College Essay Sample - Why You Are Interested in Applying
Tip: This student wrote the essay below when colleges asked her to explain her interest in attending those
schools. She modified it for different colleges by researching each school's respective music programs and
academic departments, and then substituting the relevant college-specific information into the essay below. As
a result, she minimized the amount of time she spent writing these essays, while ensuring each was individually
tailored to the right college. (*This type of essay is similar to the Intellectual Interests essay that answers why a
student is applying to a particular college, as it too conveys how the student's intellectual interests will be
cultivated at that college rather than blandly recycling the college's own appealing qualities. However, there are
rare situations in which a college may ask for a student to describe his/her intellectual interests while also
asking why he/she is interested in attending that college. In such instances, it is recommended that the student
write about his/her intellectual interests for the first question and about how these interests can be cultivated at
that college for the second question.)
Performing is the one thing I never tire of, and seeing others perform is like settling into a second home. I always look forward to
diving headfirst into a new play or learning a new song and, quite often, it is the one thing that will get me out of bed in the morning
after a long week. My parents tease that I spend more time in theaters, whether rehearsing for school musicals or viewing small
shows downtown, than in my own bedroom. Now, after years of community theater, voice lessons, and acting classes, I want to be a
part of this professional world myself.
Northwestern University’s Music Theater Certificate Program is outstanding and hardly rivaled in its comprehensiveness and
intensity. What is most exciting is a student’s ability to participate in many shows throughout the year, from Main Stage
extravaganzas to small student-directed plays to the lively Children's Theatre Tour. Combining the voice and opera program with the
theater program assures that a Musical Theater student would be able to participate in a wide array of performance activities, from
Shakespeare to Sondheim. Here, the staff and students understand that Musical Theater devotees would be just as excited
performing Bus Stop by William Inge as they would be tackling a role like Irena in The Three Sisters. In my ambitious theater
fantasies, I’m playing Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and belting out D’s, and next Vivie in Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Northwestern’s
program encourages students to explore every facet of theater, promoting the importance of being not only knowledgeable, but also
exceptionally competent in every aspect as well.
As someone who has been dancing since before she could pronounce en pointe, I know how important it is to experience a wide
range of dance classes, and I feel a surge of excitement at the idea of taking courses that range from modern to tap to ballet. Such a
wide spectrum is present in the acting curriculum, as well, with classes spanning from Shakespeare to Modern Drama. This assures
that all students graduate with the ability to digest a piece of material from any style and era, and make it their own.
What is also thrilling is that, because this is not a conservatory, I would also have the ability to explore my other passion, psychology.
My interest in psychology was piqued in middle school, as I wondered how the brain could be powerful enough to orchestrate the
functions of the entire body. But what came to intrigue me more was discovering what happens when the brain does not work
perfectly. My obsession with asylums and the mentally ill came on quickly and continues to have an inexplicable hold over me. My
paperback copy of Mad in America: The Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill is so worn I fear it will fall apart in my hands. I can
list the treatments and drugs used in asylums during almost any century. My friends find it terribly bizarre, but I someday hope to
thrive in courses on clinical psychology and psychopathology.
At Northwestern, I would strive to become even more multifaceted and knowledgeable. In very few places can one encounter a
program that focuses on all these facets, from singing to Shakespeare to psychosis. I can imagine myself thriving at Northwestern,
knee-deep in coursework and loving every minute of it.
Tip: The above essay was modified below to answer another application's question that also asked her why she
wanted to attend, this time to a program with different qualities. Only the parts highlighted in yellow have
been modified.
Performing is the one thing I never tire of, and seeing others perform is like settling into a second home. I always look forward to
diving headfirst into a new play or learning a new song and, quite often, it is the one thing that will get me out of bed in the morning
after a long week. My parents tease that I spend more time in theaters, whether rehearsing for school musicals or viewing small
shows downtown, than in my own bedroom. Now, after years of community theater, voice lessons, and acting classes, I want to be a
part of this professional world myself.
The Musical Theater department of the University of Michigan's school of Music, Theater, and Dance is outstanding and hardly
rivaled in its comprehensiveness and intensity. What is most exciting is a student’s ability to participate in many shows throughout the
year, from enormous extravaganzas to small student-directed plays. Here, the staff and students understand that Musical Theater
devotees would be just as excited performing Bus Stop by William Inge as they would be tackling a role like Irena in The Three
Sisters. In my ambitious theater fantasies, I’m playing Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and belting out D’s, and next Vivie in Mrs. Warren’s
Profession. Michigan’s program encourages students to explore every facet of theater, promoting the importance of being not only
knowledgeable, but also exceptionally competent in every aspect as well.
As someone who has been dancing since before she could pronounce en pointe, I know how important it is to experience a wide
range of dance classes, and I feel a surge of excitement at the idea of taking courses that range from modern to tap to ballet. Such a
wide spectrum is present in the acting curriculum, as well, with classes spanning from Shakespeare to Modern Drama. This assures
that all students graduate with the ability to digest a piece of material from any style and era, and make it their own.
What is also thrilling is that, because this is not a conservatory, I would also have the ability to explore my other passion, psychology.
My interest in psychology was piqued in middle school, as I wondered how the brain could be powerful enough to orchestrate the
functions of the entire body. But what came to intrigue me more was discovering what happens when the brain does not work
perfectly. My obsession with asylums and the mentally ill came on quickly and continues to have an inexplicable hold over me. My
paperback copy of Mad in America: The Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill is so worn I fear it will fall apart in my hands. I can
list the treatments and drugs used in asylums during almost any century. My friends find it terribly bizarre, but I someday hope to
thrive in courses on clinical psychology and psychopathology.
At Michigan, I would strive to become even more multifaceted and knowledgeable. In very few places can one encounter a program
that focuses on all these facets, from singing to Shakespeare to psychosis. I can imagine myself thriving at Michigan, knee-deep in
coursework and loving every minute of it.