This past season while on a video call with a student that was working through his why-school essay for the University of Michigan, I let him know that we’d be going through the prompt step-by-step in order to break it down in a way that would be easier for him to respond. I also said that I’d be asking guiding questions to help develop his ideas, namely about why he was eager to attend Michigan and how the school would help him achieve his academic goals.
At first, the call unfolded well as we discussed potential introductory anecdotes that could open up his essay in a meaningful and captivating way. Yet when he got to the ‘why Mich’ part of the call, I was met with silence. In his defense, this happens more often than not when I do consulting calls with students or when I provide a round of instructional comments on their why-school essays in order to help them go back and revise.
Over the years, I’ve seen the same missteps when approaching this type of essay. So, I’ll let you know what to avoid doing when setting out to write your essay along with providing follow-up tips on how to execute it well from the onset.
Misstep #1: Students do not conduct school-specific research on the college itself and keep their ideas for attending very general. This means that they don’t actually look up courses, professors, research projects, clubs/organizations, seminars, and unique offerings/opportunities offered.
Tip #1: I would imagine that if a student is applying to a school in the first place, then there has to be a good reason why they’d even take the time to do so.
- With that said, I would suggest that the student goes online and finds the school’s prompt that asks them to address why in fact they’re interested in applying and what about the school can help them succeed both academically and personally.
- Then, I’d suggest that they go through the school’s website to look up all points of possible interest that could help form their ideas in a clear, specific way when it comes time to state their own subject-area/research interests and put them in context within the school itself.
- Lastly, if a student has also attended a pre-college program or has received mentorship from a current professor at the college on an independent research project, then this NEEDS to be mentioned as well to demonstrate interest.
Misstep #2: Even if they have actually attended an online info session or they have gone on an actual school visit in person, they fail to mention this VERY important piece of information that shows real interest in the school.
Tip #2: Though it seems rather obvious, I’ve noticed that students omit this critical detail when drafting their essays. So, I would encourage students to jot down a quick note stating all the schools they’ve seen in person and which ones they’ve explored through online info sessions so when the time comes to write that specific school’s essay, they have this information readily available.
Misstep #3: It’s fine not to have a declared major but it’s not okay to be vague about possible areas of study where the essay itself comes off with zero direction, which in turn, makes it hard to state a case as to why the student is applying to that particular school in the first place.
Tip #3: There have been times that I’ve reviewed why-school essays where it’s crystal clear that not only has the student not researched the college itself but they are unsure about what they even want to study/do at the school. So, for students who fall into this category, I’d suggest taking an approach where the essay demonstrates interest in a couple of subject areas and explaining how though they are still uncertain about what they hope to pursue, they appreciate how the school in question offers possibilities for exploration (then specific exploratory programs need to be mentioned).
Misstep #4: The why-school essay lacks passion based on the student’s initial opening and it becomes even clearer as the essay progresses since ideas are dry, redundant, and don’t really convey a genuine interest as to why the school itself would be a good fit for them.
Tip #4: Some of the best why-school essays in my professional opinion are those that either begin with a memory or experience linked to the college itself (ex: attending a football game with a parent, going to visit a brother/sister there who is currently a student, having a family member who graduated from that school that speaks endearingly about it). Or the essay opens up about a specific memory or experience related to the student’s journey of finding their passion for their future area of study. In either case, the admission’s officer will not only be initially engaged in the student’s essay but they’ll have a clear path to follow once the student addresses the why aspects of their intentions for applying.
Misstep #5: Students write one general ‘why’ essay and just clearly change the college’s name they are applying to across ALL of the schools they’re applying to—which comes off as being generic.
Tip #5: Although it’s fine to develop a solid essay that addresses academic/professional subject-related experiences, research projects, and internships which can certainly be used as a starting point for many schools when applicable, there of course needs to be specific content that is also generated and integrated pertaining to the college itself.