Step 1: Research the School

Before you can write about a school, you'll need to know specific things that make it stand out and
appeal to you and your interests. So where do you look for these? And how do you find the detail that will
speak to you? Here are some ways you can learn more about a school.

In-Person Campus Visits

If you're going on college tours, you've got the perfect opportunity to gather information about the
school. Bring a notepad and write down the following:

 Your tour guide's name

 One to two funny, surprising, or enthusiastic things your guide said about the school
 Any unusual features of the campus, such as buildings, sculptures, layout, history, or traditions

Try to also connect with students or faculty while you're there. If you visit a class, note which class
it is and who teaches it. See whether you can briefly chat up a student (e.g., in the class you visit,
around campus, in a dining area, etc.) and ask what he or she likes most about the school or what has been
most surprising about being there.

Don't forget to write down the answer! Trust me, you'll forget it otherwise—especially if you do this on
multiple college visits.

Virtual Campus Visits

If you can't get to the campus of your target school in real life, the next best thing is an online tour,
either from the school's own website or from other websites, such as YOUniversityTV, CampusTours,
or YouTube (search "[School Name] + tour").

You can also connect with students without visiting the campus in person. Many admissions websites
list contact information for currently enrolled students you can email to ask one or two questions about
what their experience of the school has been like.

Or if you know what department, sport, or activity you're interested in, you can ask the admissions office
to put you in touch with a student who is involved with that particular interest.

Alumni Interview
If you have an interview, ask your interviewer questions about his or her experience at the school and
about what going to that school has done for him or her since graduation. As always, take notes!

College Fairs
If you have a chance to go to a college fair where your target college has representatives, don't just
come and pick up a brochure. Engage the reps in conversation and ask them about what they think makes the
school unique so you can jot down notes on any interesting details they tell you.

The College's Own Materials

Colleges publish lots and lots of different kinds of things—and all of these will be useful for your
research. Here are some suggestions for what you can use. (You should be able to find all of the following
resources online.)

Brochures and Course Catalogs

Read the mission statement of the school—does its educational philosophy align with yours? You should
also read through its catalogs. Are there any programs, classes, departments, and/or activities that seem
tailor-made for you in some way?

Pro Tip: These interesting features you find should be unusual in some way or different from what
other schools offer. For example, being fascinated with the English department isn't going to cut it
unless you can discuss its unusual focus, its world-renowned professors, or the different way it
structures the major that appeals to you specifically.
 

Alumni Magazine

Are any professors highlighted? Does their research speak to you or connect with a project you did in high
school or for an extracurricular?

Sometimes alumni magazines will highlight a college's new focus or new expansion. Does the construction
of a new engineering school relate to your intended major? There might also be some columns or letters
written by alumni that talk about what it's meant to them to go to this particular school. What stands out
about their experiences?

School/Campus Newspaper

Students write about the hot issues of the day, which means that the articles will be about the best and
worst things on campus. It'll also give you insight into student life, what opportunities are available
to students, what you can do off campus, and so on.

The College's Social Media

Your target school is most likely on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media. Follow the
school to see what it's posting about. Any exciting new campus developments? Professors in the news?
Interesting events, clubs, or activities?

Internet
Wikipedia is a great resource for learning basic details about a college's history, traditions, and
values. I also recommend looking for forums on College Confidential that specifically deal with the
school you're researching.

Another option is to search on Google for interesting phrases, such as "What students really think about
[School Name]" or "[School Name] student forum." This will help you get detailed points of view, comments
about specific programs or courses, and insight into real student life.

Step 2: Brainstorm Potential Essay Topics

So what should you do now that you've completed a bunch of research? Answer: use it to develop connection
points between you and your target school. These connections will be the skeleton of your "why this
college" essay.

Find the Gems in Your Research

You have on hand all kinds of information, from your own personal experiences on campus, to your
conversations with people affiliated with your target school, to what you've learned from campus
publications, to tidbits gleaned from the web.

Now, it's time to sift through all of your notes to find the three to five things that really speak to
you. Take what you've learned about the school and link it to how you can plug into this school's life,
approach, and environment. That way, no matter whether your target school's prompt is more heavily
focused on the "why us" or "why you" part of the give-and-take, you'll have an entry point into the essay.

But what should these three to five things be? What should you keep in mind when you're looking for the
gem that will become your topic?

Here are some words of wisdom from Calvin Wise, Director of Recruitment and former Associate Director of
Admissions at Johns Hopkins University (bold emphasis mine):

"Focus on what makes us unique and why that interests you. Do your research, and articulate a multi-
dimensional connection to the specific college or university. We do not want broad statements (the
brick pathways and historic buildings are beautiful) or a rehash of the information on our website
(College X offers a strong liberal arts curriculum). All institutions have similarities. We want you
to talk about our differences."
 

Check Your Gems for Color and Clarity

When I say "check your gems," I mean make sure that each of the three to five things you've found is
something your target school has that other schools don't have.

This something should be seen from your own perspective. The point isn't to generically praise the school
but instead to go into detail about why it's so great for you that they have this thing.

This something you find should be meaningful to the school and specific to you. For example, if you focus
on academics (such as courses, instructors, opportunities, or educational philosophy), find a way to link
them either to your previous work or to your future aspirations.

This something should not be shallow and non-specific. Want to live in a city? Every city has more than
one college in it. Find a way to explain why this specific college in this specific city calls to you.
Like pretty architecture? Many schools are beautiful, so dwell on why this particular place feels unlike
any other. Like good weather, beach, skiing, or some other geographical attribute? There are many schools
located near these places, and they know that people enjoy sunbathing. Either build a deeper connection or
skip these as reasons.

Convert Your Gems Into Essay Topics

Every "why this college" essay is going to answer both the "why us" and the "why you" parts of the back-
and-forth equation. But depending on which way your target school has worded its prompt, you'll lean more
heavily on that part. This is why I'm going to split this brainstorming into two parts—to go with the
"why us" and "why you" types of questions.

Of course, since they are both sides of the same coin, you can always easily flip each of these ideas
around in order to have it work well for the other type of prompt. For example, a "why us" essay might
talk about how interesting the XYZ interdisciplinary project is and how it fits well with your senior
project.

By contrast, a "why you" essay would take the same idea but flip it to say that you've learned through
your senior project how you deeply value an interdisciplinary approach to academics, making you a great
fit for this school and its commitment to such work, as evidenced by project XYZ.

Possible "Why Us" Topics

 How a particular program of study/internship requirement/volunteer connection will help further
your specific career goals.

 The school's interesting approach to your future major (if you know what that will be) or a
major that combines several disciplines that appeal to you and fit with your current academic
work and interests.

 How the school handles financial aid and the infrastructure setup for low-income students, and
what that means for you in terms of opening doors.

 A story about how you became interested in the school (if you learned about it in an
interesting way). Did it host a high school contest you took part in? Feature a visual or
performing art that you enjoyed and that you also do?

 How you overcame an initial disinterest in the school (be sure to minimize this first negative
impression). Did you do more research? Interact with someone on campus? Learn about the school's
commitment to the community? Learn about interesting research being done there?

 A positive interaction you had with current students, faculty, or staff, as long as this is more
than just, "Everyone I met was really nice."

 An experience you had while on a campus tour. Was there a super passionate tour guide? Any
information that surprised you? Did something happen to transform your idea about the school or
campus life (in a good way)?

 Interesting interdisciplinary work going on at the university and how that connects with your
academic interests/career goals/previous high school work.

 The history of the school—but only if it's meaningful to you in some way. Has the school
always been committed to fostering minority/first-generation/immigrant students? Was it founded
by someone you admire? Did it take an unpopular (but, to you, morally correct) stance at some
crucial moment in history?

 An amazing professor you can't wait to learn from. Is there a chemistry professor whose current
research meshes with a science fair project you did? A professor who's a renowned scholar on your
favorite author/genre? A professor whose book on economics finally made you understand the most
recent financial crisis?

 A class that sounds fascinating, especially if it's in a field you want to major in. Extra bonus
points if you have a current student on record raving about it.

 A facility or piece of equipment you can't wait to work in or with, and that doesn't exist in
many other places. Is there a specialty library with rare medieval manuscripts? Is there an
observatory? A fleet of boats?

 A required curriculum that appeals to you because it provides a solid grounding in the classics,
shakes up the traditional canon, connects all the students on campus in one intellectual project,
or is taught in a unique way.
 

Possible "Why You" Topics

 Do you want to continue a project you worked on in high school? Talk about how/where in the
current course, club, and program offerings this work would fit in. Why will you be a good
addition to the team?

 Have you always been involved in a community service project that's already being done on
campus? Write about integrating life on campus with events in the surrounding community.

 Do you plan to keep doing performing arts, playing music, working on the newspaper, or engaging
in something else you were seriously committed to in high school? Discuss how excited you are to
join that existing organization.

 Are you the perfect person to take advantage of an internship program (e.g., because you have
already worked in this field, were exposed to it through your parents, have completed academic
work that gives you some experience with it, etc.)?

 Are you the ideal candidate for a study abroad opportunity (e.g., because you can speak the
language of the country, it's a place where you've worked or studied before, your career goals
are international in some respect, etc.)?

 Are you a stand-out match for an undergraduate research project (e.g., because you'll major in
this field, you've always wanted to work with this professor, you want to pursue research as a
career option, etc.)?

 Is there something you were deeply involved with that doesn't currently exist on campus? Offer
to start a club for it. And I mean a club (you aren't going to magically create a new academic
department or even a new academic course, so don't try offering that!). If you do write about
this, make double (and even triple) sure that the school doesn't already have a
club/course/program for this interest.

 What are some of the programs and/or activities you plan to get involved with on campus and
what unique qualities will you bring to them?

 Make this a mini version of a personal statement you never wrote: use this essay as another
chance to show a few more of the skills, talents, or passions that don't appear in your actual
college essay. What's the runner-up interest that you didn't write about? What opportunity,
program, or offering at the school lines up with it.

Possible Topics for a College That's Not Your First Choice

 If you're writing about a school you're not completely psyched about, one way to sidestep the
issue is to focus on what getting this degree will do for you in the future. How do you see
yourself changing existing systems, helping others, or otherwise succeeding?

 Alternatively, discuss what the school values academically, socially, environmentally, and/or

philosophically, and how this connects with what you also care about. Does it have a vegan,
organic, and cruelty-free cafeteria? A relationship with a local farm or garden? De-emphasized
fraternity involvement? Strong commitment to environmental issues? Lots of opportunities to
contribute to the community surrounding the school? Active tolerance and inclusion for various
minority groups?

 Try to find at least one or two features you're excited about for each of the schools on your
list. If you can't think of a single reason why this would be a good place for you to go, maybe
you shouldn't be applying there!
 

Topics to Avoid in Your Essay

 Don't write about general characteristics, such as a school's location (or the weather in that
location), reputation, or student body size. For example, anyone applying to the Webb
Institute, which has fewer than 100 students, should by all means talk about having a preference
for tiny, close-knit communities. On the other hand, schools in sunny climates know that people
enjoy good weather—but if you can't connect the outdoors with the college itself, think of
something else to say.

 Don't talk about your sports fandom. Saying "I can see myself in crimson and white/blue and
orange/[some color] and [some other color]" is both overused and not a persuasive reason for
wanting to go to a particular college. After all, you could cheer for a team without going to the
school! Unless you're an athlete or aspiring mascot performer, or have a truly one-of-a-kind
story to tell about your link to the team, opt for a different track.

 Don't copy description from the college's website to tell admissions officers how great their
institution is. They don't want to hear praise; they want to hear how you connect with their
school. So if something on the college brochure speaks to you, explain why this specific detail
matters to you and how your past experiences, academic work, extracurricular interests, and/or
hobbies connect with it.

 Don't use college rankings as a reason for why you want to go to a school. Of course prestige
matters, but schools that are ranked right next to each other on the list are at about the same
level of prestige. What makes you choose one over the other?

 If you decide to write about a future major, don't just talk about what you want to study and
why. Make sure that you also explain why you want to study this thing at this particular
school. What do they do differently from other colleges?

 Don't wax poetic about the school's pretty campus. "From the moment I stepped on your campus, I
knew it was the place for me" is another cliché—and another way to say basically nothing about
why you actually want to go to this particular school. Lots of schools are pretty, and many are
pretty in the exact same way.


 Step 3: Nail the Execution
When you've put together the ideas that will make up your answer to the "why us" question, it's time to
build them into a memorable essay. Here are some tips for doing that successfully:

 Jump right in. The essay is short, so there's no need for an introduction or conclusion. Spend
the first paragraph delving into your best one or two reasons for applying. Then, use the second
paragraph to go into slightly less detail about reasons 2 (or 3) through 5.

 To thine own self be true. Write in your own voice and be sincere about what you're saying.
Believe me—the reader can tell when you mean it and when you're just blathering!

 Details, details, details. Show the school that you've done your research. Are there any
classes, professors, clubs, or activities you're excited about at the school? Be specific (for
example, "I'm fascinated by the work Dr. Jenny Johnson has done with interactive sound
installations").

 If you plan on attending if admitted, say so. Colleges care about the numbers of acceptances
deeply, so it might help to know you're a sure thing. But don't write this if you don't mean it!

 Don't cut and paste the same essay for every school. At least once you'll most likely forget to
change the school name or some other telling detail. You also don't want to have too much vague,
cookie-cutter reasoning or else you'll start to sound bland and forgettable.
For more tips, check out our step-by-step essay-writing advice.

Example of a Great "Why This College" Essay

At this point, it'll be helpful to take a look at a "why us" essay that works and figure out what the
author did to create a meaningful answer to this challenging question.

Here is a "Why Tufts" Essay from James Gregoire '19 for Tufts University:

It was on my official visit with the cross country team that I realized Tufts was the perfect school
for me. Our topics of conversation ranged from Asian geography to efficient movement patterns, and
everyone spoke enthusiastically about what they were involved in on campus. I really related with the
guys I met, and I think they represent the passion that Tufts' students have. I can pursue my dream of
being a successful entrepreneur by joining the Tufts Entrepreneurs Society, pursuing an Entrepreneurial
Leadership minor, and taking part in an up-and-coming computer science program.
Here are some of the main reasons this essay is so effective:

 Interaction with current students. James writes about hanging out with the cross country team
and sounds excited about meeting them.

 "I'm a great fit." He uses the conversation with the cross country guys to talk about his own
good fit here ("I really related with the guys I met").

 Why the school is special. James also uses the conversation as a way to show that he enjoys the
variety of opportunities Tufts offers (their fun conversation covers Asian geography, movement
patterns, and other things they "were involved with on campus").

 Taking advantage of this specialness. James doesn't just list things Tufts offers but also
explains which of them are of specific value to him. He's interested in being an entrepreneur, so
the Tufts Entrepreneurs Society and the Entrepreneurial Leadership courses appeal to him.

 Awareness of what the school is up to. Finally, James shows that he's aware of the latest Tufts
developments when he mentions the new computer science program.

You can see more great "why this school" essays for Tufts by visiting the Tufts website.

The Bottom Line: Writing a Great "Why This

College" Essay
 The "why this college" essay is essentially looking for three things:

 Proof that you understand what makes this college different and special
 Evidence that you'll be a good fit at this school
 Evidence that this college will, in turn, be a good fit for you

The prompt may be phrased in one of two ways: "Why us?" or "Why you?" But these are sides of the same
coin and will be addressed in your essay regardless of the prompt style.

Writing the perfect "why this school" essay requires you to first research the specific qualities and
characteristics of this school that appeal to you. You can find this information by doing any or all of
the following:

 Visiting campuses in person or virtually to interact with current students and faculty
  Posing questions to your college interviewer or to reps at college fairs

 Reading the college's own materials, such as its brochures, official website, alumni magazine,
campus newspaper, and/or social media

 Looking at other websites that talk about the school

To find a topic to write about for your essay, find the three to five things that really speak to you
about the school and then link each of them to yourself, your interests, your goals, and/or your
strengths.

Avoid using clichés that could be true for any school, such as architecture, geography, weather, or sports
fandom. Instead, focus on the details that differentiate your target school from all the others.