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Are you applying to college and need to start writing your Common App essay? With so many prompts available, you may be wondering what to write your essay about. You may be thinking of writing your essay based on your intended major at college or university as this shows admissions officers your drive and motivation to study your passions at a higher educational institution. This post is here to help give you some guidance on whether your Common App essay has to be about your major so you can start planning the writing process.
Does Your Common App Essay Have To Be About Your Major?
To put it simply - no! Your Common App essay can be on any topic related to the prompt that you feel represents you best and does not have to be about your major. The Common App essay is a chance for you to discuss aspects of your personality, beliefs, values, traditions, identity, and personal growth outside of academics to give the admissions committee a more well-rounded view of you. This is especially important when applying to institutes in the US, which focus on the holistic development of students rather than solely on their academics. You should use the Common App essay to highlight unique aspects about yourself since admissions officers can see your academic interests and grades in other parts of your application.
That being said, you can use the narrative from your essay to briefly explain why you are interested in your intended major of study at college. Let's look at some examples of how students have done this. Only a brief excerpt will be shown below of how the student has linked their story to their academic interest, but feel free to click the links in blue below to access the full exemplars! All examples have been sourced from the Clastify website.
Example 1
When I began thinking of a future field of study and career, I didn't hesitate; I knew I wanted to work with women. After my struggle with femininity, nothing else intrigued me more. The birth of the cow seven years ago was my inciting incident. My story must include the love, warmth, and beauty of that day. To be a part of the birth story of others entering this world and to study the life and love that preceded is my goal. Eventually, through whatever it takes, I will become an OB/GYN so I can work with women daily, helping teenagers through puberty and educating on sexuality, supporting women through their personal challenges, and assisting in the life-changing act of childbirth. I am dedicated to the future of women.
A cow gave birth and I watched. That experience helped me to become the powerful, strong-minded, and passionate young woman I am today. In pursuing a doctorate I hope to encourage and guide other women to be their own best self and show through my actions and story that there is no one version of womanhood that is "right", perhaps influencing a new generation.
Read the complete exemplar here.
In this essay, the student has discussed how they have learned to embrace their own femininity and overcome challenges associated with not feeling like they embrace traditional values of femininity. The student then transitions the story to discuss their interest in becoming an OB/GYN to help women in future embrace their true selves, as in the student's own words they are "dedicated to the future of women". The student also talks about how they want to pursue a doctorate to fulfil their dream of helping women. Hence, even though the student's story itself is not explicitly about their major, the student has used their story to show what made them interested in their major.
Example 2
The specialisation in European Affairs would offer me the opportunity to deepen my interest in fields I am interested in, such as regulatory frameworks and their impact on the economy and society at the regional and global level. My view of an extensive understanding of European politics and expertise being complementary competences to an effective shaping of international policy-making and a contribution to the common good drives my interest in studying European Affairs specialising in European Regulation. It is the combination of academic knowledge obtained at university and hands-on experience that shape people capable of understanding multi-faced issues and contributing to their solution in light of the current mistrust trend towards European institutions.
My identity as an American-European has definitely played a key role in shaping my interests and passions, leading me to deepen my knowledge of the two lands I come from. I truly believe that studying European affairs at your college would be a great opportunity for me, which would enable me to both balance my two identities and to offer my unique perspective on current issues the two regions are facing.
Read the full example here.
In this essay, the student has explained how their dual citizenship as an American-European has shaped their identity and influenced their interest in studying European Affairs at university. The student has used stories of how their extracurricular activities such as EuroSim 2020 and MUN further helped develop their interests. In this way, the student has used their essay to tell a story about their their identity and has further explained why their lived experiences have made them interested in their chosen major.
We hope that this guide has helped you understand how to approach writing the Common App essay in terms of planning it around your major. Good luck with your college applications.
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