The Trick to Nailing Your Supplemental “Why Essays”

“WHY?!” The word is echoing in your head. It’s the first thing you think when you wake up and the last thing you think as you lay down at night. It dances in your dreams, Dumbo-nighmare-sequence-style. When Chipotle asks if you want to add guac, it’s the only word you can think to say. If you have started working on your supplemental essays, the onset of your existential crisis is right on schedule. This seemingly overwhelming question is taking over your life because the “why essay” is perhaps the most common of all the supplemental essay types.

It’s also one of the most involved. Schools ask, “why?” to gauge how much you really care. Have you been paying attention? How well do you really know the school? How true are your reasons for applying? As vast and probing as these questions may seem, the key to a good answer lies in good old fashioned research. Whether you visit campus or the school website, you need to explore in all directions to find the details that are relevant to you. So, if internet research is your bag, you’re in luck! We made you a tutorial to guide you through every step of the process.