Why Do You Want to Go to This College?
- Submitted by: JustMan
- Views: 160
- Category: English: Creative Writing
- Date Submitted: 09/15/2015 07:05 AM
- Pages: 3
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Many schools (several of the Ivy Leagues, and many liberal arts colleges) have a supplemental essay that asks you to talk about you want to go to their school. They ask this question for a lot of reasons, but there are 2 big reasons, one cynical, one more warm and fuzzy.
The cynical reason is, bluntly, they want to accept students who will accept their offers of admissions. The higher the percent of students accepted that go there, the less they have to accept from the wait list, the lower their acceptance rate, and the better they look.
The other reason is less self-serving, and it's more about the students. Schools are not just looking to accept the best, the brightest, and most interesting, but also to find the students who are the best matches. They want students who will thrive on campus, not transfer out (which will hurt their rankings!), and who will contribute to campus life.
The moral is, these essays are important, so spend some time on them. If the school that you’re writing about is actually your safety, don’t let it show in your essay! Here are some tips to help:
Do research the school. It is important to show that you know a lot about the school. Look at the website, read their catalog, look at what college books say about it, talk to someone from your high school who went there, and visit if you can. The more little details you know, the more it will seem like you really want to go there (even if you don’t) and like you care.
Don't recycle the same essay for all the schools. I know it’s tempting---You’re busy and writing these essays is not a day on the beach. This essay, though, is all about showing how much you want to go to, and why you are a good match for, the SPECIFIC school. If you recycle, the essay will be broad and unspecific, and could end up hurting you.
Do talk about yourself. I can’t stress it enough: it’s an essay about why YOU will thrive at the college. They admissions committee already knows their school is great,...
The cynical reason is, bluntly, they want to accept students who will accept their offers of admissions. The higher the percent of students accepted that go there, the less they have to accept from the wait list, the lower their acceptance rate, and the better they look.
The other reason is less self-serving, and it's more about the students. Schools are not just looking to accept the best, the brightest, and most interesting, but also to find the students who are the best matches. They want students who will thrive on campus, not transfer out (which will hurt their rankings!), and who will contribute to campus life.
The moral is, these essays are important, so spend some time on them. If the school that you’re writing about is actually your safety, don’t let it show in your essay! Here are some tips to help:
Do research the school. It is important to show that you know a lot about the school. Look at the website, read their catalog, look at what college books say about it, talk to someone from your high school who went there, and visit if you can. The more little details you know, the more it will seem like you really want to go there (even if you don’t) and like you care.
Don't recycle the same essay for all the schools. I know it’s tempting---You’re busy and writing these essays is not a day on the beach. This essay, though, is all about showing how much you want to go to, and why you are a good match for, the SPECIFIC school. If you recycle, the essay will be broad and unspecific, and could end up hurting you.
Do talk about yourself. I can’t stress it enough: it’s an essay about why YOU will thrive at the college. They admissions committee already knows their school is great,...