engineering personal statement books

8 Books Every Engineering Student Should Read

09 Jan, 2024 | Blog Articles , Engineering Articles

Studying engineering is an exciting but challenging venture. Engineers must keep a broad and open mind, coupling this with rigour and analytical skills. Reading around your subject is a great way to encounter new ways of thinking, and to prepare to discuss these ideas in your applications to study Engineering at university. For students considering furthering their knowledge through our Oxford Summer Courses , this reading list is especially pertinent.

The following reading list contains the Engineering books that we think every aspiring Engineer should read. Each one will add something to your understanding and appreciation of Engineering! So, in no particular order:

Table of Contents

1. Structures – or Why Things Don’t Fall Down by J.E. Gordon

This Engineering book has been read by countless people with an interest in engineering across the globe. Straightforward and relatively accessible, it is the perfect introduction for aspiring students. This will help ease some of the misunderstandings you may have about engineering, and answer meaningful questions that often get overlooked.

2. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

Design is simple, right? You make a product that solves the problem you want to address, and voilà! But in reality, effective and efficient design is an ongoing process accompanying the change and evolution of the world around us. In this book, Don Norman shows how the design of an item serves as a communication channel between a non-living object and its user. Filled with practical tips, this book offers valuable insights into optimal design practices. It’s an excellent read for anyone at any stage of their engineering journey, especially for those gearing up for pre-university Engineering courses like the Oxford Summer School , where such principles are explored in depth to enhance practical design skills.

3. Sustainable Materials – With Both Eyes Open by Julian Allwood and Jonathan Cullen

Engineering designs are heavily dependent on the materials available for use. Sustainability is increasingly important as our global society looks to address urgent environmental concerns. For example, steel and aluminium industries alone account for nearly 30% of global emissions. Governments are now setting emissions targets that rightfully require the engineering industry to reform its practices; the materials we use, and their life cycles, are changing. Serving two purposes, this book is both a wake up call to the environmental impact of engineering and a solutions manual. Not just for engineers, this is an interdisciplinary resource of information and inspiration for how to prevent climate change as a student .

4. The Gecko’s Foot: How Scientists are Taking a Leaf from Nature’s Book by Peter Forbes

Nature is breathtaking. Evolution is even more astounding. The solutions to many of the problems engineers face have in fact already been found and tested by nature. And so, this book argues, our task is to imitate nature by applying natural phenomena to our practical engineering problems. A gecko can scale vertical glass and walk on ceilings, thanks to the millions of bristles that each ramify into hundreds of further projections. This book discusses the work of nano-scientists looking to replicate this feature, among many other examples of scientists harnessing the beautiful solutions of nature. 

5. Engineer to Win by Caroll Smith

Caroll Smith is a legendary high performance Formula 1 racer. As the title suggests this book explores the commitment to performance that is necessary at world-class level. For those serious about becoming a highly successful engineer, this book will enlighten you on the mentality, attitude and skills you will need to build a career. Additionally, it is doubly relevant to those interested in mechanical, aerospace and materials disciplines, given the nature of Smith’s research.

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Writing a Winning UCAS Engineering Personal Statement: Ultimate Guide w/Analysed Examples

Engineering Personal Statement: Why It’s Important

With careers in engineering providing  over 20% of the UK’s total economic productivity and with over one-fourth of its workforce working in engineering fields , it’s no surprise that some of  the best and highest-ranked  engineering schools in the world are located in the United Kingdom. So how do you get a spot in one of the best engineering programmes in the world? You need impressive marks, a good resume, and a stellar engineering personal statement.

Before we get to that, though, let’s back up a little and examine everything it takes to get into a good engineering programme.

Engineering Programme Prerequisites

Before you get ready to apply for an engineering programme at any university, there are  several prerequisites  you need to have met first. While these prerequisites may differ slightly from university to university, the majority of them should remain the same.

Completed Coursework

You must have, at a minimum, at least two A-Levels if you expect to get into an engineering programme. In the most popular programmes, you’ll need at least three, with grades of A’s and B’s in each. The exact entry requirements may vary, but they tend to range from CCC to AAA. Most universities prefer you to have ABB.

Additionally, one of your A-Levels needs to be in maths. A second A Level in physics is also encouraged for students hoping to study engineering at Uni. There are other courses that may be accepted in place of physics, such as other science courses, additional maths courses, or design and/or computing courses, but your safest bet will always be maths and physics as two of your A-Levels. If you don’t have an A-Level in maths, you may be required to take a maths and/or mechanics aptitude test before being considered for admission.

Vocational Courses

If you don’t have the required A Levels, another option you can use at some schools is to substitute vocational courses for them. For example, if you have Level 3 or Level 6 qualifications, you might be able to use these as replacements for the A-Level courses. These qualifications include the following:

• SVQ Scientific, Technical & Formulation Processing (SCQF Level 6)
• Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Engineering or Construction and Built Environment

It’s important to note that not all universities will accept these as substitutes for A-Levels, so check with each school individually.

Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering

If you’re interested in a biotechnology or chemical engineering programme, the required A Levels are a little different. Universities usually require two A-Levels in science or a Scottish Highers with either biology or chemistry as one of the subjects. Additionally, you’ll also be required to have five GCSEs that include English, maths, and a science.

Scottish Highers

The most common range for entry into Highers is between ABBB and AAAAB. The majority of universities require AABBB. If a university requests an Advanced Highers to supplement Highers, they most often ask for an AA.

Additional Qualifications for Admission

The only true prerequisites for admission into an engineering programme are those listed above, but there are some additional things you may want to have on your application to make it more memorable. These include relevant work or apprenticeship experience, volunteer experience, and personal references.

Applying for Admission

To apply for any undergraduate programme at a university in the UK, particularly an engineering programme, you have to fill out an application through the  UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) . If you’ve ever applied to a college or university in the United States using the Common App, the UCAS is very similar.

It’s a centralised location for applying to a multitude of different schools/courses, and you’ll use it whether you live in the UK or are an international student. The actual name of the application is the UCAS Apply. Once you’ve completed it, you can apply to up to five separate universities (or five separate degree programmes if you aren’t set in your engineering course) simultaneously.

Filling out the UCAS Apply: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: register for the ucas site.

This is a simple setup process. You’ll sign up by setting up a username and password. You’ll create some security questions in case you lose your password, and then you’ll be asked some basic information such as your name, birth date, and other personally-identifying information.

Step 2: Verify Your Account, Sign In & Enter the Rest of Your Information

After verifying that you really did create an account, you’ll be asked to sign in using the username and password you just created. Then you’ll fill in the rest of your personal information, including your residency status. You’ll also be asked about how you plan to pay for university and whether or not you’ll be requesting scholarships.

Additionally, you’ll be asked about any special needs you have or the accommodations you’ll need. If you have any type of criminal record, you’ll indicate that in this section. You can also give permission for an adult in your life – parent, adviser, mentor, guardian, etc. – to have access to your UCAS profile. This gives them permission to talk to university staff about you, your university goals, and anything else of note.

Steps 3 & 4: For UK Residents Only

If you’re an international student, you won’t be required to fill out steps three and four. (Note: Residents of the EU might possibly be asked to fill out step 4.) Section three asks about your national identity, ethnic origin, and occupational background. There are some additional questions in this section that are optional. These ask about your religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

You’ll also be provided with space to discuss your own, personal circumstances, especially as they relate to your ability to pay for and succeed at Uni. This could include information about your parents’ education or background, activities in which you’ve been involved, whether or not you’ve been in care, etc.

Section four isn’t always asked and only appears if questions in the personal details section have been answered a certain way. If they do appear, they’ll be asking about your finances.

Step 5: Choose Your Courses/Universities

In this section, you’ll be able to apply for up to five different courses and/or universities. This is where you choose what programmes you hope to be accepted into. You can only choose five though, so choose wisely.

Step 6: Provide Your Educational History

Here you’ll enter your entire educational history beginning at secondary education. You’ll enter your A-Levels as well as any vocational courses you’ve taken. It’s important that you list all of these exactly right, including the marks you received in each.

Step 7: Employment History

This is where you’ll attach your work resume. This is for paid work only. If you have any volunteer experience or other unpaid work, it’ll be listed in your personal statement instead. You can only list five places of employment, so if you’ve had more than five jobs, choose the five most relevant to the programme you’re pursuing (in this case, engineering).

Step 8: Your Personal Statement

We’ll discuss this in-depth a little later on.

Step 9: Review the Details

Once you’ve completed all the above-listed steps, you’ll have a chance to review everything. Review it thoroughly and make any changes necessary. You won’t be allowed to edit it once it’s been submitted.

Step 10: Personal Reference, Application Fee & Submit

Finally, you’ll need at least one personal reference. This should be from someone who knows you in a professional capacity, either from working with you or having had you in class. You’ll also be required to pay an application fee of £20 if you’re applying to only one course and £25 if you’re applying for multiple courses. Then you’ll submit the application.

Once you’ve submitted your UCAS Apply application, you’re all set. You can track it using the UCAS Tracker to see if your desired universities have received it. Then you wait for the university to reach out to you for more information, an interview, or acceptance.

Writing Your Personal Statement

If you’re applying to an engineering programme, you’ll be required to write a  personal statement  as part of step 8 on the UCAS Apply application. We can’t overemphasise how important step 8 truly is. There are very few universities that require you to write an additional essay or personal statement for entrance into their engineering programmes, so this is your one chance to get it right.

So what exactly should you write about?

There isn’t exactly a prompt for writing your UCAS personal statement. Under this same question – “What should I write about?” – on the  UCAS website , the answer given is simply, “You.” In other words, write about yourself.

The admissions team wants to know why they should give you a coveted spot in the engineering programme over every other applicant. You need to tell them why you want a spot at the university, but you also need to tell them why you  deserve  a spot  and  what it is about you that should make them want to  give  you a spot. This means showcasing your strengths, achievements, and drive to succeed.

In case you need a little more guidance, here are some questions to ask yourself to help you get started:

• Why are you interested in attending university, and what aspects of university life are you most looking forward to experiencing?
• What are your career goals?
• What first interested you in engineering, and what about it continues to interest you?
• What experiences have you had, either in school or in the work environment, that would prepare you for studying at university?
• Was there anything about your earlier education studies you found to be particularly helpful or interesting?
• What do you most hope to gain from your time at the university, and what strengths and positive characteristics will you bring with you?
• What makes you a good candidate for a position at Uni?
• What elements of your future studies are you looking forward to most?
• Have you taken any higher education courses already, received any awards or accolades, or been recognised for outstanding academic or professional ability?
• What can you write about to prove that you’ve researched engineering beyond what you learned in your early education?

If you consider these questions and keep them in mind while writing, you’ll likely cover everything you need to cover to make a good impression on the admissions team. UCAS also provides you with this  personal statement worksheet  to help organise your thoughts and guide your writing.

Standard Engineering Personal Statement Length & Format

One thing to keep in mind while writing your personal statement is that it has to stay within a  certain character limit . No matter how much you have to say, you have to keep it under 4000 characters or 47 lines of text.

While this isn’t an exact word count, that averages out to approximately 500 words, which isn’t a ton of words. It’s about one single-spaced page worth of text. This means that you must be concise. You want to get in all the important information that’ll help your application stand out from all the other applications universities receive, but you have to do it without being too wordy.

Format Requirements

Worrying about the formatting requirements (double-spaced, single-spaced, font size, etc.) is unnecessary for your engineering personal statement because you’ll be typing or pasting it into a text box on the website. As long as your paragraphs are clearly defined and your font is easy to read, you should be fine on formatting guidelines.

However, because you only get 47 lines of text, it’s important that you  structure your paper correctly . This means breaking your personal statement into roughly three sections, with each section answering a specific question. For the sake of clarity, we’ll call these sections the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Now let’s break it down a little further.

A Brief Introduction

The introduction should take up about 15-20% of your personal statement. That’s approximately seven to ten of the 47 provided lines. In your introduction, try to answer the question, “Why do you want to study engineering?” You can talk about the experiences that shaped your love of the subject and the things about it that continue to interest you. You might even touch on why you feel it’s important that people study engineering at all.

Full, Rich Body Paragraphs

Your body paragraphs should make up about 55-65% of your engineering personal statement, or 26 to 30 lines. In these paragraphs, you’ll address the questions, “What have you done that has prepared you for this course?” and “Why do you deserve a spot in the programme?” This is when you go in-depth into your experiences, educational history,  relevant  employment, etc.

Other questions you may want to address in your body paragraphs are:

• How have you cultivated the knowledge you need to succeed in this field?
• What did you learn while preparing for this course?
• Did you receive high marks in the classes relevant to an engineering course?
• Did you win any awards or receive any other accolades?
• What about your life experiences that has fully prepared you not just to enrol in the course but to excel in it?

A Brief Conclusion

Your conclusion should make up between 20-25% of your engineering personal statement, which is roughly ten to 12 lines. Here you’ll sum up your personal statement and bring it to a close. This is where you’ll add in any other extracurricular activities that might not be relevant to engineering but are impressive enough that you want the admissions team to know about them. You can also touch briefly on your future career goals in this section.

Other Things to Remember

One statement – five applications.

One of the most important things to remember about your engineering personal statement for your UCAS Apply application is that you can only write one statement, even though you could be applying to five different courses/universities. This means you don’t want to mention any specific university by name. If you do, the four other universities to which you’ve applied may think you aren’t seriously interested in them and disregard your application altogether.

Additionally, if you’ve applied to study different subjects rather than simply applying to five different engineering programmes, you won’t be able to focus your personal statement quite so much on the field of engineering. Instead, you’ll have to take a much more general approach to writing your personal statement, discussing your strengths in general terms as opposed to how they would apply specifically to the field of engineering.

Proofread and Edit

Do  not  submit your application and your included engineering personal statement without first proofreading and editing your statement. It’s even better if you can ask a  mentor, professor, or trusted friend  to look over it for you before you submit it. Having a fresh set of eyes looking over your paper is a great way to find errors you might have otherwise missed. Proper grammar and writing style are important, so don’t rush ahead without a proper amount of time spent editing and cleaning up.

The Website Will Time Out

Another important thing to remember is that the UCAS website will time out after 35 minutes of inactivity. For this reason, it’s better if you write your personal statement ahead of time in a separate document and then simply copy and paste it into the text box once it’s been fully edited and is ready to go.

Engineering Personal Statement Examples

Example personal statement 1.

“I hope a degree from your University will allow me to transfer key abilities from a place of study into, eventually, a place in industry. After much extended research, my admiration for the engineering innovator, Karl Benz, has been truly established. Commonly regarded as the originator of the first automobile powered by an internal combustion engine, his contributions to the vast domain that is engineering are simply colossal. One creation of his that captivated my mind tremendously was the ‘Blitzen Benz’; a vehicle fabricated solely for the purpose of speed. […]

Understandably, I am mindful that the finest engineers must possess a resilient skill-set, which should include the ability to thrive in both collaborative and solo tasks, flourish under pressure and blossom in positions requiring a leadership mentality. Hopefully, a place on this course will allow me to reinforce and augment my previously developed skills whilst allowing me to simultaneously acquire many more essential abilities that will prove beneficial in later life.”

– Read the rest  here

Although this excerpt is a little longer than we usually like to include, we had to include it. It’s just too impressive to ignore. First of all, you’ll notice the author refers to “your University.” This is how you should always speak of the prospective university in your engineering personal statement because it sounds personal, but it doesn’t call any specific school by name, which would alienate the other four universities to which you applied.

Secondly, the author speaks of his admiration for the engineer and inventor Karl Benz. This shows that he’s researched his field of study outside of what he learned in school. It shows he has a genuine interest and passion for engineering, which means he should do well at Uni. The section that’s been removed goes into more detail about the ‘Blitzen Benz,’ using language that shows he has a solid knowledge of the technical terms associated with engineering.

Finally, he smoothly transitions into highlighting his strengths. He mentions many of the qualities that make for a good engineer and then mentions he has those qualities. In the next section, which has also been removed for the sake of brevity, he talks a bit about how he cultivated those qualities. He also says he hopes his time at Uni will help further these necessary qualities in him, and then transitions into talking about his future goals.

It is a powerfully written personal statement that shows the writer to be an excellent candidate for the engineering programme.

Our Verdict:

Example Personal Statement 2

“Engineers build societies. More specifically, mechanical engineers apply fundamental maths and physics laws to construct mechanical devices that we use every day, despite sometimes going unnoticed. For this reason, I would like to pursue a career in engineering, as it is such a key component in societies. It combines my fascination of how things work and the mechanics behind devices, with the ability to apply maths and physics concepts to real-life situations.

Studying Maths Mechanics at A-level has given me experience with calculus and more advanced mathematics, including differential equations, creating a firm grounding for the mathematics I should encounter at degree level. Physics has given me an understanding of fundamental notions and reinforced the mechanical aspects of maths […]”

his is another example of a well-written engineering personal statement. The introductory paragraph, in particular, is superb and covers everything that should be covered. The writer starts by highlighting why engineering is important to society as a whole. In doing so, she also demonstrates a solid knowledge of what engineering is all about.

She transitions smoothly into why she wants to become an engineer and mentions that she has a fascination with both  “how things work”  and  “the mechanics behind devices,”  which are two key elements for a successful engineer. In her next paragraph, she begins talking about her educational history, showing she has the experience and education necessary for a foundation in engineering.

Altogether, she presents herself as someone with passion, clearly defined goals, and a solid foundation that should allow her to hit the ground running when she begins at the university.

Example Personal Statement 3

“My desire to study Engineering stems from the practical application of Maths and Physics to real world situations to enhance and improve them is a field that I find fascinating and perplexing. After partaking in different engineering-based experiences, I learnt how varied and inclusive this subject is, and that is the reason I want to study Engineering at University.”

In contrast to the first two examples, this is an example of a weak engineering personal statement that wasn’t done well. This is the author’s introductory paragraph, and right from the beginning, it fails to paint the writer in a good light. The first sentence is grammatically incorrect and makes no sense as written. The paragraph is also much too short and vague.

Referring back to the common structure of a personal statement, you’ll remember the introductory paragraph should be about seven to ten lines long. This one is about four. It doesn’t have enough information on it, and the information that’s there is too general. It sounds like a child’s version of what an engineer does and why it’d be fun to be an engineer.

The student mentions  “partaking in different engineering-based experiences”  but doesn’t give any examples to back up that claim. Even his reason for wanting to be an engineer isn’t clearly defined. This is a weak, unmemorable statement that isn’t going to impress anyone on an admissions team.

Example Personal Statement 4

“My extra-curricular activities in and out of school have enhanced my ability to lead a group. I joined stem club at the beginning of year 12 and this has contributed to the improvement of my problem-solving skills which has helped me significantly in my maths modules and physics. […] I play the piano […] piano allows me to improve my thinking skills on the spot. My schedule is very busy and challenges me to manage my time carefully […] I am always challenging my own understanding and I believe that I have the right attitude, skills and personality for this degree. I feel that a career in engineering will make good use of my strengths.”

– Read the rest  here

Let’s look again at the typical structure of a personal statement listed above. You’ll see that the conclusion paragraph should be about ten lines long. It’s also a good place to list all the extracurricular activities that aren’t strictly associated with engineering but that you want the admissions team to know about you.

This author wrote a great conclusion paragraph. Although sections have been removed, you can see it’s close to the right length. Additionally, she uses the conclusion paragraph exactly as it should be used, listing all of her extra achievements she wants the admissions team to know. Beyond that, though, she uses these extracurricular activities as another way to show her strengths – strengths that would make her a good fit for any engineering programme.

She mentions having good leadership skills. She also talks about being part of a STEM (science, technology,  engineering,  and mathematics) club. She talks about playing the piano but then adds that her ability to play has improved her on-the-fly problem-solving skills. She talks about work and her busy schedule, but then stresses that this has helped her learn good time management skills.

Instead of just using her conclusion to provide a list of her extracurricular activities, she uses it as another opportunity to casually and naturally highlight her skills. She ends by saying these skills she learned in all these activities will serve her well in her future career as an engineer, which is a great way to end the personal statement on a relevant note.

Example Personal Statement 5

“During my school life, I have enjoyed taking part in sporting events organised by the French charity “Justice au Coeur” […] My extracurricular activities include athletics […] I also attended a scouts’ club in my neighbourhood, and have passed Grade 7 in drama. […]

I am a native speaker of English and French […] I have also studied Latin at my school for six years, and am going to take it as a subject at the French Baccalauréat.

One of my main hobbies is model rocketry. […]

I completed two weeks of unpaid work experience in a WHSmith bookshop in Wimbledon in June 2012. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.”

By contrast, this is an example of a writer who didn’t do a good job of adding in her extracurricular activities. First of all, even though it’s not evident here, this information is listed in this author’s body paragraphs, not her conclusion. These sentences, along with several similar ones that have been removed, make up  four paragraphs  of the body of her engineering personal statement.

She used  four paragraphs  talking about things that have absolutely nothing to do with engineering. She wasted those four paragraphs. All this information is nice information to provide, but it should have all been condensed into one small paragraph at the end of the personal statement.

Instead, she took the paragraphs that should have been devoted to what she’s done to prepare her for engineering and why she deserves a spot in the programme and wasted them on extracurricular activities that aren’t really relevant.

Remember: You only have 4000 characters to write your personal statement, and use those characters wisely.

To Sum It All Up…

The main things to remember when writing your engineering personal statement are to be truthful, be concise, and be authentic. It’s also important that you write a 100% unique, “personal-to-you” personal statement. It’s okay to look at other people’s statements for inspiration or to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t, but there are severe consequences for plagiarism ( here’s a plagiarism-checker you can use ) and cheating, including having your entire application trashed at all the universities to which you applied.

Finally, make sure you dedicate enough time to the process. You want to plan your statement out ahead of time and have enough time to write it thoroughly and completely. It’s also important to save time for the  editing and proofreading stages  after you’ve finished your first draft.

Be specific when talking about your interests, goals, and strengths. Remember, this is one of the few times in life when it is okay to sell yourself. You want to make a good impression, and you want to be memorable. The more easily the admissions team can recall you and your engineering personal statement, the more likely you’ll get a spot in a good engineering programme.

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How to write a personal statement for engineering

Do your reading, be creative and work out what admission tutors are really after. Tips for writing a winning Ucas application

I f you're planning on studying engineering at university, your Ucas application needs to be structurally sound. Most schools don't offer the subject, so reading up on it is all the more important. Luckily, there's no shortage of material to stoke your enthusiasm.

"The range of things you might get into is almost boggling – you never know where it's going to end up," Derek Clarke, admissions tutor for civil engineering at the University of Southampton, says. "Engineering contributes in so many different ways."

Kathy Simmons, admissions tutor for mechanical engineering at the University of Nottingham, ideally wants to see evidence of enthusiasm – work experience, a headstart course, a placement or a few months in industry. But she understands that not everyone has these opportunities.

She looks for evidence of scientific and analytical thinking, and a practical approach, but said mechanical engineers don't all need to be good with their hands.

Simmons says she receives some unimpressive statements stating: "I liked maths and physics at school and I didn't know what to do next".

There's no need to have a career plan but have an idea of the sorts of jobs engineering can lead to.

John Robinson, a chemical engineer from Nottingham, who coordinates admissions across the engineering faculty, reiterates the point: "Really it's about making the admissions tutor aware that you know what the subject's about."

Talk about how your interest was sparked. Was it a university open day, chatting with engineers, or researching on the IChemE (Institute of Chemical Engineers) website ?

At Nottingham, Robinson says, the personal statement is only really important if your grades are borderline – so explain why and what you're doing about it.

Both Simmons and Robinson agree that it's difficult to craft a statement if you're unsure what area of engineering you want to study. It can be very off putting when students enthuse about electronics throughout, with a throwaway comment about mechanical engineering at the bottom.

But Chris Williams, a structural engineer who teaches at the University of Bath, receives too many statements from students sure they want to be civil engineers.

"Do schools tell students to display such certainty?" he asks. "In reality the most interesting students are torn between different subjects and would like to do them all. So, for me at least, some discussion of this in a personal statement is good."

And some courses – such as Warwick, Exeter and Aberdeen – offer general engineering until the third year, so your personal statement doesn't have to be specific if applying to these.

Sam Hewlings, who has a degree in civil engineering from Warwick and is about to begin a master's in tunneling, made his personal statement look like a journey which ended up in engineering.

Make sure you understand what engineering is about, he says. Don't expect to be building models or dismantling rockets and racing cars from day one – there's a lot of theory and calculus, with some business thrown in at the start at Warwick, he says.

TV shows like Mega Engineering are often unrealistic. "If you compress building a skyscraper into a one hour programme then it's going to look exciting," Hewlings says. He suggests subscribing to magazines such as Concrete Quarterly for inspiration.

As for style, Hewlings says not to worry too much. "You don't have to write essays for engineering but you do need an eye for detail so it's important that you get spelling and grammar right."

Engineers often work in teams and need to be good communicators, says Ross Woodruffe, 23, who studied aerospace engineering at Liverpool and now works for Airinmar, which supplies aircraft components.

Aerospace engineering is one of the more specific branches, so if you're applying for it make sure you know why you want to work in that industry, says Woodruffe, who picked the course because he originally wanted to join the RAF.

Most courses are accredited by the Engineering Council , so it's a good source of information to use, he says.

Try to avoid clichés in your statement – Nottingham's Robinson advises against referring to famous engineers like Faraday or Brunel, who are "all dead and long gone".

And you won't be the only student to claim your inspiration stems from the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Pick something more imaginative and personal to you, says Bath's Williams.

Different tutors look for different things. Sometimes it's best to contact them directly and ask for advice. While Robinson has no interest in reading about students' hobbies, Dr Kathleen Shennan, an admissions tutor for Aberdeen University, says she wants students to be well rounded.

"You are going to have to have some time out to do something else," she says, adding that you can learn a lot about someone from their extracurricular activities, including their ability to commit to something. "We want to know that they can cope with the stresses of being at university."

But it's no good just saying what you have done, talk about what you learned from it, says Shennan.

She often turns to the personal statement before looking at the course it relates to, to get a feel for an applicant's interests, so make sure you've mentioned engineering from the off.

With rapid technological changes, prospective engineers have an exciting future in front of them – make sure your personal statement reflects your desire to be a part of it.

• Guardian Students
• Higher education
• Personal statements
• Engineering general

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Top Tips for a Cambridge Engineering Personal Statement

Cambridge Engineering Personal Statement – Top 10 Tips: Dos and Don’ts

The Cambridge Engineering Personal Statement is a crucial component of your university application. It presents a unique opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from other applicants. You would be able to articulate your story and explain your interests beyond that of numbers on an admissions test. Furthermore, it gives the interviewer a chance to understand who you are. It also provides a platform to bounce off questions during your interview. 

They can tailor questions to your personality, interests, and commitment to who you are as a person and your amalgamation of experiences before you. To guide you through the arduous university application process, our Oxbridge application experts have compiled a list of top 10 Cambridge Engineering Personal Statement tips. This includes dos and don’ts– for your Oxbridge Engineering Personal Statement for the 2024/25 application cycle. 

Looking at Cambridge Engineering personal statement examples can prove to be a double-edged sword. On one hand it can be useful to gain an idea of how to structure your personal statement. However, a personal statement is personal . It can be very difficult to write personally when you’ve been influenced by someone else’s writing.

General Advice for your Cambridge Engineering Personal Statement

The Engineering course at Cambridge first starts off by providing a broad and general engineering knowledge to its students. It then allows students to specialise in later years. During their specialisation, in-depth teaching and training would be given in the chosen discipline. As it is an Engineering course, an ideal candidate would be one who has good analytical skills. It would also be someone who is interested in and/ or have good foundational knowledge in computing and design.

Hence, in your Engineering personal statement, Cambridge admissions tutors are looking for you to clearly demonstrate that you have the aforementioned interest and skills. Furthermore, when planning out your personal statement, make sure you research Cambridge’s achievements in Engineering. You can include them in your writing to illustrate your interest in Engineering. 

Additionally, when you are crafting your Cambridge personal statement, you would most likely also be applying to four other university courses. This may result in your statement being vaguer. The University of Cambridge is aware of such and will require you to fill out an ‘Online Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ)’. This is shortly after submitting the UCAS application, so make sure you’ve created another condensed version of your personal statement that you can directly submit to Cambridge.

Top 5 Tips for your Cambridge Engineering Personal Statement

Illustrate that you are well-read in engineering.

When writing your Cambridge personal statement, Engineering doesn’t have to be one of your expertise! After all, you are applying to study Engineering, and you haven’t even started the course yet! However, showing that you are well-read in Engineering is a great way to tell Cambridge that you are interested in it. It also shows them that you are comfortable with reading large volumes of text or that you appreciate academic rigour. If you do not know where to start, you can google Cambridge Engineering reading lists, or you can access them here at this link: Cambridge Engineering Reading List . Books are a great way to learn more about the subject. However, there are many other media forms that you can consume as well! Examples of such include magazine columns and news articles which are a great way to be updated on the latest innovations and findings! Or even non-text-based sources such as podcasts, Youtube videos, or documentaries. Some examples of great news sites to visit are Scientific American, Vox, and Nature.

You can try to incorporate such content into your everyday life. This could be reading a few news articles instead of scrolling on Tiktok. Or listening to podcasts instead of your usual playlist on your way back from school. This makes learning a lot more accessible and fun!

Focusing your application on your interest in Engineering

Cambridge is looking out for students who would be a good match for their Engineering course. An ideal student would definitely be one who is interested in Engineering. As mentioned, being someone who is widely read in Engineering is one way of demonstrating such interest. Another way that you could elaborate on this passion is by explaining why you are interested in Engineering. Are there specific aspects of this course that enthrals you? Are there details about this course that sets it apart from other courses? Have you gone through a personal experience to have a unique motivation for the course Furthermore, participating in Engineering related courses or experiences is a great way to show your interest in the course. This is because being more involved in the field can grow and cultivate your interest in it. It also confirms that you are indeed passionate about it as you learn more about it.

Explaining to Cambridge about specific qualities that you have that would make you a great Engineering student

As mentioned before, Cambridge is looking out for students that are a great fit for their Engineering course. Another way of showing Cambridge this is by explaining to them that you have certain qualities, traits, or skill sets that would make you a great Engineering student. For example, a good Engineering student would be one who has great analytical skills. You can show that you display this skill set by mentioning creative problem-solving competitions that you have participated in and won. An example of another type of valuable skill is one who is able to persevere and commit despite difficulties. A good example of an experience that would hone such a skill could include that of being part of a research project. This is because it is common that you would not immediately get a favourable experimental result when pursuing research. 

Reflecting on all the experiences that you have mentioned

Even though you might feel tempted to not elaborate on the experiences that you have mentioned, or that certain achievements are self-explanatory in their title, keep in mind that the reflection on the experience is as valuable as the experience itself, if not more. Your reflection should include talking about how that experience has grown your interest in Economics. Or how it has led you to be equipped with certain skills that are valuable to an Engineering student. Highlighting to your Cambridge admissions tutors how your experiences are linked to these points would make it clearer to them how you are fit for the course. 

Start writing your Cambridge Engineering personal statement early and always proofread it

Do not expect yourself to submit the first draft that you have written as your final Cambridge personal statement. This is because you might have forgotten or missed out on achievements or experiences that you otherwise would have wished to talk about. Not only that, but it is also valuable to get seniors or friends to proofread your Cambridge Engineering personal statement. They would be able to give you objective advice on what aspects of your personal statement are good and what should be further elaborated on or changed.

Even if they are not familiar with the application process, they could provide good feedback on the clarity and readability of the ideas that you are trying to convey. However, do take note to take care when letting other people read your Cambridge Engineering personal statement (try not to share it if possible!). This will avoid any troublesome and complicated plagiarism issues.

Top 5 things to AVOID for your Cambridge Engineering Personal Statement

Not having a good structure when writing your engineering cambridge personal statement.

Your Engineering personal statement should be structured in a way that can communicate your ideas effectively. Having a poor or disorganised structure could make your Cambridge personal statement hard to read. It could also cause you to forget to mention crucial points. A suggested structure could include beginning your essay with a short 3-4 line paragraph introducing your interest and passion for Engineering. A particular detail about the course that enthrals you, or if there was a specific moment that caused you to be curious about it.

Next, your body paragraphs could focus on elaborating on your interest in the course. If there are any specific details of the course that you are passionate about. Or if you have any qualities or skills that are useful as an Engineering student. Each of your body paragraphs should only have one major theme. Lastly, you could choose to conclude by summarising any points in 2-3 lines that you want your Cambridge admissions tutor to take away and remember.

Having an incorrect or misguided understanding about what the Engineering course is about

Most applicants’ understanding comes from what they have seen in films or television shows, or subjects that they have studied in high school. However, this could cause a misguided understanding of what the Engineering course is actually like. Make sure that you thoroughly research the course before applying. This will help you as a future Engineering student as it is good to know what your next four years are like! It will also help you when writing your Cambridge Engineering personal statement. For example, mentioning certain details or aspects of the course that interest you would be good to include in your Cambridge Engineering personal statement.

Not writing simply or clearly, especially when you are trying to excessively use difficult vocabulary

It might be tempting to embellish your essay with unconventional words, or to use a thesaurus to enhance your Cambridge personal statement. However, do take note that it is much better to prioritise clarity and readability. If you are not familiar with a word, choose to explain your thoughts in a simple and coherent manner rather than opt for something that you are unfamiliar with. This is because the main aim of your essay is to effectively convey what you wish to communicate to the Cambridge admissions tutor. Always aim to be clear and concise! Cambridge also did mention on their official website to use clear, plain English, so you can be clear that that is definitely something they value.

Making general sweeping statements

Many applicants feel the need to throw in a long list of qualities that they have because they think that it is a desirable trait to have. However, this can quickly turn it into a sweeping statement that adds no value to their Engineering personal statement at all. For example, stating that you are a great analytical thinker sounds like a great addition to your Cambridge Engineering personal statement. However, it adds completely zero value if you do not justify or elaborate on it.

This means that you should talk about why you can say that you are an analytical thinker. Have you participated in analytical competitions that you have won? Was there a particular person or organisation that you helped using your analytical skills? Think about it this way… If someone said that they are friends with Justin Bieber you would not believe them unless they have proof. Similarly, you cannot list traits or qualities about yourself and expect Cambridge to value your statement unless you show them that it is true.

Reflecting on your experience in an unrealistic or unauthentic way

Reflecting on your experience is key to writing a great Cambridge Engineering personal statement. However, try to reflect on them in an authentic and realistic way. This means that you should only talk about one main idea from each of your experiences. For example, it is not ideal to talk about how your experience at the national debate competition has led you to develop leadership skills, critical thinking skills, greater ability in teamwork, as well as patience. This might be true, but it starts to dilute the experience and the idea that you are trying to convey starts getting lost in a sea of good qualities. Your admissions tutor would not know what to focus on. Try and keep each experience limited to only one main important quality. Do not let your Cambridge Engineering personal statement become a long laundry list of ideas. Less is more!

Your personal statement should highlight your passion for engineering, demonstrating your curiosity and engagement with the subject beyond your current studies. Include specific examples of projects, extracurricular activities, or readings that have inspired you. It’s also important to reflect on what these experiences taught you and how they have prepared you for a degree in engineering. Cambridge looks for evidence of your problem-solving skills, creativity, and ability to overcome challenges, so be sure to include relevant examples.

While practical experience or work placements can be beneficial, they are not a prerequisite for applying to Cambridge. If you have such experiences, they can be great examples to demonstrate your interest and skills in engineering. However, if you don’t, consider discussing personal projects, competitions, or self-led learning that show your enthusiasm and proactive approach towards the subject. The key is to showcase your engagement with engineering in any form.

It’s absolutely fine to mention specific areas of engineering that interest you, especially if you can articulate why and how these areas excite you. However, remember that the Engineering course at Cambridge covers a broad range of topics in the first two years before specialising, so it’s also good to demonstrate a wide-ranging interest in the field. You can strike a balance by mentioning specific interests while also showing enthusiasm for the breadth of engineering topics.

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Successful Personal Statement For Engineering At Cambridge

Last Updated: 6th April 2022

Author: Chloe Hewitt

• Engineering

Table of Contents

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it. 

Today, we are looking through an Engineering applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure them a place at Cambridge. The Engineering course at Cambridge is unique in that it allows you to keep your options open whilst equipping you with all the analytical, design and computing skills that underpin modern Engineering, so let’s see how the applicant navigated around this to write a strong Personal Statement. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

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Engineering Personal Statement

As a child being driven over London’s Albert Bridge I was intrigued by the sign saying somewhat cryptically ‘all ranks must break step’. Years later at school next to the Millennium Bridge I wanted to understand what had caused the bridge to be closed just after it was opened and discovered the connection. The same principle applies to both situations. I observed the side to side motion of pedestrians on the reopened bridge and understood how the engineers designing it had not accounted for these lateral forces that were acting at the bridge’s natural frequency, half that of the downward forces. The designers of the older and more rigid bridge had relied on written instructions to avoid the downward forces from soldiers walking in step synchronising with the bridge’s natural frequency. In 2001 the unforeseen problem was resolved using dampers and stiffening against lateral deflection. These bridges and their weaknesses opened my eyes to engineering.

I take pleasure in the challenge of solving problems that require more than just knowledge of how to use an equation and instead necessitate logical thought to work out how the problem can be approached. This includes applying maths to resolve a physical situation, an area which I enjoy very much. I have spent time following up differential equation (simple harmonic motion) and mechanics questions (projectiles) which are also relevant to engineering. My coursework presentation on Kevlar instigated an interest in materials, by understanding how its chemical properties, notably the aromatic bond, combined to make such a strong, flexible and low-density material with uses in many areas of engineering from bikes to bullet proof vests.

During work experience at Halcrow Yolles I witnessed engineering in action in Structural, Mechanical and Facade engineering. In the building services department I partook in a competition for an eco-friendly building in a hot climate by researching ways to achieve HVAC efficiency by designing structures which encourage the stack effect to improve ventilation and using window film to filter out UV rays, reducing the need for air conditioning. My findings were then discussed with my team. I relished my involvement and have since kept up my interest in environmental engineering, particularly geo-engineering, which is likely to become an important field as a last resort to counteract climate change. I would be interested to pursue this as a graduate. This placement introduced me to the analytical, mathematical and problem-solving skills involved in the processes of engineering which I feel well suited to.

Engineering at a top university will provide a challenge that I will enjoy confronting. I have a desire to gain an understanding of the principles that govern our world and how we manipulate them for our own uses as well as enjoying a balance between applied mathematics and the physical aspects of engineering. I will defer entry to university to give myself experience in both the mathematical and practical side of engineering by spending a year in industry. I am looking for a placement in the automotive industry with SEAT to enhance my Spanish. The experience will help me conceptualise the more theoretical aspects of engineering courses. I will allow time to get back up to speed with maths before university begins.

As a senior prefect who mentors Year 9s in maths and takes part in CCF and CSO I have developed my teamwork and organisational skills. Determination and focusing on my targets help me fulfill my objectives. I devised, organised, and encouraged others to train for and join in a 300 mile cycle ride from London to Paris, raising GBP 6000 for our school charity. I enjoy sports, playing football for school in my free time, but also ensure that I complete work efficiently and to a high standard.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

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Download our Free Personal Statement Starter Guide 

We have developed an 80-page E-Book filled with expert Personal Statement Advice . Inside, you’ll find guides on planning and writing your personal statement, as well as our full collection of 25+ Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements .

Good Points Of The Personal Statement

This is a very good statement. The statement is well-written, and structured. The student clearly explains their motivation for wanting to pursue engineering. The statement mentions and describes the student’s desire to pursue a number of different engineering disciplines, which is very good as this makes the statement relevant to applications for courses of a single engineering discipline, and to those for general engineering. The student’ use of their desire to study Engineering ‘at a top university’ is very good, as the student does not mention any one university specifically. This makes it clear that the student has taken their application to every university in their UCAS application seriously, something which is often not the case for students who are applying to Oxbridge.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The student uses several acronyms which are not written out in full. This assumes that the reader will be familiar with such acronyms, which may not be the case. This reader has no idea what ‘CSO’ means, rendering its inclusion in the statement useless. There are commas missing in places, however this is a minor error.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This is a very good statement, however the reader is left to work out what the meanings of several acronyms are for themselves. With a little more attention to the reader, this statement would be excellent.

This Personal Statement for Engineering is a great example of a statement done right. The candidate’s interest is clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Cambridge, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years so you need to appeal directly to them.

There are plenty more successful personal statements and expert guides on our Free Personal Statement Resources page.

Our expert tutors are on hand to help you craft the perfect Personal Statement for your Cambridge Engineering application.

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Oxford Engineering Model Personal Statement Exemplar from Successful Applicant

This is an example personal statement by a successful oxford engineering applicant.

I have always enjoyed solving problems, understanding the questions raised by them and the physical and mental processes required to find a solution. Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Art at AS have presented me with a variety of challenges, which with my supplementary studies and experiences have led me to Engineering, a subject that combines the theoretical and practical in a way that interests me.

[1] The personal statement begins with the applicant's affinity for problem-solving and their enjoyment of understanding the processes involved in finding solutions.

[2] They mention their study of Maths, Further Maths, Physics, and Art, which have presented them with various challenges and led them to pursue Engineering, a subject that combines their logical scientific nature with their creative artistic side.

Engineering appeals to my logical scientific nature and my more creative artistic side, allowing me to combine my skills to create solutions to the problems of daily life. These views have been reinforced by attending lectures in Maths at the Bloomsbury Theatre and Physics at Imperial College London. The former gave an understanding of maths at undergraduate level and in particular studies in 4 dimensions, the latter an understanding of the ways in which routes on the London underground are optimised via the use of a routing algorithm that employs the physics of interacting polymers. Visiting the Large Hadron Collider has shown me direct links between theoretical physics and engineering.

[3] The applicant highlights their exposure to lectures in Maths and Physics, where they gained insights into advanced mathematical concepts and the application of physics in optimizing routes on the London underground.

[4] They also mention visiting the Large Hadron Collider, which solidified their understanding of the connections between theoretical physics and engineering.

I was selected for a week-long summer school in Cambridge as part of the Oxbridge Prospects programme, where I furthered my understanding of maths and physics at university level experiencing the challenging yet rewarding nature of solving a three-day long problem as well as a taste of university life. I have also been lucky enough to take on work experience in the railway yard and workshops of East Coast Trains, experiencing the complex combination of the mechanical, electrical and hydraulics first-hand.

[5] The applicant mentions participating in a week-long summer school in Cambridge as part of the Oxbridge Prospects program, where they experienced the academic rigour of solving complex problems and gained a taste of university life.

[6] They also describe their work experience in the railway yard and workshops of East Coast Trains, which provided them with firsthand exposure to the mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic aspects of engineering.

I am inspired by the achievements of the great engineers of history such as Joseph Bazalgette's London sewage system to overcome the Great Stink of London and Nikola Tesla's development of electrical systems. I have also been influenced by reading Richard Feynman and specifically his work at Los Alamos where he aided engineers in devising safety procedures for nuclear material storage.

[7] The applicant expresses their admiration for historical engineers such as Joseph Bazalgette and Nikola Tesla, as well as their influence from reading Richard Feynman's work at Los Alamos. These experiences and influences have reinforced their belief that the application of theoretical and practical knowledge, blending scientific rigor with artistic creativity, is where their interest lies.

All these experiences have led me to conclude that the application in the world of theoretical and practical knowledge, both rigorously scientific and artistically creative, is where my interest lies. My studies in AS Physics has direct links to Engineering through Mechanics, Electricity, Materials, problem solving skills and practical work. Maths and more particularly Further Maths has taught me to apply rigour and a systematic nature in my approach to problem solving. Finally, Art has taught me the importance of drawing/sketching and being able to visualize the problem allowing me to manipulate the physical aspects of the problem in search of the solution.

[8] The applicant reflects on their studies in Physics, Maths, Further Maths, and Art, highlighting how each subject has contributed to their problem-solving skills, systematic approach, and ability to visualize and manipulate physical aspects.

I enjoy working as part of a team; I am a drummer (Grade 7 Distinction, studying Grade 8) and have played in many bands and orchestras performing many times in London. I have also toured the Italian Lakes playing in a jazz band. This has given me an understanding of how a well-integrated group can achieve more than an individual on their own. This knowledge has also been reinforced by my experience of teaching. I have been a dedicated student of karate since the age of 5 and having achieved my 1st Dan Black belt rank at age 15, have taught children weekly since then. This has helped me come to an understanding of the planning (and compromises) required to lead a group and keep it focused and progressing.

[9] They emphasize their enjoyment of working as part of a team, citing their experience as a drummer in bands and orchestras and their teaching of karate to children.

Overall I believe the study of Engineering is the right path for me, combining many aspects of the subjects that I enjoy and wish to learn more about. I would like to think that in the future my studies will have equipped me to apply complex theoretical knowledge to practical problems, working with other like-minded people towards efficient and elegant solutions that hopefully improve everybody's quality of life. I also believe a degree in engineering will provide me with the social, business and intellectual capabilities that will be required when working in the twenty-first century global economy.

[10] The statement concludes with the applicant's conviction that studying Engineering aligns with their interests and desire to apply complex theoretical knowledge to practical problems. They express their aspiration to work with like-minded individuals in pursuit of efficient and elegant solutions that enhance the quality of life. They also recognize the broader skills and capabilities, including social, business, and intellectual, that a degree in engineering can provide for success in the global economy.

Why is this a good Oxford Engineering personal statement?

Overall, this personal statement demonstrates the applicant's passion for problem-solving, their multidisciplinary approach to learning, and their appreciation for the intersection of science, art, and practical applications.

Their exposure to lectures, work experience, and extracurricular activities showcases their engagement with the field of engineering and their ability to work effectively in teams.

The statement also reflects their long-term goals of contributing to society through engineering and their recognition of the skills required for success in the modern world.

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• Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Examples

Find three examples of Mechanical Engineering personal statements that you can use as inspiration when writing your own. 

These Mechanical Engineering personal statement examples will provide you with insight into what makes a great statement and how to make your UCAS application better. 

Whether you’re a secondary school student applying to a mechanical engineering programme or a postgraduate applicant, we hope these examples will help you write a good personal statement that showcases your skills and passion for the field.

Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example

As a child, I always had an insatiable curiosity about how things worked. I would spend hours taking apart household items, trying to decipher the mechanics behind them. This early fascination with the inner workings of machines has continued to shape my academic pursuits and my personal interests.

Currently studying mathematics and physics, I am constantly intrigued by how these subjects can be used to solve real-life problems. The theoretical aspects of these subjects certainly interest me, but it is their practical applications that truly capture my attention. I am particularly drawn to the field of mechanical engineering, as it allows me to apply my problem-solving skills to real-world situations and phenomena.

My love for mechanics began at a young age, as I dismantled household goods in an attempt to understand how they worked. As I grew older, I became involved in repairing mini motorbikes, which I eventually became bored with due to their simplicity. Seeking out more complicated challenges, I began designing and building a large-scale, remote-controlled quad bike with a 49cc engine. This project has been a complex and highly rewarding challenge, allowing me to develop my practical design and engineering skills.

In recent years, my interest in mechanical engineering has matured into a desire to pursue it as a career. Reading books such as ‘Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing’ and ‘The New Science of Strong Materials: Or Why You Don’t Fall Through the Floor’ has given me an insight into the challenges faced by engineers when they design everyday objects. I am now committed to completing a degree in mechanical engineering and following a career in the field.

I am a resourceful and enterprising person who relishes a challenge, and these aspects of my character have been honed through my involvement in mechanical engineering and my part-time online business. Running a business has taught me to deal with problems and work efficiently and independently, skills that will undoubtedly serve me well in my future career.

In addition to my passion for mechanics, I enjoy designing and programming remote-controlled models, going open-water scuba-diving, mountain biking, and flying 3D aerobatics with a model helicopter. These pursuits reflect my love for creativity, adventure, and innovation.

I believe that my passion for mechanics and engineering, coupled with my strong work ethic and creative mindset, make me an ideal candidate for a degree in mechanical engineering. I am excited about the opportunity to further develop my skills and knowledge in this field and to contribute to the innovative and dynamic world of engineering.

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Best Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example

I was fascinated with building things and watching engineering shows on TV. From there, I chose A-Level subjects that would equip me with the necessary skills to pursue a degree in engineering. With interests spanning from biology to philosophy, and from art to technology, I saw engineering as a discipline that could satisfy and further develop my interests.

During my A-Levels, I studied Maths and Physics, which helped me to refine my problem-solving skills while increasing my theoretical knowledge. I am particularly interested in how maths reveals parallels between separate branches of physics. This has further solidified my decision to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering .

My first experience with engineering work was during a Christmas holiday, when I worked in a cycle shop, dealing with assembly, maintenance, and repair. This whetted my appetite for more. Every weekend since November 2003, I have worked in the warehouse at a Comet store, where one of my responsibilities is to deal with returned products. Working with faulty electrical goods has shown me first-hand the opportunities for improvement that exist across the field.

After finishing my GCSEs, I participated in a 12-week training placement at Chromogenex, a local medical engineering firm. I was fascinated by the experience and accepted an offer of employment with the company until I started college. My work at Chromogenex was varied, including production and service, and I was given significant quality control duties. One of my most interesting responsibilities was to write the Work Instructions and Procedures that production and service engineers will refer to as guidance to ensure that all products are of the highest standard.

In October 2008, I took a week’s work placement at Rhos Designs, a design engineering firm whose main client is 3M. I enjoyed the CAD work and the chance to take part in real projects, which will soon be put to use at 3M’s various sites across Britain.

One of my favourite hobbies is using CAD for my projects, which recently included drawing up a design for a competition in which I participated. The competition involved planning and designing a homemade potato launcher within a tight budget and deadline. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am already working on my next design!

In 2007, I was part of a four-person team working on a project on the EESW scheme run by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The project was an exciting task set by Corus at Trostre Tinplate Works. We were asked to design and build a solution to the problem of split edges in the cold rolling line. Our solution was effective and economical, and if adopted by Corus, could save the company thousands of pounds per hour, as the line would no longer need to be stopped to carry out emergency repairs. We designed and built a prototype solution, and a mock-up of Trostre’s SCADA system to demonstrate the solution’s potential. Our project received a prize for ‘Most effective use of IT’ at the Welsh National Convention of Excellence in Engineering.

Before starting my degree course, I intend to enrol in the YinI scheme, which should give me an in-depth experience of engineering work and help ground my subsequent studies.

Personal Statement for Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering has always been my dream career, and my experiences have only further cemented my desire to pursue this field. I have always been fascinated by the intricacies of machines, and how seemingly simple components can come together to create complex systems. My passion for cars has been a driving force behind my academic pursuits and professional experiences, and I am eager to take this passion to the next level by studying mechanical engineering at university.

Throughout my A Levels in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, I was consistently drawn to the areas of study that related to mechanics. I was particularly interested in how mathematical concepts could be applied to real-world problems, and how physics principles could be used to explain the behaviour of machines. I found that my love of cars provided me with a unique perspective on these subjects, as I was able to see firsthand how these principles were applied in the automotive industry.

My work experience in mechanical engineering has further solidified my desire to pursue this field. During my placement at a contractor’s sister company, I was exposed to the world of mechanical maintenance and discovered the possibilities of a career in engineering. I was able to witness firsthand how skilled technicians were able to diagnose and repair complex machinery, and I was inspired by their dedication to their craft. My subsequent work placement at a car maintenance company was equally rewarding, as I was able to observe and assist in the basic engineering of cars. This experience gave me a deeper understanding of the inner workings of machines and reinforced my passion for mechanical engineering.

As I prepare to embark on my university studies, I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. I am eager to explore new areas of mechanical engineering and gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles that underlie the machines that we use every day. I am particularly interested in the areas of materials science and robotics, and I look forward to learning about how these fields are shaping the future of mechanical engineering.

In addition to my academic pursuits, I am committed to being an active member of the engineering community. I am excited to join engineering clubs and organizations on campus and to participate in hands-on projects that allow me to apply the skills and knowledge that I will acquire in my coursework. I am also eager to contribute to the field of mechanical engineering through research and innovation, and I hope to one day make meaningful contributions to the industry.

In summary, my love of cars and science has led me to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. My academic and professional experiences have prepared me well for the challenges that lie ahead, and I am excited about the opportunities that studying mechanical engineering at university will provide. I am committed to being an active member of the engineering community, and I am eager to make meaningful contributions to the field of mechanical engineering in the years to come.

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Chemical Engineering Personal Statement

The ultimate basis of engineering is creating something for the purpose of enhancing life, whether that be through easing the difficulty involved in a task, reducing the time required, or minimising the necessary cost. An aspect of engineering which certainly achieves this, and excites me is 'bioglass 45S5'. I'm intrigued by a synthetic material's being so receptive to human tissue that bone can chemically bond with it. The possible applications for this are staggering, and benefit people on an individual level. I find the prospect of working on projects of this nature, with applications so profound, not only exciting but also fulfilling. Hence my applying for this degree.

To gain an insight into engineering, I found courses run by the Smallpeice Trust . I was on the winning team in each of the three I attended. The first, when in year 8, was a simple design-build project for a remote control vehicle. As simple as it was, I see with hindsight that it encapsulated the essence of engineering: selecting materials and methods to achieve a desired end within a budget of time, cost and risk. The second course, in Structural Engineering, required a bridge to be built. I had a head start here, as I had made one when I was eight years old. This was a venture with my grandfather: we built a two metre Warren truss bridge from MDF offcuts, which I could walk across. Last summer's course at Plymouth University focussed on naval engineering; a field new to me. Much of the technical side of it involved hull design-altering ballast and chining to result in desired trim and freeboard. However, upon reflection, I see clearly that the greatest limitation wasn't in design, but in materials- the balsa wood was buoyant and flexible, but absorbed water, while the EVA adhesive set quickly and bonded well, but was dense, leading to instability. The use of something like a styrene-acrylic polymer coating would not only have maintained the advantages of the balsa and EVA, but also provided water-repellency and decreased drag.

I enjoy each of my A-Level subjects, but I have particularly liked the overlap between them. I am seeing Maths as the language in which Physics and Chemistry are expressed. I really enjoy getting to the root of a systematic problem, and solving it with the creative application of fundamental principles. In my chosen degree, I look forward to working in a field which has an interdisciplinary breadth, requiring an equal input from Chemistry, Maths and Physics. My interest in engineering spreads beyond academia, and has a large role in my activities outside of school. I am, and have been for a while, an enthusiastic cider maker. What I enjoy most about it is not so much the product, as the process involved; refining steps and redesigning equipment to increase yield and ensure the purest cider. In doing so, I designed and constructed a press, from sleepers and coach bolts, which incorporated a car jack to extract the juice from over 100kg of apples. Testament to the engineering, it has gone on to press three seasons' worth, obtaining roughly 600ml juice for each kilo pressed.

A favourite book at present is 'The Essential Engineer' by Henry Petroski. It raises the issue of confusing science with engineering, and argues that, whilst the former is elemental, more focus ought to be paid to the latter, should we want to solve global problems sooner. I agree to an extent, but think that the distinction is somewhat artificial, as they cross fertilise. The practical application of a scientific discovery can catalyse future scientific research. For example, following the use of x-rays for clinical purposes, the harmful effect of radiation exposure was observed, prompting further research into other, safer, methods of medical imaging, such as ultrasound and MRI scans. An ambition is to go onto research; to be at the forefront of innovation, where I would be not only researching as a scientist, but also applying this research as an engineer.

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Aerospace engineering personal statement example 1.

Fire, the wheel, boats, book printing, electricity, engines, automobiles, planes, spaceships, wireless information transfer: engineering is determining this progress.

Leading engineers are the creators of our future. I find it a challenging aim to become one of them and to design a world for future generations.

Looking back into my childhood, I always found myself interested in problem solving. Puzzles and constructions of any sort were my favourite toys especially the ones suitable for older children. This interest has been growing with time. For me, understanding the working process of any machine, from cattle to spacecraft, has always led to a unique experience of satisfying my interest.

The borders of my imagination about how far technology can go grew even more when I attended my first Physics lesson in secondary school. In Ukraine I took 3rd place in the national (furthest possible) stage of Physics Olympiad in year 8; I also had several achievements in other years at Physics and Mathematics Olympiads. I am doing an Extended Essay in Physics, investigating the effect of magnetic breaking by eddy currents.

During my life I have been fortunate enough to travel a lot and visit various technology related places, which have shown me a spectrum of engineering possibilities. I have been to CERN in Switzerland, exploring limits of particle physics, and to the Volkswagen Phaeton factory in Dresden, to see how an automated plant works.

I have visited a submarine maintenance plant in Sevastopol’, where I saw engineering application in the military, and I have been to a local woodworking factory, where I discovered the use and need of modern technologies for small, developing enterprises. I have also got an outstanding opportunity to have a week of work experience at an industrial factory in Ukraine, where I will be looking at engineering from a different perspective and getting a deeper and more specific understanding of manufacturing processes.

As a consequence of that variety of different engineering possibilities, I have found myself devoting more of my interest to aerospace engineering in particular. The very first reason for that probably was the fact that for half of my life I have lived near the largest airport in my country, everyday waking up and going to bed along with planes landing and taking off.

As well, I have had another source of inspiration, reading. Starting from a variety of science fiction books, where space travel always seemed to me the most exiting, I eventually asked myself about actual physics of the processes, and so I began to read more scientific literature.

I was amused by simultaneous simplicity and complexity shown in “How the Wings Work?” and I have read “The Simple Science of Flight, from Insects to Jumbo Jets.” I also am aware of up to date science news and articles. I have done an investigation in Brooklands Museum, related to the science of Concorde, which also was one of my steps into the area of aerospace engineering.

In addition, I have attended several Physics lectures at Surrey University, one of which was given by Duane Carey, an astronaut who took part in the Hubble Telescope service mission in 2002. I gained lots of motivation to work in aerospace engineering, as it seems to me an unexplored and exciting area, where I would like to develop my knowledge.

I also have sporting interests and hobbies. I am a keen skier and swimmer and also play basketball, do athletics and I have an interest in yoga and meditations. I have completed most of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, work in a charity shop as part of the outreach programme and I enjoy problem solving as a speedcuber. I have also led a School Radio activity and our team has produced two podcasts.

Even with all the different events happening in my life, my main interest remains in being directly involved in the process of the creation of the future and integrating technology with our everyday life.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by goravsky for application in 2014.

goravsky's university choices Cambridge University Imperial College London University of Bath

Green : offer made Red : no offer made

goravsky's Comments

Well, I believe it was good PS, since I've got almost all offers and even was in Pool at Cambridge (I shouldn't been applying to Trinity, too competitive)

I hope someone will find it useful, as I did with this website

This personal statement is unrated

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