University of Michigan Ann Arbor College of Engineering - Admission/Application Essay Example

?Admission Essays " Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below." In terms of extra-curricular activities, I devoted myself most prominently to the Legion of Mary volunteer organization. The Legion of Mary is an Irish based Catholic association that I joined during my freshman year of high school. My experiences in the Legion of Mary have strong significance to me because of my Catholic upbringing -- I was born in a Catholic family and attended a Catholic high school – and because of my conviction in the organization’s mission. While other volunteer activities I participated in were heartfelt and meaningful, my work with the Legion of Mary called for a higher level of commitment. This is because the Legion of Mary is deeply involved in hospital work and medical care. In many situations, it was my responsibility to act as a nurse’s assistant and ensure that individuals received medical care they had been denied. The experience profoundly changed me through the appreciation I gained for helping others. "Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve." When considering my reasons for transferring and the objectives I hope to achieve I recognize there are a number of broad ranging elements. In comprehensively encapsulating the elements that factor into my reasons for transferring, and articulating the objectives I hope to achieve it’s necessary to include background information relating to my life and my decision making process. Currently, I am a community college student desiring to transfer to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor College of Engineering. My desire to study engineering dates back to my life in Hong Kong. I was born in Hong Kong and moved to the United States three years ago after graduating from high school. After graduating from high school I took a year off from school, during which time I worked to acculturate into my new surroundings. While this was a difficult and challenging process the experienced left me with the strength and confidence needed to continue along my scholastic journey. I would move to Michigan and attend community college. During my time at community college I pursued a broad range of scholastic topics. My study of literature greatly enriched my understanding of individuals and societies, and my pursuit of political science further strengthened my grasp of international politics and contemporary political dilemmas. While I greatly appreciated these academic pursuits, ultimately my study confirmed that my greatest passion continues to be found in math and science. My experience in community college has strengthened my conviction to pursue a career in engineering. As a student growing up in Hong Kong I demonstrated a strong talent and aptitude for math and science. This disposition naturally led me to cultivate my skills in this area. From an early age I recognized that my path in life was to pursue a career in such an arena. In transferring to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s College of Engineering, I will be able to continue this educational journey that I began as a child passionately pursuing science fair projects in Hong Kong. There are a variety of objectives that transferring to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s College of Engineering will allow me to achieve. In terms of my career goals I hope to pursue a major in nuclear engineering. I have a wide variety of interests within this field, particularly nuclear medicine. In gaining admittance to your institution I will be able to pursue these aims in a rigorous scholastic environment that will prepare me for the rigors that my chosen profession demands. In addition to receiving a strong undergraduate education, I also recognize that the University of Michigan’s stringent academic requirements will prepare me in case I choose to pursue post-graduate work. I realize that in the competitive contemporary economic climate, particularly in the demanding field of engineering, graduate school is increasingly necessary. In these regards, I want to ensure that I receive the highest quality education possible to prepare myself for future academic study. While I have a number of objective career goals that will be achieved by transferring to the University of Michigan, I also recognize there are a number of intangible elements that I can attain through joining the UM community. Among these elements, I look forward to joining in classroom discussions and debates with my fellow classmates. While I have encountered a number of intelligent and creative students in my current academic environment, I hope to find more of these individuals. I believe that while education is in-large part attained through reading and rigorous academic study, gaining a truly stellar understanding of certain topics and sharpening critical thinking skills requires that one engage in interactions with similar minded classmates. In joining the University of Michigan community I hope to find a community of these students with whom I can interact, share, and mutually benefit. Even as my predominant concern is pursuing my career in engineering, I am excited at the potential of being exposed to a wide variety of ideas through the diverse course selections that the University of Michigan offers. I believe that a true education involves more than pursuing courses in one’s major, but instead gaining a broad understanding of academic content areas. While specialization is necessary, without a comprehensive approach to education one will be at a disadvantage in many areas of their life. In transferring to the University of Michigan I will have the opportunity to gain this wide-ranging education. Ultimately, I believe that such an education will contribute to both my career goals and make me a more well-rounded and considerate individual. "Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it." In considering my personal identity I recognize that everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. While I belong to a number of communities and define myself through a variety of elements, I believe my most defining aspect of selfhood emanates from my religious background. I was baptized as Catholic when I was three years old. Although today I still question the existence of God and investigate the truth of the Christian myth, I follow their principles as a guiding path of human existence. For example, I firmly believe in being an obliging individual and recognize the importance of integrity and honesty in my life. During my youth, I actively participated in Church activities. Throughout my life I have made many positive friendships through my participation in the Church that have enriched my life in a variety of ways. Today I am an Altar server during Mass; a kind of assistant during Catholic celebrations. Inside the bounds of society we help each other and encourage others. The strong bond of the Christian society has always redirected me to the right track whenever I find myself in a moral dilemma or spiritual challenge. Even through I have moved to United States from my Hong Kong home, I have found another Catholic society of which I am currently an active member. While there are aspects of the religious experience that I do not embrace, I recognize that in-large part the spiritual and moral dimensions of the Catholic religion have provided strong and positive guideposts for my daily existence. "Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?" From an early age I knew I loved science. As a child in Hong Kong I remember approaching science fair projects with verve some children reserved for video games. I was enthralled with discovering how the world worked and to my parents’ consternation spent countless hours taking apart and putting back together household electronics. As I further advanced in my education I found myself being similarly drawn to mathematics. While I appreciated language studies, increasingly I appreciated the rigor and discipline that led to objective answers in mathematics – elements I didn’t find in my other scholastic pursuits. As I entered high school and became involved in advanced science courses such as physics, I began to expand my intellectual interests. During this stage of my life I began to learn about Albert Einstein’s theories and some of the major contributions individuals such as Isaac Newton made to scientific understanding. Once again while my peers played video games and watched nightly sitcoms, I found myself watching documentaries on cosmology and the universe. I made it my mission to discover what Einstein meant by his ‘theory of relativity’ and deeply questioned the physical and scientific elements underlying major theories of the universe. In addition to my interests, I began to recognize that I had unique abilities that made me suited for pursuits in math and science. I regularly found myself tutoring others in class, and my senior year won an award for excellence in math and science. These elements led me to realize that my path in life would utilize these skills. After recognizing that my path in life would be in math and science, I set out to discover a viable career path. While I was passionately interested in the universe, I recognized that I was not entirely suited for a career in this realm. I began to express my interests to my family, and one afternoon spoke to my uncle who had spent his career working in a nuclear power plant. He spoke of the great demand for nuclear power plants in the future. I researched potential career paths and came to recognize that engineering both matched my strengths and allowed me to continue a career trajectory in nuclear power. I decided to major in nuclear engineering. Later, when I did more research regarding this major, I found myself particular interested in the scope of nuclear medicine. I recognize that this field has great potential; it can directly contribute to peoples’ lives, and utilizes my love of nuclear physics. I recognize that the Engineering Department at the University of Michigan can provide me with the unique opportunity to pursue this career path. I am very familiar with the University of Michigan commitment to academic excellence and I look forward to the opportunity to join an academic community that places a similar emphasis on scholastic pursuits. I recognize that in joining such a community I will have the opportunity to expand my intellectual understandings through discussion and debate with individuals that share my commitment to engineering. Read More