Introduction
College is closer than you think...really! Choosing the right college is one of the biggest decisions of your life. This WebQuest will help you to gather the information you need to write great essays and to help you decide your college preferences.
Every college application has some version of the essay, "Why do you want to attend X College? This phrasing can be misleading. Colleges don't want to know why you want to attend; They want you to write why they should ADMIT YOU!
- Colleges want tp know about your academic potential and interests
- They want to know how you will engage with the university and how you will support the university's values
- They are looking for students who will become alumni who are productive, engaged members of society and generous alumni
- Don't be afraid to be BOLD!
Process
Step 1. WRITE OUT SOME COLLEGE GOALS
3 Majors I am considering are:
I might like to be involved in _____________________. (Name several extracurricular activities or community events.)
Right now, I think I would like to be a ______________. (Name a dream career)
Step 2: Using the college website, collegeboard.org, YouTube or other sources, gather information about each college on your list.
1. College, Location
2. Size
3. 3 majors that interest you
4. Name a professor that does research in each of those majors; name or describe briefly the research
5. What extracurriculars will complement your studies?
6. What community/town events interest you?
7. What support service are available to students?
8. What services does the placement office provide? Resume, Interview Skills, Alumni Network, Job Placement?
9. What internship opportunities interest you?
10. What study abroad opportunities interest you?
Evaluation
| Questions | College 1 | College 2 | College 3 | College 4 | College5 | College 6 | College 7 | College 8 | College 9 |
|
College name City, State |
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| Size | |||||||||
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Major 1 Major 2 Major 3 |
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Professor, Research 1 Professor, Research 2 Professor, Research3 |
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| Etracurriculars | |||||||||
| Eents Town/Community | |||||||||
| Student support services | |||||||||
| Placement office | |||||||||
| Internships | |||||||||
| Study abroad | |||||||||
Conclusion
Successful Why Essays rely on two elements:
- Expressing your own ambitions, values, and personality;
- Demonstrating your knowledge about that specific college.
The more those two elements work together, the stronger your essay is going to be.
Why Essays offer the opportunity to express your goals and demonstrate how that specific college can help you achieve them. Your goal can be academic, such as a desire to pursue a specific major or field of study. Or it can be career- or mission-oriented, such as becoming a doctor or promoting sustainable agriculture.
- Describe your action plan for achieving your goal: what classes will you take?
- What professors interest you?
- What extracurricular activities will complement your studies?
- Paint a picture of yourself as a student attending the college, so that your readers can envision your path and know that you’ll be a great student and a graduate of which they will be proud.
- Use your personal stories to show your readers what you’ll be like as a student and member of the community.
- For each college to which you are applying, write down at least five specific reasons why you want to attend the college (e.g. Swarthmore’s Music Department offers an independent study during junior year).
- Then for each of the reasons you wrote down, list three moments from your life that connect to the reason.
- Assess the moments you listed. Pick one that reveals something related to the college’s mission or an activity you may be involved with in college.
- Stick to specific details, make connections with what you’ve already done, and describe what difference will it make to have you as a part of that college community.
- Most Why Essays are 250 words or less, so there’s no room for filler or fluff.
Further Tips
- Refrain from writing about the campus, sports, or social life. “I fell in love the first time I walked onto the campus” absolutely won’t cut it.
- If you write about the college’s location, make a substantive, academic connection to the location (such as a nearby museum or ecosystem that you might study).
- Don’t be too cute. Knowing a motto or mascot (e.g. “Go, Wildcats!”) or knowing about a favorite cafe on campus (“I can’t wait to eat pizza at X!”) won’t convince a reader that you’re a good candidate. If you had firsthand experience with a college through a campus visit or a friend who goes there, it’s worthwhile to mention it in your essay, as length permits.
- In short Why This College essays, it’s best to focus on intellectual and aspirational fit. Longer essays offer room to dwell on extracurricular.