The "Why Us?" essay is the college admissions office's ultimate litmus test. They want to know if you'll actually enroll, thrive, and contribute. But too many students fall into the same trap: writing a glowing, generic summary of the college's website. If you just copy-paste facts about a beautiful campus or a high ranking, you sound like a robot reading a Wikipedia entry.

The Common Application essay is one of the most critical components of the college application process. It gives students a unique...