Undergraduate / Which department at MIT appeals to you and why? [2]

The physics and the engineering programs strongly appeal to me.
I aspire to be free of the laws that bind us by creating that which will enhance our abilities albeit externally.
I want to build flying machines.
I want the effects of pressure to remain constant, in whichever environment we're in.
I intend to work with the many other professionals around the globe to come up with something to change the world in profound ways; building quantum- teleportation devices, succeeding in reviving a person who has undergone cryonics, manufacturing food from rearranged elements and many others besides.

I want to revolutionize technology and I believe that the research, researchers, laboratories and facilities at MIT will lead me to my goal.

What do you guys think of this? Too far out weird and unrealistic for a serious essay...conventionally speaking

Undergraduate / 'Malaysia and Taekwondo' - Personal Statement - For UCAS (UK universities) [3]

Hey guys. There are no specific instruction for this personal statement, except for the word limit (barely made it). Please help me out with your reviews. Thx.

Every time I read a science-fiction book of watch a sci-fi movie, I get exhilarated at the mention of an extraordinary tool or a technologically-advanced machine. Throughout the years, these books are still under the science-FICTION category. The prospect of making the world in these books come to life and inventing objects the likes of which the world has never seen before has always propelled me to choose engineering.

Many of my first inventions were from a mechanical kit my dad got me. Not only did I build a structure each night, I modified many of them. The stationary crane now had wheels, and in place of a hook, there was an electromagnet. I submitted the crane as my primary school science project and got full marks for it.

Currently, I am building a basic differential drive robot using the photovore algorithm capable of basic object avoidance. When I first spotted the site that offered instruction on robot-building, I was geared up to begin at that very instant. I set to work immediately. It was lucky for me that the site advised against grand ideas of creativity for those building robots for the first time because in my head, I was thinking of creating robots capable of such great feats that may even put ASIMO to shame. Even with all my enthusiasm, it was a couple of weeks before I finally had all the equipment. As it turned out, building a robot for the first time was no easy achievement.

Some time ago, at home, when my family and I were packing our bags for a vacation, I noticed that we had to carry many heavy things up and down the stairs. I decided to install a pulley system on the top of the stairs. A big basket was tied to the end of the string. Though it could not be used for extremely heavy items, over the years, it saved us a lot of time and effort. Once, when I was President of the GAWPS Juniors (a community club for teenagers), there were many instances when, under pressure, I had to think of solutions and ideas for certain events. Since many of these events were major ones, my committee and I had to see things in a different perspective to ensure a certain task was completed to the best of our abilities in a certain time frame.

In my spare time, I explore the 'Fabric of the Cosmos' (a book by physicist Brian Greene) to unravel the mysteries of space, time and its theories. Reading this book and being President of the GAWPS Juniors has made my thinking very flexible. I also constantly read up latest news of the scientific society and watch MIT science lectures online. Apart from that, I also enjoy documentaries of engineering feats, production lines and the Universe. Also, ever since realising the importance of computing, I have been self-teaching myself XHTML and the programming language of Python.

Acedemically, I am an above average student with consistent A grades throughout my schooling experience. I enjoy my A-Level subjects (physics, mathematics, further maths and chemistry) and try to apply them to daily life. Since these subjects are interlinked and complement each other in certain ways, it is as though these combination of subjects are one whole. I find it interesting to note how they relate to each other and through that relation, I discover that my understanding of a particular topic increases. I have participated in the Malaysian National Chemistry Quiz and in University of New South Wales' International School Competition (Science and English).

When I am free, I juggle, go jogging or practice taekwondo. Taekwondo has been a part of my life since I was seven. I am currently a black belt (1st Dan) holder and am waiting for the next test sitting. I also play badminton, tennis, chess and football. I have won several football and archery tournaments over the years.

I look forward to experience university life which would enhance my creativity and thinking skills so as to put forward new ideas and theories.

Undergraduate / MIT - Personality Essay [4]

What attribute of your personality are you most proud of, and how has it impacted your life so far? This could be your creativity, effective leadership, sense of humor, integrity, or anything else you'd like to tell us about. (*) (200-250 words)

I take pride in being a perfectionist. Whenever I'm learning something, I make sure I fully understand the concept behind it. There are no compromises when it comes to knowing how something functions, whether it is a machine or a mathematical formula. I've never taken a "short-cut method" just to answer exam questions. This attribute enhances my daily performance and I find it a lot easier to apply theoretical knowledge to everyday life. Now, I don't have to study as much as others during the examination period as I already understand and know the details of a specific topic. Also, being a perfectionist, I see many intricate designs, patterns and connections other people miss. There was an instance when my physics lecturer was teaching us about Einstein's equations of relativity and photoelectric effect and I noticed a contradiction that the rest of the class missed.

Since I can complete a task perfectly by noting the details surrounding it, I've become very flexible in my thinking. I can adapt to almost any situation and handle it. Through that principle, I was able to accomplish many tasks by myself from a young age and quickly became an independent person.

Being a perfectionist leads me to review the most basic ideas to totally comprehend a subject and to get a better overview of it. A year ago, I discovered a site on robot-building. I set to work immediately. However, the site did not offer complete material to understand the mechanism behind robots. So, I started from the basics by self-teaching myself XHTML and the programming language of Python. Being a perfectionist has cause my knowledge to branch out.

Help is greatly appreciated. Thanks. : )

Undergraduate / Hope -Stanford - What matters to you and why? [3]

A golden ray of hope, it can change the world. I believe that everyone, whether it's a child, a parent, a teacher, a leader, a worker or a student, needs hope to motivate them. The presence of hope matters to me because it is a powerful substance, one which everyone requires to continue their lives meaningfully. It matters to me that I attempt to always be optimistic and instil hope into anyone and everyone. When my family got into a car accident, I tried my best to remain cheerful so as to raise everybody's spirits, especially those of my two sisters.

I find that through hope, everyone has a sense of purpose, a goal which they can work forward to. Did you know that there is even a small part in our brain just for hope?

A person might not move at a relentless pace to achieve their heart's desire, but it seems important that they move. Slow and steady, with a destination and hope to guide them, but move nevertheless. Many of the biggest inventions and discoveries were made when a person had hope and a will. The discovery of radium and the invention of the telephone hold this true. It is necessary that no one depends solely on a stroke of luck to get things done or become complacent once achieving a victory. Everybody needs hope to be the driving point of their lives to constantly accelerate them ahead. Then, the lives they lead and the contributions they make to society will become more significant. So, make that small part of your brain as big, as strong, as active and as everlasting as possible.

A golden ray of hope is that which shapes the world.

Undergraduate / Stanford Essay. Roomie... Here I come. [7]

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.

Hey roomie!!! Congrats to you (and to me) on reading this, it must mean we both made it!
I'm Bhavik Kumar. 5'8''. Left-handed. Single and available.
I was born and brought up in Malaysia, a diverse and developing country where the 3 major races are Malay, Chinese and Indian. The country's famous slogan: unity through diversity. So trust me when I say that for the last 18 years, I've been in 3 places at once. I practice Jainism, in which the main teaching is of non-violence. So, yes, I would say I'm a pacifist...though only to a certain extent (I've also got a black belt (1st Dan) in taekwondo). Also, through Jainism, I've been a pure vegetarian since birth, not even eating eggs. You might be thinking 'lucky me, I can eat whatever I want', but then, think again, because now, I'm a vegetarian by choice and I've got 18 years worth of veggies in me.

Many would describe my sense of humor as overly-sensitive. There is always that awkward moment when I continue to laugh long after everyone has stopped and I can laugh at, well, almost anything. I am extremely sarcastic. To get a straight answer from me, I'd say you'd have to plan long, long ahead. Also, I apologize in advance if I wake you up when you hear me singing in the middle of the night. It will probably cause you to go without sleep for the next 2 days. But don't worry too much, I'm getting better.

When I am free, I juggle, go jogging or practice taekwondo. Taekwondo has been a part of my life since I was seven. I also play badminton, tennis, chess and soccer. I have won several soccer and archery tournaments over the years. Occasionally, I hone my piano skills as well.

I'm sure our time will be filled to the brim... nay, overflowing with countless hours of laughter and exchange of thoughts. There's no doubt that we'll take to each other immediately. I can't wait to share with you my joke of the witch, the politician and the engineer that went to the bar.

By your side always,

Bhavik K. D.

So what do you guys think? I had a lot of fun writing this essay. I think Stanford sets some of the most fun essays. (I even enjoyed the one about intellectual development).

Undergraduate / "You can invent anything?" - Yale Essay [4]

The essay is 100 words too long. Pls help.

Topic : If you selected one of the engineering majors, please write a brief third essay telling us what has led you to an interest in this field of study, what experiences (if any) you have had in engineering, and what it is about Yale's engineering program that appeals to you.

I was 10. My family was outside the house, sending off relatives after the New Year celebration.
They were just leaving when their car had malfunctioned but my uncle managed to take care of it. Then the subject cropped up.
"You can fix cars?" I asked.
"Yes, I am an engineer. I can fix all kinds of things" my uncle replied.
"You can build robots?"
"Yes."
"You can invent anything?"
"Of course."
My uncle was only amusing me at that time but it had an intense impact on me. It seemed that the whole world had opened up to me. The possibilities were endless. It seemed to me that to fix something, the criterion is to understand how it works. Since that day, I have become a perfectionist, determined to obtain every single detail and scrutinize everything. Even today, when using a mathematical formula, I go through the derivation process in my head just so I know how exactly to use it and up to what extent it works. The curiosity to fully understand how things work; how everything fits together, whether to serve a practical or abstract purpose led me to engineering. I find it amazing that a combination of objects, tools and ideas can create something totally different than from what it originally is, to solve the mysteries around us. Also, the prospect of removing these books from the science-FICTION category, making the world in these books come to life and inventing objects the likes of which the world has never seen before has propelled me to choose engineering.

Two weeks after the New Year party in 2003, my dad got me a mechanical kit. From then onwards, the bright light of invention, of discovery, of innovation gripped me tenaciously. I aspired to be an inventor, a person who could grasp and accomplish the seemingly impossible. I set out on the immensely satisfying journey of assembling the many models the kit had to offer. Not only did I build them, I improvised many of the structures. I attached a light bulb on top of the car structure and with what my Dad told me about electromagnetism, I managed to make the light bulb glow whenever the car moved. The stationary crane I built now had wheels, and in place of a hook, there was an electromagnet.

And that was just the beginning. Since then, I continued on with what I enjoyed, namely sketching and building more objects (eg hand held crossbow, rubber-band machine gun) and reading up new science articles. I have also constructed a pulley at the top of the stairs in my house to save time and effort of carrying objects of medium size and weight. I am now building a differential drive robot capable of basic object avoidance to better understand the mechanism involved.

I intend to work with the many other professionals to build quantum- teleportation devices, sophisticated robots, revive those who have undergone cryonics, manufacturing food from rearranged elements and many others besides. All in all, I intend to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

Yale's program appeals to me because it is flexible system. It would be easier to understand and remember a topic as motivation and passion of the student in a particular subject will be the key aspect to learning. Also, this environment encourages more experimentation, and through that, we learn more than to boundaries of the course. As interdisciplinary fields are getting ever more important, someone who has a broader knowledge may get a better overview of the working of a machine, a structure or the universe. The low student-faculty ratio also appeals to me.