<p>When these college application essays ask, "Why do you want to be at ******* university/college?" or "What attracts you to the field of engineering?" what do the admissions officer expect me to write? I mean, I haven't competed in mathematical or scientific competitions nor have I been part of any such clubs because they are not really offered at my school. However, I have loved math and science as long as I've been in school and I have been building things since I could lift a hammer. What are these guys looking for?</p>
<p>Flattering truths.</p>
<p>They want to know you. That means they want you to answer the questions as you interpret them truthfully. If your answer is not “flattering” towards the college, that usually means you’re not what the addcomm wants, and you should consider why you want to go there.</p>
<p>I think I know why I want to go to the schools I’m applying to, but I don’t know how to make my essay stand out. I mean, the Common App essay isn’t incredibly hard to make stand out since it’s basically a personal narrative, but the questions that I mentioned are kind of hard to make personal. So, how would I make my essay stand out when the reasons why I want to go to such schools are the same as most other people (good education, good location, focus on undergrads, etc, etc, etc…)?</p>
<p>The way you make it stand out is through the details you include. “I’ve been building things ever since I could lift a hammer” is a perfect topic sentence. What are some of the things you built? Did you do anything impressive for a young kid, like build your own (fill in the blank) at the young age of (fill in the blank)? As you grew older, your love of science, math and building inspired you to pursue even larger projects.</p>
<p>You could even talk about a project you attempted that failed and what you learned from it. That could add a touch of humor that would help the admissions officer remember you.</p>
<p>Have you visited the campus? Something like this might be effective:</p>
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<p>Not very good, but you get the idea. :-)</p>
<p>What if I’m applying to a school I’ve never visited? I know, it’s always a good idea to visit a school to see if it’s a good fit, but I simply don’t have the resources to visit some of the places I’m applying to. In that situation, what can you do that would impress the admissions committee?</p>
<p>Official university websites always work well.</p>
<p>^Eh, you risk sounding too much like the website though (“Brown’s Open Curriculum is a great fit for me. I’ll finally have the autonomy to construct my own curriculum.”)</p>
<p>Well, then, what else can you do? I have some literature about colleges and I have the flyers/catalogs they hand out and mail to me, but honestly, what if I can’t visit? And also, even if I have, I risk sounding cliched as I write about “Open Curriculum” to use glassesarechic’s example. Any ideas on how to sound original and fresh?</p>
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That’s what you want to talk about.</p>
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<p>Talk to a recent alum/current student if you know any personally. Many schools also have ways for you to contact a current student. </p>
<p>The CC forums for a particular school can also be helpful (like the best and worst lists).</p>