Why do colleges ask “Why did you choose to apply to X school or Y program?” during the college application process? Isn’t it obvious students want to go where they apply? Actually, the answer is no according to college admissions counselors.
If a student can’t articulate clearly why a school is the ideal fit for them or why they are the best candidate for a selective program that is a big red flag to the college that the student is NOT a good fit for the school.
So how can a student best answer this question? Learn about the school they are applying to, the details of the programs they are interested in, the learning environment of the classes, how they see themselves fitting in, and what they will specifically be able to contribute as a student there. This is the place to show colleges that you ‘know’ the school, you know what is expected of students, and you see how you can be a benefit to the campus if they give accept you. This is not the place to copy and paste a vague response where you simply change the name of each campus and hit submit. Schools want to see that you have done your homework and that if they admit you, you are more likely to say yes because you actually understand what you are signing up for. If you are stuck and you need a second set of eyes on your response before you submit it, schedule a free consultation with us and we can look it over and give you some pointers so you can showcase your best self to the colleges on your list!
