Some candidates title their statement,

although this is not required.

Continuing an Expedition

Hook: the statement begins with a personal narrative about how the
candidate’s interest in the field came up. The candidate states research
interests and career goals from the beginning.

Since I was young, I have always expressed a propensity for exploration. Be it by the stream behind
my house, through books on ancient history, or the geopolitical space portrayed by the globe on
my dresser, I always found something to explore and contemplate. While many of these interests
have waned over the years, the intellectual curiosity that they fostered has only strengthened.
Throughout the past four years of undergraduate studies, I have had the pleasure of exploring the
field of civil engineering. While I have greatly enjoyed my explorations thus far, I have not yet
finished my journey. Given my intellectual curiosity and my passion for geotechnical engineering,
continuing my studies, ultimately towards the goal of a PhD, at MIT, is the most sensible route in
my academic journey.

Previous Experience + Match: the paragraphs summarize the candidate’s academic

While structures, and more specifically those found above ground, have been the main focus of
my undergraduate study, my interest in geotechnical engineering has slowly grown from the seeds
planted in the summer of my sophomore year, as a field engineering intern at The City Airport.
During my time on site, I was captivated by the sheer magnitude and intricacies of the pile driving
process, pile cap construction, and the details specified within the foundation plans. Through the
two geotechnical engineering courses that I was enrolled in as a junior, I have gained an
understanding of how soils are affected by stresses, how water flows through them, the engineering
properties of soils, and how to properly test and determine each of them. In addition, through the
technical reports that I have completed in my Soils Mechanics Laboratory class, as well as in my
Fluid Mechanics Laboratory class, and my Civil Engineering Materials class, I have acquired the
skills necessary to critique experimental results, compile data, and efficiently write in a technical
manner. These skills, which I have honed over the past few years, make me an excellent candidate
for graduate level research at MIT.

Beyond my technical writing skills, my analytical skills and engineering sense have improved
greatly over the past four years. Through many of my junior and senior year engineering courses,
I have grown to understand the importance of, and reasoning behind various analysis techniques.
For example, through gaining an understanding of the theory and meaning behind the analysis
techniques taught in my Structures II course, I have been able to much better understand the
significance of settlement in structures, the effects of loading on indeterminate structures, and the
importance of understanding these effects. Like many engineering students, I possess
mathematical prowess, but the firm conceptual grasp that I have the capacity to acquire
differentiates me from other candidates.
This semester, I am currently enrolled in Introduction to Geotechnical Applications, in which I
have learned about induced stresses to greater detail, shallow foundations, bearing capacity of
soils, as well as deep foundation analysis and design. In addition, working with one of my
professors, Dr. M. L., I contributed to research pertaining to earth pressure balance tunnel boring
machines, and their effects in soft soils. Our research, which is a continuation of Dr. M. L.’s
previous work, focuses on utilizing tunnel boring machine operational parameters and tunnel
properties to predict the maximum surface settlement expected. Thus far, I have interpreted and
extracted data from scholarly publications, which we have utilized to further train a prediction
algorithm. In addition, I have also performed local and global sensitivity analyses on the prediction
equations that were output by the algorithm. Currently, a portion of our research has been
submitted to and will appear as a paper in the World Tunnel Congress, which will take place in
Dubai in April of 2018. Through the research that I have conducted thus far, I have gained a much
greater understanding of the academic research process, which despite its occasional frustrations,
has proven to be a source of enjoyment that I plan to continue in the years to come.

Research interest: these paragraphs clearly indicate what topic the candidate is
interested in, and what faculty members the candidate would like to work with.
Concrete examples of projects in the program are mentioned. The candidate
states how the research interest matches with the faculty expertise.

As for my graduate studies, I hope to continue to build off the engineering knowledge base that I
have thus far acquired. I desire to further explore the geotechnical engineering field, through
continued study, research, and contemplation of more cutting-edge niches within the field.

Beyond the next two years, I plan to find a research topic, specifically relating to tunneling, deep
excavations, or deep foundations, that is both relevant and personally compelling enough to focus
on for a few years more, with the goal of completing a doctoral thesis. In my quite arduous graduate
school search, I believe that MIT will provide me the greatest likelihood of discovering a research
topic that is both viable and aligned with my interests. More specifically, the research conducted
by both Dr. C. D. and Dr. W. H. have piqued my interest. Dr. C. D.’s previous research in
tunneling, specifically pertaining to its analysis, design, and risk analysis, along with Dr. W. H.’s
research into tunneling performance, and laterally loaded piles in soft clay are all appealing to me
and very relevant.

Career goals, Leadership and Diversity: to end the statement, the

Beyond my studies, in my career, I plan to make a lasting impact on others through the work I
conduct. Whether my career ultimately resides fully in academia or partially in industry, I desire
to contribute significantly to the projects I will ultimately work on. Be it a semester of teaching at
university or the construction of a new airport, I desire to be a positive, knowledgeable, and
compelling leader. I wish to position myself such that I will be able to most effectively utilize my
talents and passions to bring about a positive change to the world.