<p>I'm a junior and am currently narrowing down my list and preparing to begin the whole application process. A lot of schools, for their "optional" supplemental essays want to know why you want to go to their school in particular. I was wondering what the best way to approach this question is. Obviously you can't say you want to go (for example) Emory to get a nice tan and not have to put on a winter jacket, and i feel like saying "you have a great reputation for academics in the areas I'm interested in" is just as bad. What are college admissions people looking for when they ask that question and where can I look to find out those types of things about the college.</p>
<p>What drew you to the college? Surely there must be something in particular. If you just say that you like the academics, it may not work, but if you say that you like the X Department because you were in Y Program and took courses in Z and learned a lot, it may help.</p>
<p>alright thanks!</p>
<p>My formula went something like this: intro about my initial (and bass-ackwards) opinion of that college + body about my visit/online research that combated that stereotype and proved that X was a good match for my interests (academic, extracurricular, and social) + conclusion about how I planned to take advantage of those things.</p>