Buzz
An extensive guide to sway schools into accepting your application
Many universities mandate a “Why this college?” essay to assess if applicants would seamlessly integrate into their campus. This essay affords you the opportunity to articulate your reasons for choosing a particular college or university and convince their admissions committee that you’d enrich their student body. If you aim to ensure your essay reaches its full potential, search no further. We’ll guide you through the process of researching, outlining, and composing your “Why this college?” essay, while also offering advice on what NOT to do, enabling you to impress your ideal college.
Essential Insights
- When crafting a “Why this college?” essay, delve into the college’s distinctive courses and programs to furnish specific details.
- Avoid discussing generalities such as the college’s ranking, location, or size. Concentrate on how it aligns with your academic aspirations.
- Focus not only on the college but also on yourself. Illuminate your strengths and interests, demonstrating why you’re an ideal match for the institution.
Steps to Success
What exactly constitutes a 'why this college' essay?
This type of essay provides an opportunity for you to elucidate your motivations for selecting a particular college. Admissions committees frequently utilize the 'Why this college?' or 'Why us?' essay prompt to discern your specific interest in their institution, as opposed to a general desire for higher education. It enables them to gauge your potential fit within their campus community and ascertain if their institution aligns with your aspirations. Aim to be exceptionally detailed regarding your educational objectives and delineate how attending this particular institution would contribute to your academic journey, thereby setting yourself apart from other applicants.
- Typically, these essays adhere to a concise word limit, although the exact parameters vary depending on the institution. Generally, they range from 250 to 650 words.
Selecting an Essay Topic
Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the college. Delve into the college's website, paying close attention to majors, courses, distinctive programs, and opportunities to discern what sets this institution apart. Take advantage of both physical and virtual campus tours, and consider reaching out to the admissions office or your regional representative for further insights.
- For a student's perspective, peruse student testimonials and evaluate the overall campus atmosphere on college review platforms, or connect with current or former students for firsthand information.
- Augment your research with expert opinions by consulting sources such as The Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward B. Fiske, Colleges That Change Lives by Loren Pope, or The Best 376 Colleges published by Princeton University.
- If feasible, obtain a syllabus for a course that captures your interest. This will enable you to cite specific examples of how enrolling in courses at this college would enhance your educational journey when composing your essay.
Select your approach based on the essay prompt provided. Although the overarching theme remains constant, various colleges employ slightly different prompts for this essay, tailored to emphasize the qualities they value in prospective students. Scrutinize the wording of the prompt to determine which aspects to emphasize in your essay. Below are some examples of prompts used by colleges for the 'why this college' essay:
- Columbia University: “What factors motivate your decision to apply to this specific university? Elaborate on the aspects of Columbia that resonate with you the most.”
- University of Michigan: “What unique attributes make a particular school or college appealing for your application? How does the proposed curriculum align with your interests and future plans?”
- University of Pennsylvania: “Concerning the undergraduate school you have selected, we are interested in how you intend to cultivate your intellectual pursuits within our university. Describe your approach to exploring these interests within our academic environment.”
- University of Central Florida: “What is the primary rationale behind your decision to join UCF? What specific qualities and characteristics do you possess that would enable you to enrich our academic community?”
Contemplate your educational and career aspirations. Your ambitions and objectives should be the focal point of your college essays. While many can discuss the college itself, only you can elucidate why it's the ideal fit for you. Reflect on your intended major, prospective career paths, and the specific skills and experiences you aim to acquire through college attendance. Then, evaluate how this college aligns with those aspirations.
Organizing and Crafting Your Essay
Generate a comprehensive list of reasons for choosing the college. This list should encompass aspects of the college that appeal to you as well as the attributes you bring as a student. Aim to compile at least 15-20 reasons. While you may not utilize all of them in your essay, having multiple options is advantageous.
- Divide your reasons into three distinct categories: what you seek from the college, what the college offers you, and how you contribute to its community.
- Generally, allocate 70% of your essay to academic considerations and reserve 30% for extracurricular factors.
Select an appropriate essay structure. There isn't a definitive 'right' way to structure your essay; the approach depends on your content and preferred style. However, three common strategies exist: the foundational approach, the unique attributes approach, and the single-value approach. Here's an overview of each:
- The foundational approach: Present 10-15 reasons for choosing the college, categorizing them into key themes and providing specific details for each.
- The unique attributes approach: Focus on 3-5 distinctive opportunities offered by the college and explain their personal relevance to you. This strategy necessitates thorough research to grasp the institution's unique features.
- The single-value approach: Explore a core value shared between you and the college, expanding on that narrative. This approach is more daring, relying on a singular topic that must captivate the reader.
Develop an outline and draft for your essay. With your content and preferred presentation style established, create an outline to delineate the most effective organizational structure. Then, follow this outline to compose your initial draft. Consider the following example:
- Introduction: Present your primary goals and the rationale behind them. To personalize your essay, include a relevant anecdote or experience related to your interests or encounters at the college. Remember to incorporate a compelling thesis statement.
- Body paragraph 1: Discuss your first goal and how the college can facilitate its achievement. Provide specifics about the college's support in your chosen field, including relevant courses and departmental strengths. Support your assertions with evidence.
- Body paragraph 2: Elaborate on your second goal and the college's potential contribution to its realization. For instance, if journalism is your aspiration, discuss opportunities such as involvement with the student newspaper or available internships.
- Body paragraph 3: Address your third goal and how the college aligns with it. If community service holds significance for you, detail specific opportunities and initiatives organized by the college.
- Conclusion: Reinforce your future aspirations and the college's role in supporting them, concluding your essay on a strong note.
Solicit feedback and refine your essay. Once you complete your initial draft, aim to enhance it further. Seek input from a trusted family member, advisor, or teacher, and incorporate relevant feedback into subsequent drafts. Conduct multiple rounds of revisions before finalizing your draft for submission.
Mistakes to Avoid in Your Essay
Avoid making general statements about the college. Refrain from discussing readily available information found online or in the college's brochure. The admissions committee is already familiar with the school's basic details such as size, location, and ranking, and many applicants cover these topics. To distinguish yourself, focus on subjects that are personally relevant to you and your educational objectives.
- While you may have an interest in the college's sports teams or traditions, refrain from discussing them if they are widely known and easily researched.
Avoid relying heavily on emotional language. While it's commendable to feel a sense of belonging upon visiting the campus, similar sentiments are shared by many other applicants. Utilizing emotional generalizations like 'it just felt right' fails to convey why you are an ideal match for the institution.
Avoid using identical essays for multiple colleges. Admissions officers can often discern when a generic essay is repurposed with the college's name inserted, giving the impression of disinterest in the specific institution. Tailor your essay to each individual school, emphasizing its unique attributes.
- It's acceptable to explore similar themes across essays, provided they align with each college's distinct prompt, and ensure authenticity in expressing your interest in that particular institution.
- Crafting a bespoke essay for each college minimizes the risk of errors such as mentioning incorrect mascots or inadvertently including another college's name.
Avoid solely praising the institution. While it's essential to exhibit enthusiasm for the college, remember that this essay also serves to highlight your own qualities. Consider how your presence would enrich the college community and contribute to your educational journey.
- When addressing the prompt 'why us?', broaden your perspective beyond just the college itself. Think of it as a symbiotic relationship between you and the institution.
Refrain from duplicating content from your main application or essay. Admissions officers already have access to your other application materials, so they are acquainted with the information contained within them. Instead of repeating the same details, focus on presenting fresh and pertinent reasons for your interest in the college.
Helpful Suggestions
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While reviewing your essay, pay attention to capitalized words. Capitalization often denotes specific elements related to the college's offerings.
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Practice reading your essay aloud to identify any sections that may sound awkward or unclear.
