My BS/MS Application

As my junior year came to an end, I found myself facing a difficult decision. I realized that if I wanted to apply to graduate school or law school, I would have to start writing applications and taking tests. Or, if I wanted to go into industry, I would have to start looking for jobs and practicing coding skills. Faced with these tough decisions, a 1-year MS in computer science seemed like a great compromise to give me a bit more time to make a decision. I arrived at this conclusion after conversations with scholars in a wide range of fields. I talked to, for example, Dr. Peter Asaro, a philosophy professor with an MS in computer science; Emily McReynolds, the former director of the Tech Policy Lab and a lawyer working in AI policy; and Jared Moore, the instructor for CSE 490 A1/HONORS 222 C (Philosophy of AI), who is now getting his PhD in computer science and also did the 5th-year MS. With all this in mind, I made the decision to apply to the Allen School's 5-year BS/MS program.

As with my application to the CS major, the process of writing this application itself involved reflecting on why I wanted to apply. With the help of my mentor Kiran, I realized there were 2 key questions I needed to answer: 1) why an MS? 2) why UW?

In response to the first question, I realized that I wanted more time to explore CS research, which is a core focus of the BS/MS program. I had just started my Agonistic Image Generation research project and my research with the UW Center for Human Rights (UWCHR), so I wanted more time to see if I wanted to pursue research further in graduate school. In response to the seocnd question, I realized that I wasn't ready to leave behind the connections that I made at UW yet. I wanted to not only continue to work with local organizations like UWCHR, but also maintain the connections with professors in computer science, philosophy, and other departments that I had made during my last three years.

Now that I've completed my first year of the BS/MS program, I can say that the BS/MS program has been incredibly valuable to me for these very reasons. I've discovered that research can provide opportunities to explore interdisciplinary questions about ethics and technology that I wouldn't have the opportunity to in industry. I've also continued to work with UWCHR and even reached out to faculty in the philosophy department for advice on class projects. I believe that research provides an exciting way for me to combine my interests in technology and ethics, and am seriously considering applying to a PhD program next year.

You can read my personal statement below:

Personal Statement - Andrew Shaw.pdf

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