smkrn wrote:
I've noticed that there are a few people here who have applied or are applying from engineering backgrounds. I'm currently working on my essays and applications, and was curious, what approach have you taken in your applications?
Specifically, I'm a mechanical engineer and work at a defense contractor. What strengths do you think we have to play on?
i realize this is an old thread, but for future readers, here are a few things i took away from my apps so far (my background is in chemE):
- essays: communication is the key. the stereotype of the bumbling engineer is one that you must overcome through concise and fluid essays. know your audience - don't go too heavy on the tech stuff in the essays. be ready to cut lots of "fat" out of the essays (it took me a few tries to get it under the word limit. remember word limits are there for a reason).
- teamwork: it's a given in any engineering program, but you have to portray your ability to work well as part of a team to the adcom. this goes hand in hand with how good of a team player you will turn out to be in b-school and in your future employment, so don't sell yourself short.
- professional organizations: during undergrad and post-college, there were a number of engineering societies that were available to me. some, like NSBE and SHPE, are ethnic/ professional societies, but others (ex: ISPE) are more specific subsets of your industry. find one that applies to you (for example, ASME for mechE's), and get involved with the local chapters early on. it will show that even though you're "just" an engineer, you already have the b-school mentality (i.e. networking with other alumni, professionals, etc).
showing leadership is always good, but for many engineering applicants (especially ones with less years of experience), it's not always realistic to expect them to lead large groups (or anyone really). i'd say if you're in a situation like this, it's more important to show personal growth and taking initiative on the job than it is to display direct leadership over a group.