Undergraduate / Mechanical engineer: CMU application essay [5]

It's basically writing 1 page single spaced essay on why you choose CMU and the major, or program you have choosen.

As a prospective mechanical engineering student of Carnegie Institute of Technology, it would be
my desire to design, analyze, and study machines that would be able to maximize their efficiency while still being environmental friendly. Carbon dioxide is one of the major causes of pollution in our society. Every day, carbon dioxide is released into the air from driving a car and using electricity powered appliances to factories producing goods through chemical and heat processes. Also, I am interested in the rich curricula offered at CIT and opportunities such as interdisciplinary designated minors, undergraduate research, and traveling aboard.

I was interested in biology during my sophomore year of high school, so I contacted professors at the University of Wyoming for a summer internship. During the summer before my junior year in high school, I spent two month experimenting the effect antioxidants on cardiovascular inflammation through the use of apparatuses like the gel electrophoresis and microcentrifuge. Using these machines, my curiosity turned towards the theories behind how the gel electrophoresis was able to separate a specific type of protein on to the gel. My understanding of how the electrophoresis worked was when I discovered that the apparatus is powered by electric current which separates the bands of protein on to the gel. As daily experiments were conducted, I became even more fascinated on how these machines could operate the way they do. And from this internship, I developed an interest in how machines worked.

My preference for Carnegie Mellon over the other schools is because of the interdisciplinary designated minors and undergraduate research programs that it offers to the students. For instance, a minor in robotics would not only help me understand my major more but would also allow me to have a broader view of mechanical engineering. Also a robotics minor would be more focused on hands on experience and consequently would strength my ability to solve real life problems. Additionally, Carnegie Mellon has a variety of resources to conduct research unlike other schools. By being able to integrate the knowledge learned in class and applying it during research, it is then possible to think in an innovative manner about engineering in a whole new perspective. Research with a group of students or independent research, would be a pathway for what my future careers would be or what my goals in graduate school are. For example, one of my goals is to apply my knowledge learned from class to apply it during research in order to design power generating machines that would minimize its output of pollution while still maximizing its efficiency through environmental conducive research. And what interests me about research is that even if the results is not what one would like to get, one is still able to learn from one's mistakes and could better improve the experiment the next time. Research demonstrates the skills that show the depth of the student's education and the ability to comprehend solutions to real life challenges that are faced in everyday life. This school would prepare me for a profession in the future.

Also a reason for me to choose Carnegie Mellon is because of the chance to study abroad after establishing my fundamentals of my major. And by doing so, I would be traveling to the other side of the world to see what engineers in Europe are like. Studying mechanical engineering in a different set of environment allows me to be able to adapt quickly and still be able to pursue an interest in my future career. And by traveling abroad, I will gain new techniques to approach problems and gain a different perspective of education. But most importantly, studying mechanical engineering in a two different parts of the world would grant me more skills and ultimately lead me to achieve higher mastery.

The campus is beautiful and this is place for me to have the college experience of being independent as well as enhancing my knowledge. Carnegie Mellon has a wide variety of educational programs and resources for research. These conditions are ideal for me to pursue a career.