IIT Common App essay---any suggestions?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hello everyone, let me start by thanking you for clicking on my unappealing and demanding header.</p>

<p>I really don't know what it is that IIT is looking for, so I wrote this response hoping to give me a lead on a strong essay. </p>

<p>There is no word maximum</p>

<p>I also feel like I am deterring from the topic</p>

<p>Prompt:
For nearly 125 years, Illinois Tech students have been inspired to create, innovate, and find new ways to solve tough problems. Tell us which academic areas inspire you?</p>

<p>Ever since my enrollment in honors algebra and physics, I have come to both appreciate and love the area of mathematics. In honors Algebra, the main challenge was remembering all the complex formulas. After some time,however, I managed to do so. And while managing to memorize them, it hit me that almost every formula was connected in some way: the quadratic formula was closely related to completing the square, which can also be derived from factoring, and from there the x and y intercepts of a parabola could be found and the connections just get deeper and deeper as the math become more complex. I was not learning boring material. I was learning that math is more than what meets the eye. Behind all the challenging formulas and theorems lied a language mapped into numbers. And, I was in utter awe as to how elaborate the academic area of mathematics was, but I knew so little. In an effort to learn more, I pushed myself to take on honors physics, a field that broadened my understanding of mathematics. I learned that math is everywhere and used in our day-to-day lives. Our houses, cars, and even roadways are all interconnected with mathematics. I was so astonished I it my choice to study mathematics in college and pursue an occupation as an engineer, an area of study that can help strengthen my understanding of a field that has inspired me to take on so many classes in regards to it. I knew that this wouldn't be an easy career choice, so as a result, I applied for A.P. calculus as well as started an independent study in A.P. physics to prepare me not only for a future career as an engineer, but to also try to fill my yearning in understanding the vast possibilities in the subject of mathematics. </p>

<p>thank you for any insight! </p>

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<p>Don’t post essays directly into the forums; you don’t want to risk someone else stealing it! Next time PM an experienced, trusted member for an opinion.</p>

<p>Personally, I think specifying the classes as “honors” right off the bat sounds pretentious. It asks about the academic AREAS which inspire you, not classes, and if you truly have interest in math and physics you should be able to enjoy working in those areas whether it’s an honors course or not (further, whether it’s even a COURSE or not, as it seems your passion for the subjects will extend beyond the classroom), and I feel like the number of times honors/AP is mentioned sounds more like bragging and less like passion. </p>

<p>You might want to try a bit more of an abstract approach; you have a lot of trivial technical facts included and it might be hard to read to someone who might not be familiar with those concepts. Talk less in the beginning about WHAT you learned and more about WHY you enjoyed learning it; expand upon the interest you have in the way connections between concepts are made and how your everyday life is affected.</p>

<p>Also, by the end of your essay, you should have solidified your interest in these subjects; don’t say that the reason you want to major in engineering is that “you were so astonished” by it.</p>

<p>They know you took AP Calc and Physics. They have a copy of your transcript, and you should avoid redundancy. Try to go a bit more general here, too: maybe try something like “Because of the passion I have for math/physics, I applied to advanced courses to try to learn more and challenge myself” or “I took advanced courses in these subjects because I want to fulfill the potential I believe I have to succeed as an engineer.”</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>I read these all the time for IIT applications and what you have written really doesn’t get to the heart of the question that is asked. You talk about your courses in mathematics and physics but then at the end you say you are interested in engineering. If you have a desire to be an engineer, you need to tell why and what being an engineering will help you do in your life.</p>