<p>The engineering question evolved because too many people were writing about the things they thought we wanted to hear. I can’t tell you have many times I’ve read about putting solar panels on every roof or purifing all the water (we’ve been working on water purification processes for years here). Those essays don’t take much thought. So, we retooled the essay to give students license to be a little creative.</p>
<p>As for the College question, I think @grp2013 gets it. You’re about to embark on a period of pretty profound growth and development. I think you can tell a story that broadcasts that you have intellectual curiosity in this essay. Just remember that this isn’t an academic exercise. This is about your response to something. We get a lot of “book report” style essays that summarize something without giving us insight into the individual. </p>
<p>I hope that helps a little bit! Good luck!</p>