One of the most popular college supplemental essay prompts is some variation of the “why this major?” essay. This academic interest essay is often referred to as a “statement of purpose.” As the name suggests, this is the essay where you outline your interests, plans, and goals for your undergraduate education.
In this article, we will address questions such as: What is a statement of purpose? How do you write a statement of purpose? And why is this essay important for your college applications?
The purpose of the “Why this major?” or the academic interests essay is to better understand who you are as a student and what you are passionate about. Colleges want to admit curious, motivated, and thoughtful students. They also want to make sure that your academic goals align with what the program can offer you. In other words, they want to make sure that their college is a good fit for you academically and that you will be able to reach your specific goals at their college. In the context of graduate school, this essay is often referred to as your “statement of purpose.”
Before you start writing the first draft of your statement of purpose essay, take time to reflect on the questions below. After all, you want your essay to be both thorough and thoughtful. The best way to ensure you’ve written a successful college essay is by taking plenty of time to think through your answers before you physically start writing. You’ll also want to look at plenty of academic interest essay examples before you get started.
As you consider each of these questions, take notes. You might even want to do a couple of free writes where you answer these questions candidly and honestly in a journal. There will be plenty of time to refine your ideas later on in the writing and editing process. The most important thing now is to get your ideas moving freely!
If you’re not sure how to write the “Why this major?” essay because you do not know what you want to major in, you may want to consider these popular college majors.
After you’ve spent a good deal of time pondering the question, why did you choose this major?, it’s time to start writing! Let’s take a look at 5 statement of purpose tips to help you get started.
Read the prompt very carefully. Each school will have a slightly different variation of this question, and it’s important to format your question accordingly. Some common versions of this prompt include:
How a college chooses to word this question will help you gain a better understanding of this college’s values.
For instance, if a college asks you, “Why this major?” they want to know how committed you are to your course of studies. In some cases, your major may affect your chances of acceptance, especially if you are applying to a selective program. If you plan to apply to a highly-competitive major, include plenty of information about extracurricular and volunteer experience you have that is related to your course of study. This is particularly important if you are interested in pre-med.
Overall, this prompt is closest to the grad student’s statement of purpose. But what should a statement of purpose include exactly? In short, it should consist of your academic and career goals and how you hope to achieve them at this particular school.
If a college asks you about what you want to study instead of what you’d like to major in, feel free to write about your curiosities, passions, and excitement for learning. This prompt is much more open-ended than the “Why this major?” prompt so that you can approach it more creatively.
College admissions officers read countless essays, so it’s important to be memorable and to stand out! The best way to do this is to start with a hook. Give them a reason to be interested and to want to keep reading. The best hooks start with a compelling (but concise) personal anecdote that sets the tone for the rest of your essay.
For example, if you want to study music, you may want to begin your essay with a short anecdote about how you spent the summer teaching your cousin how to play the piano. If you want to study political science, you may want to begin your essay by discussing the work you did for a political campaign or describing a recent protest you attended and how it influenced you.
Although the academic interests essay is different from the personal statement, the components of a successful supplemental college essay are very similar. Take a look at 4 Winning College Essay Examples from Top Schools to get some ideas of how to structure your statement of purpose. And remember, a successful statement of purpose intro always starts with a hook!
College admissions officers want to read thoughtful essays that include lots of details. So be as specific as possible in your “Why this major?” essay. Including details helps communicate that you have put real thought into the prompt. It can also help demonstrate your values and communicate who you are as a person and as a student. Read more about what college admissions officers look for in an applicant here.
Although this question is different from the “Why this college” essay, it’s important to discuss why and how attending this specific college would help you reach your academic goals. The best way to do this is to research the college’s academic offerings thoroughly and make sure that this school is actually a good fit for your academic goals and interests.
For example, if you’re interested in music, does the school offer music lessons? Do they have practice rooms or a piano on campus? Do they host lots of open mic nights? If you’re interested in studying communications, does the school have a newspaper? What other publications are produced on campus? Do they offer any public speaking classes or opportunities?
Look through the course catalog and make a list of courses that sound interesting. Read professors’ bios and research their work. Find out if there are any internships, study abroad, or summer programs that support your interests. You may also want to consider reading our essay on how to find the right college for you.
Give yourself plenty of time to write several drafts and to take breaks in between drafts. Being able to step away from your writing for a few days at a time can be crucial in the writing and editing process. This is because it allows you to get more perspective on your writing and your ideas. If you write this essay quickly, it probably won’t be as detailed, thorough, or nuanced as it could have been if you’d given yourself more time.
It’s important to take your time on each college application essay. Your personal statement and other supplemental essay responses will be a key admissions factor. That said, depending on your college list, you may find yourself needing to write upwards of 10 separate supplemental essays! At a certain point, you may simply run out of time. If this is the case, you may want to consider applying to one of these 40+ Colleges That Don’t Require Supplemental Essays.
In the meantime, regardless of where you are in the college application process, here at Prepory, we have the resources and expertise to help you reach all of your college-related goals. Reach out to learn more about our services and how we can help you gain admission to the college of your dreams!
Writing the "Why this major?" essay is crucial for college applications. Discover its purpose, tips for crafting a compelling essay, and why researching the school is essential. Take your time, include specific details, and make sure your academic goals align with the program. Seek expert guidance for college success.
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Dive into top extracurriculars for engineering students to stand out in college applications. Explore clubs, competitions, pre-college programs, and passion projects that showcase your skills, interests, and dedication to engineering success.
It’s no secret that engineering is a competitive program. This is why engineering students need to stand out by involving themselves in various engineering STEM activities outside of school. After all, colleges want to admit passionate students who excel inside and outside of the classroom.
In this article, we will outline various engineering activities students can partake in outside of the classroom in order to bulk up their college applications. So if you’re looking for activities for engineering students, you’ve come to the right place!
Prospective engineering students need to demonstrate their ability to excel both inside and outside of the classroom. Oftentimes the best way to accomplish this is through a serious commitment to their extracurricular activities.
Engineering club activities often help students decide what type of engineering they are interested in studying. Since engineering programs are so competitive, it’s best to have a pretty good idea of what type of engineering you’d like to study. Not only could this help you gain admission into a program, but it will also signal to college admissions officers that you are committed to your studies and have a clear path forward.
Engineering extracurricular activities can also help students cultivate valuable soft job skills, such as the ability to work well on a team, multitask, meet deadlines, etc. Extracurricular activities also offer students valuable opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills in high school.
You’re likely wondering: What extracurricular activities should I do for engineering? And how many extracurricular activities should I join? Consider the following list of extracurriculars for engineering to help you get started!
Which extracurricular activities do colleges look for in engineering applicants? Partaking in the following competitions are great extracurricular activities for engineering students. Not only do they demonstrate your commitment and skill, but they can also highlight your creativity and ability to collaborate meaningfully with your peers. Below are 6 of these types of competitions:
According to its website, “teams develop solutions to project-based STEAM challenges and then present their solutions live at tournaments.” Typically teams of two to seven members “spend 2-6 months developing their Team Challenge solutions and practicing Instant Challenges.”
According to its website, “teams of high school students are challenged to build industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game in alliance with other teams, while also fundraising to meet their goals, designing a team ‘brand,’ and advancing respect and appreciation for STEM within the local community.”
According to its website, “FPSPI is a dynamic international program involving thousands of students annually from the United States and many other countries around the world. Future Problem Solving (FPS) teaches a unique six-step problem-solving process that can be applied in the real world, in local and global communities, as well as in future societies. This six-step model teaches critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.”
According to its website, “The iGEM Competition is an annual, worldwide synthetic biology event that gives students the opportunity to push the boundaries of synthetic biology by tackling everyday issues facing the world. Multidisciplinary teams work together to design, build, test, and measure a system of their own design using interchangeable biological parts and standard molecular biology techniques.”
According to its website, “Odyssey of the Mind (OM™) brings the classroom to life as students apply what they learn and combine it with their interests and passions to solve our unique open-ended problems. OM also emphasizes teamwork, budgeting, time management, public speaking, and so much more. This international program is designed to help students at all learning levels grow as individual learners, grow as team members, and to reach their full potential.”
According to its website, “Competitive robotics not only encompasses all four pillars of STEM education, but also encourages important life skills like teamwork, communication, and project-based organization. The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation exists to bring this exciting experience to students all over the globe through our wide range of competitions designed for students from 3rd grade through college.”
The summer is a great way to devote yourself fully to your extracurricular interests. There are lots of summer opportunities available for students to explore, including pre-college summer programs. The most important thing to keep in mind when deciding how to use your summers in high school is to make sure that you are using your time meaningfully and productively.
Here are some of the pre-college summer programs well-suited for engineering students:
Regardless of whether you are participating in a pre-college summer program, pursuing a high school internship, job shadowing, or spending time with your loved ones, do your best to make the most out of each summer!
Students interested in engineering should consider completing a high school passion project as a part of their college applications. Passion projects are self-designed, self-directed projects that showcase students’ strengths and extracurricular interests during the college admissions process. Depending on your specific interests, you may want to design and build a boat, a tiny house, a robot, a car, or anything else you can imagine! Passion projects can be great activities for mechanical engineering students because they are challenging, self-directed, and help students hone their extracurricular skills.
Engineering is an incredibly competitive field. This is why you should get as much experience as you can as early as you are able to! Look into volunteer, internship, apprenticeship, and job shadowing opportunities. Devote yourself fully to your engineering extracurriculars and challenge yourself to complete a high school passion project. After all, you’ll need more than high test scores and an impressive high school GPA to get into a top engineering program! If you feel like you could benefit from professional guidance during your college preparation, reach out to learn more about our services.
