SOP For UT, Austin Aerospace Engineering

Hey guys!! Please review my SOP for UT, Austin.

Question: Describe your reasons for pursuing graduate study and your academic and professional interests.

The answer i have written is as follows:

Billions of people have walked on the face of Earth but only a few are remembered for their contributions to mankind. The greatest invention by man after Fire and Wheel would perhaps be the invention of Flight by Wright brothers for which they are greatly remembered. I would certainly not like to be counted among the billions stars whose light never reaches Earth but rather be the Sun who shines upon us everyday. The twenty first century is now being termed as "Space Age" and exploration for better technologies has attained utmost importance. I feel a graduate program at University of Texas, Austin in Aerospace Engineering can help me be a part of this endeavor.

The place where i live is quite close to the airport. I see the planes take off and land all the time. Every time i witnessed a plane land or take off i am very curious to know the science behind the act. I have learnt about pressure, thrust and airflow studies at school and was able to relate them to the concepts of flight after reading books on the fundamentals of flight. I tried to analyse how the design of a plane has evolved over years and their efficiency improved. However in spite of my interest in aeronautical sciences i was not able to pursue a degree in the same because of the lack of quality education in the respective field as aerospace industry in my country is still in its infancy. So i decided to major in Electrical and Electronics Engineering with fluid mechanics and thermal engineering among my electives at GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, India which is ranked among the best universities in the country.

After my fifth semester in college, three others and i were selected for an internship at GE Intelligent Platforms, Bengaluru which involved logic and visualisation development for HVAC ( Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) Unit of a power plant using software programs like GE IP's Cimplicity and HMI/SCADA. i learnt the importance of time management and how an effective leader could boost the efficiency of a team. I also gained real time experience in working under pressure to perform and hence was able to know my capabilities better.

Apart from gaining industrial experience, i presented technical papers at various national and state level technical symposiums. My papers include a review of Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor(LFTR) as an alternative to nuclear fission, Development of an self sustainable electrical vehicle and Wireless Energy Transfer. I was involved in the development of Zigbee based industrial automation under the guidance of Mr. Anand Babu, Assistant Professor, Department of EEE, GITAM University. I also participated in workshops which taught the basics of Robotics and helped us(my team) build an

autonomous bot that could follow lines, maneuver obstacles and fight other bots. Apart from academics i made sure i pursued my other interests too. I have won many competitions in general and technical quizzes, essay writing, elocution and debate.

My academic interests are strongly in accordance with my endeavor to explore and contribute to newer technologies in the field of Inter planetary propulsion, which is why i am highly interested in research in the field of Propulsion, Orbital Mechanics, Space applications. I believe, University of Texas, Austin home to some of the most advanced facilities like Center for Space Research and Aeromechanics Research is where i would like to pursue my interests under the guidance of some of the brightest minds in the field of Aerospace Engineering.

After graduation i would like to further my knowledge in the development of advanced space vehicles and gravity escaping propulsion systems that would consume less power. I feel University of Texas, Austin is the road that would lead me to success in my future endeavors. Admission to your university would be a great honor and endows me with an even greater responsibility to strive for success persistently.

Looking forward for admission with a probable financial assistance.

What standards of greatness are you using? I can think of many inventions, especially pertaining to electricity and communication, that are more useful and less reckless than flight. Flight is scary! Anyway, I wanted to criticize your assertion that flight is one of the greatest inventions. You should probably rephrase that or substantiate it somehow.

I would certainly not like to be counted among the billions stars whose light never reaches Earth but rather be the Sun who shines upon us everyday.----This sentence needs to be followed by some explanation. It is about a desire to make an impact on the world (no plane crash pun intended, but I still maintain that flight is scary), but that is not what this paragraph is about. The paragraph is about the significance of flight... so add a sentence to connect this idea with the idea about the significance of flight.

Efficient use of words:
The place where i live My home is quite close to the airport. I see the planes take off and land all the time. Every time i witness a plane land or take off i am very curious to know the science behind the act.------use only the number of words necessary to make your point and give the reader a rhythmic experience.

This is a great part of the essay: further my knowledge in the development of advanced space vehicles and gravity escaping propulsion systems that would consume less power.---I wish you would discuss this goal a little more. It is a great aspiration.

:-)