<p>Call me ignorant or naive, but I still don't understand what people mean when they say, "Make sure you make it very obvious in your application that you want to go to X University". I have all of my apllications now, and although some have the question, "Why do you want to attend?", that's all. Many people say, "Tell them how badly you want to go in your essay." What?
I don't know...</p>
<p>Okay, well for example, work into the essay somehow that it is your first choice (if, in fact, it is your first choice). You could talk about what you really liked about the campus, program, etc and that would show you are interested in the school, have done some research, and are excited. Any anecdotes about your excitement for the school would do the trick. Do you remember something specific from your campus tour and you used it in another part of your life? Have you ever gotten into a long conversation with a stranger about X University. Anything to show how the school affects you in your life helps. Good luck.</p>
<p>maybe it will help you see the idea if you ask yourself this question about your essays: "does this sound like a set of essays that could be sent anywhere or does it convey to the adcoms at X why I want to go to their school?"</p>
<p>But I thought the essays were to be about us, not the school.</p>