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bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbYou will find many college applications ask you to write a short essay on why you want to go to their college. The typical prompt is just that: Why do you want to attend this college?
With this specific college prompt colleges are really asking you two things
•first, what you like about the college and if you really know about their college
•secondly, if you have considered why this college is good for you.
You need to answer both these questions but in a short essay of 250 to 300 words.
This essay does not require a thesis statement or an introduction and conclusion. However, it does require more than the few sentences. If you find only a few spaces provided on the application, it is better that you write out three or so paragraphs and attach them to your application.
The key to this essay is both knowing yourself and knowing the college you are applying to. Before you write this essay you should sit down and list at least five things you want in a college: Do you want a large or small campus, do you want an urban or rural setting, do you want small classes or large lecture? Depending on how you learn best, does this school have a good course of study for the future you are pursuing, does it offer courses abroad, can you do independent research, are the professors known for their research in your areas of interest, will its cost fit your pocketbook, do they offer extracurricular activities you want to be involved in, are the dorms set up to your liking, what kind of student population will you feel most comfortable with, is it a long distance from your home--which you may or may not want. I could go on. To know what kinds of questions to ask yourself about what you do want in college, you might want to check out our article The First Step in College selection: Self-Analysis