Why School Essays

KU123456

Does UChicago or Cornell need a Why X essay?

For UVA that welcomes a Why X addendum, could it go to 2 pages, or should I stick to 1?

Thank you!

Cant Get Right

Not sure about the specifics for Chicago and Cornell, but I think one page is typically enough unless you have personal, compelling reasons that really require two pages to express well. For schools where you're really just reporting on your research, I would recommend a hard cap on one page: UVA knows their softball thing is unique and that Charlottesville is lovely, and they're well acquainted with 'The Virginia Difference' or whatever their little marketing tag is. Still say all that, and try to personalize it as much as possible, but don't drag it out if you can keep it concise. By all means, bolster with personal anecdotes where you can, but even then brevity is likely a virtue. If you grew up in Brownsville, counterprotested at the Nazi rally, and are a veteran wanting to be a JAG, now we're talking two pages all day. You don't quite need all that, but that's good examples of Why UVA's that I'd call personal and compelling. I did a 2 pager to Penn and got admitted within a few days of submitting it. That was based on my admissions into a graduate program for a dual degree as well as a school/Philly visit that was particularly impactful.