Hi, I plan on applying Early Decision 2 to BU this upcoming January. The only part of the application I have yet to finish is their question which is “What about being a student at Boston University most excites you?” Of course I love the school that’s why I am applying EDII but how do I answer this question? Any helpful hints or suggestions? Thanks a bunch
Be specific in telling why you love BU. Have you visited the campus? Do friends and family go there? Does it have a special major not offered elsewhere, or have facilities and resources not found elsewhere? What have you learned about BU that makes you want to go there? Did you look up the student organizations (clubs) and find a bunch you want to get involved with? Have you checked out housing options? Are there club sports you want to get involved with on campus? Why is BU a great fit for you? Have you been to Boston many times? How do you envision fitting in at BU and contributing to the life of the university? Is there research being done there that you want to get involved with? Any other special programs BU offers like study abroad that you plan to participate in? They want to know if you have learned much about the university, and if you have thought about why it’s a great place for you and how you will get involved once you are there. You don’t have to address all the questions I posed, but those are to get you thinking about some topics you could write about based on what has attracted you to BU.
Thanks a lot this is very helpful. I wasn’t sure what questions to answer and now you have me a ton of material. A follow up question I guess would be, how do I write it? Do I use words like “I”? Am I trying to write as many different “things” as possible or am I trying to give a lot of detail to a small amount information. I don’t know how easy what I just wrote is to read but if anyone could answer this it would be appreciated.
I don’t know how many words you have available for this particular essay, but you could do both – give a lot of detail for 1 to 3 main reasons that you chose BU, and then state succinctly some other reasons you like BU. Notice the phrasing of the question: “What about being a student at Boston University most excites you?” If you consider what MOST excites you, then that would be perhaps 1 to 3 things, with the other things you like being secondary to the primary reasons for choosing BU (e.g., “What most excites me about BU is that it offers X… give details… Some other things that excite me about BU include X, X and X. Conclusion…”). If there really are many things you like equally, then that comprehensive offering of BU could be what most excites you about it (e.g., “What I like most is that BU offers more of the things I am looking for including X, X and X… give details… Some other things BU offers that I like include X and X. Conclusion…”) If one reason really stands out above any others that is unique to BU, you can certainly focus on that in your essay (e.g., “While I like many things about BU, including X, X and X, the one thing that most excites me about attending BU is X… give details… Conclusion…”)
There are a million ways to write an essay and phrase your response, including potentially creative ways (such as envisioning a day in the life at BU once you are there). Just focus on what the question is asking for, and write a response that answers the question and reflects you and how you think and write. Don’t copy my phrasing above – just use that for ideas on ways you can structure your response.
Of course you can “use words like ‘I’” in your response. The question asks what “most excites you,” so it is logical to use “I” in your response. If I take you to an ice cream parlor and ask which flavor you like most, I imagine you would answer using “I” and you would give me one flavor or a limited number of flavors you like most, and provide details. If you had to choose one scoop, which one, and why? Same if I ask you which sports you like most. How would you answer that question? Wouldn’t you use "I’ in your response, and state one sport or a limited number of sports you like most, and then give details on one or more reasons for your choice? (“I like ice hockey and snow skiing the most because I grew up in the Rockies and was skating and skiing by the time I learned to walk… give examples… Conclusion”)
Picture that you are having a casual conversation with an admissions rep, and that person asks, “What about being a student at BU most excites you?” You are sitting at a cafe and very relaxed. You have shared small talk and jokes with this person and are in your element. Now you get this question. Answer it, and make it personal and convincing and interesting, with sufficient detail only you could provide because it is unique to who you are and why BU excites you.
Thank you