“Why This University?” How to Ace a “Why Us?” Admissions Essay

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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer Raven Minyard, BA. Raven Minyard graduated from Sweet Briar College with a BA in English and Creative Writing in 2020. While in college, she served as co-editor-in-chief of Sweet Briar’s literary magazine Red Clay and has since gone on to write for publications such as The Zillennial Zine and Every Halloween night. Raven recalls reading articles from the early days of wikiHow during her childhood and is thrilled to now be writing for their content team. She enjoys learning about new interests and topics with each article she writes and hopes to help audiences of all backgrounds continue to learn new and exciting things. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of all facts cited and confirming the authority of its sources. Find out more…

Many colleges require “Why this college?” essay to determine if students would be a good fit for their campus. This essay allows you to explain why you want to attend a particular college or university and convince their admissions team that you would be a valuable addition to their student body. If you want to make sure your essay is the best it can be, look no further. We’ll walk you through researching, outlining, and writing your “Why This College?” essay, plus give you tips on what NOT to do, so you can rock your dream college.

  • When you write “Why this college?” essay, research the college and its unique courses and programs to provide specific details.
  • Do not write about generalizations like rank, location or size of the college. Focus on how it supports your academic goals.
  • Write about yourself, not just about college. Explain your strengths and interests and how you are a good fit for the school.
  1. Step 1 Find out as much as you can about the college.

    Explore the college’s website and pay special attention to majors, courses, and unique programs and opportunities to learn what makes this school different from others. Take a personal or virtual tour of the campus and contact the admissions office or your regional representative for additional information.[2]

    • To get a student perspective, read student reviews of the school and general campus atmosphere on college review sites, or reach out to current or former students and ask if they’d be willing to answer some questions.
    • Find expert reviews by reading sources like The Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward B. Fiske, Colleges That Change Lives by Loren Pope, or The Best 376 Colleges from Princeton University.
    • If possible, find the curriculum for the subject that interests you. That way, you can give specific examples of how attending that college would benefit you when writing your essay.
  2. Choose your angle based on a specific query. Although the general idea is the same, many colleges use slightly different instructions for this essay, depending on what factors they value most in their students. Pay attention to the language used to decide what topics to focus on in your essay.[3]
    Here are some prompts that colleges have used for the “why this college” essay:

    • Columbia University: “What are your reasons for applying to this university? Work out the most significant and interesting aspects of Columbia that appeal to you.”
    • University of Michigan: “What are the characteristic features that make a particular school or college attractive to apply to? How does the proposed curriculum correlate with your interests and plans for the future?”
    • University of Pennsylvania: “Regarding the undergraduate school you have chosen, we are interested in how you plan to develop your intellectual interests at our university. Tell us about your approach to exploring these interests within a university setting.”
    • University of Central Florida: “What was the main reason for your decision to join UCF? What special traits and qualities would enable you to contribute to our academic community?”
  3. Think about your educational and career goals. You and your goals are the driving force behind the college essay. Although anyone can write about the college, only you can explain why it is the right school for you. Think about what you want to study, potential careers, and the specific skills and experiences you want to gain from attending college. Then examine how this college supports those goals.[4]

  1. Step 1 Brainstorm a list of reasons you want to attend college.

    This should be a combination of the aspects you like about that college and the things you bring to the table as a student. Try to think of at least 15-20 reasons. You probably won’t use them all in your essay, but you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.

    • Write your reasons in 3 separate columns: what you want from the college, what the college will give you, and what you bring to its community.
    • Generally, 70% of your essay should focus on academic subjects, while 30% can be focused on extracurriculars.
  2. Select the appropriate structure. There is no “right” way to structure your essay. It all depends on what you have to say and how you want to say it.[5]
    In general, however, there are 3 common strategies: the basic strategy, the unique reason strategy, and the single value strategy. Here’s what you need to know about all 3:

    • Basic strategy: list 10-15 reasons why you want to attend college. Organize them into a few main categories and give specific reasons and details within them.
    • Strategy of unique reasons: write about 3-5 opportunities that are exclusive to that college and explain how they apply to you personally. Be sure to research this strategy as it requires you to understand the unique factors of the institution.
    • Single value strategy: explore 1 core value that you and the faculty share and expand on that story. This is the riskiest approach because it relies on one topic and must be interesting.
  3. Outline and outline your essay. Now that you know what you’re going to write about and how you want to present it, outline your essay to determine the best organizational flow. Then follow the outline to create your first sketch.[6]
    Here’s an example:

    • Introduction: Present your main goals and the reasons behind them. To personalize your essay, include an anecdote about your interests or college experience. Don’t forget to include a thesis statement.
    • Paragraph 1 of the body: Write about your first goal and how the college can support it. For example, if you are interested in math, include details about their math department and specific courses. Be sure to attach supporting evidence.
    • 2nd body paragraph: Write about your other goal and how the college can support it. For example, if you want to be a journalist, write about their student newspaper or any relevant internship opportunities they offer.
    • 3. body paragraph: Write about your third goal and how the college can support it. For example, if community service is important to you, write about specific opportunities and events that the college organizes.
    • Conclusion: Conclude your essay by reaffirming where you see yourself in the future and how college can help you get there.
  4. Get feedback and edit your essay. Once you’ve finished your first sketch, it’s time to make it even better. Have a trusted family member, counselor, or teacher read your essay. Then incorporate the appropriate feedback into your next draft. It would be a good idea to do a few rounds of editing before submitting the final draft.[7]

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Source: HIS Education

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