Please submit a one page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s). This essay should include the reasons why you've chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. For freshmen applying to more than one college or program, please mention each college or program to which you are applying. Because our admission committees review applicants by college and program, your essay can impact our final decision. Candidates applying for early decision or transfer may apply to only one college and department.
Mechanical engineering and its immense applications, from programing rocket launch systems to creating artificial space environments, has been an integral part in shaping the world, and is a field I am motivated to investigate.
Similarly, material science and its applications in engineering are limitless as they are integral to building most everything from clothing to heat shielding on spacecraft. And like mechanical engineering, it is a field I am interested in exploring.
In May 2013, I participated in the [name] Science Competition with a project focused on improving the efficiency of the Dye Sensitized solar cells using gold and silver nanoparticles. The science behind the dye sensitized solar cell was fascinating, as it used organic pigments to generate electrical energy, intriguing many judges, as it had impressed me just a couple months prior. However, I distinctly remember a judge, a Senior Director at [name], approach my project. I of course gave him my spiel and then he commented, “How many different disciplines do you believe this project encompasses?”
I listed off barely four, primarily due to inexperience. Then he responded, “I can count almost ten disciplines, including material science, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and mechanical engineering. And I am quite impressed.” He went on to explain a technology his company was working on: a solar sail for interstellar travel. Designed to span almost 13,000 square feet, the sail would be a kite like structure made of an ultrathin, highly reflective sheet. As light from the sun and earth-based laser arrays bombard the sail, photons will transfer their kinetic energy to the craft, propelling it to speeds of 18,600 miles per second. It is cutting edge technology like this that I want to study and help create.
I see the same passion for research and innovation at the Carnegie Mellon. I was specifically intrigued by large amounts of support the university gives to undergraduate research through the Undergraduate Research Office. In my first few years in college, I want to participate in cutting edge research, bringing new knowledge into the world. The SURG & SURG/CW program seems like the most ideal path for me to do that, especially the SURG Crosswalk program, which awards mini-grants to undergraduate research projects involving multiple disciplines. Yet it isn’t simply the opportunities for research at CMU that appeal to me, but the actual cutting edge research being conducted now.
Associate professor [name]'s work in developing an efficient, fuel cell powered automobile resonated with me and my work in renewable energy. It emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of engineering, involving such diverse fields as material science, renewable energy, thermodynamics, and mechanical engineering.
A final appeal of CMU, is the study abroad program as it allows engineering students to study abroad at esteemed institutions to participate in hands-on and collaborative learning to advance education beyond the classroom. I, too, hold similar aspirations to take my interests to different parts of the world to learn all that I can, potentially through the Peace Corps, hence my interest in study abroad.
All in all, mechanical engineering and material science are fields that have inspired me for many years because of their immense applications in fields ranging from astronautics to renewable energy. My goal is to participate in research and to create new knowledge to advance this amazing field, and CMU’s support for such innovation is precisely what appeals to me.