Many schools ask for supplemental essays in addition to the personal statement; the most common supplement, which we call “Why College X?,” is a variation on the question, “Why us?”
This prompt can be one of the most challenging for students. The questions often look like these, which are taken from current and past years’ applications:
New York University: NYU’s global network provides students with hundreds of academic areas of interest for students to cultivate their intellectual curiosity and to help achieve their career goals. Whether you are entirely undecided about your academic plans or you have a definitive program of study in mind, what are your own academic interests? Feel free to share any thoughts on any particular programs or how you might explore those interests at NYU on any of our campuses.
Cornell University College of Engineering: Tell us about an engineering idea you have, or about your interest in engineering. Describe how your ideas and interests may be realized by — and linked to — specific resources within the College of Engineering. Finally, explain what a Cornell Engineering education will enable you to accomplish.
University of Michigan: Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?
Barnard College: What factors influenced your decision to apply to Barnard College, and why do you think the College would be a good match for you?
In every case, a student’s answer should address three important areas:
- The School: What attracts me to this college or program?
- The Student: What do I want readers to know about me?
- The Stories: How does what I know about the program mesh with what I want readers to know about me? How can I illustrate this intersection?
This time of year, we receive many essays from students who want a professional review before they submit their applications to colleges. More often than not, these essays are not quite ready.
I just read a beautiful piece from a student answering the “Why College X?” prompt for a Big 10 university. Immediately, I noticed something was wrong.
Full of descriptive details about the school’s location and football stadium, the story painted a vivid picture of the long drive to and from the school in the family car with his dad, an alumnus. This young man was clear he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps; he was comfortable inside the stadium; he was certain he would feel at home at this university.
Unfortunately, the essay did not answer the prompt. The prompt asked students to discuss the “unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School.” He didn’t say a word about classes, learning communities or other aspects of the undergraduate experience.
Many students have very little idea what a school offers academically, socially or culturally. Sometimes students choose a college because of its location or its status. Each year, we meet many high schoolers who insist that a school is perfect because the student bleeds the university’s colors, feels at home inside the football stadium and loves listening to stories around the Thanksgiving dinner table from Dad, Aunt Lisa and cousin Diana, all enthusiastic and accomplished alumni.
Students, this is not what colleges want to know! While it is okay for you to tell them you will be comfortable on campus, they are more interested in their school and what the college or program has to offer. Do you have the chops to succeed academically? Are there any clubs and activities to support your outside interests? Why do these factors matter to you?
Tips from Inside the Admissions Office
No matter which college you choose, the decisions makers are looking for the same thing from this supplemental prompt. It really is: Why do you want to be at a particular school? What makes you a good fit? Is it a match?
Look at the prompt. Is it asking about the school in general, or a particular program that interests you? As always, make sure you answer the prompt.
Barnard’s Director of Admissions Christina Lopez suggests students ask themselves a series of questions before answering the “Why College X?” essay prompt: Do you prefer small classes with a lot of interaction with professors or large lecture classes? What type of community appeals to you? Are you looking for a diverse environment? Do you prefer to be close to home? Do you want to study abroad, conduct research, do an internship or study in a rigorous academic environment?
“The supplements separate a good applicant from a great applicant,” Lopez said. “The more you can espouse why you are a match in the short answer question genuinely (without regurgitating our website to us because we wrote it!), the more you will stand out to us. It is a great place to let a college know if we are the first choice, and why you love us.”
At Wow, we talk all the time to high school counselors, parents and admissions representatives like Lopez. We write and speak at college industry conferences with senior managers from admissions offices at the nation’s most selective colleges. That’s how we know that at its core, any college essay is about reflection. And that’s how we also know that colleges – no matter how selective – all want the same thing in a personal statement or supplemental essay: They want students to respond to the prompts in a meaningful way that shows insight into the student’s character.
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