"Why _______?" Essay Forum
- PhilippeStandingOnIt
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"Why _______?" Essay
I'm wrapping up an application to a school that requires a "Why School X" essay. I am applying to 15 different schools, and this school is probably my #2 choice, although my short-list consists of 3 schools, any one of which I can see myself happily attending.
Do I need to kiss ass and make them think they're my first choice, or can I let them know they've made the short list to put on the heat come scholarship time? I will have a top quartile LSAT score at this school.
The essay would be along the lines of:
"I'm applying to a crap-ton of schools, and you're in my top three choices because you're awesome for x,y,z reasons. I really hope it makes financial sense for me to me to attend your school *wink wink*, because you're so awesome."
Do I need to kiss ass and make them think they're my first choice, or can I let them know they've made the short list to put on the heat come scholarship time? I will have a top quartile LSAT score at this school.
The essay would be along the lines of:
"I'm applying to a crap-ton of schools, and you're in my top three choices because you're awesome for x,y,z reasons. I really hope it makes financial sense for me to me to attend your school *wink wink*, because you're so awesome."
- whitespider
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
Yeah, uh, I wouldn't do that. Unless you want to run the risk of offending them and getting YPed.PhilippeStandingOnIt wrote:"I'm applying to a crap-ton of schools, and you're in my top three choices because you're awesome for x,y,z reasons. I really hope it makes financial sense for me to me to attend your school *wink wink*, because you're so awesome."
Mention some peer schools that you're applying to and explain why they're your top choice. That way they'll admit you and you'll have some leverage with competing offers come time to negotiate an aid package.
- Winston1984
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
Hard to offer advice without knowing the school.
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
I have never seen a successful Why X that brought up peer schools for whatever reason. Which schools are you applying to? I would not coyly ask for financial aid in a Why X nor would I indicate in any way, shape or form that the school had competition. They already know that. Moreover, saying that school X is your top choice is not very useful. They will either assume that you said that to all of the other schools or you will have sufficiently demonstrated it in your Why X making the overt statement redundant.
Is this school in T-14? Are there any schools outside fo the T14 that play the YP game?
Is this school in T-14? Are there any schools outside fo the T14 that play the YP game?
- Mullens
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
How do you know what a successful Why X statement looks like?Seoulless wrote:I have never seen a successful Why X that brought up peer schools for whatever reason. Which schools are you applying to? I would not coyly ask for financial aid in a Why X nor would I indicate in any way, shape or form that the school had competition. They already know that. Moreover, saying that school X is your top choice is not very useful. They will either assume that you said that to all of the other schools or you will have sufficiently demonstrated it in your Why X making the overt statement redundant.
Is this school in T-14? Are there any schools outside fo the T14 that play the YP game?
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
Because I have been in this game a while. I've probably seen 100+ Why X's and know who got in and who got YPed.Mullens wrote:How do you know what a successful Why X statement looks like?Seoulless wrote:I have never seen a successful Why X that brought up peer schools for whatever reason. Which schools are you applying to? I would not coyly ask for financial aid in a Why X nor would I indicate in any way, shape or form that the school had competition. They already know that. Moreover, saying that school X is your top choice is not very useful. They will either assume that you said that to all of the other schools or you will have sufficiently demonstrated it in your Why X making the overt statement redundant.
Is this school in T-14? Are there any schools outside fo the T14 that play the YP game?
Beyond that though, there is an element of common sense to the matter. You don't tell Jessica "I'm also fucking Wendy and suzzie, but if you really make it worth my while I will stick around."
- KMart
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- Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:25 am
Re: "Why _______?" Essay
+1.Seoulless wrote: Beyond that though, there is an element of common sense to the matter. You don't tell Jessica "I'm also fucking Wendy and suzzie, but if you really make it worth my while I will stick around."
In all seriousness I would write why you want to go there and leave negotiations for after you get accepted. A Why X essay is not a binding ED.
- rutten
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- Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 7:43 pm
Re: "Why _______?" Essay
Looking for help on this myself... Do I just have to basically list things that attracted me to the school? Or do I have to sell it to them that I would be a good fit, linking to my personal statement?
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
The downside of writing a compelling why x to a trap school is you get phone calls from past students who hung a shingle, and are part of the pyramid scheme. Some are very good cunning so you need to be careful.
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
A good why x accomplishes both.rutten wrote:Looking for help on this myself... Do I just have to basically list things that attracted me to the school? Or do I have to sell it to them that I would be a good fit, linking to my personal statement?
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
Aside from schools being able to gage whether they are just another click on LSAC, I dont know what Why ____? essays really achieve. Unless someone has a family and owns a house next to the school I dont know how convincing you can really be.
According to this thread, I guess I fucked up, but I basically said "financial aid is the biggest influecne, but at equal cost I take ___ over any of its peers because..."
I guess I took a double loss mentioning peers and money, I felt like that was the most genuine thing I couldve said
According to this thread, I guess I fucked up, but I basically said "financial aid is the biggest influecne, but at equal cost I take ___ over any of its peers because..."
I guess I took a double loss mentioning peers and money, I felt like that was the most genuine thing I couldve said
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
canadianbrother wrote:Aside from schools being able to gage whether they are just another click on LSAC, I dont know what Why ____? essays really achieve. Unless someone has a family and owns a house next to the school I dont know how convincing you can really be.
According to this thread, I guess I fucked up, but I basically said "financial aid is the biggest influecne, but at equal cost I take ___ over any of its peers because..."
I guess I took a double loss mentioning peers and money, I felt like that was the most genuine thing I couldve said
For which schools did you say this? Stats?
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
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Last edited by WeeBey on Sun Nov 02, 2014 9:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
Was i better off not to say anything? I had a good reason for M since theyre are the closest t14 to me and only a 4hr drive away
- rutten
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
You actually get calls from previous students? I'm looking to apply to schools that are ranked between 20-60 on USNWR - do they do this? If it gets me in, I'd take a call from the mayor.AReasonableMan wrote:The downside of writing a compelling why x to a trap school is you get phone calls from past students who hung a shingle, and are part of the pyramid scheme. Some are very good cunning so you need to be careful.
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Re: "Why _______?" Essay
Only one school had a prior student try to pitch me shortly after an LOCI after being waitlisted. Most were current. My Why X mentioned the school mascot, so maybe it was an instance where a Why X is so poorly written that you seem stupid enough to attend. If you have a high LSAT and are from no where near the location of a respected regional, they know you're not going to attend. Without a Why X, it pays to reject you. None of this affects calls. I don't know if the schools still do this. I can't envision anyone enrolling because of it.rutten wrote:You actually get calls from previous students? I'm looking to apply to schools that are ranked between 20-60 on USNWR - do they do this? If it gets me in, I'd take a call from the mayor.AReasonableMan wrote:The downside of writing a compelling why x to a trap school is you get phone calls from past students who hung a shingle, and are part of the pyramid scheme. Some are very good cunning so you need to be careful.
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