Writing the “Why This Major” Supplemental Essay

Many selective colleges use supplemental essay prompts as an opportunity to learn more about your specific areas of academic interest. Here are a few examples:

Example 1: University of Pennsylvania 

How did you discover your intellectual and academic interests, and how will you explore them at the University of Pennsylvania? Please respond considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected. (300-450 words)

Example 2: Carnegie Mellon University 

Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or an inspiration that’s developed over time—what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 words)

Example 3: University of Southern California

Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests at USC. Please feel free to address your first and second choice major selections. (250 words)

Example 4: Tufts University 

It’s cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity? (150-200 words.)

While each prompt is slightly different, they share a similar focus. What are your intellectual interests? What specific college major interests you most and why? How did this interest develop? 

In some cases, colleges are factoring your choice of major into an admissions decision. In other cases, they may just be using this question as an avenue to learn more about you. 

Consider these two brief examples:

Option A: “I’ve always known that I wanted to help people, so my goal is to major in elementary education. I’ve selected this major because I hope to become a first-grade teacher.”

Option B: “It was at the age of seven that I discovered my true calling in life when I invented a one-person game, which I lovingly named ‘School.’ In this game, I would line up my dolls and stuffed animals and teach them lessons, going so far as to attend to behavior modifications and provide individual academic support; after all, they were the students, and I was the teacher. Although I’m quite sure that my dolls grew tired of this childish game, my desire to lead a classroom has never wavered in the years that have elapsed since. It is for this reason that elementary education is my first choice of major.” 

Which writing gives you more insight into the applicant? Which is more memorable? Option A doesn’t tell us much about the reader, while Option B shares a vivid personal story and connects that directly with an area of academic interest. 

Here’s a little brainstorming strategy: 

Before you begin writing the “Why This Major” essay, briefly jot down words, ideas, or phrases in response to the following questions:

• What are your strongest academic interests? (List as many as feel applicable.)

• How did these interests develop? (So, you want to major in psychology? What is the origin of this interest? This origin story might be a rather ordinary series of life events or a major “aha” moment. Interests develop in all sorts of ways!)

• How would this specific university contribute to your academic interests? If you want to major in marketing, that’s a great start, but there are hundreds of colleges that offer a marketing degree. Why study marketing at the University of Southern California? Do your research. Jot down the names of specific courses that are unique to the institution and not offered elsewhere. Learn more about the professors, their research, and any publications they’ve recently contributed to. Learn more about student-led organizations that correlate with your academic interests, such as the Consulting Club or Marketing Student Ambassadors.

• What are your career interests and professional goals? How would this major help you work toward your goals? News flash: it’s okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life! College is a great place to figure that out. However, if you do have career aspirations or other professional goals that link to your intended major, this is a great place to share them.

Let’s look at an example of a “Why This Major” essay, from a student who was accepted to Tufts University:

Music inspires my interest in engineering. Whenever I play with an ensemble, our common purpose is to decipher the complex emotions that underlie a piece of music, recreate those emotions with our instruments, and transfer them to the audience. This process of collective interpretation fills me with joy, but it also renders me desperately curious as to why music is so profoundly stirring.

The answer is simple: the laws of nature. To understand music theory is to understand acoustics, resonance, material science, and fluid dynamics. Engineering explains how various natural phenomena combine to create beauty. The interdisciplinary approach to education provided at the Tufts School of Engineering mirrors my personal approach to understanding the world.

Jumbo engineers enjoy a balanced education that emphasizes research while providing extraordinary liberal arts instruction. As such, Tufts alumni are better equipped to compete and lead in the modern global community. The flexibility of the engineering program will leave me ample time to explore my other passions, so I can pursue a BS in engineering in tandem with another major or minor in another area of interest. The School of Engineering also offers ABET-Accredited BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, should I choose to narrow my focus.

As a founding member and four-year president of the Edgemont Robotics Club, I would feel at home in the collaborative and competitive atmosphere of the Tufts Robotics Club. I hope to help bring home the fifth consecutive win at the Trinity College Fire Fighting Robot Contest!

Why did this essay work? 

· The writer gives us insight into who they are as an individual, drawing a unique connection between musical talents and intellectual interest in engineering. 

· The writer helps us understand how their academic interests developed.

· The writer shows us specifically how Tufts can contribute to their academic interests.

This all sounds great, but I have no idea what I want to major in! How should I respond to this prompt?

Feeling undecided about your intended major is normal. Many colleges allow students to enter as an “undecided major,” and many students who declare a major during the application process end up changing along the way. The important aspect of this writing supplement is not actually that you’re certain about your future major, but rather that you have academic interests and can articulate them. If you are unable to convey any interest in learning, college admissions officers may wonder why you’re applying to college in the first place. 

The “Why This Major” supplemental essay is the perfect opportunity to showcase your intellectual interests while adding a narrative about your personal journey that may be missing in other aspects of your application.

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