Northwestern Supplemental Essay Personal Statement, unique qualities of NU-Chemical Engineering

I will soon write up a 300 word max essay on this topic. Any help is appreciated. Thank you all in advance :)

Although Northwestern University's acceptance rate hovers around 14 percent, why would I consider applying? The answer lies in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. The pupil to professor ratio is remarkably seven to one, which would allow for more productive interactions with a faculty member in terms of coursework and even assistance in challenging material.

As an undergraduate student interested in pursuing a major in Chemical Engineering, I keenly look forward to take advantage of the possible internship openings from world class corporations like IBM and Sonoco to name a few; I can gain valuable experience.

Any engineer requires three foremost qualities and these include sound logic, deep analysis, and mathematics. But to produce a successful engineer, intuition, metaphorical thinking skills and creativity make an enormous impact. Northwestern offers a unique approach to achieving the qualities mentioned above, by the "Whole-Brain" concept. I do believe that I can succeed under the "Whole-Brain" concept as I can think outside the box, dig deeper into complex problems and spend hours on a single problem if needed in order for me to become an enhanced engineer.

Spending three weeks during the summer in the residential hall known as Elder Hall, I felt what it is like to be a student of Northwestern through the enriching Center for Talent Development's Equinox program. A few of the counselors, or Residential Teaching Assistants, were recent graduates of Northwestern and truly demonstrated to me what Northwestern instilled into them. Each of these polished individuals displayed a unique attitude which emphasized to work hard, yet at the same time "play hard". Four words can sum up the student experience in Northwestern, "Work hard, play hard". This type of outlook appeals to me greatly, as I do enjoy spending hours if needed on any school assignment yet at the same time I'd like to go outside and socialize.

Through Northwestern University's high repute, it attracts a wide diverse collection of students of various ethnicities. I will feel ecstatic with joy if I can live and attend such a world class educational institution.

It would be a dream come true for me to attend Northwestern University.

If you provide us with the essay prompt, we can advise you about the content. In general though, you should be researching the qualifications that the university is looking for in a student and make sure that you can meet the requirements. Then look up some notable graduates of the school. Pick out the ones who are related to your chosen major so that you can relate to them as image models or inspiring personalities. Note any of your academic achievements that may draw their attention to your application. Work that into the essay as well.

After you do that, you can begin to draft an essay that integrates your own personal traits with the research that you did. Drawing inspiration from the graduates as you explain the reason why you chose to attend NU. Then create a forward thinking plan for yourself that shows how attending NU will be beneficial not only to you, but to the university as well. Close it with a statement that reiterates your desire to be mentored by the academic faculty of the school. Speak of any internship or mentor programs that the university has that you hope to become a part of in preparation for your future career.

I wrote this essay already. Some topics to consider are...
-The ability to take classes at Kellogg school of Management
-The prestige
-The unique relationship the teachers have with students
-The location of the University. Right by Chicago
-Intern opportunities in the city

middya, I have some points for you to consider in revising the content of your essay. I believe it will better strengthen your application if you should choose to add my suggestions :-)


- Be more specific about the school of engineering information. How were you attracted to this school in particular out of all the choices that you had in your list? Can you describe the one thing that makes this school unique in your opinion that aligned with what you were looking for in an engineering school? Give us an overview in the introduction.


- How do you plan to fully utilize the educational offerings of the school? Does it offer any internship programs you hope to participate in? Why do you think you will be a fit for those programs? Whom among the professors at the university are you familiar with and why do you look forward to learning from him or her? You need to fully develop your statement in this part since you already speak of the academic advantage of your choice.


- What are your characteristics that you feel will help you succeed under the "Whole Brain" teaching concept? You need to detail that information in order to show your unique qualities that will help you as a student at the university.


- You should avoid any reference to any tradition or culture that the admission officer will not understand upon immediate reading. Having to explain the tradition to him will deviate from the essay prompt. So rethink this paragraph and try to use a thought that is more easily understood by the reader.

Before I correct other parts of your essay, I would like to advise you to work on developing the portion where you discuss Lake Michigan and your time spent on the campus. I noticed that it was severely under developed as a paragraph, almost as if you inserted it as an after thought. It would greatly help your essay if you discuss how the student community is unique in your eyes. What makes it special and how do you think your learning process can be enhanced by these areas. You can draw on the experience of your visit for that information. I can help you to find the right place to position that paragraph within the essay. It just feels like the essay is not complete without that information. One that is added, we can further edit the paper. Don't get me wrong, the essay is shaping up quite well, I just want to see if it can be made better with additional information :-)

My essay is already right on the limit specified which is 300 words. I'm not sure how to expand on that.
Maybe should I somehow combine the last two big paragraphs into one?

Alright I tried following your advice, and here is what I managed to do. Thanks so much again Vangiespen!

Middya, knowing now what happened during your visit, I am going to suggest revising a particular paragraph in order to better reflect the unique qualities of Northwestern.


- The portion that I did not strike out is the portion that I want you to expand upon as quickly but efficiently as you can. What impression did the academic community make on you during those 3 weeks? Do you believe the student social experience would benefit your academic studies there? It would be unique indeed if you could explain how the school and the social community can combine to create a very enticing educational experience for you at the university :-)

I promise, if we go over the word count, I will make sure to help you cut it down to 300 :-)

Middya, let me try to revise this essay for you in its totality.

As an undergraduate student in Chemical Engineering,I found myself drawn to the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. The college is known for having the most stringent of admissions requirements, ensuring that the seven to one pupil ratio will provide the most learning experience for a student at the hands of a learned faculty member. It also offers the student a better chance to study and understand the challenging course materials. The "Whole - Brain" concept of teaching developed by the school assures me that I will be a successful student at Northwestern.

Having spent 3 weeks on campus at the Elder Hall, I discovered students who learned the value of "Work hard, play hard". An outlook that appeals to me because I am a person who believes that the best kind of student is one who has a perfect balance in their academic and social life.

This is exactly 150 words and covers all of the requirements of the prompt. Feel free to use this in its entirety.

Thanks so much!
May I combine my writing with ur edits into a final essay and post it here?

Middya, of course you may combine my work with yours. That is why we are advising you :-) Go ahead and use any part of the essay that I wrote in your next version. Hopefully it will turn out to be the one that you feel comfortable enough to submit. We will just have to perform one more grammar and sentence structure check before you do that though. I would like to let you know that I appreciate your patience with me while we were editing your essay. I know it ran a little long in the editing department but it was something that we had to do in order to get the essay to where you need it to be :-) If you have any other questions about the content of the essay or how to finish certain parts, don't hesitate to ask. I'll try to answer you as soon as I can :-)

In the meantime, I am looking forward to reading the next version of your personal statement. Hopefully it will not require too many changes and we will be able to finally polish it to the point where you will feel good and confident about submitting it with your other application forms :-)