<p>I mean, what purpose does it serve? It only really shows how much you know about the school..</p>
<p>Isn’t that reason enough?</p>
<p>It shows how much you care about your app to that school. Did you take the time to research the school? Do you have a good reason why you want to go there, more than “uh… my guidance counselor said I should apply”? Is there something special about you or about the school that you think makes you an exceptionally good fit?</p>
<p>As the above posters stated, it really just is an evaluation of your understanding of the school and your fit into that school. I, for one, think that everyone school should require such an essay (even if it is a short one). It is a good measure of interest, knowledge, and interest. Logic dictates that the more you care about something, the more you know about it and the more enthusiastically you’ll write/talk about it.</p>
<p>Having this weeds out truly interested applicants from those with moderate interest. Useful for schools with low yield rates, like tech institutes, tiny LAC’s, or some state uni’s.</p>
<p>Those colleges use demonstrated interest as an admissions factor.</p>
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And why shouldn’t a college care about that when selecting who to admit?</p>