How to Write a Good Why This College Essay

If you think that you finally finished writing the personal statement and you can relax, you are very wrong. Now comes the hard part, the one that will make you stress and sweat over the success of the college application. This is the time to write your why this college essay!

What exactly is the why us college essay and what importance does it have for the future of students? Essentially, the why college essay is one of the most important content pieces you have to write in terms of your academic future. It is literally your tool for entrance in college. The college application essay might be just what differentiates you from a considered and tossed-away student application.

Admission officers read hundreds, if not thousands of such essays every year. This being said, don’t you think that the information included in yours should be truly special for you to get a shot at being accepted, especially in a hard-to-get-in college?

The purpose of the admission essay is to give the board a sense of why you are the greatest candidates among many. It is a way to describe your expectations out of the new college experience, as well as demonstrate that you value the college as an educational institution. If it achieves these two things, you are in.

Basically, colleges request this type of essay for three key reasons. Firstly, they want to learn why you chose their specific academic institution and what you think makes it special. Secondly, they need you to prove that you are a great candidate to be trained, developed, and worked with during your education. And finally, they want to see what you are planning to get out of the program and the college you are applying to.

Without these goals in mind and on paper, your chances of being accepted are slim to none.

How to Start a Why This College Essay

The role of a college essay introduction is a bait, a hook that catches the attention of the reader. The more attentive and eager the readers are, the higher are your chances at getting into the college or university of your choice. The key pieces of a great and successful introduction are a hook that grabs the attention, a short information that immerses the readers into your story, and a pivot that provides insight at the points you will make in the content.

Here is a tip any essay helper out there will tell you: an introduction might come first, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be tackled first. You will have better ideas for a beginning, killer first paragraphs if you know the story, the point, and the details the essay will reveal to the reader.

Let this short example be your guidance when starting the essay.

I just recently came to a realization that I still have the same dream about my dream job that I had as a kid. ‘’What do you want to be when you grow up?’’ – people said. My answer was always – a teacher. Maybe it was a common dream job for kids, but it definitely stayed with me. Now that I feel partly grown-up, I feel that it is about time I start pursuing this long-awaited ‘dream come true’.

How to End a Why This College Essay

Many students say that the ending is harder to write than the beginning. It doesn’t get easier and you cannot write this part out of order – it is the last thing you write after finishing the essay, and the last thing the board will read. This makes it even more important.

Don’t let your essay ruin the moment and tell the entire story without leaving the readers with a desire to learn more. End early and never, ever summarize. You won’t be finding a single sample of a successful college essay conclusion that simply summarizes what’s being said – this is not your academic essay about pollution, economy, or anything else you’ve written at this point. This is the essay of you getting into the school you want to get in.

Some great ideas for replacing the ‘traditional’ summary with an actual college essay conclusion include a short dialogue, some action you took that will intrigue the reader, some ‘going-back’ to something you mentioned at the very beginning, or simply addressing the college. Here are some intriguing examples of all this.

‘Here I am now, teacher, at your position. I learned from you and got practice. Let’s see if I’ll do better now.’ (dialogue)
I stepped inside the classroom and took a look. It’s a dream come true in thirty square meters. (action)
None took me seriously. It’s only natural, kids change their mind about the dream job. But, not this kid. Not this time. (going back)
I’m excited about being there with you and changing the world of education. But, what I’m most excited about it – making that child inside me the happiest kid there is. (direct addressing)

 How to Prepare for College Interview

Being interviewed for college is nerve-racking for everyone. You’ve had your one grand opportunity to prove that you are worthy of their attention by writing that essay. But, there is a second part to this.

The college interview serves to provide the college with another opportunity to learn what you know about the college and whether you are a person worthy of their acceptance. Not all colleges will require it, but if they do, you better get prepared for it. The best way to do this is by having the answers for the most common college interview questions ready.

Here is what you can expect to be asked regardless of the college you are applying to get into:

• Why did you choose this college?
• Why do you want to attend this college?
• Why are you interested in this college?
• Why this college?
• Why is this college a good fit for you?
• What will you contribute to our college?

The first four questions are asked on every interview you might attend when trying to find your way to college education. This is a highly important question you should definitely be prepared for. To answer why this college, you need to be prepared to demonstrate legitimate and obvious interest in attending their educational institution.

When asked this question, talk about the interests you have in regard of their academic programs, activities, cultural values of the college, etc. Be very specific. This should demonstrate that you are well informed on what the college offers to its students and want to enjoy their offers as part of it.

Never, ever say you want to attend the college because it is close to home or has high rankings. Your goal is to demonstrate genuine interest, not show the board that you are in it because it is simpler or popular!

To answer these specific questions, you need to construct research of the college. Be ready – you might need to use specifics when discussing this question.

Speaking of the question: why is this college a good fit for you, the answer lies inside you. Why did you choose that college? Make sure to answer honestly and be convincing. If you don’t have a clear reason why you want to attend a college, the interviewer will instantly know it. The college should provide something for you, too. It goes both ways.

Finally, the other question will be related to YOUR contribution to the school. Colleges don’t really want to admit students who have no contribution to the academic life and campus of their institution. They want to make you better, but also want you to make their school better.

Shortly, they are looking for specifics. Nothing like those vague, common phrases like: I am a team working person, I have great work ethic, or I learn fast. You don’t want to be common – common doesn’t contribute anything special to the school.

Find an answer that demonstrates how your presence inside their school will make a difference. You cannot be greedy and expect the college to give you what you need. You need to be prepared to offer something in return.

Ready for your application? Doubtfully, but we are certain that after this guide, you are more courageous to get started on your application and prepare for an interview. Both are very important – do not skip any part of it!