To better support you through your academic program, we need to know more than what your grades and résumé reflect. Therefore, please tell us what from your personal, academic, and professional backgrounds led you to pursue this particular program at Harvard Extension School and note where you hope your degree will take you. A complete application includes a full and detailed answer of approximately 500 words (2500 characters).
I enrolled in 2006 as an English Major at the University of California at Los Angeles. Since I was a child, I always wanted to be a lawyer. However, my worldview expanded when I began studying in college. I realized there was a new world of majors available, and I no longer wanted to study law.
In 2010 I moved to San Diego, where my brother studied chemistry at UCSD. Under his guidance, he exposed me to STEM materials I had not read for years. At the same time, my former schoolmate was interning at SpaceX. Through them, I learned about commercialized space flight. In that environment, I slowly lost interest in law, and became interested in pursuing an education in a STEM field. I continued to attend community college, but never truly focused on the coursework at hand.
My father emigrated from Korea in 1981, and started his new life in pursuit of his dream of studying computer science. Back then, he knew it was a field that would quickly change the world forever. During the summer after my freshman year at UCLA, I was introduced to quantum physics through the documentary What the Bleep Do We Know? The film used the principles of quantum physics to explain mysticism, albeit in a manner that is quite likely pseudoscience, and thus mere conjecture and entertainment. Nonetheless, it was my first time hearing quantum physics explained in a way that was easy to understand, and that’s when my interest began. I decided that instead of pursuing a career in rocket science, I want to be a part of the burgeoning field of quantum science.
I feel that studying quantum computing exceeds the potential of the computer science my father studied in the 80’s. Quantum computing uses the principles of quantum mechanics to compute more quickly and powerfully. It has the power to execute algorithms at massive speeds and to predict a multitude of possibilities all at once. Its advent will change weather prediction, stock markets, biotech research, information security, and more.
In 2019, I began working at Harvard University Campus Services through the Panther Group. By being a part of this historic environment, and taking advantage of the tuition assistance program, I revitalized my focus and reasserted my path toward a STEM education. My goal here at Harvard Extension School is to continue that path studying Math. The HES Math program would provide a solid foundation for the study of quantum physics, even as I continue that pursuit into graduate school. In addition, I plan to follow a computer science curriculum to meet the requirements for upper division units. Quantum computing as a career path is in its infancy, and its bright future remains uncertain. Learning to code alongside the Math program will give me a broader post graduate skill set to work with. With these goals in mind, I pursue the HES joint bachelor/ graduate school program with an undergraduate degree in Math and a graduate degree in Software Engineering.
Do you want to share any other information with the Admissions Office, e.g., questions or concerns regarding prior school attendance or transcript requests, comments about your Extension School experience courses, special talents and interests?
In high school I had a 4.45 weighted GPA and was Senior class president. I had worked hard my whole life to get into college.
To put it mildly, I had a very hard time in college. In California, I struggled with a death in the family, the closure of our family business and my own personal health issues. My very outlook on life has changed here in Massachusetts, and I am more determined than ever to succeed.