NYU Tandon Cybersecurity Bridge Program - SOP

Example Statement of Purpose (written by a NYU student)

(repaid - you may post in 2020 in public)

--------- FINAL VERSION ---------

My dad loves to recount the tales of him growing up in Colorado, where the snowy landscapes and foggy winters were solely for the brave. "The steeper the slope, the sweeter the adrenaline rush feels skiing downhill," he loved to explain to me. I couldn't relate to the snow stories much, having grown up in Tampa, Florida, but we could both attest that the biggest difference between my dad's childhood and mine was the radical evolution of the digital world, and particularly how data and technology changed the world of crime. Luckily for me, my adrenaline rush comes when surfing the waves of the internet.

For that reason, I am passionate about garnering a set of skills that will empower me to operate within the cybersecurity industry to find pragmatic solutions that secure the World Wide Web for everyday users. At no other point in time has data become the most valuable asset that we have, so as I pursue my preferential career in cybersecurity, I believe that my path begins by finding a competent school with a wholesome program that equips me with both the necessary basic and advanced skills.

Upon clearing high school, my initial aspirations were to be a gaming developer, primarily to come up with ethical solutions to regulate that market with educational programs. However, I soon realized that there was a bigger fight than that, as thousands of people and companies risked to have their systems hacked, their businesses stopped and their privacy invaded when going online every day. I felt a bigger purpose in using my knowledge and skills to arm people with knowledge protection, and volunteered for a 3 month training of high school students in my local area on social media protection against bullying and invasion of privacy.

That short stint certainly solidified my interest in cybersecurity and my goals to expand further in the field, but I felt that a large part of winning the war would be by understanding the humanity aspect of it. And so for a start, I successfully completed a degree in Psychology at Florida State University. I can now confidently assert that I am at a more enlightened place mentally to dive into the cybersecurity industry, and for that reason, I wish to express my intention to join your Bridge program at NYU Tandon. NYU, being an accredited knowledge powerhouse, would be the significant jumpstart in the highly competitive market of cybersecurity, and I believe my dedication, my keen eye to detail and my nature to innovate will be well nurtured and elevated within this course. Seeing as I am lacking in the science or engineering department, I am particularly ecstatic about the introductory units such as algorithm analysis and OS concepts, as well as the intensive nature of the course within its relatively short time frame. I truly hope to be considered for this key course and look forward to an acceptance from you.

--------- ROUGH DRAFT BELOW ---------

The reason I'm applying for the NYU Tandon bridge program is because it offers me a chance to apply for the NYU master's program even though i don't have a background in computer science. What this really offers me is a second chance in life where I can change my career to something I'm passionate about. Before stumbling upon this program I thought it was already too late for me to change my career or to even pursue a degree in cyber security. There are shortcomings that I need to address in this statement. One being that I had a low GPA in college and I need to address that. The reason why I have a low GPA is because of my financial instability in college. While in college my father lost his job and so i had to take on 2 jobs to support the family. Also at the same time my cousin developed cancer and he had no insurance so a good portion of my pay went to his medical bills also and without a doubt his illness took an emotional toll on me as well. It was hard working 2 jobs and attending school full time and as a result my grades suffered.

I have no background in computer science. I graduated college in 2008 with a degree in biology. For the past 8 years I have been working as a medical assistant in a non profit community health center. I love to learn and pride myself on the ability to roll up my sleeves and figure things out on my own. It has long been my creed that my work rate is second to none and what I lack in experience I will overcome with strong work ethics In these past 8 years I have seen two promotions and I received the employee of the year award in 2014 in a health center with over 1000 employees.

On top of the full time job at the health center I also work part time as a operations manager at Front line security. This a business that I started with my cousin since 2005.

My awareness of the cyber security program came with the SAMSAM ransomware hackers in 2016, which was devastating to the healthcare field and indirectly affected my field of work. This event revived my interest in computers with a fascination in cybersecurity. I wanted to learn more about the nature of ransomware and while Googling the SAMSAM hackers, I stumbled upon the NYU cybersecurity bridge program. Before this, I didn't know that such a program existed.

This statement needs to address why I want to change careers and how my experiences now makes me suitable for cyber security. More importantly I need to show that I am eager to learn.