By Mia Hanuska
Ah, the epitome of the college essay writing struggle: the “why us” or “y us” essay. Why do you want to attend a university? Is it the academics? The food? The campus? Maybe you just like the vibes of the school—how do you justify that to the admissions officers?
Well fear no more, future (or current) essay writers. For after writing over 40 essays for my college application cycle, I’ve become a professional university glazer, and have learned countless tips to writing “why us” essays that don’t suck!
*As usual, these tips come from my experience, and I’m not liable if you use these and don’t get accepted!*
What is a “Why Us” essay?
For those applying to out-of-state or private institutions, a “why us” essay is an essay where a university wants you to write about why you’d like to get accepted by them. What draws you to the school? Why are you applying? Sometimes this will include why you want to study the major you’re applying for as well. Each college tends to ask it in a slightly different way, but here are some of the prompts I’ve seen:
- How will opportunities at [university] support your interests, both in and out of the classroom?
- Please tell us why you want to attend [university]?
- Tell us why you would like to attend the [university]. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest.
- Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate college or school (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at [university]. How would that curriculum support your interests?
The Content
Most “why us” prompts are simply trying to figure out how much research you’re willing to do on a university. That means there’s a lot of time spent on these essays purely on looking into programs, professors, and scrolling Reddit threads to find obscure information to include in the essay. You’ll want to focus on four main categories: academics, why you’re picking the college your major falls into, research/performance opportunities, and community.
Academics
Here, you should highlight a couple different pieces of info. First, research the curriculum the school offers for your major. What stands out to you about it? Is there a certain class or set of classes you’re interested in taking? Maybe there’s the opportunity to take a pathway or specialization that no other school offers. Get specific and name names. Give the specific name of the class you want to take or the pathway that sounds cool. Go on the school’s academic Reddit and find a professor people are raving about, and name drop them too. “I’d love to take a class with Dr. Dave Winn, [reasons here].” Being able to be specific is the trick of the trade.
Second, find a minor you’re interested in, extra points if it’s in a different field than your major. If you’re not already interested in a minor, check and see if the university has any cool ones you could take, and if it involves a study abroad opportunity you’re interested in too, that’s a plus as well. The reason a minor in another field is good is because it shows your interdisciplinary interests and expands your perspective. An engineer with an interest in the arts as well may have a different view on a solution than one with an extra interest in applied mathematics. The same thing goes for a liberal arts major & STEM minor. Of course, this only really works if you’re actually interested in the interdisciplinary minor (I wouldn’t recommend lying in your essays), but you can of course show how a minor in the same discipline would reinforce your learning in your major.
And finally, if applying to engineering (or other fields with this), you’ll want to think about a senior thesis. Does the university require a senior thesis? If so, how many semesters do you get to prepare? How much assistance is there? What are the resources on campus to help you find an issue to address? For example, Clemson University pairs its seniors with an actual company to do work and research for while working on their thesis; does your university do something similar?
Why the college
I hope we’re all familiar with the difference between your university and your college, but if not: your university is the school you’re going to. UMich, VT, UCLA, NYU, etc. Your college is the branch of academics your major falls into. College of Engineering, College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, College of Business, etc. These will sometimes have specific names (Pamplin College of Business, for example).
What draws you to the college where your major falls? Are there great employment opportunities (college fairs)? Are there a lot of different majors, meaning more electives to choose from, or students who can help you study? Many schools have specific “pillars” or beliefs they founded their colleges on, if so, make sure to address at least one of them specifically.
Research/Performance
Now, this will differ depending on your major, so if you’re not a STEM major, take this advice with a grain of salt. If the university has incredible research (some will require all professors to complete research while teaching) or outreach opportunities, take this time to highlight your interest in them.
For the research folks:
- Pick a faculty member who does research in a specific field you’re interested in, and explain why you’re interested in it. Did you do extracurriculars in high school that made you interested? Maybe you have a family member or other experience that facilitated your passion?
- Ex: As someone who was extremely involved in the design process of the robots on my high school’s robotics team, research into designs of products and systems aligns greatly with my interests; I’d like to complete studies with Dr. Diann Brei in Mechatronics and Robotics design. Research in these areas would allow me to closely examine the systems of electronics, strengthening the diversity of my learning.
For the performance folks
- Pick a faculty member who has done a lot of shows or has a lot of external contacts. Maybe they’re ex-Broadway or something. You can talk about how training/learning with them will help you gain advice from real-world professionals who’ve had experience in a role or job you want and how it’ll make you a better performer.
Community
Last but not least, highlight what you want to do to get involved on campus. Most universities will have their clubs or student organizations on a separate webpage from their main one, and you can also try stalking different Instagram pages to find ones you’re interested in. If you have a community you’d like to join, but the club doesn’t exist yet, great! Universities love hearing that you’d like to establish a welcoming group to connect with people who’ve shared similar experiences as you! Pick 1-2 clubs and write about how excited you are to join and why. Maybe you’ve never had the opportunity or just want the chance to meet new people.
Final Notes
In the end, just make sure you show enough about yourself at the school to convince whoever’s reading your essay that the school would be a good fit for you. And always remember to be as specific as possible! You don’t have to be super creative or anything to write these, just do your research and be authentic in what you like. Good luck and happy writing!