This is the complete guide on how to write a why this college essay. Whether you’re getting ready to write one or you have no idea what to write at all, this post will give you some handy tips that you can use to write a compelling “why this college” essay that the admissions committee will read from start to finish.
A “why this college” essay is a piece of writing that demonstrates in details and with examples why you think a particular learning institution is a great fit for you. While not all schools ask students to write this type of essay, it’s a significant supplemental piece of writing to the college admission essay that students who want to further their learning beyond high school must write.
Examples of learning institutions that require aspiring students to write the why this college essay include:
- Duke University
- Swarthmore College
- New York University
- Bowdoin College
- Oberlin College
How Write a “Why this College” Essay, Step-by-Step
In this section, you’ll learn how to write a compelling “why this college” essay step-by-step so that you can submit a piece of writing that an admissions committee will find interesting and worth reading.
1. Do In-depth Research
Create a list of schools that look the most appealing to you and find out all you can about them. Doing so will help you single out the most favorable institution to join.
- Check the schools’ websites to learn more about them and the programs they offer
- Read students’ reviews about the schools on your list. Pay attention to what stands out the most about each school. Also, be sure to look at negative reviews so you can make an informed decision in the end.
- Since it’s difficult to know about a college without seeing it, consider taking virtual tours or vising each school in person.
If you have friends who have studied and graduated from the potential schools in your list, talk to them. They make a great source of information that you can use to single out the best college to join from your list of options.
Don’t hesitate to go the extra mile to hold short conversations with students currently studying in the schools on your list. Be sure to ask them open-ended questions so you can get as much information as possible to identify a suitable school to join.
2. Single Out the College to Join
Your initial research should present you with a lot of useful information about each college on your list.
Take that information and organize it in a way that’s easy for you to interpret and then use your interpretation to identify the college that can give you exactly what you’re looking.
You can use this template to organize your research or create one yourself.
The reason why it’s important to organize your information is so that you identify specific reasons that connect a given school with your academic, personal, and social interest. This information is what will help you write a great “why this college” essay in the shortest time possible.
3. Decide the Approach to Use for Your “Why this College” Essay
There’s no one best approach to writing a good why this college essay. However, you need to use an approach that can get an admissions committee interested in reading your essay and considering your application.
Here are some ideas you can use:
Write a Solid Essay with Reasons to Join the College
Find 5 to 10 opportunities at the school that connect with your interest, or that you find interesting about the institution. Explain each opportunity’s attribute in your own words and then mention the attributes that connect the specific school with what you would like to achieve.
The essay should have a short introduction. Keep it under 50 words and make sure it’s concise. Add a strong hook to grab attention, but still keep it short. Follow this with a clear thesis statement to direct the rest of the essay. Have 3 to 4 paragraphs that explain the main reasons why you believe the school is the best fit. Keep the conclusion short but memorable.
Focus Your Essay on a Few Unique Reasons to Join the College
Here, you fin at least 3 opportunities particular to the school of your choice and then connect each back to your interest. Choosing only a few outstanding reasons is a good approach because it allows you to write in more details while genuinely expressing your interest in the school.
You may need to do additional research to know exactly what sets the school apart. While doing so can take extra time, you can find incredibly valuable information that you didn’t have in step 1.
The One Value Approach
This approach is incredibly simple. You identify one specific value that links you to the school in question and then you tell your story around it. Since this particular approach centers around one attribute, you do want to provide as much relevant and comprehensive information as possible while sticking to the college essay’s word limit.
4. Let Someone Else Read Your Essay and Share Their Thoughts
Ask a friend, a former schoolmate from your high school, or a family member to read your why this college essay and then ask them to share their thoughts with you. They will not only point out the spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in the essay (if any), but also give you some suggestions that you can use to make your essay stand out.
Get Help with Essay Writing
Writing a “why this college” can be a challenge if you don’t know how to express yourself. However, you don’t have to give up your application simply because you don’t aren’t sure how to put down the words. Our college essay writing service is the last best resort when you can’t bring yourself to do the work yourself. Get in touch with our writing and let us know how you would like us to help.