© 2013 HS2 AcademyCollege Counseling program

Why College & Why Major Essays Seminar

Table of Contents

Why College Essay What it is and how to identify the prompts What to include in the essay What to research and how to find the information How to write the template & how to adjust it for

specific schools

Why Major Essay What it is and how to identify the prompts What to include in the essay How to write the template & how to adjust the template

Why College+Why Major Essays

What is a “Why College” Essay?

Topic: “Why do you want to go to __ University?”Colleges want to know that students genuinely

want to come to their school. They don’t want students that only want to attend the college for its name.

Good responses to this important question will separate serious students from the rest!

The key to writing a great “Why College” essay is research. Show the college how well you know the school and why you’re a good match for it!

Identifying the Why College Essay

Colleges use a ton of different terms and prompts to ask essentially the same question, some examples: How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now,

satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.

There are thousands of universities and colleges. Please share with us why you are choosing to apply to Chapman.

There are thousands of colleges and universities. Why are you applying to Occidental? In your opinion, what distinguishes it from your other choices?

Why College Essays: What to include

Professors that you want to work with Research professors in your department whose research expertise

closely align with your interests or academic background. Don’t just name a random professor!

Classes that you want to take Choose courses that are related to your academic interests. You don’t

necessarily have to choose solely from your major department, but make sure the classes you pick are relevant to your major. Don’t name introductory classes! Look for classes that are unique and interesting

Research opportunities, if applicable Don’t just mention that the school offers research opportunities. Look

into what specific opportunities, scholarships, and fellowships are granted to undergraduate students. Look into Centers & Institutes you can work with. You may also mention a specific topic that you want to research.

Why College Essays: What to include

Clubs that you want to participate in Schools want students who will continue to be active on

their campus and contribute to the student community. Research student organizations that relate to your background. They could be academic, cultural, religious, music/art/sports, service, political, etc.

Interesting facts about the school Colleges are looking for students that show genuine

interest in their school. Research unique facts that separate the college from the rest.

What are some school traditions? What is the school famous for? What opportunities are there near the school? What is the school’s atmosphere like? This may require research beyond the school’s website

Why College Essay

Be specific in your reasons so that colleges know you’ve done your research DON’T SAY, “I want to go to ___ University because it is

beautiful, offers a great quality curriculum, and has distinguished faculty.” This will apply to almost all colleges!!

Stay away from mentioning how “prestigious” a University or department is Again, colleges don’t want students to come just for the

school’s name

Research the school’s website, the Fiske Guide, College Confidential, anecdotal evidence from teachers, students, alumni, etc.

What to Research

On the School’s Website, you should check out the following links: Academics – this allows you to see what courses they

offer by major, you can also research professors here Faculty Directory – a quick place to search for

professors and often find their specific research topics, papers, etc.

Student Life – here you’ll find clubs, campus organizations and activities, and other facts regarding how students socialize on and off campus

Undergraduate Research – specific programs and opportunities for both the school year and summers

What to Research Cont.

On the School’s Website, you should check out the following links:Facts/History Page – unique information about the college

including demographics and special facts pertaining to it’s history, culture, and/or philosophy

Special Programs – these are found in different areas throughout the college website, specifically look for opportunities that match your interests and possibly tie in with previous activities, for example if you have done a lot of international volunteering abroad, then talk about your interest in the study abroad program, or if you have done extensive work with education then look into outreach and mentoring programs on campus or in the community

Jobs – if you have any interest in working while on campus, then mention specific opportunities you found on their website

Online Sources for Research

www.collgeconfidential.comwww.collegeprowler.comwww.princetonreview.comwww.studentsreview.comwww.usnews.comhttp://www.zinch.com/http://college-insight.org/http://www.unigo.com/

Additional Resources for Research

Alums, you may already know someone who graduated from the school and can give you insider knowledge

Current StudentsCollege mailing list announcements (you

need to sign up for this)College recruitment events at your high

schoolCollege admissions officeA visit to the campus

How to Use These Research Tools

Step 1 is to thoroughly research through the online sources you’ve received

Step 2 contact the additional resource of your choice

Step 3, ask insightful questions to get truly unique information, for example: If speaking with someone who has or currently attends the

school, ask about their personal experience, what did they enjoy about the academics/student life/volunteering/school culture?

Do the majority of undergrads spend weekends on campus, if so what activities are available? If not, then what opportunities are available in the surrounding community?

The Next Step: Writing

Once you’ve gathered all of your valuable research, now it’s time to put it all together

HS2’s Trick: Write a TEMPLATE and reuse it for all colleges that ask this question. Fill in the blanks for each college

IMPORTANT: the template is not a ‘one size fits all’, you have to keep in mind the specifics of the prompt and adjust accordingly for every school

Why College Essay Template

EXAMPLE: “I want to go to ___ University because I would love to take classes with Professor __, who specializes in ___. After carefully perusing the course catalog, I am eager to take courses, such as ___ and ___ because ___. Furthermore, I am interested in joining ___ and ___ because they perfectly align with my extracurricular interests.”

For the basic template, HS2 asks you to include in this essay at LEAST: 2 professors, 2 classes, 2 clubs, and 2 interesting facts about this college. Why do those professors inspire you? Why would those classes benefit you? How are those clubs interesting to you? How do those interesting facts about the college separate it from the rest?

Why College Essay Variations

YALE: “What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply?” (500 char) The trick here is to be short and concise about Yale’s unique

qualities and why they matter to youUPENN: “Given the undergraduate school to which you are

applying, please discuss how you will engage academically at Penn.” (300 words) Instead of just listing what is offered at the school, tweak your

template to include how you will contribute to the academic community through your classes, research, activities, etc.

HARVEY MUDD: “What influenced you to apply to HMC? What about the HMC curriculum and community appeals to you?” (500 words) Tweak your template to focus on the curriculum and student

community

Tips for Writing Why College Essays

Create a master list of all Why College essay prompts and then identify those that have the same key words such as “community” or “academic environment” or “specific campus” – this allows you to tailor your template, you may have 3 or more versions depending on the schools you’ve chosen

The important part is to make sure you are still infusing your personality into the essay, the school doesn’t want a laundry list of facts that you’ve researched

Tips for Writing Why College Essays

Style: you can still use a hook but the importance is less on prose and more on professional content

You can approach this essay more like a cover letter that links keys elements of your experience to important activities/classes at the school, “I want to take the “African Monkeys 301” field study course because I have already committed 2 summers to studying brain tumors in African monkeys”

If appropriate, infuse your career and professional goals into the essay to show specifically what you plan to do with an education from this school

Why Major Essays

What is a “Why Major” Essay?

Topic: “Why did you choose your major?”Colleges want to know if you have a focus

and are passionate about somethingThe key to writing a great “Why Major” essay

is evidence. Show the college how confident you are with your major choice and how you will be successful in that career field because of your past successes! Here is where you show off your experiences and accomplishments!

Identifying the Why Major Essay

Sample prompts: While we realize your interests may change in college,

what are your current academic and intellectual curiosities?

Johns Hopkins offers 50 majors across the schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. On this application, we ask you to identify one or two that you might like to pursue here. Why did you choose the way you did?

With the understanding that the choice of academic school you indicated is not binding, explain why you are applying to that particular school of study

Why Major Essays: What to Include

What sparked your initial interest in this field of study? Try to refrain from digging up details about your childhood, it’s more of a reference than a documentary here.

Relevant work and/or internship experienceActivities/Clubs/Competitions that relate to

the majorHobbies or skills you’ve developed over time

that relate to the major

Why Major Essays: What to Include

Classes you’ve taken that have helped develop knowledge/skills to make you successful

Community service that relates to your majorOutside courses such as college-level classes

or personal enrichment classesSummer programs or campsSpecific career goals, if applicable to the

prompt

Why Major Essay

Refrain from writing about how “easy” a subject is, or how you do well in the class

Your major should be something you’re passionate about. It should be reflected in your grades AND your activities as well

Major does not equate a career. For instance, if you’re a prospective biology major, you don’t have to write about how you want to be a doctor. Just talk about biology if you want!

Why Major Essay Template

EXAMPLE: “I want to major in ___ because ever since I was in elementary school, I was always fascinated by ___. I entered several competitions until now… In high school, I joined __ Club and excelled in all of my ___ classes. Last summer, I did an internship with ___ on ___.”

Again, you will not use the exact same essay template for every school. You need to read and understand the specific prompt, then adjust as necessary.

Why Major Variations

OCCIDENTAL: “While we realize your interests may change in college, what are your current academic and intellectual curiosities?” (2000 char) What sparks your intellectual development, and what past/current

experiences (volunteering, internships, work, research, etc.) do you have as evidence of your academic interests?

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS: “Please describe how your past circumstances and experiences (such as your upbringing, community, and/or activities) impacted who you are, your future goals, and your choice of major.” (300 words) Not limited to internships/research. Talk about your life

experience as a whole to discuss who you’ve become and what your goals are. Relate it back to why you want to major in that particular field

Why Major Essay - Undecided

If you are Undecided/Undeclared, you must have that approved by your Primary Counselor You will only be approved if you have no particular

“evidence” in your application for any one major. Talk about how you can contribute to the school with

your variety of interestsEXAMPLE: “Although I am unsure of what I want to

pursue in the future, I know that I want to do something in ___. I am very interested in studying ___ and ___, and I believe that college would be the ideal environment to explore all of my options. ___ University will provide a plethora of opportunities to experiment. I plan to take classes in __, __, and __ to satiate my thirst for learning!”

Why College + Why Major Essays

Some schools will ask you why you want to study a particular major at their school

Combine your past experiences for major support with the school’s unique qualities that will help you pursue your goals

For these essays, it is especially important to talk about the unique opportunities that the specific department offers for its students! Research and internship opportunities, seminars,

professors and classes, connections for job placements, etc.

Why College + Major Essay Variations

USC: “Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC.” (1000 char) Discuss why you are interested in the major and how USC will

help cultivate these academic interests You should focus on academic opportunities rather than clubs

here

CORNELL: “Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs at Cornell to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.” (500 words) You will have a lot more space to discuss you’re academic

background in detail and why Cornell’s program, in particular, aligns with your interests

Important Things to Remember

READ THE PROMPT. Although we use a template for Why College and Why Major essays, you need to tweak the template to answer the specific prompt If the school asks you why its particular department

interests you, don’t talk about how you want to join the Quidditch Club

DON’T LIST. Discuss WHY these professors, classes, clubs, etc. appeal to you. Talk about HOW you are a good fit for this school based on these factors.

DON’T LOSE YOUR VOICE. Your template should not be the same as anyone else’s. Maintain your writing style and personality even in the Why College and Why Major essays!