college essays about robotics

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Robotics College Essays Samples For Students

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Over the course of studying in college, you will definitely need to write a bunch of College Essays on Robotics. Lucky you if linking words together and organizing them into relevant text comes naturally to you; if it's not the case, you can save the day by finding an already written Robotics College Essay example and using it as a template to follow.

This is when you will certainly find WowEssays' free samples directory extremely useful as it includes numerous skillfully written works on most various Robotics College Essays topics. Ideally, you should be able to find a piece that meets your criteria and use it as a template to compose your own College Essay. Alternatively, our skilled essay writers can deliver you an original Robotics College Essay model written from scratch according to your personal instructions.

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Sample Essay On Asimov’s Laws of Robotics

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Artificial intelligence has facilitated the scientific desire of creating intelligent machines to equal human capabilities (Kochan 20). Emerging technologies particularly in Artificial Intelligence software have given scientists the capabilities of mimicking human reasoning and deductive abilities. While the use of this software dates back many years, the concept of Artificial intelligence and the use of robotics has generated different ethical and moral issues (Kochan 21). Other than the ethical and moral issues, it has led to increased distrust to scientists and creating a plethora of challenges to the prevailing legal structures.

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How to Write the Caltech STEM Experience Essay

Caltech’s essay prompt emphasizes its commitment to tackling some of the most challenging questions in STEM. In essence, they want to gauge your genuine curiosity, passion, and drive in these fields.

Here’s how you can write a strong response. If you want more advice on Caltech’s essays, see our full Caltech essay breakdown .

Understanding the Prompt

Prompt: At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (200 words per experience)

Caltech is looking for specific instances where you were actively engaged in STEM. This can be within a class, a club, a project, a competition, or any other related experience.

As you reflect on which experiences to mention, make sure to those that truly piqued your interest and drove you to delve deeper. It’s one thing to be curious, but taking that next step to learn more showcases initiative, drive, and passion.

Crafting Your Essay

Here are the four steps you want to take as you’re writing.

1. Start with a brief introduction of the experience. Was it a physics class experiment? A coding challenge? A robotics competition?

2. Elaborate on what you did. Be specific. Instead of saying you “worked on a project,” explain that you “designed a water filtration system using charcoal and sand.”

3. Identify the moment or aspect that triggered your curiosity. Was it an unexpected result? A challenging problem? A real-world application?

4. Discuss the steps you took post-experience. Did you read more on the topic? Join a related club? Undertake a new project? Your actions should showcase your drive.

Now, let’s get into some examples!

Caltech STEM Experience Example Essays

In my junior year, our school’s Robotics Club decided to enter the annual Robotics Challenge. From videos of past competitions, it was clear that robots could achieve some pretty amazing things, and we were eager to try our hand. I got the task of programming our robot’s pathfinding, which I thought would be a cool challenge.

Initial tests, however, were not promising. Our robot, which we affectionately dubbed ‘Rover’, seemed to have a mind of its own, often getting lost or stuck in corners. This wasn’t what I expected, and instead of feeling defeated, I got really curious. Why was our algorithm struggling?

After some deep dives online and discussions with our club advisor, I stumbled upon the A* algorithm. It was touted as one of the best for pathfinding. Many late nights were spent poring over code, making adjustments, and running trial after trial.

The moment ‘Rover’ smoothly navigated our test maze was unforgettable. Beyond just the success, this experience opened my eyes to how vast and complex robotics can be. It also sparked a newfound interest in AI and how machines can learn and adapt.

Essay 1 Feedback

This essay feedback was provided by Ivy, CollegeVine’s AI . Try it for free with your own essay!

This experience effectively showcases your problem-solving skills and determination in the field of robotics. Your narrative demonstrates your curiosity and passion for learning about pathfinding algorithms. I would rate this experience a solid 8.5 out of 10. The strength of your description lies in the detailed example and your genuine interest in overcoming the challenge.

Your experience provides a clear narrative of your involvement in the Robotics Club and the challenge you faced.
You effectively convey your curiosity and determination to understand and improve the robot’s pathfinding algorithm.
The experience demonstrates your ability to research, learn, and apply new concepts in a practical situation.

Suggestions

Consider providing a brief explanation of the A* algorithm and how it improved ‘Rover’s’ pathfinding. This will help the reader understand your discovery better. (Small impact)
Share any lessons you learned from this experience and how they may have influenced your perspective on robotics or problem-solving. (Small impact)
Briefly mention how this experience has shaped your future aspirations or interests in the field of robotics, AI, or related areas. (Small impact)

What admissions would take away

Admissions officers would view you as a determined, curious, and resourceful student with a passion for robotics and problem-solving. Your experience demonstrates your ability to research, learn, and apply new concepts in practical situations.

In a chemistry lab during sophomore year, our assignment was to synthesize aspirin. The process, on paper, seemed pretty direct, but science in practice can sometimes be unpredictable. My first result wasn’t the expected pure white but had an off-white hue.

Rather than just accepting it, I was determined to understand why. Had I missed a step or mis-measured an ingredient? I turned to additional resources, beyond our classroom’s scope, and delved into the intricacies of the synthesis process. I found out that there are many variables at play, from temperature control to precise measurements.

Armed with new knowledge, I approached the lab again. With more attention to detail and a better understanding of the reactions, my second attempt was markedly improved.

This wasn’t just a lesson in making aspirin; it underscored how deep and layered even seemingly simple reactions can be. It made me appreciate the precision required in chemistry, especially when thinking about its implications in something as important as drug development.

Overall Feedback

This experience effectively highlights your curiosity and determination in the field of chemistry. It demonstrates your commitment to understanding the underlying processes and your ability to think critically about the subject matter. I would rate this experience an 8 out of 10. The strength of your description lies in the detailed example and your genuine interest in learning.

Your experience provides a clear narrative of your involvement in the chemistry lab and the challenge you faced.
You effectively convey your curiosity and determination to understand the intricacies of the synthesis process.
The experience demonstrates your willingness to go beyond the classroom to explore complex concepts and apply them in practical situations.
Explore how your newfound appreciation for precision in chemistry has shaped your perspective on the subject or influenced future projects. (Small impact)
Share any lessons you learned from this experience and how they may have influenced your approach to chemistry or problem-solving. (Small impact)
Briefly mention how this experience has shaped your future aspirations or interests in the field of chemistry or related areas. (Small impact)

Admissions officers would view you as a curious, determined, and resourceful student with a passion for learning and problem-solving in chemistry. Your experience demonstrates your ability to go beyond the classroom to explore complex concepts and apply them in practical situations.

Be Genuine: Authentic experiences where your curiosity was genuinely activated will always come across as more sincere and impactful.
Show Initiative: Caltech values students who don’t just stop at wondering, but take the initiative to seek answers.
Proofread: Ensure clarity, coherence, and error-free content. You can use Ivy, CollegeVine’s AI for free feedback.

Remember, this essay provides Caltech a glimpse into your analytical mind, your curiosity, and your proactive approach to learning.

Essay on Robotics

Students are often asked to write an essay on Robotics in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Robotics

What is robotics.

Robotics is the science of creating robots. Robots are machines that can do tasks without human help. They can be as small as a toy or as big as a car. Some robots look like humans, but most just have parts to do jobs. They can be used in many places, like factories, hospitals, and homes.

History of Robotics

Robotics started in the 20th century. The first robots were simple machines. They could only do easy tasks. Over time, robots became more complex. They can now do many things humans can do. They can even learn new tasks by themselves.

Types of Robots

There are many types of robots. Some robots are used in factories to build things. These are called industrial robots. There are also robots that help doctors in hospitals. They can do surgeries. Then there are robots that can explore space. They can go to places where humans can’t.

Benefits of Robotics

Robots can do tasks faster and more accurately than humans. They can also do dangerous jobs, keeping people safe. Robots can work 24/7 without getting tired. They can help in many fields, like medicine, manufacturing, and space exploration.

Future of Robotics

The future of robotics is very exciting. Robots will become smarter and more helpful. They will be able to do more complex tasks. Robots will be used in more places and in more ways. They will make our lives easier and safer.

250 Words Essay on Robotics

Robotics is a field in technology that deals with making, working, and using robots. Robots are machines that can follow instructions to do tasks. Some robots can do tasks on their own, while others need human help.

There are many types of robots. Some robots look like humans, these are called humanoid robots. Then, there are industrial robots which are used in factories to make things like cars. There are also robots used in medicine, space exploration, and even in our homes to help with cleaning.

How Robots Work

Robots are run by computers. They follow a set of instructions called a program. This program tells the robot what to do and how to do it. Robots have sensors that allow them to gather information about their surroundings. This information is used to make decisions and carry out tasks.

Benefits of Robots

Robots can do many things that humans cannot do or find hard to do. They can work in dangerous places like space, deep sea, or inside a volcano. They can also do tasks quickly and without getting tired. This is why they are very useful in many areas like science, industry, and medicine.

The future of robotics is very exciting. Scientists are working on making robots that can learn and think like humans. These robots will be able to solve problems and make decisions on their own. They will be even more helpful and can change the way we live and work.

In conclusion, robotics is a fascinating field that is changing our world in many ways. It is a field that is full of possibilities and has a lot to offer in the future.

500 Words Essay on Robotics

Robotics is a branch of technology that deals with robots. Robots are machines that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance. They can do things that are hard, dangerous, or boring for humans. This field combines different branches of science and engineering like computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

The idea of robots has been around for a long time. Ancient Greek myths talk about mechanical servants. The term “robot” itself comes from a Czech word “robota,” meaning forced labor. It was first used in a play in 1920. The first real industrial robot, Unimate, started work in 1961 at a General Motors plant. Since then, robotics has grown a lot.

Robots come in many shapes and sizes to suit different jobs. Some robots look like humans and can do things like talk or walk. These are called humanoid robots. Industrial robots work in factories and can do things like welding, painting, or assembling. Mobile robots can move around. They can be used for things like exploring space or the bottom of the ocean. Then there are medical robots which help doctors in surgeries and patient care.

Robots have several parts. They have a body or frame, motors to make them move, sensors to help them understand their surroundings, and a computer to control everything. The computer uses a program, which is a set of instructions, to tell the robot what to do. The sensors collect information about the world. The computer uses this information to decide what actions the robot should take.

Importance of Robotics

Robots are very important in today’s world. They can do jobs that are dangerous for humans, like defusing bombs or working in nuclear power plants. They can also do jobs that need to be very exact, like in surgery or making computer chips. Robots can also do jobs that are boring or repetitive, like assembling cars in a factory. This helps humans to focus on more interesting and creative tasks.

The future of robotics is very exciting. Robots are becoming smarter and more capable. They are starting to learn from their experiences and make decisions on their own. This is called artificial intelligence. In the future, we might see robots doing even more tasks, like taking care of the elderly or teaching in schools. But we also need to think about how to use robots in a way that is good for everyone.

In conclusion, robotics is a fascinating field that combines many different areas of science and engineering. It has a rich history and an exciting future. Robots are already doing many tasks that help humans, and they are likely to do even more in the future. As we continue to develop and use robots, we must also think about how to do this in a way that benefits everyone.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Robotics Essay Examples and Topics

Robots: the use in everyday tasks.

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Robots’ Impact and Human Employment Opportunities

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Characteristics of Robotics

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Robotic Pharmacy System Implementation

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The Invento Robotics Products Analysis

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Boston Dynamics’ Spot Robot Dog

Design a helper.

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Robot Making: Materials for Building and Economic Factor

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Healthcare Robots: Entering the Era of a Technological Breakthrough

Spot mini robot by boston dynamics, autonomous controller robotics: the future of robots.

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Software Automation and the Future of Work

Ways that robotics can transform our daily lives.

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Exploring the Capabilities and Potential of Soft Robotics

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The Hybrid Robot Vacuum Cleaners

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Robotics and Related Social & Political Problems

Amazon’s ai-powered home robots.

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The Capstone Project: The Analysis of Uipath

Robotization and employment: an ethical analysis, robot revolution in the contemporary society, “a robot can be warehouse worker’s pal” by jennifer smith, autonomous un-guided vehicle usage, artificial intelligence in drone technology for farming.

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The Boundaries of Integrating Machines Into Human Life

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The Debate Over Robotization on Takeover of Human Jobs

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Robot Interaction Language (ROILA) and Robot Creativity

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Using Robots in the Medical Industry

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Will the Development of Artificial Intelligence Endanger Global Human Rights?

Whats mean robotics welding, machines chances of replacing humans at work.

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Controlling Fully Automated Cockpit Systems

“the real transformers” by robin marantz henig, computer vision: tracking the hand using bayesian models, human cyborgs as a scientific development.

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Self-Driving Cars: Science and Policy Regulations

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Robotics. “Humans Need Not Apply” Video

Baxter robots and company performance, the impact of nanorobots on the society.

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Will Robots Ever Replace Humans?

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Intelligence Technologies: Helpful Innovations or Threats

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Projects “Cyborg” and “New Electrical Apparatus” in Robotics

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Nanotechnology: “Cell Repairing Nanorobots”

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Home — Application Essay — National Universities — Robotics Brainstorming: College Admission Essay Sample

Robotics Brainstorming: College Admission Essay Sample

University: Bradley University

About this sample

Words: 609 |

Published: Jul 18, 2018

Words: 609 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Waving our banner wildly, we counted down the seconds, not at the homecoming game, but rather the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff. With only six weeks to build, wire, and program a 120-pound machine, my team jumped headfirst into brainstorming. Our options included a robot that hoarded the purple and orange Moon Rocks, shot them into enemy goals, or rolled them into air locks . . . with unlimited mechanical and software solutions for each strategy. As captain, I led the brainstorming effort and concentrated on getting everyone’s ideas on the table while also keeping discussion moving forward. We soon narrowed our options down to two strategies: one an elegant ball dumper, the other a superlative shooter.

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“Our team has never been more prepared to shoot for the moon.”

“A rotating turret will present a significant technical accomplishment."

“None of the other ‘bots will know what hit them.”

The idea of a shooter inspired my teammates, but I knew a simpler robot could score faster by dumping many balls simultaneously.

That night I struggled to decide if I should aggressively advocate for the more effective strategy. I dialed a few teammates and heard the excitement in their voices when they discussed the shooter. I paced endlessly and reflected on my experience with robotics, a passion I had pursued since joining Lego League in 5th grade. I had joined the Southwest Robotics Team during its rookie year in 2006. At the beginning of my sophomore year, when I became the head captain, we had only six members including myself. Now we had 26 members and a network of mentors and sponsors; we had raised over $45,000. I had worked with the larger FIRST community to test a new control system and taught programming seminars for FIRST members at Washburn High and the University of Minnesota. To interest potential young inventors, I had organized demonstrations at public high schools and The Bakken Museum of Electricity and Life. FIRST Robotics meant more to me than a competition; it brought together and inspired people to produce innovation.

Perhaps I could have prolonged discussions, swayed others to my opinion, and my team would have reluctantly built a simple, effective robot. But after weighing the relative merits of process and product and the crucial importance of team dynamics, I embraced the strategy that would generate enthusiasm on the team, wow the crowd, and score sporadically.

That build season we had more fun than ever before. We challenged ourselves to find innovative design solutions to the inherent complexities of lofty strategy. I led the programming effort to become one of a handful of teams able to autonomously track the moving targets and differentiate between friend and foe using the onboard camera. The robot looked magnificent; everyone competed for the chance to drive it. We were proud of our accomplishment.

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At the North Star Regional, our members rushed around the pits, offering technical support to less experienced teams and telling everyone about our robot. The two-person drive team struggled to control our robot’s many spinning sprockets and whirring wheels. Although simple ball dumpers outscored us and advanced to Nationals, my decision to look at the bigger picture instead of game details unified our team, and everyone moved forward with a better understanding of strategy for future years. At the awards ceremony the announcer read, “The judging panel may encounter a team whose unique efforts, performance, or dynamics merit recognition, yet doesn't fit into any of the existing categories . . . [The Judge’s Award goes to Southwest Robotics] for their exceptionally strong system design and true team spirit with a positive refreshing attitude.”

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INSPIRATION IS EVERWHERE

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First taught me how to work smart, like a startup, peyton fitzgerald.

FIRST Alum, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 5459 “Ipswich Tigers” and Recipient, Northeastern University’s NU- FIRST Scholarship

When I wrote an essay to apply for Northeastern University’s full-tuition NU- FIRST Scholarship, I found it difficult to convey what FIRST meant to me in just 500 words. FIRST not only taught me about engineering; it taught me how to learn. Right off the bat, I discovered the benefits of failing early and failing well.

I joined my school's new FIRST Robotics Competition team as a founding member my sophomore year. We worked like a startup, where everybody did a bit of everything. I ran the business side of things – social media and fundraising – but I was also involved with building the robot itself, which is how I discovered my passion for mechanical engineering. My senior year, I became captain.

Most things I've experienced in high school have been fairly laid out: You get a task, and as long as you work hard, it'll turn out fine. On a FIRST team, just like a startup, you can work as hard as you can in the wrong direction, and it won't work. You have to work smart. It serves a lot of inspiration for me to remember the moment at a FIRST competition event when our robot worked . After our robot failed at the previous event, we had spent six hours rebuilding it. When the robot did exactly what it was supposed to, it was the best feeling in the world.

FIRST is about more than the competitions. Some of my teammates and I took on a project with a small nonprofit called Ocean Alliance. Their scientists fly drones over whales and collect the sprayed mucus for DNA samples. They were having difficulty judging distances between the drone and the whale, so my team worked on a system that would relay an audio clip of the drone's height back to the driver.

Even before I picked a college, I was planning to mentor a local team. I want to give back to FIRST because of the impact it has made on my life. That became even more important after I received Northeastern’s NU- FIRST Scholarship, which will cover my full tuition for up to eight semesters, as long as I maintain a 3.0 GPA in the College of Engineering. This season, I am mentoring Team 125, “The NU-TRONs.” I think I'll be learning just as much as a mentor as I did as a student.

Entire community nourishes growth of STEM education with FIRST

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FIRST LEGO League Jr. Coach; Writer, Director & Producer

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College Essay: Team Building in Robotics

Here I am, standing in a large arena, Xbox controller in my hands, 4-foot robot across from me. All the pressure is on me. My team of high school students put so much effort into building this remote-controlled robot composed of steel, nuts, wheels and bolts. As the driver, it’s my job to deliver the results.

I joined robotics my junior year of high school. It made me realize teamwork and problem-solving could accomplish goals that seemed impossible. I never had interest in extracurriculars before, but my friend insisted I join with him.

When I first started, I was clueless, just like many others. But looking back, I couldn’t have known how much I would learn and achieve in three months and how it would truly pay off.

In a competition, every robot scores points for their team by shooting balls in the low basket or the high basket, as well as by climbing three bars elevating to 11 feet. Looking around at the complex robots sent shocks through my body. Tons of people staring gave me a chill through my spine. I needed to prepare myself mentally for my first match as a driver and as an official competitor.

In the competing arena, I focus on my team and my robot. Nothing else mattered in the moment. Even though our robot didn’t have a climbing mechanism, everything felt in place; my teammates were hyping me up and calming my nerves. A loud air horn started the competition, and the robots moved by themselves for the first 10 seconds. “Three, two, one.” Another airhorn blared, and I picked up the controller and started scoring the best I could.

However, I noticed the other teams in my alliance were not moving. I didn’t know what to do, but I tried making the best of what I could. We lost. But, I still felt we could confidently compete with bigger teams.

After the match, the team decided instead of winning the competition we needed to prove to ourselves that our robot could climb. After eight matches with mixed results, our team had put a lot effort into the climbing mechanism and told me to climb.

With the assistance of my team, I attempted to climb in the next match. The first bar cleared. The second bar cleared. As I was bringing the hook up, I pressed the button and the hook wouldn’t come out. I mashed the buttons as my teammates grabbed the controller from me and mashed, too. I heard the round end and we all went back to our workspaces. Instead of being gloomy, the team fixed the problem with my help and feedback. As the driver, I guided our team through the problems like issues with controls, how the robot moves, shoots and climbs.

The very last match, I was in the perfect position. The crowd was cheering, my team watching me closely. It was all on me. For some reason, I wasn’t nervous. I knew I had to climb. Forty-five seconds into the match, I started climbing. First bar climbed. Second bar climbed. With five seconds left, I pressed the button and the hook sprung out. I hooked on the third bar and let go of the controller. I screamed triumphantly. In that moment, all the hard work the team put in paid off.

While we didn’t win, I couldn’t believe we made a complete robot. We made the impossible possible. It taught me to keep working in chaotic environments. However, teamwork wasn’t only limited to robotics. I’m able to use teamwork in school, and it’s easier to work with others. I also see the ben- efits of extracurriculars. They’re opportunities to meet new people, gain new experiences and learn new skills, something I hope to keep doing as I further my education.

ThreeSixty Journalism,

a nonprofit program of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas, uses the principles of strong writing and reporting to help diverse Minnesota youth tell the stories of their lives and communities.

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Robotics brainstorming mark ulrich, evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you..

“Our team has never been more prepared to shoot for the moon.”

“A rotating turret will present a significant technical accomplishment."

“None of the other ‘bots will know what hit them.”

The idea of a shooter inspired my teammates, but I knew a simpler robot could score faster by dumping many balls simultaneously.

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Essay on Robots: Top 17 Essays | Intelligent Machines | Engineering

Here is an essay on ‘Robots’ for class 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Robots’ especially written for college students.

Essay on Robots

Essay Contents:

Essay on the Reasons for Using Robots

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Essay # 1. Definition of Robot:

Robot, once a creature of science fiction, is today a reality. It is the off-shoot of the second industrial revolution. Robot can be defined as a programmable multifunction manipulator designed or intelligent machine to move material, parts, tools, or specialised devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of variety of tasks.

Today’s robots are fitted with a variety of sensors (like vision, ranging, force-torque, touch, proximity, etc.) sending the sensory information to the computer which processes them subject to given objective and constraints, and develops action decisions for the robot actuators.

Robots are more flexible in terms of ability to perform new tasks or to carry out complex sequences of motion than other categories of automated manufacturing equipment. Generally speaking, robots are machines with some degree of intelligence and operated under the control of a mini or micro-computer.

Industrial robots (tough and tireless) are capable of handling a variety of jobs right from material handling to complex assembly tasks. They perform hazardous and monotonous tasks with tireless precision. They improve productivity and reduce manufacturing costs. They can perform complex jobs. They can even cope with changing conditions in the workplace, when fitted with sensors and adaptive controls.

Essay # 2. Basic Elements of Robots :

The basic elements of industrial robots are manipulator, controller, end effector, sensors and energy source. (Refer Fig. 38.1).

The manipulator comprising of base, arm and wrist are the most obvious parts of the robot. The robot’s movements are executed by the mechanical parts like links, power joints, and transmission system along with internal sensors housed within the manipulator.

The controller acts like a brain of robot. It performs the functions of storing and sequencing data in memory, initiating and stopping the motions of the manipulator, and interacting with the environment.

End effector is the tool, a sort of gripper, which directly interacts with the job. Grippers are being designed to handle a wide range of part configurations.

Sensors to sense the environment are essential for intelligent robots.

Energy source is required to cause movement of the manipulator arm. They may take the form of electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic devices.

Essay # 3. General Structure of Robot:

Figure 38.13 shows a general structure of an advanced robot. The operational unit consists of articulated mechanical system (AMS), (comprising of rigid links and kinetic joint), transmission system and actuators (which control the configuration of each articulation). The internal sensors are provided to indicate the position, velocity and forces of the end effector. The external sensors are provided to sense the environment.

Essay # 4. Configurations of Robots :

A large number of combinations are possible to design a robot. For example, a robot manipulator having 3 degrees of freedom can be designed by using different combinations of 5 types of joints in 5 x 5 x 5 (125) ways. Further variations are possible when we consider the sizes, ranges of motion, orientation, etc.

The five commonly used configurations are:

(ii) Cylindrical,

(iii) Cartesian,

(iv) Jointed-arm, and

i. Polar Coordinate Body-and-Arm Assembly:

Since this is achieved by three joints T, R and L, it is represented by TRL notation. From Fig. 38.4 it will be seen that the wrist assembly arm (sliding type) can be actuated relative to body (L-joint), or rotated about vertical axis (T-joint), or also rotated about a horizontal axis (R-joint).

The structural analysis program provides the user with integrated interactive processing from structural analysis to strength evaluation, by means of a pre-processor for graphics, geometrical modeling, finite element modeling and output graphic functions to be used for displaying the deformation quantity, indicating equi-stress lines, stress diagrams, excess stress, dynamic response and animation.

This system displays the element division diagrams and the vibration characteristics of the entire robot as a result of the frequency response calculation for the component parts of the robot system. In the design stage the strength and rigidity of each part are analysed, while the dynamic characteristics of the entire system are predicted and evaluated for lighter weight and higher rigidity.

ii. Mechanical Design of a Robot :

The mechanical design of a robot is an iterative process involving evaluation and choice among a large number of engineering and technical considerations in several disciplines.

A purely static, rigid-body approach to design is not sufficient and factors like mechanical system stiffness, natural frequencies, control system compatibility also need to be considered. A robot should be designed to have only the flexibility it needs to perform the range of tasks for which it is intended.

The various design consideration are:

(i) System Specification:

It includes range, reach, work envelope, load capacity.

(ii) System Configuration:

It includes the joint configuration, number of degrees of freedom, joint travel range, drive configuration.

(iii) System Performance:

It includes system velocity and acceleration, repeatability, resolution, accuracy, component life and duty cycle. Detailed design of major components concerns the robot structures, robot joints, actuators, transmission, wiring and routing of cables and hoses. One should evaluate the possible flexibility of the robot, grippers, tools, and peripheral units and integrate all components to one system.

Essay # 6. Classification of Robots:

Broadly three classes of robots could be considered:

(i) Pre-Programmable/Re-Programmable General Purpose Industrial Robots:

These operate fully by programmed computer control. These are most useful for all structured operations, i.e. activities whose motion and work handling requirements are known before hand and thus can be programmed.

The robot is taught before-hand to perform the necessary action in the teach mode. The robot can then take over and execute the operation repetitively such as in welding, painting, assembly of components for mass manufacturer, loading/unloading of jobs into and from machine tools, etc.

(ii) Tele-Operated, Man-Controlled Robots or Man-in-the-Loop Manipulator:

These differ from totally machine-controlled robots in the sense that the advantage of presence of man is taken in situations where it is not possible to anticipate all the motion and handling requirements in such details as to render them programmable or teachable for machine control. This type of requirement is found in hazardous locations.

The servo-driven master-slave manipulator with force feedback, or vehicle mounted heavy duty multi-axis power manipulator performs the necessary work in hazardous environment, taking commands from a human controller who can manipulate the slave arms at the scene of operation from safe location, relying for viewing on closed circuit television.

(iii) Intelligent Robots:

These are very advanced, state of the art robots and possess sufficient artificial or machine intelligence, somewhat analogous to the sensory perception of the neuro-muscular coordination that human beings are capable of.

Such intelligent robots can not only explore the environment on their own machine perceptions and evaluate them in real time, but also execute the necessary motor functions matching the action of their sensory inputs.

Advanced robots have been built with mobility to not only move over floors but also to climb, ability to avoid obstacles, high power-to-weight ratios, compactly assembled, with on board sensors, instruments and power supplies.

According to another general method of classification robots are classified as:

(i) Special purpose, designed and produced for a limited range of specific jobs, like welding, painting, casting, assembling, material handling etc.

(ii) General purpose of universal robots designed and produced to perform a wide variety of jobs. These may be non-servo-controlled, servo-controlled or sensory type depending on sophistication.

Essay # 7. Specifications of Robot:

i . Work Envelope:

Work envelope or work volume of a manipulator is defined as the envelope or space within which the robot can manipulate the end of the wrist. It depends on the number of types of joints, physical size of the joints and links and the ranges of various joints.

The shape of work volume is dependent upon the configuration of robot, for example, polar configuration has partial sphere as work space, cartesian coordinate configuration robot has a rectangular work space, and a cylindrical robot has a cylindrical work envelope.

ii . Load Carrying Capacity:

It is dependent on the physical size and construction of robot, and also on the capability to transmit force and torque to the end effector in the wrist.

iii . Speed:

It varies from one point to other and it can be programmed into cycle so that different portions of cycle are performed at different speeds as desired. Maximum speed may be of the order of 2m/sec. In fact more important than speed is the accelerating and decelerating capability in a controlled manner. Robot may hardly achieve its top rated speed in view of its operation in a confined area.

iv . Repeatability:

It is the measure of the robot’s ability to position an object at a previously taught point in the work envelope. Due to inherent errors present (particularly due to mechanical sources), the robot will not be able to return to exact programmed point.

v . Control Resolution:

It refers to the capability of the system (both controller and the positioning device) to divide the range of total movement into closely spaced points than can be identified. Thus it would represent the minimum noticeable movement achievable. It may be mentioned that controller can generate pulses of very small duration but the positioning device should be able to respond and change its position accordingly.

In such a case:

Essay # 9. Control Systems for Robots :

Actuators (pneumatic, electrical, or hydraulic type) are used to move the joints of robots. Electric actuators may be d.c. servo motors or stepping motors. These are preferred type due to compatibility with computers, non-dependence on air or oil supply from outside source.

These are very common for sophisticated robots due to higher accuracy. Pneumatic cylinders are used for smaller robots as in material handling applications. Hydraulic actuators are used to exert high torque and greater speed.

The type of actuator, position and speed sensors, feed-back systems, etc., determine the dynamic response characteristics of the manipulator. Robot’s cycle time is dependent on the speed of response. It may be mentioned that while robots with greater stability are slower in response, the less stable system may tend to oscillate near the set value.

Microprocessor based controllers are used. A hierarchical structure approach is followed, i.e. each joint is actuated by its own controller, and a supervisory controller is used to coordinate the combined actuation of the joints and sequences of the motions.

Depending on sophistication desired, the robot control system may be:

(i) Simple Interlocked System:

This employs no servo control to achieve precise positioning. It is used for simple operations like pick-and-place. Limit switches are used for sequencing the actuation of the joints to complete the cycle.

(ii) Point-to-Point Control with Play Back Facility:

In this system, the various positions/locations, and the sequence to be followed in a cycle are programmed in the memory. The locations and their sequence are played back during the operation. Feed-back control is used to ascertain that desired location is attained.

(iii) Continuous Path Control:

The memory is big to hold information regarding locations of path. In this case path taken by the arm to reach final location is controlled. Servo control is used to maintain continuous control over the position and speed of the manipulator.

(iv) Intelligent Robot:

These can take own decisions when things go wrong during the cycle. These can interact with their environment, communicate with human beings, make computations during the motion cycle, incorporate advanced sensors like machine vision.

Essay # 10. Kinematic Control of Robots:

The various ways in which the robots could be controlled are:

(i) Non-Servo Control:

Non-servo-controlled robots move their arms in an open loop fashion between exact end positions on each axis, or along predetermined trajectories in accordance with fixed sequence. Such controls could be executed either by sequence controllers or by limit switches.

In latter type, more than one position is defined along an axis by indexable stops inserted or withdrawn automatically. A sequence type control steps through a number of pre-set logic steps, which causes one or more joints to move until the appropriate limit switch on the axis is reached.

(ii) Servo-Controlled Robots:

These incorporate feedback devices on the joints or actuators of the manipulator which continuously measure the position of each axis. These have much more manipulative quality and can position the end effector anywhere within the total work envelope.

These could be further classified as:

(a) Point-to-Point Control:

In this system each joint is controlled by an independent position servo with all joints moving from position to position independently. In it, each joint or axis of the robot is moved individually until the combination of joint positions yields the desired position of the end effector.

The way each joint is to move to achieve final position is practiced before-hand and stored in a memory device. As per this stored information each joint runs freely at its maximum or limited rate until it reaches its final position.

Point-to-point motion could be controlled independently in sequence joint control, uncoordinated joint control, or terminally co-ordinated joint control. In sequential joint operation one joint is activated at a time, while all other axes are immobilised.

A single joint may operate more than once in a sequence associated with such a motion. The resulting path of the manipulator end effector will thus have a zig-zag form associated with the motion directions of the manipulator joints.

It results in immediate simplification in the control. However, it causes longer point-to-point motion time. In uncoordinated joint control, the motions are not coordinated, in the sense that if one joint has made some fraction of its motion it does not imply that all other joints will have made the same fractions of their respective motions. When each joint reaches its final position, it holds and waits until all the joints have completed their motions.

Due to non-coordination of motion between joints, the path and velocity of end effector between points is not easily predicted. Terminally co-ordinated joint control is the most useful type of point-to-point control. In it the motion of individual joints are co-ordinated so that all joints attain their final position simultaneously.

It is used primarily in applications where only the final position is of interest and the path is not a prime consideration. Where the continuous path of the end effector is of primary importance to the application, then continuous path control is used.

(b) Continuous Path Control:

It is used where continuous path of the end effector is of primary importance. Continuous path motions are produced by interpolating each joint control variable from its initial value to its desired final value.

Each joint is moved the maximum amount required to achieve the desired final positions to give the robot tool a controlled predicted path. All the joint variables are interpolated to make the joints complete their motions simultaneously, thus giving a co-ordinated joint motion.

Depending on the quantum of information used in the motor control calculation the basic categories of continuous path control techniques are:

(i) Servo control approach (controller has a stored representation of the path to be followed, and the drive signals to the robot’s motors are determined by performing all calculations based on the past and present path tracking error);

(ii) Preview control or feed forward control. (It uses some knowledge about how the path changes immediately ahead of the robot’s current location, in addition to the past and present tracking error used by the servo-controller); and

(iii) Path planning or trajectory calculation approach (controller is fed with a complete description of the manipulator from one point to another. It uses a mathematical physical ‘model’ of the arm and its load, and pre-computes an acceleration profile for every joint, predicting the nominal motor signals that should cause the arms to follow the desired path).

Continuous path control requires lot of memory space to store all the axis positions needed to smoothly record the desired path. In practice, the device is moved actually through the desired path manually and the position of each axis is recorded on a constant time base, thus, generating continuous time history of each axis position.

Essay # 11. Expected Qualities in Robots :

The qualities expected in robots are listed below:

(i) Vision:

The utility of robots will increase several folds by incorporation of vision systems. Vision systems capable of identifying the part for pick up by pattern recognition data based on object’s silhouette have been developed.

Such systems can transform the position and orientation of the object into robot co-ordinates enabling the robot to acquire the object in a known manner. Other type of vision systems can recognise different objects. For each part, a number of distinguishing geometric features can be delineated, including area, perimeter, centre of gravity, number of holes and maximum and minimum radii.

In another vision system, a fibre sensor is used to look at a seam to be welded and automatically adjusts the robot’s weld path.

(ii) Tactile Sensing:

Robots with tactile sensor can identify an object and perform the function based on the referenced data. Grippers have been developed which can pick up any shape of objects and at the same time not exert enough force to crush them.

(iii) Mobility:

Usually the robot stands in a single station for the bulk of factory requirements. However, to handle intermittent and asynchronous demands, compact mobile device which could move in complex paths and access large areas economically has been developed.

(iv) Other Important Qualities in the Process of Development in Robots are:

Computer interpretation of the visual and tactile data, multiple appendage hand-to-hand co-ordination, minimised spatial intrusion, general purpose hands, man-robot voice communication, total self-diagnostic fault tracing, inherent safety, interaction with other technologies, etc.

Essay # 12. Performance Testing of Robots :

Usually following tests are performed on robots to judge their suitability.

(i) Geometric Values:

These include:

(a) Workspace:

Workspace, i.e. the envelope reached by the centre of the interface between the wrist and the tool, using all available axis motions.

(b) Static Behaviour:

It is indication of the deformation of a fixed robot structure under different load cases.

The repeatable accuracy that can be achieved at nominal load and normal operating temperature. This is based on two types of errors, viz., repeatability and reversal error.

(d) Path Accuracy:

The path accuracy of a path- controlled robot indicates at what level of accuracy programmed path curves can be followed at nominal load. The typical errors in path accuracy of a robot are: path accuracy or mean-path dispersion error, trailing error or mean-path deviation, overshoot during acceleration/deceleration.

(e) Reproduction of Smallest Steps:

With very low velocities, the slip-stick effect may become serious and it is hard to control.

(f) Synchronous Travel Accuracy:

(For cases where robot has to perform tasks synchronous to a moving conveyor) as in spray painting and assembly.

(g) Long-Term Behaviour:

It provides information on the time required to achieve thermal stability.

(ii) Kinematic Values:

These include cycle time, speed, and acceleration. It involves measuring of attainable cycle times for a defined sequence in different areas of the working space.

(iii) Power and Noise Values:

Usually measured in decibel at a distance of one metre from the working space.

(iv) Thermal Values:

Changes in temperature effect deviation of the structure.

(v) Dynamic Values:

It involves determination of dynamic behaviour of simple components and the total structure. The response of the robot structure is elicited by the following excitation methods—shaker (sinus, random), hammer (impact), snapback (impact), drives (sinus, random).

Essay # 13. Sensors for Robots :

To carry out its task, a robot must have access to information on predetermined parameters of the environment. Sensors are used to provide this information. The key to the success of closed loop control systems used in robots, in terms of accuracy, reliability and stability relies upon the type, complexity, resolution of the sensor.

It must be remembered that best sensory power has been bestowed by nature in the homomorphic creatures. It is the aim of engineers to attain similar perfection for robots. In order to enable robot perform its duties by understanding the environment around it, sensors provide information like.

(i) Recognition data (to understand the shape, size and features of the object).

(ii) Orientation data (the position of the object in relation to the robot arm co-ordinates in the absolute mode).

(iii) Physical interaction data (to understand the intensity interaction between the end effectors and the object).

The various types of sensors used for this purpose are:

(i) Force sensors (these measure the three mutually orthogonal forces and three orthogonal torques at the tips of the fingers of robot).

(ii) Inertial sensors (these feel the gravity and acceleration generated reaction torques).

(iii) Tactile sensors (these respond to contact forces arising between themselves and objects—used to warn the manipulator of robot to avoid collision when the end effector is near the object).

(iv) Visual sensors (with the use of triangulation or any other algorithm these help in determining the co-ordinates of the object before it is grasped.)

(v) Binary sensors micro-switches, magnetic switches, bimetallic thermal switches, etc. These are used to sense the presence/absence of a part.

(vi) Analog sensors thermocouples, linear variable differential transformers, strain gauges, piezo-electric sensors. These are used when the magnitude of quantity is desired.

(vii) Sensor arrays include pressure sensitive arrays or optical arrays used on the fingers and palm of a gripper. This requires considerable signal processing with a dedicated microprocessor.

Essay # 14. Precautions in the Use of Robots :

Before taking a decision to install a robot, it is important that its use be justified as it costs a lot. Plenty of work should exist for each robot. It is safest to employ robots first on simpler jobs and then put them to complex jobs after gaining experience.

The repetitive tasks, such as picking up heavy parts from one conveyor and placing them on another conveyor, can be easily programmed. Grippers are selected depending on the shape and size of the parts. It is possible to equip them with sensors and computer controls. These can then search the parts for out of position also.

In machine loading and unloading applications, the machines may be grouped around a robot and the robot picks up a part from an incoming conveyor and loads it into a NC lathe and then transfer it to drilling machine, inspect on table, and finally place it on an outgoing conveyor. Thus a system of machines with a robot can be converted into automatic production system.

All operations requiring worker intervention can be completely eliminated. If the shape or size of the part gets changed significantly after machining, then double grippers can be used on robots. To avoid any damage, the gripper of robot must hold the parts securely, exerting sufficient gripping force. Universal grippers are also available for handling parts of different size and shape.

A very nice application of robots is in cleaning of castings, deburring of machined parts, and polishing of parts which is usually fatiguing monotonous, dirty, noisy and sometimes hazardous. In a typical operation, the robot may be programmed to pick up casting from conveyor, presenting it to a rotary cut off wheel or saw removing gates and rise’s, then to a floor stand grinder for removing external flash, then to a grinding head that cleans the interior of the casting and then returning to the second conveyor. All machines should be located and grouped within easy reach of the robot. Stations of such type can handle a wide variety of castings of different shapes and sizes simply by changing programs.

Robots also find wide applications in assembly jobs, spot welding and arc welding. It is observed that robotic welders are about three times more productive than human operators. Robots can also be mounted on tracks so that they can automatically move from one station to another. It is essential to follow safety guidelines strictly in design and operation of robots to avoid any accidents.

Essay # 15. Applications of Robots :

Robots would find successful applications in following situations:

(i) Repetitive operation.

(ii) Other justifications for doing away with manual handling.

(iii) Handling hot or heavy work pieces.

(iv) Production limited by human performance and for endurance.

(v) Quality adversely affected by inconsistent manual handling.

(vi) Where parts have to be repeatedly oriented in the same position.

(vii) Part geometries must permit mechanical handling.

The most useful application of robot is for processes involving hazardous, unpleasant work environment like heat, sparks, fumes, etc. Typical applications in this regard could be die casting, shot welding, spray painting, forging, etc.

The other useful field for use of robots is involving repetitive work cycle which is tiring, fatiguing and boring for operator. Robots give consistent and repeatable results. Robots are essential for applications involving handling of heavy parts or tools.

Industrial robot applications usually involve several pieces of hardware (conveyors, pallets, machine tools, fixtures, etc.) in addition to the robot. Several robots and associated hardware may have to be integrated into a single work-cell.

Layout of the equipment in cell deserves greater attention for optimum results. Various types of layouts may involve centering around single robot, various robots arranged in line, or robots may be mobile. In manufacturing applications, robots may be used to handle tools and work pieces, processing operations, assembly and inspection.

Essay # 17. Reasons for Using Robots :

The reasons for introducing robot into a production process could be:

(i) It relieves man of hazardous or fatiguing tasks.

(ii) It brings improvements in product consistency and quality.

(iii) It offers opportunities for multi-machine manning for multi-shift operation and for wholly unmanned production.

(iv) In countries short of labour, it brings in savings from labour reductions. It increases the output without increasing the labour force.

(v) Robots will lead the way into areas of technology where man has not entered so far.

(vi) Mobile robots with moving arms and wide sensing power will find more applications.

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Robo-CJ writes a college app by CJ Q. '23

do neural nets dream of electric essays?

October 28, 2019

in Admissions ,
Personal Projects ,

I’m procrastinating on doing psets, so I trained GPT-2 , a neural network that’s frighteningly good at writing, on my old blog posts. And then I made this AI write college essays.

None of these quotes are human-written; they’re all machine-generated.

I’m not sure if I want to be happy or not. I’m low-key grateful for being alive. I’m sorry that I’m not doing enough to help people. I’m sorry that I’ve been doing a lot, but I’m not doing enough.

i hate the thought that if i tell them i have this problem, they wouldnt believe me

These all sounds like things I would say. In fact, I had to look at my blog posts to check that I’ve never written these before.

I’ve been thinking about the things I’ve done in the past, and how much of it was just luck.

It’s even picked up the impostor syndrome from me.

I was going to write a blog post about it, but I couldn’t find the time. I’ve been working on a new project, and I’m writing a short essay, and I’m not even halfway done with.

Now this is just an attack . It picked up on my bad procrastination habits too.

I can’t say I’m fully prepared for the prospect of college. Sure, I’m familiar with the basics: the mechanics of purchasing a house, paying rent, getting a job, getting a car, working, attending classes. But there’s a difference between someone who’s already made a living and someone who’s just starting. “What’s the point?” “The point is to make money.”

Rest assured that purchasing a house is not part of the basics of college.

The first time I convinced myself to watch anime was when I was seventeen. It was an innocent thing to do, at the time, and it paid off. It made me happy. It made me believe that I could make a difference.

Accurate, except that I started watching anime earlier.

I instead use a format similar to PDFs and Word, except I convert the reader to a document instead.

Okay, what?

The details

This semester, I’m taking 6.036, which is Introduction to Machine Learning. It’s one of the largest classes here, with an enrollment of around 800 students, 350 or so of which are undergrads. I took the class because machine learning is that one big buzzword that I’ve never really understood that well. The content’s challenging to follow, but it’s fun because I can now read blog posts from OpenAI and understand at least some of the buzzwords. Like cross entropy or stochastic gradient descent or softmax or reLU .

I didn’t need to know anything about machine learning to do this project though, because of a neat library called gpt-2-simple . And I didn’t need to find a GPU to run it, because Google Colab makes it easy to run it online. In fact, there’s a Google Colab notebook using gpt-2-simple that makes it really easy to use it.

So most of the actual work was scraping my blog posts and saving them to one big text file. There’s a Python library called requests , which I used to pull the content from my AoPS blog. The format’s in json, so Python has a json library which extracts the actual blog post content from a given page. And this is written in bbcode, so I had to parse it with another library called bbcode . Basically, I just reused a bunch of code that other people have already written. Hooray open source!

I ended up with a file that was a little under a megabyte. It was around 180 thousand words long, the length of a book. Then I used the gpt-2-simple Colab notebook, followed the instructions, trained with GPT-2-small, and waited for an hour or so. The first attempt was mostly good, but had some weird formatting issues, and I realized this was because I didn’t clean up the file. After cleaning it up (like replacing fancy quotes ’ with normal quotes) and training it again, I ended up with something I’m pretty satisfied with.

For the purposes of this post, this derivative of GPT-2 is dubbed Robo-CJ. He’s pretty bad at coherent sense, but every once in a while he lucks out and writes something decent.

More quotes

These, and the quotes from the previous section, are from random generation. I just let Robo-CJ write something completely randomly.

Robo-CJ’s attempt at EC gothic :

After a while, you realize what your current place is. It’s a spare room, which isn’t really much of a place, because the mattress is placed on the floor. And the mattress is still laying there, as is the place’s fridge. So you sleep somewhere else. You wake up, see the place’s air conditioning gone, feel the cold, overpowering heat. You put the pillow that was placed front and center in the room gone, because it was probably the only place in the whole mall that had one.

Robo-CJ writes fiction:

The thirteenth floor of the Charles River boasts the last remaining places of human habitation. Like every other floor in the city, its surface is gray, its water is generally unaccustomed to being cold. But there are people, and there are fish, and there are people, and there are fish, and there are people, and there are people, and it’s hard not to love them.

He seems to have picked up my rhythm:

I found my balance and rose, and danced, and flew, and soared, and soared, and soared, and soared, the rhythm, the rhythm of the city, the rhythm of the rhythm of the city, the city was falling apart, people were being let out, the highway was silent, everyone was riding their bike, the first train was out, and I was the second train, the sidewalk was empty, people were walking, the line for the first train was long, and it was people who were going to MIT,

I’m definitely bad at making decisions. Because, well… I made a lot of stupid decisions.

I woke up to a headache. It was a bit familiar, but it made me feel like I was having a new, existential crisis. “I don’t have a choice in this; I can’t seriously pursue a career in mathematics research. I’m not even close to choosing.” Or, “It’s not as if I’m thinking about becoming a programmer.”

I literally have no plans at all. I don’t have any daydreams right now, any plans at all. I just want to get my life together.

I don’t know what I’m looking for, except maybe friendship, but I don’t know what that looks like either.

not me irl:

I’m running out of money. I can afford to.

I’ve managed to save some money, and I can finally afford to live a life that is more balanced and less stressful. And I’ve managed to spend less time crying over things and more time being sad about everything.

So I quit my psets and went to a sleepover.

Can’t tell if deep or just random:

In English, three is more than two.

This section is a bit different. We start with a prompt that I wrote, which is in bold. Robo-CJ then completes the rest of it. For example:

I hate the idea of a “big city” because it feels so detached from the larger context of our universe. I hate the idea of “a kingdom” because it is so attached to the concept of a “big city”. I hate the idea of “the moon” because it is so attached to the concept of a “moon”.

Here, I wrote “I hate the”, and let Robo-CJ finish the rest. It seems that he really dislikes the moon, but I don’t quite understand why.

If I went to MIT, I would have a job in the fall, and I don’t. But I don’t want one either.

baseless attacks >:(

I applied to MIT because I thought it would be a good fit for me. I applied to [redacted]. I applied to [redacted]. And I didn’t get a single rejection.

Robo-CJ wrote out the [redacted]s, those aren’t actual redactions. And this is very false, because I got rejected from a lot of the colleges I applied to.

I applied to MIT because I really wanted to study something, but I knew that the admissions officer would not allow me to. So I rejected.

I applied to MIT because I thought it would be a good fit for me. I applied again the day after I got rejected.

I applied to MIT because I wanted to be a Harvard alum.

I tried prompting Robo-CJ with “The rhythm sets in”, which is the start of one of my blog posts . He’s pretty poetic:

The rhythm sets in. The guitar blows, the lead singer puts her hands on her knees, tears up. The world turns black, and silhouettes us from all sides. We are the silhouettes of the people around us: fathers and mothers, taxi drivers and waitresses, students and professors, parents and teachers, neighbors and teachers. The words come out of my mouth: home. Home.

The rhythm sets in. The song continues as it ends. It ends. With…—the rhythm.” It ends with a bang. It ends with the sound of the building’s glass. It ends with the sound of the people’s voices in the hallway. It ends with the sound of the elevator’s glass, door, arm, and passenger facing the street. It ends with the sound of the elevator’s glass, door, passenger’s face, arm, and passenger’s voice, not the street we’re walking down. It ends with the sound of the sidewalk, sidewalk, sidewalk…

If you format the prompt right, you can even get Robo-CJ to answer questions. For example, here I prompt it with “Do I want to be a course 6 ⁠ 01 computer science; the most common undergraduate major ?”

Do I want to be a course 6? I have a vague idea of what kinds of knowledge I want to acquire in college. I mean, I want to be a math major, I want to be a biomedical engineer, I want to be in the biomedical sciences, I want to be in the Life science department at MIT, I want to be a tenured professor, I want to be living with a partner, I want to be cooking, I want to be in the sport of icebreakers, I want to be at least slightly shorter than 6’2″, but I don’t know if I can hit all of them.

Do I want to be a course 6? (This question was originally posed by Carina. ⁠ 02 Interestingly enough, the name Carina is never mentioned in any of my blog posts. ) Hi Carina, it’s great that you’re joining our math intensive fun! I’ll call you tomorrow or the day after to join one of our practice labs.

Do I want to be a course 6? Where do I end up going to college? What are my major concerns? What are my major challenges? How confident are I about what I can do with my college life? If I could pick both, where would I live? [Both answers are “Chicago”.]

Do I want to be a course 6? Have I ever said I was going to get broke if I didn’t join?

I even got Robo-CJ to write some poetry for us! He’s a better poet than I am:

I wrote a poem today: I am going to build a city from the ground up And replace it with my own In my sleep I dream of waking up To hunt, to fish, to be a hunter And now I’m just a fish in a much bigger pond Alas, my life has a lot more to live for me

I wrote a poem today: I am at the mall Going through the aisle Seeing people Getting lost Time to sit and write My life is too comfortable I write I feel young Getting lost

I wrote a poem today: I am not a god I, I, am not a I, I, I, I, I, I,

Not sure if that last one is a postmodern masterpiece or the neural net getting stuck in a loop.

College app essays

Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. I ask Robo-CJ to answer MIT’s application essay questions . Robo-CJ often ends up rambling about something else, especially for the third essay, but here you go!

Q: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. A: I, and others like to think I do, try to balance these by limiting myself to reading, watching, and listening to a lot of anime.

Anime is great guys. I think that’s one good thing Robo-CJ learned from me.

Q: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. A: I, and others like to think I do, try to find time to write, mostly. But I’m also a busy person, and I spend a great deal of time on compadres.

Robo-CJ likes to spend time with his compadres!

Q: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. A: I… do not partake in the pleasures of life.

Q: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. A: I do so much with my life simply because I do so many things for the pleasure of it. I can’t even tell you the stories completely, but I’ll do them anyway. And I didn’t have to let anyone else do anything else. I ate dinner together, went out for yakitori, drank the Kool-Aid, walked to the mall, picked up a box of chewing gum, and went to my friend’s room to plug it in. He has a stuffed Ice Bear plush, he tells me, and I have a scene to sleep to in the morning. I’ve memorized a lot of names and memorized a lot of names too.

Sounds like an interesting life.

Q: Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? A: It really doesn’t matter which department or which program. I still want to study in MIT, and I still want to study at MIT, and I still want to study in MIT. But if any one of these three are right, my college experience would be a mess.

Can relate to being a mess.

Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? After all, if you’re going to major in MIT, you’ll probably need to be excellent at something. At this point you’re probably not going to understand a single thing that comes to mind.

Can also relate to not understanding a single thing.

Q: Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? A: It really doesn’t matter which department or what. I’ve already filled out both the departmental and ongoing requirements for majoring in math.

Robo-CJ is so ahead of his game he’s already started his Course 18 major.

Q: Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? A: Programming languages and data structures.

…or his Course 6 major. Who knows?

Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? It’s pretty much impossible to know right now which programming language you should major in, because you’re still figuring out and it’s going to be pretty much a function of several factors. You can always try: —apt-get update, which is a free tool that sets and processes free and certified copies of free free software —windows desktop, which is a graphical user interface and application development kit —a working copy of ukulele —gnome text editor —xkcd —Debian Stretch

I don’t think there’s a program called ukulele, but I’m interested in seeing what it does.

Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? It’s either MIT or Science. And if you’re both Science, you’ll be a sponge.

Can confirm, am indeed a sponge.

There’s only one good response to this one.

Q: At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. A: Being a good friend is a lot more than just a single thing. Being a good friend is not something you can easily switch from one situation to another. As a rule, good friends tend to be older than their younger siblings, and less capable of tackling difficult social and organizational decisions.

I think people tend to be older than their younger siblings in general.

Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? For me, the thing that made me happy was that I had a stable of people I could be friends with. I found people I enjoyed talking to, seeing them, talking to them. We would talk about things that were unrelated, like our families, or our friends, or our past lives. We would also talk about the future, or at least the past.

I’m not sure what Robo-CJ was thinking of when he talks about a “stable” of people.

Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? For me, the most significant thing that happened was that I realized that I was dreaming it could not happen. That I am a mirage. An axiomatic falsification. A confirmation bias. A false dichotomy. This is incredibly sad. It confirms what I already believe: that I am cursed. That I can be whatever I want, as long as I conform to its version of the world.

Shoot, he’s self-conscious.

Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? For me, the most significant thing that’s shaped my dreams and aspirations has been the internet. Growing up a fan of the web was not something that really came into my head until I was seventh grade. When I got my first laptop, it was a laptop with a screen that was a hundred times brighter than the screen of the nearest light. I was introduced to the web through video, and when I was fifteen or so, I got my first home-computer, the HP K701. Now, I’m in my mid-20s. The fact that I have a home computer, while a major turning point, is a huge turning point in my life. I don’t know what my future holds in my laptop, or what my future will hold in my life if I don’t have the internet, but the fact remains; the web was the only thing I had built up since childhood that I’m not going to be able to tear apart. The fact that I have a computer, while a lot of other people do, still feels like an afterthought. I’m still the same person, the same age, the same race, the same culture. The fact that I’m writing this doesn’t feel different at all. It feels like it won’t, it doesn’t feel different at all.

These three paragraphs are surprisingly coherent. I mean, okay, it wouldn’t get an A in an English class, but come on. It’s a robot. I wouldn’t write this well if I was a robot.

Q: Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? A: I handled the situation really well. I managed to take the keys out of my room’ extremely gracefully. Although they were probably not the right size, I did it.

Impressive. Not only did Robo-CJ take his keys, but he took it extremely gracefully.

Q: Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? A: It was simple. I’ve made as much as I could in as many places.

Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? It’s frustrating because there are a lot of good things going on in our lives and I’m very grateful for them. But at the same time, it’s also incredibly draining. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t have the capacity to fully appreciate a thing that’s been around for a month or two. And when it comes to appreciating things, the combination is blanket loss of context. If you took a bucket of water and placed it on top of the bucket, you’d get a glimpse of the universe. But the universe wasn’t myopia; it was realism. Bucket after bucket of water brings a different perspective to the experience, allowing one to appreciate things in greater detail. Realism notwithstanding, there are a lot of things going on inside my head that aren’t going to make the same level of soak. The realization is that my work was actually productive, and that I made new stuffs that I made while I was at it, was a good life decision, one that I was happy with. Whereas, the realization that I’m not happy should make a good choice for picking college essays, when I know I want a PhD or a postdoctoral fellowship.

This is also surprisingly coherent, but I didn’t know he wanted a PhD. Maybe I should direct Robo-CJ to graduate admissions ⁠ 03 Apparently, they have blogs too! Neat. ?

Some closing notes

Robo-CJ isn’t consistently good at responding questions, or writing. This is maybe the top five percent of the content he’s written, and maybe ten percent of what he writes is good. The answers for the essays, for example, are selected from maybe fifty or so attempts to answer each prompt. (So no, you can’t get a robot to write your college essays for you, yet.)

There’s a bunch of other cool stuff made with GPT-2, like:

Write With Transformer , a writing app that lets GPT-2 autocomplete your text. Type some stuff in, press Tab, and see what GPT-2 comes up with.
Gwern’s AI-Generated Poetry, for even more poetry examples from GPT-2.
Subreddit Simulator GPT-2 , which simulates Reddit subreddits using GPT-2. Of particular interest are submissions from the Totally Not Robots bot, which is a robot that imitates a human that imitates a robot that imitates a human .

With the deadline for Early Action quickly approaching, I hope Robo-CJ made you smile a little while finishing your apps. I applied to MIT early action a year ago, and I really relate to one of Robo-CJ’s responses for the second question:

Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? After all, you are not going to MIT without doing some serious introspection.

While Robo-CJ doesn’t answer the question here, he’s on point . Writing college essays made me do a lot of serious introspection. It helped me figure out my identity, somewhat. And now that I’m here, at MIT, I’m still doing a lot of serious introspection—and I’m still figuring out my identity .

I’ll close with some of Robo-CJ’s thoughts on MIT, which echo mine:

i’m not sure how i feel about this i don’t know what i want to do with my life i don’t know what i’m feeling about MIT i am still figuring out the logistics of every single day you know, it’s just fun.

If you have any questions or prompts for Robo-CJ (or me), comment them below!

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#my favorite buzzword: machine learning
computer science; the most common undergraduate major ⁠ back to text ↑
Interestingly enough, the name Carina is never mentioned in any of my blog posts. ⁠ back to text ↑
Apparently, they have blogs too! Neat. ⁠ back to text ↑

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23 Best Colleges for Robotics – 2024

May 2, 2024

Robotics is far from a run-of-the-mill major that can be found at just about any U.S. college or university. Yet, when you consider the accelerated pace at which robotics is expanding into just about every industry, it’s rational to expect commensurate expansion into universities in the coming years. Earning admission into the elite cadre of schools that made our best robotics programs list won’t be easy, but the rewards will be significant. Access to labs replete with the latest technology, expert instruction from leaders in the field, and opportunities for interdisciplinary study make these schools the leading destinations from which to launch your career in the robotics field.

While the majority of programs listed below do not offer an actual major (or minor) in robotics, each has extensive undergraduate courses and/or research offerings in the field.

Methodology

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for Robotics Engineering.

Best Colleges for Robotics Engineering

Here’s a quick preview of the first ten robotics engineering institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) Carnegie Mellon University

2) Purdue University

3) Cornell University

4) Virginia Tech

5) Stanford University

6) Georgia Institute of Technology

7) University of Washington

8) Johns Hopkins University

9) University of Michigan

10) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

All of the schools profiled below have stellar reputations in the area of robotics engineering and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the best robotics colleges, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—the university’s:

Cost of Attendance
Acceptance Rate
Median SAT
Median ACT
Retention Rate
Graduation Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

Academic Highlights: There are a combined 80+ undergraduate majors and 90 minors available across the six schools. Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with 36% containing single digits. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (21%), computer science (16%), mathematics (12%), business (10%), and visual and performing arts (9%).

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 66% of 2022 grads were employed, and 28% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, McKinsey, and Deloitte. With an average starting salary of $105,194, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally. Of those pursuing graduate education, around 20% typically enroll immediately in PhD programs.

Enrollment: 7,509
Cost of Attendance: $84,412
Median SAT: 1540
Median ACT: 35
Acceptance Rate: 11%
Retention Rate: 97%
Graduation Rate: 92%

Purdue University — West Lafayette

West Lafayette, IN

Academic Highlights: Purdue offers over 200 majors at ten discipline-specific colleges, and 38% of course sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer. Engineering and engineering technologies majors earn 34% of the degrees conferred by the university; the College of Engineering cracks the top ten on almost every list of best engineering schools. The Krannert School of Management is also well-regarded by employers; 11% of degrees conferred are in business. Other popular majors include computer science (10%) and agriculture (5%)—both are incredibly strong.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after receiving their diplomas, 70% of 2022 grads headed to the world of employment while 24% headed to graduate/professional school. The top industries entered by grads in recent years are (1) health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices; (2) finance, insurance, and consulting; (3) manufacturing and machinery; (4) airline, aviation, and aerospace. Companies employing the greatest number of recent alumni were Amazon, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Labcorp, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft. The average starting salary was $68k across all degree programs.

Enrollment: 37,949 (undergraduate); 12,935 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $22,812 (in-state); $41,614 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1330
Median ACT: 31
Acceptance Rate: 53%
Retention Rate: 91%
Graduation Rate: 84%

Cornell University

Academic Highlights: A diverse array of academic programs includes 80 majors and 120 minors spread across the university’s seven schools/colleges. Classes are a bit larger at Cornell than at many other elite institutions. Still, 55% of sections have fewer than 20 students. Most degrees conferred in 2022 were in computer science (17%), engineering (13%), business (13%), and biology (13%). The SC Johnson College of Business houses two undergraduate schools, both of which have phenomenal reputations.

Professional Outcomes: Breaking down the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Cornell, 68% entered the workforce, 28% entered graduate school, 1% pursued other endeavors such as travel or volunteer work, and the remaining 3% were still seeking employment six months after receiving their diplomas. The top sectors attracting campus-wide graduateswere financial services (18%), technology (17%), consulting (15%), and education (10%). Of the students from A&S going on to graduate school, 15% were pursuing JDs, 5% MDs, and 22% PhDs.

Enrollment: 15,735
Cost of Attendance: $88,150
Median SAT: 1520
Median ACT: 34
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Graduation Rate: 95%

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA

Academic Highlights : Eight undergraduate colleges that offer 110+ distinct bachelor’s degrees are housed within Virginia Tech. 33% of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 21% of recent graduates report participating in some type of undergraduate research experience. Engineering is the area where the greatest number of degrees are conferred (23%), but business (20%) is a close second. Both disciplines are among the most respected at Tech, along with computer science. Other popular majors include the family and consumer sciences (8%), social sciences (8%), biology (8%), and agriculture (4%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 56% of the Class of 2022 were employed and 18% were in graduate school. One recent class sent large numbers to major corporations that included Deloitte (67), KPMG (44), Lockheed Martin (39), Capital One (30), EY (28), Booz Allen Hamilton (18), and Northrop Grumman (12). The median salary for 2022 graduates was $67,000. Among recent grads who decided to pursue an advanced degree, the greatest number stayed at VT, while others enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, William & Mary, Columbia, Duke, and Georgia Tech.

Enrollment: 30,434 (undergraduate); 7,736 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $37,252 (in-state); $58,750 (out-of-state)
Median ACT: 29
Acceptance Rate: 57%
Graduation Rate: 87%

Stanford University

Palo Alto, CA

Academic Highlights: Stanford has three undergraduate schools: the School of Humanities & Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences. 69% of classes have fewer than twenty students, and 34% have a single-digit enrollment. Programs in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, international relations, and economics are arguably the best anywhere. In terms of sheer volume, the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (17%), computer science (16%), engineering (15%), and interdisciplinary studies (13%).

Professional Outcomes: Stanford grads entering the working world flock to three major industries in equal distribution: business/finance/consulting/retail (19%); computer, IT (19%); and public policy and service, international affairs (19%). Among the companies employing the largest number of recent grads are Accenture, Apple, Bain, Cisco, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, Microsoft, and SpaceX. Other companies that employ hundreds of Cardinal alums include LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Airbnb. Starting salaries for Stanford grads are among the highest in the country.

Enrollment: 8,049 (undergraduate); 10,236 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $87,833
Acceptance Rate: 4%
Retention Rate: 98%

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA

Academic Highlights: Georgia Tech’s engineering and computer science programs are at the top of any “best programs” list. Being a large research university, the student-to-faculty ratio is a less-than-ideal 22:1, leading to some larger undergraduate class sections. In fact, 49% of courses had enrollments of more than thirty students in 2022-23. On the other end of the spectrum, 8% of sections had single-digit enrollments. In terms of total number of degrees conferred, the most popular areas of study are engineering (51%), computer science (21%), and business (9%).

Professional Outcomes: More than three-quarters of recent grads had already procured employment by the time they were handed their diplomas. You will find graduates at every major technology company in the world. The median salary reported by that group was $80,000. Many remain on campus to earn advanced engineering degrees through Georgia Tech, but the school’s reputation is such that gaining admission into other top programs including MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley, Stanford, and Caltech.

Enrollment: 18,416
Cost of Attendance: $29,950 (In-State); $52,120 (Out-of-State)
Median SAT: 1470
Median ACT: 33
Acceptance Rate: 17%
Graduation Rate: 93%

University of Washington – Seattle

Seattle, WA

Academic Highlights: 180+ undergraduate majors are offered across thirteen colleges/schools. Personal connections with professors abound as 55% of grads complete a faculty-mentored research project. The College of Engineering, which includes the College of Computer Science & Engineering, is one of the best in the nation; UW also boasts strong programs in everything from business to social work to environmental science. The most popular degrees are the social sciences (13%), biology (12%), computer science (11%), and business (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Within months of graduation, 73% of Class of 2022 grads were employed and 17% were continuing their education. The most popular employers of the Class of 2022 included Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and KPMG. Across all living alumni, 6,000+ work for Microsoft, and 4000+ work for each of Boeing and Amazon. Of those headed to graduate/professional school, just over half remain in state, mostly at UW itself. Large numbers of 2022 grads also headed to Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and USC.

Enrollment: 36,872 (undergraduate); 16,211 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $34,554 (in-state); $63,906 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1420
Median ACT: 32
Acceptance Rate: 48%
Retention Rate: 94%

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Academic Highlights: With 53 majors as well as 51 minors, JHU excels in everything from its bread-and-butter medical-related majors to international relations and dance. Boasting an enviable 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and with 78% of course sections possessing an enrollment under 20, face time with professors is a reality. Many departments carry a high level of clout, including biomedical engineering, chemistry, English, and international studies. Biology, neuroscience, and computer science, which happen to be the three most popular majors, can also be found at the top of the national rankings.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 saw 94% of graduates successfully land at their next destination within six months of exiting the university; 66% of graduates entered the world of employment and a robust 19% went directly to graduate/professional school. The median starting salary across all majors was $80,000 for the Class of 2022. JHU itself is the most popular choice for graduate school. The next most frequently attended institutions included Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and MIT.

Enrollment: 6,044
Cost of Attendance: $86,065

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

Academic Highlights: There are 280+ undergraduate degree programs across fourteen schools and colleges, and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) enrolls the majority of students. The Ross School of Business offers highly rated programs in entrepreneurship, management, accounting, and finance. The College of Engineering is also one of the best in the country. By degrees conferred, engineering (15%), computer science (14%), and the social sciences (11%) are most popular. A solid 56% of classes have fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school, with healthcare, education, law, banking, research, nonprofit work, and consulting being the most popular sectors. Within three months, 99% of Ross grads are employed with a median salary of $90k. Top employers include Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, EY, Morgan Stanley, PwC, Deloitte, and Amazon. Within six months, 96% of engineering grads are employed (average salary of $84k) or in grad school. General Motors, Ford, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta employ the greatest number of alumni.

Enrollment: 32,695 (undergraduate); 18,530 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $35,450 (in-state); $76,294 (out-of-state)
Acceptance Rate: 18%

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign-Urbana, IL

Academic Highlights: Eight of UIUC’s fifteen schools cater to undergraduate students. There are 150 academic programs offered, including those at the acclaimed Grainger College of Engineering and Gies College of Business. In sheer volume of degrees conferred, engineering and business/marketing are tied at 19%, followed by the social sciences (9%) and psychology (6%). 39% of sections are capped at 19 students. 29% of undergraduates work with a faculty member on a research project; another 22% have some type of fieldwork, practicum, or clinical experience.

Professional Outcomes: 95% of the members of the Class of 2022 landed at their next destination within six months of graduation, with 38% matriculating directly into an advanced degree program. 57% were employed full-time; the most popular sectors were finance, consulting, healthcare, electronics, and education. Corporations landing the most recent Illini grads were KPMG, Deloitte, Epic Systems, EY, PwC, and Amazon. The average salary across all Class of 2022 majors was an extremely solid $75,000.

Enrollment: 35,120 (undergraduate); 21,796 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $35,926-$41,190 (in-state); $55,386-$63,290 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1440
Acceptance Rate: 79%
Retention Rate: 93%
Graduation Rate: 85%

University of Maryland, College Park

College Park, MD

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates can select from 100+ majors across twelve colleges. 18% of degrees are conferred in computer science, followed by the social sciences (13%), with criminology, government and politics, and economics being the most popular majors. Engineering (13%), business (11%), and biology (8%) are next in line. The School of Business, the School of Engineering, and the College of Journalism are all top-ranked, as are programs in computer science and criminology. 46% of sections enroll fewer than twenty students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 96% of Class of 2022 grads had positive outcomes. 67% found employment; the companies/organizations that hired the greatest number of grads included Northrop Grumman, Deloitte, Amazon, and EY. Meta, Apple, and Google employ more than 200 alumni each. The mid-50% salary range for 2022 grads was $55k-$83k. 21% of the Class of 2022 headed directly to graduate and professional school; 11% entered doctoral programs, 5% entered medical school, and 5% entered law school.

Enrollment: 30,353 (undergraduate); 10,439 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $31,540 (in-state); $60,918 (out-of-state)
Acceptance Rate: 84%
Retention Rate: 95%
Graduation Rate: 89%

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

Academic Highlights: More than 150 undergraduate majors and minors are available across six schools: the College of Letters and Science, the College of Chemistry, the College of Engineering, the College of Environmental Design, the College of Natural Resources, and the Haas School of Business. Many departments have top international reputations including computer science, engineering, chemistry, English, psychology, and economics. 22% of sections contain nine or fewer students, and over 55% of students assist faculty with a research project or complete a research methods course.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 49% of Cal’s Class of 2022 had already secured employment, and 20% were headed to graduate school. Business is the most popular sector, attracting 62% of employed grads; next up are industrial (17%), education (8%), and nonprofit work (7%). The median starting salary was $86,459 across all majors. Thousands of alumni can be found in the offices of Google, Apple, and Meta, and 500+ Golden Bears are currently employed by Oracle, Amazon, and Microsoft. The school is the number one all-time producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

Enrollment: 32,831 (undergraduate); 12,914 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $48,574 (in-state); $82,774 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: Test Blind
Median ACT: Test Blind
Retention Rate: 96%
Graduation Rate: 94%

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

Academic Highlights : WashU admits students into five schools, many of which offer nationally recognized programs: Arts & Sciences, the Olin School of Business, the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and the Art of Architecture programs housed within the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (13%), social sciences (13%), business (13%), biology (11%), and psychology (10%). 66% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and over one-quarter have single-digit enrollments. 65% double major or pursue a minor.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 sent 52% of grads into the workforce and 28% into graduate and professional schools. Companies employing the highest number of WashU grads feature sought-after employers such as Amazon, Bain, Boeing, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft. Of the employed members of the Class of 2022 who reported their starting salaries, 79% made more than $60k. The universities welcoming the largest number of Bears included the prestigious institutions of Caltech, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Stanford.

Enrollment: 8,132 (undergraduate); 8,880 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $83,760
Median SAT: 1530

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA

Academic Highlights: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) offers a hands-on and innovative project-based curriculum; all students complete a minimum of two long-term research projects that are focused on solving real-world problems. A staggering 52% of its classes enroll fewer than ten students, creating an incredible level of academic intimacy. The most popular majors are under the engineering umbrella (63%) and computer science (16%). The undergraduate engineering program is respected worldwide and frequently graces lists of top schools.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 94% of 2022 grads landed jobs or enrolled full-time in graduate school. Recent grads found jobs at top companies including Airbnb, DraftKings, Amazon Robotics, and NASA. Hundreds of WPI alumni are employed at Raytheon, Pratt & Whitney, Dell, and BAE Systems. The average starting salary is over $74,000 and is one of the highest in the country. Over one-quarter of grads elect to pursue an advanced degree immediately after graduation, enrolling at institutions that recently included Georgia Tech, Brown, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford.

Enrollment: 5,246 (undergraduate); 2,062 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $81,751

New York University

New York, NY

Academic Highlights: NYU is divided into a number of smaller (but still quite large) colleges organized by discipline; in sum, there are 230 areas of undergraduate study across nine schools and colleges. For its size, a commendable 58% of classes have an enrollment under 20 students. While all schools within NYU have solid reputations, Stern holds the distinction as one of the top undergraduate business programs in the country. For those entering film, dance, drama, or other performing arts, Tisch is as prestigious a place as you can find to study.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of exiting, 94% of Class of 2022 grads had landed at their next destination, with 78% employed and 21% in graduate school. The top industries for employment were healthcare (11%), internet and software (9%), finance (8%), and entertainment (8%). Large numbers of alumni can be found at Google, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Citi, and Amazon. The mean starting salary is $75,336. In 2022, business, arts and sciences, and law school were the most popular grad school destinations.

Enrollment: 29,401 (undergraduate); 29,711 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $90,222-$96,172
Acceptance Rate: 12%

Northeastern University

Academic Highlights: Northeastern offers 290 majors and 180 combined majors within nine colleges and programs. Experiential learning is had by virtually all graduates, thanks to the school’s illustrious and robust co-op program. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business is a top-ranked school and offers one of the best international business programs anywhere, and both the College of Engineering and College of Computer Science are highly respected as well. Criminal justice, architecture, and nursing are three other majors that rate near the top nationally.

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after leaving Northeastern, 97% of students have landed at their next employment or graduate school destination. Huskies entering the job market are quickly rounded up by the likes of State Street, Fidelity Investments, IBM, and Amazon, all of whom employ 500+ Northeastern alums. Between 200 and 500 employees at Wayfair, Google, Amazon, Oracle, IBM, and Apple have an NU lineage. Starting salaries are above average (55% make more than $60k), in part due to the stellar co-op program.

Enrollment: 20,980 (undergraduate); 15,826 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $86,821
Median SAT: 1500
Graduation Rate: 91%

United States Military Academy

West Point, NY

Academic Highlights: There are 37 majors at West Point, and students must conquer a minimum of 13 courses within their area of study as well as 24-27 courses in West Point’s core academic program. Almost 98% of class sections at West Point enroll fewer than 20 students, and plenty of research opportunities exist within each department. West Point is one of the best undergraduate engineering colleges in the country and has standout programs in civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Professional Outcomes: West Point graduates must honor their eight-year military commitment (five years of active duty, three in the reserves), and many continue their military careers beyond those requirements. When they do enter the workforce, large numbers of alumni land at Amazon, Microsoft, Deloitte, Meta, Google, ExxonMobil, Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs, with mean mid-career pay in excess of $125,000. With military duties to fulfill, only a small percentage of cadets matriculate directly into graduate programs.

Enrollment: 4,393
Cost of Attendance: $0
Median SAT: 1350
Median ACT: 30
Graduation Rate: 88%

University of California, San Diego

San Diego, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 140+ undergraduate majors offered at UCSD, and all students join one of eight undergraduate colleges meant to forge flourishing communities within the larger university. Biology has the highest representation of all majors (19%) followed by engineering (12%), the social sciences (11%), and computer science (9%). UCSD’s computer science and engineering programs have stellar reputations in the corporate and tech communities, and programs in biology, economics, and political science are among the best anywhere.

Professional Outcomes: Employers of recent graduates included the Walt Disney Company, Tesla, NBC Universal, PwC, Northrop Grumman, and EY. More than 1,000 current Google employees are UC San Diego alumni, and Qualcomm, Amazon, and Apple all employ 500+ each. The median early career salary is $65,000 across all majors, placing the university in the top 10 public universities in the country. UCSD also fares well in measures of its return-on-investment potential.

Enrollment: 33,096 (undergraduate); 8,386 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $31,830 (in-state); $64,404 (out-of-state)
Acceptance Rate: 25%

Arizona State University

Academic Highlights: The faculty-to-student ratio is a fairly high 19:1, but not all classes call for stadium seating. In fact, 40% of course sections seat fewer than twenty students. Business is the concentration in which 22% of total bachelor’s degrees are conferred. Engineering (9%), biology (9%), and the health professions (7%) are the next three most popular. The WP Carey School of Business offers many highly ranked programs as does the Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Professional Outcomes: A healthy 83% percent of ASU graduates looking for work are employed within six months of earning their degrees. The median salary for an ASU grad is roughly $55,000. Among the school’s top fifty employers are Amazon, Apple, Intel, The Vanguard Group, and Walt Disney Company. Approximately one-fifth of recent grads enrolled in graduate school. Similar to employment, the size and scope of the university lead to many graduate pathways. Many grads continue at ASU itself, but some continue at various prestigious institutions.

Enrollment: 65,492
Cost of Attendance: $28,142 (in-state); $48,284 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1250
Median ACT: 23
Acceptance Rate: 90%
Retention Rate: 86%
Graduation Rate: 69%

The Ohio State University — Columbus

Columbus, OH

Academic Highlights: There are 200+ undergraduate majors and 18 schools and colleges housed within OSU. Business sees the greatest percentage of degrees conferred at 18% followed by engineering (15%), health professions (10%), and the social sciences (9%). It makes sense that so many flock to the business and engineering schools as they are among the highest-rated undergraduate programs in their respective disciplines. 40% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and approximately 20% of students gain research experience.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 56% of Class of 2022 graduates were entering the world of employment while 17% were already accepted into graduate or professional school. Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation’s leading companies. More than 2,000 alumni work for JPMorgan Chase, more than 1,000 are employed by Amazon, and more than 600 work for Google and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU’s own programs.

Enrollment: 45,728 (undergraduate); 14,318 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $27,241 (in-state); $52,747 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1340-1450
Median ACT: 29-32

University of Connecticut

Academic Highlights: UConn is home to fourteen schools and colleges as well as 115+ undergraduate majors. The four most commonly conferred undergraduate degrees are in business (15%), engineering (12%), the social sciences (12%), and health professions/nursing (12%). In terms of prestige and national reputation, programs in business, pharmacy, and nursing carry a good deal of weight. The school also does a nice job of creating a balance of classroom experiences—53% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students and only 18% contain more than fifty.

Professional Outcomes: 90% of the Class of 2022 experienced a positive outcome (job, grad school, military, volunteer position) within six months of earning their degrees. Among the 59% who found employment, the largest numbers landed at Aetna, Cigna, PwC, The Hartford, Travelers, and Raytheon Technologies; the median starting salary was $62,400. Massive numbers of alumni are employed by Pratt & Whitney, Pfizer, IBM, and Deloitte. 30% of 2022 graduates immediately entered a graduate or professional program, with many choosing to stay at UConn.

Enrollment: 18,983 (undergraduate); 8,020 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $41,606 (in-state); $64,478 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1340
Acceptance Rate: 55%
Graduation Rate: 83%

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY

Academic Highlights: There are nine undergraduate colleges at RIT, including the top-ranked Gleason College of Engineering and the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. The co-op program is the fourth oldest in the country; most students complete a one- or two-semester paid learning experience. The most popular majors are engineering & engineering technologies (34%), computer and information sciences (20%), visual and performing arts (10%), and business (9%). RIT’s game design program is the best on the East Coast, and programs in film, art, and design are also quite strong.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 95% of recent grads had found employment or a full-time graduate program. Major companies presently employing more than 500 RIT alums include Xerox and Paychex, both with offices in Rochester. Between 200 and 450 employees of IBM, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Amazon, Google, and Cisco were educated at RIT. Starting salary figures vary greatly by major with College of Business grads landing a median starting salary of $63k and computer science majors of $102k right out of school.

Enrollment: 13,940 (undergraduate); 2,675 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $75,390
Acceptance Rate: 67%
Retention Rate: 85%
Graduation Rate: 74%

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Academic Highlights: There are 125 undergraduate and graduate majors on the menu at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Sporting a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the school is able to offer 32% of course sections with a cap of 19 students and only 4% enroll more than 50 individuals. Engineering is the most popular major accounting for 40% of all degrees conferred in 2022. Next on the list were computer science (28%), engineering technologies (11%), biology (5%), and business (5%).

Professional Outcomes: Recent grads enjoyed an 85% employment rate within six months of earning their diploma and another 5% entered graduate school; 6% were still searching for their next step. The average starting salary is $67,852. Employers of 200+ alumni include Merck, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Bristol Myers Squibb, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Prudential, Citi, Amazon Web Services, Bank of America, and Microsoft.

Enrollment: 9,019
Cost of Attendance: $41,352 (In-State); $58,264 (Out-of-State)
Median SAT: 1320
Acceptance Rate: 66%
Retention Rate: 89%

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An A.I. Robot Named Sophia Tells Graduates to Believe in Themselves

D’Youville University in Buffalo had an A.I. robot speak at its commencement on Saturday. Not everyone was happy about it.

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An A.I. robot named Sophia shared generic advice she compiled from other commencement addresses with the graduating class at D’Youville University in Buffalo, N.Y.

“What are the most shared words of advice that commencement speakers give to college graduates?” “Congratulations to all the graduating students. Although every commencement address is different, there are clear themes used by all speakers. As you embark on this new chapter of your lives, I offer you the following inspirational advice that is common at all graduation ceremonies. Embrace lifelong learning. Be adaptable. Pursue your passions. Take risks. Foster meaningful connections. Make a positive impact. And believe in yourself.”

By Jesus Jiménez

When it comes to choosing a commencement speaker, colleges and universities take different approaches. Some go local, selecting well-known figures in the area. Others take a stately route, opting for a former or current politician . Actors or comedians are often asked to speak .

But in a world where artificial intelligence is everywhere, one university in New York opted for a robot using artificial intelligence to speak to graduates over the weekend.

For its spring commencement on Saturday, D’Youville University, a private institution in Buffalo, had an A.I. robot named Sophia address a crowd of more than 2,000 students, faculty members and their families in a bold decision that drew mixed reactions.

Dr. Lorrie Clemo, the president of D’Youville University, said in an interview on Wednesday that the university wanted to open up new perspectives around A.I., given its “rapid emergence into the broad society.”

“We wanted to showcase how important technology is, and the potential for technology to really enrich the human experience,” Dr. Clemo said.

Aside from the fact that Sophia is a robot, its address was far from conventional in other ways. Sophia did not wear the typical cap and gown that commencement speakers usually don, but instead wore a black-and-red D’Youville University hoodie.

Sophia also did not read from prepared remarks. Instead, the robot was asked questions by John Rizk, the student body president.

But where Sophia’s address did mirror essentially any other commencement address was the generic advice it shared with the graduating class.

Because Sophia could not offer life advice “that comes from a lived human experience,” Mr. Rizk asked the robot if it could talk about the most common insights shared in graduation speeches.

“Although every commencement address is different, there are clear themes used by all speakers as you embark on this new chapter of your lives,” Sophia said . “I offer you the following inspirational advice that is common at all graduation ceremonies: Embrace lifelong learning, be adaptable, pursue your passions, take risks, foster meaningful connections, make a positive impact, and believe in yourself.”

The most common piece of advice given in commencement speeches? Embrace failure, Sophia said.

“Failure is often seen as an essential part of the human learning process and personal growth,” it said.

Sophia, who was built by Hanson Robotics, a Hong Kong-based engineering and robotics company, has a humanlike face. But it has no hair, leaving wires and other gadgets that keep it operating visible on the back of its head.

The commencement address on Saturday was not Sophia’s first speaking gig. ( It spoke before the United Nations General Assembly in 2017.) Like most commencement speakers, Sophia received a speaking fee that largely went toward travel and engineers who kept the robot functioning properly, Dr. Clemo said.

Before the commencement ceremony, the university’s decision to have Sophia speak was met with backlash. More than 2,500 people signed an online petition to replace the robot with a human.

Andrew Fields, a D’Youville University student who started the petition, wrote in the petition that many students “feel disrespected” by the university’s decision to have a robot address them, especially those who could not attend their high school graduations in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“As the class of 2024 reaches their commencement, we are reminded of the virtual graduations we attended at the end of our high school careers,” the petition read. “The connection to A.I. in this scenario feels similarly impersonal. This is shameful to the 2020 graduates receiving their diplomas, as they feel they are having another important ceremony taken away.”

Dr. Clemo said that the university offered to hold an alternate ceremony for those who did not want to have a robot speaker. But ultimately, the university did not do so once the students were informed that the robot would take up only a small portion of the ceremony. (Sophia was interviewed by Mr. Rizk on stage for about six minutes.)

“I’m pleased that they were able to experience the robot and what she had to offer in terms of looking forward into the future,” Dr. Clemo said. “But I’m also pleased that the remainder of the two-hour ceremony was really focused around our students and their achievements.”

In wrapping up the address, Mr. Rizk asked Sophia for recommendations on where to find the best Buffalo wings, a staple of city.

“Since I cannot experience the taste of different wings, I will not offer my opinion,” Sophia said, adding that “no matter where you decide to get chicken wings, just make sure you get blue cheese and not ranch.”

Mr. Rizk also asked Sophia whether the Buffalo Bills would win the Super Bowl in 2025. Sophia declined, saying that the N.C.A.A. might not like it if the robot made an athletic prediction.

But Sophia’s remarks drew some applause, when the robot ended by saying, “Anything is possible.”

“Go Bills.”

Jesus Jiménez covers breaking news, online trends and other subjects. He is based in New York City. More about Jesus Jiménez

Explore Our Coverage of Artificial Intelligence

News and Analysis

News Corp, the Murdoch-owned empire of publications like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post, announced that it had agreed to a deal with OpenAI to share its content to train and service A.I. chatbots.

The Silicon Valley company Nvidia was again lifted by sales of its A.I. chips , but it faces growing competition and heightened expectations.

Researchers at the A.I. company Anthropic claim to have found clues about the inner workings of large language models, possibly helping to prevent their misuse and to curb their potential threats.

The Age of A.I.

D’Youville University in Buffalo had an A.I. robot speak at its commencement . Not everyone was happy about it.

A new program, backed by Cornell Tech, M.I.T. and U.C.L.A., helps prepare lower-income, Latina and Black female computing majors for A.I. careers.

Publishers have long worried that A.I.-generated answers on Google would drive readers away from their sites. They’re about to find out if those fears are warranted, our tech columnist writes .

A new category of apps promises to relieve parents of drudgery, with an assist from A.I. But a family’s grunt work is more human, and valuable, than it seems.

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Benedictine College nuns denounce Harrison Butker's speech at their school

John Helton

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker speaks to the media during NFL football Super Bowl 58 opening night on Feb. 5, 2024, in Las Vegas. Butker railed against Pride month along with President Biden's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption

An order of nuns affiliated with Benedictine College rejected Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison's Butker's comments in a commencement speech there last weekend that stirred up a culture war skirmish.

"The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker's comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested," the nuns wrote in a statement posted on Facebook .

In his 20-minute address , Butker denounced abortion rights, Pride Month, COVID-19 lockdowns and "the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion" at the Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kan.

He also told women in the audience to embrace the "vocation" of homemaker.

"I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross the stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you're going to get in your career?" he asked. "Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world. But I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."

For many Missouri Catholics, abortion rights means choosing between faith, politics

That was one of the themes that the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica took issue with.

"Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division," they wrote. "One of our concerns was the assertion that being a homemaker is the highest calling for a woman. We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and God's people, including the many women whom we have taught and influenced during the past 160 years. These women have made a tremendous difference in the world in their roles as wives and mothers and through their God-given gifts in leadership, scholarship, and their careers."

The Benedictine sisters of Mount St. Scholastica founded a school for girls in Atchinson in the 1860s. It merged with St. Benedict's College in 1971 to form Benedictine College.

Neither Butker nor the Chiefs have commented on the controversy. An online petition calling for the Chiefs to release the kicker had nearly 215,000 signatures as of Sunday morning.

6 in 10 U.S. Catholics are in favor of abortion rights, Pew Research report finds

The NFL, for its part, has distanced itself from Butker's remarks.

"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," Jonathan Beane, the NFL's senior VP and chief diversity and inclusion officer told NPR on Thursday. "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization."

Meanwhile, Butker's No. 7 jersey is one of the league's top-sellers , rivaling those of better-known teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

Butker has been open about his faith. The 28-year-old father of two told the Eternal Word Television Network in 2019 that he grew up Catholic but practiced less in high school and college before rediscovering his belief later in life.

His comments have gotten some support from football fan social media accounts and Christian and conservative media personalities .

A video of his speech posted on Benedictine College's YouTube channel has 1.5 million views.

Rachel Treisman contributed to this story.

Harrison Butker
benedictine college

NCAA signs off on deal that would change landscape of college sports — paying student-athletes

A major change could be coming for college athletes — they may soon start getting paid.

A tentative agreement announced Thursday by the NCAA and the country’s five biggest conferences to a series of antitrust lawsuits could direct millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as fall 2025.

The nearly $2.8 billion settlement, which would be paid out over the next decade to 14,000 former and current student-athletes, “is an important step in the continuing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a joint statement Thursday night with the commissioners of the ACC, the Big 10, the Big 12, the Pac-12 and the SEC.

The federal judge overseeing the case must still sign off on the agreement, but if it is approved, it would signal a major shift in college sports in which students would play for compensation, not just scholarships, exposure and opportunities.

“This landmark settlement will bring college sports into the 21st century, with college athletes finally able to receive a fair share of the billions of dollars of revenue that they generate for their schools,” said Steve Berman, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs. “Our clients are the bedrock of the NCAA’s multibillion-dollar business and finally can be compensated in an equitable and just manner for their extraordinary athletic talents.”

The NCAA and power conferences called the settlement a “road map” that would allow the uniquely American institution to provide unmatched opportunity for millions of students and write the “next chapter of college sports.”

The case, which was set to go to trial early next year, was brought by a former and a current college athlete who said the NCAA and the five wealthiest conferences improperly barred athletes from earning endorsement money. Former Arizona State swimmer Grant House and Sedona Prince, a former Oregon and current TCU basketball player, also contended in their suit that athletes were entitled to a piece of the billions of dollars the NCAA and those conferences earn from media rights agreements with television networks.

Michael McCann, a legal analyst and sports reporter at Sportico , told NBC News in an interview on Top Story with Tom Llamas the case has two components that “move away from amateurism” — one that deals with how players are paid for the past loss of earnings, including money they could have made for name, image and likeness.

“The going forward part is that colleges can opt in, conferences can opt in, as well, to pay players, to share revenue with them, to have direct pay, and that would be of course a radical from the traditions of college sports,” McCann said, adding many would say that change is warranted. “Now the athletes, at least at some schools, will get a direct stake.”

2024 CFP National Championship - Michigan v Washington NCAA college athletes

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though some details have emerged in the past few weeks. They signal the end of the NCAA’s bedrock amateurism model that dates to its founding in 1906. Indeed, the days of NCAA punishment for athletes driving booster-provided cars started vanishing three years ago when the organization lifted restrictions on endorsement deals backed by so-called name, image and likeness, or NIL, money.

Now it is not far-fetched to look ahead to seasons when a star quarterback or a top prospect on a college basketball team not only is cashing in big-money NIL deals but also has a $100,000 school payment in the bank to play.

A host of details are still to be determined . The agreement calls for the NCAA and the conferences to pay $2.77 billion over 10 years to more than 14,000 former and current college athletes who say now-defunct rules prevented them from earning money from endorsement and sponsorship deals dating to 2016.

Some of the money would come from NCAA reserve funds and insurance, but even though the lawsuit specifically targeted five conferences that comprise 69 schools (including Notre Dame), dozens of other NCAA member schools would get smaller distributions from the NCAA to cover the mammoth payout.

Schools in the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences would end up bearing the brunt of the settlement at a cost of about $300 million apiece over 10 years, the majority of which would be paid to athletes going forward.

The Pac-12 is also part of the settlement, with all 12 current schools sharing responsibility even though Washington State and Oregon State will be the only league members left by this fall after the 10 other schools leave.

Paying athletes

In the new compensation model, each school would be permitted but not required to set aside up to $21 million in revenue to share with athletes per year, though as revenues rose, so could the cap.

Athletes in all sports would be eligible for payments, and schools would be given the freedom to decide how the money is divvied up among sports programs. Roster restrictions would replace scholarship limits by sport.

McCann said the back pay would disproportionately go to some sports — such as football and basketball.

“The schools that I think that are certainly big football schools will probably opt in because they’re going to want to compete, they’re going to want to get the best players, because college football generates a lot of revenue,” he said.

Whether the new compensation model is subject to the Title IX gender equity law is unknown, along with whether schools would be able to bring NIL activities in-house as they hope and squeeze out the booster-run collectives that have sprouted up in the last few years to pay athletes. Both topics could lead to more lawsuits.

“There are all sorts of areas of turbulence that could present themselves,” McCann said of roadblocks that could arise.

More sports coverage

Four decades after Michael Jordan, Caitlin Clark is getting her own line of Wilson basketballs
Mario Andretti: Formula 1 owner personally threatened to shut out team Andretti
Student-athletes are inking lucrative endorsement deals, but a patchwork of laws has created chaos in college sports

Other cases

The settlement is expected to cover two other antitrust cases facing the NCAA and major conferences that challenge athlete compensation rules. Hubbard v. the NCAA and Carter v. the NCAA are also in front of judges in the Northern District of California.

A fourth case, Fontenot v. NCAA, creates a potential complication, as it remains in a Colorado court after a judge denied a request to combine it with Carter. Whether Fontenot becomes part of the settlement is unknown, and it matters because the NCAA and its conferences don’t want to be on the hook for more damages should they lose in court.

“We’re going to continue to litigate our case in Colorado and look forward to hearing about the terms of a settlement proposal once they’re actually released and put in front of a court,” said George Zelcs, a plaintiffs’ attorney in Fontenot.

Headed in that direction

The solution agreed to in the settlement is a landmark but not surprising. College sports have been trending in this direction for years, with athletes receiving more and more monetary benefits and rights they say were long overdue.

In December, Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts who has been on the job for 14 months, proposed creating a new tier of Division I athletics in which the schools with the most resources would be required to pay at least half their athletes $30,000 per year. That suggestion, along with many other possibilities, remains under discussion.

The settlement would not make every issue facing college sports go away. There is still a question of whether athletes should be deemed employees of their schools, which Baker and other college sports leaders are fighting.

Some type of federal legislation or antitrust exemption would most likely still be needed to codify the terms of the settlement, protect the NCAA from future litigation and pre-empt state laws that attempt to neuter the organization’s authority. As it is, the NCAA still faces lawsuits that challenge its ability to govern itself, including setting rules limiting multiple-time transfers.

“This settlement is also a road map for college sports leaders and Congress to ensure this uniquely American institution can continue to provide unmatched opportunity for millions of students,” the joint statement said. “All of Division I made today’s progress possible, and we all have work to do to implement the terms of the agreement as the legal process continues. We look forward to working with our various student-athlete leadership groups to write the next chapter of college sports.”

Federal lawmakers have indicated they would like to get something done, but while several bills have been introduced , none have gone anywhere.

Despite the unanswered questions, one thing is clear: Major college athletics is about to become more like professional sports than ever before.

MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

CS&E Announces 2024-25 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) Award Winners

Collage of headshots of scholarship recipients

Seven Ph.D. students working with CS&E professors have been named Doctoral Dissertation Fellows for the 2024-25 school year. The Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship is a highly competitive fellowship that gives the University’s most accomplished Ph.D. candidates an opportunity to devote full-time effort to an outstanding research project by providing time to finalize and write a dissertation during the fellowship year. The award includes a stipend of $25,000, tuition for up to 14 thesis credits each semester, and subsidized health insurance through the Graduate Assistant Health Plan.

CS&E congratulates the following students on this outstanding accomplishment:

Athanasios Bacharis (Advisor: Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos )
Karin de Langis (Advisor: Dongyeop Kang )
Arshia Zernab Hassan (Advisors: Chad Myers )
Xinyue Hu (Advisors: Zhi-Li Zhang )
Lucas Kramer (Advisors: Eric Van Wyk )
Yijun Lin (Advisors: Yao-Yi Chiang )
Mingzhou Yang (Advisors: Shashi Shekhar )

Athanasios Bacharis

Bacharis’ work centers around the robot-vision area, focusing on making autonomous robots act on visual information. His research includes active vision approaches, namely, view planning and next-best-view, to tackle the problem of 3D reconstruction via different optimization frameworks. The acquisition of 3D information is crucial for automating tasks, and active vision methods obtain it via optimal inference. Areas of impact include agriculture and healthcare, where 3D models can lead to reduced use of fertilizers via phenotype analysis of crops and effective management of cancer treatments. Bacharis has a strong publication record, with two peer-reviewed conference papers and one journal paper already published. He also has one conference paper under review and two journal papers in the submission process. His publications are featured in prestigious robotic and automation venues, further demonstrating his expertise and the relevance of his research in the field.

Karin de Langis

Karin's thesis works at the intersection of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and cognitive science. Her work uses eye-tracking and other cognitive signals to improve NLP systems in their performance and cognitive interpretability, and to create NLP systems that process language more similarly to humans. Her human-centric approach to NLP is motivated by the possibility of addressing the shortcomings of current statistics-based NLP systems, which often become stuck on explainability and interpretability, resulting in potential biases. This work has most recently been accepted and presented at SIGNLL Conference on Computational Natural Language Learning (CoNLL) conference which has a special focus on theoretically, cognitively and scientifically motivated approaches to computational linguistics.

Arshia Zernab Hassan

Hassan's thesis work delves into developing computational methods for interpreting data from genome wide CRISPR/Cas9 screens. CRISPR/Cas9 is a new approach for genome editing that enables precise, large-scale editing of genomes and construction of mutants in human cells. These are powerful data for inferring functional relationships among genes essential for cancer growth. Moreover, chemical-genetic CRISPR screens, where population of mutant cells are grown in the presence of chemical compounds, help us understand the effect the chemicals have on cancer cells and formulate precise drug solutions. Given the novelty of these experimental technologies, computational methods to process and interpret the resulting data and accurately quantify the various genetic interactions are still quite limited, and this is where Hassan’s dissertation is focused on. Her research extends to developing deep-learning based methods that leverage CRISPR chemical-genetic and other genomic datasets to predict cancer sensitivity to candidate drugs. Her methods on improving information content in CRISPR screens was published in the Molecular Systems Biology journal, a highly visible journal in the computational biology field.

Hu's Ph.D. dissertation is concentrated on how to effectively leverage the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) – especially deep learning – to tackle challenging and important problems in the design and development of reliable, effective and secure (independent) physical infrastructure networks. More specifically, her research focuses on two critical infrastructures: power grids and communication networks, in particular, emerging 5G networks, both of which not only play a critical role in our daily life but are also vital to the nation’s economic well-being and security. Due to the enormous complexity, diversity, and scale of these two infrastructures, traditional approaches based on (simplified) theoretical models and heuristics-based optimization are no longer sufficient in overcoming many technical challenges in the design and operations of these infrastructures: data-driven machine learning approaches have become increasingly essential. The key question now is: how does one leverage the power of AI/ML without abandoning the rich theory and practical expertise that have accumulated over the years? Hu’s research has pioneered a new paradigm – (domain) knowledge-guided machine learning (KGML) – in tackling challenging and important problems in power grid and communications (e.g., 5G) network infrastructures.

Lucas Kramer

Kramer is now the driving force in designing tools and techniques for building extensible programming languages, with the Minnesota Extensible Language Tools (MELT) group. These are languages that start with a host language such as C or Java, but can then be extended with new syntax (notations) and new semantics (e.g. error-checking analyses or optimizations) over that new syntax and the original host language syntax. One extension that Kramer created was to embed the domain-specific language Halide in MELT's extensible specification of C, called ableC. This extension allows programmers to specify how code working on multi-dimensional matrices is transformed and optimized to make efficient use of hardware. Another embeds the logic-programming language Prolog into ableC; yet another provides a form of nondeterministic parallelism useful in some algorithms that search for a solution in a structured, but very large, search space. The goal of his research is to make building language extensions such as these more practical for non-expert developers. To this end he has made many significant contributions to the MELT group's Silver meta-language, making it easier for extension developers to correctly specify complex language features with minimal boilerplate. Kramer is the lead author of one journal and four conference papers on his work at the University of Minnesota, winning the distinguished paper award for his 2020 paper at the Software Language Engineering conference, "Strategic Tree Rewriting in Attribute Grammars".

Lin’s doctoral dissertation focuses on a timely, important topic of spatiotemporal prediction and forecasting using multimodal and multiscale data. Spatiotemporal prediction and forecasting are important scientific problems applicable to diverse phenomena, such as air quality, ambient noise, traffic conditions, and meteorology. Her work also couples the resulting prediction and forecasting with multimodal (e.g., satellite imagery, street-view photos, census records, and human mobility data) and multiscale geographic information (e.g., census records focusing on small tracts vs. neighborhood surveys) to characterize the natural and built environment, facilitating our understanding of the interactions between and within human social systems and the ecosystem. Her work has a wide-reaching impact across multiple domains such as smart cities, urban planning, policymaking, and public health.

Mingzhou Yang

Yang is developing a thesis in the broad area of spatial data mining for problems in transportation. His thesis has both societal and theoretical significance. Societally, climate change is a grand challenge due to the increasing severity and frequency of climate-related disasters such as wildfires, floods, droughts, etc. Thus, many nations are aiming at carbon neutrality (also called net zero) by mid-century to avert the worst impacts of global warming. Improving energy efficiency and reducing toxic emissions in transportation is important because transportation accounts for the vast majority of U.S. petroleum consumption as well as over a third of GHG emissions and over a hundred thousand U.S. deaths annually via air pollution. To accurately quantify the expected environmental cost of vehicles during real-world driving, Yang's thesis explores ways to incorporate physics in the neural network architecture complementing other methods of integration: feature incorporation, and regularization. This approach imposes stringent physical constraints on the neural network model, guaranteeing that its outputs are consistently in accordance with established physical laws for vehicles. Extensive experiments including ablation studies demonstrated the efficacy of incorporating physics into the model.

DC daily roundup: Tech invests in DC lobbying and offices; from intern to robotics director; DOJ sues Ticketmaster, Live Nation

Plus white house calls on private sector to curb sexually abusive deepfakes..

Welcome to the daily roundup of the latest from DC's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free .

Tech companies spend millions on lobbying

A new report from the global real estate services company JLL found that tech firms spent more than $340 million on lobbying. They’re not just spending money on political advocacy, though: These companies are also increasingly opening offices in DC.

The development of the tech market stood out to Tammy Shoham, the author of the report and JLL’s director of research in DC. But the city has been a vibrant tech ecosystem for a long time.

“What we see going forward is this tech coming to DC to lobby, and staying to grow,” Shoham told me.

➡️ Get the details on the new report in my latest article here.

A decade-long robotics career journey

Andrew Capodieci started as an intern at the Pennsylvania-based off-road robotics company Neya Systems. 10 years later, he’s still at that same company. This has been the absolute right choice for him, he told Technical.ly

“It was everything I wanted since I was a kid,” he said.

Capodieci caught up with Technical.ly editor Katie Malone to talk about his role at Neya Systems, and his advice to aspiring technologists.

➡️ Learn more about Capodieci’s career journey here.

News Incubator: What else to know today

• A Rockville tech consulting and research company acquired a Reston IT firm and is expected to have a $100 million revenue boost as a result. [ Washington Biz Journal ]

• With federal legislation lacking, the White House is calling on the private sector to voluntarily work on curbing the growing amount of abusive sexual images created using generative AI. [ Associated Press ]

• The Department of Justice is suing Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation, alleging a monopoly in the ticketing industry. [ Wired ]

• REQ, a marketing and communications agency based in DC that works with several tech companies, appointed a new president. [ REQ ]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• The Northern Virginia Technology Council presents its Technology CFO Awards, an annual recognition of the regional industry’s finance executives, on June 3. [ Details here ]

• DC Tech Meetup is hosting an event focused on health tech startups, including discussions and demos, on June 5. [ Details here ]

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Major state funding boost means more Maryland college students can get tech internships

Cal Ripken Jr. essay: The MLB legend explains his drive to build STEM centers in schools across the nation

The end of software as technology

From quantum to biotech, meet this year’s Maryland Tech Council ICON nominees

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The Advancement of Robot Technology
Robots Can.docx
Pros and Cons of Robots in Society
Robots Can.docx
Robotics Essay
Essay on Robotics & their Importance in Life

VIDEO

Robotics compitition in Bhagalpur college of engineering
Robotics
Can robots help us understand who we are?
#robotics #college #electronic
amazing robotics project made by college student group 👥 subscribe to me 🙋 #robotic
Write a short Essay on Robot🤖 in English|10lines on Robot|

COMMENTS

Robotics College Essay Examples That Really Inspire
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How to Write the Caltech STEM Experience Essay
Essay 1 Feedback This essay feedback was provided by Ivy, CollegeVine's AI. Try it for free with your own essay! This experience effectively showcases your problem-solving skills and determination in the field of robotics. Your narrative demonstrates your curiosity and passion for learning about pathfinding algorithms.
Essay on Robotics
500 Words Essay on Robotics What is Robotics? Robotics is a branch of technology that deals with robots. Robots are machines that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance. They can do things that are hard, dangerous, or boring for humans. This field combines different branches of science and engineering like computer science, electrical ...
Free Robotics Essay Examples & Topic Ideas
Words: 1766. Robotics. "Humans Need Not Apply" Video. Mechanical muscles are more strong and reliable than humans, and the replacement of people by mechanisms in physical work allows society to specialize in intellectual work, develop economics and raise the standards of living.
Robotics Brainstorming: College Admission Essay Sample
Robotics Brainstorming: College Admission Essay Sample. Waving our banner wildly, we counted down the seconds, not at the homecoming game, but rather the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff. With only six weeks to build, wire, and program a 120-pound machine, my team jumped headfirst into brainstorming.
FIRST taught me how to work smart, like a startup
FIRST is a global robotics community preparing young people for the future and the world's leading youth ... When I wrote an essay to apply for Northeastern University's full ... which will cover my full tuition for up to eight semesters, as long as I maintain a 3.0 GPA in the College of Engineering. This season, I am mentoring Team 125 ...
College Admissions Essay: How Robotics Changed My Life
Robotics became my life for the next 4 years, constantly spending every moment of my free time investing it in robotics. I found my passion; to learn, with a desire to make the team better by passing my knowledge down to them. Robotics taught me countless valuable lessons and skills that shaped my life. Every day I acquired new skills and ...
College Essay: Team Building in Robotics
College Essay: Team Building in Robotics. Here I am, standing in a large arena, Xbox controller in my hands, 4-foot robot across from me. All the pressure is on me. My team of high school students put so much effort into building this remote-controlled robot composed of steel, nuts, wheels and bolts. As the driver, it's my job to deliver the ...
College Admissions Essay: My Passion For Robotics
College Admissions Essay: My Passion For Robotics. Decent Essays. 517 Words. 3 Pages. Open Document. We always sat in this living room on a big brown couch in a comfy cozy house filled with warm tones and American Indian art. For the past six years of my life, I have been on two robotics teams--the first four years spent on an all-girls ...
Robotics Brainstorming
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10+ Outstanding Common App Essay Examples 2024
Brainstorm (I think it's the most important step). Structure your essay according to your topic. Draft. Revise. Repeat. Common App essay word limit. The word limit for the Common App essay is 650. That doesn't mean you need to use all 650 words—many of the great example essays below don't.
Essay on Robotics for Students and Children in English
Given below are two essays in English for students and children about the topic of 'Robotics' in both long and short form. The first essay is a long essay on Robotics of 400-500 words. This long essay about Robotics is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay ...
College Admissions Essay: Robotics And Artificial...
College Admissions Essay: Robotics And Artificial Intelligence. To be born into this world with all of one's five senses is a gift from God. I realized the value of this gift when my middle school class made a trip to Akruti, a school for mentally challenged children with special needs. To my discomfort and despair, I saw children who were ...
Recent Advances in Robotics and Intelligent Robots Applications
This Special Issue of Applied Sciences, entitled "Recent Advances in Robotics and Intelligent Robots Applications", has 14 research papers, covering topics from bionics (contribution 1) and soft-material robot designs (contribution 14), infrared image algorithms (contribution 2), target tracking algorithms (contribution 3 and 7 ...
21 College Essay Topics & Ideas That Worked
Here's a list of essay topics and ideas that worked for my one-on-one students: Essay Topic: My Allergies Inspired Me. After nearly dying from anaphylactic shock at five years old, I began a journey healing my anxiety and understanding the PTSD around my allergies. This created a passion for medicine and immunology, and now I want to become ...
Essay on Robots: Top 17 Essays
Here is an essay on 'Robots' for class 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on 'Robots' especially written for college students. Essay on Robots Essay Contents: Essay on the Definition of Robot Essay on the Basic Elements of Robots Essay on the General Structure of Robot Essay on the Configurations of Robots Essay on the Design of Robots Essay on the Classification of ...
Robo-CJ writes a college app
The answers for the essays, for example, are selected from maybe fifty or so attempts to answer each prompt. (So no, you can't get a robot to write your college essays for you, yet.) There's a bunch of other cool stuff made with GPT-2, like: Write With Transformer, a writing app that lets GPT-2 autocomplete your text. Type some stuff in ...
Robotics for EC's : r/ApplyingToCollege
Robotics for EC's. ECs/Awards. Howdy everyone, so for those who are familiar, there are two large robotics high school competitions, vex robotics and FRC robotics, which is generally regarded as a more "realistic" robotics program. I recently established a vex robotics program at our high school and that has a team that currently competes.
23 Best Colleges for Robotics
Best Colleges for Robotics Engineering. Here's a quick preview of the first ten robotics engineering institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below. 1) Carnegie Mellon University. 2) Purdue University. 3) Cornell University. 4) Virginia Tech. 5) Stanford University.
How overused is a robotics essay for common app?
r/ApplyingToCollege is the premier forum for college admissions questions, advice, and discussions, from college essays and scholarships to college list help and application advice, career guidance, and more.
14 College Essay Examples From Top-25 Universities (2024-2025)
College essay example #6. This student was admitted to UC Berkeley. (Suggested reading: How to Get Into UC Berkeley and How to Write Great UC Essays) The phenomenon of interdependency, man depending on man for survival, has shaped centuries of human civilization.
UPenn Supplement
Taking everything I learned from this small in-class Lego Mindstorms robotics competition, I enthusiastically joined the school's Botball robotics team. The objective was to build an autonomous robot that could carry out a range of tasks including sorting, gathering, and moving objects. I was surrounded by a group of highly motivated students ...
HELP: FIRST and college essays. : r/FRC
College essays are rough but I'll tell you what my AP Literature teacher taught me during my senior year. College essays are all about you!! Some colleges require you to write an essay using a certain prompt but in general they usually let you write freely. ... My college essay had robotics as it's focus, if your schools accept the commonapp ...
AI Robot Gives Graduation Speech at Buffalo's D'Youville University
For its spring commencement on Saturday, D'Youville University, a private institution in Buffalo, had an A.I. robot named Sophia address a crowd of more than 2,000 students, faculty members and ...
Harrison Butker's commencement address denounced by Benedictine College
An order of nuns affiliated with Benedictine College rejected Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison's Butker's comments in a commencement speech there last weekend that stirred up a culture war skirmish.
NCAA signs off on deal that would change landscape of college sports
The nearly $2.8 billion settlement, which would be paid out over the next decade to 14,000 former and current student-athletes, "is an important step in the continuing reform of college sports ...
CS&E Announces 2024-25 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) Award
Seven Ph.D. students working with CS&E professors have been named Doctoral Dissertation Fellows for the 2024-25 school year. The Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship is a highly competitive fellowship that gives the University's most accomplished Ph.D. candidates an opportunity to devote full-time effort to an outstanding research project by providing time to finalize and write a dissertation ...
Exceptional Voices: Introducing the Talented Winners of the 2024
Read Birdie's inspiring personal essay. In second place is Kannan Venkateswaran, whose essay highlights the power of community. Kannan wrote about the challenges of transitioning from high school to college and how he learned to thrive academically at Reynolds thanks to the support of professors, advisors, and classmates.
DC daily roundup: Tech invests in DC lobbying and offices; from intern
Andrew Capodieci started as an intern at the Pennsylvania-based off-road robotics company Neya Systems. 10 years later, he's still at that same company. ... Major state funding boost means more Maryland college students can get tech internships. Cal Ripken Jr. essay: The MLB legend explains his drive to build STEM centers in schools across ...