Ask most students and parents what comes to mind when they think of college essays, and you will likely hear “the personal statement” or the synonymous Common App essay.
While the 650-word Common App Personal Statement (CAPS) takes precedence in the minds of many students—in part, because each and every school will see it—there is another essay that is equally important from the university’s perspective: The Why This College essay. This article outlines how to write a Why This College essay that stands out to admissions offices and helps you get accepted.
Why Colleges Require the Why This College Essay
Consider the audience. A college admissions officer reading your why this college essay is screening for three main things:
- Would the student thrive at our university while simultaneously contributing to a robust campus community? Are they a good “fit?”
- Is the student particularly invested in attending our university, or are they just throwing out applications to see what sticks?
- If admitted, how likely is the student to attend our college?
The percentage of students admitted to a university that actually attend is something called “yield,” and universities aim to have a high yield for two reasons. Firstly, colleges need to plan for the size of their incoming class in terms of course offerings, budgets, university housing, orientation events, et cetera.
Secondly, universities with low acceptances and high yield rates rise in rankings which, for better or worse, generates more applications. For instance, if Harvard and Yale both had 4% admissions rates, but Harvard’s yield is at 75% while Yale’s is 50%, then, all else being equal, Harvard rises above Yale in rankings and prestige.
How to Show “Demonstrated Interest” Through your Why This College Essay
But what does all the “inside baseball” of admissions practices have to do with your essays? Quite a bit, it turns out. As a student, it is up to you to show that you are a “good fit” for University X and that you know the difference between them and their competitors, University Y and Z.
For instance, you might show an admissions reader what exactly makes the Computer Science program at University of Illinois better suited to your purposes than the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan. This research-intensive approach is a vital part of “demonstrated interest” because it shows the university that you are invested enough in their institution to scour information from departmental websites, informational interviews, campus visits, and other sources. This is the opposite of a generic copy-and-paste essay, which will not bode well with most universities.
How to Write a Why This College Essay
In writing your Why University X essay, you want to demonstrate how you might fit into each program by painting a picture for your admissions reader. Here’s a good litmus test: If you covered up the name of the university in your Why This College essay, would a knowledgeable reader still be able to understand which university you were talking about?
Even better, one goal of yours might be to teach the admissions reader something they might not know about their university. For instance, you might write about how the presence of the PUR-1 Nuclear Reactor on campus could enhance your experience as a Nuclear Engineering student at Purdue. Or you might write about how NC State’s status as the first program to grant a Nuclear Engineering doctorate to a woman is encouraging for your aspirations as a young woman in Nuclear Engineering.
How to Structure a Why Us Essay
Why This College essays vary widely. From the terrifyingly terse Purdue essays (100 words) to the ever-expansive Wisconsin essay (650 words), Why This College essays might ask you why you chose your major, their university, and on rare occasions, why you chose the particular college (e.g. Univ. of Michigan, College of Letters & Science). How, then, should you go about structuring your essays?
First, we recommend you go big—start with the most expansive essay and work your way down. Writing expansive essays first will give you the raw materials to pare down for more targeted prompts. Moreover, it will help you parse fine distinctions between the questions in the prompt—e.g. What’s the difference between your major, your department, and your college?
Second, it may help to use this four-part structure as a guide. Think of the major bullet points as a series of concentric circles. Target the major first before expanding outward.
Major/Curriculum
- Required courses
- Academic rigor
- Electives
- Campus visits/professor research
Experiential Learning
- Major-related
- Internships, labs
- College-wide
- e.g., business incubators, student-managed stock portfolios, literary magazines
Extracurriculars
- Recreation (e.g. Intramural Tennis)
- Student orgs (e.g. Debate Team)
- Identity (e.g. Women in STEM, Black Student Union)
Community
- General environment/city
- e.g. Washington DC for Political Science, NYC for theater; Silicon Valley for Computer Science
A Helpful Writing Template for the “Why This College” Essay
For each essay, read the prompt closely to decide what should remain and what should be edited out. The shorter the essay, the less bullet points you will be able to cover. It may even help to envision a pie chart of how you will spend your time and focus your essay on those aspects. Sure, football games and sorority rush might be fun, but they aren’t likely to paint a convincing picture of a successful student in an application essay. Spend more time on the items in the checklist instead.
Finally, on the level of the sentence, it may help to adopt a common structure:
“ [At University/in course] X, I hope to build upon [experience/knowledge] Y, so that I may further my knowledge/expertise in [real-world scenario/career] Z.”
This structure is helpful in succinctly demonstrating why you will be successful at University X, and it allows for a wide degree of variation.
For more expansive essays like Michigan and Wisconsin, you may be able to embellish each sentence and cover each bullet point, whereas targeted essays will demand precise sentences and a limited scope. Regardless of what the prompt might ask, the bullet points above will be a useful checklist as you start your research. And we’re always here should you need a guide.
What do admissions officers look for in a “Why This College” essay?
Admissions officers want to see that you’ve chosen a given school for specific, tangible, well-researched reasons. Being able to ground your answers in college-specific details and connecting your own goals to them will make the essay stand out.
What are common mistakes in “Why Us” supplemental essays?
Forgetting to connect the college to your own specific goals and focusing on surface-level details like geographic location are two common mistakes.
How do I research a college for a supplemental essay?
Go past the admissions section of a college and instead dig around its area for undergraduates. You can often find departmental websites or lab websites as well as more in-depth details about student life written for students. Here you can really get a sense of school-specific details and show that you went beyond what you might have learned on a campus tour.
How do I go about writing a ‘Why This College’ essay for a school I haven’t visited?
Here, research will be your best friend. Look at academics, extracurricular groups, how residential life is structured, and even consider nosing around Reddit or other social media sites to see how campus life feels. Another resource can be the campus newspaper, as it will cover details of student life.
Conclusion
Writing a standout Why This College essay can be just as important as crafting a compelling personal statement. By leading with strong research, reflecting on your goals, and making personal connections to each university, you will make a strong case for why you’re a fit.
If you’re looking for further guidance on your college essays, or any other part of the college application process, contact to HelloCollege today for your free consultation.
