Utility-value interventions, which prompt students to reflect on the utility value (i.e., usefulness) of academic topics, have been found to increase perceptions of value and interest in the material. I tested the hypothesis that different ways of emphasizing utility value may work differently for individuals whose identities and goals are more “interdependent” (i.e., defined in relation to other people). “Other-oriented” utility-value writing (i.e., writing about value for others or in a letter to others) may be especially powerful for more interdependent individuals. I examined this possibility across three studies, attending to the roles of subject (i.e., other vs. self) and format (i.e., letter vs essay) in such effects, and examining interdependence both culturally (in terms of race/ethnicity and social class) and as an individual difference, regardless of culture. In Study 1, I analyzed data from a prior study in which introductory biology students (n = 579) were randomly assigned to write different numbers of self-focused utility-value essays and other-focused letters. In Study 2, I conducted an experiment with online panelists (n = 587), using a design that tested the separate effects of subject and format. In Study 3, I randomly assigned students in a diverse two-year college (n = 541) to write different numbers of self-focused utility-value essays and other-focused letters, or to write only control essays. Across the three studies, I found evidence that other-oriented utility-value writing was associated with increased perceptions of value and interest for individuals who reported greater levels of interdependence, regardless of culture. Results of Study 2 suggest that these effects may have been driven by the letter format, rather than reflection on utility value for another person. Linguistic analyses of writing style and content suggest that the letter format may be powerful because it evokes more socially-oriented writing. I discuss the implications of these findings for theory and practice.