Why "X" essays?

[secondsblue]

Did anyone attach "Why X" essays to any of their applications? I didn't.

[non parata est]

tag

[dblaamco]

Any school that specifically asked for one is getting one, but other than that no.

Why am I struggling so much more with these optional essays than my personal statement? does anyone have one of their why X essays they'd be willing to let me look at?

[Cool Beans]

Why X essays don't matter. Period.  You're in or you're not in.

[middlepath]

Why X essays don't matter. Period.  You're in or you're not in.

Not really. I would say they matter if you're borderline and/or if you can come across as genuinely interested in being at the LS. However, it's also that they probably won't make much of a difference if you're above the median numbers. Also, you might want to note that I am talking about >T14 schools here. I don't know much about the top schools, esp. YHSCCNN, to assume that above-median numbers are auto admits.

I strongly recommend writing a Why X essay if and only if you have compelling (not to mention genuine) reasons Why X.

HTH.

[Cool Beans]

Why X essays don't matter. Period.  You're in or you're not in.

Not really. I would say they matter if you're borderline and/or if you can come across as genuinely interested in being at the LS. However, it's also that they probably won't make much of a difference if you're above the median numbers. Also, you might want to note that I am talking about >T14 schools here. I don't know much about the top schools, esp. YHSCCNN, to assume that above-median numbers are auto admits.

I strongly recommend writing a Why X essay if and only if you have compelling (not to mention genuine) reasons Why X.

HTH.

Why X essays don't matter.  Period.

[middlepath]

Why X essays don't matter. Period.  You're in or you're not in.

Not really. I would say they matter if you're borderline and/or if you can come across as genuinely interested in being at the LS. However, it's also that they probably won't make much of a difference if you're above the median numbers. Also, you might want to note that I am talking about >T14 schools here. I don't know much about the top schools, esp. YHSCCNN, to assume that above-median numbers are auto admits.

I strongly recommend writing a Why X essay if and only if you have compelling (not to mention genuine) reasons Why X.

HTH.

Why X essays don't matter.  Period.

If you insist they don't and don't send one AND you don't get in, then they probably do matter. If you persist and send one anyway AND get in, they probably do matter as well.

A dose of fatalism: if they are to matter, they will. If they're not going to matter, they ain't going to matter. So what the hell. Just send one anyway (i.e. iff you are genuinely interested and have compelling reasons Why X). 

Sort of like Pascal's Wager, with its flaws and all.

[gnahzmap]

The quality/content don't matter as much because, let's be honest, you will be pulling crap from their websites and obviously pretending to that X school is your top choice when honestly, it most likely is not.  BUT the fact that you take the time to write and submit one will show the school that you actually took the 2 extra hours to write the essay, and that might make a different if they are picking between 2 candidate with similar everything (which is likely the case among top schools where 100 applicants have around a 170 and a 3., they're going to pick the person they think will be most likely to enroll, and that is generally the person that took the time to write a "why X" essay.