Cornell Engineering celebrates innovative problem solving that helps people, communities...the world. Consider your ideas and aspirations and describe how a Cornell Engineering education would allow you to leverage technological problem-solving to improve the world we live in. (Please limit your response to 650 words.)
ideas and aspirations regarding Cornell Engineering
For my 16th birthday, my family went to see the movie Hidden Figures. For years I had been fascinated by space exploration and the moon landing and I was beyond ecstatic to see a movie about it. Before that day I had known all the facts and figures, the time of takeoff, the names of the astronauts, the temperature on that day, but what I realized was that I had no idea who had contributed. Not only had these women been pivotal to NASA, they were female and African American, in a time where it was an extreme disadvantage to have one of those qualities, nonetheless both. Without them, though, we never would have been able to touch the stars.
Cornell's motto "Any person, any study" personifies this. No problem can ever be solved if the people who are working on it all share the same point of view. It is only when you take the time to get input from those who have different experiences from you where you truly progress. In the future, I would love to explore the reaches of space with engineering, but if I only worked from my point of view I would miss out on so much potential progress. Beyond just technological advancements, society will never move forward if we cannot accept each other's differences and work together. When I attend conventions for Junior States of America (JSA) I see just how different people's points of views can be. We could be debating a heavily controversial topic and I would come into the debate with one mindset and leave questioning it because someone with a completely different background presented how the problem appeared to them.
Not only in terms of cultural diversity does Cornell stand out, it also proves its commitment to intellectual diversity through its emphasis on interdisciplinary studies. To accomplish any task, a multitude of talents are needed. The moon landing not only required engineers, but also public relation specialists, accountants, and doctors. The ability to combine the talents of students who are all endlessly passionate about the work they're doing all on one campus opens up a world of opportunity. Instead of a purely technical approach to a problem, a student from The College of Arts and Sciences could offer their point of view from a more humanities geared basis. In the real world, problems are not presented in a vacuum and the people who solve them cannot pretend they are. Having multiple points of view on one campus mimics how the real world will work, with multi-faceted problems that have to be attacked from all angles.
Additionally, a huge benefit of space exploration that is often overlooked is the mass benefits that come from the technology that is created in the pursuit of the unknown. The innovation that allowed us to go to the moon also benefited the world through satellites, camera, heart monitors, and even fabrics, to name just a few. Although the primary goal was the pursuit of the moon, the technology that was created to do so benefited the world in countless ways. The research opportunities available to undergraduates at Cornell is essential to applying theory to the real world. Especially at labs like the Cornell Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility (CNF), looking at the world from a new perspective can allow students to revolutionize the way they approach problems.
The key to moving forward is being open to new ideas and perspectives and Cornell embodies that ideal through its commitment to diversity and interdisciplinary study, just as NASA did during the space race. Both commitments to being open to new perspectives are what allowed them to progress the way they have and it is what allows them to keep moving forward.
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Cornell is one of my top school, but I really struggled trying to write this essay. This is the final result, but I feel as if it is so devoid of personality and the writing itself is sub-par. Any comments and/or suggestions would be extremely appreciated!
I think that it's great that you were so inspired by the movie (believe me, I loved that movie too), but I think you're missing 'you' in your essay. You talk a lot about the school and what it's known for. If you talked about you and your aspirations the same way that you talked about Cornell, I think it would prove to be a more convincing and amazing essay. I'm sure Cornell gets told how amazing they are daily. But why would Cornell suit/fit you? Why would you give Cornell a chance?
Holt Educational Consultant - / 15186 Aviva, I don't get a sense of how you will actually leverage a Cornell Engineering education from this essay. While the movie that you mentioned is indeed inspiring, what that portion of the essay does not do is tell the reviewer what the connection of that movie is to your aspirations as a Cornell student. In order to answer this question properly, what you have to do is think about the movie. What did you learn from it in terms of technical and analytical abilities? Now, with your limited knowledge of Space Science and Engineering at the moment, what wrong moves do you think could be avoided if the moon landing were to be done today? Consider that President Trump has issued NASA and edict of going back to the moon then from there, on to Mars. Connect your thoughts regarding the movie to that quote from President Trump. Then think of what kind of contribution you want to make to the realization of that dream. Explain how you think it can be done using specific programs, laboratories, and collaborations while you are a student at Cornell. Then think about how these ideas or specific idea can be used as a technological advancement in our world in the future. You will need to do some research in that regard but I firmly believe that, based upon the prompt requirements, this is the right direction to take your essay in. You need a solid idea or technological concept to pursue as a student in the university. Think of this essay as a study plan. Deliver a summarized thesis statement and research development process. That should help you get back on track with your response. Think of the area of technological development that you are interested in and work from that. For example, a watch that can take an electrocardiogram has just been invented. What is to stop you from developing a watch that can deliver a life saving portable watch size CPR machine that can automatically deploy once it senses a full heart attack episode? The portable machine has already been invented, but it is too big to be taken about by people with heart problems. So you may want to think along those lines for your technological example. Or something else. You get the picture.
