Consider: what makes your dream school your dream school? The “Why Us?” essay wants you to articulate it clearly. 

The “Why Us?” essay is what we call a super topic— a supplemental essay required by many institutions. In the prompt, students are asked to explain why they are interested in attending the college to which they are applying. 

Schools that have required this essay in the past include: American University, Babson College, Barnard College, Boston University, Chapman University, Colorado College, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Davidson College, Duke University, Georgetown University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Lafayette College, Northwestern University, Southern Methodist University, Tulane University, Tufts University, Texas Christian University, University of Central Florida, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Southern California, University of Pennsylvania, University of Wisconsin, Villanova University, and Wake Forest University.

So how do you write a successful “Why Us?” essay? As you may have noticed, we’re fans of teaching through metaphor when appropriate. Here’s a metaphor we use to explain the “philosophy” behind answering “Why Us?” prompts. 

Imagine that the college is someone you want to date. If you are trying to convince your paramour that you really like them, simply saying that they’re “nice,” might not be all that convincing. However, if you said you admire the patience they show when volunteering with children in a shared service project, you show that you like them for THEM. The difference? You’ve given a specific detail. 

In the “Why Us?” essay, schools want to learn why you want to attend their institution SPECIFICALLY. Students should avoid generalizations like commending “amazing professors.” Instead, they should research faculty and share their desire to “take classes with Professor Bishop because of her research in child development.” 

More convincing, right? Students should also reference school-specific classes, research opportunities, clubs, career resources, and so on. 

Schools are selfish, too—they want to protect their yield (percentage of admitted students who enroll). Including these details helps to convince colleges that the student would be likely to commit to their institution. That’s the goal!

Thoughtfully utilizing specifics learned through research helps students stand out among applications that rely on generalizations and regurgitated ratings. Returning to our metaphor, think of the dynamics of The Bachelor. On this TV program, nearly 30 women vie for the love of one man. 

Similarly, there are many students all vying for limited spots at popular universities. For example, for the class of 2028, Boston College’s acceptance rate was 14.70%, Duke University’s was 5.15%, and NYU’s was 8%. 

So, be the girl who rides up in a shark costume. Use specifics. Stand out!

Want more advice about the “Why Us?” essay, contact us!