My Passions Brett Cooley

I have chosen to apply to the Carnegie Mellon College of Science, the Mathematical Science department, because I have a passion for learning that I want to apply to mathematical principles as they pertain to modern internet security. It is my goal to receive an undergraduate degree in Mathematics, and then continue on to receive a doctorate concentrating on cryptography as applied to internet security. I have many other passions in addition to math, the most significant ones being film-making and athletics, but I will stick to discussing those two though, in consideration of your time and my one page limit.

I love to learn. That’s a simple statement, but it’s true. Regardless of the subject, I take pleasure in acquiring knowledge. This is especially true in mathematics. I love the problem solving aspect of math, my favorite problems being those that closely mirror real-life applications of the concepts being taught. It excites me to be able to figure out problems that professionals in that field do every day. Specifically, cryptography interests me because the whole field is dedicated to creating, testing, and critiquing a big “puzzle” of sorts. Since I want to continue into this field, mathematics would be the best major. This...