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Master the WHY OUR SCHOOL? Essay Question
Posted by on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 10:05 PM (PST)
Colleges generally include a question in their application (or their Common App supplement) asking why you’re interested in attending their school, and many students make the mistake of responding with something like this:
“School X is a highly respected school with a good business program, which will help me get a good job in the future. Also, I like the location near the (beach/mountains/city/whatever).”
There are two problems with an answer like this:
- It makes the school sound like every other school in the country
- In doing so, it makes the student sound like every other John/Jane Doe applicant in the country
The fact is, no two colleges are the same, and admission officers want to know they’re admitting the students that fit best at their school. And to quote my colleague Shannon Meairs from her article The Dirty Little Secret Colleges Won’t Tell You, colleges want students that want them. They want students that are excited to attend, and that will make the most of the opportunities available to them on campus.
So what does this mean for the “Why our School” essay questions? Basically, it means you need to convince every admission officer you’re dying to attend their college, whether it’s really your first choice or not. It means your answers need to be customized, specific, and loaded with passion. Here are a few suggestions:
- Talk about “fit.” The ideal college-student relationship helps both the college and the student reach their goals. When a college offers precisely the combination of resources and opportunities the student needs to bring his or her future vision to life, it’s a great fit, and when the student makes maximum use of those resources and contributes powerfully both inside and outside the classroom, s/he is a great fit for the school. Discuss the reasons why this is a perfect match.
- Do your homework, and be specific. A vague, generic response (like the one at the beginning of this post) will suggest that you’re likely to be just as happy at another school, and this is a major turnoff to admission officers. Instead, demonstrate your passion through an awareness of the school’s uniqueness. Discuss specific courses, professors, campus clubs, leadership opportunities, research opportunities, and/or campus traditions that intrigue you. And connect these interests with your future goals to demonstrate the “fit” described in #1!
- If you can, visit the campus. Nothing provides a better sense of “fit” than a campus visit, and essays rooted in personal experience are always more powerful and vibrant.
- If a school is your first choice, it can’t hurt to tell them so. Colleges are always concerned about their “yield” (the percentage of accepted students that enroll), and they’ll be glad to know you’ll enroll without hesitation if admitted.
Make colleges feel special, and they’re far more likely to return the favor!
Justin
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