The title was kind of worded poorly but basically. I am applying for cognitive science. One component of cognitive science is the intersection between psychology and linguistics. Language acquisition is a huge part of cognitive psychology in general. Is choosing to focus on specifically psycholinguistics a bit too specific for this subject I am passionate ate about? I want to connect my experiences volunteering at a preschool to interning at a lab that studies language acquisition in children and expand on my interest by talking about courses i’ve taken out of school related to linguistics and child psychology.
This PIQ doesn’t ask you to prove your knowledge about a subject. I think, by saying that cognitive science and/or psycholinguistics inspires you, you run the risks of spending too much time defining the subject and not enough time telling about yourself.
What are you going to say about the preschool and the lab in the activities section? The PIQ should tell a story about how your interest developed and what you did to learn more about the subject. Did your interest cause you seek out the opportunities or did the activities inspire your interest in the subject? When you say you took courses related to those subjects, what were the courses? Did they come after you became interested or before? Make sure to be reflective and state what you gained from your involvement.
6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
Things to consider: Many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can’t get enough of. If that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom — such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs — and what you have gained from your involvement.
Has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or future career? Have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, AP, IB, college or university work)? Are you inspired to pursue this subject further at UC, and how might you do that?