SAMPLE 1

My desire and the motivation behind graduation in civil engineering can be undoubtedly
related to the idea of giving something to society. I worked hard to get into the college of my
choice and the day I got admitted into the ______ College, it gave a further boost to my desire
to learn more about the subject. The labs, the field work and the testing machines all got me
interested a lot.
After getting my place secured in one of the toughest courses Engineering has to offer, I
focused on what I was going to do next. In reality, CE appeared to be a lot more different than
what I had previously imagined. It was more competitive, demanding and challenging. My sole
aim was to gather in-depth knowledge and understand the basics of the subject. The role of my
professors is perhaps the biggest in helping me understand all the concepts of the subjects.
They were ready to help whenever I needed it.
When I completed two years of my Graduate program, I had the fair knowledge of the subject
and where it might lead me in the future. The scope and area of application of civil engineering
are probably more than any other subject today. It requires a great deal of patience, attention
to detail and perseverance. My college helped me to develop all those qualities through hard
work and constant evaluation. The Internship program in the third year of my Graduate
program also gave a very good idea of the workings and the code in which work is done at an
actual construction site. The kind of exposure I received through the internship got e further
interested in the research aspect of civil engineering.
Now, at this point in my career, I am certain that a Master’s program would help me in the
further application of the knowledge and skill that I have attained during the course of my
Graduation, which is why I am applying for your esteemed college. The research facilities of
your college paired up with the unparalleled faculty members is the icing on the cake for my
Master’s degree.
I am confident that I will rise up to the standards set by your University for an ideal student. I
believe that our future can be made better by working towards it and your colleagues would be
an ideal place for me to enhance my skills and increase my knowledge.
Thank you for entertaining my application.

SAMPLE 2

“EDUCATION IS A TOOL THAT PUTS ONE ON A FAST TRACK TO ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE AND
PERSONALITY THAT SETS ONE APART FROM THE CROWD. IT IS ONE BOTTOM LESS HOLE; NO
MATTER HOW MUCH ONE POURS HIMSELFINTO IT, HE THIRSTS FOR MORE.”
I can still vividly recall the memory of the day I saw the labs of civil engineering department in
open house program at **** Institute , Guntur eight years ago. Its machinery and the testing
machines interested me a lot. I believe that the best way to predict the future is to make it.
With this belief, I always planned and executed my life towards predetermined goals. I worked
towards and secured admission for an undergraduate program in civil engineering in ****,
Guntur which is rated one among the best engineering college in south India.

Once I secured admission to one of the most competitive and rigorous civil engineering
programs in India, I structured view of what I might do here. But I found civil engineering even
more interesting and challenging than what I had imagined. Right from the second year, my
kind of preparation was to gain knowledge and subject in depth rather than just getting marks
though I was able to put up good marks on board. My uncle being a civil engineer added to my
further inspiration to define my career goals. About Undergraduate study, I feel is not a
denouement of what I call a journey towards excellence and competence. Graduate study a
sequel to undergraduate study opens up newer avenues to explore and gives one a wider range
of career objectives. My schooling at elementary and high school has given and excellent
command in basics of mathematics and science and more importantly ignited in me strong
interest in civil engineering. Now at this junction of my career, I am confident that when I make
the transition into masters program, I will be building on a strong foundation gained in the past
years. My strategy for graduate study will, therefore, be a prolonged one where in I shall be
consolidating my knowledge in a more specialized way and acquire the skills used for the
research. My field of interest in civil engineering is Environmental engineering which has gained
lot of prominence in recent years both in India and abroad. This interest has intuited me to take
advanced courses like Environmental Science and Engineering and Waste Water Management
in my final year as elective subjects.

I am applying for your college on an account of its excellent research facilities combined with
distinguished and dedicated faculty. My admission into your esteemed institution is of
paramount importance for my career. With my theoretical knowledge and practical skill I am
well equipped to meet your expectations. I am confident that I would surely synchronize to
your standards. I hope I will be favorably considered for admission for graduate study with
possible financial assistance.

Having made this statement of my objectives it is my belief that what your university looks for,
in a prospective student, is a strong academic background and the will to perform and deliver.
An extremely distinguished faculty, a milieu replete with academic activity and the state of the
art research facilities in the field of Civil Engineering are the most important factors, which
motivated me to choose your university. All knowledge is in human mind, it requires only an
awakening. Since I strongly believe that your university would be an ideal place for me to
pursue my graduate studies, I wish to canalize my knowledge and make my life significant by
joining your university.
SAMPLE 3

My country, India, is on the threshold of hectic development in infrastructure like roads,

bridges, highways, expressways etc. India is in a tearing hurry to make up the lost time and
catch up with the developed world and achieving better standard of living. Civil engineering will
play a major role in changing the face of Indian Panorama. When we go for modern bridges,
high rise buildings or ultra-modern condominiums; structural engineering will form the center
stage of engineering development. Being the son of an engineer who is running a construction
company in Mumbai for past 25 years, the exposure to civil engineering was available to me
from my childhood. This field fascinated me, when I used to join my father during vacations on
his projects. Thus, as far as future career was concerned, I had already decided that I should
carry on the business established by my father. Only aim was that I would like to reach much
greater heights in scope, expanse and technology. During my schooling and college days, where
I had high academic profile, I was focused on opting for civil engineering and when I got an
admission for undergraduate studies in a premier Institute like S. P. College of Engineering,
which is reckoned next to IIT’s in stature and standing, I was extremely happy and decided to
make the best of the opportunities offered. I found structural engineering subject very
interesting as it forms the heart of any structure, be it building, bridge or highway. In my final
year project, I got an opportunity to study the construction of the tallest buildings being built by
a premier construction company of Mumbai. These 60 storey high rises will be the tallest in
Mumbai. I was exposed to modern construction methods and management and the use of
modern equipments. I could see the use of concrete batching plant (which is seldom used in
India) and tower cranes on this site. For the first time, I learnt how quality control of materials
is carried out to ensure safe and efficient construction, or the steps taken to improve ground
stability like rock bolting and guniting etc. This project gave me an insight in how much
development has taken place in civil engineering. It has firmed up my resolve to do graduate
studies in structural engineering, get in-depth knowledge and exposure in the field and later,
develop family construction business further. Your University with its excellent facilities, highly
qualified faculty and worldclass infrastructure is the right place for pursuing graduate studies in
structural engineering and if given a chance, I shall make the best out of it.

SAMPLE 4
I was born 23 years ago in a desolate small mountain village where there were only several
rows of low and primitive huts constructed with cob bricks. But when I returned to my
hometown recently, I found that the one-time mountain village has given way to a sizable town
with modern facilities and utilities as a result of the on—going national campaign of
urbanization. This is just one instance that illustrates the magic power of Civil Engineering in
effecting radical social and economic changes. From the very outset, it is precisely this magic
power of Civil Engineering that has fascinated me as a scientific discipline. As if to reinforce this
fascination, I am fortunate enough to be the daughter of a father who is a senior engineer,
whose professional influence contributed to my engineering orientation during my middle
school days, which ultimately led me to the world of civil engineering into which not many
women students are prepared to venture. By contrast, I am bent on a lifelong career in this
field.

A Chinese proverb says that “A towering building arises from the ground”(equivalent to the
English idiom that “Great oaks from little acorn grows). As an ordinary young girl, my past
intellectual pursuit is just like the process of constructing a towering building, laying a solid
foundation, making sustained efforts to develop, and achieving final success. At the very outset
of my undergraduate program, I formulated a plan for my academic development, outlining the
objectives that I must achieve at different stages of the program. With due efforts, I have
attained almost all of them. My academic performance is ranked top three in my class
(consisting of 37 students) and top ten in the entire grade (consisting of 189 students). I am
quite proud of my performance because the academic environment at XX University is highly
competitive. Apart from my academic rankings, I have been awarded a spate of honors such as
Outstanding Student and Outstanding Student Leader, as well as scholarships for three
consecutive years. I concluded my undergraduate program with an Outstanding Graduate
Award. Although I am not endowed with any extraordinary intelligence, my academic initiative
and commitment has prepared for me a groundwork as firm as that of a towering building.

As one of the three Chinese universities with the longest history, XX University is famous for its
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The education I received from my teachers
is at once comprehensive and in-depth, covering all the important fields of civil engineering.
Apart from such core courses as Construction of Buildings and Reinforced Concrete, I have also
been very interested in courses related to mechanics and mathematics like Theoretical
Mechanics, Material Mechanics, Structural Mechanics, theory of Elasticity, and Descriptive
Geometry. This is not only because they are indispensable to civil engineering but also because
they contain the kind of erudition and cogent logic that simply fascinated me. Finally, courses in
computer science, The Design of Computer Language and Programs and CAD, equally attracted
me, for I realize that the mastery of such basic computer skills would significantly strengthen
my expertise in civil engineering design. Every time I completed a course in civil engineering, I
would use CAD cartographical software to do cartographical simulation on my own computer
and try to envision the specific steps of operation in actual applications. This learning strategy
ensured that I could work out the otherwise rather difficult structural designs with much
facility.
With the increase of my professional knowledge, I discovered that there were important links
among those different realms of knowledge and it was my task to unify and apply them. I
achieved this when doing my graduation project “The High-Rise Teaching Building of XX
University”. There are many old buildings on our university and our project team, under the
guidance of Prof. Yi, was to design a new teaching building that must show due respect for the
existing elegantly-styled traditional buildings on one hand and incorporate modern elements on
the other. As team leader, I divided the project into three component parts—building design,
integration with the environment, and structural design. I consulted a wealth of domestic and
international technical literature and design specifications, conducted on-the-spot
reconnaissance using various technical instruments, and collaborated fully with other team
members on preparing the design drawings. Having made repeated revisions and modifications
in the design drawings, I completed the challenging project by applying my knowledge and skills
of CAD engineering drawing and XX (a software developed by China) engineering drawing. The
team spirit, strong willpower and sound professional performance that I demonstrated in this
project were highly appreciated by my teachers and fellow students alike.

In terms of extracurricular activities, I have also endeavored to seek personal excellence. I have
been a member of the student government of my class, in charge of art and entertainment
activities. I have also served as student leader of the departmental student union responsible
for organizational work, launching a series of campus events designed to enrich the students’
campus life. I won second prize in the 200-meter dash. I received the first prize in the structural
design competition of the university. All those activities improved many of my personal
qualities such as leadership and interpersonal skills. I also realized the importance of teamwork
to the achievement of success in whatever endeavors. Finally, my ability to work independently
and creatively has also been considerably improved.

Established in 1842, XX University is one of the four leading polytechnic universities in Europe.
Its hydraulic laboratory is considered the best in the world by the International Hydraulic
Environment Engineering (IHE). In such a prestigious university, I can expect to receive the best
advanced education in civil engineering. I would like to concentrate on civil engineering,
environmental science and construction engineering. With reference to the civil engineering
curriculum of XX University, I have formulated a tentative study plan. In the first six months I
will devote to an extensive coursework in the advanced theories of civil engineering,
environmental science and construction engineering, attending a variety of core courses. In the
next six months, I will try to learn and master advanced design skills, including CAD skills. In the
second year, I will participate in extensive internships, workshops and seminars and try to apply
my knowledge to practices. My ultimate aim is to submit a well-written dissertation.

I believe that by pursuing a Master’s program at your prestigious university I will broaden my
perspectives, in and outside the field of civil engineering. Those perspectives will let me have a
clearer idea about the limitations of my own country and possible improvements that we can
make. My 4-year undergraduate program in civil engineering has equipped me with a solid
academic foundation. In addition to that, my practical experiences and English proficiency, plus
my strong motivation, those are three major factors that will ensure my success in my proposed
program.

As China’s economic development gathers increasing momentum, a new wave of massive

construction will hit the nation in the near future as urbanization has become a national policy.
This situation creates a historical opportunity for the emerging generation of civil engineers. To
embrace this historical opportunity, I need to receive advanced academic input, develop
international experiences and learn updated concepts. I am convinced that civil engineering is a
science that is closely connected with human welfare and, as a would-be civil engineer, I will
fulfill my self-actualization in contributing to the welfare of my fellow countrymen .

SAMPLE 5

The undergraduate curriculum in Chemical Engineering at IIT, Kharagpur, introduced me to a

wide gamut of subjects, both in and outside the field. Various courses like Mass Transfer, Heat
Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena have provided me with a strong footing in
the theoretical concepts of Chemical Engineering.

It was the field of Environmental Technology which particularly captured my interest. The
desire to delve deeper into this subject persuaded me to take elective courses in Industrial (Air)
Pollution Control, Non-conventional Energy Engineering and Environmental Earth Sciences.
While offering both depth and breadth across this field, these courses put into perspective the
importance and relevance of Chemical Engineering and the application of its fundamentals to
environment related problems. I came to realize that although traditionally Environmental
Studies has been under the domain of Civil Engineering, the increasing complexity and
magnitude of Environmental problems have resulted in a growing need for the services of
disciplines other than Civil Engineering.
During the eight week Summer Training at the Development Consultants Ltd.,I was assigned to
the Cement Cell, where I received a detailed knowledge of the cement manufacturing
processes. As an Industrial Intern, I was assigned a project on Cement Plant Design (1800 TPD),
which encompassed Raw-Mix Design and Capacity Calculations for various equipment. Here, I
got aquainted with the Pollution and Energy Conservation problems faced by the Cement
Industry and devoted a significant portion of my project to the pollution abatement methods.

My final year dissertation was on the Manufacture of Phosphoric acid from rock phosphate
using Sulfuric acid (Design of 100 tpd Plant). This covered the design of Reactor, Extractor (for
acid purification) and Evaporator (for acid concentration). As a natural outcome of my interest
in Pollution control, adequate emphasis was provided to waste gases and waste water
treatment which involved off-gas scrubbing (venturi design) and discharge method details,
gypsum disposal methods, disposal of fluosilicic acid as waste material and the incorporation of
all these in the Plant Layout/flow-sheet.

At IIT, Kharagpur, I have received the best possible undergraduate education in Chemical
Engineering in India. Throughout, my scholastic records and achievements have been
outstanding. I have consistently ranked in the top 2% of the students of my class, in school, and
consider the high point of my achievements as being ranked in the top 1% of more than one
lakh students who wrote the Joint Entrance Examination for admission to one of the six Indian
Institutes of Technology.

Throughout my school and undergraduate education, I have been a keen participant in extra-
curricular activities. Getting elected as the School Pupil Leader ( Head Girl) helped me hone my
organizational and interpersonal skills. At IIT, I have been involved in the Annual cultural Fest as
Head of the Control Tent Team. I have also taken active part in dramatics and made my
contribution to the Technology Dramatics Society (English chapter) at IIT, as its member and
later as the Governor. I was also the member of the NSS at IIT where I had the opportunity to
be involved in it's Literacy and Health & Nutrition Programs. I continue to be a member of the
Helpage Society of India, which provides palliative care to the terminally ill cancer patients.

The years of undergraduate education have been an enriching experience - both academically
and otherwise, and I am determined to maintain the high levels of excellence throughout my
career.

My immediate degree objective is an M.S in environmental engineering – a rapidly evolving

field with an immense potential for research. I wish to follow it up with a Ph.D, to pursue a
career in research and experience the excitement and satisfaction of being at the forefront of
this vast expanding field.

An extremely distinguished faculty, a milieu replete with academic activity, and a graduate
program which blends high quality course work and research facilities at the cutting edge of
every sub-field are the factors which have motivated me to choose the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst for graduate studies. I believe the program offered will help me
acquire the versatility needed to reach my full potential as an engineer.

It would, therefore, be a privilege to be able to secure admission to pursue graduate studies,

with adequate financial assistance at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I am confident
that I will match the high standards set by your university.

SAMPLE 6

Civil engineering has been an integral part of our lives since ages. It is one of the most useful
application of physical and scientific principles. As a child I enjoyed learning the fundamentals
of Physics and Mathematics. Their wide range of applications in the field of civil engineering
motivated me to become an engineer. Currently, I am pursuing my Bachelor of Technology
(B.Tech, 4th Year) in Civil Engineering from IIT Roorkee, India. I expect to receive my first degree
in June 2017.
Upon receiving my Bachelor’s degree, I plan to continue my education by studying a Master’s
course in Construction Management at Arizona State University. My interest in construction
management was sparked by topics such as construction principles, design of concrete
structures and behavior of materials introduced to me in 3 semester courses. Participation in
summer trainings gave me a glimpse of the challenges one might face while working in this
dynamic sector. I aim to enhance my existing knowledge, learn new skills and build a rewarding
career in this industry.
During my Bachelor’s I have had a comprehensive exposure to the core areas of Civil
Engineering such as engineering physics, properties of steel and reinforced concrete, design of
steel structures, structural analysis and estimation and costing etc. However, the field that has
stirred me the most is construction management. I have obtained 82% marks in this course. I
have performed very well in other subjects as well. My aggregate percentage up to 6th
semester is 79%. In addition, I have gained a lot of practical experience through projects and
summer trainings.
In my first summer training (from 1st June 2015 to 30th June 2016) I worked under the
guidance of an architect. I learnt various foundation related activities such as BBS (Bar Bending
Schedule), estimation of the amount and cost of concrete and bricks required. In July 2015 I
completed my 2nd summer training from Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee,
India on the project “ABC in Reinforced concrete”. The main objective of this research work was
to develop an understanding of ABC in reinforced concrete and to determine the depth of
carbonation in RCC structures.
Concrete ABC is the process in which atmospheric carbon dioxide reacts with the alkaline
components of hardened concrete and creates calcium carbonate. This in turn makes the
reinforcing steel susceptible to damage from corrosion. I conducted experiments with different
types of concrete mixtures to measure the depth of carbonation. I also investigated the effects
of temperature and humidity on the rate of carbonation. I found that ABC increases with the
rise in temperature. In addition, I determined the moisture diffusion coefficient of concrete by
measuring the interior humidity of concrete specimens. An inverse relationship between
concrete strength and moisture content was observed.
During my training I also gained hands on experience of casting cubes, cylinders and prisms. I
also made Excel sheets to perform complex and lengthy calculations to calculate the above
mentioned parameters. I can confidently use software like AutoCad. I demonstrated my
building modeling proficiency in a workshop conducted by IIT Mumbai. I derived the
parameters of the leaning tower of Pisa in Autocad and made a model of the tower with ice
cream sticks. Currently, I am learning the professional project management software Primavera
P6.
My 4th year project is in progress. It is a team project which focuses on enhancing the strength
of concrete by admixture. Chemical admixtures are the smallest component of a concrete mix.
They impart significant beneficial effects to concrete properties in terms of performance,
durability and environment optimization leading to sustainability etc. Our aim is to derive the
strength of cubes casted with cement concrete and concrete with admixtures.
During my B.Tech I published a paper titled “ABC Concrete from Industrial Waste – A Review”,
in the International Journal of Innovative Research in Science (IJIRSET), Engineering and
Technology, Vol. N, Issue 12, December 2016, ISSN (Print): 9999-8888 . I have also gathered
valuable experience in interacting with faculty members and developed presentation skills via
technical discussions and presentations. Throughout my education I have had an excellent
academic record. Considering my research and data analysis skills I believe that I can
successfully complete the graduate program at Arizona State University.
In my Master’s I would like to expand my knowledge of the latest construction techniques and
develop business management skills which can be applied in a wide of construction projects. In
addition, I wish to study and do research under Dr. Kenneth Sullivan whose papers in civil and
environmental engineering have been greatly revered.
As mentioned above, I am passionate about Civil Engineering and I would like to join the MSc
Construction Management program at Arizona State University which happens to be making
waves in this sector. I selected this university for my Master’s because I strongly believe that
the learning environment plays a critical role in gaining knowledge and expertise. More
importantly, your program combines engineering and business curricula, which prepares
construction executives to take leading roles. I firmly believe that pursuing my graduation from
ASU will definitely give direction to my pursuits of becoming a successful construction
professional in the future so that I can serve my countrymen.

SAMPLE 7

During my bachelor’s, I realized subjects like project management, cost & estimation enticed my
interests of building a construction firm in future. Since I was more interested in finding the
solution of problems prevailing in construction industry. I took the subject of Failure Criteria in
structures which focused on the modes of failure due to design inefficiency. These theories became
more clear when I learnt about project management in next semester. I also completed OSHA
training courses to get accustomed with the general safety measures to be taken while working on
a site, which I used later while working as a junior engineer.

To put my knowledge into practice, I took a research based project on Wood Plastic Composites.
There I learnt about the aspects of quality control while manufacturing wpc for different purposes
and inspected its durability as compared to wood by different tests such as Water Soaking and
Terrestrial Microcosm Test. I also compared the initial cost, residual cost, maintenance cost of
wood used in our campus to the same amount of wpc to prove cost efficiency of wpc which honed
my estimation skills on actual scenarios. On concluding, I found out wpc is comparatively better
than wood wrt to whole life cost and life expectancy.

Working in the direction further, I interned at two different firms where I worked on the basement
of a residential and a multi storey building. Impressed by my dedication, my internship was
converted to a job where I have been working as a Junior Engineer in Ansh Nirmaan Pvt Ltd. My
roles are to prepare BOQs for contractors, inspect the site engineers and workers for compliance
of safety requirements, supervise the quality of materials used, analyze contractual risks and
interact with operational groups to ensure coordination between project activities. There was an
incident where the work was put on suspension for few months because of an ambiguous clause
in the contract. Moreover sometimes project got delayed due to unpredictable weather which is a
global issue in the construction industry. However, after having worked here for 9 months now, I
discover the major problems in the construction process to be the improper contract management,
disobediency of safety measures and other unpredictable issues, or in a nutshell, different aspects
of risk management.

Northern India, from where I belong, is known for its fluctuating climate which takes a toll on any
project. So, my research interests lies on quantifying and analyzing the different unpredictable
climatic risks by improvising the methods of stochastic simulation and tackling the contractual
risk by finding a method to assign it to those who in best position to control them. This will help
measuring the probability of completion within specified time. I would also like to research and
improve the existing life cycle cost estimation technique which I have used during my bachelor
research, by involving the different unaccounted factors. I believe that with relevant major focus
of the course at tamu, I would be able to pitch in this direction.