The Powerful Combination: College Admission Essay Sample

From the time of dispatch, an EMT has approximately 120 seconds to get to the patient before life expectancy begins to drop. A fire engine has the luxury of 600 seconds before the number of alarms doubles and triples. These estimates do not include any additional adversities that might occur such as traffic, weather, and communication failure.

How do you begin to save lives if any of your machinery is archaic? As a volunteer fireman and EMT trainee, I have witnessed the obstacles that can possibly hinder saving a life. In my short time with the Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company, I have already begun to outline prototypes to help my colleagues and my community members ensure both efficiency and the highest order of care. The M&T Program will make my success possible because, unlike a double major in business and engineering, the M&T Program integrates management and technology into one complementary curriculum.

My current foray into the combination of business and engineering has been to redesign the standard hose and personal protective equipment that firemen use. Before the hose even attaches to the hydrant, a fireman must endure lifting and unraveling approximately two hundred pounds, most of this weight accounted for by the antiquated nylon covering. My colleagues and I found ourselves fatigued and immersed in sweat before we even fastened our last buckles and rushed into the blaze, due to the rising temperature under our turnout coats and bunker pants. Fire and EMS departments, most of which are hindered by financial cutbacks of their own, need modernization in order to save more lives. A few seconds is all it takes to determine life or death.

By supplying me with an extensive understanding of engineering, the M&T Program will perfect my ideas and help to effect their transition from the drawing board into real products; after all, the technological aspect of the program is geared towards innovation and invention. Through Penn Engineering Undergraduate Research and the M&T Innovative Fund, I can delve deeper into the science behind the problematic aspects of emergency services, thus allowing me to further understand the problems and develop more effective solutions. Furthermore, a solid business does not just rely on one product and then rest on that product’s laurels. Each product gives birth to a family of new ideas and designs. The hose and equipment are just the first steps in a series of rehabilitation measures to bolster the fire service and EMS.

With unique opportunities at M&T, such as Bioengineering 400, I will earn important exposure to real-life problems in medicine through my hours in the clinic. Shadowing physicians will allow me to gain valuable feedback on new ideas for EMS innovations as well as gaining new ideas for products. Although the technology side of my future company will be strong, I must maintain a strong business plan to ensure that my products positively affect Fire and EMS agencies throughout the world. The longevity of a company and its products relies on the company’s ability to capture market share, allocate resources efficiently, and manage employees to their highest potential, thus requiring a unique business mind leading the way.

In order to effectively capture the market and the country with their products, inventors and innovators must become powerful entrepreneurs through efficient management techniques and a mastery of economics. Equipped with a Wharton education, Penn Engineering students become unstoppable at accomplishing their dreams. With concentrations in Management, specializing in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, I can bring my products to the next level because I will possess the ability to develop flexible and individualized techniques for my industry while ensuring that every aspect of my company is optimized.