Do people actually name-drop university programs/classes/professors in their supplemental essays?

Lindagaf
Fri, 31 Oct 2025 19:12:08 +0000

I didn’t think the point of @ECCA2026 ‘s post was to be political. I think the point being made was that MIT is an individualistic institution with its own rock-solid ideals and goals. The student could find a way to express themselves to show their own mindset aligns.

I keep saying SHOW. Showing is much more interesting than telling.

Made up and not very scientifically accurate example:

It’s okay to say “I’ve been conducting experiments in my garage since I was seven and discovered many things. My parents didn’t mind if I messed up the garage.” It’s probably much better to say “Since I was seven, I’ve conducted experiments in my garage, ranging from a baking soda volcano to monitoring the effects of the local factory on our own microclimate. Using old glass jars in our garage, I learned that our summers have become more humid as the factory ramped up production of ___. I want to utilize MIT’s ___ lab so I can learn more about the effects of __ on climate.”