How to write “Why Us?” Essay
In the words of a former admissions officer, supplemental essays show if students did their homework on their institutions and the “Why us” prompt exemplifies this exact purpose.
Schools want to admit students who would accept its offer if accepted. To establish that trust between you and the admissions office, you must first show that you know what you want. Sometimes, schools hint what the students need to focus on through their prompts. For instance, Brown University asks why you applied to Brown University in terms of its “Open Curriculum.”
After figuring out where to focus, you should show that you and the school are a good fit for each other. Keep in mind that you should explain how you will benefit the school as well, not only how the school will benefit you.
Step-by-step guide on how to write “why us” essay
Step 1. Find what’s special about the school
“Why us” prompts are a fabulous opportunity for schools to advertise themselves. To answer the questions, students have to do some research on the school. Who knows? You might really fall more in love (or fall out of love) with the school, and that is exactly what the school expects from you.
Go to each college’s website and look for some keywords such as ‘mission & vision’, ‘history’, ‘about us’, ‘why OOO’, and much more .
A particular academic curriculum of universities can act as a distinct identity of the school. l. University of Chicago and Columbia University’s Core Curriculum, Dartmouth’s D-Plan, and Brown’s Open Curriculum are good examples.
Schools also have hundreds of labs within. Check their labs and studies. See if something catches your eyes.
Checking out the actual courses that the school offers is also a good idea. Check their curriculum and figure out what and how you can learn at the school.
Do they have a residential college system? Any specific tradition or culture? Dig in. You might find something interesting for you.
Step 2. Connect what’s special about the school to you.
Why is this college special among the 4,000 universities in the U.S?
The best answer for this question can be found from the school’s characteristics you found through research in the previous task.
But you shouldn’t stop here. What many students miss is to discuss why they are the student that can make the best out of the specific college.
Describe why it should be you. Why should schools give you the opportunity? Why are you the one that can benefit the most from the special curriculum or program of the school? Describe your personal experiences when explaining the reasons.
Don’ts:
1. Don’t merely mention the size, location, reputation, weather, or ranking. Some universities clearly mention that they do not want to hear about it.
2. Don’t just say that “I will be a good match for you.”, but describe your personal experience in detail. This helps admissions officers imagine what kind of positive impact you will bring to the school
Step 3. Plan how to thrive in the campus
If you have finished the prior two tasks, your essay should be already good to go. However, if you want to make it perfect, you can discuss what you would bring back to the school. What this means is that you need to write how exactly you will thrive and develop in the campus.
If an idea doesn’t immediately come to your mind, take your time. You can ask questions to the school’s students, or you can go to the school to find the answer. It’s up to you. Good ideas often don’t form in a short amount of time.
When a specific idea forms, go write the draft.
We know this isn’t the end.
Let’s get started on other application tasks with a step-by-step mobile guide.
