<p>i am not sure how to approach this question, i would really appreciate ANY advice. Thank you so much. </p>
<p>Ques: There are thousands of U.S. colleges and universities.Why is .... on your college list? What distinguishes it from the other schools that you are considering?</p>
<p>Thanks again,
h20polo4life.</p>
<p>its a great question, actually, and one that you should be able to answer if you've made a careful college search. Unfortunately there's no magic answer we can give you that works for every college, because at its heart its asking "did you do your homework in picking colleges?"</p>
<p>So why are you going instate or out-of-state? Why public or private? Do you want a school with small classes or are large lectures ok? Do you want to go to school in a city, suburbia, or a rural setting? What activities are you looking to participate in college? Do you want a big greek presence? What contact are you looking for with alums while you're in school? Are you looking to study abroad?</p>
<p>The questions are plentiful and easy to raise; the answers show why you've picked this school over the thousands in this country. The sad truth, though, is that many kids apply to a bunch of well-known names or pick schools for other random reasons without carefully considering where or why.</p>
<p>The moment I stepped foot on the UCLA campus, I knew that it was the right college for me. It was an awfully unscientific realization, but oh well. It worked out great for me.</p>
<p>it<code>s best to imagine what life is like at x college. i</code>ve heard of people composing a story about their life at x college, what they plan to major at that college, what courses they would take, what the people would be like, etc.</p>
<p>Go to X college website, read X college philosophy and mission statement, mail X college students and ask them what they consider to be the most unique/important aspects of going to X college to be, etc. There are a lot of things you can do, just try to be honest and original.</p>
<p>This type of question will follow you throughout life, from college admission to employment interviews and beyond. So, you might as well get used to answering it. Luckily, CC is a safe space to develop your response. </p>
<p>First, be brutally honest right here and now. Give 5-10 reasons why you want to attend the college(s) you are applying to. Don't give a politically correct answer, just state what's in your mind and heart.</p>
<p>Then, people here on CC will be in a better position to offer suggestions on how you can frame a winning response.</p>
<p>Or... if all else fails, Look at their brochures, booklets, and websites.</p>
<p>Read what they tell you is the best thing about their school and why you should attend it. And just tell it right back to them.</p>
<p>"At Columbia, we believe our system of core classes sets us apart from the rest"</p>
<p>You should write:</p>
<p>"Although I want to concentrate on my intended major, I also want to acqure a general wealth of knowledge in every facet of academics. That is why I am attracted by Columbia's system of core classes."</p>
<p>Something like that.</p>
<p>Because, if you don't know why you want to attend X college, they do.</p>
<p>thanks so much, you all pretty much made my day. again thanks alot.</p>
<p>"i`ve heard of people composing a story about their life at x college, what they plan to major at that college, what courses they would take, what the people would be like, etc."</p>
<p>so are these essays supposed to be creative then? and I don't mean so much original responses as truly creative approaches to the question (such as writing a story instead of responding directly)</p>
<p>ya, i was wondering about that one too...</p>
<p>I really don't think so, because usually these are short answer questions, and they are not intended to be creative. Personally, I don't think these essays are of much consequence. However, if in 100-250 words, you can fit in something creative, while still answering the question, go for it.</p>
<p>
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Personally, I don't think these essays are of much consequence.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>VERY VERY VERY wrong assertion.</p>
<p>they want a high matriculation rate so they would want to choose people who truly want to go if they get accepted.</p>
<p>it`s the essays that can possibly make an applicant stand out among the rest.</p>
<p>
[quote]
really don't think so, because usually these are short answer questions, and they are not intended to be creative. Personally, I don't think these essays are of much consequence.
[/quote]
This is exactly wrong. The "silly" short-answer essays are the most important ones you answer. Its because they're really a tool to measure your interest.</p>
<p>With the common app (and more or less standardized questions on the rest) colleges are hard-pressed to determine if you REALLY want to go to their school, or have just mailed off apps to the top 20 schools. So they've come up with this clever way to gauge your interest. They ask some question you've not been asked elsewhere, or something that could only apply to that school.</p>
<p>Students firing out round after round of apps don't spend much time on these, just make sure they're not blank. A kid who really wants that school will spend hours crafting a short response because they want every part of their app to be the best it can be. And the adcoms can tell which is which when they read them.</p>
<p>should it still be creative (somewhat) or just an up front answer?</p>