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1. Which universities have you selected to apply to and why?

Stanford, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Caltech, Cornell, Washington U in St. Louis, UPenn, U Illinois – Urbana Champaign, Northwestern, and Dartmouth!

When I started, I looked for schools that provided a strong background in engineering because that is something I’d really like to do in my life. After looking at different schools for a while, I realized that I wanted universities that would let me pursue the arts as well. If I just pursue engineering, it would be like wasting my life away; I wanted the chance to try so many other things. I was looking to pursue engineering as a major and also study subjects that involve art such as philosophy, design, or architecture. Of course, I also looked at campus life in terms of diversity and interactiveness. I’ve never been to America before, so I want to experience American culture and interact with others from different nations.

2. What has been the most challenging part of the admissions process so far, and why was it difficult?

Essays! Even though I had the ideas, I had to actually organize them and put them into words. I had to think of how to express myself so that the admissions committee would know what I was trying to say and at the same time try to give a deeper perspective of me as a person.

3. From your background, what key qualities do you think you possess that universities will be looking for?  

I possess quite a mixture of qualities. I have traditional Chinese values such as thriftiness, filial piety, and giving back to society. Yet, I keep an open attitude. I have been exposed to Western culture since I was quite young, and I don’t try to follow all the traditional Chinese values. Sometimes rules are meant to be bent a bit.

4. Why, for you, does the subject you have applied for stand out above others? 

I am applying for programs in engineering.

Engineering combines my love for physics and my passion for design. Especially in my engineering specialty, mechanical engineering, you need to have both. 

For some reason, my mind is very tuned to studying physics. I pick up the theories very fast and can apply them flexibly in many different situations. You can express yourself creatively with physics and come up with many different solutions. For example, say there is a problem about a man jumping off a cliff. You can use many approaches to solve it, like kinematics, forces, or energy.

Engineering also allows for creativity. Problems like global warming could have many different solutions, like clean ups and solar cells. I guess creativity is a similarity between physics and engineering!  

5. What do you hope to achieve at University, and once your studies have been completed?

By the time I graduate, I hope I will have done something meaningful. Maybe a couple of interesting research projects that I can tell my kids about some day. I want to experience the ups and downs of college, make friends, and get involved in extracurriculars. When I graduate, my mind will be more tuned, more flexible. I will be able to invent and apply theory to practice efficiently.