To make a long story short, I’m currently a freshman at a college in a small city that’s basically a college town, and I really want to be in a larger city since that’s where I feel happier, more “inspired”, etc. I don’t have any major complaints with my college right now, I just need to be in a more energetic environment because I find that motivating. The colleges I want to apply to are very selective, so I’m worried that focusing on the environment alone will make them think, “Why doesn’t he just go to (less selective college)?” and that’s a fair point. I mean, I could explain that and then go to the cookie cutter, “Various courses and clubs your college provides such as ____ and ____ would be beneficial to building my character and my knowledge” but that’s obviously not very inspiring. Of course there would be benefits to transferring to a larger/more esteemed university but they’re not things that I’m being severely held back from at my college.
So basically, is it a big no-no to focus on my desire for living in a larger city? If yes, how could I incorporate that into an essay while focusing on the school I’m applying to? Another thing I’m worried about is sounding too cliché when describing why I want to be in a larger city.
It isn’t nessicarily a big no no to want to live in a larger city - as long as you can clearly communicate your reasons for wanting to do so in your essays. Is there a specific city that you feel you would thrive in? If you put that in your essay then they wouldn’t just say “why didn’t he just go to another university?” You would have a valid reason for wanting to go to that institution. You would have a connection with that city and therefore it would make sense that you want to go to that university.
To avoid sounding cliche you need to keep your story completely personal. Tell about very specific and personal instances that you have had in big cities and how you grew intellectually from them.
What schools are you applying to? Be sure that you are a good fit before you even bother applying. A good fit makes all the difference. So does a good essay. And if you can tie your essay into the fact hat you’re an excellent fit then great, you’re a good candidate.
@matinee24 the city I’ve had in mind for many years has been Chicago, I do have stories I could tell on my experiences with the city and why I like it, and for that reason my top choices have always been Northwestern and UChicago. Unfortunately, I didn’t get accepted into the study abroad program for next year which I was counting on, so I’m having to apply for the few colleges that aren’t already past transfer application deadline. Luckily, Northwestern is one of them, and that was my absolute top choice, so it could either be fate or just bad timing…
Anyway, I’ve already written my first draft for the Common App’s main prompt, “Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.” It somehow isn’t focused on wanting to live in a city… I did make a few references to that, but once I had an angle I just kinda went with it. I’m thinking it may be better to write about that in the Northwestern supplement anyway since I could specify my focus on Chicago, but that being only 300 words vs. the main prompt’s 650 has me conflicted.
Thank you very much for your help 