Loyola Marymount University 2017-18 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide 

Loyola Marymount University 2017-18 Application Essay Question Explanations

Loyola Marymount eases you into their supplement with a classic why essay, but don’t let your guard down. There are some challenging options in the second section. The instructions say it best: these prompts are an opportunity for you to show off your “creative and critical thinking.” So it’s important to select one that will allow you to showcase your strongest academic skills and intellectual passions. This could be the most direct opportunity you’ll ever get to show (and not tell) admissions how you think. Enjoy it!

The Requirements: Two essays of 500 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why

Please briefly state your reason for wishing to attend LMU and/or how you came to select your major. (500 words)

You’ve probably seen this before: the why essay. Clocking in at 500 words, LMU’s take on this classic prompt is on the long side. There’s only one thing to do, the same thing we always tell you to do: research, research, research. Set aside some quality time to get up close and personal with the school website (or the campus if you’re able to visit) and take some detailed notes on everything that appeals to you. Go deep. Beyond the classes and professors in your department, explore the options for other subjects you’ve always wanted to study. Learn about clubs and special events on campus to get a feel for student life. Read over the school’s mission statement, and get a feel for the local community beyond the campus. You might even want to read up on the notable alumni you admire. By the time you’re done, you’ll have a whole list of reasons for applying to LMU. Now all you have to do is arrange them. Think about telling a story that illustrates your path to LMU: how do its offerings align with your own interests and goals? Or you could paint an aspirational picture of what you’d be like on campus. If you choose to focus on your major, make sure you connect your past experiences to the ones you hope to have at LMU. Show admissions that LMU the ideal fit for you.

Please read the three statements, which all relate to the mission and the values of Loyola Marymount University. Choose the one you find most interesting and thought provoking; then, answer the question which accompanies the statement you select. This essay, usually around 500 words, is your chance to display your critical and creative thinking.

Prompt 1

In his 2015 Papal Encyclical, Laudato Si’, in which he addresses climate change and our collective responsibility to care for our “common home,” Pope Francis , S.J., observes that, “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political, and for the distribution of goods.”

Prompt 1 question:

Much has been written about the environmental implications of climate change, but less about the distribution of goods or the social, economic, and political implications. Which one of these less studied aspects of climate change seems to you most worrisome for our “common home,” and why?

This prompt is for future sociologists, economists, and geologists alike. More than the other options, this one is asking you to make an academic argument, so it’s important to present an informed opinion. We’d recommend setting aside a little time to brush up on the articles, documentaries, and other sources that may have shaped your opinion on the issue. That said, this essay is still supposed to reveal something about you, so don’t be afraid to incorporate experiences or examples from your own life. Perhaps your essay will chronicle how your own views on climate change have grown and changed over the years. Or maybe your essay will be about your firsthand experience with the social implications of climate change – with some hard facts to back you up. For example, perhaps you live in Cape Town, where you have been watching your reservoir disappear over the past few years. We recommend this tricky prompt for those who are already particularly passionate about the issue of climate change or a subject area that is directly related to this question.

Prompt 2

Speaking about education, Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.’’

Prompt 2 question:

Critical thinking is a central goal of Jesuit education, and at LMU you’ll be asked to think critically and intensively in every class. Dr. King suggests that critical thinking results in our ability to inform intelligence with character, and strengthen character with intelligence. Please talk about a situation that demanded critical thinking from you, and how your choices or decisions integrated intelligence and character.

Unlike the previous question, this prompt directly solicits a personal story. A somewhat nebulous term, “critical thinking” could mean a whole range of things from media literacy to problem-solving. So think about a time in your life when you decided not to take something at face value, whether it was a big challenge or a seemingly basic aspect of the status quo. Maybe hearing adults say, “no” has always felt like the start of a negotiation, from convincing your parents to extend your bedtime to visiting your local elected officials to lobby for important issues. What has this lifelong experience taught you about human stubbornness and compromise? Or perhaps you’re a movie buff who also happens to be a future chemistry major, and you decided to start a blog to break down the science in some of your favorite movies. As you can see the examples can be both big and small, formal and informal. The key is to choose a story that connects to an issue or idea that matters to you enough to take an intellectual risk or two.

Prompt 3

A motto often associated with Jesuit and Marymount schools is ‘‘Educating men and women for others.’’ Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the former head of the Jesuits, once said that ‘‘our prime educational objective must be to form men and women for others, who believe that a love of self or of God which does not issue forth in justice for the least of their neighbors is a farce.’’

Prompt 3 question:

What do you think Fr. Arrupe meant when he said this? Please give an example of someone you know, other than your teachers and parents, who works for justice for the least of their neighbors.

Well, it wouldn’t be right of us to break down this quote, since that’s a part of the assignment. Plus, your unique interpretation will reveal a lot about how you see the world. But we can advise you not to dwell on it for too long. There’s a second part to this question that we think is much more interesting (and it might help guide your interpretation of the quote!). LMU wants you to tell a story about someone special in your life “who works for justice for the least of their neighbors.” The first challenge is to come up with someone outside of your parents and teachers who fits the bill. Who do you admire? Your cousin who always has time to listen to you or anyone else who needs her help? Or maybe it’s George, at the old age home where you volunteer, who always regales you with tales of his years in the Peace Corps. No matter who you come up with, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll choose someone you’ve connected to beyond your most immediate community — and that’s the whole point of this question. Even though LMU is technically asking you to write about someone else, this essay should still reveal something about you. What are the qualities you admire in other people? How have the people in your life helped you understand and define the meaning of justice and service to others? Use vivid anecdotes to reveal yourself as a keen observer and demonstrate how this person has shaped who you are today.