[NFB-Science] Blind Students interest in Chemical Engineering at MIT

Wed May 26 22:50:32 UTC 2021

Dr. Konda:

Thank you for reaching out on this listserve.  Though it's been 20 years since I graduated with my degree in civil and environmental engineering, I agree with Bhavya, especially about #2 and #3.  It is likely best for most blind students to apply to the schools that are the best fit for them without regard to disability accomodations and then, after admissions offers, figure out what schools have the best resources for providing accommodations.  Many schools, including my alma mater, have very good resources and can be worked with productively.

There are many on this listserve with great experience to share as well, so thank you for reaching out to us.

Best,
Nathanael Wales

-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Science [mailto:nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bhavya shah via NFB-Science
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 2:28 AM
To: NFB Science and Engineering Division List
Cc: Bhavya shah
Subject: Re: [NFB-Science] Blind Students interest in Chemical Engineering at MIT

Dear Dr. Konda,

I am a rising sophomore currently studying discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science at Stanford University. While I did not apply to MIT or the University of Illinois, I did apply to - and receive acceptances at - Stanford and Harvard. Please find my responses to your questions below:

1 There is no brief answer to this question. Different schools look for varying traits but are not transparent about those, and even the best applicants - I know of some exceptionally meritorious students myself - can get rejected from top schools. Rigorous online research and receiving extensive feedback can go a long way in preparing a solid college application. One word of caution though would be to recognize that a great SAT score enough means very little; far too many students score in the 1500s so admission officers require much more than that to differentiate a student from the pool.

2 The unique aspect of US higher education is that at many institutions, students have as many as two years of their undergraduate career to experiment with different fields before needing to declare their major. Coming into Stanford, I was actively considering Chemistry as a prospective major; as my freshman year nears its end, I can report that my interests have completely pivoted towards the Mathematics and Computer Science majors. I would encourage your student to not feel pressured to finalize a field of study right now.

3 As an international student myself (I am Indian), I empathize with the confusion about the accommodation process at American colleges. I believe most, if not all, institutions have a dedicated office that serves students with disabilities and handles the accommodation process. Getting a sense of the relative levels of accessibility on different campuses was a challenge that I, too, faced during the application cycle. I suggest that your student apply to all institutions of interest based on parameters other than disability services for now, and compare and contrast disability services once application results are out and they know their acceptances.

Please feel free to reach out offlist in case of further questions.
Best wishes to you and the student you are working with!

Thanks.

On 5/25/21, Murthy Konda via NFB-Science <nfb-science at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
>
>
> I am new on this mailing list and would like to introduce myself. I 
> have a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Singapore and worked at 
> Imperial College London before moving to the US in 2011. Since then, I 
> worked at two Federal Labs under the US Department of Energy prior to 
> moving to industry recently. As a low vision Engineer and Scientist, I 
> rely heavily on several assistive technologies including Windows 
> Magnifier, Voice Over in iPhone, and a Cane.
>
>
>
> Currently, I am helping a blind student in deciding between Chemical 
> Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering. The student secured a good 
> SAT score and considering, among others, MIT and University of 
> Illinois. Some of the specific questions that I am hoping to help this 
> student with
> include:
>
>
>
> 1)      Is there anything the student can do to maximize his chances of
> admission any given school? (since I have not studied in the US, I am 
> not quite sure about the admission process and best practices).
>
> 2)      Are there any websites and other resources towards helping
> prospective blind students to take informed decisions while choosing 
> undergraduate engineering disciplines and Universities?
>
> 3)      How to find out how ‘accessible’ an engineering discipline is at
> any given University? What types of accommodations available at the
> Department- and/or University-level. For instance, I am aware of a 
> campus-wide accommodations center at Imperial College London. Not sure 
> how these work here in the US. I have reached out to the Chair of the 
> Chemical Engineering at MIT and hoping to hear from her.
>
>
>
> While I am currently focusing on helping this student from Chicago 
> area, my long-term goal is to guide many such talented students 
> interested in pursuing Engineering Education.
>
>
>
> I hope I am able to make myself clear. Any of your advice would be 
> greatly appreciated. As needed, I am also available to speak on phone.
>
>
>
> Sincerely
>
> Murthy Konda, PhD
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--
Best Regards
Bhavya Shah
Stanford University | Class of 2024
E-mail Address: bhavya.shah125 at gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavyashah125/

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