<p>I see the word "fit" being thrown around a lot as something which is pretty significant but I dont understand how you show fit with a school. I mean do you have to show that you connect with a certain distinctive part of the school or something?
I'd be pretty grateful to anyone who answers and could you give an example with a school and showing fit and sorry if it sounds like a stupid question or whatever.</p>
<p>Check out gadad’s post and the subsequent conversation on “fit.” It’s the definitive discussion on that topic:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1077133-im-not-fan-fit.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1077133-im-not-fan-fit.html</a></p>
<p>gaDad’s post is primarily from the perspective of the student.</p>
<p>Let me take the other side – the adcom’s side, who is concerned with yield as well as suitability –</p>
<p>it means the adcom can see how much the applicant values the school, and if accepted, will likely attend. This might be indicated in the “why us” question by detailing how and why this school is the best choice for the applicant. That detailing might include impressions gained from visits, reports from friends who are doing well there, conversations with professors in the chosen major field, resource strength in a more obscure major like Linguistics, legacy status, etc.</p>
<p>I think they are also looking for your understanding of the college and what it offers. If you talk about wanting to major in engineering and the school does not have an engineering program, you will not be a good fit. Some schools that are very liberal or very conservative want to make sure that you know what kind of environment you are getting into. It doesn’t mean that a school with a very liberal culture won’t accept you if you are very conservative, but the school wants to make sure you are aware of the culture and how you might benefit from it.</p>
<p>It’s impossible to pin down, and really, most colleges probably have the same basic criteria that “fit” their profile. There’s not really anything you can add to your profile that will make you a better “fit” for a school- it’s basically AdCom’s judgment of if your personality (and activities) fit the image they believe their school has.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what exactly you are asking, but in my opinion, “fit” is something you should be concerned with when you are picking schools to apply to- not when you are creating your application. If you have been geared towards smaller classes/social circles, pick a small college. If you are an artsy person, apply to artsy colleges. Your application will, by default, include the kind of things that make you “fit,” more or less, if you’ve chosen schools that feel right to you.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I agree with this completely.</p>
<p>Once you have chosen your schools to apply to, based on your decision that any and all of them would be a place where you feel like you’d “fit,” you then put together an application to convince the admissions committees:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>That you are qualified to attend. Selective schools will get applications from many, many more qualified applicants than they can possibly accept, but the first thing you have to establish is that you are qualified academically. Are you within range for grades, test scores, etc?</p></li>
<li><p>There are parts A and B here.
A. What will you bring to the school that they want/need? Will you contribute to the ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural diversity of the school? Will you be a firecracker on the newspaper reporting staff? Will you replace the graduating marching glockenspiel player? Will you be likely to lead a campus group? Or are you a generally sparkly and fascinating person who will go on to become a famous graduate, and everyone can tell already you are totally going places? You don’t have to be all or any of these things but they really are asking themselves “What will this person add to our community?”</p></li>
</ol>
<p>B. Do you really want to be THERE? If they admit you, will you come? Do you understand what they are about, what they take pride in, what they do well? Did you choose them for good reasons? Some schools are pre-professional oriented, some are very learning-for-learning’s sake. They want to know you know what they are about and what you are getting into.</p>
<p>For schools where yield is not a concern (just about everyone who gets in will go there, e.g., Harvard), you don’t have to bother with this part. But for many schools who are looking to build a class that genuinely gets what the values and philosophies of the school are–and are hoping to get a good yield–this is important.</p>
<p>To be honest, aside from the demonstrated interest and the “why this school” essay, I think, at least for small, selective LACs, “fit” is demonstrated through the common app essay. A good common app essay will convey a student’s voice. If the voice meshes with the values of a given school, I think that will demonstrate fit. Again, I think it’s pretty easy to tell when the voice isn’t genuine and I also don’t think it would be good to try to fudge your “fit.” </p>
<p>Again, I could be completely off base, and I know I definitely am in terms of large universities. Based on my personal experience though, my analysis seems fairly accurate for the schools I applied to (mostly small LACs but also my state flagship and Georgetown).</p>