Breaking Down the "Why Major" Essay

Remember why you are going to college: to study something.

Many schools ask for other essays outside of the personal statement. They use these essays to get to know you, assess interest, and learn about your values. In general, your supplemental essays should:

• Expand on the material in your application

• Discuss things that don’t/can’t appear elsewhere

• Show off your personality

One of the most common school-specific essays is the “Why Major” essay.

Why are you applying for a particular major or department, and how will a degree in this field support your career?

Examples:

• Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected. (Rice University - 150 words)

  

• Brown’s Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about an academic interest (or interests) that excites you, and how you might use the Open Curriculum to pursue it. (250 words)

This is the next most common essay, but if it isn’t asked explicitly, you should plan to include the same information elsewhere.

What to include

For starters, write about how you first became interested in this specific field of study: