Prompt:"Describe the world you come from – for example, your family, community or school – and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations." My interest in robotics was first sparked by a captivating episode on robotic exoskeletons on the PBS show, NOVA. People built astounding creations that allowed the paralyzed to walk again; it seemed like science fiction. High school provided me with the opportunity to explore computer engineering through the VEX Robotics Team and the Engineering...

Prompt: "Please submit a one page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s). This essay should include the reasons why you've chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. For freshmen applying to more than one college or program, please mention each college or program to which you are applying. Because our admission committees review...

CMU Prompt: "List the books (if any) you've read this year for pleasure. Choose one and in a sentence describe its impact on you." Books: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller; Digital Fortress by Dan Brown; The Hades Factor by Robert Ludlum; What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell; The Gatekeepers by Jacques Steinberg; Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon by Kim Zetter Catch-22 by Joseph Heller left me with two...

University of Illinois- Prompt: "Explain your interest in the major you selected. Describe an experience related to this area of study, what first introduced you to this field, and/or your future career goals. Limit your response to 300 to 400 words." I watched hopelessly as our creation refused to move. I watched hopelessly as my team’s rank in the competition plummeted– 40th, 55th, 59th. We were at our first VEX robotics competition, Skyrise, and our duct-taped mummy of a robot,...

CMU Prompt: "While not a requirement, have you been interviewed by an alumni or on campus representative prior to applying for admission? If so, indicate the name of your interviewer and tell us how it impacted your decision to apply. " This was the first interview I had ever had. I was nervous, but excited. I walked into the warm Starbucks and saw a blond male who looked identical to his profile picture. After finding a table in the crowded Starbucks,...

Prompt: How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom? Purdue provides many opportunities to explore and learn about computer engineering and robotics. Purdue provides numerous research opportunities in software engineering such as the Robot Vision Lab or the Collaborative Robotics Lab. There are also many clubs devoted to robotics like the Purdue Lunabotics or the IEEE Robotics and Automation society, which will allow me to have hands on experience in robotics. The first...

UC Additional Comments: On top of classes and clubs, I have studied independently through online classes on Coursera and edX. I enrolled in a UC Berkeley course, Principles of Written English, my freshman year to enhance my writing skills, which allowed me to later succeed in my honors and AP English classes. I also took introductory classes in computer engineering like Cryptography from Stanford, Introduction to Computer Science and Programming from MIT, and Introduction to Linux from the Linux Foundation....