Bending the Rules: College Admission Essay Sample

While I anxiously grasped the head of the gear shift, waiting for the colossal machine to come to life, curiosity overcame my sense of reality. The feeling of bending the rules triumphed over what was right and wrong. I erratically slid the gear into “R” for "Race," and heard the millions of Australian fans frantically cheering my name. The seat beneath lay buried under my large, 4-year-old self-esteem, as I hurtled down our house’s driveway in reverse hitting the mailbox. That day will forever be of significance because it sparked my fascination for engineering and applied sciences.

The love for machines is the one constant in my life, staying with me wherever I go. While living in Dubai, I would spend countless hours racing against go-karting teams from around the nation in my own engineered kart. The workshop where the air is tainted with unnatural fumes of steel, petrol and electric tape is where I found most of my time toiling in the heat trying to come up with the fastest and most efficient racing machine. Designing, computing, and solving problems were all parts of my engineering feat. Racing my kart allowed me to test my efforts and enjoy what I love most. This emotional connectivity drives my commitment and desire to learn about the way machines work, to push the limits, and to further bend the rules of engineering.

Therefore, I believe I can thrive in fields that link computer science with robotics and data science together, giving me a confident and successful beginning to my career. The University of Michigan’s strong engineering program and guidance of professors such as Todd Austin and Dr. Jason J. Corso, will be the launching pad for this ambition. I am excited to work in Computer Architecture classes and work on projects such as the Bulletproof Pipelines project with these professors. Also, I look forward to joining BLUElab, specifically the Chaguiton project team, because it will give me the opportunity to work with diverse team members on complex engineering tasks involving solving problems for those who need cleaner water systems. By joining this project team, I will be able to travel to places with fellow Michigan students that I would never imagine going if I were not to attend the University of Michigan.

In addition to the great number of opportunities at Michigan, the growing number of small Tech Companies in downtown Ann Arbor is reminiscent of where I currently live: Silicon Valley, which is a hotbed of next-generation technology. I have been exposed to the deep intellectual capabilities and technological advances evident in Silicon Valley, and I want to bring this knowledge to the Ann Arbor area to support the local businesses that want a space in the vastly competitive Tech Industry. By gaining admission into the University of Michigan, I will be able to continue my passion for cars and engineering, while working in an environment where I can succeed in doing what I love doing most.