How to Write the Stevens Institute of Technology Essay 2018-2019

Nestled in the city of Hoboken, New Jersey, just a ferry ride away from New York City, Stevens Institute of Technology offers some of the most competitive engineering, science, and management programs in the country. With a rich history going as far back as the late 1800s, this esteemed research institution encourages its students to think critically and get involved with research projects early on in their education. Stevens is a selective school, with an acceptance rate of 39% for the 2017-2018 cycle. The most recent US News and World Report rankings placed Stevens as #69 in National Universities. It is also important to note that Stevens has a total undergraduate enrollment of just over 3,000 students, making it smaller than the average university.

While Stevens does offer a plethora of general degrees, it is unique in that it also provides specialized Accelerated Programs for students wishing to go into professional fields such as medicine, dentistry, or law. These competitive programs are designed to provide both a good academic foundation and the guidance needed for students to excel in the appropriate national examinations.

With so many talented applicants all applying for these Accelerated Programs, the essays are a great place to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pool and make a lasting impression. So, without further delay, CollegeVine has some tips to help you tackle the supplemental essay for the Accelerated Medical Program. Let’s get right to it!

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Stevens Institute of Technology Application Essay Prompt

While five hundred words may seem like quite a lot to work with, you must keep in mind that not only do you need to explain why you want to pursue medicine, but you also need to address the implicit question of why you chose Stevens to help you get there. Your answer needs to have both parts in order for you to stand out, so let’s look at how to answer each section separately.

First Part: Why do you want to go into the medical field?

There are so many ways to answer this question, as the reasons for going into any profession is highly personal and will require deep thought. However, while there isn’t “one right answer” here, there is a way to answer incorrectly. That would be to use very generic reasons that don’t highlight the importance of medicine as it plays into your future goals.

For example, simply saying that you want to help people doesn’t show the admissions board why medicine is necessarily the best path for you. If this truly is your reason for wanting to become a doctor, you need to explain that you understand the investment you will make both physically and mentally to get to that position. If you are applying for this program, you should ideally already be heavily involved in medically related extracurriculars, so a better way to frame your answer is to bring in your experiences. Share a story about an event that made you realize your passion for working with patients or a goal that you are striving to reach.

Make sure that you can back up whatever you write about in the rest of your application, as doing so will help prove that going into the medical field is something that you have thought about for a long time. This is also a great opportunity to reflect on your own fit with the program itself. After all, once accepted into the Accelerated Program, many of your classes will be set for you and it will be harder to be flexible with exploring different majors and activities.

It’s perfectly fine to not know what to write about immediately, but if you just can’t come up with a personal, clear answer, know that many students have eventually gone into medical schools without being enrolled in such programs.

Second Part: Why choose the Accelerated Program at Stevens?

Although the prompt does not ask for this explicitly, the prompt still serves as a “Why School X?” essay. There are other programs in the country similar to the one offered at Stevens, so you also need to explain what benefits being at Stevens will give you that other institutions can’t. This question requires some research into the school, but make sure that you don’t simply regurgitate the information you find.

The aim of your answer is to include specific programs and resources that fit in with your profile. If possible, try to relate the things you mention back to the topic of medicine. For example, you can mention how the proximity of Stevens to New York City will offer you the opportunity to intern at many different esteemed hospitals and will also make it easier to find specialists to shadow compared to somewhere more rural.

Another case is that being such a research-oriented college, Stevens will have more resources for you to conduct meaningful research. The Pinnacle Scholars Program, for instance, gives high-achieving undergraduate students a chance to conduct research with a faculty member while earning a stipend as well as countless other amazing benefits.

Due to the word restriction on this essay, you may not be able to fit everything you find about the college, and that’s okay. The majority of your essay should still be focused on explaining your decision to go into medicine, but with the few things about Stevens that you do choose to include, it’s good to be as detailed as possible. Once again, doing so will show the admissions staff that you have really thought about your application and could really see yourself as a member of the Stevens community.

We hope that this guide helped you in your brainstorming, and we wish you the best of luck on your writing!

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