How Do You Write a “Why Us?” Supplemental Essay for College?
Writing a compelling personal essay is all part of the college or university admissions process – but a lot of schools also require would-be students to submit supplemental essays.
Many supplemental essays have topics chosen by the school, and the one that students sometimes dread the most sounds deceptively simple: Why do you want to attend this particular school? This is also called the “Why us?” essay, and it is used by even some of the most prestigious universities to separate students with a strong demonstrated interest from those who most likely consider the school their “alternative choice.”
Answering this question can be tough. You want to be honest without sounding like you’re just trying to flatter the school so that you ingratiate yourself to the admissions office. You also want to make your application stand out from the pile of other essays that are all answering the same question.
Skip the Generic Compliments and Emotional Appeals
You may really, really want to attend a specific school. Maybe you appreciate the fact that there’s a strong science department and a low faculty-to-student ratio. Maybe you loved the atmosphere and thought everybody you met on your campus visit was awesome.
So what? You don’t want to use your essay to tell the school how wonderful all that is because the admissions office is already aware – and those are still pretty generic statements that could apply to a lot of schools and students. For example, the admissions office is already aware that a low faculty-to-student ratio is a big selling point for virtually every student, so that’s something that really isn’t special enough to mention.
Do Your Research and Get Down into the Specifics
Your emotional investment in the school will come through much louder (and feel a lot more genuine) if you dig into what specifically has you excited about the idea of attending their school.
Focus on what the school offers that’s unique and important to you – and use your essay to explain how you see that benefiting your academic career. For example, is there a professor at the school whose research has fascinated you? Is there a particular class you can’t wait to take for some reason? How would the educational or extracurricular programs help with your personal and professional goals? Emphasize these talking points to show how the school is a special match for your aspirations.
Start With an Outline and Be Ready to Revise
Some supplemental essays allow for a creative approach, and some ask for very straightforward responses. You need to look at the specific guidelines provided by the college or university and make sure that you understand all the rules you need to follow – from word count to formatting. Do not take liberties with the instructions or assume they’re the same as any other essay.
Put your rough draft down in outline form and brainstorm all your thoughts about the school, its academic offerings, the extracurricular programs and campus life. Once you have all your thoughts down on paper, you can start to pull out the most compelling talking points and focus on building your essay. Then, as always, be willing to revise (and revise some more).
Writing an admissions essay can be daunting – but it is essential. Getting help with your supplemental essay can make it easier to write a truly compelling piece that will set your application apart.
