I have always enjoyed the creative thinking involved in solving mathematical problems, as much as I take pride in finding an elegant solution to a complicated equation. I have taken part in national logic and mathematics competitions since primary school and since then have come to realise that mathematics is much more than a challenging intellectual exercise as it is the foundation of several branches of science such as physics, biology and even economics.

I wish to study Mathematics and Computer Science as they are complementary subjects. Cryptography is one of the topics that I have taken great interest in. To learn more about it, I have participated in an online university course about the mathematics involved in modern cryptography methods, and read Simon Singh's The Code Book which covers the history of cryptography from Caesar's Cipher to the futuristic technique of quantum cryptography. To get a broader introduction to Computer Science, I have studied A.K. Dewdney's The New Turing Omnibus and discovered that Algorithms are key to solving problems too complex for the human brain to figure out, for instance finding the shortest possible route between two cities. As a keen sports fan, I am also interested in data analysis and how club managers use statistics to make decisions. I have started developing simple programs using Python such as one that predicts the most probable outcome of football matches.

Undertaking an Advanced Mathematics summer course at Imperial College London has helped me realise that Mathematics can be applied in many fields such as modeling a bungee jump or the spread of a disease. Similarly, I was captivated by a lecture on "Big Data" at an Informatics Taster day at King's College London on how clever algorithms can learn from one's habits to generate valuable information. I left both events even more enthusiastic about taking a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science.

I have extended my knowledge of "Big Data" as a basis for targeted marketing while on a work experience in the social media branch of an advertising company. My role was to show clients how "Big Data" could help them analyse the online behaviour of social network users. This opened my mind to the influence of Computer Science in advertising as one of its fields of application.

I take pride in all the activities I am involved in: I love playing the piano, in particular Chopin and jazz pieces, and I am currently preparing for my ABRSM Grade 8 examination. I am passionate about team sports as I enjoy interaction with others. I am interested in developing strategies to win, which is similar to exploring ways to solve a mathematical problem. I have been playing football and rugby in regional leagues for ten years and have been representing my school at the London Youth Games in volleyball. I hope I will be able to pursue these sports at University. In addition, I have achieved the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award, which has been an opportunity to start volunteering and meet people from many different backgrounds. I also like taking responsibility at school and have been speaking on behalf of my fellow students at school meetings for four years as part of my role as a class representative. Having written in the sports section of my school's student paper, I intend to join the University paper's team. I am confident that I will put a lot of energy and passion into my degree as well as be actively involved in student life.

I look forward to studying Mathematics and Computer Science at University.