Introduction

Hello and welcome to another incredible addition to our blog. Today, we shall be talking about some of the most helpful tips for writing a “Why attend our college” essay. This blog post has been specifically inspired by BestColleges. Cheers to them for creating an incredible learning resource. 

Buckle up dear reader and get a hot beverage as we embark on this golden journey of discovery and adventure.

What are the bitter truths of “Why attend our college” essay prompts?

Some of them are unclear therefore causing misunderstanding

College application prompts that ask why applicants want to attend their college can be unclear as pointed out by BestColleges. This lack of clarity can lead to confusion. 

When a prompt doesn’t specify what it wants the applicant to discuss, the applicant might feel lost. They might wonder, ‘What should I focus on in my essay? Should I talk about the clubs at the college, the quality of education, or even the food? Maybe I should mention how close the college is to my home?’ 

All these thoughts can crowd an applicant’s mind, making it hard to decide on a topic. While this might seem like freedom to some, it can actually cause confusion. An applicant might worry that writing an essay on a certain topic isn’t what the college expects. If they believe this, they might end up writing a poor essay because they weren’t given clear instructions.

When a question is hard to understand, students might start to worry. They might think, ‘Did I get the question right? Am I missing something?’ This worry can come from not knowing what to write about. They might ask themselves if they know enough or have good enough experiences to answer the ‘Why do you want to attend our college?’ question. This worry can make them forget how to write a good answer.

Doesn’t work well with college essay templates

Using a template for the ‘Why do you want to go to our college?’ essay might not work well. Templates are usually made for general purposes, so when a student tries to make them fit their specific situation, they might not be able to share unique things about themselves and the college they want to go to. 

Students need to know that doing well on this essay mostly depends on them giving specific examples that show how they would be a good fit at the college they want to go to. A template might not help with this because of its general nature.

Another reason why the ‘Why do you want to go to our college?’ essay might not work well with templates is because writing a good college essay takes time. It can take more than six months to a year. This time allows students to learn how to write a good essay and to actually write one. They can brainstorm, create a good structure for their essay, write the essay, and finally proofread it. 

Templates are for people who are in a hurry. Unlike writing an essay from scratch, templates reduce the time you spend on your essay. But to write a good essay, you need time. Templates don’t give you that time. They’re for students who didn’t plan well. So, you need to give yourself enough time to write your essay. If you do this, you won’t feel the need to use a template. 

If you rush and use a template, you might not write a good essay that shows the unique things you found about the college you want to go to and how it fits with the career you want to build.

Writing a great essay is all about simplicity

Many students think they need to show a perfect life path in their ‘Why do you want to go to our college?’ essay. They think this is what college admissions officers want to hear. But it’s important to keep things simple. When you do things in a simple way, you have a better chance of success. So, when writing your essay, try to keep it simple and enjoyable. 

Don’t focus on creating a perfect essay that shows a perfect life. This can make your brainstorming session focused only on this idea. However, the brainstorming session should be about choosing a topic that is meaningful to you and relevant to the essay question. Remember, keep it simple and true to you.

Students applying to college should remember these key points to succeed in their essays, including the ‘Why do you want to go to our college?’ essay.

1. Be Honest: Your entire application will be checked for authenticity. As expressed by Eva Ostrum, a former assistant director of undergraduate admissions at Yale University, admissions officers will see if your writing style matches your reading and writing skills. So, be honest in your essay. Share true information about yourself.
2. Provide Specific Details: When writing your essay, as expressed by the Tanabes, focus on what you saw, heard, felt, and thought. This will help you give specific details. Clear examples will help the admissions committee understand your story better.
3. Communicate Who You Are: When describing anything in your essay, ask yourself why you did it and why it was important to you. This will help you show who you are on a deeper level.
4. Create an Engaging Essay: Choose a topic that you find interesting. This will help you write an engaging essay with vivid descriptions.
5. Proofread Properly: Admissions officers don’t want essays that are over-edited or have errors. So, make sure to proofread your essay properly.

Remember, writing a college essay is about competing for a spot. So, keep learning how to write a good essay. But don’t complicate the process. These five points are the most important. If you can do these well, you’ll have the best chance of success.

What must a college applicant do in response to a “Why Attend our college” essay prompt?

Carry out in-depth research about the college

The most important thing when answering the ‘Why do you want to go to our college?’ essay is to research the college you’re applying to. This is important because it lets you include specific details about the college in your essay as illustrated by BestColleges. This can impress the admissions officers because it shows your commitment to attending their college. 

Many students don’t take the time to learn about the college they’re applying to. They use general descriptions that could apply to any college. But if you take the time to learn about the college, you have a better chance of getting accepted. 

Admissions officers will also appreciate that you’re serious about your application. They’ll respect you for taking the time to research and understand the college. 

In addition to this, admissions officers will like your essay if you show your interest in a specific field and demonstrate a practical understanding of it all because of the research undertaken. This shows that you’re passionate about your field and serious about pursuing it at the college you’re applying to. So, remember to do your research to effectively show your passion and understanding of your field.

Be as specific as possible 

When writing your essay, try to be as specific as possible. This means sharing your thoughts, feelings, and what you’ve seen and heard as explained by the Tanabes. 

Being specific also means avoiding generalizations. These can be common sayings, overused ideas, or extreme words. Common sayings are phrases we hear a lot, like ‘busy as a bee’ or ‘as easy as ABC.’ These can make your essay less engaging. 

Overused ideas are themes that many people write about. If you choose a common topic, make sure to approach it uniquely. 

Extreme words are words like ‘most beautiful,’ ‘most courageous,’ or ‘most intelligent.’ You should avoid these because they can make your essay seem unrealistic. Remember, the admissions committee knows that no one is perfect. So, try to be honest and realistic in your essay. This will help you stand out and make a good impression.

What is the importance of a “Why attend our college” essay?

Allows applicants to discuss reasons why they should be accepted

The ‘Why do you want to attend our college?’ essay is important for college applicants. Unlike other essay prompts, this one lets you explain why the college should admit you. It gives you a chance to share your reasons for wanting to attend that college. 

People go to college for different reasons. Some go to make friends, some go to find partners, some go to party, and some go to build meaningful careers. To properly express your intentions, you need to do your research and make sure your goals align with what the college offers. For example, it wouldn’t make sense to study a subject at a college that isn’t known for that subject. 

Providing reasons as to why you should be accepted is similar to defending your position in your dream college. It’s like proving why you deserve to be there. That’s the beauty of this essay prompt.

You can easily discuss your passions, interests, values, and goals

When writing an essay about why you want to attend a certain college, four things will naturally come up: your passions, interests, values, and goals as expressed by BestColleges. You can easily talk about your passions as they are a natural way to show your interest in a specific field of study. 

For example, if you want to pursue a career in music, you can write about how you used to spend weekends playing the piano or guitar. This shows your passion for music. 

Your values and goals are also important. When writing this essay, you need to make sure your values and goals align with those of the college. This is how you show that you’re a good fit for the college you’re applying to.

Helps Admissions Officers know which students really want to study in their college

The ‘Why do you want to attend our college?’ essay is important because it helps the admissions officers understand which students are genuinely interested in their college. A serious student will make sure their essay is as honest as possible. The college wants to know why their institution is important to you. 

They will use strategies to verify your honesty, such as checking your recommendation letters and seeing if they align with what you’ve written in your essay. They will also look at your essay to see if there are any application-form-relevant activities you’ve mentioned that aren’t included on your application form. By using these strategies and many others, they can determine if you’re being honest. 

In addition to honesty, the admissions officers also want your response to be relevant. So, it’s important to carefully read and understand the essay prompt so you can provide the best possible response that is 100% relevant to the prompt.

Universities with the “Why this college” essay prompt, their prompts, and how to approach them

Before you write your ‘Why this College?’ essay, remember that different colleges want different things as expressed by BestColleges. Some might want you to talk about yourself, while others might want you to talk about what you like about the college. 

It’s important to understand what they’re asking for. Some prompts might not be clear, which can be both good and bad. If you’re not sure what to write, think about why you want to study your chosen career at that college. Try to avoid talking about things like the food or buildings at the college. Instead, focus on how the college’s academics can help you with your future career.

Columbia University 

Prompt

“Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia.”

How to approach the question

This essay question wants you to talk about what you like about Columbia University. To answer this, you need to learn about Columbia and find out what you think is special and exciting. 

You can do this by looking at the school’s websites, reading reviews, and even visiting the university. 

When you write your essay, don’t just talk about general things that could be true for any university. Instead, talk about specific things that are unique to Columbia. This will make your essay stand out.

University of Central Florida

Prompt

“Why did you choose to apply to UCF? What qualities or unique characteristics do you possess that will allow you to contribute to the UCF community?”

How to approach the question

The University of Central Florida is different from Columbia University because it wants students to write about their unique qualities. They want to know what makes you a good fit for their university and how you can contribute positively. 

This prompt wants you to talk about what you can bring to the university, not about the university itself. To answer this prompt, think about what matters most to you. Then, focus on the things that align with the University of Central Florida and that can easily demonstrate a positive contribution to the University’s culture. Discuss these things in your essay.

University of Michigan

Prompt

“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?”

How to approach the question

The University of Michigan wants to know the qualities you find most helpful to your career path in your chosen program(s) and how they can help you reach your career goals. 

To answer this, you need to do some research on the University of Michigan. Then, think about what you want to do for your career. Look for programs at the University of Michigan that can help you with your career goals. In your essay, talk about the unique qualities of these programs, how you plan to use these programs, and how these programs will help you with your career. This will help you answer this essay question well.

New York University

Prompt

“We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and/or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. We want to understand — Why NYU?”

How to approach the question

The New York University essay prompt asks you to write about why you’ve chosen to apply to their institution. And not just that, dear reader. NYU also wants to understand why you choose a specific school and program at their University. 

There are two parts to answering this question. The first part is identifying your interest in NYU together with the school and program you are applying to. You can brainstorm on your specific interests before writing a detailed draft of the chosen “interest” ideas in your mindmap to function as reasons why you choose to study at NYU. Obviously, you won’t be brainstorming on your chosen school and program now, will you?

The second part is about explaining why the chosen school and program are important to you. How do you see yourself benefiting from what NYU has to offer? You want to equally brainstorm and write a draft on this as well. Once you are done, consider proofreading both drafts and compiling them into one cohesive piece on an editing software such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word. 

The main focus of the question is to understand your interest in NYU and why you chose or are choosing a certain NYU program and school. Simple as that! So, when answering this question, be sure to address both these points clearly and concisely.

University of Pennsylvania

Prompt

“Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, how will you explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania?”

How to approach the question

The University of Pennsylvania wants to know about your specific undergraduate school journey if you get accepted there. They are curious about how you plan to use their resources and chances to make a great career for yourself. 

Just like any “why attend our college” essay, it’s important to learn a lot about the University of Pennsylvania. Find out what they have that can help you do well in your chosen field. Try to talk to students who have done well in your field at the University of Pennsylvania. Learn from their journey to success and get inspired. 

Use these insights to write an interesting essay on your journey to your chosen field’s success using Penn’s resources. By doing this, you’ll be answering the essay question in a way that matters and is exciting.

Helpful Tips for Writing a “Why you want to attend college you are applying to” essay prompt

Don’t send out one essay to many different colleges

It can be tough to write many college essays for different colleges you’re applying to. It’s a lot of work! But the best way to handle this big task is to start early. Many experts who help with college admissions suggest that students should start preparing their college essays at least a year in advance. 

Take your time to write an essay that shows why you want to go to each college you’re applying to. Make sure to include lots of specific details in every essay you write about this topic. This is what the colleges you’re applying to really want to read. 

As we’ve talked about before in this blog post, using templates is not a good idea when you’re writing an essay for this specific essay prompt.

Know what you want to write about before writing

Understanding what you want to write before you start helps you avoid confusion when you’re writing the first draft of your college essay. This strategy works not just for this specific essay prompt, but for any college essay you might be writing. 

You want to make sure you’re brainstorming effectively and have an outline of what you’re going to talk about in response to the question. 

Creating a brainstorming document helps you figure out what parts of your essay need more research. This way, you know what areas you need to learn more about. 

When you create a brainstorming document, you can also plan out the order in which you want to present your ideas in the essay. These strategies can help improve how your essay is read by the college admissions committee.

Ensure your reasons for going to college are believable and not dishonest

When you’re writing your college essay, it’s important to remember that the college you’re applying to is really interested in the honest reasons that make you a good fit for their school. They want to know about your real interest in their college. 

If you give wrong information, it could hurt your application. You need to remember that the people who read your application have been doing this job for a long time. They’re really good at telling if an application is honest. 

It’s very important to make sure your whole application works well together with your college essay. Make sure what you write in your essay matches up with everything else in your application. This will help you give an honest picture to the people who will be reading your college essay.

Spare some time to investigate the school you are applying to

The most important part of writing a college essay on ‘why this college’ is the research phase. This is what lets you include information about the college in your essay. 

It helps you find out what the college offers that you’re interested in or what about yourself aligns with the college’s values perfectly. Remember, it all depends on the specific prompt and how it has been phrased. So, I emphasize very strongly that you read the prompt carefully to ensure you understand it.

Don’t Write to impress college admissions officers

The Tanabes strongly suggest that students shouldn’t write college essays on topics they think the college admissions officers will like, instead of what they’re really interested in. It’s important to choose essay topics that are meaningful to you. 

Don’t try to impress the admissions officers, just be true to yourself and believe that things will work out the best way possible. Even if you don’t get into your dream college, you can always apply to other colleges or try again later. 

So, make sure you’re not writing a college essay, on any topic, just to impress the admissions officers. They don’t want to be impressed, they want to know the real reason why you’re interested in their college.

Remember that you are a student and not a professor when writing

When you’re writing your college essays, remember that you’re a student, not a professor. This is especially important when you’re proofreading your essays. You don’t want to change your essays too much. 

Changing the grammar and structure can make your essay feel too academic. It can lose the feeling of being written by a young person. If the English you’re using or the sentence structure is too advanced, it can not only take away from your essay but also strike suspicion in the minds of the admissions committee. This isn’t something you want in your college essay. This advice applies to any college essay you might write.

Ensure you pass the thumb test

The ‘thumb test’ is a way to check if your college essay really shows who you are. You cover your name with your thumb and read your essay from start to finish. 

If the essay doesn’t show your true self, then you’ve failed the thumb test. If it does show your true self, then you’ve passed the thumb test. You want to pass this test because the people at the college you’re applying to want to understand why you think you’re a good fit for their college. They want to understand your personality. 

The thumb test helps make sure you’ve talked about your personality and that your essay doesn’t look like someone else’s essay or a general application essay.

Your supplemental essay should do a good job of expounding on this personal statement

Let’s say you’re working on an extra essay and the ‘why this college’ is the main essay. You want to make sure that both your main essay and your extra essay match up well. 

The extra essay should do a good job of explaining more about the points you’ve talked about in your main essay. It’s important to make sure every part of your application works well together and doesn’t feel disconnected.

Demonstrate your excitement and zeal for studying in the specific college

As we’ve said many times before, when you write a story or share an experience and you’re excited about it, that excitement can be contagious. It can spread to the college admissions officers who are reading your essay. 

This strategy works really well for the ‘why this college’ essay prompt. As identified by BestColleges, showing your excitement can make your essay lively and do a great job of showing your interests and career goals to the admissions committee. 

A good way to show your excitement for studying at the college you’re applying to is to talk about a positive interaction you had with a student when you visited the college. You can also talk about your overall experience when you visited the college you’re applying to. This is something that India’s BoardPlus strongly suggests you consider doing.

Proofread your college application essay

Checking your college application essay is really helpful. It helps you find things you might have missed, like the word limit. It’s very important to make sure you haven’t written too many words. 

When you’re checking your essay, make sure you don’t have more than two people help you. If too many people help, they might change your original message. 

You also want to make sure you’re showing your essay to people who are older than you. What makes these people laugh or cry will probably make the college admissions officers laugh and cry too. This helps you make sure you’re getting the right tone in your essay. 

You also want to make sure you’re showing your essay to someone who can tell if your essay has the right diction and flow without changing it too much. Diction means the right way of writing together with the usage of appropriate words in the college essay whereas flow means the smooth way your information is presented in your essay. 

These editing strategies work not just for the ‘why this college’ essay, but for any essay you might write when applying to college.

The Structure of the “Why Attend Our College” essay

The Beginning

The start of your college essay is your chance to make a strong first impression on the college admissions committee. It’s like a LinkedIn profile. Just like a good LinkedIn profile can attract potential employers and clients, a good start to your college essay can attract the attention of the admissions committee. 

The start of your essay is a great place to introduce who you are, your career goals, and your interests, like your hobbies. But remember, don’t go into too much detail. Just give a brief overview of what you’ll be talking about in your essay. 

It’s important for the start of your essay to grab the reader’s attention. You could do this by including a surprising fact or an interesting short story. And since you’re writing an essay on why you want to go to a specific college, it’s important to highlight something about yourself that makes you a good fit for that college.

The Middle

When you’re writing the main part of your college essay, you want to start with topic sentences. These are sentences that introduce what each paragraph will be about. They give the reader an idea of what to expect in each paragraph. 

Since you’re writing an essay about why you want to go to a specific college, you want to include specific things about the college that you think will help you in your future career. Ask yourself, what does this college have that is so special and that you really love? Then talk about that in each paragraph of your essay. 

It’s also important to show that you’ve done your research. Make sure you include information that you’ve found from your research and your own understanding of the career you want to build. This helps show that you’re really passionate about the career you want and that you want the college to help you build it. 

When you’re writing the middle paragraphs of your essay, make sure you’re not using general sayings, overused ideas, or extreme words. We’ve talked about this in a previous section of this blog post.

The End

The end of your college essay is important. It’s your chance to show your excitement and commitment to the career you want to build. You want to leave the admissions officers feeling like you’re really excited and ready to use the resources at the college to build a successful career. 

The end of your essay, like any other part, should avoid general sayings and be as honest as possible. Colleges have ways to make sure you’re not lying, like checking your recommendations. That’s why it’s important to make sure every part of your application matches up. One of the most common reasons why college applicants don’t succeed is because their application doesn’t make sense. 

Successful applicants often refer back to the first paragraph when writing their conclusion. This is something you can do too. You can also choose to end with a note where you express your hope for admission into the school you’re applying to.

Conclusion

And that’s it, dear reader! To recap the most important tips for writing a “Why attend our college” essay, remember to:

• Write to only one college at a time
• Brainstorm effectively
• Provide believable reasons for attending the specific college
• Conduct thorough research
• Avoid writing to impress
• Proofread properly (but not like a professor)
• Pass the thumb test
• Ensure supplemental essay alignment
• Focus on relevant personal features
• Provide specific details
• Be excited when writing

We’d love to hear from you! Comment below on which tip you found most insightful to inspire us to create more helpful content for you. Thank you, and goodbye for now!

FAQ

How to answer why you want to attend this college?

There are two very important steps to answer the ‘why do you want to attend our college’ essay question. 

The first step is to make sure you read and understand the essay question. You might not realize this, but each essay question is unique. So, it’s really important to understand what the question is asking. 

The second step is to do a lot of research on the college you’re applying to. These are the two most important things to do when answering the ‘why do you want to attend this college’ essay question.

Why would I like to attend a college?

Some reasons why you might want to go to college include making important connections with people who can help you build your career. Another good reason is to get the right qualifications you need for a job in a certain industry. Or, if you want to run a business in fields like law, medicine, finance, or welfare, you might need to have certain academic qualifications first. These are just some reasons why you might want to go to college.

Why would a college want me?

The main reason a college would want a student is because of their good grades. It’s important to know that students who do well in school have a better chance of getting into the college they want. But besides good grades, your college essay should also show who you really are. It should show you as a person who is kind to others and has big goals for the future.

What do colleges look for in essays?

The main thing colleges look for in essays is your personality. They mostly focus on the kind of person you show yourself to be in your college essay. That’s the main thing they look at when they’re reviewing applications. How you show your personality is important. That’s why we’ve created this blog post for you to read.

Resources and References

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

How to Write a “Why This College” Essay | BestColleges