what are the unique qualities of Northwestern - and of the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying - that make you want to attend the University? In what ways do you hope to take advantage of the qualities you have identified?
As a prospective student from Beijing, China, I get a real feeling of Northwestern's uniqueness even at thousands of miles' distance. After reading the materials mailed to me by the admission office, and after researching into this prestigious institution, I found many features that appeal to me. The glamorous campus, the esteemed faculty and diverse student body, the metropolitan setting of Chicago and the variety of career options this brings are certainly worth mentioning, but the real influential factor that led me to Northwestern (and more specifically to the McCormick School of Engineering), is the combination of academic rigor and the creative, practical atmosphere. The former allows me to play my full potential in learning and research work, while the latter make me more at ease while exploring diverse interests in my undergraduate studies.
I'm struck by the degree to which McCormick school is connected with markets, which enables me to test out my ideas while they are fresh, and modify my project in the best way that fits the need of clients. The sense of doing real business will be quite different from attending dry coursework or test-prep, but also a lot more challenging and potentially rewarding, but I will have the opportunity to convert my advantage in math and science, carefully built up over high school years, into creative potential and interesting discoveries.
With its commitment to produce whole brained engineers, Northwestern engineering provides enough nutrition for my appetite. It makes me confident to pursue my interest in languages and cultural studies, while keeping my focus on engineering and designing problems. What is more, I'm convinced that cultivating my unique talent set at Northwestern will ultimately work to my advantage, as real problems facing engineers today call for creative solutions that require understanding of seemingly irrelevant subjects and issues.
I'm particularly interested in the Segal design institute, as I used to practice industrial sketching at an off-school drawing class. Having been slightly familiar with the basics of designing, I can well identify Segal's ideals in its masterfully designed main building, the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center. Photo galleries and other descriptions can't provide enough information, so I wish to explore more intimately this architecture and the institute it is home to. "'Design the right thing' instead of simply 'design the thing right'." I think this witty sentence captures the spirit of Segal's designing program, and indeed of the whole McCormick school of engineering. "Design the right thing." It's a promise of McCormick's excellence, a call for my best effort, and most importantly, a confirmation of my passion for attending Northwestern.
// a rather messy first draft, need your help to improve its coherence, thanks in advance!
