Specific College or Universial Essay? PLEASE HELP!

<p>Does anyone know if it is better to choose a prompt specific to a university, or should I choose the personal statement option that I could use for any college?</p>

<p>I really would like to go to a specific school and I want them to know that they are definitely my first choice, but I think I can do slightly better when writing about a topic I choose.</p>

<p>Do schools consider this???</p>

<p>Any advice???</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

<p>I have heard of students attaching a separate letter or statement explaining that that particular school is their favorite- including details of visits, acknowledging strengths of certain programs or facilities, or describing experiences of alumni friends or relatives. You could use your standard essay and then include that little statement, or maybe find a creative way to incorporate your statement into your essay. Good luck!</p>

<p>Most of the applications I looked at when I was applying had a "Topic of your choice" as an option after they listed their own prompts, so your plan should be fine for those schools.</p>

<p>Often schools will have a "Why XYZ" essay in addition to the personal statement, so there you can discuss the specifics of XYZ that interest you.</p>