My College Admissions Essay: A Career As An Engineer

Seeing a project come to life is a satisfying experience I hope to have as an engineer. But first, I must attend college to become educated in my discipline. Growing up in a typical American middle-class family has instilled the principle that hard work pays the bills. Seeing my father save money and tinker around with his tools to build and fix anything my family broke fascinated me. As I spent hours building with Legos beside him, I developed a passion for math and science as well as creativity that has led me to pursue a career in engineering. I take my college education seriously because it is a costly investment. Decreasing the amount of debt I will owe enables me to commit to my education since it is a powerful tool that I intend to

Late in my sophomore year, I unexpectedly lost my father. This devastating loss filled me with uncertainty as to how my family would financially survive. Two weeks later, my younger sister, who was born with severe scoliosis, had spinal surgery. Since she has had ten surgeries in the last fives years, I have learned the duties involved in maintaining order in my house. Dealing with two matters at once has taught me to balance my commitments to school, extracurricular activities, and family. Although I was in a vulnerable state, I refused to take the easy way out. Having so many things on my plate pushed me to work beyond exhaustion to accomplish tasks and get A’s. This led me develop a strong work ethic and never let failure become an option. Overcoming this adversity has influenced my strong-willed personality as I learned to make well-informed decisions. Persevering through this circumstance also taught me not to get discouraged by obstacles. I will continue apply to these virtues to persevere in college and my

In the fall of 2018, I will attend Undecided University to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Throughout college, I intend to take part in co-ops to attain experience in the industry and understand the parallels between practice and theory. In addition, I plan to become a member of SCHOOL’s American Society of Civil Engineers club to further my technical background knowledge and communication skills that will prepare me to enter the workforce with confidence. Upon graduation, I hope to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam to become licensed, which is vital for employment. Having a college education will help me achieve my long-term goal of working overseas to improve facilities to withstand natural disasters. My interest in wanting to improve infrastructures began when I passed by ill-maintained water systems, buildings, and bridges when I traveled to China. Thus, I want to innovate infrastructures to withstand natural disasters to lessen the impact on both the people and environment. I hope this will help communities recover when