The ‘Why School/Program X?’ essay is one of the most critical components of your college application. It’s your chance to demonstrate not only why you’re a perfect fit for the institution but also how the institution is the ideal place for you to achieve your academic and professional aspirations. However, a common pitfall many students fall into is simply regurgitating the school’s accolades, rankings, or general reputation. More than half of applicants initially come to us with essays that make three or more of the following mistakes, before we start working together to revamp their essays. Admissions officers already know their school/program statistics; what they don’t know is how you envision your future uniquely at their campus. To stand out, your essay should weave together your personal goals with the unique opportunities that only this school can provide.

For BS/MD applicants, you will have to write both ‘Why School X?’ essays several undergraduate schools and medical schools in addition to ‘Why Program X?’ essays for BS/MD programs – depending on each program’s application requirements. Learn more about the specifics of your top BS/MD programs by scheduling a call with a BS/MD expert today.

Avoid Generic Praise and Empty Flattery

It’s tempting to fill your essay with compliments about the school’s stellar faculty, beautiful campus, or impressive rankings. While positive remarks are fine, they should not be the centerpiece of your essay. Admissions officers read countless essays where applicants write, “I want to attend School X because it’s a top-ranked institution with an excellent reputation.” Such statements are not only generic but also offer no insight into who you are or why you genuinely want to be there.

Actions to Take: Identify and eliminate any sentences that could apply to any other school. If a line in your essay could be swapped with another institution’s name and still make sense, it’s too generic. Focus on what makes the school uniquely aligned to your educational, professional, and personal aims.

Compelling Story Hooks Matter Here Too

Most students know to provide an engaging, thoughtful hook in their Personal Statement and ‘Why Medicine?’ essays. However, we consistently see students disregard this advice with ‘Why School/Program X?’ essays – the reasoning for including a hook is still the same. Using a strong story to demonstrate your experiences and motivations to reinforce your unique alignment with the given school/program is a foundational way to show applicant-program fit clearly and engagingly.

Similar to your other core essays, you want to engage your reader from the outset by starting your essay with a personal story or anecdote that illustrates your aims and motivations – your storytelling provides evidence for these. This hook could be a snapshot of a moment that propelled you towards your intended field of study or your deepest research interests. A vivid, specific story not only grabs attention but also provides critical personal context for your interest in the school.

For example, instead of stating, “I have always been interested in environmental science,” you might begin with, “As I stood knee-deep in the polluted waters of my local river, collecting samples for a high school project, I realized…” While we advise working with an essay advisor to avoid cliches when sharing your specific experiences, it’s all too common for us to see students throw away valuable advice when moving from the Personal Statement to the ‘Why School/Program X?’ essays.

Actions to Take: Start by identifying the defining moments that led you to your current interests. Focus on the most relevant one and keep it concise—just a couple of sentences—to set the engagement for the rest of your essay.

Clearly Articulate Your Professional and Educational Goals

Admissions officers are not reading to uncover the hidden message you subtly shared in your essay – don’t bury the lead. Our BS/MD coaches have spoken to countless admissions officers who reiterate this message year after year.

Early on in your essay, you should explicitly articulate your specific academic and career objectives. Be as precise as possible. Instead of saying, “I want to make a difference in healthcare,” specify how you plan to do that. Maybe you’re interested in developing affordable prosthetics or researching the genetic factors of a particular disease. Using specific stories as evidence of these niche interests is the crux of an excellent ‘Why School/Program X?’ essay, but you need the core messaging first.

Actions to Take: Take the time to outline your goals in both the short term (what you hope to study and achieve during your undergraduate years) and long term (your career aspirations). By considering educational, professional, and personal aims, you can put together a strong, unique essay. This clarity helps admissions officers see your depth of research, self-awareness, and the trajectory you envision for yourself.

Identify Specific, Unique Opportunities at the School

After you’ve verbalized your aims and motivations, connect them directly to the unique opportunities that the school offers. This is where you need to dive deep into your research about the institution. Mention specific programs, courses, faculty members, research labs, extracurricular activities, or even traditions that align with your educational, professional, and personal objectives as you enter college and medicine.

For instance, “The opportunity to work in Professor Smith’s Neuroscience Lab, which focuses on neural regeneration in various model organisms, perfectly aligns with my professional aspiration to contribute to advancements in treating neurodegenerative diseases, building upon my current two projects studying Alzheimer’s disease.”

Actions to Take: You want to invest more time than just a quick Google search in your research. By finding the niche details, you can show your commitment to each program. Explore departmental pages, faculty profiles, recent news articles, and course catalogs. The more specific you are, the more authentic and invested you appear – and admissions officers are more likely to look positively on your application.

Demonstrate Fit by Aligning Values and Interests

Admissions committees are looking for students who will thrive in their environment and contribute positively to the campus community. A compelling essay shows that you understand the school’s culture and values, and articulates how they resonate with you in the context of your high school experiences. If the school emphasizes community service, diversity, entrepreneurship, or global perspectives, and these are important to you, make that connection clear.

Actions to Take: Take time to reflect on the school’s mission statement or core values and tie them back to your specific experiences and aspirations. Depending on the phrasing of the particular essay prompt, you may consider providing examples of how you’ve lived these values in the past and how you plan to continue doing so on campus. BS/MD programs can be more tricky

Explain How You Will Contribute to the Campus Community

Your essay should not only be about what the school can offer you but also what you can bring to the school. Discuss organizations you want to join or start, events you hope to organize, or ways you can enhance the campus life based on your skills and experiences. This should be clearly aligned with projects you have pursued in high school, not just aspirational claims without a basis. Structurally, you want to lead with your experiences and then follow with connecting your contributions to the school/program.

For example, “Having led my high school’s coding club to win regional competitions, I am excited to contribute to the university’s hackathon team and collaborate with peers who share my passion for innovative tech solutions.” However, you want to be even more specific in identifying the unique value you provided to your high school team and how you might apply that to positively serve students in the program.

Actions to Take: The value here is in being proactive with showing that you’ll be an active, engaged member of the student body. This demonstrates enthusiasm, foresight, and gives you the important opportunity to reiterate your unique value as a student and member of the community.

Avoid Overused Statements and Clichés

Phrases like “I fell in love with the campus as soon as I set foot on it” or “Attending this school has been my dream since childhood” are not only cliché but also offer no substantial information about why the school is the right fit for you now. Eliminate any clichés or overused expressions. Instead, use vivid language and specific details to convey your points, according to the other pointers on this list.

Show Evidence of Engagement with the School

If possible, mention any interactions you’ve had with the school that have deepened your interest. This could include campus visits, attending webinars, talking to current students or alumni, or engaging with admissions officers at college fairs. These should not be the centerpiece of your essay, but rather intentional placements to reinforce your core message for applicant-program fit.

For instance, “After attending the virtual seminar on renewable energy hosted by the university’s Engineering Department, I was impressed by the cutting-edge research being conducted and knew I wanted to be part of such innovative work.” This may be used after you have shared a specific story about your current research in this field, to show you’ve taken active steps to explore relevant university opportunities.

Actions to Take: Find ways to intentionally engage with the school in various ways before applying, making sure you seek connections aligned with your current interests and experiences. Not only will this provide material for your essay, but it also shows demonstrated interest.

With all of these pointers in mind, your essay should always reflect your voice and personality. Avoid the mistake of trying to impress with overly formal language or technical jargon unless it naturally fits your style. Admissions officers want to see your personal alignment with their institution, so focus on these pointers to ensure your ‘Why School X?’ essay stands out.

We are here to support you with personalized ‘Why School X?’ essay feedback when your drafts are ready. You can schedule your essay revision with our specialized coach here.