If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as either a first year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke. (Please limit your response to no more than 150 words.)
I have exactly 150 words. I feel like 150 is not much to describe the reasons you're interested in a school, but oh well. Do I answer the prompt correctly or am I too vague? I wanted to have an interesting intro, though I'm not sure if admission officers would prefer that I be terse and get quickly to the point. I'm open to all suggestions. Critique, do not degrade. Much thanks!
"Find the maximum area of a rectangle inscribed in a circle with a radius of 8." How could I do that? Well, find the area equation for the rectangle, differentiate it, solve for x, assure x is a maximum, and plug the value into the area equation. I love math and problem solving, and engineering will allow me to employ my love of these two things to help address real world issues. But why engineering at Duke? Duke ranks among the top ten national universities and its small classes of about twenty students enable those students to more easily seek help from their teachers. Activities that Duke offers, such as the Alternative Breaks Program, give students the opportunity to engage in enriching experiences while simultaneously helping others. Being a part of this program and unique university would prepare me to impact not just my local community, but those world-wide.
