ic S/general/checkmark circled Thanks for subscribing! Be on the lookout for our next newsletter.
ic S/general/checkmark circled
Saved to My Favorites. View My Favorites
Articles / Applying to College / Tips for Answering "Why THIS College?" Essay Questions

Tips for Answering "Why THIS College?" Essay Questions

Sally Rubenstone
Written by Sally Rubenstone | Sept. 11, 2008

Question: I have to write several essays explaining why I have chosen particular colleges on my list. I haven't been able to visit any of these schools or attend fairs or meet college reps, and I can't think of anything to say that would sound genuine and show that I clearly have a believable reason for my attraction. Even after thinking long and hard, I haven't been able to come up with any decent reason for wanting to go to specific colleges. I don't want my essays to sound as if they came straight from the website or brochure. I really hate writing these essays and need some suggestions on how to approach them.

I hate those "Why This College?" assignments, too. I've seen students write the same essay for totally disparate schools, plugging in new adjectives, as needed, almost as if they were doing a "Mad Lib." For instance, "I've always wanted to attend a LARGE UNIVERSITY" quickly turns into, "I've always wanted to attend a SMALL COLLEGE." Or "I prefer a COLD climate" is transformed into "I prefer a WARM climate."


In a perfect world, I think colleges should make this essay optional. The prompt should say something like this: If you have a truly compelling reason for selecting our institution, please explain. However 99% of our applicants should not respond to this question, and if you write a bunch of B.S., it will be held against you :-)

Of course, it's hard enough to compose these essays when you do know why you're interested in your target schools, and harder still if your reasons for applying are as vague as yours are.

Here are some suggestions of ways to personalize the process of writing these nasty things. Hopefully, at the same time this little exercise will force you to look more closely at the choices you've made and see if they're really the right ones for you.

1) Check out the comments about your target colleges on College Confidential. Feel free to quote CC members in your "Why This College Essay." For instance, "Penn caught my eye when I spotted a comment on the College Confidential discussion forum by a member who called himself, 'Ilovebagels.' I love bagels, too (but that's probably not a wise reason to choose a college!) and also I was interested when he said, 'I've found Penn to be a remarkably centrist institution. Which as a right-of-center person, I felt put it ahead of the other Ivies with their legions of hippies.' This made me think that Penn might be a good fit for me, so I started to dig deeper ..."

2) Make e-mail contact with a "real" student. Many admission Web sites have links that allow you to connect with a current student. You can also do this though a friend or acquaintance who attends your target schools, by using college Web site directories to find students who share common interests (e.g., the president of the outing club or captain of the squash team), or by writing to the admission office and asking if they might be able to refer you to a Classics major or pre-med student or anyone who shares your interests, your home state or country, etc. Then, after corresponding with this student penpal, you can cite his or her words of wisdom in your essay.

3) Comb through college catalogs--either hard copies, if you have them, or online--to find classes/programs/activities that seem special and appealing then discuss your findings in your essays. Obviously, these offerings should be pretty unusual. Admission committees won't be impressed if you say, "I want to go to Princeton because I found that I can take classes in Shakespeare and organic chemistry." If you peruse entire catalogs and can't find something that excites you, you really should be rethinking your college choices.

Finally, check out this thread on "Why This College Essays" on CC if you haven't already to get some additional tips on those ornery essays. There is some great advice there from "Shrinkrap."

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/429255-why-college-essays-aaargh-nightmare-help-plz.html

I'm not sure why you haven't been able to go on visits, attend fairs, meet with college reps, etc. Perhaps it's geography and/or finances. But, if at all possible, in the months ahead, I do urge you to take a closer look at the schools that interest you, if possible, and even some that don't, just so you'll have options to compare.

Written by

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.

More on Applying to College

See all
typing at computer- karolina-grabowska-6958506-resized

Authentic Voice in College Essays

That’s why you want to use your authentic voice when writing any college essay.

So what’s the problem? A student has shared an ess…

college-interview

College Interview Prep Tips: Brainstorm, Research, Analyze, Generalize

I recently visited Washington University in Saint Louis and was lucky enough to set up an interview. By speaking with peers of mi…

campus gates

Academic Index Scores: Why They Matter and How They're Calculated

Note: Click here for 10 Summer Programs You Can Still Apply For or keep reading to learn more about academic index scores.

8 Podcasts for Students Going Through the Admissions Process

7 Podcasts for Students Going Through the Admissions Process

Podcasts can offer a wealth of information to busy students, particularly when it comes to the college admissions process. We…

pexels-yan-krukau-8197544

Avoid College Application Regrets: Tips For Getting It Right the First Time

Decision Day occurs each year on May 1st and is the deadline for students to inform the college of their choice of their intent t…

Get a student loan that goes beyond tuition.

Ascent offers cosigned and non-cosigned student loans with exclusive benefits that set students up for success.

Explore Now!
Find Your Scholarship

Want to find money for school that doesn’t need to be paid back? Access insights and advice on how to search and apply for scholarships!

Search for Scholarship