Purdue University's wording, checked October 26, 2026“Briefly discuss your reasons for choosing your major and your interest in studying at this campus location (Indianapolis or West Lafayette).”
How to approach it
- 1Give the experience behind the major.
- 2Explain the campus choice with real reasons.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1Why the major, through experience.
- 2Why this campus, specifically.
- 3How the two fit your plans.
Where the 250 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| Where the interest comes from | about 90 |
| How you think about the subject | about 80 |
| Your path at this college | about 90 |
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the campus part.
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Purdue answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 250 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| Where the interest comes from | A specific, preferably recent experience (a class, project, job, reading, problem) shows the interest is real, not a stated passion. |
| How you think about it | The reader sees the applicant's own thinking: a question they pursue, a connection they made, a view of the field. |
| Your path at this college | It names how this school's curriculum, structure or opportunities fit the plan, specifically enough that it would not fit another school unchanged. |
| Purdue's ask | Covers both the major and the chosen campus location (Indianapolis or West Lafayette). |
Check your Purdue answers
Paste this answer (and any other Purdue answers you have). One report covers all of them: the checklist above for each, a note on every sentence, coaching questions and a revision plan. Half a token, or your first review free. We never write a word of it.
Check your college supplemental essays
Your first full review is free. Every answer reviewed in one report.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Common App or any college.
Open the picker and search for a college to see its 2026–27 supplemental questions.
No card needed · one free full review per student · we never write your answers
Questions
More on Purdue and this kind of question
- Princeton: Academic interests (A.B.) · 250 words
- Princeton: Why engineering at Princeton (B.S.E.) · 250 words
- Columbia: Your preferred areas of study · 150 words
- Penn: College of Arts and Sciences · 50-200 words
- Penn: The Wharton School · 50-200 words
- Penn: Penn Engineering · 50-200 words