All of your hard work in high school has paid off: you have excellent grades, your test scores are great, and you’ve been involved in a number of extracurricular activities. The only thing left for you to do is fill out your application packages to your targeted schools. This all seems pretty easy and straightforward until you see that one of the requirements is to write a “Why Us?” essay.
Suddenly, your anxiety level kicks up several notches. “What’s a ‘Why Us?’ essay, and how do I write one?” you think to yourself. Then your anxiety turns to disappointment as you think that this could be what keeps you from getting accepted to your dream school.
Before you get too upset, relax and keep reading this blog post because it contains everything essay writers need to know about writing an engaging and persuasive “Why Us?” essay.
What Is a “Why Us?” Essay and What’s Its Purpose?
As part of most college admissions packages, prospective students are required to write a personal essay, where they tell the admissions officials about themselves and why they’d be a good fit for their university. A “Why Us?” essay is similar to a personal essay, but instead of the focus being on the applicant, it’s on the school. The purpose of a “Why Us?” essay is for the applicant to show the school that he or she is a good fit for the school. It should also show that you know enough about the school and its curricula to demonstrate that you have a legitimate interest in the school and that the school should invest in you.
What Is the “Why Us?” Essay Structure?
For the most part, the “Why Us?” essay structure follows the basic structure of other types of essays you’ve written, but there are some notable exceptions that you should consider.
There are three major styles or approaches you can take when writing your “Why Us?” essay, which will determine the structure you use. The first two are similar. The first style involves listing several reasons, while the second style focuses on three to five very specific reasons. With both of these styles, you’ll have an introduction paragraph, where you have a hook sentence to catch your reader’s attention, and your thesis statement, which are the reasons why you are choosing this particular university. Then, each of the following paragraphs should be a reason why you are choosing this particular school. Finally, the conclusion paragraph is where you restate your thesis and wrap everything up.
It’s important to note that as you list every point that makes you interested in this particular university, you should relate each of those back to you personally. This is where you mention your interests and background and how they align with what the school has to offer.
Another style of “Why Us?” essay focuses on one particular value of the university. For this essay, you write about one value that the university upholds, why that one value has led you to apply to the school, and how that value applies to your life. This style of essay allows you to be a bit more creative and not follow that standard format so rigidly, yet you’ll still need to clearly answer the question of, “Why us?”
Whichever style of “Why Us?” essay you choose to write; you need to be aware of the word count. If the word count is 600 words or more, then you may want to consider the three or more unique reasons style. This will allow you to include more details, thereby showing how your skills, knowledge, and goals align with what the university has to offer. If the essay is 200 words or less, then the one-value approach may be best.
How to Write a “Why Us?” Essay
Just like most other types of essays, the “Why Us?” essay requires the writer to do a fair amount of research. The research here, though, is a bit different because you’ll research everything you can about the school in question instead of statistics and historical facts as you would in other types of essays.
The first place you’ll start is the university’s webpage. Here’s where you’ll get the basic information about the school, including the school’s values and mission and the type of curricula it offers. Things such as the size of the school, the school’s rankings, and its locations are far less important (I’ll get to that more in a little bit) than determining what the school is known for and why that matters to you.
After your initial research, you can do a deeper dive into the department of your intended major. Learn about the professors who are in the department, the courses that are offered, and any other activities the department may sponsor.
A final thing you can do for your research is to make some calls and send some emails. Contact people from the admissions department and see if they can give you any tips on what they look for in good essays. You may be surprised how helpful admissions workers can be; after all, helping people enroll in their school is part of their job! You can also contact current students. You’ll probably find that many current students are also helpful, and some will even let you see their essays.
Once you’ve done your research, you’ll choose what style you want to write your essay in and then begin writing a detailed outline. The outline will give you a roadmap so that when you sit down to do the actual writing, it should be relatively easy and quick.
An Example of a Good “Why Us?” Essay
With all of this information in mind, let’s take a look at what a good “Why Us?” looks like. For this hypothetical example, I am applying to the University of Chicago because I’m interested in studying archaeology and ancient history. I’ve done my research, so I know the reputation of the school, its history, and what it offers. Because I have a very specific interest in the school, I’ve decided to follow the unique reasons approach. Because the word count is limited to no more than 600 words, I’ll have to walk a fine line between being concise yet detailed. Check it out!
“Understanding the past is critical to understanding where we are going as humans. Our modern society is the sum total of all past cultures and at the base of all the previous cultures are those of the ancient Near East. Since my childhood, I have yearned to understand the ancient Near East by knowing its languages, history, and material culture, which is why I have chosen to apply to the University of Chicago. The University of Chicago’s history of leadership in the field of ancient Near Eastern studies, its affiliation with the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures/Oriental Institute Museum, and its commitment to fieldwork are why I want to attend your university.
As I took AP courses in Latin, Greek, and ancient history at my high school, I quickly learned that the University of Chicago was one of the leading institutes in the study of ancient languages, history, and archaeology in the United States. Led by luminaries such as James Henry Breasted in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the University of Chicago became the place to study ancient history then and remains so to this day. UC’s commitment to leading the field in the study of ancient cultures should be the destination for any student who desires to pursue this challenging field.
As Breasted and others developed the curriculum of ancient studies, they also created the Oriental Institute Museum, now known as the Institute for the Study of Ancient Languages, as a premier resources center and museum in the field. With a world-class collection of ancient artifacts and a staff with equally impressive backgrounds, the Institute is an excellent tool for students of ancient history. I have already searched much of the collection online and have identified a number of pieces I would like to use in my research. I am excited to do research at the museum and have volunteered at a museum in my hometown, so I have a background in museology that can be applied at UC.
Finally, the University of Chicago’s commitment to fieldwork is another reason why I want to study at your university. I have already taken AP archaeology courses at my high school and have even done some local fieldwork on local Native American sites, so I am confident I will be able to contribute immediately. I hope to take part in the many archaeological expeditions that UC conducts in Egypt, Turkey, and the Levant to develop a solid academic foundation for my future as an archaeologist.
The ancient world often appears arcane at first glance, but a deeper dive into ancient history helps us understand where we are headed in the future. The University of Chicago’s leadership in the field of ancient history, its affiliation with the Institute for the Study of Ancient Languages, and its commitment to archaeological fieldwork are all reasons why I want to attend this prestigious university. I believe that my interest and background in ancient history – which includes AP courses I have taken as well as research I have conducted on my own – will make me the perfect fit for your school. I believe that I will also contribute to the University of Chicago’s reputation for community engagement by volunteering to teach introductory Latin and Greek classes to local kids. I have already done this in my own community and look forward to doing the same with the kids of Chicago.”
There are several reasons why this is a good essay, so let’s look at a few of those specifically. First, the essay is well-written and follows a clear, logical structure. The three unique reasons are clearly stated, as is the thesis statement.
The specific reasons the essay relates are detailed, but not too much so as to make the essay boring or too long. The writer’s personal interests and background (the writer has taken some Latin and Greek and has done some basic archaeology) are noted in a way that relates specifically to the school. Finally, the writer notes his volunteer work (teaching kids basic Latin and Greek) and how he can apply that to volunteering locally.
What Are Some Common Mistakes You Should Avoid?
I’ve already touched on this a bit, but let’s go into a little more detail about some things you should avoid when writing a “Why Us?” essay.
- Don’t bother writing about the school’s size, rankings, location, sports teams, or well-known traditions. The admissions people already know all of this, and it doesn’t tell them anything about you or why you would be a good fit for their school. Also, along those lines, when you do mention details about the college, make sure your facts are correct. And the last thing you want to do is copy and paste information directly from the school’s website.
- Another thing you want to avoid is emotional language. Yes, you want to personalize yourself in the essay, but you want to do so in a professional way, so avoid slang and the overuse of words such as “like” and “feel.”
- You should also avoid generalities. You need to showcase your interest in the university, and you do that by relating some very specific details about the school that interests you. At the same time, it’s also important to remember to talk about yourself. One of the major mistakes many students make in “Why Us?” essays is only talking about the school. As the above example illustrates, and as I’ve noted in this article, you need to state why you’re choosing this particular school and what you bring to the table as a prospective student.
Tell Them What They Want to Hear
Hopefully, the tools outlined in this article will help you how to write a college application essay when it comes time to do so. Remember, writing an excellent “Why Us?” essay takes some time, research, planning, and patience. This is an important step in your life, so take it seriously, yet also don’t forget to have fun.
Before closing, I’d also like to give you these 10 tips for a freshman to prepare for college. These will be particularly useful for your essay writing. Choose essay topics that interest you, and always work on your vocabulary by reading more. Pay attention to detail by proofreading your work, start your assignments as soon as possible, and always pay attention to details. Don’t be afraid to ask your professor for help, and don’t get too upset over a grade that was less than you expected. It can be a learning experience! Finally, get plenty of sleep, keep in contact with your loved ones, and don’t forget to have fun!
