Understanding the “Why School” and “Why Major” Prompts

The Circular Reasoning Trap

All supplemental essays for individual schools are ultimately about mutual fit.

99% of students applying to college use a sentence formula that amounts to circular reasoning/begging the question, because they think it shows fit.

The formula typically looks like this:

“I’m intrigued/fascinated by Dr. Johnson’s work on science because he explores this aspect of science that I’m interested in.”

That does not show fit. It does not answer the question “why.” It’s like saying “I like apples because apples are apples and I find apples delicious.”

With rare exception, “why” prompts are not asking applicants why they like a school or field of study. Why would they? Even if students could articulate an answer more depth than “because it’s interesting to me” or “because it’s prestigious and I harbor deep-seated status anxiety,” it wouldn’t be of any value to assessing “fit.”

Instead of trying to articulate why you like the taste of apples, which is pointless, there are better ways to approach “why.”

Treat “Why” Like “How Did You Become Interested?”

In my post titled “How to Write a Narrative Around the ‘Why Major’ Application Essay,” I advised students that they can treat “why” like “how,” i.e., treat the question like “how did you become interested in…?”

Addressing a “why major” prompt with that approach could yield an answer like this (I’m quoting the post above):

“When I was 10, my dad took me to watch a launch at Cape Canaveral. Until then, my only interest was in MCU movies and basketball, but when I watched the Space Shuttle soaring into the twilight skies under the explosive thrust of over a million pounds of fuel, I was transfixed. Right then, I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life: build spacecraft.”

Another Strong Way to Answer “Why”

You can also answer “why” with “Because I want to do…”

Why do you want to cross the road? It’s not because you like roads, or because you became fascinated by traffic when you were five, or because if you cross the road you’ll have access to the prestigious road-crossers alumni network (and that last part may be true, but the great sin of ambition is obviousness).

You’re crossing because you want to get to the other side. So say that. Talk about what getting to the other side of the various metaphorical roads that lie ahead means to you. What’s on the other side? Who will help you get across the road? How will you use whatever is there? Why that particular road?

In an essay, that sometimes looks like this:

“I’m interested in working with Dr. Johnson at his cryptography lab because I want to explore this aspect of applied math as it relates to CS. Under his mentorship, I’d attain the technical and theoretical foundations I need to improve my software engineering skills and close the gaps in my understanding of this area of computer science to prepare myself for a career in cybersecurity.”

That brings me to my next point.

Why Specificity Matters

In addressing “why this major at this college” prompt, you need to be specific. Again, this is about mutual fit.

My rule for writing “why college” or “why this major at this college” is specificity. Applicants need to cite specific resources specific to the school that are specific to their specific interests.

In a “why do you want to study X major at this college,” (AKA “why major/why college” or “why this major at this college”) that kind of answer might look like this:

“I’m interested in working with Dr. Mark Johnson at his cryptography lab because I unexpectedly became fascinated with this aspect of applied math when I took a cybersecurity seminar last summer. DreamSchool is also one of the only schools in the Northeast that routinely hosts hackathons and has CS classes dedicated to white hat pen-testing, like Dr. Johnson’s ‘2600 and Beyond: Hacking for Good.'”

Researching Colleges the Right Way

Writing something like that, of course, requires actual research, which you should have done before applying.

Unfortunately, most students pick schools based on their reputation, rather than fit, so they find themselves backpedaling when confronted with having to articulate specific resources specific to the school that are specific to their specific interests. Go to their websites. Look at course offerings from the last year or two. Identify people you want to work with, classes you want to take that are specific to the school (intro classes should never be mentioned: you can take them anywhere), labs and incubators that overlap or align with your interests or research experience, and any other academic resources that fit you.

Don’t Let AI Do Your College Research

Do NOT use an LLM for researching colleges: I’ve seen innumerable occasions where lazy students used AI to “research” resources at schools and ended up citing labs that had been long-closed, professors and classes that don’t exist, and in one case, a major program that wasn’t offered.

I hope this is helpful, if only because the world doesn’t need any more bad college application essays attempting to articulate the taste of apples.