If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke.
I fall a little short of the SAT score median so I'm hoping the essay will give me a leg up. Please help me! Thanks :)
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" This question is asked to almost every young child at one point or another. Some answer with, a teacher, a doctor, the president, a vet etc. But I distinctly remember replying, in all seriousness, "a superhero". My reasoning for this dream was different than what people probably expected. I didn't desire to jump over buildings, fly, or be invisible. To me superheroes embodied the qualities the ideals of selfless giving. These seemingly average citizens actions' have a large and direct impact on their unsuspecting neighbors. An engineer may not be saving a city from a fire-breathing monster; but they may be in charge of preventing sewage overflow or controlling the water flow of a neighborhood. All of the above would have devastating effects on the city, and in these cases only certain, extraordinary people are qualified able to step up to the daunting task. Engineers may not have superpowers, but they do hold the innovative and qualities that subtly improve daily life. Although this jump of reasoning may not be the most profound piece of logic, it seemed to make perfect sense at the time. This desire to have an impact on the world around me in conjunction with a natural curiosity to find an answer to persistent questions have directed me towards the career of engineering.
At first what drew me to this school was the prestige of the name. Graduating from a university as renowned as Duke automatically opens metaphorical doors. At the top of every undergraduate ranking list, the Pratt School of Engineering always was within the top twenty. Superficiality aside, as my research deepened, I began to see that Duke University was more than just a place where I would shape my future, but also a community that extended beyond the campus boarders. Public activities such as Duke-Durham School Days program and DukeEngage represent how Duke wants to give back not only to the surrounding Durham area, but also internationally. Fans across the nation are united in their enthusiasm for the consistently top ranked Blue Devils. Diversity another thing that Duke University and I value. Not only is there cultural diversity with the students hailing from seventy different countries, but also diversity in interests. The variety of 49 majors, over a 100 extracurricular activities allows for a constant ebb and flow of ideas and exchanges. This last, but certainly not least, characteristic was the selling point for my application to Duke. As a Civil engineering major research opportunities are crucial. Duke is an internationally acclaimed research facility with over fifty percent of undergraduates having research experience by the time they graduate. Nowhere else can I find a similar plethora of opportunities and funding for projects. Few schools seem able to capture the essence of community, diversity, pride, and offer such reputable academic opportunities. But Duke manages to hold all of these qualities, and it is because of this, that Duke is my top choice.
