<p>If necessary, feel free to SKIP TO THE END</p>
<p>Please excuse the very real possibility that this comes off sounding a tad angry. Mostly, I am just frustrated, and I doubt I am the only one. But if I am, please feel free to share with me and all of CC the secrets to your success! :)</p>
<p>Okay, so let's do this together CC. A bunch of the schools I want to apply to have this question, including USC, Northwestern, U Mich, Yale, and Cornell (and many more). The question can be found in various forms and request varying degrees of relation to the specific school or program, such as: </p>
<p>"Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study."</p>
<p>or
"Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University. How would that curriculum support your interests?"</p>
<p>or even
"What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply?"</p>
<p>Alright, so let's just wade through the BS for a moment: We each have our one, sometimes two or even three "dream schools" that we have been pining over for months and pondering all of the great aspects of that specific school that make us want to go there. Thus, this essay is not a problem for that school, and understandably every university wants every applicant to consider their school a "dream school". And most of them are dream schools, but we cannot expect every kid who dreamed of Harvard or Yale to get in, and thus, many of us wish to go to other great schools that may not have been our first choice, but that we still wish to attend.
Correct? Good. </p>
<p>So because most of us do not have the time nor the resources to visit each of these campuses, interview students and faculty, and pop in on the courses we are interested in prior to the application deadline, we have to come up with answers to these questions from within the confines of our homes. And because they presumably do not want to hear each of their websites regurgitated into essay format, no matter how well written, this is a monumentally difficult task. </p>
<p>I am writing this because I am seeking help. Does anyone have any tips for dealing with this? If so, here would be a great place to share them, and I hope other CC members can read this thread for some nice tips as well. </p>
<p>Thank you to all who post!</p>