Why Mba

Statement of Purpose

Program : PhD in Information Technology & Management

Semester : Fall 2003

"Innovation, Positive Thinking, Persistence and Integrity" are the pillars on which I have built the foundations of my life. My ultimate goal is to pursue an academic career devoted to research and help shape the outlook of the world. Pursuing a PhD in Information Technology & Management at Harvard University is a logical step in that direction.

A passion for knowledge was instilled in me by my parents, both graduates, early in my childhood. My determination and will to succeed in every endeavor ensured that I remained at the top of the class throughout high school. I was awarded the CBSE award by the Indian government for students in the top 0.1%. I then took the Joint Entrance Examination for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology, which are the premier academic institutions of my country. I was among the top 0.5% of over 200,000 candidates who took the exam.

During my undergraduate studies at XXXXXX, I was trained in basic sciences and mathematics. I studied courses in theoretical computer science, networks and computational techniques. My education in engineering has equipped me with a set of skills but has also enabled me to understand my fields of interest and my strengths and weaknesses. This made me realize that my real strengths were in abstractions of reality and my analytical skills. In particular, I am interested in the technical and managerial aspects of information systems. My interest in this field led me to undertake courses in Operations Research, Operations Management and Statistical theories. During the course of my study, I also undertook courses in Economics and Finance.

My personal drive and determination to succeed motivated me to start a company with a few of my fellow students, while I was still in college. The company, called XXXXXXX, specialized in web design and software management. Among our other innovations were a new web based email product and new software for web conferencing. The technology used by us provided reliability and extensibility. With seamless information exchange and object oriented design the web pages could be extended with ease. The confidence clients had in us was apparent when XXXXXX(one of our clients) offered us a 200,000 Rs/month project.

It was then that I was able to develop my managerial and leadership skills. I also learned the art of negotiation and how to sell my product. My involvement in both the technical and managerial side fuelled an interest in the management of information systems. This enabled me to appreciate the interaction between these two fields. My experience at the company and the reading of several books like Robbins and Coulter's "Management", Martin's "Managing Information Technology" and Brealey and Myers's "Principles of Corporate Finance" convinced me that my future was in an academic career devoted to research.

As a first step towards achieving my goals I joined XXXXXXX in order to improve my mathematical and analytical skills. During the course of my stay at XXXXXX, I have completed