a) improve communication skills by forcing myself to formalize an opinion. Feedback from anonymous readers may either point out an error I made while translating what I think to a written document or a flaw in the argument itself. Of course, I need to be willing to be wrong, and reminding myself that I am excited about learning is an powerful way to cope with finding errors in my work. Writing online is a low-barrier opportunity to become comfortable with this. ...
These were my answers to the application essay questions for UChicago’s MSCAPP program back from the 2018 round. Only piece of advice - make sure you know what skills or knowledge you want to get out of any MS program - which means work for a bit prior to attending. Why is a combined program between policy and computer science a good match for your career goals? (max 300 words) With a M.S. in Computational Analysis and Public Policy, I can support the shift from Michigan nonprofits solely serving constituents to leading communities. My primary career goal is to increase volunteerism through developing the technical expertise of the nonprofit sector. By applying data science techniques, I will provide organizations with evidence of successful interventions and expand their capacity to deliver services. To accomplish this, I need intensive direction to develop my quantitative analysis skills through computer science and statistics courses. ...
227 vehicles have passed by us in the last hour. We are parked on the side of the road, in a car that is leaking oil. At least the hood has stopped smoking. Our two friends left in a taxi to Taluca, the closest town, to see a mechanic and have a grua tow us either to the town, or back all the way to Mexico City. We had gone to the park to see the monarch butterflies before they begin their migration north; we arrived too late, the mariposas had left three days prior, but the trail was still open at a discount, and many bodies of the butterflies that died were still littered on the edges of the walking paths, the ticket takers told us. We had driven about 2 hours out of the city to see them; we were three days and two hours too late. ...