<p>No college essays asking "Why ___" but "What programs/majors are you interested in and why". No way to get personal...
Or do you make it personal?</p>
<p>You don’t need to talk about the hardships you overcame as a child, but you can still be personal. Ideally you’re picking your major with a good reason, or can at least invent a good reason. Surely something about you or about your life has led you to pick a particular major.</p>
<p>But NU is almost strictly asking about academics:
“What are the unique qualities of Northwestern - and of the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying - that make you want to attend the University? In what ways do you hope to take advantage of the qualities you have identified”
I wanted to get more into choosing NU because I saw myself there and go into it a lot more of course.</p>
<p>Every question is personal, that’s why they’re asking you. That’s not a strictly academic question. If you answer it strictly as an academic question, they aren’t going to be impressed. Anyone can say “NU is a good school in program x and major y and blah.” They want to hear why you see yourself there, and what makes the school right for you. They want to see you legitimately passionate and interested in the school.</p>
<p>If you can’t answer that question honestly and convincingly, you shouldn’t be thinking about going to Northwestern.</p>