<p>I did something like this. Looking over my Common App Supplement, my Why Yale? was AWFUL-- seriously, probably the worst part of my application: very cheesy and trite, but I guess I liked it at the time. (I had a great answer but had to basically hack off everything because of character limits.) So I rewrote it as best I could and was very specific. </p>
<p>I also referenced some extracurricular work and a new award. It must appear desperate, but at least we’re being honest! (And that counts for something no matter what happens.)</p>