For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Application Data section. If you are currently undecided, please write about any field or fields in which you may have interest at this time, but have not yet selected as a major interest. (1500 character max)
During frequent trips to Barnes & Noble with my dad, I often find myself in the psychology section, reading the latest book by Malcolm Gladwell or flipping through an issue of Psychology Today magazine. My love for psychology began in the summer of 2010, when I picked up my brother's Psychology 101 textbook and read it to see if it was interesting. To my own surprise, I quickly became fascinated by the complexities of the human psyche and ended up reading the entire volume. Questions raised by the textbook piqued my interest and forced my mind to analyze from new angles-How come so many people believe in ESP? Why are average IQ scores rising with each decade? As the textbook discussed the role of human thinking in explaining these phenomenon and others, I began to realize the significance of psychology in our everyday lives. Ever since then, I have been fascinated by the complex world of the human psyche. There are so many interesting books and articles on the topic that I enjoy reading, and learning about psychology helps me better understand both myself and those around me. As a subject, it is something I would definitely be interested in exploring further at Cornell University. Cornell offers several facilities for psychology majors, including large research spaces, laboratory equipment, and an extensive computer complex. I believe that The College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell is the perfect learning environment for me to pursue my passion of psychology.
Additionally, I am very interested in the medical field and am considering majoring in biology as well. In my bedroom lies a copy of The Duke Encyclopedia of New Medicine, a reference book containing detailed descriptions of medical conditions such as pharyngitis and sleep apnea, as well as descriptions of the methods used to treat them. Reading this book and learning about the various disorders and diseases are what sparked my interest in biology. I am filled with wonder at the everyday processes that occur in our bodies, and believe that there is so much more information scientists have yet to discover on the subject. I am especially intrigued by the biological origins of infections and disease and want to major in biology to gain an in-depth understanding of the field and use that knowledge to make a difference. One day, I hope to become a medical doctor so that I can treat people with health conditions and help them lead better, healthier lives; studying biology at Cornell would help me reach this goal. All in all, these two subjects-psychology and biology-are ones that I am very passionate about. I would love to study them intensely at Cornell University, and am excited for the all the knowledge I have yet to learn.
Hi,
Your essay has great support behind each topic. I think that the psychology section of your essay does not flow well together, but again does show your interest in psychology. If you have room maybe you want to explain more about what in psychology that fascinates you. One thing that bothers me is that you have split your essay into three different parts and that really limits on your chance to make any part stand out. I'm sure you're not considering to major in all three fields so if one of these majors can be taken out, it would leave you with a lot more room to elaborate on the two. Overall, good grammar and flow :]
I, honestly, didn't catch many grammatical mistakes at all haha. Content-wise I believe it is fine as they do explain your interests in psychology and biology. For improvement, I would suggest maybe mentioning a specific program at Columbia that could apply for either or both of your interests -- to personalize the essay for the specific college, y'know? ^^
Good luck! And thank you for the edit!
