College Smart Families,

Welcome to the Fall of your Senior Year! It’s such an exciting time (and sometimes a bit stressful), but it’s truly where the rubber meets the road for the college application process. We just did a website refresh that we’re super proud of. Please check it out at www.collegesmartadvising.com and give us feedback if you have any! As always, we’re available for meetings via the Acuity Website if you need an additional touchpoint on top of your regularly scheduled meetings.

In addition, if you have any friends or families who are looking for ad-hoc essay support in 2024 or the full package of services in 2025, please have them book an introductory meeting with me – Book Now. I’m almost full for this fall, so they’ll need to move fast!

The topic that I want to do a deep dive today is the “Why This Major Essay” that many schools require in their supplements. For the lucky few who know exactly what they want to study and why, it should be a straightforward essay to write, but for the many who are torn between different majors (or even colleges at the university) it can be a difficult topic to navigate. Like the “Why Us” essay that was the centerpiece of the September Senior Newsletter, the admissions officers are trying to glean some insight into why their school is a particularly good fit for you.

We recommend that you start by researching the specifics of that major at that college. While it’s important to look at the pre-requisites that often fill up your freshmen and sophomore years at the university, oftentimes the unique offerings are hidden in the higher-level courses. Oftentimes you’ll be able to link up your passion for an extracurricular will intersect with a course offered and you’ll have a centerpiece of the essay. Go the extra step to find the actual course code (ENGL 302, ECON 441A, HIST 370, etc.). Another area to concentrate on in your research is the lab-experience, opportunities for internships, and study abroad programs that are closely linked to that major.

When you’re actually putting pen to paper, there are two main parts to these essays. First, what is your experience with your desired major. The second is what that major at that specific school offers. There’s no requirement to split the word count equally, but this structure allows you to tell a story about yourself and how you fit at the school, both of which will paint a picture for the admissions officer reading your application.

Common mistakes for this type of essay are as follows:

1. Waffling. Your passion for a particular field is something that will jump off the page. Apathy will come through in the exact same way. If you feel torn between two potential majors, look for classes that allow you to explore both of those interests and gush about your fortune to get the best of both worlds!
2. Copying the website. The admissions officers read thousands of these essays each year and they know the admissions website word-for-word. A shallow scrape will be perceived as you mailing in this essay.
3. Picking the major that others want for you. While mom, dad, an older sibling, or another family member may believe that a Petroleum Engineering is best for your future, admissions offices will be able to see right through it if it’s not your voice.
4. Talking about one particularly famous professor. While it seems like a good idea, often these professors are more focused on research or graduate-level work. Even if they do teach a class, it’s likely to be hard to get into. Unfortunately this topic is a bit cliche.

Thanks,

Ed McCarthy