Why Our College? Essay question

College Majors Musical Theater Majors
1

Do colleges really want students to be honest when they ask “Why Michigan?” etc. If I were a student, here’s how I’d be tempted to answer.

Dear Admissions Officer . . . Why your college? Well, the honest answer has to be that I’m playing the averages. Since previous years’ statistics and an upward popularity trend tell us that nationally respected MT programs attract anywhere from 400 to 1000 applicants, it makes no sense for me, as a perspective student, to put all my eggs in one basket and focus only on my top choice college. If I’m going to be successful, I have to spread the love. So here is how I came up with your college as one of my choices. I made a spreadsheet of college characteristics, such as size, type, region, teacher-student ratio, tuition, scholarships, emphasis of training, academic requirements, and a gazillion other factors. Since few statistics existed, I made as best an assessment as I could of my likelihood of acceptance. I made attempts to visit colleges of each general type, all the while trying not to become too enamored of any of them. I figured out how much money I could reasonably spend on apps without going broke. Let’s say I decided on 15. From there, my first three votes went to the schools that ticked most of my boxes and that I figured were most likely to accept me; the second three went on schools within reasonable geographic distance; the next three went to schools auditioning at my nearest Unifieds so that I could save on audition cost. Three more went to schools with low tuition/good scholarship potential. Three votes left—one to a “lottery school”, just in case I happen to be the needle-in-the-haystack they want; one to a non-audition safety that I would really rather not attend; and the last? Well, how about throwing an arrow at the spreadsheet and just see where it lands? Congrats! You made my top 15! So, let’s see. Why do I want to attend your college? Be wary, Admissions Officer, of asking the question if you want a truthful answer. I may just as well regurgitate the college catalog or rave for 500 words about how much I love the football team. The question just does not make any sense when referring to the crap shoot of MT applications.If you really want to know about a student, ask a different question!

2

… I would encourage less information about HOW a college ended up on the list, and more specifics of WHY. Ex. Specific details about mission statement, curriculum, faculty, study abroad, campus life, location, history of kinds of productions, co-curricular activities, etc… these things demonstrate that a student has spent a little bit of time, maybe 30 minutes to an hour or so, researching a school online.

Unlike when most of us may have applied to college (20+ years ago), there is now SO MUCH information available on the internet. Kids are busy, but even if they are applying to 20 schools, if they schedule 30 minutes a school, that is 10 hours split over multiple days… that is not insurmountable, although daunting.

The research doesn’t end once out of HS or college. Knowing casting directors, directors, musical directors, seasons, etc… and juggling that with training, auditions, performances, survival jobs, education, etc… is part of the job.

Schools want students who want to be there. If they are asking, they want prospective students to be able to articulate (even if the school is not currently the first, second, third… tenth choice) why a school is on the list at all.

The way the question is answered does allow the school to get to know the student. I know that I want to know that a prospective student has done enough research to answer the question, and that they can write articulately and succinctly. Where I teach we often follow up in the interview on things we see in the essay. Obviously, can’t speak for other schools.

All that said, I 100% get the frustration. It is a lot!!! Hang in!!

What I tell my students about auditioning, at school or professionally, is to make it difficult for the team to not cast you. You have no control over the outcome, but you can do your part fully.

3

Great summary of the reality of current MT admissions… haha!

On a more serious note, the best advice I heard from admissions officers about the “why Michigan” question was…

“Never tell us about our school. We already know about our school. Tell us an engaging story about yourself that helps us visualize how you will add to our program and campus. Make us want to see you around next year.”

4

@claire74 I suspect you and I would get along well! I told my daughter her essays just needed to convey that she was not a complete moron. LOL

5

@claire74, my D and I had the SAME conversation 3 years ago. And we jokingly wrote that same essay in our heads. I totally get your frustration, and I your post made me LOL. But to be serious for a moment, @KatMT is so right…it is important to write a well-reasoned and succinct essay that shows that there is something about their particular school that attracted your child. Tell them what that something is. For example, my D took a (free) voice lesson from one of the voice teachers at BoCo before her audition (some of the schools are VERY good about this, BTW!). So she wrote in her essay about how much she loved the lesson, their philosophy, etc. (all true). For Ithaca, she wrote about how she felt when she was on campus, like she was home (it was her first choice) and how much she appreciated the supportiveness of the students and faculty. At OCU, she wrote about her idols who attended the school before her, and how she loved the blending of the MT and VP programs. It should be easy for your kid to find something special about each school, b/c otherwise they shouldn’t be applying there. Really. If they can’t articulate why they would want to go to a school, don’t apply there. The essays can show that your child did their research (e.g., visited campus, watched YouTube clips, attended a performance, talked to current students who go there, etc.), and that makes the school more comfortable that it would be a good fit. It’s not good enough to apply to a school simply b/c it’s in the (alleged) “top” three. What is it about THAT school that draws your child in? The curriculum? The location? The professors? I remember Brent Wagner told the kids that he always questioned those kids who applied to both conservatories and LACs that have a lot of gen eds, b/c the philosophies were so different he wondered why the kids would apply to both types of schools, and wondered if they REALLY knew what they wanted. (CAVEAT: I don’t agree with him, b/c my D applied to schools like BoCo and NYU, and would have been happy to go to either, but she knew it would be hard to explain to people so when schools asked her to list other schools she was applying to, she tried to list the schools with similar philosophies.) So, bottom line is find something special about each school and write about that. Each essay re: “Why School X?” should be geared very specifically toward that school…even if it’s only one detail. Good luck!

6

@KatMT, the original post was meant to be entirely facetious, aimed at anxiety-ridden parents like myself. Of course, I understand schools want to see what motivates kids to apply, but this question is a giant wet blanket for most applicants. My son wrote most of his essays during the summer, for the most part with good humor and enthusiasm. Our plan was got get most of his application work done before school work, sports, and rehearsals proved too much of a distraction. He crafted each essay (or parts of each essay) for each school and it was quite a challenge. But regardless of his early planning, once he got into Acceptd or Decision Desk, there were always more and more questions–usually of the “Why Michigan?” type. Not to pick on Michigan (but why not?), but that school even wants the kids to bring and entirely different, fresh essay to auditions. Enough is enough. The biggest problem I have with the Why Michigan? question is that it goes against the spirit of strong creative writing. It immediately puts kids on the defensive, as though the school is suspicious of their motives. It deflates rather than inspires and invites craftiness or flattery rather than sincerity. In the end, very few of these essays that our kids are told to pour their hearts and souls into are even read–I’d be shocked to hear that anyone reads the essays of kids who lose out on the pre-screen roundabout or even the essays of kids who are not in the final stack of post-audition candidates. Sure, it’s a flawed process and the colleges need a way to figure out the best candidates beyond the audition room, but let’s get a bit more creative and a bit less aggressive than “Why Michigan?”

7

How many MT spots are there say at UMich?

8

@ClarinetDad16, I believe their are spots for 8 boys and 8 girls, though the number might be slightly higher.

9

So they perhaps accept one in 6 applicants, of which one in 3 enroll?

So 300 apps, 50 acceptances and 16 attend??

10

@ClarinetDad16, I think they get way more than 300 apps. Closer to 900, if not higher. I’m not sure how many they audition, but I’m guessing it’s around 300-400, since they have a lot of audition days, plus Unifieds. I’m not sure if they put out multiple offers or if they “cherrypick” then keep a line-up of understudies on the waiting list. My guess would be 900 apps for 30 offers and 16 acceptances, but I could be wrong.

11

@ClarinetDad16, just as a comparision, when we visited Ithaca during the summer, we were told that they made offers to more than 30, expecting 16 acceptances. They got 30 acceptances and had to double the size of the class, adding faculty. I don’t know what their plan is this year. Competition is rabid, this year. Crazy, hey?

12

@ClarinetDad16 Generally they accept 12 boys 12 girls from a pool of 700 (not sure if that is total apps or those who pass the prescreen) They do not accept more for a certain yield. They accept the 24 and go to a waitlist if necessary.

13

First, not all colleges wait to read the essays after the student “passes” the audition. At some schools, the admissions/academic review is separate from the artistic review.

Second, if schools didn’t care about these essays, they would not bother to ask for them.

Third, as we all know, this is a highly competitive process. It is a wise choice to put your all into every piece of the process because even little things may set one candidate apart from another, when so many are qualified and have the talent to be admitted.

The Why X College essay needs to be tailored very specifically to each college, whereby the student could not substitute the name of another college in the essay. It is a chance to show many things. One is the depth of the applicant’s exploration of that college and its program. How well does the candidate know it? Why did they choose it? Moreover, it is important to show the fit! How does the program fit you? But also how do you fit the program/school? What are you seeking in a college and a MT program and how does this program match that criteria specifically? How do you match them? What are you going to get involved in and how are you going to contribute to campus? Are there certain groups or activities that appeal to you that you hope to join or participate in? What do you bring to their campus? In your exploration and visits, who did you meet and talk with and what did you learn that appealed to you specifically about that school? If the school is one of your top choices, say so (only if true). Show how they match what you want and how you match what they are looking for and how you will add to their program and campus life. You can talk about aspects of their academic program, their campus, the level of challenge, the housing, offerings in your intended field of interest, campus organizations and activities you might join (or start), some specific things about that school …ex) they have a lot of opportunities for study abroad if that is an important criteria to you, or the diverse make up of their student body which appeals to you, or that they have student-run productions, or opportunities to put on original works. You need to show that you have thoroughly researched THAT school. You should mention your visit to campus and what you did while there and who you met with (certain students, faculty members, etc.). When you get into the extracurricular activities at that school, bring in how you will be contributing to THEIR campus life by partaking in X or Y there (ie., a specifically named a cappella group). The more specific you can be in this essay, the better. A generic essay won’t cut it. Don’t make it look like you recycled another essay for this prompt. Don’t make it look like it was just another MT school to add to the very long list. Show the interest.

14

3 years ago UMich told us 600 had passed the prescreen, and there were far more who had applied. I think I remember the number 900 total applicants for the MT program 3 years ago…I’m sure it’s more now.

15

This is why I am amazed by the people who can pull out 20+ applications. Who can do all of the things in post #12 that many times? How could you keep them straight or give a valid answer? As I teacher - I have NO trouble spotting when a kid is phoning an assignment in, I imagine that the people who read the essays can do the same. Again- there are schools where they audition is everything, and essays don’t matter a lick. Or schools that are not academically competitive, so admission is not a issue. But know your list. I don’t think a generic “why Michigan” essay with cut/paste info that could apply to any of their 18 other schools is going to get a kid over the bar. Just my opinion

16

When you re-use portions of another essay, of course it must fit the question posed. I am not suggesting you like NYU for the same reasons you like michigan. Obviously they are very different. But not all essay questions are “Why School X?” You may have written a great essay about yourself, the reasons you love MT, why you are pursuing an mt degree, why you feel a BFA or a BA or a BM or whatever degree you seek is right for you, etc… It is perfectly fine to reuse your thoughts these kinds of things as you write essays if they are applicable Of course you want it to be as strong of an essay as it can be. But it is ok to re-use things written for another school if it makes sense and allows you to submit a strong and well-crafted response.

17

If students are applying to 20+ schools the better applicants who are collecting acceptances are getting more than 1.

Accordingly schools are not sitting at 100% yield.

And if schools only accept to the number they need, many of their top choices will be off the board, picking from their acceptances in hand.

If you are a top applicant you are competing against other top applicants. The many others who are in the pool will not have much of a chance…

18

@ClarinetDad16, Who’s to say that one school’s “better applicant” is the same as another schools? With MT, it may be a more subjective judgement than classical vocalists or instrumentalists, where technique can be evaluated a little more objectively. Also, one school may need a certain “type”-- soprano able to play juvenile roles–while another school is looking for a mezzo who can take on ethnic roles. It’s a crazy maze of guesswork, at best.

19

It is SO subjective, and that’s similar to academic acceptances at the most competitive schools. When there are many, many talented/worthy applicants, any subjective measure could make them choose one student over another. A few years ago, my daughter was accepted academically at a top liberal arts school but denied at another. Her friend got the exact opposite results at the same two schools.

A mantra I like: You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, but if they need an apple, they’re not going to pick you.

20

@vvnstar I think everyone would agree, including me (and I already posted this on this thread) that there are overlaps in many essay prompts between colleges and often an essay can be reused for more than one school and/or tweaked to fit another school’s requirement (sometimes it is merely a difference in the maximum allowed word count). I advocate strongly to write the fewest essays possible. For my own advisees, I go over every requirement and come up with a plan to write the least number of essays and which ones can be used for which schools. However, the Why X College essays must be unique for every school. I can’t imagine anyone starting from scratch on every application or anyone suggesting to do so. Even so, if one has a lot of apps to do, this often translates into having to write many essays, particularly at more selective schools which tend to add on supplemental essays. And if someone is applying to 15 to 20 schools, it is a lot of work, or else the alternative is that the effort per app is going to be diluted given the quantity of requirements.

Another thing is that writing essays should not be merely about completing the task. Most students will need multiple drafts of each essay to polish it. It can be quite time consuming, if done well.