Motivation Letter in Machine Learning (Sweden)

hello, i would like someone to take a look at my letter of motivation and help me fix any issues....Thank you in advance:)

Dear Sirs/Madams,

My name is Andreas St. I was born in Thessaloniki (Greece) and I graduated from the Department of Mathematics of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2016 with final degree grade 7.2/10. It took me 6 years to finish my Bachelor studies simply because I joined the military for a year and I was unable to attend to my lessons. In order to extend my knowledge I am interested in applying for a Master’s program in “Statistics and Machine Learning” starting in August 2018 at your University.

Overall, during my studies, at the Department of Mathematics there were no separated sectors to choose so that we could obtain a certain area of expertise. That let me gain a more balanced and at the same time erudite knowledge of this fascinating science. To be more specific, my degree is composed of 254 credits, which are divided in the following bailiwicks: Algebra (40.5 credits), Geometry (33.5 credits), Programming (36 credits), Analysis (54.5 credits), Statistics (71.5 credits) and Education (18 credits).

As far as the grades I got in the lessons above concerned, you will notice that in the first two years they are slightly low. That is because I was working fulltime in parallel. This situation changed over those two years by having a part time job and being more focused on my studies, which led to far better grades later on. It was then when I realized that my true job as a student takes place in my university and by being able to continue my work at your University I will manage to dedicate myself fully to science and devote my entire day to my academical duties.

Further down I am presenting you my Bachelor’s lessons, as they appear in my transcript, that are being demanded on this Master program’s specific requirements: Calculus: Calculus I, II, III, IV with 7 credits each, Linear Algebra: Linear Algebra I, II with 7 credits each, Statistics: (selectively): Statistics (use of SPSS) 7 credits, Sampling 5 credits, Probability Theory I, II with 7 and 5.5 credits respectively, Deterministic Methods of Optimization 5.5 credits (in total 30/71.5 credits), Programming: (selectively): Introduction to Computer Programming (experience in C++ Language) 4 credits, Mathematical Software and Knowledge Representation 4 credits, Mathematical Programming 5.5 credits, Symbolic Programming Languages 5 credits (in total 18.5/36 credits).

In relation to former experience I would like to quote some of my achievements. First of all I have participated in a group project, where we conducted a statistical research for pedagogical purpose; we collected and analyzed the data and finally we presented the results in form of a lecture. Moreover in a personal level, I waged several tasks in mathematical softwares and programming languages (such as HTML and C++). I have also completed an internship at a high school for two months as an assistant and counselor for the smooth introduction of Technological Methods in education. At the same time all of these years I provided additional private math lessons to high school students, what I continue on doing until today.

First of all I consider my passion about mathematics to be one of my main characteristics. Thus I acquired useful knowledge by the most difficult and demanding Mathematics Department in Greece, where the average years of graduation are high and the average degree grade is low. What I seek now is a specialization that will convert me into a valuable and desirable scientist.

Another reason why I would like to study at your university is that in Greece the field of Machine Learning is not particularly developed( hopefully that is going to change over the years) in contrast to the situation abroad, where this domain is already in demand.

Specifically in relation to your Master’s Program, I was impressed by the fact that its syllabus provides complementary programming lessons especially for mathematicians; that way my adaption in computer science will be smoother. Moreover I am looking forward to attend to classes related to Machine Learning and Data Analysis and more specifically the practical application of programming languages such as Python and R, which are extremely useful supplies for the career I want to follow. I believe that all these combined with my mathematical background will convert me into a valuable competitor in the job market of this field.

Apart from your University’s and generally the Swedish educational system’s enormous reputation, I believe that participating in your Master’s program is one in a lifetime opportunity for me to be completely dedicated in my career goals without having any distractions. Leaving Greece and despite knowing first-hand the difficulties of migration (my parents are also immigrants from Constantinople) I consider it as a great open door for me and my dreams. That is because I am of the opinion that the sense of fulfillment is way more important than my financial state. Unfortunately here in Greece the majority of mathematicians work as math teachers, something that I am not in favor of, but by studying at your University I will be able to follow a different career path than my compatriots. I look forward to be a part of your students committee and I assure you that I will do my best in order to prove to you that I was worthy of being chosen to study at Linköping’s University.

With best Regards