“Why Us” Secondary Prompt
June 12, 2018 - Abdi
“Why Us” Secondary Prompt Examples
1) Please write a brief statement giving your reasons for applying to Weill Cornell Medical College.
2) Please tell us why you are specifically interested in pursuing your medical education at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine – MN even if you gain acceptances to other highly ranked medical schools?
Who knew that you’d be writing love letters as part of your medical school application? This question is basically your opportunity to express your specific interest in the school and explain why you would be a good fit. The best way to do this is by connecting your experiences, passions, and interest to the mission and values of that institution.
Remember that you are not simply discussing why the school is amazing but rather why it is the right school for you. This is a perfect opportunity to directly tell the school why you believe you are a good fit.
As such, you want to make sure that you are highlighting your personal experiences and characteristics when responding to this prompt. Don’t just say that you want to go to School A because they offer X, Y, and Z. Instead, talk about how your experiences and strengths are WHY X,Y, and Z are attractive to you.
For example, a response that highlights the strength of a school’s research program will not be a strong response without talking about why that is personally important to you. Additionally, try not to make it seem like you’re interested in matriculating at a school because of one small course or opportunity that you found on their website. It’s important to be specific and display knowledge about the school, but you don’t want to tie your interest in a school solely to just one program or aspect of the curriculum (because that can easily change).
BREAKING DOWN THE PROMPT
You’ll need to begin by first researching the school and discovering things that stand out to you. Let’s say that a school’s curriculum especially values collaboration and research.
A strong “Why Us” response would highlight these core values of the institution. Afterwards, you want to utilize personal experiences to demonstrate why those values align with your own learning style or priorities. Talk about how collaboration and working with your peers is how you’ve always been academically successful. You can also talk about why the school’s focus on research is important to you based on your own research experiences and interests.
Essentially, you want to demonstrate that your experiences and interests align with the mission and values of that institution. After reading your response, they should be able to understand why you’re a good fit and how you can uniquely benefit from their program.
Remember, this secondary is about YOU and not why the school is great. Let them learn something about you and why their school is the right one for you.