University Admissions
University AdmissionsHard
“What research topic interests you, and why does it matter?”
Expected Duration: 2-3 mins
Sample Answer
I want to research low-cost groundwater quality monitoring for rural Afghanistan. Over 60% of Kabul’s shallow wells exceed safe salinity limits, but testing one sample costs more than a family earns in a week. My proposed approach uses community volunteers with simple test strips and a smartphone reporting app — the research question is whether that data quality is good enough for public-health decisions. The stakes are real: without affordable monitoring, interventions target the wrong villages.
Strong Example
“I want to study why 40% of returned migrants re-migrate within two years — existing surveys stop at the border; I plan to follow 50 families for 18 months.”
Weak Example
“I am interested in many topics — climate change, education, economy. I am open to whatever the department suggests.”
How to Answer
Show a specific problem, a method, and why you are the person to study it. A topic you can’t connect to your own experience reads as borrowed from the internet.
Common Mistakes
- Listing multiple unrelated interests
- No research question — just a broad theme
- Nothing linking the topic to Afghanistan or your experience
Follow-up Questions
- Q: What methodology would you use?
- Q: Which existing studies on this topic have you read?