imperial design engineering personal statement

Sample Personal Statement Mechanical Engineering (USC, Imperial)

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

An NYU’s senior applied to 7 top Mechanical Engineering grad programs in the US and the UK and got into all but one. He spent nearly a month writing the perfect personal statement that he used to apply to top schools. Variations of this personal statement got accepted to Stanford University, Imperial College London, University of Texas A&M and UCLA. He has graciously shared his personal statement so that prospective applicants can benefit from it.

Sample Personal Statement Mechanical Engineering

I am eager to pursue a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering to deepen my knowledge in engineering design, mechanics, and analysis. My research interests are primarily driven by my life aspirations, dynamic undergraduate experience, and professional mechanical engineering expertise. Given my credentials, I firmly believe that I resonate with core values at [Name of School] and I will make an ideal candidate for this institution.

I cannot agree more with Dorothy Parker’s quote: “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity”, as I have always been a curious soul and things that pique my interest stays with me forever. I remember the first time I watched a dense network of nuts and bolts in my dad’s car engine. I could not look away. The tiny moving objects aroused an unquenchable curiosity in me. Logically, I entered college as a major in sciences, eyes widened by the boundless world of science I had just begun to get to know. 

I did my undergraduate in mechanical engineering, where I was engaged in research about combustion, machine design, mechanics of materials and computer-aided engineering. Through this coursework, I developed a basic understanding of a breadth of theoretical areas of mechanical engineering and their socioeconomic applications. However, what I enjoyed most about being a mechanical engineer was developing my ideas through coursework and discussing them with my peers outside the classroom.

Outside the classroom, my advocacy for innovative ideas was well rewarded when the Student Section Enterprise Team (SSET) in ASME International, based in New York, elected me as the Student Regional Chair (SRC) – a prized position among mechanical engineers’ community all around the globe. So naturally, I was also the Chairperson for my own Campus’s ASME chapter, which I had laid the ground for in my sophomore year. I was elated to know that ASME International and my department showed trust in me, which I fulfilled in its true spirit. As a chairperson, I managed high-powered university-level competitions and conferences to induce collective synergies of mechanical engineers from all over the country. I also took the self-initiative of developing my juniors’ interpersonal skills and arranged several professional development competitions.

Based on my performance in class and leadership abilities as an ASME chair, I was selected by my university to work with the national defence authorities in designing a mechanically simple yet multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle for my final year project. I was mainly selected because I had a firm grip over software packages involving calibrations and simulations. 

The simple thought of working for the defence authorities excited me as it was an honour to work on such a classified project.

This assignment was my first formal parametric study in mechanical engineering, which was a thorough scientific investigation. As I became proficient in many programs and databases, notably through these packages, the calibrations I proposed for the vehicle were well received by my professors. Later, the defence authorities developed an actual model on those parameters. My final year project was the catalyst that sparked a passion for studying vehicles and vehicle designs, and I actively looked for careers in top automobile firms in my country.

I found an ideal opportunity to start my career as a management trainee in the Development and Quality Assurance Department at Tesla Inc. During my brief stint of three months at Tesla Inc., I was introduced to the vast world of manufacturing techniques employed in the automotive sector. As a trainee engineer, I optimized methods to get the least number of defective parts per million. The more I was involved in optimization, the more I developed a desire to understand design mechanics, which could be engineered to reduce energy consumption. As luck would have it, during one of the events organized by ASME, I was a keynote speaker at a panel involving energy consumption. In the same panel, the CEO of Chevron Corporation took notice of my ideas. After the event, he encouraged me to work at Chevron and work on my proposed fluid design and mechanics ideas to reduce energy consumption.

It was an honor to be offered a job at Chevron, which I duly accepted. As an associate manager for the past 18 months at Chevron, I’ve developed a dynamic skill set around supply chain, projects and maintenance departments. Through my work in these departments, I have honed my data analytics and the ability to draw meaningful inferences from raw data. I have also become adept at management related to engineering practices. I have strived to increase my knowledge base at Chevron by constantly exploring Maintenance & Operation manuals. Through these manuals, I have bolstered my knowledge of Turbo-machinery, Engineering Materials, Machine Design and Fluid Mechanics. 

Although my professional trajectory is burgeoning, while working hand to hand with the Engineering Design department, I strongly resonated with celebrated sportscaster Vin Scully when he famously said: “Good is not good enough when better is expected.” I felt that although my four-year undergraduate coursework provided a baseline theoretical knowledge, I needed to hone my learning and practical exposure to further my passion in the area.  During my work with this department, I was commissioning a new gas processing facility and felt way behind in design and problem-solving scenarios. I particularly struggled with interpreting compressor and prime mover big data. I realized that if I had a more advanced knowledge base in mechanical design and engineering information modelling, I would have been able to give better theoretically sound solutions and help with process optimization. Given these technical handicaps, I strongly feel the need to upgrade my current knowledge base through a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. 

While searching for programs that match my research interests and professional experience, the Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from [Name of School] tops my list for its numerous attractions. Firstly, the prospects of studying at [Name of School] are fascinating because of its location in California, the hub of tech-based research in the U.S., like driverless vehicles etc., and numerous opportunities for internships in world-leading firms. Secondly, [Name of School] satiates my desire to study in schools with top-notch faculty specializing in areas where I want to further my research. I am particularly excited about working with Ivan Bermejo Moreno and Julian A. Domaradzki on crucial research areas such as computational fluid mechanics and high-performance computing.

Thirdly, by taking courses related to engineering analysis and engineering design modules at [Name of School] , I am looking forward to gleaning more information on methods of Finite Element Analysis coupled with Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics. I want to learn more about mechanical system design concerning tribology. Ideally, I would like to further my current tribological research of skid vehicles by calibrating it to be adaptive to the implications of environmental, cost and safety issues. 

Lastly, having been a chairperson of an elite group of mechanical engineers, I am looking forward to enhancing my leadership capabilities. I genuinely believe that [Name of School] student-led design teams make this program stand out among other programs as they are an ideal platform where I can test and enhance the capabilities of my prototype vehicle and put it for wide-scale use. I am confident that the above-outlined graduate degree plan and vibrant opportunities at [Name of School] will accelerate my career growth after my master’s degree. 

After completing my master’s program, I want to start my career as a mechanical design engineer in a top engineering design company such as Stantec. As a design engineer, I want to work on different global projects and provide design engineering solutions to a portfolio of industries for their needs. Various projects for other industries would give me new challenges each time and thus help me gain experience to evolve my skills. Leading design firms worldwide will help me get up-to-date with the latest tools with their training programs focusing on continuous professional development. I am confident that [Name of School] brand image, dynamic coursework grounded in its state-of-the-art research facilities and renowned faculty will be an ideal conduit for achieving my career goals. I will continue to work in the field of mechanical engineering with the same curiosity that was sparked in me when I first saw the engine parts of my dad’s car.

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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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What to include in a Personal Statement

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Personal statement example product design engineering personal statement.

Submitted by Kiera

Product Design Engineering Personal Statement

Engineering has made an enormous difference to the world we live in. Throughout recent years technology has developed globally through the effort of innovative engineers and designers who have overcome challenges using knowledge, skill and initiative. In particular, the developments in design have captured my imagination; from James Dyson’s first vacuum cleaner, the DC01, to the recent conceptions of building an electric car in 2020. James Dyson has been a huge inspiration in my educational philosophy and future aspirations as I admire the way he has persevered and worked through problem to find a solution. Exciting developments in research and development of materials and technologies such as rapid prototyping, 3D printing to name a few have also fuelled my ambitions in this field. On a personal front, my Grandfather, who is a draftsman in trade, has also encouraged my career choice and I would like to follow his example in terms of his work ethic and passionate interest in his career.

From my engineering course, I have developed my capability in the workshop by operating a wide array of machinery whilst also developing my skill set in various other tooling and bench equipment. Product design has broadened my ideas from completing a lighting project in year 12 to now working on designing and improving a flyover in Chelmsford, incorporating both my passion for engineering and thirst for architectural design. The bridge design flyover has required detailed research work and I have considered a range of solutions before deciding to add another lane, which will reduce the congestion around this area at peak times. The current task I am accomplishing in product design has impacted my decisions about what I would like to study at university level, as being an engineer within the design sector is a career which I wish to pursue. The complex project has developed my design, CAD and communication skills. I have been a representative of my school on several occasions by being a prefect in year 11, which involved helping with school events, such as parents’ evening and assisting teachers on school events. I enjoyed being a part of a team. This experience stimulated a desire to then become Head Girl in year 13, a role that has brought many opportunities so far in the sixth form. It has also required me to write and prepare speeches for open evenings and presentations. I have conducted tours around my school as part of my role and have formed a social committee, where we work as a team to organise fundraising events to raise money for the summer ball. I feel that I am a good role model for my peers and the younger members of the school community as I am determined to succeed in a male-dominated career.

Externally, I have acquired work experience during the summer term at an architectural company ‘Munday & Cramer’. The time I spent there provided me with professional skills and attributes, using CAD in the office and giving me an insight into working in an engineering sector of interest. Since September 2015, I have been working at a local traditional sweet shop during the week and on Saturdays; this part time job it has built my confidence by enabling me to interact with customers as well as time management skills.

Outside of school, I enjoy keeping fit by running and going to the gym. I am currently training for the half marathon next year which will be a big accomplishment in my life so far. The determination I am acquiring reflects upon my completion of the bronze Duke of Edinburgh award, a great physical challenge. It was also a great chance to be involved with voluntary work. I am confident that these experiences it will help me fit into the course and university life itself.

After my degree I wish to succeed in a career involving design and engineering. My goal is to be the change I want to see in the world and I will do this by influencing and encouraging females like me who want to strive within a male dominated industry.

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Aeronautical Engineering Personal Statement (Puah Yi En)

Puah Yi En is currently studying Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London. Yi En completed her A-Levels at Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar and is graduating in 2023.  This personal statement was part of her successful application to  Imperial College London, University of Bristol, University of Manchester, University of Bath  and  University of Southampton for Aeronautical Engineering.

The invention of aircraft is an example of a miraculous engineering success as a result of detailed observations on animal flight and putting innovation in motion. I am intrigued by the seamless communication, working precision and maintenance in an airport. I often wonder how aerospace engineers work and how they coordinate their intelligence in their work. Engineers create a better and more connected world for us to live in through innovating and building aircraft. They expand the horizons of humanity through space exploration, making the impossible possible. 

In order to gain a deeper insight into the course, I watched the video diary of an astronaut, Tim Peake and joined an online course by MIT that briefly introduced aerospace engineering. Rocket designers need to take into account the effect of microgravity and pressure difference on the spacecraft. For instance, the astronauts who are currently on expedition aboard the International Space Station experienced a drop in cabin pressure due to air leakage on the spacecraft. Other than deciding what material to be used, communication systems in the spaceship and the station should be given significance to ensure the safety of astronauts and to keep them updated. NASA is currently redesigning a new space suit with integrated audio system, more mobility and flexibility. This marks a new era, not only for astronauts but the whole STEM field. 

Falcon Heavy, a reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX introduces Reusable Launch System Development Program, the idea of returning boosters which can be reused and serve as a refueling tool for the spaceship after rocket separation. This idea saves cost and reduces space junk as rockets can now be refueled. However, I think this can be further improved by installing magnetic launch pad, rise the rocket a few kilometers in the air before burning the fuel in a safe distance. This can reduce the fuel cost and is also more eco-friendly. Mercury-Atlas 2 which took John Glenn into orbit is made by thin aluminium skin. It needs to be pressurised all the time to prevent the rocket from collapsing. This is one of the ways to reduce the total mass and thus increase the thrust of the rocket. 

One of my most memorable participations is competing in the District Robotics Challenge. My team and I had to build and programme a lego model robot and navigate it through a maze within a time limit. I was able to enhance my hands-on skills which will be very useful when applied in engineering. I hope to be able to apply similar knowledge to aerospace innovation, with an aim to better grasp the concepts and applications of Physics and Mathematics that are closely related to aerospace. 

I also participated in the Oxbridge Engineering Workshop, experiencing how a team of engineers work. The assignment was to complete a bridge building project as a team. We analysed ways to increase stability of the bridge from the unsuccessful first model. It reminds me that reflections and improving mistakes are important. This principle is essential in life to embrace failure as a learning process. I also learnt to be more vocal in discussing my opinions and I realise that ideas sharing is extremely crucial in a team. 

My experience as an active rock climber moulded me to be tough and independent. Despite suffering from bruises, wounds and muscle pain after practices, I am still determined to reach my goal – the top of the wall. My experiences as an active member such as Master of Ceremonies, secretary of Interact Club have shaped me into a critical and logical person when it comes to problem solving. I learnt to take charge of projects I do, manage my time in making sure I balance my studies and extracurricular activities. I enjoy playing the piano and violin as it helps me to express my emotions and keep calm. I appreciate the steep learning curve offered by aerospace engineering as it allows me to thrive with enthusiasm and conquer challenges. 

DISCLAIMER:  The personal statements on this site are strictly meant as a starting point to give an idea of how successful personal statements look like. There is no surefire formula to writing good personal statements.  COLLEGELAH IS STRICTLY AGAINST PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND .  UCAS employs a plagiarism check system  that checks applicants’ work against other published writing so please  DO NOT PLAGIARISE.

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Imperial College London Imperial College London

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• Undergraduate

Design Engineering

Fuse design thinking with engineering knowledge and practice in this highly creative integrated Master’s degree

Applications open on 14 May 2024

Gain hands-on experience in the field on a six-month placement with a leading industrial partner.

Combine your engineering and design skills with business knowledge across a range of projects and workshops

Showing course information for 2025 View 2024 course information

Course key facts

Qualification, october 2025, ucas course code, not set home, not set overseas, delivered by, dyson school of design engineering, south kensington, applications: places, 7 : 1 (2023), minimum entry standard, a*aa (a-level), 39 points (international baccalaureate), course overview.

Discover how design engineers bridge the gap between traditional engineering and design on this professionally accredited four-year course.

You'll explore how engineers draw on manufacturing techniques, product development, technical design and rapid prototyping to bring new innovations to market. You'll also analyse how existing products can be improved, and the processes used to achieve this.

This course will develop your design and engineering skills, with an emphasis on creativity, computer-aided engineering, optimisation, human factors and the design process.

Through a series of compulsory modules during your first two years, you'll develop team working skills as you explore topics including electronics, mechatronics and data science.

Access to extensive hackspaces and workshops will enable you to collaborate with creative thinkers as you develop your own ideas. You'll also build your enterprise skills and industrial experience as you translate design engineering into impact.

Optional modules provide opportunities to specialise in your final two years, with a six-month paid placement the key focus of your third year.

This is designed to help you gain practical experience in the field with leaders in industry. Previous partner organisations have included Dyson, Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls Royce.

Your final year culminates with a series of projects, including the chance to expose one of your products to market reaction.

Subject to university approval.

This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.

Find out more about potential course changes .

Please note:  it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.

You’ll study these core modules.

Core modules

Introduction to design engineering.

Explore design engineering in a global and professional context and how design engineering issues are creatively tackled.

Computing 1: Introduction to Scientific Computing

Better understand computer programming through a hands-on approach and build your appreciation of the Python programming language and supporting tools.

Engineering Mathematics

Analyse the mathematical tools and techniques used to tackle a variety of design engineering problems.

Materials and Manufacturing

Identify common engineering materials and the means to manufacture them into geometries.

Human-centred Design Engineering

Develop competence in creative human-centred design engineering and improve your skills in design drawing, engineering drawing and 3D computer aided design.

Data Science

Explore a wide range of datasets, to perform data analysis and use key insights from statistics and machine learning. 

Solid Mechanics 1

Learn how to link force and displacement using laws of physics and how this can be used to model several real-world problems.

Electronics 1: Introduction to Electronic Circuits, Sensors, and Mechatronics

Develop your understanding of analogue and digital electronics as found in all electronics systems.

You’ll study all core modules and one I-Explore module.

Compulsory modules

Your I-Explore module offers you choices from a range of subjects hosted outside of the department. 

You will be taught alongside students from other courses with options including business, management and many more.

Sustainable Design Engineering

Examine key challenges for sustainability and specific principles and methods for sustainable design.

Physical Computing

Combine the approaches of physical computing and mechatronics and distinguish between a wide range of standard machine elements and electronic components.

Solid Mechanics 2

Progress your knowledge from Solid Mechanics 1 by advancing your understanding of kinematics and stress analysis.

Electronics 2: Signals, Systems, and Control

Gain a system perspective on electronic systems and improve your understanding of signal interpretation, processing and manipulation.

Finite Element Analysis

Use finite element programs in a practical way to solve problems in linear elastic stress analysis.

Thermofluids: Energy and Design

Consider the topic of energy within a design context and the associated engineering sciences of fluid mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics.

Industrial Design Engineering

Carry out a project brief that integrates a human-centred design approach with the creative design engineering of a complex electromechanical product.

Working in Organisations

Discover the range of organisations Design Engineers operate in and consider the current and future professional landscape, together with effectively preparing to best position yourselves on a career route that is most relevant and exciting.

Computing 2: Applications

Build upon your knowledge from Computing 1 by examining application programming with a particular focus on web applications and the technologies associated with this. You will assess user interface and experience, accessing and manipulating data sources, and client-server architectures.

You'll study all core modules. 

You’ll also take two optional modules.

Design Engineering Futures

Work on an engineering design interdisciplinary group project and improve your project management and concept development skills.

Robotics 1: Introduction to Robotics

Build your foundational knowledge of the field of robotics and explore robot control and motion planning algorithms.

Robotics 2: Applied Robotics

Appreciate the practical aspects of robotics through tutorial and lab sessions that enable you to build hands-on experience in the field.

Optimisation

Assess common system design and engineering optimisation problems and use appropriate tools to solve them.

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Explore entrepreneurial thinking styles that are important in developing radical forms of innovation.

Design Engineering Industry Placement (Part 1)

Gain practical industry experience on a substantial design engineering related project, or collection of related projects.

Optional modules

Advanced industrial design.

Obtain a high level understanding of contemporary industrial design principles, and better understand industrial design process tools.

Audio Experience Design

Deepen your knowledge of the basic principles of acoustics and digital signal processing and the physiology of the hearing system.

Designing Interventions for Behavioural Change

Develop your competence in scoping, analysing and developing creative interventions for behaviour change.

Design for Additive Manufacturing

Learn to solve future industry challenges through the use of additive manufacturing. Access the use of 3D print technology and optimise designs and develop your skills in advanced manufacturing technology to best position yourself to become industry experts or academic researchers.

Design Psychology

Build your knowledge of psychology and how design solutions to global challenges need to take into account human behaviour.

Machine Learning for Design Engineers

Advance your understanding of machine learning in a design engineering context and the mathematical tools that underpin it.

Economics and Finance for Systems Design

Assess the economic performance of engineering systems and products through a range of core principles.

Game Theory and Mechanism Design

Develop your knowledge and understanding in analysing interactions within systems as games looking into areas including non-cooperative, cooperative and population games. You'll further enhance your mathematical understanding and learn how agents are steered to a certain outcome through the use of mechanism design. 

Selected Menu of Electives from Faculty/College

Choose from a range of optional modules as you develop your distinct professional identity.

You’ll take all core modules. 

You’ll also take two modules from Group A and Group C, and two additional modules from Group B.

Design Engineering Industry Placement (Part 2)

Gain practical industry experience on a substantial design engineering related project and reflect on how your work has impacted on your professional development.

Design Engineering Master’s Project

Complete your four-year design engineering journey by carrying out a major project in an area of your choice.

Enterprise Roll Out

Develop your knowledge of management and business practices from outside engineering and how they can be applied effectively in an entrepreneurial venture.

Optional modules - Group A

Improve your knowledge of current additive manufacturing (AM) technology, materials, trends and processes.

Games and Mechanisms

Optional modules - group b, robotics research project.

Assess the latest research in the field of applied robotics through hands-on project work.

Sensing and Internet of Things

Use techniques to develop software and hardware platforms for the Internet of Things and understand the basics of mobile sensing.

Nano Design Engineering

Explore how nanomaterials can be engineered to serve specific applications.

Design Analytics for the Sharing Economy

Better understand the sharing economy and how this new paradigm is causing a wave of disruption to empower citizens and communities.

Responsible Engineering and Design Innovation

Critically analyse how technology products impact on individuals, their health and society as a whole.

From Data to Product

Explore the very aspects of data science in order design products from data. Assess the methods of generating value from data, by going through relevant concepts within modern data science such as descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics. 

Transformational Play

Enhance your understanding of creating games and playful experiences for a range of entertainment and social issues such as health, education, sustainability, or social change. Learn the key concepts, aspects and methods of game design and play experiences through rapid making and critiquing of analogue games.

Distributed Ledger Technologies

Discover the fundamentals of DLTs, better known as blockchains, and learn how to open up questions in the DLT space and explore how to approach them.

Optional modules - Group C

Design of visual systems.

Discover and develop your understanding of the human visual system, and the technology available for design engineers to acquire, analyse, interpret and exploit visual information gathered with modern electronic components. 

Professional accreditation

This degree is professionally accredited by the following organisations on behalf of the Engineering Council:

• Institution of Engineering Designers (IED)
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
• Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)

With this integrated Master’s degree, you’ll fully meet the academic requirements for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

With a professionally accredited degree, you’ll be able to demonstrate to employers that you have achieved an industry-recognised standard of competency. Professional accreditation also provides international recognition of your qualifications, which you can use to launch a career abroad.

Becoming a Chartered Engineer can further enhance your career prospects and earning potential. It demonstrates your competencies and commitment to lifelong learning – providing you with recognition in your field and greater influence and opportunities.

The accreditation from the IED runs from 2017 to 2025. The accreditation from IMechE runs from 2022 to 2026, and the accreditation from IET runs from 2020 to 2025. The department expects to be accredited by all three professional bodies in the future.

Associateship

In addition to your degree, you’ll receive the Associateship of the City and Guilds of London Institute (ACGI) upon completion of this course. This associateship is awarded by one of our historic constituent Colleges.

Teaching and assessment

Balance of teaching and learning.

• Timetabled sessions
• Independent study

Years 1 and 2

• 30% Timetabled sessions
• 70% Independent study

Years 3 and 4

• 15% Timetabled sessions
• 85% Independent study

Teaching and learning methods

Balance of assessment.

• Examination
• 50% Examination
• 40% Coursework
• 10% Practical
• 25% Examination
• 50% Coursework
• 25% Practical
• 10% Examination
• 60% Coursework
• 30% Practical
• 0% Examination
• 75% Coursework

Assessment methods

Entry requirements.

We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.

• International Baccalaureate
• English language requirement
• Foundation programmes
• Other qualifications

To include:

• A* in Mathematics
• A , A in two further subjects

Not accepted : General Studies and Critical Thinking Science Practical Endorsement:  If you are made an offer you will be required to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer.

Typical offer

A*AA  (applicants studying three A-levels)

Made to at least 80% of 2023 A-level applicants.

Support for widening participation applicants

Our contextual admissions route for UK applicants may entitle you to additional considerations within the application process to help us form a more complete picture of your potential to succeed at Imperial. 

Find out more about who is eligible and what support you may receive .

• 7 in Mathematics at higher level
• 6  in another subject at higher level

Preferred Mathematics syllabus : The Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or the Applications and Interpretation syllabi will be accepted at higher level, with no preference.

39–40 points

Made to at least 80% of IB applicants in 2023.

Find out more about  who is eligible and what support you may receive .

All candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency for admission to the College.

For admission to this course, you must achieve the  standard College requirement  in the appropriate English language qualification. For details of the minimum grades required to achieve this requirement, please see the  English language requirements .

Imperial does not offer its own Foundation Programme. However, the following are accepted for entry to this programme:

• UCL’s Undergraduate Preparatory Certificate for Science and Engineering (UPCSE), and
• Warwick’s International Foundation Programme (IFP) in Science & Engineering

Students complete four modules across the year – two compulsory and two elective modules.

Compulsory modules:

• Research and Academic Skills: Science and Society
• Academic English

Elective modues:

• Mathematics

Minimum requirements

The Dyson School of Design Engineering minimum requirements are:

• 80% overall
• 80% Mathematics
• 80% Biology, Chemistry or Physics

Warwick IFP Science and Engineering

The Dyson School of Design Engineering minimum requirements are:

• 80% Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science  or  80% Mathematics, Statistics and Further Mathematics, and Computer Science  or  80% Mathematics, Statistics and Further Mathematics, and Mathematical Modelling and Interdisciplinary Mathematics

To meet these requirements, you should choose from the following IFP pathways:

• Computer Science 
• Mathematics & Statistics 
• Engineering

UK qualifications

If you are studying a UK qualification, other than A-levels, choose your qualification from the list below to see the entry requirement for this course.

This qualification is not accepted for entry to this programme.

Our minimum entry standard is:

• D2 in Mathematics
• D3 in two other subjects

Our minimum entry standard is AAA overall, to include:

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of qualifications from different countries – choose your qualification from the list below to see the entry requirement for this course. If your qualification is not included, it might not be accepted for entry. You can check with the relevant Admissions team for confirmation.

Our minimum entry standard is 5, 5, 5 overall, to include:

• 5 in Calculus BC
• 5 in two other subjects

*If you are studying additional High School Qualifications alongside Advanced Placements, requirements may apply to both sets of qualifications.

• ATAR 98.5 with AAA including Maths

Our minimum entry standard is ATAR 98.5 with:

• 45/50 in Mathematics
• 42/50 other second subject
• 42/50 in a third subject

Scores out of 50 will be doubled for 2-unit courses which are expected for essential subjects.

• A+ in Mathematics
• A,A in two further subjects
• EA in Mathematics
• HA in two further subjects
• 1 Mathematics

Our minimum entry standard is 8.25 overall, to include:

• 9 in Mathematics
• 9 in another subject

*Grades above are when grades out of 10. Grades are doubled when marked out of 20.

Our minimum entry standard is 5.9 overall, with the following state exams:

• 6 in Mathematics
• 6 Other subject

Our minimum entry standard is 87.5% overall from year 12 subjects, to include the following grades at Year 12:

• 90% in Mathematics
• 85% in four further subjects
• 1 (AAA) in Mathematics (double unit)
• 1 (AAA) in Other (double unit)
• 1 (AAA) in two further units
• 5 Mathematics (HL)
• 5 Other (HL)

Our minimum entry standard is 19 overall:

• 20 in Mathematics
• A-level Mathematics grade A*
• A-level Other subject grade A

Our minimum entry standard is 10.5 overall, to include:

• 12 in Mathematics
• 91% Mathematics Extensive (State Exam)

Our minimum entry standard is 82.5% overall, to include:

• 8 in another subject
• 7, 7 Mathematics (advanced) and Other

Our minimum entry standard is 16 overall, to include two speciality subjects at year 13:

• 16 in Mathematics with option Mathematics Expert

Our minimum entry standard is 1.5 overall, to include the following abiturprufung exams:

• 14 in Mathematics
• 5* in Mathematics
• 5 in two further subjects

Our minimum entry standard from higher level subjects is:

• 5 Mathematics

Our minimum entry standard is 8.5 overall, to include:

Our minimum entry standard is 91% overall, to include:

• 95% in Mathematics
• 90% in two other subjects

Our minimum entry standard is three higher level DP courses (stand alone or within the CP), to include:

• 7 in Mathematics* at higher level
• 6 in another subject at higher level

*Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or the Applications and Interpretation syllabi will be accepted at higher level with no preference.

Higher level DP courses may also be presented in combination with other accepted qualifications, providing a minimum equivalent of three A level breadth of study is presented. Accepted qualifications with subject and grade requirements are available in the entry requirement section of each course page. If you require guidance, please contact Admissions.

Due to the highly selective nature of admissions at Imperial, candidates should be aware that those presenting the full IB Diploma will typically be considered as presenting more competitive applications.

Our minimum entry standard is 18 overall:

• 19 in Mathematics
• H1 Mathematics
• H1 in one further subjects
• H2 in four further subjects

Our minimum entry standard is 90% overall, to include the following five unit subjects:

Our minimum entry standard is 98 overall, to include:

• 10 in Mathematics
• 6, 6 Mathematics
• 6 in four other subjects

Our minimum entry standard is 52 overall, to include:

• 55 in Mathematics
• 50 in two further subjects
• A in Mathematics

Our minimum entry standard is AAA in intermediate subjects with the following at advanced level:

• A, A including Mathematics

Our minimum entry standard is 5 overall:

Our minimum entry standard is 8.3 overall, to include:

Our minimum entry standard is E overall from Level 3:

• E Mathematics
• 6 Mathematics

Our minimum entry standard is the following subjects at advanced level - numerical grades refer to the required stanine:

Our minimum entry standard is 18 overall including:

Our minimum entry standard is 9.25 overall including:

• 9.5 in Mathematics

Our minimum entry standard is 4.75 overall:

Our minimum entry standard is AAA overall from H2 subjects, to include:

Our minimum entry standard is 4.5 overall:

• 4.5 Mathematics

Our minimum entry standard is 3.8 overall:

• 3.8 Mathematics

Our minimum entry standard is 8.75 overall, to include:

• 8.5 in two other subjects

Our minimum entry standard is A in the majority of subjects, to include:

• A, A including Mathematics 4 (Other subject at level 2)

Our minimum entry standard is 5.25 overall, to include:

• 5.5 Mathematics

How to apply

Apply via ucas.

When applications open, you will be able to start your application via UCAS Hub. There you can add this course as one of your choices and track your application.

Application deadlines – 29 January 2025 at 18.00 (UK time)

Admissions test – the ESAT

To be considered for this course for 2025 entry, you will need to sit the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) as part of the application process.

The ESAT is a computer-based assessment and is made up of individual multiple-choice assessments. These will differ depending on the Imperial course you are applying to.

Find out more about the ESAT and how to register for 2025 entry.

Assessing your application

Admissions Tutors consider all the evidence available during our rigorous selection process and the College flags key information providing assessors with a more complete picture of the educational and social circumstances relevant to the applicant. Some applicants may be set lower offers and some more challenging ones.

If your application has demonstrated sufficient potential you will be invited for an online interview. These typically run from November to March.

During the interview, your interest and aptitude will be assessed through a range of questions and problems. You are encouraged to present some examples of your own work/projects towards the end of the interview, although this will be for two minutes maximum, so please choose your examples carefully.

ATAS certificate

An ATAS certificate  is not  required for students applying for this course.

Industrial Placement (further information)

All students will undertake a six-month industrial placement from April until September between their third and fourth year of study.

The placement will be on-site with an industrial partner and supervised jointly by the partner and Imperial.

In the past, students have worked at a diverse range of companies including Dyson, Brompton Bicycles, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce, ABB Robotics, Microsoft Lift, Fitch, Monokoto, Random International, Better Future Factory and Cambridge Consultants.

Watch our video 'What does a Design Engineer do?' on YouTube

Tuition fees

Overseas fee, as a guide, the home fee for 2024–25 was £9,250 per year, inflationary increases.

Your fee is based on the year you enter the College, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.

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As a guide, the Overseas fee for 2024–25 was £40,940 per year

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Gain transferable skills relevant to a career in design engineering or similar fields.

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Others have developed startups based on their entrepreneurial expertise.

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Technology, A.I., Careers

Monday, July 11, 2016

How to get an internship.

#1 Work on Side Projects

• Make a 30 second short film in  Autodesk Maya  (free for students) or  Blender 3D  (free for everybody)
• Do a  11 Second Club  animation. 
• Make something cool with Pixar's own  Renderman software  (free for non-commercial use). I'll bet less than 1% of the resumes that Pixar receives from students list experience with Renderman.
• Draw something on ShaderToy .
• Implement a physically-based rendering algorithm.
• Make an Android / iOS app from scratch (Android learning curve is easier). 
• Learn how to use Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform . 
• Open source your work. A Managing Director at D. E. Shaw once told me that " Github  is the new resume".
• Check out  Show HN  to see what projects other folks are working on.
• Participate in a Kaggle competition . Get your first-hand experience with overfitting.
• Do some financial market research on Quantopian . This is the kind of work that real quants do all day. 
• Contribute to open source projects  like Beaker and Satellite. Who knows, you might even impress someone inside the company.
• It builds your brand (see #2).
• It shows the hiring committee that you are willing to hone your craft on your own time, instead of merely trading your time for their money and status.
• It's a low-risk way to find out if you're actually interested in the field.
• In the process of building stuff, you might re-discover important theoretical and engineering challenges that professionals grapple with. In my sophomore year, I wrote a  Bitcoin- arbitrage bot  in Python. Bitcoin exchanges list the price and volume of all open limit orders in the book, while actual financial markets do not. This results in a very fundamental difference in the way  Market Impact  is treated, and gave me something interesting to talk about during my Two Sigma interviews. What I learned was super elementary, but still more practical experience than most candidates.

#2 Make Your Own Website

• Make it easy for recruiters to come across your portfolio via Google Search.
• Reveal your personality in ways that a 1-page resume cannot. In particular, it's a great opportunity to showcase aesthetic sense and visual creativity.
• You should add an attractive profile picture of yourself. Putting a candid, smiling face will help people recognize you and put a face to your list of impressive accomplishments.

#3 Study CS

• My resume got passed over in resume screens because I listed "neuroscience" as my major. I eventually got through by begging a Google recruiter to give me a chance with the phone interview. Afterwards, I switched to Applied Math-CS.
• Getting good at CS requires lots of practice. School is a good place to do it.
• Neuroscience in the classroom has not caught up to neuroscience in the lab. Cutting edge research is pretty much optogenetics or computational (which is more CS + math + physics than neuroscience anyway).

#4 Seek Diverse, Contrarian Experiences

• It's been said that Reed College's Calligraphy Class was a formative experience in Steve Jobs's design-minded vision for Apple products.
• John Lasseter and Ed Catmull believed that 3D computer graphics was not just a fancy artistic medium, but the future of animation itself. They were right.
• Here is an elegant and beautiful explanation of a Math proof using interpretive dance. Sometimes difficult concepts become strikingly clear when the right diagram is drawn.

#5 Plan your next 10 years

• How will I pay off my student debt?
• Can I see myself doing pure software engineering (frontend, backend, mobile apps) for the remainder of my career? 
• How long do I see myself working at my current employer?
• Do I want to transition into more math-y roles like ML research or quantitative finance?
• Do I want to transition into a product management or leadership role?
• Do I want to start my own company someday? Am I okay exchanging coding and making stuff, for the privilege of running a company?
• Do I want to become a Venture Capitalist someday?
• If I plan to have kids by the time I'm 32 - where do I want to be? Who do I want to be with?
• If I keep doing this, will I be happy in ten years? 

#6 Skip the Resume Screen

• If you get a referral from someone inside the company, recruiters will consider your application more carefully. If your resume is not horrible to look at, you'll almost certainly make it to the next stage. I was lucky enough to get referrals for Pixar and Two Sigma. However, these are stories for another day ;)
• If you are an underrepresented minority (URM) in Technology, companies are bending over backwards to get you to pass their interviews. At conferences like  Grace Hopper , you can actually get a free pass out of the resume screening and the phone screen, and do on-the-spot whiteboard interviews with companies like Apple, Facebook, Google, Pinterest, etc. This improves the odds of landing an internship  dramatically . A classmate of mine actually got an internship offer from Apple, on the spot, with only her resume (no interview or anything).  Reach out to your computer science department and ask if they would sponsor your attendance.
• Reach out to engineers directly through your school alumni network, and ask them to refer you. Don't be shy - it's very little work on their part and they will get nice a referral bonus if you succeed. The worst thing that could happen is that they ignore you, which doesn't cost you anything.

#7 Phone and On-Site Interviews

• A Practical Guide to Quantitative  Finance Interviews
• Quant Job Interview Questions and Answers
• Heard on the Street

#9 I got the internship. What do I do?

#10 i didn't get an internship this summer. what do i do.

• Create deadlines for yourself as if a manager assigned them to you. 
• Have meetings with your imaginary manager where you discuss your progress. 
• Show up to "work" on time.
• Get some unemployed friends together and work in a team. Heck, not having a job lined up is the perfect opportunity to start your own company .
• Write a blog post about it. Show your future employers what a fucking awesome employee you would be if you had the opportunity.

#11 Closing Thoughts

• Build your own personal brand through side projects, website, writing.
• Optimize your career decisions for learning and personal growth. 
• Work really hard.

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Electrical and electronic engineering personal statement example 1.

I have always had a creative ability and a fascination with how things work. The challenge of solving practical problems inherent in the field of engineering appeals directly to these traits.

I am particularly interested in electrical and electronic engineering (EEE) because it is such a rapidly evolving discipline. The potential to integrate new technologies into real life applications and the opportunity to develop practical skills in this sphere is exciting.

I spent a week within the Electronics Department at the British Geological Survey and was shown the diversity of the work they undertake. Their job is to use electronics to investigate the properties of rocks using invasive and non-invasive techniques. What most enthused me was the freedom the engineers have to use their creativity to solve problems. I observed them designing their own experiments and using their PCB layout and design skills to build circuits to achieve this.

In addition to my school work I have been studying an Open University science short course entitled 'Inside Nuclear Energy'. I chose this course because nuclear energy is a fundamentally important consideration in our future energy supply.

The module debated nuclear energy from an ethical and practical perspective as well as studying the technology and science involved such as calculating nuclear decay and how a nuclear power station works. Studying this module has broadened my scientific reading and helped my time management and independent study skills.

During my academic career I have been house representative and a member of my school council. I was a member of my school team for the national Bar Mock Trials and reached the final in Belfast. I was elected as a member of the UK Youth Parliament for South Lincolnshire where I was very fortunate to attend Stormont and debate in the House of Commons.

I was the Managing Director of a Young Enterprise group. This role involved managing a team of 10 of my peers and maintaining good relations throughout while ensuring that quality and time management was maintained.

As a team we designed our product and I negotiated with a local manufacturer who produced it using recycled plastic bottle tops. I gained valuable team work and management skills and we won both regional and national awards including one for 'Innovation'.

In my free time I play netball where good teamwork is essential. I play clarinet, guitar and have reached grade five in piano. I enjoy watching talks on TED.com and I keep up to date with Wired magazine which covers current and future trends in technology.

I believe it is important that an engineer has a wider understanding of the social, political and economic issues to better appreciate the context in which engineering impacts on the community it serves.

In economics I have learnt to consider the effect of negative externalities which include the environmental impact of individual companies. I am acutely aware of the need for science to explore ways of harmonising technology with nature. All engineering henceforth will need to consider its environmental impact.

EEE impacts on almost every aspect of our lives today and will only grow in importance. I want to be part of our technological future and make a positive contribution to future developments.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by AJS for application in 2013.

AJS's university choices Imperial College London University College London University of Bath University of Newcastle Upon Tyne The University of Sheffield

Green : offer made Red : no offer made

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