<p>When replying to the "Why ________ uni/college?" question, how do you show your passion through the essay? I mean, if you selected the university after checking rankings, finaid available, class size and that sort of thing, what do you write without sounding too general? This is assuming you don't have a chance to visit the university.</p>
<p>Maybe you could talk about how that particular university is suited for your interests/major. Perhaps you're interested in biology and there's a well-respected biology research centre or the professors for biology are well-known in the field.
(Note: This is just speculation; I haven't begun the college application process, nor do I have I personally spoken to anyone who has gone through the process about the essays)</p>
<p>DO NOT tell them how good they are, they already know that plus they probably hate sycophants.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies ppl..
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DO NOT tell them how good they are, they already know that plus they probably hate sycophants.
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tht's only for top unis probably....the low ranked unis know they aren't tht good and will perhaps be flattered...:D</p>
<p>and keep the replies coming... ;)</p>
<p>yea, don't do what i did. i had to write that kind of essay for like 6 different schools...at the last minute. so i wrote a template and just substitued the schools' names =P
get specific!</p>
<p>Basically, for what I know, they don't like being sucked up to, but they do like to know what you find so extraordinary in them. Be as specific as possible - after writing the essay, try substiuting the institution's name with another one's and if 50% is still true, edit the essay.</p>
<p>
[quote]
but they do like to know what you find so extraordinary in them
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so i could probably try and find out what's unique about the college and try to focus on tht? </p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Yes, unique qualities of the college are certainly a must. You must show you did your research dilligently and you have strong reasons for applying there (besides it's a prestigious school and you earn a lot of money out of it). Take my advice with a grain of salt, for I am only looking at the American college admission process from outside!</p>
<p>Talk about how that college suits your interests and ideals, and how you could be a perfect match and contribition to the school as well. Then the school will believe you have truly done your research and sense your strong desire of attending it if you're admitted.</p>
<p>I read some of Penn's research news on Penn's research website and wrote as the intro about some of them. I browsed through courses, read course descriptions and found some that really interested me. I visited the housing web site and loved the dorms for its diversity and tight-knitness. Also, I said that I was interested in some of their special programs, and some clubs that specifically fit my interest. I spent totally 4 hours reading Penn's website. That "why" essay was also the reason I chose to attend Penn, because it was the strong reason itself.</p>