what should i focus on?

[havil]

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i only have a 150 word for the "why us" question for a particular school.

the school in question really really values community service and also wants people to care about the city the school is locaed in

i am an OOS but I have a lot of connection to the city that the school is located in. i have a lot of family there and i would visit many times a year (each vist in total would last up to months). i would also often volunteer quite a bit in there too.

but for the why us, should i breifly mention my strong ties to the school and mainly focus on what i hope to do in that school? or should i focus on my close ties to the school to answer the "why us"?

 

[Dee2daK]

“Why us” is a thinly veiled invitation for you to connect to their mission focus, values, and any other motivations that make you a good fit for their program. Are they service oriented? Do you want to serve their specific population (very common for state schools)? Do they have something unique about their curriculum that you feel especially drawn to? Do they have a killer hot dog stand on campus and you’re an aficionado?

If you have a strong personal statement, they already have your motivation for school in general - now, you have to sell them on you being a good fit for their program. Other questions they ask tend to give them insight into your personality, thought processes, and how you understand questions. This question gives you a way to connect to the Adcom and tell them what is it about their program makes you feel like it’s a good fit. This also gives them insight into your perspective of their program, and allows them to compare it to their own. Tell them something they would not have learned any other way.

 

[Hollow Knight]

You should write about the bolded part of your response. Nothing wrong with mentioning the school's offerings as well, though