Johns Hopkins University was founded in 1876 on a spirit of exploration and discovery. As a result, students can pursue a multi-dimensional undergraduate experience both in and outside of the classroom. Given the opportunities at Hopkins, please discuss your current interests—academic or extracurricular pursuits, personal passions, summer experiences, etc.—and how you will build upon them here. (300-500 Word limit)


Johns Hopkins, as a premier research institution, provides an excellent educational system to help me foster my interest in biomedical engineering, as well as an interdisciplinary approach which will allow me to pursue my external interests in music. Programs such as the Biomedical Engineering department’s Systems Neuroscience research area, as well as the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra provide opportunities to become involved in both of these fields.


In 9th grade, I conducted an experiment using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure attentiveness during learning and how it affected the learner’s performance. This project led me to appreciate the structure of the brain; all of its various complex functions derive from the action potential. If the brain’s operation is just a series of nerve firings, then why can’t we quantify sensations like pain, with the help of tools like EEG?


The Systems Neuroscience field at Johns Hopkins is involved with such research. I found the research of Dr. Thakor about EEG and its potential uses in quantification of damage from cerebral ischemia to be particularly interesting.


My first major experience with engineering was as an intern at sp3 Nanotech over the last summer. With my mentor, Dr. Branson, I enhanced jet oil lubricants with nanodiamond to improve its efficiency, in a US Army-sponsored project. This process required me to find the recipe that was most successful in dispersing the nanodiamond, by adjusting many different variables, such as concentration, milling time, and solvent. It is possible to use nanodiamonds to make more efficient healthcare solutions, like in a nontoxic drug delivery system. I saw the potential for harnessing the engineering perspective to improve the quality of life.


I have been playing the clarinet for seven years and want to continue for the rest of my life. At Johns Hopkins, I can participate in the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, where I can rehearse and perform with other students who have the same passion as I do for music, even though it is not a part of their career aspirations. Also, I have the benefit of being able to listen to performances by the prestigious ensembles of the Peabody Conservatory, which will motivate me further to stay involved in the arts.


With an engineering degree from Johns Hopkins, I will be able to tackle the challenges that the medical industry faces today. The quality of education, as well as the unique, focused, opportunities provide the means for making these changes come to fruition. I found Hopkins to be unique in its emphasis on undergraduate research, even providing grant opportunities for incoming freshmen, before they have even began their first semester at JHU. 


At the same time, the flexibility to also pursue my extracurricular interests is something I admire about the curriculum at Johns Hopkins. The last time I went to a doctor complaining about some pain, I was asked how bad it was on a scale from 1 to 10. Maybe the next time I go, instead of the doctor asking me, he can measure it objectively.