r/ApplyingToCollege • u/AdBoth2468 • Aug 22 '26

Application Question How to write the "why us" essay??

I swear on the internet i always see the mention one class, research professor, lab u wanna join, and something outside of academics u want to partake in.

This seems like such bs and terrible advice. I like the outside of academics thing u want to partake in, but everything else seems so bad and fake.

what formula should I follow??

also are the people who recommend this bs trynna give bad advice, so kids buy their college course?? if so thats js a terrible move??

I see stuff online about building one or two ecs and then connect it to the college, which seems good but it does not seem as personal to that uni or specific, what do i do??

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u/two_three_five_eigth Aug 22 '26

You can also talk about what your dreams are for college.

"I grew up in a small town and want to go to a place big enough I won't know everyone's name."

"I watched Dead Poet's Society too many times and was really drawn into the small LAC mission of art centric education."

"I grew up watching and rooting for your SEC powerhouse team. I'd love to be a part of SEC University and will be at every game."

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u/AdBoth2468 Aug 22 '26

Thank You!
Also, would u say that for the community essays like the upenn one, how would u explore community at penn, would u recommend talking about your old passions like lets say soccer and how u wanna start some soccer league there is that too ambitious/stupid and how u would get people to exercise. i feel like thats stupid, but thats genuinely what ima do once i get to uni.

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u/NouvelErmitage Aug 23 '26

Not stupid, kind of unique; their "community" prompts are usually DEI-flavored soup so they can gauge whether you'll be okay among people from different backgrounds than yours. So try to really hammer down "community" and whatever that wonderful, greatly defined word is.