How to write the "why us" essay
Applicants tend to do poorly on “Why Us” essays — filling them with platitudes; showing only a cursory level of research (ex: praising US News rankings); and mentioning things that would apply at any school (ex: “great professors”).
But there’s a simple “Why Us” essay strategy that works. Have your students:
write about their college-related interests,
do a little research on how the school matches those interests, and
aim their essay at demonstrating they’ll (1) be a good fit at the school + (2) likely attend if admitted.
In this newsletter, we’ll show that:
Colleges ask “Why Us” to see if students will be a “good fit” and are likely to attend.
Yes, students can reuse their “Why Us” essays for different colleges (mostly).
Students should take time to brainstorm their college-related interests.
3 tips for showing how those interests match what the school has to offer.
A word on pulling it all together.
Colleges ask “Why Us” to see if students will be a “good fit” and are likely to attend.
Colleges that require “Why Us” essays often care about yield — how many of the students they admit actually enroll. It’s a big factor in college rankings. A lot of surprising things help colleges determine a student will likely help their yield — for a deep dive, see our article on Demonstrated Interest. But ultimately, writing a great “Why Us” essay is the best way a student can show a college they’re serious about them.
In addition, colleges are looking to see if the student will fit well on campus. So have your students write with those two aims in mind.
Note: If the college asks why a student will major in, say, engineering at their school, it’s still a “Why Us” essay. (Ex: Cornell.) If the college is instead asking about students’ interest in a particular major, that’s a “Why Major” essay (Ex: MIT). For a strategy for Why Majors, see our article.
Yes, students can reuse their “Why Us” essays for different colleges (mostly)
While students can't write the exact same thing for each school, they can often get away with similar essays. First, once they’ve done the work to articulate their college-related interests (see below), it’ll work for all schools. Second, once a student knows how to research a school for how it matches their interests, it’s not hard to do again.
Students should take time to brainstorm their college-related interests
The hardest part of “Why Us” essays sounds like the easiest part: figuring out the student’s college-related interests and writing about them well. That’s why they can’t skip a solid brainstorming session.
As you know if you follow Prompt’s method, we’re big on having students brainstorm first and write second, so they know exactly what is most compelling to write about.
In this instance, students need to figure out what interests they want to develop in college. They should brainstorm a few of these, in each case answering questions such as:
What most interests you about the subject?
What first sparked your interest?
How does this interest relate to your ambitions (if any)?
Are there classes related to this interest that you’d like to take at college?
What big questions do you have about this interest?
What are you most curious about within it?
The student should end the brainstorm with 1-2 interests that feel right and fully fleshed out.
Then, they should do it all over again for their extracurriculars. While some “Why Us” prompts specifically ask about academics, many are broader. In those cases, colleges love having an idea of what students will get up to on campus outside of class. A little extra brainstorming can deliver.
Here are some questions students can use to generate great content:
What kinds of volunteering, clubs, or organizations do you hope to continue participating in during college? Why do you want to continue?
What kinds of volunteering, clubs, or organizations do you hope to try for the first time during college? What do you hope to gain from these experiences?
Are you looking for work or research opportunities in college? What kinds?
How do you want your college to support you?
If you’re a maker and/or interested in creative pursuits, how do you hope to develop your skills in college?
A word of caution on study abroad: students should avoid mentioning it unless they have a specific idea of where and what they want to study. It can come off as “I can't wait to go to this school so I can leave and go somewhere else!”
Researching how students’ interests match what the school has to offer is actually pretty easy
Now comes the part that seems difficult, but is actually relatively straightforward: research. Have the students begin with a Google of the department they’re most interested in.
They should look at the class offerings, research opportunities, fellowships, and anything else — and write down the things that jump out at them as interesting.
Note: the general curriculum is usually less exciting and tends to be similar across schools. Students should look at the more advanced, esoteric classes intended for junior/senior students.
Department sites often have articles about students and faculty who’ve done newsworthy things. Students should look into those that interest them and make a note.
Next, students should do a general search for the school’s organizations and clubs that relate to their interest(s). Again, all they have to do is note down the things that excite them. Finally, examples from a student’s campus visit make excellent fodder for this essay, so do tell students to use those experiences if they have them.
By the end of this process, students should have a number of particularized notes on what the college has to offer that genuinely excites them.
Use a super direct approach to turn brainstormed content into an essay
“Why Us” is an essay that needs a super direct approach: it’s straight geometry — we fit together. “I’m interested in X, and you have Class and Activity that match X.”
Here are some quick pointers for students:
Follow the formula. Present your most important interests + how the school matches those interests.
Start with academic interests. Extracurriculars should go further down. Social reasons should go last.
If the school is your top choice (or a top choice), say so. As we know, schools ask “Why Us” to see if students will accept if admitted. (However, don’t say it if it’s not true.)
How to help your students write great college application essays
Prompt’s Essay Planning Tools help students identify what to write about and how to write about it. The tools are available for free for every student either by requesting a Prompt college application essay resource page for your school (click here to request a page) or through our integration with MaiaLearning.
Click here for a 12-minute video overview of Prompt’s Essay Planning tools.
In our next issue, Tips for the UC PIQs.
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