The question itself shouldn’t surprise you. Why ARE you applying to that school? To anyone who has applied Early Decision already, the answer(s) to this question probably came easily to you because you were writing about your top choice. For the rest of your schools, and for anyone else who hasn’t applied anywhere yet, it may not be such an easy question to answer. Maybe it’s the audience? That would be a fair point. The readers are the ones who will decide your admissions fate after all. But if you are applying to the right schools, this is a question that should be embraced, not feared.

The “Why our school” question is usually asked in a fairly straightforward way. Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA is a good example:

In case you were thinking that there must be some secret to answering this question, I asked for insight from someone who is uniquely qualified to do so. Raissa Diamante is the Director of Enrollment Strategies and Operations at HMC and has worked in the college admissions profession for 18 years:

Ms. Diamante makes the point that their question guides you to focus part of your answer on their academic program. Another example is USC, which asks applicants to “Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically.” However, she adds that you should mention academics even if the question is more broad. Boston University asks what “most excites you” about being a student at Boston University and Lafayette College wins the award for brevity by simply asking, “Why Lafayette?” But beyond simply identifying the features or resources available at a college, you now have to help the admissions committee picture you on their campus.

The “And why?” exercise allows you to dig a little deeper into your interest in a school—to separate your tangible interest from a theoretical one. You may even realize that your interest is more theoretical than tangible. That is why I recommend that students write a paragraph about why they are interested in a school even before the application process. 

Some other points to keep in mind: 

• Focus less on your own accomplishments unless it fits within the context of what is appealing about the college, and even then, do not simply restate what is already in your activities section.

• Think about the obvious points other applicants will make. It is inevitable that some of what you say will overlap with what other applicants say, but personalizing your interest will help make your response uniquely yours. 

• Do not write in a way where you can easily replace names and places for other schools. This is one supplement where recycling content is not the best way to go.

• Be careful with name dropping. I’ll let Ms. Diamante take this one: 

Does that include naming professors?

A particular pet peeve of mine is name dropping professors with little context. The formulaic approach often comes in the form of “I would be so excited to take [insert course name] from [insert professor name].” Unless you have done extensive research or there’s some other connection with the professor (maybe you attended a lecture or heard them on a podcast), this runs the risk of coming across as superficial. In other words, ask the “and why” question and include that when you express interest in a professor or course. Ms. Diamante concludes, “If they can get there, then it works. When they don’t it’s just as ineffective as a name drop of an alumni.”

To state the obvious, if a college asks why you are applying to their school, it is because it is important to that particular college. But your response to this question can also demonstrate and assess your fit for the school. And if you are really having trouble answering this question, it’s possible that it has nothing to do with the audience at all. 

For students in New York, Nevada, and Mid-City and East Los Angeles interested in Harvey Mudd College, you can contact Raissa Diamante directly at rdiamante@hmc.edu.