I am fascinated with how and why things work; I have disassembled and reassembled everything from microwaves to Mazda’s, from Toyota’s to toasters for curiosity’s sake. I love to improve things, whether it be modifying and maintaining cars or upgrading a dated computer with the latest processor or graphics card. I enjoy creating and designing everything from basic computer programs to go karts and motorized mountain bikes. I am an inventive, adaptable, earnest and persevering individual who...

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. Cars are my passion. When I was ten years old, my parents bought me a plastic model of a combustion engine and I've been fascinated with engines of all types ever since. In my early teens I started to put small motors into bicycles, which led to building go karts and...

Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? While at Engineering camp at Olin this past summer I had the opportunity to spend parts of two days on the MIT campus, see the facilities as well as have an MIT graduate student come to Olin and teach us about radio control. Through that experience I learned about MIT's flexible engineering degree program. I have a...

What attribute of your personality are you most proud of, and how has it impacted your life so far? This could be your creativity, effective leadership, sense of humor, integrity, or anything else you’d like to tell us about I'm proud of my strong work ethic. I learned early on that hard work is crucial for success. When I was 13 I attempted to motorize my mountain bike. There were clearance issues, wiring and fuel issues, as well as how...

Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? It all started in 1620 when my great, great, great, great, great grandfather, John Howland, fell off the Mayflower. There was a turbulent storm, and he was blown off the side of the ship into the frigid waters of the Atlantic ocean below. He managed to swim to and grab a hold of a rope from...

Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? One of the biggest challenges I have faced is dating a vegan girl. Okay, not really, but I do enjoy a good, rare steak which doesn't fly with her at dinner. We met at an International Baccalaureate school and that's where real challenges occurred. It was a brand new program fraught with the usual...

This sounds very cliche, but just be yourself. Don't try to write an essay in a style that isn't yours, it just comes out feeling awkward.

I think the biggest thing that made me stand out as an applicant was my wealth...

The most popular extracurricular activities at MIT are project based clubs. I am very involved in...

I am very involved in MIT's electric vehicle team and somewhat involved in my dorm's house government. I have always had a passion for working on cars and wanted to apply...

The course I've enjoyed the most so far at MIT has been differential equations. I have always loved mathematics and this class was no...