Graduating from high school, I knew I wanted to attend a university that offered a strong computer science program, a culture of entrepreneurship, and a vibrant school spirit. In many ways, my time at USC has satisfied most of these requirements. At the same time, it has also spurred a shift in my intellectual interests and taught me a lot about what I want out of my undergraduate experience. Consequently, transferring schools will help me transition into the ideal academic environment to fully achieve my goals.
Prior to college, I became interested in using technology, especially software, to address social problems—an aspiration I took to USC and one that continues to drive me today. At the same time, I was infatuated with technology entrepreneurship and wanted nothing more than to launch my own tech startup someday. I also viewed computer science through a narrow lens of mobile and web development, and cool technology startups. My time in college changed this.
…show more content…
This became more evident with my research activities at USC. Bringing together different disciplines including computational techniques, game theory (economics), sociology, and public health to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS among the homeless of Los Angeles, I’ve discovered the value of collaborating across multiple disciplines to solve real-world problems first-hand. I’ve also realized that I need to immerse myself in deeper areas of computer science as well as pursue coursework across different disciplines in pursuit of this