Many students worry that having multiple academic interests will make them seem “unfocused” in college admissions. In reality, interdisciplinary thinking, the ability to connect ideas across fields, is one of the most valuable qualities admissions officers look for today.
In a landscape where thousands of applicants share similar GPAs and activities, students who can synthesize different areas of curiosity demonstrate deeper intellectual engagement and a more authentic academic identity.
Below, we will explain why interdisciplinary thinking matters, how students can highlight it in their applications, and how to do so with a clear, cohesive narrative.
Colleges know that a 16- or 17-year-old is still figuring things out. You don’t need to know your major yet — but you do need to show that you’re curious, engaged, and open to exploring ideas.
Selective colleges evaluate students holistically. They want to understand not just what you study, but how you think.
Interdisciplinary students naturally explore connections, such as:
This kind of cross-disciplinary mindset suggests curiosity, creativity, and adaptability, which are the key traits for college-level learning.
Colleges value students who are intellectually curious and unafraid to explore complex, multi-faceted ideas. Interdisciplinary thinkers often bring a fresh perspective to the classroom—and that’s something admissions officers actively look for.
A great example comes from the University of Chicago, which recently asked applicants:
“From Michelin Tires creating the Michelin Guide, to the audio equipment company Audio-Technica becoming one of the world’s largest manufacturers of sushi robots, brand identity can turn out to be a lot more flexible than we think. Choose an existing brand, company, or institution and propose an unexpected but strangely logical new product or service for them to launch. Why is this unlikely extension exactly what the world (or the brand) needs right now?”
This prompt celebrates exactly what interdisciplinary students excel at: making unexpected connections and thinking creatively across domains.
The world needs people who can think across disciplines, who can see connections others miss, and who can bring fresh perspectives to old challenges. Admissions committees are looking for students who will bring something unique to their programs. Your curiosity about multiple fields is a sign of intellectual vitality.
Many institutions highlight interdisciplinary education at the core of their mission:
Brown University’s Open Curriculum empowers students to design their own educational journey, resulting in some of the most innovative and successful graduates in the country.
Stanford University offers majors such as Science, Technology, and Society, which blends engineering, ethics and sociology to study the real-world impact of innovation.
Liberal arts colleges like Williams, Swarthmore and Pomona are renowned for producing graduates who can think critically across disciplines and adapt to rapidly changing career landscapes.
Northeastern University offers combined majors that reflect how industries actually operate, like International Business and Environmental Studies, or Computer Science and Psychology.
Of course, applying to these schools is still highly competitive. Every major at Stanford or Brown is competitive, and Northeastern has similar admit rates to some top-tier colleges. But for students who can articulate a genuine interdisciplinary interest, these programs can be an excellent fit—and a strategic advantage in college admissions.
Admissions officers won’t automatically understand your connections — you need to make them explicit across your application.
Through course selection:
Choosing advanced coursework that reflects bridging interests and can show an intentional academic path.
Through activities and impact:
Projects that blend fields often stand out:
Through essays and storytelling:
The personal statement and supplemental essays are ideal places to articulate:
4. Through recommendations
Teachers who see how you make connections across disciplines can reinforce this theme. Their letters often reveal how you think, not just what you know.
This is the most frequent worry we hear from parents. The key is presentation and connection. A student interested in marine biology, creative writing and environmental policy isn’t scattered if they can articulate how these interests connect—perhaps they want to communicate scientific research to influence environmental policy. The difference between “scattered” and “interdisciplinary” is the ability to draw meaningful connections between your interests.
A good rule of thumb: if your child can’t explain how their interests relate to each other or to their future goals, it might be too broad. Successful interdisciplinary students typically have 2-3 core areas that genuinely connect, rather than five completely unrelated interests. Quality of engagement matters more than quantity—being deeply involved in fewer, connected activities is more effective than participating in many disconnected ones at a surface level.
What colleges value most is self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to connect the dots. Even if your child’s interests—like biology and creative writing, or computer science and music—seem unrelated, there’s often a deeper thread tying them together. If your student can reflect on why each interest matters to them and how they’ve grown from exploring both, it can form a powerful and authentic admissions story.
We help families recognize that diverse interests aren’t a weakness—they’re a strength. And more importantly, we help students showcase that strength with strategy, clarity and authenticity. Here’s how:
Every student has a unique combination of interests, talents, and perspectives. The goal isn’t to fit into a predetermined mold, but to discover and develop your own distinctive strengths. Ready to help your student discover their unique interdisciplinary strengths? Book a free consultation with us and learn how we help your student embrace their intellectual curiosity while building a compelling case for college admission.
Marc is the author of Untangling the Ivy League, a best-selling guidebook on the Ancient Eight. He earned a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Marc chaired the admissions ambassadors at Cornell and the admissions advisory board at UNC.
