Filling out college applications is a lot like running a marathon. It tests your training, perseverance, and endurance; that is the whole point. Too many high school students treat the supplementary parts of the application as a cool-down exercise instead of the elimination round of final laps where only the strongest runners finish ahead of the pack.
Supplemental essays are required by many colleges, and each prompt is unique to each school. In fact, a wise way to gain insight about the culture of the college is to peruse their prompts from years past. For example, a few years ago, the University of Chicago asked applicants to answer this question, “Why the Y-axis?” One high-schooler that I was consulting from Fairfield County, CT addressed this quandary with fervor as he enjoyed intellectual debates. Another student from Litchfield County, CT opted to remove this college from her list, taking it as confirmation of the rumor that U of C is “where fun goes to die”. This second student was more comfortable applying to Northwestern University, where the supplemental essay posed a more common question: “Why are you interested in attending our college?” Sometimes the nature of the additional inquiries directs students to right-fit colleges.
Nonetheless, the common “why this school” question should be approached from the student’s unique perspective. In explaining a desire to attend the school, applicants should argue why they are the right choice for the school, not why the school is the right fit for them, even though the prompt leads the writer in that direction. Unlike the essays of high-school exams where a student is encouraged to directly answer the prompt by repeating the question, colleges are hopeful for responses that thoroughly answer the question, but not in a typical way. Consider the applicant who begins her “Why Northwestern University?” supplemental essay by writing an article about herself in the future after availing herself of all NU has to offer. Not only does her creative approach showcase a deep understanding of the characteristics and offerings of the college, but it features her journalistic abilities important for admission into the top-ranked Medill School of Journalism at the university.
College Mindful 