MIT Application

[Gulp35]

One of the Optional MIT Application Essays is to write a 1000 word essay about "something that you have created ". I was thinking about writing an essay about how I chose to go into watercooling and how I designed and built my rig, but then isn;t a picture worth a thousand words? I was thinking of taking an awesome pic of my computer, me, and have various other things I am interested in, in a picture ; post it on the internet and link to it inthe essay box.

Would just the pic do?

[greenman100]

for sure

do it

[Gulp35]

I assume that "it" refers to the pic ?

[pHaestus]

Depends. It could work well if you had designed and machined the parts and had the picture of the finished PC put into flash animation so that when your mouse went over the compoenents that it would expand to a cad drawing, pics of construction, and then finished part.

But "I bought some parts and assembled them according to instructions" just doesn't do it for me. Then again if I were forced to write about this I'd choose "my son" and just include a pic of my wife in lingerie and a summary of the encounter. Or perhaps I would track the reactions that a beef burrito undergoes from purchase to poo inside my body (with detailed chemical reactions and boundary conditions). I'd also include pics for this essay. So what the hell do I know?

[greenman100]

I say take a pic, tape it to the essay form, and mail it in

points for thinking outside the box for sure

[bigben2k]

I wouldn't play with the requirements of the essay: do both.

Otherwise, if you're going to play the "picture is worth a thousand words" game, just make sure that the effort is equivalent, i.e. in time, between writing up the essay, and putting up the picture.

[BillA]

"designed and built my rig"
hope there is a lot more depth than those words imply

list each of the items in that "rig" that you designed (think here of Stew's paragraphs, plus the appropriate design calcs), then fabrication, testing to ascertain achievement of design goals, etc

otherwise get a better project for MIT, aim high and understand the level of competition
more than case modding

[superart]

I have a friend that got into MIT and another friend that got defered. The people looking at the applications really dont care about the essay, they care more about people that are creative and think outside the box.

The friend that got in didn't even write an essay. He just sent in a picture of a guided missile that he made and the Z80 assembly language that made it run.

The other friend talked about some program he was working on that did some crazy shit with OpenGL and fractals and mendlebrot <spelling??> sets.

So, if you think your w1k1d 1337 watercooling rig can compete with that, go for it. May I suggest, before you take a picture, add in a bunch of cool LEDs and UV lights and paint everything with UV paint. Everybody knows that UV paint is 1337.

[mastermind2004]

Originally Posted by Gulp35

One of the Optional MIT Application Essays is to write a 1000 word essay about "something that you have created ". I was thinking about writing an essay about how I chose to go into watercooling and how I designed and built my rig, but then isn;t a picture worth a thousand words? I was thinking of taking an awesome pic of my computer, me, and have various other things I am interested in, in a picture ; post it on the internet and link to it inthe essay box.

Would just the pic do?

I'd suggest you write the essay, and submit the picture in the box for doing something cool. I did something similar, and I'm now at MIT. Good luck with your app, and be sure to PM me if you get in.

[Lothar5150]

Gulp35- First off good luck with your educational endeavors.

However, your first mistake applying to MIT...go to Caltech the weather is much better.

Just kidding MIT is obviously one of the premier institutions on the planet.

Look these people see a LOT of application sent in by very smart people. You need to make sure you have something that sparks their interest and then keeps it. superart is correct they want someone who thinks outside the box. Bill is also correct that they want to see you have an above average grasp of basic engineering principles.

If you are going to use your "rig" as something, you created keep in mind that function and form are important but aesthetics are only good in pictures. The meat will be in the functional benefits of your modifications.

You might convince grumpy old BillA to help you with your technical writing.

Good Luck

[superart]

thats true. If you can convince grumpy old BillA that your rig has merrit, I think even MIT will be impressed.

Good Luck.

[Gulp35]

I want to make sure that everyone understands that this is NOT the required essay but a completely optional essay that I am choosing to do because it applys to what I have been doing with watercooling.

Second, I wanted to have a picture of my watercooling but also have my room in the background (as I have various airplanes(balsa and plastic), model rockets, computer stuff) because it shows that I am interested in alot of things. I think also that if designed correctly and engineering project can be artisticly beautiful and still provide function. Hopefully my watercooling could come across as an example of this.-

Your posts, while some have feel better about my app, others make me feel worried (esp. BillA's). Even though I have not fabricated my waterblock, I went to the trouble to make a basic (not the programming language) heat transfer spreadsheet for multiple channels, (even though I didn't end up using it).

But i did make a dual shroud for my HC, designed and built a MDF box that is mounted to the bottom of my PC and can be "easily" dissasembled and reassembled, and in general designed the layout of my WC box.

Looking back this doesn't require a ton of technical merit (trig. and algebra, a little calculus for some of the heat transfer stuff(but I hadn't had calc yet so my dad helped(but not so much as that usually defines))) but I spent my time making sure that I built it right.

How do you think that I could show my understanding of my decisions? If I were to try to compare my results to my current air cooling could I really rely on the temp sensors on my MoBo?

I have spent a lot of time on this application and just finished the required essay last night, but I need to turn this in by Nov.1

In short , I spent a lot of time and effort on this and I want to show that in either my picture or my essay.

[mastermind2004]

I think that if you focus on the engineering, and design aspect of it, more than the actual construction, it would be better. As you said, the construction isn't all that difficult, but actually engineering something like this is more complex. Otherwise, I really have no suggestions. I wish I remembered more from when I applied, but that was over a year ago now, and I've completely forgotten the application process.

[superart]

<completely and utterly off topic>

mastermind, is it true that MIT has the wildest parties? My friend was telling me that.


Sorry for the thread jack, gulp.

</completely and utterly off topic>

[Gulp35]

From what I have heard from the admissions people they have wild parties but they are wild engineering parties. Still fun.

mastermind what house are you in? and what floor if applicable?

I want to go to Random house because of this
http://spleen.mit.edu/laundry

[mastermind2004]

I'm in Senior Haus. It might seem scary in the book, but it's really a great place. I'd recommend Senior Haus or East Campus, as they are closest to your classes. Random House is forever and a weekend off campus, and it's a very long walk to classes when it's cold and such. I might have to look into setting up something like that here, as it's annoying to find out if a washer/dryer is open. Good luck again. If I can figure out where to go, I might go get my app, and the comments, but I don't know if I will get around to that.
Offtopic: The MIT parties are pretty wild. People here usually party about as hard as they work, which means they are impressive. During the week, things are quiet and everyone works, but weekends are usually much more interesting. If there's not class tomorrow, you can definitely find at least one party somewhere.