2013 HS2 Academy

Col l ege Counsel i ng 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 dont 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 youre 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. Dont just name a
random professor!
Classes that you want to take
Choose courses that are related to your academic interests. You dont
necessarily have to choose solely from your major department, but make
sure the classes you pick are relevant to your major. Dont name
introductory classes! Look for classes that are unique and interesting
Research opportunities, if applicable
Dont 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
schools atmosphere like? This may require research beyond the
schools website
Why College Essay
Be specific in your reasons so that colleges know
youve done your research
DONT 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 dont want students to come just for the
schools name
Research the schools website, the Fiske Guide,
College Confidential, anecdotal evidence from
teachers, students, alumni, etc.

What to Research
On the Schools 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 youll 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 Schools Website, you should check out the following
links:
Facts/History Page unique information about the college including
demographics and special facts pertaining to its 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.com
www.collegeprowler.com
www.princetonreview.com
www.studentsreview.com
www.usnews.com
http://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 Students
College mailing list announcements (you need to
sign up for this)
College recruitment events at your high school
College admissions office
A visit to the campus
How to Use These Research Tools
Step 1 is to thoroughly research through the online
sources youve 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 youve gathered all of your valuable research,
now its time to put it all together
HS2s 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 Yales unique qualities and
why they matter to you
UPENN: 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 youve chosen
The important part is to make sure you are still
infusing your personality into the essay, the school
doesnt want a laundry list of facts that youve
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 something
The 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, its more of a reference than a
documentary here.
Relevant work and/or internship experience
Activities/Clubs/Competitions that relate to the
major
Hobbies or skills youve developed over time that
relate to the major
Why Major Essays: What to Include
Classes youve taken that have helped develop
knowledge/skills to make you successful
Community service that relates to your major
Outside courses such as college-level classes or
personal enrichment classes
Summer programs or camps
Specific 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 youre passionate
about. It should be reflected in your grades AND
your activities as well
Major does not equate a career. For instance, if
youre a prospective biology major, you dont 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 youve 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 interests
EXAMPLE: 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 schools 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 youre academic
background in detail and why Cornells 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,
dont talk about how you want to join the Quidditch Club
DONT 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.
DONT LOSE YOUR VOICE. Your template should not be
the same as anyone elses. Maintain your writing style and
personality even in the Why College and Why Major
essays!