🍦 Daily Digest Aug 26: Tackling a "Why Major" Essay

Good morning folks! Here’s what we have today:

1. School of the Day: Columbia University

2. Admissions Blueprint: Tackling a “Why Major” Essay

3. Hear From Your Peers: Devam’s Tips and Tricks (Part 1)

SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Columbia University

Every day, we cover a different school, helping you learn something new about your favorite schools or find a new school that could end up being your dream school.

📍 Location: New York, NY
🎓 Undergraduates Enrolled: 8,832
📊 Acceptance Rate: 3.9%
📝 Average SAT/ACT: 1540/35
💸 Tuition: $71,170
📅 Admission Options: November 1 (Early Decision), January 1 (Regular Decision)
🏆 Top Ranking Programs: Writing in the Disciplines (#1), Economics (#8), Computer Science(#12) (US News)

Columbia University, located in the bustling city of New York, New York, is an Ivy League institution known for its rigorous academics and vibrant campus life. Founded in 1754, Columbia has a rich history and continues to be a leader in higher education. Thinking of applying? Here’s what you should know.

Positives:

📚 Core Curriculum: Columbia’s Core Curriculum provides a well-rounded education, ensuring that students engage with a broad range of disciplines, from literature to science to philosophy.

🌆 Prime Location: Situated in the heart of New York City, Columbia offers students unparalleled access to internships, networking opportunities, and cultural experiences in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

🌐 Global Opportunities: Columbia has a strong emphasis on global education, with numerous study abroad programs and global centers in cities like Paris and Beijing, offering students an international perspective.

🔬 Research Opportunities: As a leading research university, Columbia provides students with extensive opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research across various disciplines, often alongside world-renowned faculty.

🏛️ Historic Campus: Columbia’s campus blends historical architecture with modern facilities, offering a picturesque and inspiring environment for students to learn and grow.

📊 Strong Alumni Network: Columbia boasts a powerful and influential alumni network, providing graduates with valuable connections across industries and around the world.

Some Negatives:

💸 High Cost: As an Ivy League school, Columbia’s tuition and living costs are among the highest in the country, which can be a significant financial burden despite the availability of financial aid.

🏙️ Urban Intensity: The fast-paced, urban environment of New York City can be overwhelming for some students, particularly those who prefer quieter, more relaxed settings.

🎓 Competitive Admission: With a low acceptance rate, gaining admission to Columbia is highly competitive, especially for popular majors and programs.

📏 Rigorous Academics: Columbia’s academic environment is known for being highly demanding, which can lead to stress and pressure among students to maintain high performance.

🌐 Limited Campus Green Space: While the campus is beautiful, it’s relatively small and lacks the expansive green spaces found at some other universities, which might be a downside for those who enjoy outdoor activities.

ADMISSIONS BLUEPRINT
Tackling a “Why Major” Essay

Crafting a compelling “Why Major” supplemental essay is a key part of your college application. This is your chance to show admissions why you’re passionate about a specific field and how it aligns with your goals. Here’s how to make your essay stand out:

🎯 Understand the Prompt
Before you start writing, make sure you thoroughly understand the prompt. Most “Why Major” essays ask you to explain your interest in a specific field of study and how it aligns with your academic and career goals, but schools sometimes put their own unique twist on it. Read the prompt carefully to ensure you’re addressing all parts of the question.

🔍 Reflect on Your Journey
Think about how your interest in this major developed. Was there a particular moment, experience, or person that sparked your passion? Reflecting on your journey allows you to create a narrative that is personal and unique, making your essay stand out.

📚 Connect with the Curriculum
Research the specific program at the college you’re applying to. Mention specific courses, professors, or opportunities that excite you. This shows that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in what the school has to offer.

🌟 Highlight Your Experiences
Discuss any relevant experiences you’ve had that relate to your chosen major. This could be internships, projects, extracurriculars, or even books you’ve read. Highlighting these experiences helps demonstrate your commitment and readiness to pursue this field. Don’t however, treat this essay as an extension to your activities list.

🎯 Align with Future Goals
Explain how this major fits into your long-term goals. Whether you have a clear career path in mind or you’re still exploring options, make sure to connect your academic interests with your aspirations. This shows that you have a purpose and direction in choosing this major.

🧩 Be Genuine and Specific
Avoid generic statements like “I’ve always been good at math” or “I want to help people.” Instead, be specific about why this major excites you and how it aligns with your personal and academic journey. Authenticity resonates more with admissions officers.

✍️ Polish Your Writing
Once you’ve drafted your essay, take the time to revise and polish it. Make sure your essay is clear, concise, and free of errors. A well-written essay reflects your attention to detail and your commitment to presenting your best self.

By reflecting on your journey and being specific about your interests, you can create a “Why Major” essay that truly resonates. Remember, authenticity and clarity are your best tools. With a polished and well-thought-out essay, you’ll leave a lasting impression on admissions.

HEAR FROM YOUR PEERS
Devam’s Tips and Tricks (Part 1)

Following the great reception of our first Hear From Your Peers section a week back, we decided to do it again, this time with one of our earliest subscribers, Devam.

Devam is a high schooler at Irvington High School in Fremont, CA, one of the more academically competitive public high schools in the Bay Area. Here is his thoughts on a few questions we asked him about the high school journey and college applications.

These are just a handful of the questions we talked about during our talk. We’ll share more of our questions and responses tomorrow, so look forward to that!

Are there any things in your high school journey that you look back upon and think, “Yeah, I made a great decision with that?”

To Devam, one thing he absolutely doesn’t regret and advises everyone else to do is start early on preparing for standardized testing and taking standardized testing. Devam finished taking his SAT exam before the start of his junior year. At his intense school environment, where school work usually picks up a lot in junior year, this helped him a lot. Devam said it also helped lower his stress levels throughout the rest of school because he already knew that at least one part of his application was locked in. Additionally, it can help you understand what your targets/reaches might be when eventually putting together your college list.

Do you have an idea of what you want to study in college and how did you decide upon that?

Devam is interested in studying some form of data science in college. He first stumbled across data science in a Coursera course that he took early in high school. While he doesn’t think that you should just start taking tons of Coursera courses to find a subject that interests you, you should definitely put yourself out there academically and try a variety of topics, whether that is something informal like just reading a book on a field, or trying something more rigid like an online course, a school course, or maybe even a dual enrollment course.

If you like questions like this, be sure to tune back in tomorrow where we’ll have even more of Devam’s responses and questions.

LINK LOUNGE
Key Resources & Scholarships

In the Link Lounge section, you can find links to great resources such as scholarships during the college application process. These links can be really helpful and will be updated every Wednesday, so be sure to check back frequently!

1600.io: A comprehensive resource offering practice tests, video explanations, and personalized study plans designed to help you achieve a perfect SAT score. Ideal for focused, self-paced study.
USC Find Your Counselor: USC website that makes it really easy to find out your point of contact for USC applications
Common App Ready: A series of resources and videos from the Common App team that walk you through each section of the application. Perfect for first-time applicants.

DAILY DEADLINE UPDATES
Important testing dates are coming up!

In the Daily Deadlines section, we will keep you updated on upcoming deadlines in the college admissions world. Remember to not procrastinate and stay ahead of these deadlines!

August SAT: Saturday, August 24
September ACT Registration Deadline: Sunday, August 25
September ACT: Saturday, September 14
University of Texas Early Action Deadline: October 15

THE ARCHIVE
Looking for past mailings?

You can view all our previous posts at our website at https://scholarscoops.beehiiv.com

IDEAS COME FROM EVERYWHERE
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