Guide/02 The Essay Course
The “Why Us” Essay
The most common supplement — how to research a school in an hour, the three-column method, and templates for 100-, 250-, and 400-word versions.
Chapter 11 of 387 min readUpdated September 25, 2026 Preview
"Why do you want to attend our school?" It's the most common supplemental question, and the one applicants most often get wrong — usually by praising the school instead of showing the fit.
A strong "why us" essay isn't a love letter or a brochure. It's an argument: here's who I am, here's what you specifically offer, and here's what happens when we're put together...
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What’s in this chapter
- 1What the prompt is really asking
- 2The three most common mistakes
- 3Step 1: Research in one focused hour
- 4Step 2: The three-column method
- 5Step 3: Choose a shape
- 6Templates by length
- 7"Why us" + "why major" combined
- 8Good vs. weak, side by side
- 9The final test: the find-and-replace test