Do people actually name-drop university programs/classes/professors in their supplemental essays?

HelicopterParent1
Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:18:45 +0000

I didn’t mean to suggest that “everything else is fake”. (Nor am I intending to be argumentative.) No doubt, there are many kids who their entire lives have wanted to go to a particular school, and could tell you authentically and enthusiastically why that is the case. I’m just suggesting that is rare.

Having just gone through the process with my younger child and helping him answer the Why Wisconsin, or Why Georgia, or Why UT etc., essays we were very hard pressed to advise him other than mentioning specific programs / classes.

It reminds me of the obligatory interview question, “Why do you want to work here?” The honest response is, “because I want a job” but candidates have to make up all sorts of stuff that would apply as equally to a bunch of other companies as it does the one they’re applying to.