Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In addition, please
include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected
undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest. (you may enter up to
650 words). *

My fascination with computers naturally arose from my love for computer games. However,
my interest in computer science was initially sparked when I read "Algorithms", by Robert
Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne. This book enlightened me to the simplicity of logic, algorithm
and gave me a greater understanding of many basics of programming. This book made me
realize why Sedgewick is called the "CS Yoda". Computer Science is what I consider my
bread and butter hobby, and has been where I have put my creative energies into for the
larger part of my life, be that in the form of studying mathematics, developing video games,
or just playing around with complex algorithms using languages such as C++ and Java. Ever
since I was young, I have enjoyed dabbling with computers and experimenting with different
application and software. My desire to expand my knowledge of computer science is fuelled
by the idea of creating something simple, like a piece of code, and seeing it evolve as a
traditional stepping stone into bigger things.

Like many kids, I grew up fascinated with video games; however, unlike many, my
fascination stemmed from my curiosities about the inner working of the games I played as
opposed to just the game itself. Outside of school, I taught myself HTML, CSS and game
theory through Coursera and YouTube tutorials. During the summer, I had created a game
along with my cousin whose name we kept "ColorFill". It is a sample proof of concept that is
based on the Floodfill Algorithm. The purpose of the game is to fill the board with a single
colour. Player needs to be fast and keep their number of moves low in order to score high.
My role in the team was to create all the graphical components for the game and program it
in Swift Programming Language and also made use of XCode software. Being part of this
project has allowed me to hone my skills of writing efficient code by utilizing mathematical
functions, equations and algebra. Also, it has taught me how to work better in a team and
adapt to new situations. During my free time, I like venturing into the world of MAC OS X,
which I picked up from a book I am currently reading called "MAC OS X: The Missing
Manual". These curiosities led me to discover the world of computer science, where I
became aware of the endless creative possibilities that were available through programming.
A world such as these became very dear to me because unlike books or movies, you could
reach out and interact with these worlds.

I began my search for colleges mid-way through my junior year in high school and quickly
found UW Madison, the perfect school. UW Madison is a rigorous school that will
academically push and encourage me to further my knowledge of passion-Computer
Science. At UW Madison, I will be able to take courses specialized in mobile app
development such as CS 407 and CS 707, which includes design and implementation of
applications systems for mobile platforms, assisting me to garner an understanding of the
fundamentals of mobile development, to then use that knowledge to create a real
application. Such classes would allow me to realize my aspirations of creating my own
mobile application in the future. The wide range of courses offered to student excites me, as
it provides students to pursue a wide range of subjects within Computer Science.
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence(CS 540), for example, piques my interest, as it will help
me in attaining skills such as computational intelligence, reasoning and ability to move and
manipulate objects. UW Madison's entrepreneurial culture along with Wisconsin Emerging
Scholar program will allow me to go beyond the curriculum and adopt a business geared
mind-set All of this, combined with the UW Madison being the perfect location for me to
pursue my goals of becoming a Software Engineer motivated me to pursue a degree in
Computer Science in real time-interactive Maddison at UW Madison. This degree is the
perfect fit for me because it will provide an emphasis on my favourite subject, math, as well
as a focus on skills required for me to become a successful programmer that will excel in the
field. For these reasons, I wish to pursue my dreams at UW Madison.