For the past nine years, I have been growing up in what I see as a chaotic environment. From divorce, to rehab, to the sickness of a relative, these years have been unsettling. Yet, as I look back, instead of feeling resentment or contempt, I realize the great impact they have had on my upbringing. Among these challenges three main events have truly shaped me into who I am. These events have made me change my perspective of the world,...

What first attracted me to Davidson was its Engineering program. Through it, I will be able to pursue the technical skills necessary to become an Engineer, and at the same time receive a world class liberal arts education. This combination of skills will prepare me to solve any problem in today’s complex world and will broaden my intellectual horizons. Moreover, I am fascinated by the way Davidson’s mission and traditions create a strong sense of community, unique to...

Ever since I was young, I have thought of myself as a problem solver, a person who always seeks to fix everything that is broken and make everything work more efficiently. This has led to my desire to study Systems Engineering, a desire that has grown over the years as I have focused on mathematics and the sciences during high school. At the same time, however, I also have various other academic interests. The University of Pennsylvania's interdisciplinary curriculum will...

What's your favorite word and why? Some people hear the word "home" and picture an apartment or house. When I hear the word, I picture something bigger. My home is a 120,000 square-kilometer country about the size of Mississippi, better known by my favorite word: Nicaragua. What I love about this word is not only the euphony of its syllables, but the image it brings to my mind. Nicaragua is a land of volcanoes, great beaches, lakes and rain forests with...

love how Notre Dame combines academics with a strong commitment to community service. The University's broad curriculum will allow me to explore courses in Applied Mathematics and Nuclear Physics, while still focusing on a major in Information Technology Management. Moreover, learning from excellent professors like Dr. Wendy Angst, with her map thinking session, will help me identify and achieve my goals. At Notre Dame, I will not only learn from world-class faculty, but also from motivated and innovative students. I...

Notre Dame students are encouraged to learn through discovery by interacting with the world around them. Describe your ideal intellectual field trip. Ever since I read about it, I have been fascinated by 3D printing, not only for its current uses, but also because of its potential. 3D printing has the ability to truly revolutionize the global market for goods. With the growing availability of printers, and the decreasing limitations on their capabilities, the costs of manufacturing will be reduced...

When I was young, I used to see Nicaragua as an unlimited source of natural beauty and never-ending tropical forests. As I grew up, however, I realized that this was changing. I began to notice the rampant development and became concerned with issues of pollution. In only a few years, the country lost thousands of square kilometers of undeveloped land to industry and urbanization. As I became more concerned with this, I started doing research and learned of the major...

I have always been committed to developing technical skills through my education but want to do so in an innovative and creative environment; for this reason, McCormick’s “Whole-brain Engineering” greatly appeals to me. Through this approach, I will be able to learn from world-class faculty and at the same time get involved in organizations like Design for America. Moreover, after interning in the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, I have become interested in the complexities and challenges of...

I did use a private counselor. I got great advice/revisions on my essays...