2021-07-27 18:45:04
Admissions With Umid: Writing "Why" Essays
• Are “why” essays (i.e., why our college? why this major?) important?The “why” essay is meant to demonstrate your interest in the college. Just like the interview, it gives admissions officers some insight into whether you truly want to attend their institution. Some colleges may state it as an optional part of their application. However, if you are really interested in attending a specific college, you might want to submit your "why” essay and complete the other optional parts of your application. So, writing a good essay where you share your sincere interest in college will place you at least above a quarter of all applicants who will ignore this section.
• How should I write this type of essay?As I mentioned in my post about interviews, truthfully connecting your application with what a university can offer you is crucial in the admissions process. It does not mean, however, that you should misrepresent your interests to fit a particular college. If you are not interested in attending the Debate Club, for example, but you know that it is the most popular club on campus, I would advise against faking your interest in it. For one, most applicants would probably write about the same Debate Club and state similar, often generic, reasons as you would. On the other hand, if you played chess, but the university does not have a Chess Club, you might want to share your genuine interest in opening one on campus.
The same goes for the “why this major” essay. Try connecting your future major at college with your application. You may have participated in the Robotics Club at school, which sparked your interest in artificial intelligence, so now you want to study engineering at college. Similarly, if you are undecided about your major, you can write about your general interests and state that you would like to take classes from various disciplines.
The most important thing is that you stay true to yourself and your overall narrative.
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