why bentley university essay

Bentley Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Wondering how to approach the Bentley supplemental essays? If so, then this article is for you. We’ll start by going over Bentley essay expectations , including how many are required and which are optional. Then we’ll go more in depth, breaking down the Bentley University essay prompts one by one. Throughout, you’ll find plenty of advice and tips for how to write the best responses possible. But first, let’s discuss some Bentley highlights.

Each year, thousands of applicants apply to be part of Bentley ’s unique educational experience. Located in a suburban setting near Boston, Massachusetts, Bentley is a private school with 4,000 undergraduates. The school’s uniqueness comes from how it infuses arts and sciences into its business-focused education. Students can choose from 30 Bentley University majors, which each represent an interdisciplinary approach to business. Students can choose from majors like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Informational Technology in Accounting, each with its own core business curriculum.

Outside of the classroom, Bentley students have numerous opportunities and resources to expand their horizons. The college boasts more than 100 student organizations, and most students complete internships to prepare for their future careers. Bentley’s career services are highly applauded, leading to a 99% job placement rate for graduates after leaving the school. Collectively, Bentley’s offerings allow students to become business leaders with global mindsets, a variety of skills, and a dedication to making the world better.

Below, you’ll find some key Bentley statistics, such as the Bentley University acceptance rate and the Bentley University ranking. While these measures should not be your only reasons for applying , they are one way to determine how Bentley compares with others.

Bentley University Admissions: Quick Facts

• Bentley University Acceptance Rate:  58% – According to  U.S. News , the Bentley University ranking is #1 among Regional Universities in the North . Nationally, Forbes ranks Bentley #212 in its list of Top Colleges.
• 1 required (~650 word) personal statement
• 2 optional (~250 word) Bentley supplemental essays
• Bentley University Application:  Students must submit their Bentley University application through the  Common Application . After selecting your application deadline, prepare your Bentley University supplemental essays and personal statement, along with other  application materials .
• Early Decision I: November 15
• Early Decision II: January 15
• Regular Decision: January 15 
• Bentley University Essay Tip:  While the two Bentley supplemental essays are technically optional, we strongly recommend completing them. That way, you can ensure Bentley admissions officers have the fullest picture of who you are as a student and why you are a good fit for the school.

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

Does Bentley University have supplemental essays?

There are two Bentley supplemental essays: a Why Bentley essay and a Cultural Diversity essay. As you’ll notice during your college application journey, supplemental essay requirements vary from school to school. Some schools have multiple supplemental essays; others have none. While many schools have similar supplemental essay topics , you’ll still want to tailor your responses to each individual school you apply to.

Technically, both Bentley supplemental essays are optional, meaning that you can submit your application without them. However, if you truly wish to attend Bentley, then we recommend answering both prompts to the best of your ability. In doing so, you will not only show your dedication to attending the school but will also share more about what makes you a strong candidate.

Before you begin writing your Bentley supplemental essays, you should understand what the prompts are asking you. In the following sections, we will break down both of the Bentley University essay prompts in detail. Each of the Bentley supplemental essays has a 250-word limit, so you’ll need to make sure your essays are focused and concise while fully answering the prompt.

Optional Bentley Essay Prompt #1: Cultural Diversity essay

The first of the two Bentley University essay prompts is a Cultural Diversity essay. As such, it provides space for you to share aspects of your identity that have shaped your life and allow you to contribute a unique perspective to Bentley. Here is the prompt:

Optional Bentley Essay Prompt #1

Our students bring to campus a variety of experiences, cultures, and intersecting identities including race and ethnicity — aspects that are important to a rich educational experience and your success in college and beyond. you may use this section to discuss how race and ethnicity has affected your life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise. (250 words or fewer).

While some cultural diversity essay prompts are broad enough to focus on many aspects of identity, this one makes specific note of race and ethnicity. As such, you should focus on race and ethnicity if those parts of your identity are important to you. If not, you can always mention another aspect of your identity and how it has shaped you. 

Regardless of what you choose to discuss, you should not only illustrate how it shaped your life, but also how it will shape the way you contribute to Bentley. For example, maybe coming from an immigrant family and being the first to apply to college has inspired you to work hard to pursue your goals of higher education. Or, maybe the values your Dominican family taught you have given you so much joy and pride that you would be excited to share that with the Bentley community. Writing about your identity can be difficult, so be gentle with yourself and only write about what you are comfortable and willing to share. 

Optional Bentley Essay Prompt #2: Why Bentley essay

The second of the Bentley University essay prompts is the Why Bentley essay. Here is the prompt:

Optional Bentley Essay Prompt #2

Please tell us specifically and in your own words which aspects of bentley university prompted you to apply. in addition, if you are interested in a specific program/major, what attracted you to that program or area of study (250 words or fewer).

Like most why school essays, this essay is looking to understand why you want to attend Bentley specifically. To answer this effectively, you must name specific aspects of the Bentley experience that drew you to apply. Maybe you like the interdisciplinary nature of the Bentley University majors, or the fact that Bentley offers comprehensive career services. Name these specific offerings to demonstrate your knowledge, then be sure to connect them back to you. In general, it is best to avoid focusing on more surface level aspects of the school like its pretty campus or proximity to Boston. While these may be aspects that drew you to apply, they don’t distinguish Bentley enough from many other schools which have nice campuses or are located in Boston .  

The second part of this Why Bentley essay prompt is a Why Major question. The question asks which of the Bentley University majors interests you. If you do not have an intended major in mind and are applying undecided, you can avoid responding to that part of the question. However, if you do have an intended major, share details about why you chose that major. Maybe your experiences interacting with those from other cultures have led to an interest in Language, Culture and Business . Or perhaps, you have had a passion for taking apart computers for your entire life, and the Computer Information Systems major piques your interest.

Regardless of what you choose to write about in your essays, make sure you spend time reflecting on why you are drawn to the school and your major. The first step to writing great supplemental essays is getting in touch with your own thoughts and ideas . Before we go over some tips to help you when you’re ready to start writing your essays, let’s go over the Bentley essay requirements.

Bentley University Essay Requirements

As we shared above, there are two Bentley supplemental essays. However, they are listed as optional. As such, you may be wondering how many Bentley essays are actually required? 

The answer is technically one – your personal statement . Your personal statement is a critical part of your application, as it is the one essay intended to introduce you to the Bentley University admissions committee. In contrast to the supplemental essays, which tend to be school-specific, your personal statement can be the same for every school you apply to. Since you’ll be submitting your Bentley application through the Common App, you’ll need to respond to one of the Common App essay prompts .

The personal statement should showcase an important part of your life story or identity. However, it does not have to cover an extremely rare or extraordinary topic. Some of the best personal statements are about mundane and simple pleasures. Bentley University admissions officers want to know what makes you who you are, not who you think you should be.

The Bentley supplemental essays offer more real estate for you to share who you are. As such, even though they are not required, we recommend completing them to the best of your ability. Coming up, we will share tips for how to write the Bentley supplemental essays. 

How to write the Bentley supplemental essays?

Now that we have covered the Bentley University essay prompts, you might be wondering how to write your Bentley essays. Here are four tips to help you write strong Bentley supplemental essays:

Start early

Writing good essays can take 4-6 drafts. For this reason, we recommend starting the process as early as possible. Once you have selected your application deadline , start writing your essays at least 4-6 weeks before the deadline. This will give you ample time to dissect the Bentley University essay prompts. brainstorm ideas, draft, edit, revise, and polish your drafts.

Do a thorough brainstorm

Before you write your Bentley supplemental essays, brainstorm ideas for each of the prompts. The key to brainstorming is to avoid judging or second-guessing your ideas as you jot them down. The brainstorming stage is simply to get ideas on the page. You also do not have to brainstorm alone. Ask your friends and family to help you think of ideas based on what they know about you. While you ultimately should choose an idea that resonates with you first and foremost, your loved ones can sometimes shed light on topics that you hadn’t thought could work.

Be specific

As you consider topics for your Bentley supplemental essays, think of details that can help bring your stories to life. Details can include sights, sounds, smells, emotions, dialogue, or any other fact that comes to mind. These details can add color and character to your essay, allowing you to show and not tell your story. For example, if you want to express your early love of computers, maybe you share a memory of playing with computer parts and describe the feeling of your fingertips fumbling with the parts to show your excitement. For your Why Bentley essay, be specific about what draws you to the school. Your Why Bentley essay should be different from any other Why School essay you write.

Share your why

Both Bentley University essay prompts ask you to share your why , whether that is why your identity is important to you or why you want to go to Bentley. Make sure that in your response, you highlight the significance of your experiences and choices. That means doing some self-reflection; consider how these experiences have changed you and how your choices reflect your character. Telling the why is a critical part of your Bentley supplemental essays.

By now, you’re aware the Bentley supplemental essays are not actually required. So, you may still be asking yourself, do you actually need to write them? Is there any harm in not writing them? We’ll go further into this in the next two sections.

Are the Bentley essays optional?

Technically, both Bentley supplemental essays are optional. This means you can submit your application with only one essay – your personal statement. However, as previously stated, we recommend writing the Bentley supplemental essays to make sure your application is as strong as possible.

Writing the Bentley supplemental essays showcases how serious you are about attending the school. It also gives Bentley University admissions officers a better picture of who you are, which can help increase your odds of being admitted. Therefore, if you really want to attend Bentley, take the time to write your Bentley supplemental essays. 

Does Bentley University care about essays?

Considering the Bentley supplemental essays are optional, you may wonder whether Bentley University cares about essays. Indeed, the school does care about essays. This is in large part because they use a holistic admissions process. Holistic admissions means that applicants are evaluated along a variety of measures, including grades, test scores, extracurriculars, recommendations, and essays. In doing so, they seek to get a full picture of a student’s abilities and strengths. Essays are a key way that they can determine what makes you unique from other students who may have similar grades and test scores.

Secondly, the fact that there are Bentley supplemental essays means that the school cares about them to a degree. Indeed, there are some schools that actually do not have supplemental essays. Furthermore, others do not require a personal statement. By having these Bentley University essay prompts as part of the application – even if they are optional – Bentley is communicating that they do indeed care about essays.

Now that we know that Bentley University will carefully review your essays, you’ll want to make sure you write the best essays possible. Below, you’ll find some tips to make sure your essays stand out from the thousands of essays Bentley admissions officers read each year.

How can I make my Bentley University essays stand out?

At this point, we hope you agree it is absolutely worth responding to the two optional Bentley supplemental essays. Therefore, here are a few tips for how to make your Bentley essays stand out :

Show, don’t tell

Whether you are writing your personal statement or Bentley supplemental essays, expressing your ideas through vivid details is going to strengthen your essays. After you have written your first draft of your Bentley essays, go back over them to look for places where you can illustrate your experience rather than simply say what happened. For example, instead of saying that you felt stressed working on a big project, describe the sleepless nights and the worries racing around your head. (And always connect back to why you were feeling that way!) 

Be authentic

Many students struggle with feeling like their life or interests aren’t worth writing about. In fact, every student has a story to tell. Avoid getting caught up in trying to figure out what admissions officers want to hear in your Bentley supplemental essays. Instead, write about what matters to you, in your own voice, and your connection to your experiences will naturally shine through.

Edit several drafts

It is uncommon, and highly unlikely, that the first drafts of your Bentley essays will be ready for submission. Spend time editing your drafts to make sure they are clear, concise, grammatically correct, and compelling. Ask for others to read your Bentley essays and incorporate their feedback while making sure your voice is not lost in the editing process. If someone suggests adding a vocabulary word you would never use, leave it out.

If you want more tips for how to make your Bentley essay stand out, check out this CollegeAdvisor resource on how to write better essays.

Bentley University Supplemental Essays – 5 Takeaways

In this article, we shared why Bentley University is a superb school and everything you need to know about the Bentley supplemental essays. If you do your research, you’ll find the Bentley University ranking and Bentley University acceptance rate only scratch the surface of what Bentley has to offer. Rather than focusing on these measures, make sure you take the time to explore Bentley so you can decide whether you could thrive at the school. If it’s the right fit for you, you’ll have plenty of great details to write about in your Bentley essays.

In turn, remember you also have a lot to offer the school. If you decide to apply to Bentley University, we hope you keep these five takeaways in mind to make sure you put your best foot forward:

Takeaways for Bentley University Supplemental Essays

1. write the supplementals.

We have shared how the Bentley supplemental essays are optional. However, we hope by now it is clear that writing them is overwhelmingly likely to strengthen your application for numerous reasons. As long as you take the time to write thoughtful responses to the Bentley University essay prompts, you will undoubtedly increase your odds of getting into the school.

2. Be specific in your essays

The Bentley University essay prompts can be thought of as a Why Bentley essay and a Cultural Diversity essay. Rather than speak generally about why you want to go to college or how you value diversity, provide specific examples and details to illustrate your points. In your Why Bentley essay, make sure you name specific reasons why you want to attend the school.

3. Put time into your essays

If you really want to go to Bentley, spend time editing and revising your essays. Make sure your essays reflect your best writing – not your first draft.

4. Be yourself

Write in your own voice and write about topics that matter to you. By doing so, your writing will be more compelling and enjoyable to read. And the more effective you’ll be at highlighting your individual strengths and characteristics.

5. Seek support

Writing about topics like your race or what you want to study can be challenging. Seek outside support from trusted teachers, mentors, friends, or even a CollegeAdvisor admissions specialist.

Now that you know how to write the Bentley supplemental essays, your task is to get started. Even though the college admissions process can be competitive, there are many parts of it – like the quality of your essays – that you can control. Give your best effort and you are sure to land yourself at an excellent college of your choice.

This essay guide was written by Courtney Ng. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Bentley University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

You Have: 

Bentley University 2023-24 Application Essay Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words

Supplemental Essay Type: Why , Diversity

(OPTIONAL) Please tell us specifically and in your own words which aspects of Bentley University prompted you to apply. In addition, if you are interested in a specific program/major, what attracted you to that program or area of study? (250 words or fewer)

A classic Why Essay like this is a time-honored supplement tradition, and your answer can reveal a lot to admissions about your potential fit and overall commitment to the school. You don’t have too many words at your disposal, so brevity will be instrumental to a strong response. Spend some time on the Bentley website and get to know the school. Explore all areas that interest you (social clubs, volunteer organizations, research opportunities, academic programs, Greek life, etc.) to build your list of reasons for applying, and don’t forget to include information about why you’ve selected your chosen major (if applicable). The more detailed your response is, the more you will stand out from the pack.

(OPTIONAL) Our students bring to campus a variety of experiences, cultures, and intersecting identities including race and ethnicity — aspects that are important to a rich educational experience and your success in college and beyond. You may use this section to discuss how race and ethnicity has affected your life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise.  (250 words or fewer)

Applicants who choose to respond to this prompt likely have something in mind to say about how race and ethnicity have impacted their lives. Since you only have 250 words at your disposal here, our advice is to focus on you: your experiences, your intersecting identities, and your culture. This is an opportunity for you to address how race has played a role in your life and the ways it has inspired you and/or you have continued to rise above the obstacles set in your path by systemic injustices. Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm, draft, and revise your response, as writing about topics as nuanced as these can be challenging, even for adults who have spent twice, thrice, or four times as many years on this earth as you. We have no doubt that you’ll be able to write a concise, meaningful story about the kind of person you are, the qualities you possess, and the ways in which you will succeed and positively contribute to any academic community.

About Kat Stubing

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Blog > Essay Advice , Supplementals > How to Write a Why Us Supplemental Essay

How to Write a Why Us Supplemental Essay

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Alex McNeil, MA Admissions Consultant

Key Takeaway

The "Why Us" supplemental essay is an opportunity to show alignment with your chosen college. To effectively write this essay, conduct in-depth research on the school's academic programs, values, and unique features that relate to your interests. Craft your essay to showcase how these elements resonate with your personal, academic, and professional goals. Avoid common mistakes such as vague connections or focusing on unrelated aspects of the school.

This post is one in a series of posts about the supplemental essays. You can read our core “how-to” supplemental post here .

The “Why Us” supplemental essay prompt—also known as the “Why This College” prompt—is one of the most common types of supplemental essays you’ll write during your application journey.

At the most basic level, Why Us prompts ask students to describe why they have decided to apply to the college in question.

Why Us prompts are important for both colleges and applicants.

When admissions officers review applications, Why Us supplementals help them understand how a student’s background, goals, values, and academic inclinations align with the school’s offerings. They also help admissions officers assess how serious a student is about wanting to attend the institution in question.

For applicants, Why Us essays allow you to make your case for school fit. They are the perfect opportunity for you to stand (metaphorically, of course) in front of the admissions committee and explicitly explain why you belong at a school.

In short, Why Us or Why this College essays let you explicitly tell admissions officers how you align with a school so you don’t have to leave the guesswork up to them. Let’s get into how you can write a Why Us essay that stands out.

What is a Why Us Supplemental essay?

Why Us supplementals can have a few variations, but they all get at a common question. Take a look at the following three examples.

1: University of Chicago

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.

2: Duke University

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.

3: University of Michigan

Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?  (Required for all applicants; minimum 100 words /maximum 550 words)

Why Us Essay Strategy

To write a good one, you need to know something about the school—you’ll need to do your research.

By this point, you probably already know a bit about the schools you’re applying to. After all, you’ve hopefully built your school list based on schools that best align with your academic interests, stats like GPA and test scores, and personal interests like school type and location.

Now’s the time to put those key areas of convergence into action.

The key to writing these essays is to do some deep research into the school you’re applying to. If you’re focused on applying to schools that have esports programs, you need to find a compelling way to articulate your interests that aligns you with the school and its offerings.

A school’s offerings don’t always need to be academic, but it helps. They can also be social, athletic, or cultural.

Often, however, students have a harder time writing essays about cultural or social fit that don’t feel superficial. It’s not enough to write an essay about how nice everyone was when you took a college tour.

Instead of focusing entirely on a single experience you had while visiting the campus, talking to an alum, or being interviewed, do some serious research into the school and how it would fit you as a student and a member of the campus community.

How to do Why Us School Research

School research is an important step in writing good supplemental essays. But it’s absolutely essential for Why Us essays.

Why Us essays are all about making an argument for school fit. They’re your main opportunity to say, “Hey, admissions officer. I belong at your school!”

So what does any good argument need? That’s right—research.

Because schools want to see that you a) have taken the time to get to know the institution and b) can make a case for why you belong at the school, you’ll need to do good research and use it in a way that best supports your case.

The research you do may depend on the specific prompt Why Us prompt you’re responding to. But in general, there are two kinds of research you can focus on.

Method 1: Find Academic Alignment

The first place you can focus your research is, of course, on academics. Since colleges are schools, showing your academic alignment is a safe bet.

So what is “academic alignment” anyway?

Academic alignment means that your academic background, interests, and goals match up with what a school has to offer. Schools don’t want to admit students whose academic needs they can’t meet, and students shouldn’t seek out schools where they won’t be able to accomplish their academic goals.

This alignment can appear in a variety of places. Here are some of the most common:

• Major options
• Special concentrations or programs
• Faculty research and labs
• Student research opportunities
• Academic initiatives and projects
• Study abroad programs
• Community partnerships
• Classroom philosophies

To find this information, you’ll need to scour not just the school’s website but also the website of the specific department you’re interested in applying to.

In your research, there are lots of places you can look:

• Course lists
• Faculty biographies
• Faculty CVs (these are basically faculty resumes that list all the academic work they’ve done)
• Academic articles and books written by faculty members
• Research lab websites
• News stories about academic research and awards

With these facts in hand, you can write supplemental essays that draw specific points of connection between you and a school.

Method 2: Find Values Alignment

Academic alignment is an obvious and common approach to Why Us essay prompts. But there is also a less common approach. Take your Why Us supplemental essays a step further by looking at school values.

All colleges and universities have specific values that guide the institution. That’s why schools have mission statements that lay out what the institution is all about.

To find school values for your Why Us supplemental essays, look for a school’s motto, mission statement, or strategic plan.

Mottos sum up an institution’s values-based framework. School mottos are typically established at an institution’s founding. Often they’re in Latin and have English translations

Example: Yale’s motto is Lux et Veritas or “Light and Truth.”

Mission statements are statements about an institution’s values and purpose. They lay out and are occasionally revised or updated as institutional priorities change.

Strategic plans are documents published by university leadership. They establish a working plan the university will follow over the next several years. They often lay out strategic initiatives and reveal where the institution wants to invest the most time and resources. These initiatives often revolve around social

Brand identity is a way universities ensure all of their communications sound the same. While these aren’t always public, you can often look up a university’s brand guidelines. These guidelines are written for university employees who communicate to the public on behalf of the university. While there’s no specific way you can incorporate these guidelines into your essays, they can give you a very clear sense of how a university thinks of and markets itself. With that knowledge in hand, you can write an essay that shows exactly how you fit into the ethos of the institution.

Example: Vanderbilt has a comprehensive brand identity page.

Showing that your values align with those of an institution

Method 3: Find Other Alignment

Why Us essays don’t just have to be about academics and values. They can also be about areas of interest that you hold dearly, like music, community service, athletics, and more. If you’re a die-hard Scrabble player and notice that the school has a Scrabble club, then that’s a unique feature that you can draw out in your supplementals.

Pick your strengths and lean in. If you're a track star, find something about the athletic culture. If you're a musician, research the community music program. If you love creative writing... you get it. Schools love to see students who have a clear vision of where they're going and why.

Scour a school’s website and social media channels for these unique and compelling connections.

Step 1: Choose the major you THINK you’d like to study at the school. It’s OK to not know for certain!

Look at the majors and minors offered at the school and get a sense of what interests you. Once you have a decent idea about what specific program you might be interested in exploring…

Step 2: Do a deep dive into that program and learn about the work being done by faculty in the department.

What do the professors study? Are there any interdisciplinary centers on campus that you could see yourself participating in? Learn about what real students do on campus and familiarize yourself with what  specific  academic and extracurricular opportunities might be available to you on campus.

Step 3: Think about how these opportunities could be applied to your other interests and passions. Try to find an interdisciplinary connection.

Be creative here, and specific. Unlike the Common App essay, where reflection is key, in the Why X essay you are looking forward. Talk about what you  will  do if accepted. Be as specific as you can. Make your readers feel as if you’ve really done your homework and have a good reason for applying to the school.

Why Us Supplemental Essay Example

It helps to have an example, so I'll walk through how I would help a student research a school and write a Why Us supplemental essay.

To start, let’s say the student in question is interested in studying psychology and wants to get involved in prison abolition efforts.

To add extra granularity, let's pretend this student's top choice program is Lewis & Clark College.

Now let’s go step-by-step through the Why Us research process.

Step 1: Choose the major you THINK you’d like to study at the school.

Our first step is to explore L&C's psychology program. Our hypothetical student is academically inclined. Thus, our focus in the supplemental will be on demonstrating the strong fit between the school's academic climate and the student's intellectual interests.

So we google "Lewis & Clark psychology" and navigate our way to  the department page .

We know we want to do research while in college, so the "research" tab on the right side of the page jumps out right away. Let's navigate to that page and see what's up.

We quickly realize that L&C emphasizes research, and particularly emphasizes the opportunity for students and faculty to collaborate on research.

Cool. So now we have some ammo to work with in the supplemental essay. We can "demonstrate fit" by writing about our interest in pursuing research alongside a faculty member while studying psychology. Boom.

Scrolling through the page, I also notice that the L&C Psychology Department is touting their summer research opportunities and their history of placing students in nearby research labs. More stuff to say you're interested in.

Remember, by contrast with the Common Application essay, which is about your life, the supplemental is all about sketching a detailed plan for your undergraduate study.

The next step is to enrich your alignment with one of the department's core offerings (research) by finding professors who are conducting research that you'd actually want to help out with.

Read professor bios and take a look at which courses they offer. Or, start with a course catalog, find ones you're interested in, and then figure out which professors teach them.

Mention these folks by name. Talk about how they could enrich your education and help you become the student you hope to be in a few years' time.

Finally, I would recommend balancing out your essay by nodding to one of your extracurricular interests. In this case, our example student is interested in incarceration and prison abolition.

Given these interests, the student could talk about how she intends to study the relationship between early-childhood trauma and incarceration and co-teach psychology classes in L&C's prison education program.

By bringing her academic focus to bear on her interest, she is creating an interdisciplinary focus in her "Why X" essay that will help her stand out.

Most Common Why Us Mistakes

You’re almost ready to start writing. But before you begin, watch out for a few easy-to-make mistakes.

Not making any specific connections to the school.

Hopefully by this point, you know why this is a problem. A Why Us supplemental essay that makes no argument for why you belong at school isn’t adding much to your application.

Unlike a Common App essay that should be applicable to every school you apply to, Why Us supplemental essays should be customized to each school. They should have the school name and any relevant, specific details you want to include.

Feel free to explicitly state the name of a professor you want to work with or the title of a class you want to take. Including these specifics is much better than being overly general because the details show admissions officers that you’ve done your research.

Making connections that are too broad.

Other students try to make connections, but they make them far too broad.

Let’s say you’re writing a Why Us supplemental essay for a liberal arts college.

An inadequate answer to a “Why us?” question would be, “I want to go to your liberal arts college because of the small class sizes.”

While that may be true, it’s not a very good argument for why you’re a good match for the school. It needs to be more specific—about you and the school.

Focusing on features of a school that don’t connect with your background or interests.

The final major mistake students make when writing Why Us supplementals is choosing to focus on details that don’t actually connect to their backgrounds or interests. In other words, students go wrong when they call upon random facts and figures.

Brown’s Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about any academic interests that excite you, and how you might use the Open Curriculum to pursue them while also embracing topics with which you are unfamiliar. (200-250 words)

Contrary to popular belief, the Buddha didn’t say “life is suffering”. He said “life is dukkha ”, which roughly translates to anything impermanent , and clinging to that which is impermanent leads to suffering.

My interest in world religions led me to study Buddhism, which led me to practice meditation.(( The writer begins with a compelling hook and jumps quickly into answering the “Why Us” question.)) Soon, I was researching online what neuroscientists observe in the brains of meditators, which brought me to the Mindfulness Center at Brown. Over the past year, I’ve followed an infinite trail of links and videos from the Center’s website about how meditation, an ancient practice present in all religions, influences modern psychology, neuroscience, public health, education, athletics, medicine, and philosophy.

So, I became interested in Brown and just about every academic subject under the sun.(( These school connections are great because they show that the student was learning from Brown’s resources before they even began looking at colleges.)) I want to use my education and career to reduce suffering for others, and this goal transcends disciplines. Brown’s Open Curriculum would allow me to pursue my interdisciplinary interests while embracing my mission of improving lives.

To start, I’d like to branch out from psychology to neuroscience. My most likely path is to emulate neuroscientists like Brown’s Dr. Judson Brewer, who studies the brain on meditation and how mindfulness impacts habit change.(( This reference is specific, relevant, and incorporated seamlessly into the essay.)) I’d also like to try public health courses to learn how organizations impact communities, and biology and chemistry courses to grasp the basics of medicine. All I do is grounded in an understanding of ethics and religion, and I am also interested in the education concentration as I seek to share my ideas with others.(( This final sentence wraps up the essay beautifully by connecting everything back to the writer’s interests and values, which are related to those of the institution they’re applying to.))

Liked that? Try this next.

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Onions anonymous, bentley university.

I watched my mother raise the hand that held the knife to wipe the tears falling down her cheek. “It’s just the onions,” she said, and then she continued chopping. Though I was only at the tender age of seven, I already knew better.

I am a hybrid...

Trail of Breadcrumbs Chandranata Rekso Sosrodjojo

My eyes were greeted by the luminous glow of fluorescent lights and sterile white walls of Rumah Sakit Bunda (Bunda Hospital). This was a stark contrast to the escalating chaos and barbarity in the dilapidated Indonesian streets. In due time, the...

Eclectic Appetite Anonymous

A few Thanksgivings ago, my mom decided to buy a whole pig and roast it herself. Unfortunately, the pig had a ghastly aroma which filled the whole house, and everyone immediately scolded her for the acrid smell ruining their Thanksgiving meal....

More Than My Hair Neidelyn Pina

I was five years old when I first had my hair "burned" at a beauty salon. There I was, not even knowing how to properly spell "hairdresser" and I probably knew more about the process than a thirty year old white woman. You're probably wondering...

Containing Multitudes Serina Lee

A scrawny boy in beat-up velcro sneakers ran past. Our tour guide Mohammed sighed heavily, “Angel Park is probably the only place where a young boy could be young. Outside, he's probably the head of the family, working three jobs to secure meals...

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How to Write the Supplemental College Essay on “Why Us?”

Posted on: October 20, 2021

This blog is part of our series on how to write the college application supplemental essays. Check out our blogs on some of the other commonly asked questions, including those about diversity , creativity , community , and activities .

The “Why Us?” essay is the college essay prompt that asks you to explain why the given school is a great fit for you. For example:

• Syracuse University asks,“Why are you interested in Syracuse University and how do you see yourself contributing to a diverse, inclusive, accessible, and respectful campus?” (250 words)
• Tufts University asks, “Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short, ‘Why Tufts?’” ( 100-150 words)
• University of Pennsylvania asks, “At Penn, learning and growth happen outside of the classrooms, too. How will you explore the community at Penn?” (200 words)
• Dartmouth College asks, “While arguing a Dartmouth-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818, Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, delivered this memorable line: “It is, sir,…a small college, and yet there are those who love it!” As you seek admission to the Class of 2026, what aspects of the College’s program, community, or campus environment attract your interest?” (100 words)

Meanwhile, Tulane asks directly, “Please describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University” — in at least 50 words and no more than 800 words.

So, as you can see, there’s a wide range of ways that colleges frame this question, and more practically for you, a very wide range of word limits that you need to consider when planning your essay.

Regardless of the length and the specific wording of the question, your task is to answer, specifically, what attracted to you to this school and what remains compelling to you?

In answering that question, you want to be able to show you know who you are, you know who they are, and why you and the given school are a great match for each other.

Here are some suggestions for creating a unique “Why Us?” response.

Move Beyond the Obvious

When you sit down to think about what attracted you to a college, go beyond the green space in the quad. Skip the school’s size, location, rankings, school colors, and local weather. Chop those generic words such as “amazing” and “awesome.”

Make it Personal

As you’re thinking about why you and the college are a good match, ask yourself these questions: What unique connections do you share? What concretely motivated you to apply? How is this school distinct from others?

Dig deep to determine what stands out to you. Maybe there’s a single reason you’re drawn to the school or a whole bunch of reasons. Making your reasons clear and specifically tied to the school are what’s important.

You might consider the curriculum, the approach to your major, faculty or research projects that you want to get involved in, a particular internship or study abroad program, the values or mission of the institution, a noteworthy history with the college, or a personal positive interaction on a campus visit or with a field rep.

In sum, you want to connect with the school and to communicate the specific attractions of the school that inspired you to apply.

Dig Deep for Details

Where can you learn more about the school? Start by going to the college website and read what the school has to say about its mission and what it values in an education.

Dig further by checking out the school newspaper online (what are students writing about the school?) and following the college’s social media channels. Research the majors and other academic programs of interest, along with opportunities for research, internships, and study abroad. Find out what is expected in the way of a core curriculum or a more open set of course requirements.

After that, take a virtual tour or, as time and conditions allow, plan an in-person visit. You can also join a one-on-one online chat with a current student. Connecting with an admission rep or a faculty member in your intended major are more good ways to learn about the college.

You might also read the Fisk Guide to Colleges or other reliable sources that provide comprehensive, multifaceted, and verified descriptions of the college or university.

Basically, you want to find concrete facts that support what you envision for yourself over your time in campus. One big hint: look for what inspires you.

Write to Stand Out

Differentiate yourself from others by stating a main reason and including supporting details. Lots of details. Convey your enthusiasm throughout your essay — what are you looking forward to experiencing once you’re a student at the college?

You will want to create a vision of yourself as an undergraduate and describe your intended pursuits — for most versions of this questions, that means both inside the classroom and out. In considering both your academic plans and community interests, remember that colleges see themselves as living and learning communities.

For essays with low word limits (which is most of them), get to your point quickly. Clarity and brevity are your friends — even when you’re also going into detail. Keep in mind the difference between saying why you’re interested and what you think they want to hear: the first is what’s important.

Review for Balance and Intention

Think about your application narrative. Review your main essay/personal statement and your supplemental essay as together — how do they complement each other rather than repeat what you’ve said?

Are there any major parts of your story that are missing from your application — interests, skills, talents, or experiences, for example? Does it fit to weave those into your supplemental essay, say, “I’ve done such-and-such and I want to expand on that through this program/club/team/campus community?”

Look back to make sure your details are specific, that you’re telling the school about yourself and that you know who they are, why you and the school are a good match, and thus why you can envision yourself there?

If you were asked how you would engage with the college community, did you offer specific contributions you can offer?

Did you put the finishing touches on your “Why Us?” essay and demonstrate more enthusiasm for the school? Yay! Good work!

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Honors program, how to apply.

Initially, the Office of Undergraduate Admission handles acceptance to the Honors Program for incoming students. However, current students who have an excellent academic record and are motivated to work at the Honors level may apply for admission to the Honors Program. Applicants must have at least two full years remaining at Bentley and have maintained at least a 3.5 GPA while at Bentley. If admitted, students must complete their Honors course work including two or three courses in their major, and a Capstone research project or class. In addition, students must adhere to the required overall GPA throughout their undergraduate studies. Admission is at the discretion of the Honors Leadership Team. 

IF YOU WISH TO APPLY FOR ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM AFTER A FULL SEMESTER AT BENTLEY, PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING :

• Write a 300-word statement describing a challenge you have faced and what you learned as you responded to this situation. Please discuss how your personal experience has shaped your values and goals, and how this relates to your interest in the Honors Program. Be sure to include your name, email address, class standing, student ID number, and probable major.
• Academic research can be defined as the process of original discovery, or original interpretation or revision of existing research or knowledge in a society. With that definition as context, write a 350-word original essay answering: “Why is research important to the learning process, and how can research make a positive impact on society?” 
• Provide the Director of the Honors Program with the names and contact information of two faculty members. At least one, but preferably both, should be full-time faculty members.
• For current Bentley University students, contact the Director of the Honors Program prior to submitting your application materials for specific details, including deadlines. For transfer students, contact the Director of the Honors Program at any time for specific deadlines.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Students in the Honors Program must meet complete honors sections of the following:

footnote 1: Students who join the Honors Program with Falcon Discovery Seminar completed or who are waived from FDS 100 will have this honors requirement waived.

footnote 2: Students who join the Honors Program with Critical Reading and Writing already completed will be required to complete an additional honors elective in lieu of EMS 101 honors.

footnote 3: Students who enter the Honors program without EMS 104 credit must take EMS 104 as an honors course. Bentley students who are in their second semester or beyond may enter the program as long as they have four semesters  left for completion of the undergraduate degree and must take HNR 201, then choose a pathway. Transfer students are also eligible to enter the Honors Program as long as they have at least four semesters  left for completion of the undergraduate degree  and after the completion of HNR 201, they must choose a pathway.

The following majors have required honors courses.

HONORS CAPSTONE PATHWAYS (3-4 credits)

During the second year, the Honors Program Director will document each student's declared Honors Pathway. Students must choose a pathway that will lead them to complete the Honors Capstone Experience from the list below:

Corporate Immersion Pathway

• DEI Pathway: Business for positive change
• Creative Project Pathway

Research Project Pathway

Service-Learning Pathway

The Economics Pathway

The Corporate Immersion pathway will offer the opportunity to honors students to truly partake in experiential learning. Students will gain hands-on experience by delivering business solutions to a real-world corporation. Students will present their work to corporate leaders.

The Corporate Immersion will enable students to:

• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data and articulate results through oral presentations and written deliverables to real world corporations
• Utilize quantitative and qualitative data, as well as creativity and critical thinking, to shape corporate strategy for partner companies
• Create a more inclusive business model by addressing real world diversity, equity and inclusion issues affecting profit and non-profit organizations
• Practice their business acumen by challenging relevant issues in the workplace.

Suggested courses : students should complete an honors business elective course before taking HNR 440 (3 credits).

DEI Pathway: Business for positive change  

The DEI Pathway will allow students to work on projects that address relevant and important topics in diversity, equity, and inclusion such as racial equity, anti-racism, and gender equality, to name a few. Students choosing this pathway should plan to take a course from Content and Perspectives theme Race, Gender, and Inequality, tagged as honors. Students will have the flexibility to choose a topic they are passionate about to complete their culminating Honors project. For example, a student can design business solutions that address topics in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The DEI Pathway will enable students to:

• Assess diverse and intersectional perspectives including their own in order to recognize the complexity that results from a variety of viewpoints
• Identify social, political, and historical movements that influence and challenge systems of power, privilege, and oppression
• Cultivate a business environment that embraces the power of diversity and inclusion as a source for creativity and cooperation
• Take an equity lens approach when drafting the culminating Honors Project.  

Suggested Courses : Students should take their Content and Perspectives: Race, Gender, and Inequality  course as honors before completing the capstone with HNR 445 (3 credits).

Creative Pathway

The Creative Pathway is an opportunity for students to bring together the threads of personal, intellectual, and creative interests and weave them into a final product that demonstrates original research and exploration of the creative and conceptual. This is an opportunity to investigate and/or embrace unexplored or unexamined areas of interest. The Creative Capstone can vary in form, content, and execution, but unlike the traditional research capstones, the Creative Capstone offers a student the opportunity to envision, plan, and construct their own Honors experience and in doing so pushes at established parameters of academic scholarship. 

The Creative Pathway will enable students to:

• Explain and understand that their creative activities are not individual, isolated, and isolating, but social activities, and that they and their work are part of a much larger conversation and discursive field
• Explore creative ways of expression by distinguishing a variety of interdisciplinary approaches
• Design a project that expresses unexplored or unexamined areas of interest

Suggested Courses: students should plan take one of the Content and Perspective courses listed below before completing the capstone with HNR 450 (1 credit) and HNR 460 (2 credits

The Research Project Pathway allows students to work with a faculty advisor to complete a scholarly research project. Scholarly projects should aim to make an original contribution to the academic literature. The Capstone research project can be multidisciplinary or using a singularly focused lens. There will not be any required course for the Research Pathway.

The Research Project  Pathway will enable the students to

• Demonstrate the ability to perform applied research in various contexts and use research conventions and technologies suitable to their research question and purpose to which the projects aim to address
• Evaluate and compare the existing literature in the field(s) that their projects belong to
• Assess and analyze quantitative and/or qualitative data and formulating solutions to the research questions their projects will address.

Suggested Courses:  No set suggested courses.

The Service-Learning Pathway will allow the students to participate in civic and service-learning opportunities that impact change outside of the classroom. It will also allow the students to lead, as well as foster their ability to be effective team members. Prior to working on their Service-Learning Honors project, students will take a one-credit service-learning course approved by the Honors Director that will prepare them to the culminating phase.

The Service-Learning Pathway will enable students to

• Develop skills that enable them to work collaboratively and creatively on problem solving through experiential learning
• Describe citizenship and one’s own sense of civic duty and commitment to social justice
• Use community engagement experience to inform their own academic studies

Suggested Courses:  No set suggested courses; students will take a required one-credit service learning course approved by the Honors Director.

Open only to Quantitative Economic (QE) and Business Economic (BE) majors, the Economics Pathway allow the students to work on a scholarly project related to their major.  These projects are focused on students developing skills working with data and econometric analysis. Similar to the Scholarly Project Pathway, students write a proposal the semester before the project. Students then complete their capstone project in either the Research in Business Economics (BE major, EC 431) or Applied Econometrics (QE major, EC 483) course.  These courses are built into the Business Economics (BE) and Quantitative Economics (QE) majors, respectively.    

The Economics Pathway will enable the students to:

• Develop a research question and determine its contribution to an area of Economics literature.
• Gather the appropriate type of data to answer a research question and determine an econometric strategy. 
• Demonstrate the ability to apply highly rigorous econometric methods to economics research questions. 

Courses : Capstone process will be EC 431 for BE majors and EC 483 for QE majors. These courses have prerequisites as stipulated by each major.

OVERALL GPA REQUIREMENTS

End of the first full semester at Bentley University: 3.3

End of the second full semester at Bentley University: 3.3

End of the third full semester at Bentley University: 3.4

End of the fourth full semester at Bentley University: 3.4

End of the fifth full semester at Bentley University to graduation: 3.5

All Honors students must graduate with at least a 3.5 overall GPA, regardless of circumstances.

HONORS PROBATION

If a student does not achieve the required GPA at the end of a semester (fall, spring, or summer), the student will be placed automatically on academic probation within the Honors Program and be given the subsequent semester after the term in which they fell below to raise their overall GPA to the required standards. Students who are on academic probation must meet with  an academic advisor and the Director of the Honors Program to develop a plan to support their academic success If a student fails to meet the minimum Honors Program GPA requirement at the end of their first semester on academic probation the probationary period may be extended for another semester if the student’s GPA improves substantially. In order to obtain this extension, the student must meet with the Director of the Honors Program. If a student’s GPA does not improve substantially after the subsequent semester in which they fell below the required GPA and/or does not meet the required GPA after an extended probation period, the student will be dismissed from the Honors Program. If the student is on a leave of absence from the University or studying abroad the subsequent semester, the first semester in which the student returns to campus will apply in raising their overall GPA to the required standards. Students who fall below the required overall GPA more than once will be dismissed from the Honors Program.

Students who have been dismissed from the Honors Program do have the option to submit an appeal. The Honors Leadership, in tandem with the Honors Faculty Council, will evaluate whether or not the extenuating circumstances directly and clearly adversely affected the student’s academic performance as well the student’s potential for satisfying the program requirements for graduation. Students whose appeals are granted will receive one additional probationary semester to meet the required GPA minimum.  No other grounds for appeal will be considered. 

HONORS PROGRAM ACADEMIC INTEGRITY GUIDELINES

These guidelines are a supplement to the Academic Integrity (AI) policy which can be found in the Undergraduate Handbook and the Faculty Manual. The AI policy applies to all Bentley students, as well as the Bentley Honor Code, which reads as follows:

    As a Bentley student, I promise to act honorably in my courses and my professional endeavors, adhering to both the letter and spirit of Bentley’s academic integrity system. I will neither take advantage of my classmates nor betray the trust of my professors. My work will be honest and transparent, and I will hold myself and my peers accountable to the highest ethical standards.

Participation in the Honors Program is a privilege and, as such, students are subject to removal from it for breaches of AI policy. In addition to the university-wide AI policy, the following specific rules apply to Honors students.

1. Whenever an Honors student is determined to have committed a violation via the AI process, case materials are submitted to the AI Council for review. Each Council member then votes as to whether the violation warrants a Level I or Level II designation. In all instances, the student is still subject to any sanctions proposed by the submitting faculty and the normal review process (Level I or Level II) will thereafter ensue.

• If a majority of respondents deem the incident a Level I violation, the student may remain in the program.
• If a majority of respondents deem the incident a Level II violation, the student will be removed from the Honors Program.
• In instances where votes are evenly divided, the student may remain in the program and the incident designated Level I.

2.  Any finding of a second violation through the normal AI process will result in removal from the Honors program, regardless of violation level.

3. After a Level determination has been made by the Academic Integrity Council, an Honors student retains the right to take their case to an AI Hearing just as they would if they were not enrolled in the program. In these instances, the Hearing Panel will perform the normal duties of determining whether a violation occurred and the appropriate sanction.

4. If a Hearing Panel finds that the circumstances described in the incident report submitted to the Academic Integrity Council differ materially from those discovered during the Hearing, the Director, in consultation with the Panel, will refer the case back to the Academic Integrity Council for further review and a new vote regarding the violation level.

Additional procedural notes:

• When a finding requiring removal occurs, the student and the Honors Program Director are notified by the Office of Academic Integrity. When a pending incident report may impact graduation privileges, the Office of Academic Integrity will inform the Honors Director of its existence without any details.
• There will be no appeal of removal under any circumstances except, as specified in the university AI policy, to the Provost.
• Confidentiality will be maintained throughout this process. Faculty, staff, and students will only be notified of the violation on a need-to-know basis.
• A student removed from the program after receiving a medallion and Honors Program certificate must return both before graduation upon request by the Honors Director.
• If a student falls below the required Honors GPA as a result of an AI sanction, they will be automatically removed from the Honors Program.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, bentley university transfer acceptance: what are my chances.

Hi, I'm seriously considering transferring to Bentley University because of their strong business program. I was wondering if anyone knew about their transfer acceptance rate and whether they have a good support system for transfer students? Any tips or experiences would be great!

It's important to recognize that transfer admission rates can be different from first-year admissions, which can sometimes result in lower overall acceptance rates. While Bentley University doesn't publish its transfer acceptance rate, it is generally considered to be a competitive process.

First-year acceptance rates have been around 58-61% recently. To maximize your chances of being admitted, focus on maintaining strong grades, a compelling personal statement, and demonstrate your interest in their business program.

In terms of support for transfer students, Bentley University is known to offer resources and programs for incoming transfer students to ensure their smooth transition into campus life. While the specifics of these programs may vary, they often include academic support services, transfer-specific orientation sessions, and a dedicated team to help you with issues such as credit evaluation and course registration.

To increase your chances of being admitted as a transfer student, here are a few tips:

1. Maintain strong academic performance: Bentley will value a strong track record of success at your current institution. Aim for grades that are consistent with or higher than your high school record.

2. Tailor your application: As a transfer student, you have the unique opportunity to explain why Bentley University is a better fit for your educational and career goals. In your personal statement or supplemental essays, illustrate what specific aspects of Bentley's business program appeal to you.

3. Obtain strong letters of recommendation: Letters of recommendation can play a crucial role in your transfer application. Aim to get letters from professors who can speak to your academic abilities and commitment, especially in any business-related courses you have taken.

4. Research credit transfer policies: Familiarize yourself with Bentley's credit transfer policies and ensure that you meet their requirements. It can also be helpful to have a clear understanding of how your existing credits will fit into your intended major and graduation timeline at Bentley.

5. Get involved in extracurricular activities: Participation in activities related to your desired major or career demonstrates your commitment and passion, further strengthening your application.

As a final recommendation, reach out to Bentley's Office of Admission for information specific to transfer students. They can provide valuable insights based on your individual circumstances and may offer guidance on the process.

Good luck with your transfer application!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

12 Effective “Why This College?” Essay Examples

What’s covered.

• Essay 1: UPenn Nursing
• Essay 2: UPenn
• Essay 3: UW Madison
• Essay 4: Northwestern
• Essay 5: NYU
• Essay 6: NYU
• Essay 7: Boston University
• Essay 8: Boston University
• Essay 9: Tufts
• Essay 10: Tufts
• Essay 11: Georgia Tech
• Essay 12: Georgia Tech

Where to Get Your Essays Edited

The “ Why This College?” essay is one of the most common supplemental prompts. These school-specific essays help colleges understand if you’re a good fit for them, and if they’re a good fit for you.

In this post, we’ll share 12 “Why This College?” essay examples from real students and explain what they did well, and what could be improved. Read these examples to understand how to write a strong supplemental essay that improves your chances of acceptance.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Essay Example #1: UPenn Nursing

Prompt: How will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying (650 words).

Sister Simone Roach, a theorist of nursing ethics, said, “caring is the human mode of being.” I have long been inspired by Sister Roach’s Five C’s of Caring: commitment, conscience, competence, compassion, and confidence. Penn both embraces and fosters these values through a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum and unmatched access to service and volunteer opportunities.

COMMITMENT. Reading through the activities that Penn Quakers devote their time to (in addition to academics!) felt like drinking from a firehose in the best possible way. As a prospective nursing student with interests outside of my major, I value this level of flexibility. I plan to leverage Penn’s liberal arts curriculum to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges LGBT people face, especially regarding healthcare access. Through courses like “Interactional Processes with LGBT Individuals” and volunteering at the Mazzoni Center for outreach, I hope to learn how to better support the Penn LGBT community as well as my family and friends, including my cousin, who came out as trans last year.

CONSCIENCE. As one of the first people in my family to attend a four-year university, I wanted a school that promoted a sense of moral responsibility among its students. At Penn, professors challenge their students to question and recreate their own set of morals by sparking thought- provoking, open-minded discussions. I can imagine myself advocating for universal healthcare in courses such as “Health Care Reform & Future of American Health System” and debating its merits with my peers. Studying in an environment where students confidently voice their opinions – conservative or liberal – will push me to question and strengthen my value system.

COMPETENCE. Two aspects that drew my attention to Penn’s BSN program were its high-quality research opportunities and hands-on nursing projects. Through its Office of Nursing Research, Penn connects students to faculty members who share similar research interests. As I volunteered at a nursing home in high school, I hope to work with Dr. Carthon to improve the quality of care for senior citizens. Seniors, especially minorities, face serious barriers to healthcare that I want to resolve. Additionally, Penn’s unique use of simulations to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application impressed me. Using computerized manikins that mimic human responses, classes in Penn’s nursing program allow students to apply their emergency medical skills in a mass casualty simulation and monitor their actions afterward through a video system. Participating in this activity will help me identify my strengths and areas for improvement regarding crisis management and medical care in a controlled yet realistic setting. Research opportunities and simulations will develop my skills even before I interact with patients.

COMPASSION. I value giving back through community service, and I have a particular interest in Penn’s Community Champions and Nursing Students For Sexual & Reproductive Health (NSRH). As a four-year volunteer health educator, I hope to continue this work as a Community Champions member. I am excited to collaborate with medical students to teach fourth and fifth graders in the city about cardiology or lead a chair dance class for the elders at the LIFE Center. Furthermore, as a feminist who firmly believes in women’s abortion rights, I’d like to join NSRH in order to advocate for women’s health on campus. At Penn, I can work with like-minded people to make a meaningful difference.

CONFIDENCE. All of the Quakers that I have met possess one defining trait: confidence. Each student summarized their experiences at Penn as challenging but fulfilling. Although I expect my coursework to push me, from my conversations with current Quakers I know it will help me to be far more effective in my career.

The Five C’s of Caring are important heuristics for nursing, but they also provide insight into how I want to approach my time in college. I am eager to engage with these principles both as a nurse and as a Penn Quaker, and I can’t wait to start.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay has many positive aspects, but the most impressive one is the structure. Utilizing the Five C’s of Caring to discuss Penn’s offerings was a genius way of tying in this student’s passion for nursing while also making their essay exciting and easy to read. Beginning each paragraph with the respective adjective helped focus the paragraph and allowed the student to demonstrate how they exemplify each quality without explicitly stating it. The student wasn’t afraid to think outside the box and add creativity to their essay structure, which really paid off.

Another positive is how specific and specialized the Penn resources and opportunities the student mentions are. This essay did not fall into the trap of name-dropping professors or programs. In every paragraph, there was a connection to something the student wants to do at Penn to further themselves in the respective characteristic they were describing.

Not only did this student mention a resource at Penn—whether it was a professor, a class, or a club—in every paragraph, but they elaborated on what that resource was and how it would help them achieve their goal of becoming a nurse. The what and how is what sets this essay apart from other supplements that just name-drop resources for the sake of it. The amount of detail this essay went into about some of these resources makes it clear to the admissions officers reading the essay that this student has seriously looked into Penn and has a strong desire to come to campus and use these resources.

What Could Be Improved

One thing this essay could do to make it stronger is improve the first paragraph. The student does a good job of setting up Sister Roach and the Five C’s, but they don’t mention anything about their desire to study or pursue nursing. The first paragraph mentions both Sister Roach and Penn, but left out the student. This could be fixed by simply adding something along the lines of “I can’t wait to embody these values as a nursing student at Penn” to the paragraph.

Essay Example #2: UPenn

Prompt: Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, how will you explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania?  For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer these questions in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay. (300-450 words)

I always loved watching the worms when it rained. I used to put my little raincoat on, sit on the doorsteps, and watch them move toward the puddles. My younger brother, forever intent on destroying the world around him, would try to stomp on the worms, and I would run after him screaming. In my imagination, the brain looked like a pile of squiggly worms. However, my neuroscience curiosity has since grown beyond a worm’s habits.

For example, my mother thought that I was insane when I wanted to watch American Murder: The Family Next Door . To her immense relief, I was interested in the psychology of the criminal rather than the crime itself. Although neuroscience is my primary interest, I also hope to learn more about the intersection between law and medicine at the UPenn College of Arts and Sciences. I’ve been able to explore this topic through various projects at school such as presentations on juvenile crime and the death penalty.

At the University of Pennsylvania, I look forward to taking classes like Forensic Neuroscience (BIBB 050) as well as Neuroscience and Society (PSYC 247) both of which directly combine my two interests. Hopefully, the Take Your Professor to Dinner program resumes as I would make sure to talk to Dr. Daniel Langleben about his research on forensic functional brain imaging over a meal of Philly cheesesteaks.

I also hope to participate in the Race, Science, and Society Program where I can discover how race biases and neuroscience go hand-in-hand and contribute to the fight against racism. The Beyond Arrests: Re-Thinking Systematic-Oppression Group immediately caught my attention while looking at Penn’s opportunities to engage in relevant dialogue. My fascination with the criminal system began with reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment , and Penn will both fuel that curiosity as well as introduce new questions about the world of justice reform.

As an eight-year Latin scholar and a five-time reader of the Percy Jackson franchise, I would like to take classes in the Penn Classical Studies department where I can learn more about the impact of ancient cultures on society today. Classes such as Greek and Roman Medicine (CLST 271) would intersect my interests in medicine and classical civilizations.

Although I do harbor a deep love for Philly cheesesteaks and enjoyment of running in strange places like the Woodlands Cemetery, the range of programs to support my diverse interests and unmatched opportunities to put learning into action make me confident that the University of Pennsylvania is the best university for me to succeed.

The real strength in the essay lies in the sheer number of details this student is able to include in a short space, without sacrificing style and flow. The first two paragraphs really have nothing to do with Penn, but the inclusion of them makes this response feel like an essay, rather than a list of offerings at Penn. Striking the balance is important, and the anecdote at the beginning ultimately humanizes the writer.

From the three unique courses to the specific professor and his research to the race and criminal justice programs, this student has clearly done their homework on Penn! The key to this essay’s success isn’t just mentioning the offerings at Penn that excite the student, but the context that explains how each opportunity fits into the student’s academic interests.

Adding book titles like Crime and Punishment and Percy Jackson to support their passion for the criminal justice system and classics are extra details that help us learn more about how this student pursues their passions outside of the classroom. Finding little ways to humanize yourself throughout the essay can take it from good to great.

One area of improvement for this essay is the structure. It follows a very traditional “ Why This College? ” framework—start with an anecdote, then discuss classes, and then extracurriculars and programs—that gets old quickly for admissions officers.

A great way to add some spice to the format would be to use a sample schedule for the day. This essay mentions three different classes, two different groups, and a Take Your Professor to Dinner opportunity. Together, that’s the recipe for a full day at UPenn!

There are a few ways to play around with an essay that follows a typical day-in-the-life. Maybe each paragraph starts with a time and explains what they do during that hour. Maybe they narrate walking through campus on their way from one class to the next and what they just learned. However they choose to go about it, adding in a playful spin to the traditional essay structure is one of the best ways to instantly set an essay apart from the crowd. 

Essay Example #3: UW Madison

Prompt: Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided, please describe your areas of possible academic interest. (650 words)

Essay – # Day 117

7:30 am… As I open my eyes, I look at the pinboard in front of my bed. Written in red block letters are two of the many goals of my life: “Make life better and more independent for the Visually impaired; Inspire kids to explore the field of STEM, making them the future problem solvers.“

Keeping these goals afresh in mind, I freshen up and prepare for the first class of the day, ​ECE 533 Image Processing. As the professor explains the Applications of Image Processing in Computer Vision, a light bulb sparks in my mind. I can modify the head contraption of PERIPHIS to identify objects in peripheral vision and alert the wearer via an earpiece using Text to Speech (TTS). 

After the class, I see Professor Mohit Gupta at the WISION Lab, where he shares his insights from the Block World Cameras system, which helps to geometrize 3D Man-made environments. We brainstorm ways we can implement this system on PERIPHIS.

Deep in the discussion and intrigued by my curiosity, he asked me where my interest in this niche field sparked during high school, and then I recount the incident from 9th grade: 

“In Hindi – Agar aaj mere paas paise hote to ye din na dekhna padta” (If I had money, I would not have had to see this day.) 

These were the words of Aadiya, a glaucoma patient, who couldn’t help but cry in despair as she injured herself in an accident just because she couldn’t sense the incoming traffic. During my visit to “Baroda Association for Blind (BAB)” for a survey, I saw and experienced firsthand how hard and inaccessible it is for an underprivileged visually impaired to locomote without anyone’s assistance. 

What happened next was my first adventure into the world of Computer Science and Engineering. I dedicated the next four years to find an affordable solution to a pressing problem. It was called PERIPHIS, a smart wearable that helps alert the visually impaired wearer of impending danger while locomoting.

When I finally presented this device to Aadiya, the smile on her face made me realize how big an impact technology can make in one’s life.

11:00 am… As I head to the Engineering Hall to complete my assignments of COMP SCI 570

Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction, I crossways with my roommate from the Chadbourne Residential College, who is also interested in researching applications of Computer Vision in real life. We fix a time to chat later. 

1:20pm… After a quick bite, I head to Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory. I expand my knowledge on different applications of Computer Science to make human life better than I found. I get fascinated when I see a few students building a child-friendly humanoid robot to teach kids the principles of Coding and AI. I hop in and share insights from my experience of being the President at AiGoLearning and kindling interest in STEM for young children. I explain how crucial the UI is when it comes to technology for the young.

5:00pm… To blow off some steam and socialize, I meet up with my fellow countrymen and artists at the Indian Graduate Students’ Association. We discuss and plan the upcoming Diwali Night Music at Shannon Hall. I feel proud to share my national identity while bringing out my musical self by contributing as a Tabla player at the student organization. 

As I close my day, I reflect and think of the most unique resource at UW. It is not the labs, research facilities, classes, but the people, including the professors and students, all aligned to a single goal: “Solving problems to make society a better place.”

10:00pm… I find my way back to my dorm room and write with red block letters on my pinboard: “Meet with at least 1 Badger every day and gain new insight from them.”

This essay is a stellar example. The day in the life formatting is a common way to spice up your “Why This College?” essay, but the way this writer executes it is nearly flawless.

Opening with the vision board makes the student’s college goals clear from the very start, and this was cleverly done since vision boards are naturally one of the first things you see when you wake up.

The student then takes us to specific courses and labs and shares their thoughts on how they could improve their invention, PERIPHIS. The author seamlessly includes background information on PERIPHIS by including this hypothetical conversation with a professor who speaks their native language.

As we go through the day, we can see that this student will not only be involved academically, but also socially. We learn how important their culture is to them and how they plan to share it with the campus community.

This essay does everything a “Why This College?” essay should: it shares the student’s goals and motivations behind them, how the university can support those goals, and how the student will engage with the campus beyond academics.

There’s not much this essay could improve, besides a few formatting and wording issues. The first line of this essay—“ Essay – # Day 117”—is a great attention-grabber, but the placement of the # symbol is confusing and perhaps should’ve been in front of the number.

There are also a couple spots where wording is a bit awkward, such as these lines:

I crossways with my roommate from the Chadbourne Residential College, who is also interested in researching applications of Computer Vision in real life. We fix a time to chat later. 

It should instead say something like “I run into my roommate” and “We schedule a time”. This is likely due to English not being the student’s native language, but could’ve easily been caught by proofreading from a native speaker.

Essay Example #4: Northwestern

Prompt: While other parts of your application give us a sense of who you are, we are also excited to hear more about how you see yourself engaging with the larger Northwestern community.

In 300 words or less, help us understand how you might engage specific resources, opportunities, and/or communities here. We are curious about what these specifics are, as well as how they may enrich your time at Northwestern and beyond.

For as long as I can remember, I have seen my parents, both farmers, struggling to produce food because of the challenges presented by the environment. Joining Northwestern’s community, and majoring in Environmental Engineering, will allow me to understand what are the reasons behind climate change and learn how to stop them and/or prevent them from happening. 

Having witnessed how plant diseases affect crops, I would like to collaborate in the PLANT-Dx project and in its widespread application. I strongly believe that it will be able to help farmers to improve the quality and quantity of their production, and reduce famine around the world. At some point in my education, I want to take advantage of the study-abroad programs Northwestern has to offer and learn about farming practices in a different part of the world. In addition, I want to conduct research on sustainable alternative farming methods that adapt to the new environmental conditions and that can be practiced in countries with fewer resources.

Apart from having access to outstanding professors, rigorous academics, and cutting-edge research resources, I will be able to be part of a close-knit community genuinely curious about others’ activities, truly passionate about what they do, and not afraid to step out of their comfort zone to make of this world a better place. Being part of Engineers for a Sustainable World at Northwestern will allow me to get to know people that share one of my passions in addition to learning and teaching how to apply sustainable practices in daily life.  

I am already looking forward to marching through the Weber Arch.

This essay is extremely cohesive, as it focuses on the student’s agricultural background and desire to study environmental engineering. The student mentions a couple resources specific to Northwestern, such as the PLANT-Dx project and Engineers for a Sustainable World.

Because of the background information the student provided, their motivations for participating in these opportunities is also clear. We can see that Northwestern would be a school that would help them achieve their goals.

There are two main aspects of the essay that could be improved: the writing and its specificity.

To begin with, the intro paragraph is a bit clunky and vague.  The student should have specified the challenges the environment has presented to their parents’ farming with detailed imagery about droughts or torrential rain. The final sentence about climate change is also much too broad, and the student should’ve stated a goal in a smaller niche of environmentalism.

For example, here’s what a rewritten strong intro paragraph might look like:

The drought this year was bad, and the once-flourishing tomato crops on my family’s farm were afflicted with Southern Blight. As my family and our community struggled to put food on the table for the third year in a year, I resolved to major in Environmental Engineering at Northwestern to learn how to preserve our agriculture in the face of climate change.

Another writing error is the typo in the final paragraph, where they write “to make of this world a better place”. It’s important to proofread your essay and have others help you proofread as well!

Finally, while the essay mentions a couple specific Northwestern resources, the other resources they mention are too vague.  The student could’ve improved by mentioning a specific study abroad program and a current research project on sustainable alternative farming methods. Most colleges let you study abroad and conduct research, so you need to explain why Northwestern is the best place for your goals.

Essay Example #5: NYU

Prompt: We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. We want to understand – Why NYU? (400 words)

“A futuristic way of looking at academics,” the student panelist said during a New York University virtual information session. I reflected on a conversation I had with my grandma; she couldn’t understand how her vegetarian granddaughter could build a career in the food industry. However much I tried convincing her that vegetarianism was the future, as it offers substantial benefits to the environment and can offer health benefits to a growing population with the same environmental resources, she insisted that tofu would never provide the same satiation as meat. She was raised in a community where meat consumption was embedded in the culture, and its production is a large part of the country’s economy. In contrast, I had the privilege of living a few steps from San Francisco, with many restaurants and grocery stores dedicated to plant-based meat alternatives. Trying innovative recipes and products eventually allowed me to develop my own recipes. Upon my move to Nicaragua, where my grandmother is from, I found my food options to be limited, expensive and hard to find. So I developed my own small-scale solutions that did not break the bank and satiated grandma.

An institution that implements forward-thinking is what I need to reach my goals of changing the future of plant-based diets and people’s views on vegetarianism. NYU’s Nutrition and Food Studies program offers multiple disciplines of food studies that I will apply to my aspirations as a vegetarian. I plan to study under Adjunct Faculty Kayleen St. John, whose success in the plant-based industry and her teaching of the ‘Foundations of Plant-Based Nutrition’ in The Vegetarian Times excites me. The variety of classes like Introduction to Food History, Food Photography, and Food Systems: Food & Agriculture will give me an overview of what is available in the food industry to be prepared for all fields. Not to be cliche, but NYU’s proximity to the city is essential for the rapidly changing vegetarian industry. The multiculturalism available in NYC and NYU will allow me to understand the food system and diets of various cultures, religions, and areas. I can explore the extremes of the food industry, from fancy restaurants to public school cafeterias. These juxtapositions, much like the one I experienced after my move to Nicaragua, will allow me to broaden my reach and demonstrate that the vegetarian diet is not something reserved for select groups but a diet attainable to all. 

A core strength of this essay is the fact it takes its time to provide the reader with ample background on why this student is interested in nutrition and food studies and how they have grappled with difficult questions and surrounding this topic in the past. It’s okay to not mention anything about NYU for a whole paragraph if you are using that space to bring depth to your interests and tell the reader the crucial backstory behind pursuing your intended degree.

Another positive aspect is the inclusion of New York City for a purposeful reason. NYU admissions officers read thousands of essays that just talk about living in NYC for the sake of NYC—this is not what they want to hear. In contrast, this essay focuses on the vast and lively food scene in New York that the student considers to be an invaluable asset to her NYU education. This is a time where including New York actually plays to the appeal of NYU, rather than making it seem like the student is simply applying for the city.

Finally, this student clearly demonstrates that they are someone who wants to change the world for the better, but through their personal niche. NYU is looking for people who express this desire to be a changemaker, but oftentimes sweeping statements like “I want to change the world” come across as vague and disingenuous. The essay does mention changing diets and looking to the future, but it is focused within the student’s specific area of interest, making the claim to change the world more determined and authentic.

This essay could be made stronger if there was a bit more personal reflection included. The first paragraph provides a lot of details on the student’s vegetarianism and how it conflicts with her grandmother and her heritage. What it doesn’t include very much of is how the student thinks and feels about her diet being at odds with that of her family. 

Does this student feel they are betraying their heritage by being vegetarian? What emotions do they feel when people criticize vegetarianism? Why did they go vegetarian in the first place? Probing questions like these that get to the emotional core behind the story in the first paragraph would really help to build out this student’s backstory. We want to understand what their emotional responses and reasoning processes look like, so finding ways to include those into an already expositive paragraph would further bolster this essay.

Essay Example #6: NYU

My mother never takes off her Cartier necklace that my father gave her 10 years ago on their anniversary. As a child, I didn’t fully understand this attachment. However, on my 15th birthday, my aunt gifted me a ring, which was uniquely designed and made up of three rings linked together. Wearing it every day and making sure I would never lose it, I didn’t treat it like my easily replaceable childhood necklaces; it was my piece of luxury. This sparked my deep curiosity for the luxury world. The niche strives to provide the finest and most memorable experiences, as equally as my Japanese attention to detail and my French appreciation towards aesthetic beauty. In a constantly shifting environment, I learned that luxury chases timeless excellence.

NYU Stern’s BS in business and a co-concentration in management and marketing will fully immerse me in the business side of luxury fashion that I aim to pursue a future career in. The luxury marketing track, offered only by NYU, will enable me to assemble the most suited classes to reflect my interests. Specifically, NYU Stern’s exciting electives such as The Dynamics of the Fashion Industry seminar and Brand Strategy & Planning will encourage me to develop the skills that I was introduced to and grew keen on when running a virtual sustainable fashion auction.

As someone who has moved around from Paris to Tokyo, to Chicago and now Athens, I thrive in meeting and collaborating with others from diverse backgrounds. The school’s strong global outlook, demonstrated through Stern’s International Business Exchange Program, further sets NYU apart for me, as it is crucial to building essential soft skills. This opportunity allows me to experience new cultural approaches to luxury business which I can bring back with me to New York, and therefore push me to become a well-rounded business student. Similarly, I am excited to take part in the array of student clubs offered, such as the Luxury and Retail Association (LARA), which I learned about after connecting with and talking to current students. Seeing past talks from employers of companies like Conde Nast, I am eager to learn outside of the classroom from future speakers. 

Finding myself in new situations constantly, I always seek new challenges and explorations – to me, it is clear that NYU Stern will push me to create the finest and most unique learning experiences of timeless excellence.

This essay has an amazing introduction paragraph. It doesn’t mention anything about NYU or what this student is planning on studying, which is what makes it so intriguing. The reader doesn’t know where this student is headed after making such a seemingly unrelated statement about jewelry, but we want to find out. 

Not only does this essay immediately capture the reader’s attention, it maintains a succinct and direct tone that helps the reader effortlessly flow from one paragraph to the next. The student chose to include three opportunities at NYU that excite them and fully elaborate on them. This serves as an excellent example of more is less. 

We aren’t bombarded with a laundry list of classes, professors, and clubs the student wants to take. Instead, the student took a focused approach and described why they were excited by each offering they highlighted. Going deeper into a smaller number of opportunities at the college still shows this student did their research, but it allows for their backstory and goals to be discussed in far greater detail.

While this student does a good job of elaborating, they also mention a few key aspects of their personality as throw-away lines, when it would have been great to elaborate further on them. For example, they mention running a virtual sustainable fashion auction (cool!), but don’t provide us with any details on what that actually entails, how they got involved with it, what they enjoyed about it, etc. They also mention moving around a lot in the context of developing a diverse perspective, but they don’t include any emotional insight into what that was like.

Although there are only 400 words available, and you don’t want to spend too much time discussing the past, it would be nice to see just a sentence or two that delves into the details of this student’s background. The fashion auction and moving around clearly had an impact on the student, so we want to know what that was. If they are choosing to include these details, they must be important in the student’s decision to pursue business at NYU, so they shouldn’t be afraid to divulge the emotional significance to the reader.

Essay Example #7: Boston University

Prompt: In no more than 250 words, please tell us why BU is a good fit for you and what specifically has led you to apply for admission.

Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) attracts me because of its support of interdisciplinary study among its wide array of majors. In fact, the CAS now offers a course that combines biology, chemistry, and neuroscience. As I hope to conduct medical research into brain disorders, I plan to pursue all three areas of study. These cross-disciplinary connections at BU will prepare me to do so.

CAS’s undergraduate research program would allow me to work with a mentor, such as Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb or Dr. Robert M.G. Reinhart related to their research on neurological disorders. With them, I can advance the work I have already completed related to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). In a summer class at our local university, my partner and I extracted data from fMRI and PET studies and inputted them into a coding program. We then created an indicator map, which we imported into another software program, AFNI, to display significant activity in the brain regions affected by DID. Seeing the representation of our data thrilled me because I knew it could eventually help people who live with DID. I want to experience that feeling again. Successfully analyzing these fMRI and PET studies and learning to code drives me to pursue more research opportunities, and this desire motivates me to study at a university that offers research opportunities to undergraduates. BU’s interdisciplinary approach to psychology and support for independent undergraduate research will optimally prepare me for a career as a neurological researcher.

This student clearly outlines BU-specific resources (the interdisciplinary course and undergrad research program), plus how these resources align with their professional goals (to become a neurological researcher). They do name professors, but since their work clearly relates to the student’s interests, it doesn’t look disingenuous, and shows that the student has done research on their fit with BU. The student also provides background on why they want to pursue research, and shows that they already have experience, which makes their interest in the undergrad research program more concrete.

The only thing missing from this essay is the student’s fit with BU in terms of extracurriculars and social life. “Why This College?” essays should also cover extracurriculars, as colleges are also interested in how you’ll contribute to their community. 

In general, these essays should be academic-leaning (especially if they’re under 250 words), but you should still address some social aspects of the college that appeal to you (we recommend about 70% academics, 30% social, with more or less focus on social aspects depending on the word count). 

Since the student probably already detailed their previous research in their Common App activities section, they could’ve just summarized their research background in one sentence (instead of 78 words, which is 31% of the total word count!), and used that valuable space to talk about a specific social aspect of BU that interests them. 

Essay Example #8: Boston University

Prompt: In no more than 250 words, please tell us why BU is a good fit for you and what specifically has led you to apply for admission. 

I am fascinated by research, though completely uninterested in the disciplines traditionally associated with it, such as STEM fields. I need to find a school that will balance my desire to conduct research with my interest in political science. 

While many schools boast in-depth student research programs for those looking to cure diseases or develop solutions to global warming, few tout their support for humanities research. Additionally, many universities that do allocate funding to social science research typically reserve these monies for graduate students or upperclassmen. BU, with the help of its Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, will allow me to conduct research on the topics that most intrigue me, such as gender disparity in politics, or the relationship between dominant parties in power and the country’s economy and involvement in foreign affairs. Furthermore, I can begin these studies as early as my first year. Not only can I take classes with professors like Sandra McEvoy or Dino Christenson to develop my interests in a classroom setting, but I could also work with one of them to develop new knowledge in the topics that we both enjoy learning about. With this knowledge base and experience conducting studies with top professors in a respected research institution, I will be well-prepared for my future law career. I want to learn in an environment that encourages independent study no matter one’s field of interest or experience, and BU’s support of intellectual curiosity for all of its students makes it a perfect fit for me.

This student knows exactly what they want, and they’re not afraid to state it bluntly. Their intro paragraph is totally honest about their interests (or lack of interest), and we immediately understand one of their main college goals: to conduct political science research.

The student mentions a specific resource, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, as well as an alignment with BU’s value of encouraging independent study in all fields. Showing alignment with a specific value of the university is a great way to take your essay to the next level.

This essay shows us that the student would be a great fit for BU and would take advantage of its research opportunities.

The writer mentions some of their research interests, but doesn’t explain the motivation behind them. We don’t actually learn very much about the student themself, which is a common flaw of “Why This College?” essays. The essay would’ve been stronger if they’d explained why they’re interested in “gender disparity in politics, or the relationship between dominant parties in power and the country’s economy and involvement in foreign affairs.” For example, maybe they feel strongly about abortion rights and are upset about the way men have been legislating women’s rights.

The student also names two professors whose classes they’d like to take and with whom they’d like to do research, but we aren’t told which classes they’re interested in, or which topics they could cover together. You want to avoid “name-dropping” professors without context in your essay. If the student shared the names of specific classes or research topics and why they’re interested in them, that would’ve strengthened their essay.

Essay Example #9: Tufts

Prompt: Why Tufts? (100 words) 

When Deanne, Tufts’ admissions counselor, visited my school, she immediately caught my attention by emphasizing Tufts’ diverse yet unified campus. Tufts’ inclusive definition of diversity goes beyond merely recruiting students from a variety of backgrounds. Tufts seeks to integrate these categories of diversity and pushes its students to learn from one another. One such intersectional program that attracts me is CAFE (Conversation, Action, Faith, and Education). By joining CAFE, a community that promotes interfaith education, I will learn from my peers, become more understanding of other religious backgrounds, and apply this broader understanding to my academic work at Tufts.

It’s hard to write a “Why This College?” essay in 100 words. This essay does a good job sticking to one unique element of Tufts—its intersectionality. Since Tufts also cares about demonstrated interest, it’s great that the student also mentioned speaking with an admissions counselor. 

We unfortunately don’t learn very much about the student from this essay. Why do they care about diversity and interfaith programs? How does this relate to their academic and career goals? While the word count is super short, they could’ve cut these lines and jumped right into the specific resource they’re interested in: Tufts’ inclusive definition of diversity goes beyond merely recruiting students from a variety of backgrounds. Tufts seeks to integrate these categories of diversity and pushes its students to learn from one another.

Here’s an example of a stronger version of this essay:

When a Tufts admissions counselor visited my school, she immediately caught my attention by emphasizing Tufts’ diverse yet unified campus. As a Muslim hoping to go into International Relations, I want to attend a school that not only recruits diverse students, but pushes them to learn from one another. I hope to join intersectional programs such as CAFE (Conversation, Action, Faith, and Education). By joining this community that promotes interfaith education, I will gain the necessary perspective and compassion to become a human rights lawyer in countries with religious conflict, such as my homeland Azerbaijan.

Essay Example #10: Tufts

Prompt: Why Tufts? (100 words)

Someday I hope to conduct medical research in developing countries; Tufts attracts me because of its wide array of majors it offers and support for undergraduate research. To understand the human brain, I hope to study biology, neuroscience, and psychology. In addition to outstanding faculty in each of these areas, Tufts also organizes initiatives including the International Research Program. Through this program, I would work with other students and faculty members on an international project related to brain diseases. This opportunity will give me a taste of my future career and help me narrow the scope of my later studies.

This essay does a better job of sharing the student’s goals with us compared to the previous Tufts essay. We learn that the applicant is interested in medical research in developing countries on brain diseases, and that Tufts has a program to support international research.

The essay still mentions some resources that could apply to many schools, which is not an effective use of the tiny word count. For example, they say: “Tufts attracts me because of its wide array of majors it offers and support for undergraduate research” and they mention the “outstanding faculty” in the fields they plan to study.

They also don’t tell us their motivation behind studying brain diseases abroad, and it feels like there’s a significant story there. Giving some background would’ve further strengthened their essay.

Finally, they mention that they still need to narrow the scope of their studies; while it’s fine to be undecided on your career and majors, you don’t need to spend your precious word count saying that in your essay. They could’ve instead shared a couple potential avenues they’re considering.

Here’s what the student could’ve written instead:

Outcomes for schizophrenia patients are better in developing countries than in developed ones. I hope to research the reasons behind this and improve the treatment options in the US for the cousin I grew up with. In college, I want to study biology, neuroscience, and psychology. Tufts attracts me because of its unique interdisciplinary BS in Cognitive and Brain Science and its International Research Program. Through this program, I could do the research I’ve dreamt of doing with a faculty member and other students, preparing me for my future career as either a researcher or clinician.

Essay Example #11: Georgia Tech

Prompt: Why do you want to study your chosen major specifically at Georgia Tech? (300 words)

Climate change is a human rights issue.  

There the headline was, screaming on my phone screen. I think about those suffering from a lack of clean water. I think about those suffering from a lack of clean air. 

I often think back to that headline – it’s what drives my passion for environmental engineering. As an environmental engineer, I can mitigate air pollution and design water treatment systems that address the water injustices that people face. However, it’s not just about creating a technology that cleans water; it’s about changing people’s lives. New technologies can make a lasting difference in humanitarian issues worldwide; Georgia Tech’s research on creating a toilet that turns human waste into clean water for those in need of improved sanitation aligns perfectly with my interests.   

At Georgia Tech, through the student-led organization, Engineers for a Sustainable World and the InVenture Prize, I can translate the knowledge gained from my classes into a concrete vision. I can design and implement hands-on sustainability projects around Atlanta and invent a water sanitation system for the on-site acquisition of clean water. 

Georgia Tech can also provide me with ample research opportunities, such as the broad area of Healthy Communities in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I can further pursue my interest in developing solutions to deliver clean water while welcoming new areas of inquiry. An area I would like to explore would be the controlling of dangerous matter in the air to reduce health hazards; reducing the impact of climate change is of utmost importance to me. 

Studying environmental engineering at Georgia Tech would well prepare me to develop solutions to climate-related issues. With the countless opportunities that Georgia Tech has to offer, I know there is nowhere else where I can receive a better environmental engineering education.

What the Essay Did Well l

This essay begins with an attention-grabbing statement that leaves the reader wondering how this will relate to the student’s interest in Georgia Tech. They then transition seamlessly into how climate change and human rights motivate their desire to become an environmental engineer.

The student mentions several resources specific to Georgia Tech that would help them achieve their goals, such as the research on the toilet turning waste into water, Engineers for a Sustainable World, InVenture Prize, and Healthy Communities research. It’s clear that they did their research and have reflected on their fit with the campus community.

They end the essay explicitly stating that Georgia Tech is the best place for them to grow, and the reader is certainly convinced of this by the end.

This essay is quite strong, so there’s not much that the student could’ve improved. That said, there is one sentence that is a bit awkwardly worded: New technologies can make a lasting difference in humanitarian issues worldwide; Georgia Tech’s research on creating a toilet that turns human waste into clean water for those in need of improved sanitation aligns perfectly with my interests.

Instead, the student could’ve written:

New technologies can make a lasting difference in humanitarian issues worldwide; Georgia Tech aligns with this value of mine and is even developing a toilet that turns human waste into clean water for those who need improved sanitation.

Essay Example #12: Georgia Tech

From my first Java project, a somewhat primitive graphing calculator, I realized that CS unlocks a different way of thinking. My brain races at speeds it seldom touches with other subjects. Every part of CS, from conceptualizing a plan to executing a solution, is another piece of a puzzle I’m eager to solve and affords the most opportunities for creative problem-solving and application. 

“Progress and Service,” Georgia Tech’s motto, tells me there’s no better place to explore my curiosity and deepen my CS skills while simultaneously helping make the world a better place, my ultimate goal for a college education. 

In the classroom, I look forward to GT’s threads program, where I can tailor the curriculum to suit my career choice after exposing myself to all technical aspects of CS.

I’ll apply my specialized learning with Tech’s fascinating research opportunities. Professor Pandarinth’s brain-machine interfacing software means a lot to me. My uncle passed away from a freak accident after extensive paralysis because potential treatments were unaffordable. Exploring this revolutionary brain decoding software wouldn’t just involve me in cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology research, I’d be personally driven to ensure its success and accessibility. 

I’m at my best building towards tangible results. I learned this on my robotics team using design skills to create a technically complex robot that tackles anything from shooting balls to hanging on a balance beam. I’m excited to expand my skills on the RoboJackets team, applying my career interests to build ferocious BattleBots and autonomous race robots that compete on the Indy Speedway, two events that sound ridiculously fun. 

Of course, I can’t skip hackathons. These competitions molded my interest in coding so I want to give back to Georgia Tech’s Hack-Community by planning HackGT and the Catalyst Mentorship program as a member of the Hexlabs team. 

The student’s passion for CS shines through this essay. They explain what they love about the subject (the problem-solving aspect) and they share that they hope to make a difference through CS, demonstrating alignment with Tech’s motto of  “progress and service”.

It’s clear that this student has done their research, mentioning specific academic programs, research, and clubs. We can see that they’d be greatly engaged with the campus community.

Finally, this essay is also down-to-earth. The student doesn’t try to use impressive vocabulary or formal language. In fact, they even describe some extracurriculars as “ridiculously fun.” While you shouldn’t get too informal in your essays, this student’s casual tone in this context makes them feel more approachable and more excited about the prospect of going to Georgia Tech.

This essay has a couple sentences that are confusing to read:

Every part of CS, from conceptualizing a plan to executing a solution, is another piece of a puzzle I’m eager to solve and affords the most opportunities for creative problem-solving and application.

This sentence could’ve been broken up and rewritten as:

Every part of CS, from conceptualizing a plan to executing a solution, is another piece of a puzzle I’m eager to solve. For me, the field affords the most opportunities for creative problem-solving and application.

This sentence also uses incorrect grammar—the comma should be replaced with a semicolon:

Exploring this revolutionary brain decoding software wouldn’t just involve me in cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology research, I’d be personally driven to ensure its success and accessibility. 

These details would make the essay more readable.

The organization of the essay could also be reworked. The student mentions Tech’s motto of “progress and service,” but doesn’t follow up until later with an example of how they’d use CS for the greater good. Using CS for social good isn’t ultimately the theme of their essay, so this section would’ve been better placed at the end of the paragraph about AI technology research, or at the very end of the essay. The essay actually ends abruptly, so placing the section at the end might’ve tied it up nicely, if the student could’ve placed more emphasis on how they plan to use CS to improve society.

Do you want feedback on your “Why This College” essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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College Minor: Everything You Need to Know

14 fascinating teacher interview questions for principals, tips for success if you have a master’s degree and can’t find a job, 14 ways young teachers can get that professional look, which teacher supplies are worth the splurge, 8 business books every teacher should read, conditional admission: everything you need to know, college majors: everything you need to know, 7 things principals can do to make a teacher observation valuable, 3 easy teacher outfits to tackle parent-teacher conferences, bentley university admissions: everything you want to and need to know.

Overview of Bentley University

Bentley University is a private institution situated on a 163-acre site in Waltham, Massachusetts, Bentley. The institution is well-known for its undergraduate business degree options. Bentley boasts an 11-to-1 student/faculty ratio and a mean class size of 24. The institution has a large selection of undergraduate and graduate degree programs for students to choose from. The institution frequently ranks among the top 50 business schools in the country. Outside of the classroom, students will find plenty of opportunities to engage with the campus community via the university’s many clubs and organizations.

• Total Enrollment: 5,460 (4,253 undergraduates)
• Gender Breakdown: 40 percent male/60 percent female
• 98 percent full-time

Cost of Attendance Information

• Tuition and Fees: $51,830
• Books: $1,300
• Room and Board: $16,960
• Other Expenses: $1,230
• Total Cost: $71,320

Financial Aid Information

• Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 77 percent
• Grants: 70 percent
• Loans: 50 percent
• Grants: $28,540
• Loans: $6,667

Academic Programs Offered

• Most Popular Majors: Finance, General; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other; Accounting; Marketing/Marketing Management, General; and Business Administration and Management, General

Retention and Graduation

• First-Year Student Retention (full-time students): 93 percent
• Transfer-Out Rate: 4%
• 4-Year Graduation Rate: 82 percent
• 6-Year Graduation Rate: 89 percent

NCAA Athletic Programs

• Men’s Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field
• Women’s Sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball

Overview of Bentley University Admissions

Bentley University accepts fewer than half of all applicants and boasts selective admissions. Successful applicants tend to have test scores and high school grades that are over mean. However, Bentley has a robust admissions process that involves a multitude of academic measures. A persuasive essay and glowing recommendation letters can bolster your application, as can along with being involved with student organizations and attempting a challenging course load. Students with compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside the average range.

Admissions Data

During the 2018-19 admissions phase, Bentley University had an acceptance rate of 43%.  for every 100 students who provided applications, 43 students gained admission, making Bentley’s admissions process competitive.

SAT Requirements and Scores

Bentley University wants all applicants to submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions phase, 83% of admitted students provided SAT scores.

This admissions data reveals that most of Bentley’s admitted students score within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the reading and writing part, 50% of students admitted to Bentley scored between 600 and 680, while 25% scored below 600, and 25% scored over 680. On the math part, 50% of admitted students scored between 640 and 730, while 25% scored below 640, and 25% scored over 730. Applicants with an overall SAT score of 1410 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Bentley University.

ACT Requirements and Scores

Bentley wants all applicants to submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions phase, 26% of admitted students provided ACT scores.

This admissions data reveals that most of Bentley’s admitted students score within the top 11% nationally on the ACT.  50% of students admitted to Bentley received an overall ACT score between 28 and 32, while 25% scored over 32, and 25% scored below 28.

Safety Net Schools: Easy to Gain Admission

If past admission data predicts that you would be a competitive candidate for Bentley University, then it should be easy for you to gain admissions to the schools below. If Bentley University is currently out of your reach, then you are sure to be a competitive candidate for the schools below.

Syracuse University, Drexel University, University of Cincinnati, Penn State University Park, United States Military Academy, Hofstra University, Temple University

Same Tier: Just As Hard to Gain Admission

If you’re a competitive candidate for Bentley University, then you should have an equal chance of gaining admissions at these schools.

University of Washington, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Stony Brook University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Connecticut, University of Georgia, University of California, Irvine

Reach Institutions: Gaining Admissions Will Be More of a Challenge

These schools are more challenging to gain admission into than Bentley University. If you improve your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, then you’ll be a competitive candidate for these schools.

University of Michigan, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York University, Boston University, Boston College, Villanova University, Binghamton University

Applying to Bentley University

Application Deadline: January 7

Undergraduate Admissions Website: https://www.bentley.edu/undergraduate

Undergraduate Application Link(s): https://www.bentley.edu/undergraduate/apply

Graduate Admissions Website: https://www.bentley.edu/graduate

Graduate Application Link(s): https://www.bentley.edu/graduate/apply

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Bentley Ranked Top 10 in the Nation for Earnings 10 Years After Graduation

Bentley University graduates are earning among the highest salaries in the country 10 years after graduation, according to  new findings from the HEA Group, an education research group, based on U.S. Department of Education data. 

The assessment, which looked at the income of over 5 million former students from over 3,887 higher-education institutions nationwide, named Bentley in the top 10 of these institutions for graduates with the highest median incomes 10 years after graduation, with incomes exceeding graduates from universities such as Yale, Columbia, Harvard and others.

The findings echo recognition Bentley has received in other data-based reports over the last few years for considerable return on investment.  A  new New York Times tool  ranked Bentley #4 among colleges where alumni earn the highest  median income a decade after graduation, ahead of schools such as Stanford, Princeton and Georgetown.

RELATED: Bentley Education Named Top Long-term Investment

Bentley was also ranked No. 8 in the nation among colleges and universities offering the greatest return on investment, according to a  report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.  Bentley graduates enjoy a net economic gain of more than $1 million 20 years after graduation and $2.25 million 40 years after graduation, the report said. 

The rankings reflect Bentley’s approach of combining a business education and technology with arts and sciences, preparing graduates to be successful leaders who excel in their careers and are a force for positive change in the world. For more than a decade, 97% to 99% of Bentley graduates have been employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation. According to data from the most recent class of 2023, 98% of graduates are employed or attending graduate school, with a median starting salary of $73,000.

RELATED: Outcomes of the Class of 2023

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Guest Essay

The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex

By Peggy Orenstein

Ms. Orenstein is the author of “Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent and Navigating the New Masculinity” and “Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape.”

Debby Herbenick is one of the foremost researchers on American sexual behavior. The director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University and the author of the pointedly titled book “Yes, Your Kid,” she usually shares her data, no matter how explicit, without judgment. So I was surprised by how concerned she seemed when we checked in on Zoom recently: “I haven’t often felt so strongly about getting research out there,” she told me. “But this is lifesaving.”

For the past four years, Dr. Herbenick has been tracking the rapid rise of “rough sex” among college students, particularly sexual strangulation, or what is colloquially referred to as choking. Nearly two-thirds of women in her most recent campus-representative survey of 5,000 students at an anonymized “major Midwestern university” said a partner had choked them during sex (one-third in their most recent encounter). The rate of those women who said they were between the ages 12 and 17 the first time that happened had shot up to 40 percent from one in four.

As someone who’s been writing for well over a decade about young people’s attitudes and early experience with sex in all its forms, I’d also begun clocking this phenomenon. I was initially startled in early 2020 when, during a post-talk Q. and A. at an independent high school, a 16-year-old girl asked, “How come boys all want to choke you?” In a different class, a 15-year-old boy wanted to know, “Why do girls all want to be choked?” They do? Not long after, a college sophomore (and longtime interview subject) contacted me after her roommate came home in tears because a hookup partner, without warning, had put both hands on her throat and squeezed.

I started to ask more, and the stories piled up. Another sophomore confided that she enjoyed being choked by her boyfriend, though it was important for a partner to be “properly educated” — pressing on the sides of the neck, for example, rather than the trachea. (Note: There is no safe way to strangle someone.) A male freshman said “girls expected” to be choked and, even though he didn’t want to do it, refusing would make him seem like a “simp.” And a senior in high school was angry that her friends called her “vanilla” when she complained that her boyfriend had choked her.

Sexual strangulation, nearly always of women in heterosexual pornography, has long been a staple on free sites, those default sources of sex ed for teens . As with anything else, repeat exposure can render the once appalling appealing. It’s not uncommon for behaviors to be normalized in porn, move within a few years to mainstream media, then, in what may become a feedback loop, be adopted in the bedroom or the dorm room.

Choking, Dr. Herbenick said, seems to have made that first leap in a 2008 episode of Showtime’s “Californication,” where it was still depicted as outré, then accelerated after the success of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” By 2019, when a high school girl was choked in the pilot of HBO’s “Euphoria,” it was standard fare. A young woman was choked in the opener of “The Idol” (again on HBO and also, like “Euphoria,” created by Sam Levinson; what’s with him ?). Ali Wong plays the proclivity for laughs in a Netflix special, and it’s a punchline in Tina Fey’s new “Mean Girls.” The chorus of Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me,” which topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for six nonconsecutive weeks this winter and has been viewed over 99 million times on YouTube, starts with, “I’m vanilla, baby, I’ll choke you, but I ain’t no killer, baby.” How-to articles abound on the internet, and social media algorithms feed young people (but typically not their unsuspecting parents) hundreds of #chokemedaddy memes along with memes that mock — even celebrate — the potential for hurting or killing female partners.

I’m not here to kink-shame (or anything-shame). And, anyway, many experienced BDSM practitioners discourage choking, believing it to be too dangerous. There are still relatively few studies on the subject, and most have been done by Dr. Herbenick and her colleagues. Reports among adolescents are now trickling out from the United Kingdom , Australia , Iceland , New Zealand and Italy .

Twenty years ago, sexual asphyxiation appears to have been unusual among any demographic, let alone young people who were new to sex and iffy at communication. That’s changed radically in a short time, with health consequences that parents, educators, medical professionals, sexual consent advocates and teens themselves urgently need to understand.

Sexual trends can spread quickly on campus and, to an extent, in every direction. But, at least among straight kids, I’ve sometimes noticed a pattern: Those that involve basic physical gratification — like receiving oral sex in hookups — tend to favor men. Those that might entail pain or submission, like choking, are generally more for women.

So, while undergrads of all genders and sexualities in Dr. Herbenick’s surveys report both choking and being choked, straight and bisexual young women are far more likely to have been the subjects of the behavior; the gap widens with greater occurrences. (In a separate study , Dr. Herbenick and her colleagues found the behavior repeated across the United States, particularly for adults under 40, and not just among college students.) Alcohol may well be involved, and while the act is often engaged in with a steady partner, a quarter of young women said partners they’d had sex with on the day they’d met also choked them.

Either way, most say that their partners never or only sometimes asked before grabbing their necks. For many, there had been moments when they couldn’t breathe or speak, compromising the ability to withdraw consent, if they’d given it. No wonder that, in a separate study by Dr. Herbenick, choking was among the most frequently listed sex acts young women said had scared them, reporting that it sometimes made them worry whether they’d survive.

Among girls and women I’ve spoken with, many did not want or like to be sexually strangled, though in an otherwise desired encounter they didn’t name it as assault . Still, a sizable number were enthusiastic; they requested it. It is exciting to feel so vulnerable, a college junior explained. The power dynamic turns her on; oxygen deprivation to the brain can trigger euphoria.

That same young woman, incidentally, had never climaxed with a partner: While the prevalence of choking has skyrocketed, rates of orgasm among young women have not increased, nor has the “orgasm gap” disappeared among heterosexual couples. “It indicates they’re not doing other things to enhance female arousal or pleasure,” Dr. Herbenick said.

When, for instance, she asked one male student who said he choked his partner whether he’d ever tried using a vibrator instead, he recoiled. “Why would I do that?” he asked.

Perhaps, she responded, because it would be more likely to produce orgasm without risking, you know, death.

In my interviews, college students have seen male orgasm as a given; women’s is nice if it happens, but certainly not expected or necessarily prioritized (by either partner). It makes sense, then, that fulfillment would be less the motivator for choking than appearing adventurous or kinky. Such performances don’t always feel good.

“Personally, my hypothesis is that this is one of the reasons young people are delaying or having less sex,” Dr. Herbenick said. “Because it’s uncomfortable and weird and scary. At times some of them literally think someone is assaulting them but they don’t know. Those are the only sexual experiences for some people. And it’s not just once they’ve gotten naked. They’ll say things like, ‘I’ve only tried to make out with someone once because he started choking and hitting me.’”

Keisuke Kawata, a neuroscientist at Indiana University’s School of Public Health, was one of the first researchers to sound the alarm on how the cumulative, seemingly inconsequential, sub-concussive hits football players sustain (as opposed to the occasional hard blow) were key to triggering C.T.E., the degenerative brain disease. He’s a good judge of serious threats to the brain. In response to Dr. Herbenick’s work, he’s turning his attention to sexual strangulation. “I see a similarity” to C.T.E., he told me, “though the mechanism of injury is very different.” In this case, it is oxygen-blocking pressure to the throat, frequently in light, repeated bursts of a few seconds each.

Strangulation — sexual or otherwise — often leaves few visible marks and can be easily overlooked as a cause of death. Those whose experiences are nonlethal rarely seek medical attention, because any injuries seem minor: Young women Dr. Herbenick studied mostly reported lightheadedness, headaches, neck pain, temporary loss of coordination and ear ringing. The symptoms resolve, and all seems well. But, as with those N.F.L. players, the true effects are silent, potentially not showing up for days, weeks, even years.

According to the American Academy of Neurology, restricting blood flow to the brain, even briefly, can cause permanent injury, including stroke and cognitive impairment. In M.R.I.s conducted by Dr. Kawata and his colleagues (including Dr. Herbenick, who is a co-author of his papers on strangulation), undergraduate women who have been repeatedly choked show a reduction in cortical folding in the brain compared with a never-choked control group. They also showed widespread cortical thickening, an inflammation response that is associated with elevated risk of later-onset mental illness. In completing simple memory tasks, their brains had to work far harder than the control group, recruiting from more regions to achieve the same level of accuracy.

The hemispheres in the choked group’s brains, too, were badly skewed, with the right side hyperactive and the left underperforming. A similar imbalance is associated with mood disorders — and indeed in Dr. Herbenick’s surveys girls and women who had been choked were more likely than others (or choked men) to have experienced overwhelming anxiety, as well as sadness and loneliness, with the effect more pronounced as the incidence rose: Women who had experienced more than five instances of choking were two and a half times as likely as those who had never been choked to say they had been so depressed within the previous 30 days they couldn’t function. Whether girls and women with mental health challenges are more likely to seek out (or be subjected to) choking, choking causes mood disorders, or some combination of the two is still unclear. But hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation — judging by what research has shown about other types of traumatic brain injury — could be a contributing factor. Given the soaring rates of depression and anxiety among young women, that warrants concern.

Now consider that every year Dr. Herbenick has done her survey, the number of females reporting extreme effects from strangulation (neck swelling, loss of consciousness, losing control of urinary function) has crept up. Among those who’ve been choked, the rate of becoming what students call “cloudy” — close to passing out, but not crossing the line — is now one in five, a huge proportion. All of this indicates partners are pressing on necks longer and harder.

The physical, cognitive and psychological impacts of sexual choking are disturbing. So is the idea that at a time when women’s social, economic, educational and political power are in ascent (even if some of those rights may be in jeopardy), when #MeToo has made progress against harassment and assault, there has been the popularization of a sex act that can damage our brains, impair intellectual functioning, undermine mental health, even kill us. Nonfatal strangulation, one of the most significant indicators that a man will murder his female partner (strangulation is also one of the most common methods used for doing so), has somehow been eroticized and made consensual, at least consensual enough. Yet, the outcomes are largely the same: Women’s brains and bodies don’t distinguish whether they are being harmed out of hate or out of love.

By now I’m guessing that parents are curled under their chairs in a fetal position. Or perhaps thinking, “No, not my kid!” (see: title of Dr. Herbenick’s book above, which, by the way, contains an entire chapter on how to talk to your teen about “rough sex”).

I get it. It’s scary stuff. Dr. Herbenick is worried; I am, too. And we are hardly some anti-sex, wait-till-marriage crusaders. But I don’t think our only option is to wring our hands over what young people are doing.

Parents should take a beat and consider how they might give their children relevant information in a way that they can hear it. Maybe reiterate that they want them to have a pleasurable sex life — you have already said that, right? — and also want them to be safe. Tell them that misinformation about certain practices, including choking, is rampant, that in reality it has grave health consequences. Plus, whether or not a partner initially requested it, if things go wrong, you’re generally criminally on the hook.

Dr. Herbenick suggests reminding them that there are other, lower-risk ways to be exploratory or adventurous if that is what they are after, but it would be wisest to delay any “rough sex” until they are older and more skilled at communicating. She offers language when negotiating with a new partner, such as, “By the way, I’m not comfortable with” — choking, or other escalating behaviors such as name-calling, spitting and genital slapping — “so please don’t do it/don’t ask me to do it to you.” They could also add what they are into and want to do together.

I’d like to point high school health teachers to evidence-based porn literacy curricula, but I realize that incorporating such lessons into their classrooms could cost them their jobs. Shafia Zaloom, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, recommends, if that’s the case, grounding discussions in mainstream and social media. There are plenty of opportunities. “You can use it to deconstruct gender norms, power dynamics in relationships, ‘performative’ trends that don’t represent most people’s healthy behaviors,” she said, “especially depictions of people putting pressure on someone’s neck or chest.”

I also know that pediatricians, like other adults, struggle when talking to adolescents about sex (the typical conversation, if it happens, lasts 40 seconds). Then again, they already caution younger children to use a helmet when they ride a bike (because heads and necks are delicate!); they can mention that teens might hear about things people do in sexual situations, including choking, then explain the impact on brain health and why such behavior is best avoided. They should emphasize that if, for any reason — a fall, a sports mishap or anything else — a young person develops symptoms of head trauma, they should come in immediately, no judgment, for help in healing.

The role and responsibility of the entertainment industry is a tangled knot: Media reflects behavior but also drives it, either expanding possibilities or increasing risks. There is precedent for accountability. The European Union now requires age verification on the world’s largest porn sites (in ways that preserve user privacy, whatever that means on the internet); that discussion, unsurprisingly, had been politicized here. Social media platforms have already been pushed to ban content promoting eating disorders, self-harm and suicide — they should likewise be pressured to ban content promoting choking. Traditional formats can stop glamorizing strangulation, making light of it, spreading false information, using it to signal female characters’ complexity or sexual awakening. Young people’s sexual scripts are shaped by what they watch, scroll by and listen to — unprecedentedly so. They deserve, and desperately need, models of interactions that are respectful, communicative, mutual and, at the very least, safe.

Peggy Orenstein is the author of “Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent and Navigating the New Masculinity” and “Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape.”

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An earlier version of this article misstated the network on which “Californication” first appeared. It is Showtime, not HBO. The article also misspelled a book and film title. It is “Fifty Shades of Grey,” not “Fifty Shades of Gray.”

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