it. I also have passion to learn new things and explore new avenues in life. In fact this was one of the many reasons why I choose a research career. Also required qualities for a research scientist now a days are the ability to work in a team as well as to lead a team. Fortunately, I have a bit of experience in both. During the final year of my bachelor’s I was a member of the ‘Student Council’ of our college, which enriched me with the experience of teamwork in organizing many educational and social events. In the final year of my Master’s, I was elected the Joint Secretary of the ‘Inorganic Chemistry Colloquium’, where I learned how to lead my classmates and juniors in organizing various seminars year-round. I am currently working in the Nuclear Chemistry laboratory of my college to get acquainted with various nuclear techniques and instruments. I also plan to work on a small research project in next few months. Knowing the importance of computers in every field of science now a days, I have done a few courses from well-reputed institutes like NIIT, which I feel, would be of advantage to me in my research work.

In addition to my interest in research, I am also interested in reading , knitting listening to music, and seeing new places, chatting with friends and my family and especially my mother, about various issues and subjects. I particularly like to read autobiographies or biographies of outstanding people. I think they give us an insight into the brilliant minds of these extraordinary people. One such biography that inspired me a lot was that of Albert Einstein.

Hence, being the person I am, I wish to make a valuable contribution to the scientific community, and more so, to humanity. I would therefore like to receive my doctorate in Nuclear Chemistry from your reputed university. I am very sure that the Chemistry department at the Oregon State University will help me increase my knowledge and skills in this field as well as, towards making me a better human being. With my sincere efforts, I would try to elevate the status of your already well-reputed department and university. Hence, I hope to be soon working with the dignified faculty and highly qualified students at the Chemistry Department of the Oregon State University. Thanking you.

Jay- (guest from India)    •   05/27/2008 04:17:15 AM

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At an entertainment program a few months ago, I watched with pride as a young girl performed a dance with great concentration, enthusiasm and verve, and most importantly, without any help. She had ataxia, a condition where the patient has difficulty maintaining her balance. Her successful completion of the dance was an achievement for both of us, the culmination of a year’s therapy. This incident reinforced my belief that the field of physiotherapy and rehabilitation was the right one for me, through which I could help individuals cope with any disability. For this purpose, I wish to do an MHS in physical therapy at the University of Indianapolis with a concentration in Neuro-Rehabilitation.

I developed an interest in the health sciences quite early in life, seeing my father, a medical practitioner, treating patients. I realized though, that many patients required more than just medicines for a complete cure. Especially in certain cases, where doctors gave life, the therapist made that life worth living. This got me interested in physical therapy, an inseparable part of health sciences.

During the four and a half years of my Bachelor’s degree at Sancheti Institute of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Pune (India), we were exposed to all the aspects of physiotherapy. It was towards the end of the course that I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Mrs. Priya Bhide, a leading therapist of Pune (India). Handling patients with Cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome, Autism, Hemiplegia, Learning disabilities, Stroke et al helped me gain an overall perspective of the patient’s problems as regards the rehabilitation. To enhance my interest in these fields, I attended cources on Neuro-developmental treatment (NDT), NDT facilitation, Problems in Sensory Intergration, and Motor Control with Dr. Asha Chitnis, one of the foremost practitioners in the field of physical therapy, in Mumbai (India). It was here that she motivated me and fired my enthusiasm to learn further. Moreover, working while studying helped me correlate theory and practice.

My teachers inculcated in me a sense of responsibility, purposefulness, and the ability to make my work enjoyable. These experiences and our education were of utmost importance to me, enabling me to focus on the task at hand, while helping to set up the department of paediatrics and neurology at Sancheti Institute, Pune (India). Initially, managing a variety of cases with limited resources helped develop creativity in treatment strategies. Treating patients from all strata of society allowed me to take a holistic view of the patient and his family as a part of the team effort. A part of my duties includes supervising senior students and interns in their clinical work, something I find very fulfilling and satisfying. I believe that teamwork is an essential ingredient in the process of rehabilitation. It also requires inherent patience, a compassionate yet professional attitude, and willingness to share. I feel I am able to blend these qualities towards achieving the required goals in treatment and function.

To this end, a few of us colleagues founded an NGO names “Prayaas”, meaning an attempt, in May 2001, with a view to normalizing the outlook towards special children. Towards achieving this goal our maiden effort was a two-day camp with recreational activities for the 24 physically handicapped children with normal mental capacity, and counseling for their parents. The second project was more of an educational and field experience at an overnight camp in a village. In the future, I would definitely like to continue working for such organizations.

I believe that for a keener insight into any subject, it is important to research into both theoretically and clinically. Where theory being an abstract idea or a collection of ideas used to explain a phenomenon serves as a basis for experimenting, the clinical correlation helps to establish the veraciousness of that theory. Hislop said, “Specializing in the techniques of physical therapy will not be enough…we will have to specialize in the problems of our patients…” So, to have a holistic approach, further study into a topic is necessary, even to plan and achieve realistic goals. I wish to do an MHS for the purpose of achieving my goals of helping patients get into the mainstream of society as far as possible.

I feel I shall be able to pursue my interest successfully at the University of Indianapolis, which is one of the foremost universities in the field of Rehabilitation and Neurology, and offers a comprehensive program for the same, with a distinguished faculty. I am confident of meeting the high standards of hard work and commitment required for further studies. I hope to gain admission and make a positive contribution to my department as well as the university.

Vipul- (guest from India)    •   04/13/2008 06:26:02 AM

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The purpose of learning is to gain knowledge and knowledge is the driving force that keeps the human mind going. It is the pursuit of knowledge that has been my motivation and has me apply for PhD in GENETICS in your esteemed University. I have always striven to realize my potential and I believe the academic program of Louisiana State University Health Science Center will best aid me in doing so.

I have graduated in medicine from Grant Medical College, Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay), which is one of the top five medical colleges in India. My first exposure to the science of genetics was through Biology curriculum in my High School years when I learned about the Mendelian laws, heredity, genetic diseases, mutations ect. Later at different points of time during my undergraduate years, I was exposed to the study of genetics as a part of the Anatomy, Pathology and Pediatrics courses. I found the subject fascinating and my growing interest decided that this was the field of study, which I wanted to pursue. I believe that genetics holds the key to understanding various things that happen around us especially to our own bodies. Study of genetics has the potential of opening hitherto unseen doors leading to find cures to the seemingly incurable diseases. My belief in this was strengthened while studying cases of Down’s syndrome, Becker’s and Duchene’s muscular dystrophy, a wide variet of inherited metabolic diseases ect. during my clinical rotations. I learned how genetics could be of great help and how karyotyping, chromosomal analysis, and various other cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies could prevent a lot of emotional and financial stress for parents. One particular case comes to my mind in which four children of the same family were admitted in the ward with Down’s Syndrome. I still remember the children very clearly and also the distress on the faces of their parents who were faced with the daunting task of raising these differently abled children. I can remember thinking then that if the parents had access to good genetic counseling and diagnostic techniques; this mental anguish could have been avoided.

Again, while studying Pathology during my undergraduate years of Medicine, I came across the concept of cancer-genetics. I was fascinated to learn about the association between cancer and human chromosomes. Ever since 1959 When Peter C. Nowell and David A. Hungerford opened a new chapter in cancer research with the discovery of the Philidelphia Chromosome, attention has been diverted to looking for a genetic basis for the occurrence of a wide variety of malignancies and tumors. I read voraciously about the various chromosomal aberrations, which occur in cancer (Translocations, Deletions, and Chromosomal Breakage Syndromes) and found in enthralling. I was assigned two cases of CML (chronic myeloid leukemia) in my medicine rotations and followed these over a month. I saw their chromosomal analysis results and they both showed the translocation of c-abl oncogene to the bcr gene showed the translocation of c-abl oncogene to the bcr gene of chr.22 (in other words, voth the cases tested positive for the Philadelphia chromosome). Other cases, which I saw and recognized as having a genetic origin, were of Wilms tumor and a case of Fanconis anemia. With the plethora of new avenues opening in the field of oncogenetics, selfdom a day goes by when a new chapter of this enthralling saga is not unfolded. Even with the brief exposure that I have had to the subject, it is evident to me that genetics is an integral part of Clinical Medicine. There cannot possibly be anything more stimulating than learning about the very origin of these diseases that the medical profession strive to eliminate. The future belongs to the study of genes, examining the pathology of cancers at the molecular and chromosomal levels and then as a final step trying to cure them. Genetics ever since its origin in 1865 with Mendel and his laws, has steadily gained prominence as an important adjunct to clinical medicine. Its significance as not only a conceptual basis for medicine but also for clinical practice is now fully recognized. As an example of the load of diseases of genetic origin on the community-‘According to a study based on One million live births, at least Five percent of the live born under twenty five had a genetic disorder of single gene, cytogenetic, multifactorial causation (Baird et al., 1988).’

Thousands of children every year die of no definable reason (e.g. S.I.D.S.). Almost 27-30% of these babies are now proved to be having some Inherited Error of Metabolism. These children often suffer from mental retardation, leaning disabilities, autism, dyslexia, scholastic backwardness ect. It is a difficult task to treat and rehabilitate these children. The most rational and cost effective way of preventing such difficulties is to have a comprehensive Neonatal Screening Program (NSP). I have been intrigued by the role genetics play in reducing the morbidity and mortality due to these conditions and hope to learn more about the same. Pursuing research concentrated on human diseases (like above) and Cancers, is my aim and I hope to fulfill it in you institution.

I believe that the passion that I have for learning more about genetics will ultimately lead me to do serious research in this area. However, I have to equip myself first by studying the fundamentals of the subject systematically. It is with this end in view that I have applied for the Graduate Program in genetics in the Louiisiana State University Health Science Center. I have carefully studied the prescribed curriculum and I do believe that it will equip me excellently to pursue my interest in this subject fruitfully. Having always been in the top five percentile in my classes, I am confident that if accepted, I have the commitment and ability to put in the necessary hard work that the challenging course schedule will undoubtedly require.

Piyush- (guest from India)    •   03/30/2008 05:48:45 AM

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“Health is wealth” goes the well-known adage. Being healthy and staying fit has been one of the most oldest wishes of mankind and the health care industry works to achieve just the same. It is my pleasure to be associated with a field that strives to serve humanity and to cherish the wonderful gift of life.

The Pharmaceutical Industry has witnessed transformations more rapid than most other streams. With the latest advances streaming in, health care has increasingly shifted from a manufacturing oriented business to a knowledge-based industry. The newer challenges that this field faces excite me and I am keen to try my hand at unraveling these challenges with my skill sets. My foundation in Pharmacy combined with my degree in management endows me the requisite skills and knowledge that is essential for a thorough understanding of this field.

Having secured excellent marks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology, the subjects that count towards Pharmacy admissions, I got a change to ingrain myself with the intricacies of the pharmaceutical field. The course curriculum covers a wide spectrum of subjects that covered not only the core pharmacy subjects but also contributed to giving an understanding of allied fields like Psychology. The sandwich pattern of my course gave me the chance to gain some practical experience (one month) by means of in-plant training at German Remedies Ltd. During my training, I got well-rounded exposure to industrial working and understood the importance of man-machine and inter-personnel relationship, as I was required to communicate to both, the workmen and management. I understood the importance of application-orientation of projects in industry. I became especially interested in management since the smooth running of any company largely depends on the vision and skill of the management team.

The Pharmacy course included subjects like Business Mathematics that gave me an insight into the working of the business world. The course has shaped my mind to think logically and cemented the need for thinking innovatively. This aspect of thinking was further brought into focus during the research projects that I undertook during my Masters in Management Studies (MMS) course. I enjoy research because it not only stimulates me to explore the known in an attempt to discover the hidden but also is a good testing platform for the skills that I have amassed.

The foundation that was built in the Management course has empowered me to make more rational judgments about the industry. The generic approach of the course, which covers a wide range of subjects, has helped me gain an insight into the intricacies of the functioning of the industry. I got an exposure to the practical applications of these principles of management when I started working with Roche Scientific Company (I) Pvt. Ltd. As the company deals with super-specialty drugs, I had a chance to deal personally with specialist who perform specialized operations, as well as the patients who undergo these operations. It was during this time that the economic implications of the health decisions became obvious to me. This has further helped me by gaining a much needed understanding of both sides of the story – this, I think, would help me in finding deeper connections.

According to me, as newer vistas open in the healthcare sector, increasing complexity in the means and tools of treating diseases call for a systematic and trained approach in managing the issues that arise.

In a country like India, these problems are compounded due to disparity that exists in the wants and means – thus presenting greater challenges, which I hope to solve by application of my knowledge.

I believe that hard work; dedication and quest for knowledge can lead to accomplishment of life long goals. The joy of understanding things on my mind is what motivates me. That is the tonic that compels me to endeavor to solve every problem or unravel every puzzle. I believe that is how one understands the intricacies of life. To make this journey of life successful; one has to have a firm backing of values. I come from a typical Indian family where values like honesty; integrity and respect for elders and teachers are imbibed right from childhood.

Besides being strong academically, I have an inclination towards computers. The use of computers as an aid made research more interesting. I have used statistical packages like SPSS during my research projects in college. I have been an avid reader and love to read books right from the fictions of Michael Crichton to the subtle humor of P.G. Wodehouse.

Graduate studies will give me the ideal academic foundation and research opportunity to fulfill my goals. With higher education, focused goals and my existing talent, I am confident to excel in meeting my objectives and offer substantial contribution to the field of Healthcare. Thus a doctorate at Duquesne University shall be an immediate step towards realizing my dreams and goals and I eagerly look forward to an offer of admission with financial aid.

Sandhya- (guest from India)    •   03/20/2008 04:24:37 AM

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Admitted to: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
For: MPA Masters in Public Administration

1.Discuss ways in which your past experience and background contributed to you decision to choose public service as your career. Demonstrate how the MPA program would be more appropriate for you than the MPP program, given your prior academic, quantitative background.

From school days I had interest in Social Work. I was awarded Grade A in Class X for my Social Work. During B.Com. I joined National Service Scheme (NSS), the social service wing promoted by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India. Within two years, our unit was being recognized for our contribution. We conducted Programs on Adult Literacy, Population Management, Health and Hygiene, ect. We even did a ten-day residential camp which we built a road. This experience enriched me as far as my interaction with a cross section of the society is concerned. It provided me an opportunity to interact with village elders, whom we motivated to learn reading and writing; young men whom we had to educate advantages of population control; people living in slums, whom we had to communicate benefits of Health and Hygiene, ect. During my second year with the organization I was given the responsibility to motivate other students to join as volunteers. I also interacted with Government Bureaucrats, Teachers, ect.

For a true appreciation of the work, it is important to understand the environment in which we had to perform. We operated on a very limited financial budget and in an environment in which we had to perform. We operated on a very limited financial budget and in an environment of general indifference towards social issues. For instance, we organized full day residential camps on a shoestring budget of USD 2 per person per day. To gain acceptance of our target group we had to make of number to visits. During this time, I had to make sure that my grades at college were maintained. In fact, I stood 4th in the University (among more than ten thousand students). I was also pursuing a professional course (Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India) alongside all this activity. In India, social service is not considered as a career option. There is intense family pressure to consider safer career option like Accountancy, MBA, ect.

After graduation I worked hard to become a Chartered Accountant (CA). In India, CA is the premier qualification in field of Accounting and Finance. I was selected for training at Price Waterhouse Coopers (one of the Big Four Audit firms. I qualified examination with top honors and joined a stream of corporate managers. During three years with Price, I was exposed to different types of organizations. Business environment has further honed my analytical and decision making skills. I rose fast in corporate environment but there was this sense of restlessness. There was a great deal of challenge, but I did not get a sense of passion and emotional involvement, which I felt when I was with NSS.

There were these recurrent situations which I pricked my conscience. During a trek on the outskirts of Mumbai, financial capital of India, I saw bonded labor at work. Just think of it, bonded labor just Thirty Kilometers from Financial heart of India!! This and many more incidents like this made me uncomfortable.

In year 2000 I left my cushy job as a Senior Manager with Al Shaya at Kuwait and started my own consulting firm. On one hand I am advising the rich how to make more money and on the other I conduct business advisory services for economically underprivileged. I have collated around 100 micro self-employment projects. I am conducting training seminars wherein information on Government schemes, Institutional credit, banking, ect. is disseminated. People have found these useful. Here I give full credit to my experience at Shell. At Shell, a customer was first priority. The whole approach was to understand customer need and then provide tailor made solutions. By listening to people I find what their needs really are and then provide customized solutions.

I have excellent analytical skills, as reflected in my professional qualifications and experience. A hand on experience grass root level has made me sensitive to issues and concerns being faced by poverty-stricken people. A graduate degree in public affairs would accelerate my learning curve and provide an opportunity to meet with the best brains in the area. This blend of expertise and passion would help me in taking a proactive approach to social and economic development.

As regards my choice of MPA program over MPP program, I understand that MPA program prepares one for taking managerial positions while the emphasis of MPP program is towards policy analysis. I am more inclined towards implementation of projects and programs. I like to take a decision from drawing board to its implementation stage. Best of intentions can be marred by tardy implementation.

2.Analyze a public policy or public management problem and propose recommendations.

Absolute Poverty and Endemic Unemployment are two of the most important problems, which any developing country faces. In India, this problem has got magnified on account of its one billion plus population. Further, rising consumer expectations are putting a burden on land and other natural resources.

During first forty years after Independence, India followed a socialist patter of economy. Government is the largest employer, with nearly 20 million people on its payroll. Government entered into virtually each and every sphere of social and business activity. This led to large-scale migration of people from countryside to cities, leading to loss of labor in countryside and decay in cities; declining productivity of the economy as a whole and huge fiscal deficit. In early Nineties, the Indian economy was opened up. Role of private enterprise in wealth creation and employment generation was recognized. Efforts are being made to engage large businesses to set up projects.

Government is sponsoring various employment generation schemes, wherein finance is provided at a subsidized cost. These schemes have by and large proved to be a non-starter, primarily for two reasons. One, the basic structure of the schemes is flawed. For instance, in one of the schemes, finance upto Rupees One hundred thousand (USD 2000) is provided at a subsidized rate of 11% per annum, for a maximum period of Five years. This means that there is a repayment liability of Rs.2200 per month. For minimum subsistence, a person requires Rs.2500/-per month (USD 50/-). Thus an entrepreneur needs to generate Rs.56400/- per annum. Thus business needs to earn a return of Fifty Six percent per annum, right from day one. This is nearly impossible and this is one of the reasons why most of the financing done under this scheme becomes bad. Second reason is that it presumes that entrepreneur is aware of different employment avenues, together with their risk return payoff. This assumption is fundamentally wrong. Our knowledge base is limited by our experience of our immediate environment. It is only through education and experience that we expand our awareness. It is for this reason that a farmer who is growing wheat thinks twice of growing medicinal herbs, though latter may have higher earning potential. This leads to diminishing return on investment on labor.

There is a need to create a Knowledge based holistic model to deal with this issue. I believe that poverty is like a disease and needs to be treated as such. It needs prescription like any other disease. Using basic structure of Medical Industry, I have created a model. In Medicine, an ailment is identified. To provide solution for this ailment, Pharmaceutical companies undertake research and development. Based on initial finding, first clinical and then field trails are conducted. Approval from Regulatory authorities is obtained and then commercial production is undertaken. Medicine produced is then marketed. Doctors, who are independent professionals, prescribe the drug to patients. Thus there is a continuous system of knowledge creation and knowledge dissemination.

Similarly, societal/customer needs need to be identified and ideas generated to deal with the need. Ideas then need to be incubated to examine their techno commercial viability and if found feasible, ideas may be mass marketed. Training institutions would impart necessary training and create necessary credit and marketing linkages. Thus, the role of government transforms from ‘doer’ to ‘facilitator’. I have identified twenty such projects which have a potential to create employment for a million plus people. I am hereby illustrating one of these.

‘Wheat Germ Juice’ is also known as Green Gold. Herein wheat is germinated from Nine to ten days. Then it is pressed and juice is extracted. This Juice has many medicinal properties. They key limitation is that Juice needs to be consumed within half an hour of extraction. Further, it takes effort and time to grow saplings. This task of growing of wheat and extracting juice may be by individuals with Government focusing on training of people and conducting awareness generation program. With an initial investment of rs.5000/- (USD 100/-) this project has a potential to generate a monthly income of rs.4000/- (USD 80/-). This project itself has a possibility of creating employment opportunity for Fifty Thousand People.

In dealing with problem of absolute poverty it is necessary to understand that effort should be made to eradicate ‘absolute’ component of poverty. There has been and will always continue to be ‘relative’ poverty. A self-employment entrepreneurial-knowledge based model of growth would help to deal with unemployment and poverty on a long-term basis.

3.Describe An Even Or Experiences In Which You Exercised A Significant Leadership Role

‘Journey of a thousand miles start with a single step’ says a Chinese proverb. I never knew that my proposal for building a Badminton court would ever become a rallying point of social gatherings, which would finally take the form of a club.

In October 1990 the city of Lucknow was under curfew and I had lots of time on hand. I suggested to my friend that instead of wasting our time it may be a worthwhile idea to build a badminton court. With some persuasion and motivation he agreed. We drew a broad blueprint as to how we shall go about the project. Our first and foremost priority was to organize a place where the court could be built. There was this plot of land, lying very near to our house which was being used as a garbage dump. We zeroed in on this vacant plot of land. The plot was the right size. It as covered on three sides. This provided us shelter from strong winds. Our next priority was to take permission from the owner of the plot. I got in touch with the owner. He was initially hesitant, but I could persuade him as to our honesty and intentions. A common friend put in a word. This facilitated the process.

The day we got permission I, together with my fried, started cleaning the plot. As the city was under curfew, we could not hire any help for the purpose. Initially soiling of hands was not very pleasant. But once we got in the mood the work became fun. By this time neighbors started showing interest. Around mid day we wend to each and every house in the neighborhood and invited them for a gathering. People streamed in, more our of curiosity than anything else. I introduced them to the project, explained what we are doing and how we are going to go about it. What resources in terms of time and money are expected from them and what advantages would flow from the project. Since the city was curfew bound the large gathering attracted police personnel who came to inspect what was going on. I would say the policy were very enthusiastic and cooperative. They agreed to overlook our activity.

Some people expressed open support – some genuine and some out of boredom of curfew, some were cautious and adopted a wait and watch attitude and some conveyed in not uncertain words that we were fools. They said it was foolish to do all this during a curfew. By the end of the day we had ten individuals who were working on the plot, cleaning garbage. We used a sweeper’s wheelbarrow to cart the garbage away. When we had cleared the garbage, we found that the ground was very uneven. We were very disappointed. Then I asked an engineer living nearby, what alternatives we had and what we needed to do. He not only suggest us a very simple method but also agreed to oversee the leveling of the plot. By the end of the third day we had cleared the garbage and leveled the plot. With girls taking care of refreshments lots of boys jumped into the project. We had more hands than we actually needed.

Next we needed poles. Short of money we decided to use a bamboo pole for the purpose. This was courtesy a police officer. He helped us in obtaining the pole from a contractor nearby. With rudimentary knowledge of electrical work we put in lights, ect. An voila! By end of fifth day the court was ready for use. I admit that it was a bit rough to use. But we reasoned that once people start playing on it, it shall level.

Badminton court soon became a hit. My parents were happy that garbage was cleared. People had a place to play. A Doctor who was staying just opposite our house recorded that people had lost inches around the waist and were much fitter. The interaction on the court spurred social activity in the neighborhood. There was more of partying and interaction. People interacted more during festivals. The divisiveness of communalism was forgotten with people of all faith participating in each other’s festivals. This interaction helped when there was a water scarcity in the neighborhood. People formed an action group and forced the corporator to take urgent action, providing the maxim ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ true.

After a few years our family left the neighborhood. When I visited the place recently I found that on the plot a house has been built. However, people had converted a municipal land lying vacant, into a park. It had a badminton court, a walking track and a place for Yoga Lessons. This incident taught me a great lesson. People support good intentions. Leadership which is constructive and committed will always find support. It is all about taking initiative and having commitment. Everything else follows. God helps those who help themselves. As some one has remarked ‘leaders do not do great deeds, they do small things greatly’.

Suresh- (guest)    •   03/12/2008 10:25:23 AM

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Admitted to: Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
For: MA International Economics

1.Plans For Graduate Study and Future Career

The 21st century has heightened new changes that the world is only just beginning to get used to. As far as international trade is concerned Globalization, Liberalization and Privatization have joined Liberty, Fraternity and Equality as maxims to live by. With the WTO beginning to dramatically influence the nature of world trade and the IMF and World Bank provided the much needed funds for projects that will benefit mankind, we wee the nations of the world coming together, sharing their resources to remove boarders that have existed so long, forming one world with more happiness and prosperity for developed and developing countries alike.

Economics is a subject so vast that one cannot begin to fathom its reach. Studying it has given me the ability to look ahead and see more opportunities and fields of specialization that I did not believe existed. Just studying Economics at the undergraduate level is not enough to provide a student with anything more than a basic understanding of the subjects in general and much less of a particular field like Econometrics of International Trade.

Having graduated in Economics from India’s premier institution St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and done my post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore, I would like to get more westernized perspective on Economics and Finance. Since the United States of America is without doubt the most influential nation where Economics is concerned and Boston is a hub of financial activity, it seems only natural that I wish to study there. The Graduate School of International Economics and Finance at Brandeis University is recognized as one of the top schools in the United States of America for these subjects, and I would like to attend the Maief program at this prestigious university. This program will give me a rigorous grounding in the basics of International Economics, which will hold me in good stead, as well as allow me to study other applied fields of Economics like International Finance and Trade.

This Masters program will help me move a step closer to my career goal of working at the IMF or the World Bank. International Finance and Monetary Policy are fields that interest me particularly. India has the potential to be an Economic Power and by working in India for these institutions, I believe I can help it receive the financial assistance that it needs to grow and develop at a quicker pace than before, so that it doesn’t get left behind in the World Economy. Having lived in India all my life, I am acutely aware of the need for aid and monetary loans from these international organizations to fund basic facilities like public transport in a particular city, or for a larger but desperately needed project like the construction of a dam to help millions of farmers in that area, who depend solely on the proceeds of their crops for their existence. These matters are complicated but aid is necessary for economies to grow and develop to match their counterparts so that the world is full of ‘haves’ and not ‘have nots’. Graduating with a Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance from a prestigious university like Brandeis, will definitely open more windows of opportunity for me and will increase my chances of working at these international organizations that hold the fortunes of nations in their book.

2.Academic Background

My prime motivation to study Economics further is my love for the subject and the feeling that I know too little about it to consider myself to be good at it. It is a subject that has fascinated me from the day I took my first Economics class. I found the subject easy to grasp and seemed to have a natural flair for it. In fact, while most of the class has studied Economics in high school, I was taking my first class ever and was doing well with it. In the first year of college, my original plan to study Psychology as a major gradually got replaced by Economics and from there, there was no looking back. I switched from the Psychology Honors Program offered by St. Xavier’s College. This program complements and supplements the regular University curriculum. While the University prescribed courses are aimed at catering to the needs of a larger section of the student population and hence ten to lay greater emphasis on wider coverage of concepts, theories and issues rather than their in-depth analysis, the Honors Program reverses this process of learning and encourages students to explore area beyond the realms of the University syllabi, stimulates deeper analysis of the issues and provides greater teacher-student interaction.

I was a member of the Economics Honors Program during the years 1999-2002. The highlight of my involvement with this program was participating in the first Xavier’s Model United Nations in December 2001 where I represented the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a member of the Economics and Finance Committee (ECOFIN) of the UN. The topic area for the session was “Effectiveness of Economic Sanctions”, and I received a ‘Special Mention’ for my efforts to bring the session to a successful conclusion by drafting a resolution that took the interest of the International Community into consideration. I also presented a seminar paper to faculty and students on “The Opening up of the Insurance Sector in India” as part of the departmental seminar on “Monetary Economics-Institutions, Theory and Policy”. I also attended a Lecture Series organized by the department of Globalization, its contradictions and challenges. The Lecture Series spread over six months covered a wide range of topics such as the Global Market and Multi – National companies, International Debt, Globalizations and East Asian Countries, Media and Migration, Globalization and Ecology and Globalization and Human rights. I presented a paper on the Human Development to Report of the UN Development Program and highlighted the various aspects that each annual report concentrates on and compared India’s ranking with that of other countries with similar socio-economic climates. In addition, I also did a project on Industrial Relations in India and the effect of Politics on Trade Unions.

Studying Economics as my major in college and being a part of the Honours program especially, has given me a lot of exposure into International Economics, Globalization, Finance and Trade. The project work that I undertook has already allowed me to grasp many key aspects of these subjects which I believe will be very useful both for the Maief program that I am applying for and in my future career.

Rhea- (guest from , NJ, USA)    •   12/16/2007 09:08:33 AM

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College/University: John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
Degree: MA Diplomacy and International Relations

My first brush in the field of International Relations was in high school, where I studied Humanities. Pursuing my graduation in Political Science was a natural progression.

I completed my BA from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, ranked amongst the top 5 institutions in India. I studied Political Theory, Thought, and constitutions of countries, Public Administration and International Relations. The Indian society, its unity in diversity, the present conflict ridden world and the quest of the United Nations to resolve them intrigues me.

I read about the roles of the UN, EU, ASEAN and SAARC. The recognition of Human Rights in America is known and I wish to draw lessons from the American experience, which can be meaningfully implemented in India.

Women in India continue to be discriminated against in politics. To counter this anomaly, 33% seats were to be reserved for women in the Indian Parliament. This step itself was discriminatory and had become a debatable issue. I represented my college and spoke against the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Youth Parliament, a debate on contemporary politics, organized by the State Government. Although this Bill was rejected, this issue remains controversial.

The education with the School of Diplomacy & International Relations at Seton Hall University will give me an opportunity to share my experiences of the Indian subcontinent. The focus will be on the pressing issues of the 21st century, which include the Green Revolution, the ecological imbalance, population explosion, poverty, child labor and illiteracy. I will bring to SHU this experience, characteristic of India, and make presentations of these complex issues by drawing parallels with those prevalent in other countries. I believe that will be a perfect fit in SHU.

SHU is unique among U.S. graduate schools in its focus on International Organizations and Public Policy, Economics, Environmental Policy, and serves as a center of excellence for research in these areas. It is know to integrate critical elements of World Trade, Human Resource Management and global politics into a distinctive curriculum. The courses you offer will give me the chance to study subjects like criminal law, human rights and Asian Area Studies.

It is my desire to go for higher education in a reputable university like yours, where I will get an exposure and the right blend of courses. I intend to use my educational experiences to maximize my opportunities for a career that will be personally satisfying. Today an education in IR is not only relevant to those seeking careers in government institutions, but also in corporate entities. Given the opportunity, I would like to pursue a doctoral program in IR.

I am interested in studying under erudite scholars in SHU and interacting with the multifaceted students your schools is known to draw. I intend to forge partnerships that can work towards addressing some of the complexities. It all of us could give a small bit of ourselves, then this would become a better place to live in. There is an urgent need to contribute to the upliftment of the millions in my country. I want to be a part of it and what better way to do this than to choose a career in the study of IR at the highest level.

I believe that my education background, my experiences, preparation and my ‘will to succeed’ makes me a strong candidate for the Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations program in your university.

Student- (guest)    •   12/14/2007 09:32:12 AM

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This application is very important to me because completion of a PhD degree in Mathematics will be the best chance for a unifying career development with my labor of love - mathematics. I am confident that when I become a serious and mature researcher my desire to make a contribution to mathematics and to our understanding of this world will remain my main driving force.

I don't remember when I became keen on mathematics. At first it was only entrainment as I found it exciting to solve intricate problems. Later it became something more than a mere hobby. I particularly enjoyed the ineffable feeling of triumph when you realize that the problem is solved; that you have got the idea. I think it is the profundity of this feeling that made mathematics my chief enthusiasm. I have taken part in Olympiads and Conferences. The most valuable contribution of these competitions was a possibility to meet the same enthusiasts in mathematics. I was particularly impressed when I was invited to participate in an International Summer School and Conference in the ancient town of Pereslavl-Zalessky. There I had an opportunity not only to work on appealing research problems but also to interact closely with working mathematicians such as X and Y. It is difficult to describe the feelings that overwhelmed me but they did incite me to further progress.

Being a high school student I was doing a course on inequalities at Kiev State University where I conducted my first research work. It was essentially proof of Karamat inequality that utilized properties of convex functions and Murhead inequality. It was unforgettable, how the main idea of my central proof dawned upon me. That evening I went to sleep the happiest boy in the world. Although, relatively simple, I did something really innovative, something that no one had ever done before with elementary methods. That was my first moderate contribution to mathematics.

Later, while being a freshman at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), I refined the proof and presented it at the 52nd MIPT Scientific Conference where it was honored the first prize.

In my fourth year when students of our University get involved in research activity, Professor X suggested to be my supervisor. Under his guidance I wrote my thesis ”Integration of Multivalued Mappings“ and defended it with Honors. Essentially it consisted in a study of necessary and sufficient conditions under which there exists Riemann integral of multivalued maps. My task was to find some classes of sets of attainability and to investigate relation between Lebesgue and Riemann integral for Multivalued Maps. In this work I analyzed properties of spaces of compacts with Housdorff metric and properties of support functions of convex compacts and applied these theoretical findings to several problems of theoretical mechanics. During this work I acquired a broad range of research experience and background necessary for further research in convex analysis.

My current research work is devoted to differentiating of multivalued mappings and differential inclusions. The main task is to become familiar with ideas and approaches introduced in the Sci. D. thesis of Professor X and to improve the results that are obtained in it. One of the most challenging tasks in the project is to obtain Pontryagin maximum principle in Hamiltonian form from Lagrange form (in terms of tangent cones).

After graduation I plan to continue my scientific career in mathematics. Differential games, convex analysis and Optimization theory are of particular interest to me. I have the strongest incentive to advance as far as I can in this captivating science and feel confident that application to the University of Chicago is the best possible step to accomplish it. I would regard my admission to your University not only as a great honor but also as a great responsibility and an obligation to work hard.

Student- (guest)    •   11/14/2007 14:23:43 PM

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When I heard that theoretical strength of a material is higher than its practical strength as much as hundreds times and that is all only because of presence of cracks, I was surprised. I decided to learn this phenomenon and carried out great number of various investigations to understand how cracks grow and how to predict demolition of materials with cracks. Now I can definitely say that I approached the final explanations of these questions.

I have been interested in science for a very long time. In high school, I attended additional physical course that included theoretical training as well as work in a school laboratory. There I first tried myself as an experimentalist making a simple hologram. When I started my studies at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) my interest in experimental physics only increased. MIPT opened great opportunities for my growth. After close acquaintance with laboratories of our department and their researches, I decided to work in field of experimental mechanics.

Investigations of mechanical properties of materials attracted my attention. In my second year I had spent all my spare time in the laboratory and it allowed me to make great progress in my investigations. My first research project was about stress concentration, especially at the top of the crack. My oral topic at Final Exam in physics was "Determination of stress concentration at the top of the crack". Later my interest shifted to more complex problem - investigations of crack creep growth and creep fracture. With results of this research, I took part in Scientific Technical Conference of MIPT with report "Investigation of kinetics of cracks by polarization-optics method". I was the only student from my Department who took part in this Conference. My work won third place award in the section "Physical Mechanics" and as one of the best works of the Conference will be published in the collection "Transactions of MIPT 1997". Currently I prepare my latest work for publication in scientific journal "Applied Mathematics and Mechanics".

Work in the laboratory gave me many qualities that will be needed for successful Ph.D. study. The strongest is skill to work with laboratory equipment. Participation in Scientific Conference developed my public speaking skills. That all and Bachelor of Sciences that I will receive next June will help me in graduate study at Your University. Another skill that work in the laboratory gave me is skill to communicate with people and as a result I became the captain of my department soccer team and later the captain of my institute soccer team. In addition, I think my participation in the Students' Theater helps to form my personality. I think I will not only enhance scientific potential of Your Department, but also enrich cultural and sport life of Your University.

Unfortunately the latest changes in Russia brought about not only positive democratic reforms and political freedom but also reduction of employment possibilities for scientists and curtailment of stable government subsidies for scientific projects. As a result the concerns about students suffered a lot. All this encouraged me to look for possibilities to continue my study in the USA. I think it would be a good chance to receive high-level education under guidance of strong scientists and excellent teachers and with the help of first-class equipment.