Alright, it’s storytime!
This is about our client and how he wrote his Purdue University essays.
We’re going to be reviewing step-by-step how we guided him through the Purdue Supplemental essay prompts.
It’s important for you to follow this guide as closely as possible.
This is because the Purdue essay prompts are so short. Because of the 100 word limit, every word counts. Not only does it have to leave a good impression, but it needs to stand out amongst other very short essays.
Everything past this point will cover the following: one, how hard it is to get accepted into Purdue University; two, how to write the Purdue University essays; three, example essays.
Let’s take a look!
Table of Contents
- How Hard is it to Get Accepted Into Purdue University?
- How to Write the Purdue University Essays.
- Purdue Prompt 1 Essay Example: How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom? (Respond in 100 words or fewer.)
- Purdue Prompt 2 Essay Example: Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (Respond in 100 words or fewer.)
How Hard is it to Get Accepted Into Purdue University?
Let’s discuss Purdue’s admissions chances.
Purdue University has an admissions rate of 67%.
Remember: Purdue’s high school GPA range at the 50th percentile is 3.5-3.9. This is a highly competitive academic makeup. Thus, if you are lacking in academics, writing a strong essay will be critical to your success.
The essays serve as a tool to help the admissions officers discriminate between all the other students. Even if you score in the 50th percentile in academic performance, you’ll need more than that to truly secure your acceptance to Purdue.
How to Write the Purdue University Essays.
As you can see, both of the Purdue University essay prompts are quite similar.
They seem to be some variation of a “why us” essay. Our interpretation of this is that the first Purdue University essay prompt explores more of the practical aspects. The second one, on the other hand, dives more in-depth with your reasons for choosing Purdue University.
At the end of the day, make sure you demonstrate your value as an asset to the school. This is important.
The university admissions officers have a job of understanding why accepting you should be a net positive for their school. So, the “why us” essay question answers that indirectly. You’ll need to incorporate some element of why you’ll be a great addition to the school such that, if they truly accepted you, they would profit from your presence.
Let’s say you plan to be a great fit for Purdue because they are a school that is most popular for business and computer science. Now, let’s say that you’re planning on using those resources to build a project for your future career that would cross-discipline those fields to make a software company.
Notice how that implication helps the admissions officers see how your aspirations will help their future reputation and notoriety in the academic field? Your success through their resources will inexorably bring them success as well, and you need to imply this in your essays.
From here, we’ll cover first the example essay and then our writing advice for the prompt.
Purdue Prompt 1 Essay Example: How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom? (Respond in 100 words or fewer.)
“By pursuing computer science at Purdue, I will use courses such as “Large Scale Data Analytics” and “Web Information Search And Management” to expand my existing platform that generates funds for the needy.
I’d also love the opportunity to work with Professor Christopher Clifton, as his publication, “Combating discrimination using Bayesian networks”, aligns with my goals to use computer science for healing our societal wellbeing. Purdue’s Alpha Phi Omega will also connect me with more service ideas outside of my Indian community that may parallel my aspirations.”
Purdue University Essay Prompt 1, Computer Science
Advice on Prompt 1
- This is not just a regular “why us” essay. This essay prompt inexorably ties you up with it as well. That means: why are you someone who will benefit from the school, and not just the other way around? People benefit from schools all the time, but what is the benefit for you?
- There is typically an earth-shattering reason too spend thousands of dollars and years of time investing into a school. Thus, reasons for applying like having a pretty campus or having good food are bad ones. Try to find something about the school that would make you into a “whole” person.
- Imagery can be strong, but it shouldn’t be alone. When they ask for how opportunities at the schooll support your interests, talk about the literal too.
- Remember to avoid common topics. If you thought about your topic very quickly, it is probably going to be commonly used.
- Keep in mind the competitiveness of the school. This question asks how you’ll capitalize on the school to make the most of it, so they obviously want you to be someone who benefits most. Demosntrate how much it can affect your life to take the opportunities at Purdue –it’ll make you someone who is more deserving of a spot.
Purdue Prompt 2 Essay Example: Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (Respond in 100 words or fewer.)
“I pursue computer science because I am bewitched by its miracles.
Its revolutionary contributions to STEM and the world could only be described as supernatural. For instance, In the medical field, I’ve seen technological innovations driven by computer science conduct surgeries originally thought impossible for human capabilities. It actualized impossibilities that, ironically, transcend rationality itself.
I often think to myself, “Of all generations, I live in one saved by innovation and technology: what a miracle!”
To pursue computer science means contributing to the most phenomenal technological era. My vision is to be a part of that innovative, revolutionary journey.”
Purdue University Essay Prompt 2, Computer Science
Advice on Prompt 2
- Don’t forget to discuss WHY you were interested in a particular major. Notice how in this essay example that the applicant was in awe by the seemingly supernatural aspects of STEM? This touches at a much more broad biew of why the applicant was interested in their field outside of just financial and academic pursposes.
- Take a wider perspective. Look at the last part of the essay example. Here we can see the applicant discussed wanting to be a part of the “revolutionary journey”. The implication behind this is that being accepted into Purdue also means being able to be a part of this “journey”. Thus, more is at stake than just the disploma.
- Think hard, very hard, about just exactly WHAT is interesting about the major you pursued. If you said you were pursuing mathematics because you “are just so passionate about equations”, it’s difficult for admissions officers to take you seriously. Think a bit beyond the surface level of what a topic can provide. There’s more to Math than just the numbers on the paper. How do you notice it influencing the aspects of your life?
- Show determination. Seriously. This is hard to do, espeically if you’re a high school student or Sophomore in college. Nonetheless, you need to show that you’re not just floating around in a sea of chaos. Pick a major and show how you’re determined to pursue that. In this essay, we can see the applicant had chosen a major that they were very much invested in, so they zeroed in on it and deconstructed why he would like to aim singel-mindedly at that.
If you are still wondering how to write the Purdue University essays, you may want to consider speaking with an admissions consultant. Contact us for a free essay review and advice. We would get back to you within 24 hours.
