While the personal essay you write for your college applications will likely be consistent from school to school (especially if they use the Common Application), for colleges that request a “match” essay, you’ll need to write something highly specific to each school. With this essay, schools want you to answer the question: WHY US? That is, why do you want to go to this specific college?
Your objective with a match essay is twofold: first, define which of the college’s academic resources, extracurricular activities, and missions align most strongly with your interests, values, and goals. Second, describe how you will contribute to the college community with your unique talents and strengths. The ideal match essay will paint a picture of a two-way street in which the college is a great fit for you, and you are a great fit for it.
In order to do this successfully, you’ll need to thoroughly research each college you’re applying to, then compose a compelling piece of writing articulating the specific “match” areas you’ve identified. Below, we’ll walk you through this process.
Start with Research
Academics. The most important area for you to research is the university’s academic offerings. Start on the school’s website: look at the majors, minors, and unique programs offered. Then check out specifics of the undergraduate department you’re most interested in majoring in: what does its overall curriculum look like? Make notes of courses that interest you and why, as well as faculty members you’d like to study under or conduct research with. Feel free to Google professors to find out more about their areas of expertise; when you write your match essay, you can mention your interest in taking classes with certain faculty members without having spoken with them directly. Finally, look into whether the school offers research opportunities, internships, and/or study abroad programs that appeal to you.
Extracurriculars. You may be a prospective student, but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring the opportunities available to current students (see sections on colleges’ websites such as “Campus Life” and “Current Students”). Which activities appeal to you? These may include clubs, athletics, community service opportunities, religious activities, or pre-professional organizations. Are there any that seem contiguous with your high school pursuits that you’d like to remain involved in? Are there others in new areas that you would like to explore? Looking into these offerings can help you envision what your life might be like as a student there and inspire creative (and specific) details for your match essay.
Mission & Culture. Next, evaluate how the values of each college you’re considering align with your own. Many schools include their mission statement or motto on their website; you can navigate through tabs such as “About,” “Who We Are,” and “Mission and Values,” to find this information and learn more about the school’s principles, intentions, and traditions. Consider the educational philosophy of the school, such as whether it’s classified as liberal arts or pre-professional. Does the school have a religious affiliation? Does it value a strong sense of community? Do athletics or Greek life play a significant role?
How to Learn About the Colleges
Attend a Tour and Info Session. The best way to gauge a college’s culture is to visit: take a tour, attend an information session, and speak to current students and professors. You can do this either in-person or virtually. Many schools now offer pre-recorded video tours and/or self-guided virtual tours; some offer live virtual information sessions, which provide an opportunity to interact with admissions officers or student ambassadors; and others have pre-recorded information sessions that you can watch on your own time. You can also look at sites such as Niche and CampusReel to find admissions-related videos featuring current students.
Talk to students and professors. Don’t forget that one-on-one conversations are available to you—all it takes is a little extra initiative! Reach out to faculty members, current students, and recent alums to ask them to speak about the school. These kinds of conversations can help you learn more about the school’s academics and culture; and in your match essay, you’ll have specific details you can mention that will demonstrate the effort you’ve made to learn about this school.
Identify faculty in your areas of interest and email them to request a Zoom chat; when you speak, you can ask about the unique approach of their department, the research they are conducting, and observations about the culture of the school. Chatting with current students or recent alums can also offer insight into academics and campus life. Some schools, like Barnard and Washington University in St. Louis, let you request such a meeting directly through their admissions websites.
Social Media. Take advantage of social media, too: follow the accounts for the college itself, its admissions department, and student groups you might be interested in joining. In addition to becoming more familiar with the school culture through its online activity and conversations, you can also keep an eye out for notifications about admissions events you might want to attend.
Write the Match Essay
Once you’ve finished your in-depth research about a particular school, you’re ready to write your match essay! There are two types of match essays you may be asked to complete. The first focuses exclusively on academics; for example, you may be asked to describe how the curriculum of the college and your intended major appeals to you. The second type of match essay prompt is more general: it asks in a more open-ended way about your motivations for applying to that university and the qualities of the school that make it a mutual fit.
No matter which type of prompt you’re dealing with, we advise that you focus on academics first. Colleges are, after all, educational institutions, so they’ll want to hear first and foremost what interests you on that level. For general prompts, you can then include details about the specific extracurriculars you want to participate in, as well as what you are drawn to or identify with in terms of the culture of the school and/or any other shared values you’ve identified through your research and conversations.
Our Match Essay Tips
Here are our tips for writing a successful match essay:
- Research the school thoroughly. The more time and attention you spend learning what differentiates each college from others, the more you’ll be able to differentiate your match essay from other applicants’.
- Start your essay with an attention-grabbing hook. A personal anecdote that illustrates your interests, values, or goals is a surefire bet. For example, a student applying to a liberal arts college with hopes of majoring in Art History might open their match essay as follows:
If I’d taken my first photograph on a digital camera, things might have turned out differently. Instead, I was lucky. At just five years old, I came across an old Polaroid camera my dad had lying around the house and pressed the button almost by accident. When the camera printed the white square and it started to fill in—there was a corner of our living room couch, there was the tip of my chubby finger—I was mesmerized.
The essay would then go on to discuss the specific qualities of the college – and the Art History major, in particular – that the student hopes to make use of if admitted.
- Focus on academics before moving onto other areas. Which majors, minors, programs, or classes excite you most? Which faculty members, research opportunities, and/or study abroad offerings would you like to take advantage of? Be sure to include your personal motivations for these examples, as well.
- Be specific, not generic. Show that you’ve researched this school thoroughly and that it truly would make a difference to you to enroll here rather than anywhere else.
- Only discuss the college you are applying to! Don’t generalize about other colleges; just focus on the unique qualities of the college you are applying to.
- Only speak about yourself, not other students! Don’t compare yourself to other students; only discuss yourself.
- Don’t include comments about the stature, reputation, or ranking of the college. Telling Harvard that it has a world-class faculty is only repeating information the admissions officers already know.
- Align specifics about yourself with specifics about the college. For example, which specific faculty members do you want to work with, and how do your individual interests, academic background, and relevant experiences align with their work?
Note that if you don’t find many features that match your preferences, consider removing the school from your list! The process of researching colleges to write match essays can provide you with useful information to help make your case for admission—but if, as you look more deeply into a school, you find little you are curious or excited about, this may be an important cue that it’s not the right school for you after all.
Here at Collegiate Gateway, we are always happy to answer your questions about all aspects of the college admissions process, including the Common App, resumes, recommendations, interviews, video submissions, and more. Visit our website to set up a complimentary consultation to learn about our services.