Penn Personal Statement

At Penn football games, when the band sings, “Here’s a toast to dear old Penn,” slices of toast rain from the stands, blanketing the football field and track. To ease the cleanup effort, a few of Penn’s engineering students created the “toast Zamboni.” These students—who were capable of identifying a problem, designing a solution, implementing the final product, and improving an aspect of life—embody what I hope to achieve by studying engineering at Penn.

I am drawn to the teaching style in Penn’s Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics program, which promotes interactive learning. I would be able to understand both the conceptual foundations of engineering, as well as the practical applications of these textbook teachings. Furthermore, by gaining exposure to real-world problems as an undergraduate, I would be better prepared and more confident to face new challenges in the

future. Perhaps one of the technical complications I see in college will recur in a varied form in real life, and my enforced learning will allow for an efficient resolution process.
While comprehending the principles of engineering is important, I find it imperative to recognize the impacts of its final products.

With Penn’s encouragement of an interdisciplinary education and its flexible curriculum, I would be able to study both the fundamentals of engineering and its potential consequences. As a member of Project Green—an environmental awareness club at my high school—I am specifically concerned by the effect of technology on the environment. Therefore, along with a major in mechanical engineering, I wish to minor in energy and sustainability. After taking the respective classes for this minor and having an in-depth grasp of the environmental issues spawned from technological interference, I would aim to research potential solutions under the guidance of a mentor. Through Penn’s Engineering Faculty Expertise Directory, I found a professor who may fit this role: Professor Lior, who researches—among various other subjects—sustainability. I hope that he may be the mentor for my aspirations one day and that I will have the opportunity to collaborate in research with

him.
When I first visited Penn, I found sources of inspiration in every corner, whether it be the chalk messages on the sidewalks, the iconic “LOVE” sculpture, the activities on Locust Walk, or the diversity of the people. As a recreational artist and musician, the campus would provide influences unattainable elsewhere, and I would be able to undergo a unique transformation—maybe even discover my artistic style. However, the expansion of my creativity would not only improve my art and music. As an engineer, I would be able to strengthen my critical thinking abilities with a greater imagination. Such a mindset would allow me to grow as an innovator.
For me, to attend Penn would be to evolve. By taking its rigorous courses, seeking its research opportunities, and experiencing its inspiring environment, I would become an engineer ready to face the world and its troubles.
In the meantime, here’s a toast to dear old Penn!