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"Why X college?" essays
Hi,
I will be applying to college for entry in the fall of 2013. For many of the colleges I'm considering, there is a required "Why X college?" essay. I have no clue how to even begin answering this question. I can think of a few things, such as the kind of student body the college attracts, specific courses, flexibility within major, research opportunities, specific distribution requirements (say, Columbia's Core and then Brown and Amherst having no such requirements) and what I hope to achieve with the education I receive there.
BUT...all of that stuff is very generic. Is it meant to be generic? I mean, the two CommonApp essays are enough for one to "play about" with... Is it just to check whether student has a clue about the school they're applying to, to gauge their level of interest? I understand that each college has different reasons for the questions on their supplement but this is one I've seen on that of many colleges' application form. (Why Vassar?, Why Reed?, Why Yale?, etc)
I would appreciate any kind of help you may have on the subject.
Further, how holistic is the process at the "top colleges"? I wonder if it's just a term they randomly throw about or whether it's actually true. I'll be applying to about 20 of them, largely due to my grades during the last two years of high school being average (and these colleges being the ones with most financial aid available to international students). I am confident I can do well on the SATs and I am involved in some interesting extra curricular activities ("wrote bestselling book" is not one of them, mind!) and I think my application can actually end up being competitive but they grades will really be holding me back. Now, I'm not asking anyone to whip their crystal balls out or anything. Rather, I am merely asking whether they have known of anyone who made it in while not having a stellar academic record? The answer won't change my decision to apply but even a vaguely positive response on that subject could give me some hope...
Hi,
I will be applying to college for entry in the fall of 2013. For many of the colleges I'm considering, there is a required "Why X college?" essay. I have no clue how to even begin answering this question. I can think of a few things, such as the kind of student body the college attracts, specific courses, flexibility within major, research opportunities, specific distribution requirements (say, Columbia's Core and then Brown and Amherst having no such requirements) and what I hope to achieve with the education I receive there.
BUT...all of that stuff is very generic. Is it meant to be generic? I mean, the two CommonApp essays are enough for one to "play about" with... Is it just to check whether student has a clue about the school they're applying to, to gauge their level of interest? I understand that each college has different reasons for the questions on their supplement but this is one I've seen on that of many colleges' application form. (Why Vassar?, Why Reed?, Why Yale?, etc)
I would appreciate any kind of help you may have on the subject.
Further, how holistic is the process at the "top colleges"? I wonder if it's just a term they randomly throw about or whether it's actually true. I'll be applying to about 20 of them, largely due to my grades during the last two years of high school being average (and these colleges being the ones with most financial aid available to international students). I am confident I can do well on the SATs and I am involved in some interesting extra curricular activities ("wrote bestselling book" is not one of them, mind!) and I think my application can actually end up being competitive but they grades will really be holding me back. Now, I'm not asking anyone to whip their crystal balls out or anything. Rather, I am merely asking whether they have known of anyone who made it in while not having a stellar academic record? The answer won't change my decision to apply but even a vaguely positive response on that subject could give me some hope...