Those "why us" essays

College Essays
1

<p>How do you write them?</p>

<p>I can't visit colleges, so I'm just looking at websites. All the websites say the same exact things and none of them have a page called College Essay Fodder. </p>

<p>All of my actual reasons are stupid and/or nonspecific.</p>

2

<p>There’s a good website that has lots of info on schools; to find it, google “College Reviews by students for students” and it should be the first result. I suggest looking in the “Best & Worst” and “Student Reviews” categories in each of the schools. Of course, this stuff is just a start, but it’s pretty helpful. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>I doubt that you could have a “stupid” reason ;)</p>

<p>you could write about specific courses, methods of teaching, or curricula that you’re interested in (e.g. I think I included Barnard’s 9 Ways of Knowing in mine).</p>

4

<p>[Short</a> Answer Questions - The App Style](<a href=“http://theappstyle.com/short-answer-questions/]Short”>The App Style - A College Application Guide)</p>

5

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</p>

<p>How nonspecific? What is an example of a nonspecific reason?</p>

6

<p>Nonspecific reasons:

  1. Prestige
  2. High-ranked department in major
  3. Parents have heard of the school
  4. Catalog was aesthetically pleasing
  5. People on the Internet say it has an “intellectual environment” (but I think you can find that anywhere, and not being able to shows a lack of creativity)</p>
7

<p>Thanks. What are examples of “stupid” reasons?</p>

8

<p>3 and 4 above are stupid. Others:

  1. College is so famous that going there would mean never having to prove my intelligence again.
  2. Just wanted to apply and see if I’d get in.
  3. The climate is warm, which makes me believe that going to the school would be like a really expensive four-year vacation.
  4. They sent me a letter saying they waived my application fee.</p>
9

<p>I think that you could put together these essays. Here is a suggested framework not necessarily in this order:</p>

<ol>
<li>I cannot visit any colleges. </li>
<li>I am looking for a highly competitive (ie prestigious) college with a strong ______ department where there is a good intellectual environment. (I understand that you can find such an environment at other colleges).</li>
<li>I’ve read carefully about X college and it meets my requirements. </li>
<li>I especially like x about it.</li>
<li>If accepted I hope/expect to visit (if that is true).</li>
</ol>

<p>This approach is honest and therefore credible. If you can’t honestly say that you are dying to go to X University then don’t say that.</p>

<p>If you are attentive to your experience when researching X University you might be able to present a credible and personal vignette/anecdote about your reactions.</p>

10

<p>Just as an example, one college my son is considering has a research opportunity that really piqued his interest. This was buried deep in the website and the fact that he knows about it shows that he (true confessions - I) spent considerable time and energy researching that college. </p>

<p>If you can’t visit, I suggest finding one tiny tidbit of info unique to that school but not readily available and working that into the “Why us” essay. Maybe it’s a speaker series coming up (shows you checked the calendar), a quirky interdisciplinary class (shows you read the course catalog), or a funky intramural sport. Talk about things you will do while there that will add to the richness of your fellow students’ lives. And definitely say that despite the inability to visit, your extensive research on the school leads you to feel confident that it’s a great mutual fit.</p>