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A Great Colorado School of Mines Essay Example

Sophie Alina , an expert advisor on CollegeVine, provided commentary on this post. Advisors offer one-on-one guidance on everything from essays to test prep to financial aid. If you want help writing your essays or feedback on drafts, book a consultation with Sophie Alina or another skilled advisor.

Colorado School of Mines is a public research university located in the mountainous state of Colorado. Colorado School of Mines is noted for its rigorous engineering and STEM programs. As a moderately selective school, strong essays are key for admission into this great university. In this post, we will examine a real essay that a student submitted to Colorado School of Mines and examine what they did well and how they could have made it even better. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our Colorado School of Mines essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Prompt: Florence Caldwell was the first woman to graduate from Mines. She enrolled in 1895 and found that her fellow classmates discouraged her attendance. She persevered through that discouragement and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1898. She was described as a problem solver who was loyal, kind and sympathetic to others and displayed unwavering courage. Describe a time when you overcame an obstacle, persevered through a situation or displayed characteristics similar to Florence Caldwell.

Fear, panic, and sadness. Those are what I felt three consecutive years in a row. I feared change, and it held me back each time I started at a new school. For me, change meant unknown environments and the unexpected. I was unable to see anything but the negative aspects of a new situation.

For three years in a row, I attended different elementary schools. On the first days of each, the overwhelmingness of the huge changes hit me like a stack of bricks. In fourth grade, my stomach churned with the anticipation of the fear, amplifying it. By fifth grade, I thought I had adapted. Despite this, once I got to class the bricks hit once more. I could barely focus on what was going on. The teacher called on me but all I could do was choke on the words that managed to reach my mouth. Tears poured out of my eyes as I attempted to hide my distress, but to no avail. I was crumbling under the pressure of a new environment.

I criticized myself for getting upset because it seemed irrational. It was as if my brain was functioning without thought and becoming upset without external factors. This often frustrated me, but in middle school I was able to overcome this fear of change. Not only did I learn to adapt to the new environment through experience, but I also changed my perspective. I realized that change is not bad, and that it can bring on positive experiences if you are willing to look in that direction.

An example of this is the leap from middle school to high school. It was something I was dreading as soon as I finished eighth grade. Going to a larger school terrified me and all I could think about was how I reacted to the same situation in elementary school. However, by putting my fear aside, it occurred to me that the more people there were, the more possibilities to make friends. In addition, it meant the school offered a larger variety of classes compared to middle school. Overall, looking at a new situation with hope is a lesson I have continued to take with me and apply everywhere.

I have discovered it is best to focus more on the new opportunities rather than the anticipation, therefore allowing me to think more optimistically in general. By looking forward to the future and focusing on the positive, I fear it less. Currently, I imagine the future as a bridge filled with infinite possibilities. The fear of change has dissipated and is now a mere dot in my vision when an adjustment is necessary.

What the Essay Did Well 

The writer effectively brings us into their essay by narrating their feelings in a short, powerful sentence (“Fear, panic, and sadness.”) The writer then introduces their topic, of changing schools, but broadens this to more of a characteristic about how the writer responds to situations – only seeing “the negative aspects.” By using a situation to tell about a larger characteristic of who this writer is, the writer can then take a lesson about what they learned through transferring schools and apply it to how they should act when encountering new situations. This is a clever device! 

Later, we learn that the writer’s life lesson is to focus optimistically on the new opportunities that lay ahead. By an imaginative image of a bridge, the writer can visualize the future. 

The writer also reflects on their emotions in a way that allows the reader to connect to them. This is evident especially in the third paragraph. By diving deeply into their emotional responses, the writer can create empathy within with the reader, and it’s always advantageous to connect emotionally with the reader of your essay, especially if that reader happens to be an admissions officer. 

What Could Be Improved 

This essay could be improved through eliminating filler words, using active language, and dividing up run-on sentences into shorter, more powerful sentences. 

While these are useful when one is learning to write essays in school, stronger writing moves to only use these words when necessary. These words include “An example of this…,” “However,” “In addition,” and “Overall.” Through eliminating these words, the writer can just say what they want to say in a more clear and effective way. The writer could also use active language, instead of passive, such as “it occurred to me,” and “by putting my fear aside.” Finally (like I said, transition words are okay sometimes!), the writer could have separated out a shorter sentence such as “I was terrified” to put more emphasis on that feeling. 

Instead of using those words, the writer could have written, “As soon as I finished eighth grade, I began dreading the move to high school. I was terrified. All I could think about was how I reacted to the same situation in elementary school. But I put my fear aside; I realized that the more people there were, the more possibilities to make friends. The school also offered more classes compared to middle school. I decided to look at the new situation with hope.” 

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Colorado School of Mines | Mines’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Collaboration and diversity short response.

Reflect on a time when you had to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, or viewpoints. How did this experience impact your understanding of identity and the importance of inclusivity?

Academic Interest Short Response

Please share a bit more about your academic interests. What do you hope to study at Mines? If you are undecided, what area(s) of study are you considering? What has inspired your interests in these areas? Think about your prior/current coursework, extracurricular activities, work/volunteer experiences, future goals, or anything else that has shaped your interests.

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Colorado School of Mines 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

Colorado School of Mines 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: 2 optional essays of 250 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Diversity , Why

While the Colorado School of Mines essays are both optional, we encourage you to seriously consider responding to one or both of the following prompts.

At Colorado School of Mines, we value difference and support equity and inclusion of all students and their many intersecting identities. The lived experiences and personal identities of Mines students enrich our classroom and campus experience. Factors that shape identity may include, gender, race, ethnicity, neurodivergence, first-generation status, etc. or leadership, professional development, and personal growth experiences in community organizations or organizations like robotics or scouting.

The following writing questions are optional but strongly recommended for best consideration. , reflect on a time when you had to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, or viewpoints. how did this experience impact your understanding of identity and the importance of inclusivity (250 words).

This is a classic Diversity Essay , through and through. In this particular instance, the question emphasizes identity, inclusivity, intersectionality, and collaboration. Admissions officers want to see a story of personal growth, a time when you worked with someone different from yourself, and your perspective changed as a result. Maybe you went to a wilderness camp with kids from all over the world and had to figure out how to work together to build a campsite despite language and cultural differences. Perhaps a potential new member made you realize that your robotics team’s hierarchy or methodologies were excluding neurodivergent students. Maybe you took an online coding course and had to lead a virtual group project with students of differing ages and opinions. No matter your starting point, be sure you tell a clear story with a beginning, middle, and end that demonstrates your commitment to creating inclusive environments.

Please share a bit more about your academic interests. What do you hope to study at Mines? If you are undecided, what area(s) of study are you considering? What has inspired your interests in these areas? Think about your prior/current coursework, extracurricular activities, work/volunteer experiences, future goals, or anything else that has shaped your interests. (250 words)

This prompt asks you to explain why you like what you like. Tell a story about a significant experience that showcases your unique connection to your chosen course of study. The essays that stick with admissions are the ones that jump off the page with concrete descriptions from real life. What interests you and why? How have you gone about learning more about your subject of interest? What will this degree allow you to do (if you’re going in decided)? How have you already explored this topic? While you don’t need to narrow in on the exact moment you became interested in geology or music education, try to focus on one significant experience. If you’re undecided, use this as an opportunity to reveal something about what you value and what excites you intellectually. You could try to illustrate a general inclination (e.g., engineering, the environment, or medicine). Or if you really feel like you could go any direction, try to show a balance, picking majors across domains that link to each other in a way that still makes sense (biology, psychology, engineering). Since Mines is a STEM-focused school, they’ll expect their applicants to have a strong sense of how they fit into the school’s offerings, so do a little research on their programs to show them that you know exactly how your interests align with their courses, clubs, and departments.

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Home — Application Essay — Engineering Schools — Common App Essay for CSM: College Admission Essay Sample

Common App Essay for CSM: College Admission Essay Sample

• University: Colorado School of Mines

About this sample

Words: 410 |

Published: Jul 18, 2018

Words: 410 | Pages: 1 | 3 min read

Nestled in the verdant outskirts of the humble town of Tinjaca, my great-grandmother's farm rests in the rolling Colombian hills -- a rustic tribute to the agrarian culture of my forefathers. Upon entering the little hacienda under the original log veranda, one catches a brief glimpse at the quiet beauty of a life filled with simplicity. With a packed dirt floor below, white clay walls, and simple wooden furniture sparsely but purposefully distributed on the patio, the hacienda offers nothing materialistic, nothing that detracts from the exquisite wilderness that flourishes a couple of steps away. The tropical sun above gently moves the shadows cast by the few clouds; these shadows saunter over the elongated reeds of grass that a cow's pink tongue is relishing and cast into relief the seemingly endless expanse of viridescent land, dotted here and there with the vibrant colors of tropical flowers and foliage. In the background, an outdated radio plays the romantic vallenatos that my great-grandparents danced to many decades ago on this same dirt floor. A scent wafts from the kitchen on a slight breeze. My grandmother is making buñuelos -- a traditional Colombian pastry.

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It is here, surrounded by the richness of the Colombian landscape and its culture, that I am perfectly at peace. Looking out onto the gorgeous vista, I can begin to forget all of the complications that daily life inevitably brings. There are no alarm clocks here, piercing the peacefulness with their blaring, their inescapable reminders. There are no essays to be written here, no assignment demanding an x-word-long description of the land and its parallels to scenery from The Grapes of Wrath . "Here" means finding peace within myself and relearning what it means to be a child of two entirely different cultures.

In the suburban neighborhood I often call home, following the standardized daily routine can make it difficult to remember where I come from and how that heritage has shaped my identity. But in the state of perfect contentment I find on that simple little ranch, I am struck by the ideals of my forefathers. Those men and women worked to live so simply and honestly, because they loved life in its intrinsic richness. It is this same humility that I carry back home in hopes that I will not only work as diligently and joyfully as they did, but also remember to sit back and witness life in its inherent beauty.

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Colorado School of Mines Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are Colorado School of Mines's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Colorado School of Mines and build a strong application.

School location: Golden, CO

Admissions Rate: 58%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at Colorado School of Mines is 58% . For every 100 applicants, 58 are admitted.

This means the school is moderately selective . The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they're more flexible than other schools. If you exceed their requirements, you have an excellent chance of getting in. But if you don't, you might be one of the unlucky minority that gets a rejection letter.

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies . We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools , from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

Colorado School of Mines GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.85

The average GPA at Colorado School of Mines is 3.85 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.85, Colorado School of Mines requires you to be near the top of your class , and well above average. Your transcript should show mostly A's. Ideally, you will also have taken several AP or IB classes to show that you can handle academics at a college level.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.85, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate . This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

Colorado School of Mines hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Colorado School of Mines will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

Colorado School of Mines SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1399

The average SAT score composite at Colorado School of Mines is a 1399 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes Colorado School of Mines Moderately Competitive for SAT test scores.

Colorado School of Mines SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1340, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1460. In other words, a 1340 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1460 will move you up to above average .

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

Colorado School of Mines ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, Colorado School of Mines likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 31

The average ACT score at Colorado School of Mines is 31. This score makes Colorado School of Mines Strongly Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 30, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 33.

Even though Colorado School of Mines likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 30 or below, you'll have a harder time getting in, unless you have something else impressive in your application.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 31 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Colorado School of Mines, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 31.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

Colorado School of Mines considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is moderately selective, strong academic performance will almost guarantee you admission . Scoring a 1460 SAT or a 33 ACT or above will nearly guarantee you admission. Because the school admits 58% of all applicants, being far above average raises the admission rate for you to nearly 100%.

If you can achieve a high SAT/ACT score, the rest of your application essentially doesn't matter. You still need to meet the rest of the application requirements, and your GPA shouldn't be too far off from the school average of 3.85. But you won't need dazzling extracurriculars and breathtaking letters of recommendation to get in. You can get in based on the merits of your score alone.

But if your score is a 1340 SAT or a 30 ACT and below, you have a good chance of being one of the unlucky few to be rejected.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

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Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Colorado School of Mines here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Not accepted
• Electronic Application Available
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for some freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $50
• Fee Waiver Available? Available
• Other Notes Rank in upper quartile of high school class recommended for freshmen

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Optional
• SAT Subject Tests
• Scores Due in Office None

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language 1
• Social Studies 3
• Electives 2

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes May 1 October 1
• Yes November 1
• Yes November 1 December 21

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 1500 Golden, CO 80401-1887
• Phone: (303) 273-3000 x3000
• Fax: (303) 273-3509
• Email: [email protected]

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Colorado School of Mines, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Colorado School of Mines.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Colorado School of Mines. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Colorado School of Mines, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Colorado School of Mines, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Colorado School of Mines is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

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CO School of Mines admission officer: Here’s the secret to getting in

Find Dissertations & Theses

Why theses or dissertations, how do i find a mines thesis, how do i find digital mines theses, example citation, can't find the mines thesis or dissertation you are looking for, search mines theses.

Search the Mines Library Catalog for just Mines Senior Papers, Theses and Dissertations.

Special Formats Metadata Librarian

Off Campus? Access Is Easy!

Start from the  Library Website , just find what you want and log in with your Mines credentials  when prompted. Learn more on our off campus access guide .

PhD and Masters theses will give you:

• In-depth knowledge about a specific aspect of a subject, which may include original research data.
• A review of the subject, with citations to the literature.

On behalf of the Colorado School of Mines and the Graduate School, the Library serves as the repository for Mines electronic theses and dissertations.

Note: Some theses and dissertations may be embargoed up to a year after graduation before public release; please see the Graduate School Information .  Copyright of the original thesis is retained by the author.

Use the Library Catalog

• Search by author, title, keywords, department or advisor
• Filter to Resource Type "Mines Theses"

Mines Institutional Repository -- Includes Colorado School of Mines electronic theses & dissertations from Fall 2012 to the present, and some digitized theses & dissertations from years prior to 2012.

Klimowicz, Steven. 2014. Hydrogen mitigation in submerged arc welding. Golden CO: Colorado School of Mines. Thesis (M. Sc.), 82 p.

Request it through Mines Interlibary Loan (ILL) service or contact ILL Help at [email protected].

• Next: Non-Mines >>
• Last Updated: Mar 12, 2024 12:29 PM
• URL: https://libguides.mines.edu/theses

Colorado School of Mines selects Carl Frick as new graduate dean

Colorado School of Mines has named Carl Frick as its new dean of graduate studies.

A member of the Mines faculty since 2021, Frick previously served as Department Head of Mechanical Engineering , the largest academic department at Mines. Prior to joining Mines, he was Department Head of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wyoming, where he served on the faculty starting in 2008.

As Graduate Dean, Frick will be responsible for institution-wide leadership in all areas of graduate education and graduate student scholarship, including the signature graduate student experience, fostering growth of non-thesis/professional master’s degrees and graduate certificates, and ensuring the overall academic quality of graduate programs. He officially starts in the new role on July 15.

“We’re excited to have Carl to take on this new leadership role at Mines as Graduate Dean,” said Richard C. Holz, provost of Colorado School of Mines. “He has a can-do attitude and a strong ability to engage across the university, serving as chair of the Department Head Council over the past year. His experiences as a department head also provide a solid foundation for interacting with stakeholders both on and off campus. I look forward to working with him to advance Mines@150 goals including a signature graduate educational experience.” 

Frick has served in academic leadership roles for the past nine years, both at Mines and Wyoming. As Head of Mechanical Engineering at Mines, he oversaw one of the largest mechanical engineering departments in the United States with an enrollment of 1,800 undergraduate and 400 graduate students (both Mechanical Engineering and Interdisciplinary Programs). During his tenure, Frick was instrumental in reforming the master’s degree curriculum and launching the new online master’s degree. 

As Department Head at the University of Wyoming, a position he held for six years, Frick was responsible for both the Mechanical and Energy Systems degree programs. He also implemented a departmental strategic plan, which included a new graduate-level assessment process.

Frick, who grew up in Colorado Springs, holds a PhD and bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and conducted postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart, Germany. He is the co-holder of four U.S. patents and co-founder of Impressio Tech, which is developing liquid crystal elastomers for biomedical and safety applications.

“It’s a really exciting time in graduate education both for Mines and nationally,” Frick said. “Mines has had a number of interdisciplinary graduate programs emerge in the last several years, as well as online programs – both of these distinguish our university and also require nurturing and oversight. I’m excited to be involved in growing the quality, breadth and enrollments of these programs.”

As Graduate Dean, Frick will also lead the Office of Graduate Studies, which provides academic and administrative support to all Mines graduate programs and students. He succeeds Tim Barbari, who has held the role since 2020 and is transitioning to a full-time faculty position in the Chemical & Biological Engineering Department at Mines.                

Frick said his top priority as Graduate Dean will be bolstering the Mines signature graduate student experience – what makes Mines unique and distinguished and special for master’s and PhD students. 

“It’s extremely important to not only provide our students with a cutting-edge technical education but also to consider how to prepare them for the next step in their career. Aspects like communication skills, professional development and networking, and ethics are just a few examples,” Frick said. “The challenge is that our graduate students vary from newly completed undergraduates to seasoned working professionals with years of experience. Career aspirations can range from engineering management to research scientist. We can’t treat all our graduate students the same – we have to meet the students at their level. The signature experience is going to be different for these categories of students, and establishing this will be a big part of our vision for the next year.”

Emilie Rusch

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