The third question on our list of the 5 most common college application questions is one that’s best answered after a formal campus visit. When I say “formal campus visit,” it means that you scheduled a visit through the admissions office and they have recorded that you will participate in a campus tour and/or informational session. And you actually participated in the tour and/or information session. Driving by the campus or hanging out with a high school friend who happens to attend that college does not count! The third most common application question asks:
#3. Why do you want to attend this college?
When responding to this question, here are some quick tips for writing a compelling essay. You may even want to follow along with pen and paper.
- Gather your notes from your campus visit and review as you begin to brainstorm – Your notes may include quotes from students, your reflections of the surrounding neighborhood, facilities, et al, or snapshots from your visit.
- Think about those features of the campus that stands out the most – There may have been many aspects of the campus that impressed you during the visit. However many features there were, limit your focus to 2 or 3 of them.
- What qualities about yourself match more closely with those features – Now this one is a bit more challenging. Nevertheless, it is very important that you spend some time thinking through your response to this question.
- Keep the college features very specific to that college – For example, if you’re writing an essay for Northwestern, please refer to its location as Evanston, rather than Chicago! Referring to Evanston is more specific and lets the readers know that you understand this distinction.
These tips can be useful before you brainstorm or afterward. The key is that you want to communicate to the admissions readers in such a way that they are able to “picture” you there.
What were some tips that worked for you in responding to this question?
In next weeks posting, we will look at Question #4
#4. Tell me about a meaningful activity for you.
