Texas A&M Engineering and Computer Science Supplement Essay Tips and Examples
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Prospective Texas A&M applicants to Engineering or Computer Science should submit their applications no later than the October 15 priority deadline. Texas A&M Engineering prefers students submit sooner than that due to rolling admissions decisions.
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In addition to the required Apply Texas Essay A Tell Us Your Story, prospective Engineering students must also submit a supplement. A&M for Fall 2021 has imposed the same 40 lines word limit as the UT-Austin short answer questions, so I suggest around 350-400 words to respond to the following. Your response to UT Major can be basically the same as TAMU, adjusted with references to each university:
Describe your academic and career goals in the broad field of engineering (including computer science, industrial distribution, and engineering technology). What and/or who has influenced you either inside or outside the classroom that contributed to these goals?
It is important to spend time addressing this question as it will be considered as part of the engineering review process. If you have chosen an engineering major for both your first and second choice majors, you will see the same question twice and may provide the same response to both questions.
Consider these tips and examples as you craft your Texas A&M engineering supplemental essay.
Reference Specific Previous or Current Experiences
The prompt asks you specifically to reference which experiences and activities influence your future academic goals and professional ambitions. You don’t need to speak specifically about your major or area of interest, but discussing your subfield/major can help tie in your experiences to how you feel Texas A&M can help you achieve your goals.
It’s critical that you include examples from your academic, extracurricular, professional, or independent studies experiences that influence your first-choice major. It isn’t enough to discuss vaguely your academic ambitions because you will be competing for spaces with students who have decent ideas where they have come from and where they want to go.
Consider developing lessons you’ve learned in a specific course or from a teacher who has influenced your future goals. If you have participated in an internship, discuss your roles and responsibilities and how the opportunity helped you explore and refine your interests. Particularly with STEM, if you’re competing in robotics, engineering, or science fair competitions, discuss your most memorable events or projects.
Many students also pursue their interests independently of the classroom or student organizations. If there is a topic or theme where you find yourself losing track of time or you voluntarily pursue certificate programs, this can be a great opportunity to share with your reviewer experiences that may not appear on your transcript or resume.
Locate Texas A&M Professors and Courses that Match Your Interests
Go beneath the surface of discussing rankings or career placement. One way to demonstrate how Texas A&M uniquely can help you explore your interests and achieve your goals is to identify a professor and expand upon how their research interests coincide with yours. All A&M departments have a list of faculty, their CVs, research interests, and courses they teach. You can often find their syllabi.
Spending even a little bit of time digging deeper about opportunities within your major will go a long ways towards demonstrating interest in your major. Citing a professor or course that interests you may also connect with research opportunities or labs that provide undergraduate research possibilities. Undergraduate research is a cornerstone of the A&M experience. If you want to dive really deep, you could find relevant articles, podcasts, or essays they have published.
Whether you end up working together with a professor or taking their course is less important than demonstrating that you’ve made at least a little bit of an effort to see what’s out there. You can also view a partial list of research labs like here, and a complete list by area and major here, which also does you the favor of listing relevant courses. Exploring research opportunities can help articulate your interest in a subfield that goes beyond the general and broad major categories.
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Find Related Student Organizations or Academic Resources
Like in high school, the college experience is not confined to the classroom. Most students pursue extracurricular activities or student organizations that may or may not relate to their academic pursuits.
Citing specific resources will help elevate your essay beyond platitudes about “rankings” and “prestige.” They make no secret about The Zachry Engineering Education Complex serving as their flagship Engineering facility. If you haven’t had the chance to visit campus and share your impressions and observations of this and other campus buildings, then consider reading student blogs or researching these resources online to demonstrate your interest for enrolling in Texas A&M.
Instead of speaking generally about student organizations, identify one or two that match your current activities or proposed future interests. Consider this list specific to Engineering or for Texas A&M more generally here. You can filter for any number of things like cultural organizations, service, special interests, pre-professional societies, visual and performing arts, sports, etc. Texas A&M has a tight-knit community, and they will want to know how you see yourself on campus.
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Share Relevant Personal or Family Circumstances
Oftentimes, students have personal reasons for choosing their first choice major that go beyond professional prestige, money, academic interests, or hobbies.
If you have compelling personal reasons for choosing your major, by all means include them especially if you haven’t mentioned them in your Essay A. There are no sob stories in college admissions, and I encourage you to be open about any adversity you’ve experienced particularly if it influences your future academic goals.
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Example of Texas A&M Engineering Supplement: Clean Energy
“The turbine converts the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy,” my dad explained, pointing to our newly finished water turbine model. For my fourth-grade science project, I wanted to demonstrate various clean energy processes. My dad and I spent hours developing model solar panels, a water turbine, and a wind turbine after excitingly researching how they worked. Since then, I have learned everything I could about energy.
Both of my parents studied electrical engineering. Their support has been a strong influence in my interest to pursue engineering and research. They encourage me to push myself in math and science, and they’ve also taught me about the business aspects of the energy industry after they started an energy brokerage company. In high school, I became fascinated when I first heard about Elon Musk’s Tesla, and I’ve dedicated many hours researching not just how electric cars work. One day, I would like to become the CEO of an innovative company like Tesla.
As CEO, I would open a division dedicated to developing an ideal battery for our electronics. Most modern electronics, including phones, laptops, and even electric cars, require lithium-ion batteries. They are the most efficient power source currently available, but I see opportunities for innovation. With many countries planning to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles, the electric car industry will flourish. However, since mining lithium is unsustainable and expensive, I would like to be a pioneering leader who develops the panacea of power sources for our electronics. Studying as an Aggie would provide me with the resources and opportunities to further investigate research, and produce revolutionary products in the world of energy.
As Elon Musk says, “The path to the CEO’s office is through engineering and design.” My parents emphasize that academic excellence is for the greater good, which makes Texas A&M the optimal place to pursue my dreams. Because I am concerned about future sustainability, I would love to research under the distinguished Professor Mehrdad Ehsani regarding sustainable energy systems and electric vehicles. As an Aggie, I will not only be able to benefit from the surroundings of my home state, but I will also be able to push the limits of my knowledge. I look forward to joining a supportive scientific community and the welcoming environment of College Station.
Example of Texas A&M Engineering Supplement: Aerospace Engineering
Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to view the world from the sky. Air travel and aircraft design invoke feelings of awe, progress, discovery, and adventure unlike anything else I’ve experienced. I remember my tour of the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington vividly. The impressive machines, enormous aircraft, and the brilliant minds bustling around created an infectious atmosphere. Ever since it’s been my purpose to explore as much as I can about aviation.
I’ve taken rigorous courses at school, pursued independent studies, and became a certified pilot. I scored a 4 on AP Physics I, and I am registered for AP Physics II, AP Physics C, and Calculus BC. I especially love applying science to solving problems, which is why I’ve spent hundreds of hours studying for my pilot’s license, learning aerodynamics, and training in flight simulators. Aerospace engineering is the perfect balance for my interests in problem-solving, applied science, and aviation.
Texas A&M Aerospace Engineering will help me further my aviation goals and provide me with the technical competencies for building an engineering career. During my on-campus visit in July, I learned about the different degree tracks and research opportunities.
I want to join other Texas A&M students who compete in national aerospace competitions including Design/Build/Fly. It also impressed me how A&M alumni earn positions at prominent firms nationwide and how career resources help place current students in interesting internships. My favorite part was visiting Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence and Innovation.
I also want to be part of research and industry teams who are pushing forward the next generation of aircraft. These academic and professional resources learning alongside enthusiastic classmates create an environment that will promote my growth and long-term advancement in the field of aerospace engineering.
Example of Texas A&M Engineering Supplement: Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Engineering
It wasn’t until sophomore year that I acknowledged math’s beauty and harmony. Like my classmates, I went through the motions in Algebra II and complained about quadratic equations, questioning how we would ever use it in the real world. Over time, I’ve opened my mind to the elegance of numbers: the rhythm of solving problems, the melody that forms when one concept flows seamlessly into the next, and the occasional unison of understanding myself with knowledge of the world.
I love calculus because it brings order to our chaotic world. Underneath the surface and outside of our perceptual abilities are mathematical structures that reveal order and calm. Math allows us to understand fundamental aspects of chemistry, biology, and physics, and it offers a quantitative perspective on various subjects while also revealing an interconnectedness. Math creates a common bond and invites everyone to communicate and find meaning regardless of culture, language, age, or religion. Therefore, I find that engineering is the best way to pursue my passion for mathematics and contributing to the improvement of the world.
Taking calculus helps me realize that there are solutions to unpredictable and seemingly unsolvable problems. Studying change is an essential part of calculus and computational engineering, and Texas A&M interdisciplinary engineering programs combine engineering, computer science, and applied mathematics to create a degree that equips students with statistical analysis and data processing skills.
Computational science holds the power to create meaningful change and contribute to the betterment of humanity. Predicting climate change requires models and simulations that process large amounts of variables and data. By combining conservation efforts with calculus, computational engineers supply environmental scientists and policymakers with the data required to mitigate continued environmental degradation.
Studying interdisciplinary engineering would allow me to tie my care for the environment to my love of math and problem solving while also giving me the abilities to use my passion for the greater good of humanity. It’s up to my generation to address pressing issues like climate change.
Example of Texas A&M Engineering Supplement: Biomedical Engineering
We were told by locals that our first Spokane winter was unusually harsh. Veterans of the snow season, I won’t forget our quizzical neighbors doubting that a kindergartener could unfreeze our elderly neighbor’s garage door. My parents and other grownups pushed, pulled, lifted, cajoled, and checked the power to the house. No budge.
Maybe it was because I lived lower to the ground, or perhaps children just think a little bit more outside the box than adults, but the story is something of a family favorite around the Thanksgiving table. They love to laugh about how I squatted, looked around, and shouted the obvious - it was frozen to the ground. Let’s throw some hot water on it.
I’ve always been in my element when tinkering projects. My Sophomore year, I upgraded my twin-size wooden childhood bed by first removing the bottom drawers. I rebuilt the base to house a light source that gave my room the illusion of a never-ending tunnel using two-way mirrors and light strips.
Recently in AP Physics, I went beyond the requirements for our “egg drop” experiment where we must support a falling egg using only plastic straws, glue, tape, and rubber bands. My teacher was impressed when I created a suspension system and intricate crumple zones, looking more like a lunar landing for my egg than my classmate’s more simple and less effective methods.
This past year, I visited several colleges. Attending Texas A&M’s Biomedical Engineering orientation and exploring Zachry Engineering Complex solidified College Station as my number one choice. I loved examining the equipment. I couldn’t believe I got to see, in person, the types of machines that perform 3D-printing of STEM cells to create coronary stents.
I also appreciated Texas A&M’s new intimate and interactive high-tech learning spaces. I feel this approach will help me collaborate more with my classmates and not have solely large lecture classes. Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M aligns with my interests of studying how the human body functions, solving engineering problems, and creating life-saving devices.