Why are "why essays" so popular among colleges?

<p>Hi everyone, this question has bothered me long.</p>

<p>I mean," why "essays are mostly the same for each candidate(people are telling the adcoms about how good the schools is, how many nobel laureates there are etc.)aren't they.</p>

<p>How can they serve to distinguish applicants since all the application process is about seeking the unique.?
How can we make "why" essays be special?
Why are they so welcomed by schools?
What exactly are the adcoms expecting of the why essays?</p>

<p>the point isn’t to show what you know about the school to show them that you know how prestigious they are. the point is to show them that you know enough about the school to show that you belong there and that you’ll excel there. rattling off a list of famous scientists or whatever who graduated from that school won’t get you far. you need to focus on why these people were so successful and figure out how that applies to you. will you take advantage of the same opportunities? which ones specificallly (clubs, certain profs you want to study with, etc)? how will this help both you and your new college community? that’s what they’re looking for.</p>

<p>Colleges need to know that you’ve done your research and have given some thought as to how you’ll fit into the student body. It’s not about listing the school’s achievements.</p>

<p>It is a “fit” question. Essentially, how do you see from your viewpoint that there is a fit between you and institution and the major you want to pursue.</p>

<p>DO NOT go into things like nobel laureates (although you can talk about quality of faculty, rigor of curriculum), weather, frats, quality of food etc.</p>