Writing the 'why this college' essay from Ghana
Name two or three things you can only find at that university, such as a course, a programme or a professor's work. For each one, say why it matters to you and what you would do with it. Leave out rankings, weather and financial aid, because the university already knows them. If a sentence would still work for another university, cut it.
What is a 'why this college' essay, and what does it test?
It is a short extra essay asking why you want to attend one particular university. It tests two things: whether you have looked closely at what the university offers, and whether you know what you would do with it. Many selective universities ask some version of it, alongside your personal statement.
The wording differs. For 2026-27, Columbia asks why you are interested in attending, in 150 words or fewer. Dartmouth asks which parts of its academic programme, community or campus attract you, in 100 words or fewer. Duke asks for your impression of Duke and why it suits your goals, values and interests, in 250 words.
A strong answer links something specific at the university to something specific about you. Admissions officers often say the weakest essays tell them what they already know: the university is well ranked, well known or in a nice city. Show how you would use the place. Admiring it is not enough.
How do I research a university I cannot visit?
Read what the university publishes, carefully. With a phone and a few evenings in Kumasi, you can learn a university better than a visitor who walked round the campus once.
Look in these places, most useful first:
- The course catalogue. Find two or three courses you would take in your first two years, and read their descriptions.
- Department pages. See what your department actually teaches and what its students do: research, projects, placements.
- Faculty research. Find one professor whose work connects to something you care about. Read a summary of the work as well as the name.
- The student newspaper and club pages. See what students do outside class and which groups you would join. Look for an African students' association.
- Virtual information sessions and recorded tours. Most selective universities run them, and many include student panels.
- Current students. Send a polite message to a student who has written about your programme. One reply can tell you more than any page.
Take notes as you go. Write down the course, the professor or the group, and one line on why it caught your eye. Those notes become your essay.
What should I write about?
Write about two or three specifics, each linked to you. Use this pattern for each one:
- Name the thing precisely: a course, a programme, a lab, a requirement, a tradition.
- Say why it matters to you, in a sentence from your own life.
- Say what you would do with it, or bring to it.
The second step is where your essay comes alive. Specific places and experiences from your own life convince a reader more than general statements. Your reason should be one only you could give.
Can I write about Ghana in this essay?
Yes, when it links to what you would do at the university. The essay is about fit, and where you come from is part of what you would bring.
Make it specific. Say you want to study environmental engineering because of the galamsey you have seen in the rivers near your home. Then name the course or lab where you would work on it. Other examples that work:
- The cocoa farm your family runs, and the agricultural economics course you want to take.
- The radio club you started, and the student station you would join.
- The Twi you speak at home, and the African languages programme you would study in.
Each ties something real in your life to something real at the university. Do not use Ghana as a backdrop. Avoid a promise to "give back" with nothing behind it, or a line about bringing diversity to campus. The admissions committee decides what you add to the class. Your job is to show it the evidence.
Keep the balance. In a 150-word answer, Ghana can be one sentence of context. The university should stay the subject.
What should I leave out?
Leave out anything the university already knows, and anything that would be true of another university:
- Rankings and reputation. The university knows where it ranks.
- Weather, location and buildings, unless they genuinely connect to what you would do there.
- Financial aid. Every university you apply to for full aid knows it offers aid.
- General statements about developing Ghana. Name the problem, the place and what you would learn instead.
- Facts copied from the website without saying why they matter to you.
How do I fit it into 100, 150 or 250 words?
Choose fewer things. Do not squeeze more in.
| Word limit | Example from 2026-27 | What fits |
|---|---|---|
| 100 words or fewer | Dartmouth | One specific, done well, with a sentence on why it matters to you |
| 150 words or fewer | Columbia | Two specifics, briefly connected |
| 250 words | Duke | Two or three specifics, each with a reason and what you would do |
A 100-word answer is about five sentences. Do not open by restating the question, and do not close with a summary. Start with the specific thing. Stop when you have said why it matters.
Then test your draft. Swap the university's name for another on your list, and rewrite every sentence that still works. Read it aloud once, too. A sentence that sounds like the university's brochure is usually one you copied, so cut it. What is left should sound like you explaining a choice to someone you respect.
What should I do first?
Pick one university on your list. Spend an evening with its course catalogue and one department's pages. Write down three things you would genuinely use there, and one line on why each matters to you. That page of notes is your first draft.
You can write this essay well on your own, with research and honest drafting. If you would like someone to read your supplements against your personal statement and your list, that is what the Statement Studio is for.
Questions people ask
How long is a 'why this college' essay?
It depends on the university. For 2026-27, Dartmouth asks for 100 words or fewer, Columbia for 150 or fewer, and Duke for 250. Check each university's supplement in the Common App, because limits and wording change between years.
How do I write it if I have never visited the university?
Use what the university publishes. Read the course catalogue, department pages, faculty research and the student newspaper, and join recorded or live virtual information sessions. Many applicants from Ghana have never visited. Universities judge the essay on what you know and why it matters to you.
Should I say I am applying because the university gives aid?
No. Every university you apply to for full aid knows it offers aid, so the sentence tells it nothing about you. Use your words on what you would study, do and contribute there.
Can I reuse my 'why this college' essay for other universities?
Not without rewriting the specifics. Try the swap test: put another university's name in. If the essay still makes sense, it is too general for either.