Selected program of study and the aim to make durable, easy to fix, and upgradable electronics

I am applying for Electrical Engineering Undergraduate transfer at Georgia Tech

What interests you about your selected program of study?
Please limit your essay to 2000 characters, which includes spaces and punctuation.

passion for electronics

I used to spend most of my time in the dump collecting electronics parts. At the time when people still had their black and white CRT TV, the only source of components was from these waste landfill. I had an unusual love for electronic, especially amplifiers. Therefore, almost everything I found was used to build amplifiers. Sometimes I made LED light for fun too.

Although I might be the only one who looked for resistors and capacitors, the electric components were so rare that to find the right one would take a miracle. In a good day, I could find a board full of resistors and capacitors, or a working tube. Parts such as inductors and transformers were highly sought after because of their valuable copper. People who worked here are scrap metal collectors. They gather wires and boards and "cooked" them before selling them to the dealer. The smell of burning electronics gave people headage even from far away. Still, they earned less than one dollar a day.

The more compassion I feel for these workers, the angrier I get with people who throw away their gadgets. If those devices were fixed and given to people who are in need, they would not have been burned or buried, contaminating our land, our water, and our air.

I cannot force people to keep their broken electronics. I cannot force manufacturers to fix their products. However, I can create devices that are better for the environment and the consumers. Inspired by Google's Project ARA, I believe we can develop and refine the technology to build electronics that is durable, easy to fix, and upgradable.

Manufacturers only change when their consumers change. Consumers will change their behaviors if it benefits them economically. Solving this chicken and egg problem requires more than just an idea. We need devotedness and dedication from people who truly care. I, with a strong business background, a burning passion for electronics, and an earnest ambition will make the world a greener place.

Word counts: 1968 characters

I am an international student with a bachelor degree in business. My writing is not good so please help! I will appreciate any correction/suggestion.

Kduong, you sound more like an environmentalist than a potential electrical engineering student in this statement. The sentiment you deliver does not answer the question, "What interests you about your selected program of study?" The interest usually has a forward thinking theme about your desire to create a better industry or a better world through your invention of something or advocacy for an environmentally conscious electrical engineering field due to an experience in life. I sense that the latter is the sentiment that you want to express. The problem is that you did not do that accurately enough. Try to write a new essay that better describes the way that the junk yard helped open your eyes to the need for environmentally responsible electrical engineering plans and projects. That way your background in business and the inspiration offered by the Google project become more relevant as a response to the question.

Holt, Thank you so much for your input. I have made a few changes to the essay.

You are not being asked to explain why you spent 4 years in business school so you should never make a reference to your previous degree completed. That is irrelevant to the reasons why you were attracted to the study of electrical engineering. The answer to the prompt is in your attraction to e-waste management. Connect e-waste management to your attraction to electrical engineering. Explain how you were first attracted to building things from electricals that have been disposed of. Don't refer to the work others did in the essay scrap yard and how they earned so little from it. That is related to business, your previous degree. All references to your business degree should not be found in this essay since that doesn't justify an interest towards your current program of study.

@greyhamster
I just came here to cheer you up! I'm a writing learner too.
Let's keep it up and here's a good quote amateurs practice until they can get it done, professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.