Talking about Specific Schools in a Graduate Personal Statement

Many universities ask the seemingly innocuous question: â€Å"Why (Name of School)?† for their application essay question.Applicants may not be sure what an admissions office is looking for when they ask the â€Å"why specific school statement graduate school.† The school is asking why you chose them over all the other options.The university wants to know why they appealed to you and what you plan to study. They want to know why you chose them before they choose you.If you are applying to several schools and they all ask this question, you may be spending a great deal of time analyzing your decisions. If you have an outline to work with, it will be easier to respond to the â€Å"why specific school† statement graduate school.Talking about Specific Schools in a Graduate Personal StatementAn outline for the â€Å"why specific school† statement graduate could include some of the following ideas:Discuss location of campus relative to student. Is it â€Å"geog raphically desirable?† Or is it not a factor to be considered? Are there cultural events available in the area?What is the reputation of the school?Consider the program(s) which you are interested in pursuing. Does this school offer one of the best programs for this field? Is it a specialized field which is difficult to find at other schools?Review professors in the program of interest. Select a few names and course titles to provide support for the Why response.Are there extracurricular activities which appeal to you? Social events? Recreational sports?Does the school have a strong athletic program? Will you be going to games? Are you interested in being on a team?Will there be TA opportunities for you, if you are interested? Tutoring?Is there an active research program with labs in your field of interest?Are there local volunteer opportunities which will match your area of interest?The best part of a â€Å"why specific school† statement graduate school is that it will cause you to consider why you have decided to apply to a school. The outline above will aid in focusing on reasons why a school may be attractive to the applicant.