<p>I have seen much discussion about the "Why" essays. They all seem to emphasize why the student wants to go to the particular school they are applying to. Should these essays also include the converse, i.e. what you can offer the school, or is that assumed to be on the rest of the app?</p>
<p>Well I know the 2 I have to do ask in the question both why I want go there and why would I make a good match with the college, so I think they're asking both questions.</p>
<p>It is an important essay. yes, a student should be VERY specific as to why they want that PARTICULAR school (in other words, the Why X College essay would differ from one application to another they are doing). But interwined with why you want to go, you are sorta also discussing what you are offering by the nature of the question. If you are saying you want an urban environment having come from a rural one, you are offering a perspective on campus of a country kid. If you are saying you hope to participate in the orchestra, glee club, their very specific X club, because you have done X, Y, and Z in the past and want to continue that at this college....you are bringing in what you are offering here too. Another example, you really like their dept. of X and why and how you want to pursue that field cause you so far have done A, B, and C in it and this dept. would let you continue that or learn such and such. You are linking who YOU are and what you offer to what they have at their school. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Soozie,</p>
<p>Great points! Thanks.</p>
<p>Yes. It's a two-way street: why the college is right for you and what you can contribute to the college. Those two questions should be in the front of your mind from the moment you start deciding what to emphasize on your application.</p>
<p>There are many ways of writing a Why Podunk U? essay, but one approach is to tailor your campus visit so that you have specific examples that tie in to your specific strengths. </p>
<p>Suppose that a particular kind of community service was strong on your resume. A paragraph in your Why Podunk essay could:</p>
<p>a) Start with how Mrs. Jones in the Community Service office spent two hours with you describing the various programs.</p>
<p>b) Name a couple of the programs that interest you to provide specifics.</p>
<p>c) Conclude by commenting how you look forward to continuing your work in some specific area at Podunk.</p>
<p>This kind of thing can be done in a short paragraph. It's effective because it's full of specifics.</p>
<p>Thank you Interested Dad because I forgot to mention that my kids tied in specifics from their visits into the Why X College essay. If they met with a dept. head, a coach, a person in some EC activity they plan to pursue there, a particular student, all those things from the visit were intertwined into that essay. </p>
<p>Further, I want to add that if the college does not have a Why Podunk U essay in their application materials, my kids included such text in their application cover letter. These were individualized by school. </p>
<p>That is why when I read that some kids apply to sixteen schools, I can't imagine how you can investigate and explore and visit each school thoroughly and do such an individualized thorough job on the application for that many schools. Just my opinion. My kids wrote over a dozen essays and did comprehensive visits at each of their 8 schools. I can't imagine doing even more than they did and still keeping up with their active lifestyles both in and out of the classroom senior year. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>soozievt...can you explain what you by your kids including info from their visits in their application cover letter? What exactly is an application cover letter?</p>
<p>
[quote]
It is an important essay. yes, a student should be VERY specific as to why they want that PARTICULAR school (in other words, the Why X College essay would differ from one application to another they are doing). But interwined with why you want to go, you are sorta also discussing what you are offering by the nature of the question. If you are saying you want an urban environment having come from a rural one, you are offering a perspective on campus of a country kid. If you are saying you hope to participate in the orchestra, glee club, their very specific X club, because you have done X, Y, and Z in the past and want to continue that at this college....you are bringing in what you are offering here too. Another example, you really like their dept. of X and why and how you want to pursue that field cause you so far have done A, B, and C in it and this dept. would let you continue that or learn such and such. You are linking who YOU are and what you offer to what they have at their school.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>well the college that i'm applying to says that you can't use the environment and academics and whatever you mentioned up there as part of the essay for why college x is right for me... so since i couldn't think of anything else to say, i said in my essay that it's not what the college could do for me but what i can do for the college and then i explained wrote some other stuff about it. </p>
<p>So my question is will they throw away my essay because i threw them a different pitch than the one the college requested?</p>
<p>Shiningstar asked:
"soozievt...can you explain what you by your kids including info from their visits in their application cover letter? What exactly is an application cover letter?"</p>
<p>The info from the visits was simply very connected to the specific reasons they wanted to go to X College and also related to what they could offer the college in that area. For example, if the kid met with the head of the dance dept. and found out they have a tap dance troupe and she has been tap dancing her whole life and wants to continue at college, she can mention about that meeting, what she found out that was appealing to her and what she hopes to do there in that area. If she met with a student and toured the dorms and discussed residential life, she could mention that and what specifically was appealing about that. If she met with the dept. head in her potential major, she could mention that meeting, what else she did in the department, what she found out and why she would want to study in that department because of certain interests she had that were developed when she participated in x, y, or z in high school that led to this interest. If she hopes to be on X team, she could mention what she knows about the team, her contact with students and coaches on it and why she would like to go there so she can keep participating in that sport after a life of doing the sport. If the school setting is a direct contrast to where she grew up and she wants to explore such a contrasting setting for certain reasons, she can mention that. I don't want to make this some formula because the letter must be individualized to your interests and why that school really matches those interests...what appeals to you at that school and why you would be an asset in that area for them too.</p>
<p>An application cover letter can do many things...introduce you, explain why you want to go there, mention what is included in the package you are sending, and so forth. It is a personalized letter. </p>
<p>Adastra....some colleges when asking you to write Why X College....do ask that you not give the same trite answers that the next person could say....like "it is located in Boston and I've always loved Boston" or "the school offers such great academics"....they KNOW that. But it doesn't mean to sidestep what they ARE asking. You need to come up with SPECIFICS about that school that made you choose it.....and then align what you do or who you are that matches that. I mean why you like Podunk is very tied to what you can do for them but you can't simply write what you can do for them. You can't just say I'm a tennis player......but you can say you hope to be on the tennis club and met with the captains of that club and why it fits you and what you'd contribute. If you met with the head of the community service organization and know that they do outreach in elem schools and you've done that a bunch in high school and hope to continue it, that is an example of intertwining what they offer at that school with what you offer back that matches. If you wanted a school with an active theater scene and you hope to keep that in your life and even direct student run productions but don't want to major in it and this particular school has that kind of opportunity for nonmajors, that is another example. If this school offers a major that not all schools offer but you want it or their curriculum fits you in some way (ie., lots of independent study or lots of internships and why you want to do those or what you've done so far in that respect).....</p>
<p>All those things can be said. The college just did not want you to say "pretty campus" or "great academics" and stuff they know they are. They want specifics and those specifics must dovetail with YOU. And that essay should NOT be the same as the one you write for Z college. In other words, if you write Why X College and then for Z college, change the name, you've got yourself the wrong essay.</p>
<p>Further, if the school does not ask this question at all, it is so important that you need to find another place in your application materials to express it such as in a cover letter. </p>
<p>Your application should not come across as having done one app (like common app) and submitted it to fifteen places. Put energy and attention into each specific application, contact with each school, and thorough visits at each school (not simply an info. session and tour or worse yet, a drive by to "see the campus"). College matching is way more than "I liked the buildings." Know thy school. Know thyself. Be a match maker.
Susan</p>
<p>Send a PM to JJsMom. Her son wrote a phenomenal "Why Tufts" essay - which, when I read it, almost made me cry - I had just graduated and he nailed Tufts. It was incredibly obvious that JJ knew the guts of Tufts and fit in well with it.</p>
<p>Generally, you can hit on several things (I'll use my alma mater as an example):
*academics (if you want pre-med or IR, Tufts is fabulous - or maybe engineering in a small, nurturing, hand-on, undergrad-research focused area);
*environment, Part I (want a suburban school near a city; want a school with strong professional programmes but is focused on undergrad; want a medium-sized school);
*environment, Part II (want a school where everyone helps each other out; love the faculty-student interaction
*environment, part III (very liberal; supportive of all lifestyles; very diverse and focused internationally);
*special programmes (great sailing; strong foreign languages; one of the best schools for study abroad; or the 8-year engin/MD route or some other combined degree thing);
*clubs (Monty Python society; six a cappella groups; No Homer's Club);
*specifics to you (family went there; had a phenomenal interview/overnight/tour/class lecture; teacher strongly recommended it);
*etc.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>so.. how do i write a cover letter.. and what should i include?</p>
<p>soozievt: Do you think it would be acceptable to attach an extra essay, sort of like a Why _____ essay even though they don't ask for it? Middlebury is my first choice and I want a chance to explain why I love the school but I don't know how. And applying ED isn't an option because of financial aid.</p>
<p>ACK! Now I see why I'm getting PMs by the dozen. Thanks Aries, I agree that JJ's "Why Tufts" essay was wonderful and I like to think that the time he spent perfecting it had something to do with his acceptance there. </p>
<p>But, PLEASE kids, don't ask me for a copy of JJ's essay. The computer my son wrote that essay on is in cyberheaven, so as much as I'd like to help, we just don't have that essay anymore.</p>
<p>But InterestedDad's examples and Soozie's description of what her kids wrote about hit the nail on the head. </p>
<p>And I agree that if the school doesn't ask for a "Why This School" essay, write a paragraph or two in a cover letter to send with your application. Aries, you guided JJ through the cover letter process, do you still have that outline of what to include for Adastra?</p>
<p>" If you are saying you hope to participate in the orchestra, glee club, their very specific X club, because you have done X, Y, and Z in the past and want to continue that at this college....you are bringing in what you are offering here too. Another example, you really like their dept. of X and why and how you want to pursue that field cause you so far have done A, B, and C in it and this dept. would let you continue that or learn such and such. "</p>
<p>OMG MY HEAD IS GOING TO EXPLODE A,B,D,F,Q,R,X!!! AHHH THE ALPHABET AHHHH</p>
<p>hehe great advice though :)</p>
<p>Shiningstar....while I am suggesting to include somewhere in your materials why you want to specifically attend PODUNK (in your case Middlebury), I don't think adding an essay is the right way. I would include it as a paragraph within the cover letter. </p>
<p>Adastra, I am not going to get into all the how-to's here or examples from my own kids here, but in general, a cover letter can personalize your application. It can include an introduction about yourself, which documents are in the package and which are coming under separate cover, a why X college section (only if no essay topic on that within the app), your interest in the school and your hopes. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>I've read various comments about personalizing the essay with specific reasons and stuff.. but what if I can't visit the schools I want to go to because of time and financial matters? Then what should I do?</p>
<p>While visits are ideal, you can still thoroughly research a school other ways. You can read everything you can get your hands on......the college brochure for prospective students, reviews/comments in college directories, message boards specific to that college, the colleges' own websites (lots there), college fairs or local talks on a college, course guide, and other printed materials. You can contact current students who you either know or friends of friends, or who went to your high school, or ask the school to connect you with some who do outreach. Contact current students in the activities you wish to do.....someone on a team you want to be on, a club you hope to join, etc. Contact alumni from your area. Contact faculty members in your field of interest, and staff who lead your EC endeavor and ask specific questions. Those are just examples. </p>
<p>Even those who do visits ought to explore a college in depth these other ways as well. With all that information gathering, you will know lots about the school. You should do this for your OWN SAKE, not as a strategy for admissions. I know my kids did this sort of stuff because they wanted to know a lot about each school in order to make an informed decision about such a big thing in their lives as to where they would spend the next four years. They did not do this to get into the school or to look good on an application. But when it did come time to articulate why they wanted to attend or to show interest, they naturally had plenty to say because of this exploration of each school (and I mean EACH school....not just reaches or elites.....they did just as much exploration and contact for their safeties). So, even if you can't visit, there are ways to accomplish similar things. </p>
<p>I understand the financial constraints about visiting. I do, however, recommend at the very least, do not apply ED to any school you do not visit first. Do not choose to enroll without one visit....you can wait until decisions come and go to your two faves and limit it that way if money is a major object. Ideally, however, visiting all your schools prior to sending in your application is very helpful and returning for overnights to your first choices is beneficial. Going for accepted student events in April helps if you need to in order to make YOUR final decision (after they have made theirs, LOL). </p>
<p>One thing about your post that I can't understand as much is your comment that you can't visit due to time. Let me say that every candidate to selective schools is VERY busy or they would not be a suitable candidate. Most are taking the most challenging courseload and have oodles of homework. Most are very actively involved in commited EC endeavors. So, it is very hard to fit in visits without missing school and/or EC commitments. Everyone has this problem. By spreading visits out over the course of at least a year, it can be worked out. You will have to miss some things, can't be avoided. My own kids' schedules were of the 24/7 sort but we just made the visits fit in and there were conflicts but we had to pick and choose and minimize these as best as we could. Not every teacher or coach or director or job will understand but this decision is very important and these things need to be taken care of. Ideally if you can do visits junior year and so that leaves fall of senior year to work on apps, that helps but everyone has these time contraints. The financial ones differ from family to family. But as mentioned earlier in this post, there are many other ways to thoroughly investigate a college. Do that. For YOURSELF. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>I might add that you asked how you can personalize the Why X College essay with specifics if you can't visit......actually I just remembered that my second child was unable to visit four of her schools prior to do those apps because she was an early graduate (graduated after junior year) and thus we did not get enough visits in before junior year because normally I would begin that in junior year but that now was her application year as well. So she visited four of eight before apps went in but then went to all 8 during the winter of that year to audition. But four apps had the Why Podunk in them without an actual visit but she still had plenty to say. My earlier posts mentioned weaving in the visit (IF YOU MADE ONE) but that was not my main point about being specific about why you want to go and how the school matches you and how you match the school. She was able to do that without the visits. It was my oldest who had visited each school on her list at least once prior to her apps (and did return visits/overnights in fall of senior year to her favorite schools). The younger one was more pressed as she was applying in her junior year to college. </p>
<p>It CAN be done. I shared this simply as an example.
Susan</p>
<p>My D is applying to a school that does not require a "Why here?" essay. She will be using the Common App essay "your own topic" which will be a reflection of some aspects of her personal experience --should she include in this essay specific references to why This College offers her unique opportunites to fulfill her personal goals and how her experience would enable her to contribute to the College community? Or is it better to create a more "literary" thematic unity for the essay on it own terms?</p>
<p>how would you suggest including a cover letter when using the online application for a school..as an accompanying document?
Maybe I'm naive, but this is the very first time I've heard of using a cover letter...DS is currently finishing the U Mich application.Do you think someone actually takes the time there to read a cover letter?</p>