<p>I'm kind of stuck on how to answer these types of questions (along with why the university wants you). I think about my characteristics/way of thinking/skills and find it hard that those would qualify as unique/would make a university want me. </p>
<p>Does anyone have some examples/a good method for coming up with an answer?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>If you google “what makes you unique” there are lots of websites that offer quizzes to help you get the thinking process going.</p>
<p>Think of what you like to do-maybe you love to barbecue or love to surf the internet. Do you have two conflicting interests like your religion and science? Talk about this!
Think about your background-are you a first generation college student? Do you come from a multilingual, multi-religion, or otherwise multicultural family? Has this impacted you?
Generally, if you think of the little things, they’re what make you unique. Your uniqueness doesn’t necessarily come from your love of science (lots of people love science), but maybe it comes from the dedication you have to it (maybe you started a charity or spend all your free time emailing professors and reading research). The little things about you are what make you different. Do you like to make paperclip chandeliers or grow plants on your windowsill?
While I have not written my college essays, I have witnessed all of my siblings, cousins, and friends write them. I have read many, and it is not always about the big things. My brother’s girlfriend wrote about Temperance Brennan from the TV show Bones while my brother wrote about Clarence from the E Street Band. I know this is not about your specific question, but I hope this helps 
Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks guys. Your responses really helped me think of some stuff I could use. The question was not actually on my college essays, but I feared it would come up during my Harvard interview, and I wouldn’t know what to say…</p>
<p>Do you guys or anyone else have any ideas on how to come up with responses for why should x university accept you? should I just think about how I’m unique? or are there other things I can say?</p>
<p>thanks again</p>
<p>You might need to change your thinking a bit. </p>
<p>Colleges are going to look at your extracurricular activity list and see what you do – that will partially let them know what is unique about you. Are you into computer science and create CS games? Do you enjoy painting and art, or do you prefer magic? Your EC list tells a lot about you. That’s where colleges learn about your uniqueness. </p>
<p>Admissions Directors will also hear from your teachers about your potential as a scholar, your writing abilities, your participation in the classroom and whether you contribute to the classroom conversation. Your teachers will write about your uniqueness. Are you one of the best student’s they have had in their teaching career? That kind of thing.</p>
<p>Beyond that, the topics you choose to write about might help a college get to know you better and demonstrate your unique attributes. But, you don’t have to hit Admissions Directors or your Alumni interviewer over the head by actually telling them what makes you special – that’s way too much.</p>
<p>To prepare for your college interviews, you should be thinking about what is special at each college on your list. For example, one college may offer a major that you cannot find at another school. Or, you may want to study with a noted professor, or take certain classes that are only offered at a specific school. That means you need to be doing research – looking at course listings at every college on your list and finding classes you would like to take, professors you would want to study with.</p>
<p>In addition, there are other unique college traditions you might find attractive. One way you can learn about those things is by reading a college’s on-line student newspaper and doing your best to find out what makes a university unique. You should also ask your alumni interviewer what they did outside of the classroom at a college, and what they enjoyed most.</p>
<p>Unless you can juggle with your feet while walking on your hands, or do something else that’s absolutely amazing, it’s very difficult to brand yourself as special and unique. So, what you need to think about is what you would offer a university – what do you bring to the table? For example, what co-curricular activities at Harvard do you see yourself participating in? Do you know everything Harvard offers outside of the classroom? What are your strengths? Where would you put them to use on Harvard’s (or another school’s) campus? Those are more the kind of questions you need to be thinking about.</p>
<p>thanks gibby. so, if I’m asked why are you unique/what can you bring to this college, I should approach it like what personal characteristics can I contribute to the extracurricular activities/campus/academics I participate in and not just my characteristics that could potentially make me unique?</p>
<p>and also, would you say these two questions are similar, and probably wouldn’t be asked in the same interview?</p>
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<p>Correct. Because – and I mean no disrespect here – most accepted students could be replaced with another equally qualified applicant. So whatever qualities you think might be unique to you, are probably held by hundreds of other students. Applicants who can define what they will contribute to the fabric of a college campus, however, demonstrate why the college is a good match for them. </p>
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<p>Although the questions are similar, the responses are not. One is a passive response (I’m unique because . . .) and one is pro-active (here’s how I can see myself fitting in . . . ) </p>
<p>My guess is that an interviewer will NOT ask you outright “What makes you unique?” Instead, they might ask: “What recent books you have read for fun?”, “What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?”, “Where do you get your news from?”, “What do you think about Obamacare?”, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”, “What has been your biggest failure?” These type of questions reveal much more about you than just asking what makes you unique.</p>
<p>I’m a leader. :)</p>
<p>^Aren’t we all in the admissions process?</p>
<p>That is true. But more importantly I’m a leader in real life.</p>