As summer rolls in and senior year is only a couple months ahead, it’s the perfect time to start on one of the most important parts of your college application: the “Why School” essay. In this blog, we’ll break down how to research your dream school, explore academic programs and departments, and reflect on how a university’s offerings align with your goals. This is to show that you are the right "fit" for the school. Let’s begin!
Common “Why Major” topics to avoid!
The common mistake people make in ‘Why Major’ essays is that the development of their hobby is overly dependent on a passion demonstrated by another person.
REMEMBER. You are the one trying to show your interest, not someone else’s.
Simple interest is only an interest. A university will be more attracted to you if you have actually thought about the influence that a major/subject has and if you have actually developed it in recent years.
“I have built lego blocks since young age” - engineers
“I like to read people’s minds and catch the subtlety in their words and actions. I like to play a guessing game in the bus or subway where I guess where that person is going to sit ” - psychologists
“ I’m behind the curtain. I take a deep breath. As I go on stage and get the spotlight, I slowly open my eyes” - performers
“ I want to understand how the flow of money works” - economists
“ I want to save the world and make it a better place when I leave” - international relations major
“I like understanding how small cells form to a bigger part” - biologists
“I like reading. Writing is an form of self expression” - English literature major or writers
So this is how you should organize your ‘Why Major’ essay! Discuss an experience (recent) demonstrating your interest in your major (50-100 words) Extracurricular Something that you do as a hobby, an observation, or obsession Something of personal importance due to a connection to your personal life Something academic (preferably a curiosity that grew out of classes, not a specific lesson itself) *Usually written in first person, describing the event, observation, or line of thought *Avoid simply repeating a concept of a subject (make it something of personal importance) Discussion of how an interest turned into a passion (100-200 words) What did YOU do to try to solve a question? What did YOU learn from the experience itself? What other questions came out from the development of your interest? Future (50-100) What do you hope to accomplish with your major? What topics would you like to have a hand in developing? What issues are important to you? What do you think university setting will offer you that school does not?