Prompt: Why Northwestern (300 words)
Essay:
Purple represents rarity and ambition— two qualities embodied by Northwestern’s diverse academic programs and student body.
As a Wildcat, I hope to attend the School of Education and Social Policy as a Social Policy major. This unique major combines many of my broader topics of interests, such as sociology, economics, and political science, to form an interdisciplinary subject that will allow me to explore my diverse interests without limitation. SESP’s practicum internship combined with the opportunities that come with an expansive alumni network and the support of Northwestern’s advisors will give me the chance to meaningfully apply what I have learned, potentially even working as an intern in an office on Capitol Hill. Furthermore, the quarter system will allow me to take classes outside of my school— not solely for fun, but for credit in the form of minors and certificates; minors in Weinberg such as Legal Studies will encourage me to focus on my pre-law aspirations, while certificates in Kellogg will arm me even further with knowledge in management and finance.
I know I will fit right in with the Northwestern community; I know that a team’s spirit is derived from its character, not just the number of wins. At Northwestern, the team represents an encompassing love of learning combined with the pride of a Big Ten school. And as it just so happens, I look pretty good in purple.
Tips for Writing:
Do your research! Learn about specific programs that you want to take part in and connect them back to yourself. Find classes that you want to take, professors that you like, and think about. Explore majors, minors, clubs, school traditions— basically just read their whole website. If you learn enough about a school to truly convince yourself you want to go there, writing about it will be easy. Find specific, unique aspects of the school that you can’t find anywhere else. If your essay could be used for multiple schools with some name changes, then it doesn’t answer the prompt of why you want to go to THIS school in particular. Student-run college forums (like Reddit!) can give you specific, unique insights on the school if you get stuck.