<p>A college application supplement I’m filling in has asked me what my favorite subject is. Seems simple enough, right? But I’m just wondering…</p>
<p>If I’m applying with interest in majoring in Biological Sciences would it appear off if I named something other than Biology as a favorite subject?</p>
<p>Penn had a question similar to this on their application last year, asking which professor you would most like to study with. I was applying as a chemical engineer but said I would like to study with a professor in the English dept, trying to show versatility.</p>
<p>I was waitlisted, so I don’t really know how much it helped. I would say be honest above all else; don’t make something up to appear multifaceted as adcoms will likely pick up on your dishonesty. But if you truly have a passion for the other subject and can write with candor and passion about it, then go for it!</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply, nvilla.</p>
<p>But to clarify, this is for a section separate from the essay question. It’s for a “fast facts” section tacked on to the end that asks for one sentence (sometimes one word) answers (e.g. 3 words to describe yourself, favorite subject, role model). Therefore, I’m not given the chance to passionately express/elaborately explain the choice. Taking that into consideration, would it be weird to fill it in with a subject that doesn’t correspond with my intended major?</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong; I’m not here trying to make things up. So you know where I’m coming from–
I only ask my question because I was never really one to pick and label things as “favorites” (mostly because I’m something of an indecisive person). However, for this purpose, I know it wouldn’t hurt to just commit to one and write it down. I also know it would make sense to write down Biology as favorite subject, and I did love taking Biology.
The thing is, in high school, I was only given the opportunity to take one course in Biology (which is why I’m even questioning whether to write it down), but wonder if it would seem just as weird to have Biology as a favorite if I only had one year of it (freshman year). I wouldn’t want that to be mistaken as dishonesty, so have been wondering if it would be safer to write down a subject I did have more courses in (and also liked) even if it isn’t one that matches the major I want.</p>
<p>I hope that makes sense…</p>
<p>Other opinions?</p>
<p>Put yourself in the adcoms’ shoes–is there any indication that you’ve liked this other subject on your app? If not, just say Bio. It’s not that weird for a freshman course to have continued inspiring you. In fact, many graduated seniors say that their best teacher and class was freshman world history with an incredible teacher at my school. </p>
<p>That being said, putting another subject than Bio isn’t a huge deal. I’m sure adcoms understand that you can stumble across a terrific class in an area unrelated to your projected major. A good class is a good class, one where you learn to think and to defend your ideas, to write well-constructed papers/complete intricate problem sets, etc. The fundamentals of intellect apply across disciplines, and adcoms know this, especially at schools where a liberal arts education is emphasized.</p>
<p>Put yourself in the adcoms’ shoes–is there any indication that you’ve liked this other subject on your app? If not, just say Bio. It’s not that weird for a freshman course to have continued inspiring you. In fact, many graduated seniors say that their best teacher and class was freshman world history with an incredible teacher at my school. </p>
<p>That being said, putting another subject than Bio isn’t a huge deal. I’m sure adcoms understand that you can stumble across a terrific class in an area unrelated to your projected major. A good class is a good class, one where you learn to think and to defend your ideas, to write well-constructed papers/complete intricate problem sets, etc. The fundamentals of intellect apply across disciplines, and adcoms know this, especially at schools where a liberal arts education is emphasized.</p>