mikfig
Dec 1, 2011
Undergraduate / "Creative, communicative multi-faceted engineers" - USC Viterbi Supplemental Essay [2]
Hi all, I'm about to submit my USC application/supplement via the common app.
I was hoping to get some constructive criticism on my viterbi supplemental essay.
Prompt:
All applications to Engineering and Computer Science majors should respond to the following
questions, in approximately one paragraph, and attach their responses to the Supplement.
1. Engineering leaders do more than just solve technical problems. What kinds of experiences, inside and outside the classroom, would you want to explore to enhance your studies?
2. Engineers have sometimes been stereotyped as "nerds" or "geeks". Do you embrace or reject that stereotype? Why?
The typical picture of a computer scientist is an overweight white male hammering away at a keyboard while eating potato chips at three in the morning, but this could not be farther from the truth. Like any other engineering profession, computer science involves not only the ability to solve technical problems, but more importantly the ability to communicate with people of different majors, different ethnicities, and different backgrounds. I had my first taste of this in Nyborg, Denmark, when I participated in a student organization that built various engineering projects and had members from many different countries. There is no better place to further these skills than at USC, as it has the largest international student body of any university in the U.S. There are classrooms and student organizations/clubs where the opportunities are numerous for participating in discussions with people from all different backgrounds. Collaborating with my peers in Viterbi School of Engineering and throughout the USC campus will enhance my education and allow me to go onto being a successful engineer in my field of study.
Creative intellectuals such as engineers are often pejoratively labeled "nerds" or "geeks" by society, but this is rather short-sighted as there is so much more to these individuals than such simple labels portray. Yes engineers do spend a lot of time on intellectual pursuits while others would rather spend their time hanging out with friends or going to a movie, but this is only a small part of what it means to be an engineer. It means being dedicated and hardworking, having good communicative ability, and being able to think creatively. As aforementioned, engineers have to have the ability to communicate with people with various backgrounds. Engineers have to be creative to be able to come up with the next new idea, just as Einstein turned a universal speed limit into visions of curved space-time and other fantastical ideas. I reject the stereotype of "nerd" or "geek" as it only presents only one facet of these multifaceted individuals.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Mikael
Hi all, I'm about to submit my USC application/supplement via the common app.
I was hoping to get some constructive criticism on my viterbi supplemental essay.
Prompt:
All applications to Engineering and Computer Science majors should respond to the following
questions, in approximately one paragraph, and attach their responses to the Supplement.
1. Engineering leaders do more than just solve technical problems. What kinds of experiences, inside and outside the classroom, would you want to explore to enhance your studies?
2. Engineers have sometimes been stereotyped as "nerds" or "geeks". Do you embrace or reject that stereotype? Why?
The typical picture of a computer scientist is an overweight white male hammering away at a keyboard while eating potato chips at three in the morning, but this could not be farther from the truth. Like any other engineering profession, computer science involves not only the ability to solve technical problems, but more importantly the ability to communicate with people of different majors, different ethnicities, and different backgrounds. I had my first taste of this in Nyborg, Denmark, when I participated in a student organization that built various engineering projects and had members from many different countries. There is no better place to further these skills than at USC, as it has the largest international student body of any university in the U.S. There are classrooms and student organizations/clubs where the opportunities are numerous for participating in discussions with people from all different backgrounds. Collaborating with my peers in Viterbi School of Engineering and throughout the USC campus will enhance my education and allow me to go onto being a successful engineer in my field of study.
Creative intellectuals such as engineers are often pejoratively labeled "nerds" or "geeks" by society, but this is rather short-sighted as there is so much more to these individuals than such simple labels portray. Yes engineers do spend a lot of time on intellectual pursuits while others would rather spend their time hanging out with friends or going to a movie, but this is only a small part of what it means to be an engineer. It means being dedicated and hardworking, having good communicative ability, and being able to think creatively. As aforementioned, engineers have to have the ability to communicate with people with various backgrounds. Engineers have to be creative to be able to come up with the next new idea, just as Einstein turned a universal speed limit into visions of curved space-time and other fantastical ideas. I reject the stereotype of "nerd" or "geek" as it only presents only one facet of these multifaceted individuals.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Mikael
