A lot of students struggle when faced with the popular college prompt, "Tell us why you've decided to apply here." Colleges are looking for students who have done some thoughtful college soul-searching, who've really considered what they want their college experiences to be like. That's why a long description of facts and features you got from the college's website won't be any stronger of an answer than a general mention of a great reputation and a pretty campus will.
To help his student think thoughtfully about what they want from their future colleges, my business partner, Arun, has his students fill out portions of the NSSE ("National Survey of Student Engagement"). It's intended for college students to help evaluate their experiences at their respective schools. But high school students can get a clearer picture of their college futures when you consider things like:
- How often you want to contribute to class discussions
- How many papers you want to write each semester
- How challenging you want your exams to be
- How many serious conversations you hope to have with other students who are very different from you
- Whether you want to study abroad, do a research project, have an internship, etc.
It would be a great exercise for any prospective college student. But if you have hopes of attending a highly selective college, I'd consider this mandatory, as you won't get in if you haven't considered these kinds of questions.