Math and science have been a focus of my academics for all my life, leading me to my
interest in engineering. The beauty of math and science is that they seek to explain our world, to
find patterns and use them to try to relate seemingly unrelated things. These things might in fact
turn out to be completely unrelated, but who cares because you probably discovered something
else along the way, and it was fun. The joy that mathematics and science provide me is
unmatched by nearly any other aspect of my life. The moment in Precalculus class when I
spotted a pattern in the derivatives of rational functions and determined the quotient rule for
derivatives a year before I learned it, was one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic
career. Furthermore, the wonder inspired by things like Euler's identity, eiĎ +1=0, the
relationship of three fundamental, seemingly unrelated mathematical constants is alone reason
enough to pursue math and science, in the hope of finding similar relationships. Even now in AP
Physics, we can use Euler's formula to prove the sinusoidal oscillation of objects in simple
harmonic motion, just one example of the countless connections between the fields of math and
science and of the patterns and relationships that form the foundation of these subjects.
The passion of Duke University's engineering students and the dedication of the
University foster unmatched opportunities for students with the desire to innovate and learn, to
discover and apply these patterns. My desire for knowledge regularly inspires me to discover
topics that I want to study further, but I'm rarely satisfied by simply what I'm told. I want to find
out everything I can through my own work, to research and learn not just what other people
know, but to make my own discoveries and innovations. This is what I hope to gain from a major
in engineering, and what I know Duke University is capable of providing me with. In
combination with my own research into the university, my visit to Duke solidified my interest in
pursuing an engineering degree there. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the campus and
the buzzing atmosphere, and as I was led on what turned out to be a personal tour of the
engineering school and sat in on a Mechanics of Solids class, I noticed more and more aspects of
Duke that I loved. The students and professors all seemed genuinely interested in and captivated
by their subjects, and the facilities that they to have access to are incredible. I was lucky enough
to be given a quick look inside DiVE, the virtual environment simulator, which was enough to
get me interested in computer science and 3D graphics production and was a prime example of
the extraordinary facilities that Duke has to offer.
Though I know that engineering is right for me, I have no idea what specific discipline of
engineering I would like to study. Mechanical engineering is as attractive to me as materials
science, or anything else I discover through my education and individual research. My interests
are influenced daily by what I learn and what I observe in the world around me, whether that is
DiVE prompting me to research computer graphics, or an online comic motivating me to explore
the thrust-to-weight ratio problem in rocket propulsion. Duke University offers a perfect
combination, with the innovative atmosphere to provide these inspirations and the academic
programs and facilities to research them. A major in engineering at Duke would allow me to
pursue my love of math and science and apply it to the field that I ultimately decide will be most
rewarding.
