We asked a few Jerome Fisher M&T Program students to share why they chose the Program. Hear why below!
During my junior year, I co-founded a company with a few friends for the Young Enterprise competition. We created VenturePad, a durable waterproof notebook that encouraged outdoor exploration. As an aspiring engineer, I participated in many projects related to product design and solving problems.
Yet through VenturePad, I learned that creating a product requires many business skills engineering alone could not teach me. Although we became UK Champions and were the ‘Most Innovative Product’ at the European Finals, a stronger business foundation could have further escalated our success.
This journey attracted me to the Jerome Fisher M&T Program, where I could integrate both business and engineering for a more complete education. And, I’ve found so many people like me in the tight-knit community. I have lived in London for my whole life, so moving to Penn was quite an adjustment. The friends that I made through M&T, as well as the staff, provided a lot of support that eased the process.
-Rohit Majumdar, Class of 2022
Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics
I was always interested in identifying problems in society and finding solutions to such problems through technology. I had a strong interest in the great scope of technological advancements and how they could translate to real life to make everyday habits easier.
One problem I was particularly interested in was aiding the visually-impaired and hearing-impaired communities in Turkey. For example, I developed a mobile application with Turkcell – a Turkish cell phone operator – to create a mobile app called My Dream Partner. The app would provide navigation around shopping malls in Istanbul to help the visually-impaired become more independent in everyday tasks. I also worked with the hearing-impaired community – specifically with cochlear implanted children– encouraging them to use their voices and learn how to use indicatives in regular speech (as sign language consists of imperatives). I developed a mobile app called Hear My Voice to help hearing-impaired students practice learning indicatives.
I was first introduced to the Jerome Fisher M&T Program through M&TSI, the Program’s summer program for high school students. My experience there was the primary reason I applied to M&T. For my college experience, I not only wanted to develop my professional skills but also my interpersonal skills by building a community and motivating myself through the success of my peers.
The Jerome Fisher M&T Program is a great way to get the best out of your college education. We’ve all heard “college prepares you for real life.” M&T does this in the most unique and successful way. The dual-degree nature of the program allows you to develop both analytical thinking skills through engineering and interpersonal skills through Wharton. Not only do you get the chance to build and code in Engineering’s Towne building, you also get to understand how those engineering projects you’ve been working would be placed in the financial markets in Wharton’s Huntsman Hall.
Aside from the academic benefits of M&T, I love that it gives you a second family. It makes the transition to college easier with a small group of people always there to support you and advise you through your experience
-Selin Hepiseri, Class of 2022
Systems Science Engineering
Even since I took apart (more like irreversibly dismantled) my first computer at 5 years old, I was interested in computers and technology. However, in high school, I got a glimpse at how important business was to technology development when I started a robotics team. We needed to fundraise as much as we could to get our team off the ground since we started a few months late. I led the fundraising efforts and found out that my passion for technology was a valuable aspect when I was pitching our team to potential donors, and we were successful as a result.
When it came time to apply for college, the Jerome Fisher M&T Program immediately grabbed my attention. I applied Early Decsion because I wanted to explore the intersection of business and technology and the Program was unmatched in this category. I think the greatest thing about the Jerome Fisher M&T Program is the people you meet in it. A couple of my best friends so far in college come from the M&T. Students in the Program are some of the smartest students at Penn and it makes studying together that much easier and rewarding.
Another great aspect of the Program is how academically rigorous it is. I have never been challenged to learn as much in a semester as I have here. Engineering classes are constantly changing the way I think about solving problems and the business classes teach me how to apply what I know in a practical setting.
I’ve enjoyed my in the Jerome Fisher M&T Program and encourage anyone reading this to apply. It’s a great experience that I wouldn’t have found anywhere else. If you are interested in any combination of engineering and business, M&T is second to none.
-Kanishka Ragula, Class of 2022
Computer Science