Mercedes Farias
Mercedes Farias
Assistant Director of Admissions
Tips for applying
Your application is the #1 way to advocate for yourself during the admission process, so take advantage of it!
Take time on your essays. Use spell check. Have other people read it and give you feedback. Make sure it’s unique to you. If you want to write about getting injured in sports or taking on a hobby during the pandemic, great! What did you learn from that experience, and most importantly, how did you apply those lessons?
Find some people who know how great you are and have them write you a recommendation letter (no more than two though, please).
Your list of activities is your resume. Put everything on there, and I mean everything. Do you have to babysit your siblings while your parents are at work? Put that in there. Were you in Anime Club? Did you work at McDonalds? Put it all in there. There’s way more to your application than grades and test scores, so make the most of this opportunity!
Favorite Purdue tradition
My favorite Purdue tradition is the College of Agriculture’s Spring Fest! There’s a ton of traditions within Spring Fest as well, like the Bug Bowl — sponsored by our entomology department — and a huge plant sale in the greenhouses. It’s a really fun way to celebrate the start of spring.