Sarah was fortunate that she had three different people ask her to prom but she didn’t know who to choose, so she decided to ask each one why they chose her.
The first person said it was because of her smile and her long, dark hair. While Sarah was a humble person, she had actually been complimented on these features quite often, so she wasn’t too impressed. She thanked them and politely declined.
The second person said it was because of her smile, her beautiful hair, and her personality. She liked that! She asked them what it was about her personality and what they thought they had in common but they were only able to talk about Sarah’s qualities, not how they would fit together. Again, Sarah smiled, thanked them and politely declined.
The third person talked about Sarah’s personality and mentioned specific aspects they particularly liked and situations where she exhibited them. They talked about how they too, were caring, compassionate and humble and went on to give examples of the ways that the two of them would enjoy being together. Sarah was touched by how observant her suitor was and how much they had in common. She could easily imagine having a great time. She gave a big smile and said YES!
You may wonder what this story has to do with college or the admissions process. It’s the way I explain the “Why This College” essay to my students, otherwise known as the college version of “Why we belong together”.
Many colleges have this essay and, in many ways, it is more important than the common app essay because:
It helps the college “picture” how the student will fit into the overall freshman class they’re building and in what ways they will contribute
It helps the college learn about the student and how well they understand what the college has to offer and the ways they’ll take advantage of those opportunities
It helps the college determine how strongly the wants to attend, which protects their “yield”
The more in-depth research and exploration a student does, the easier it is to write this type of essay.
Here are a few things students can research and discover to help them write an impactful essay:
1. What is it about this college that is truly different from all the others you’re applying to? What makes it special and unique for you?
2. What are things that you’re interested in learning, doing, contributing, based on the college’s specific features, majors, activities, values?
3. How and why do the two of you belong together? What are the students’ goals, values, and qualities? What are the unique qualities and characteristics of the college that will provide you with the opportunity to accomplish your goals.
What I love most, is that the more the student does this type of research for each of their colleges, the more they learn and discover about about the college AND about themselves. This combination of discovery and exploration ensures that each of the colleges on their list will provide a happy and successful experience.