{"id":77,"date":"2016-06-24T23:36:02","date_gmt":"2016-07-22T14:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/?p=77"},"modified":"2018-06-29T14:08:44","modified_gmt":"2018-06-29T14:08:44","slug":"answer-choose-attend-university-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/answer-choose-attend-university-college\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Answer: Why Did You Choose to Attend This University or College?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"arve alignleft\" data-mode=\"normal\" data-provider=\"iframe\" id=\"arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedid0blxdsck4listplbbvnbohoqpvjknurwtaeebla9eyckucj\" style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<span class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.250000%\"><\/span><iframe credentialless referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\" allow=\"accelerometer &#039;none&#039;;ambient-light-sensor &#039;none&#039;;autoplay &#039;none&#039;;battery &#039;none&#039;;bluetooth &#039;none&#039;;browsing-topics &#039;none&#039;;camera &#039;none&#039;;ch-ua &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-read &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-write;display-capture &#039;none&#039;;document-domain &#039;none&#039;;domain-agent &#039;none&#039;;encrypted-media &#039;none&#039;;execution-while-not-rendered &#039;none&#039;;execution-while-out-of-viewport &#039;none&#039;;gamepad &#039;none&#039;;geolocation &#039;none&#039;;gyroscope &#039;none&#039;;hid &#039;none&#039;;identity-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;idle-detection &#039;none&#039;;keyboard-map &#039;none&#039;;local-fonts &#039;none&#039;;magnetometer &#039;none&#039;;microphone &#039;none&#039;;midi &#039;none&#039;;navigation-override &#039;none&#039;;otp-credentials &#039;none&#039;;payment &#039;none&#039;;picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create &#039;none&#039;;publickey-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;screen-wake-lock &#039;none&#039;;serial &#039;none&#039;;speaker-selection;sync-xhr &#039;none&#039;;usb &#039;none&#039;;web-share;window-management &#039;none&#039;;xr-spatial-tracking &#039;none&#039;;\" allowfullscreen class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" data-arve=\"arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedid0blxdsck4listplbbvnbohoqpvjknurwtaeebla9eyckucj\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ID0blxdSCk4?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpVjKnURwtAeEbla9EyckUCj\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"225\" name sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ID0blxdSCk4?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpVjKnURwtAeEbla9EyckUCj\" width=\"400\" title loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"http:\\\/\\\/schema.org\\\/\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\\\/answer-choose-attend-university-college\\\/#arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedid0blxdsck4listplbbvnbohoqpvjknurwtaeebla9eyckucj\",\"type\":\"VideoObject\",\"embedURL\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/embed\\\/ID0blxdSCk4?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpVjKnURwtAeEbla9EyckUCj\"}<\/script>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWhy did you choose to attend this university or college?\u201d is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/top-20-entry-level-job-interview-questions-and-answers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one of the questions<\/a> you may encounter during an interview for an entry-level job or internship. This question is designed to help employers understand your values and how you make major life decisions. The key to answering it effectively is showing that you\u2019re proactively thinking about your future career path and that you picked your school after careful consideration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Here are some things to keep in mind when coming up with your answer.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Talk about what makes your college or university a good fit for you.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Whether you originally picked the school because it offered a great curriculum for your chosen major, had an incredible faculty or was the most affordable school in your state, you likely put some thought into picking the place where you were going to spend the next four years. When preparing your answer, mention one or two key things that led to your decision and show how these things have shaped your experience at the school.<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Say something like: <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI originally chose to attend XYZ University because ______________. During the time I\u2019ve spent there, I\u2019ve been lucky enough to have access to ______________. My education has given me a solid foundation for a career in _________ and I\u2019m so glad I made the decision to go to school there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pro Tip: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your college or university was your first choice because it was the only school you applied to, don\u2019t mention that. Instead, focus on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it was your only choice. Maybe it offered a comprehensive scholarship program, the campus was close to your hometown or going there was a family tradition. Lead with that and then explain the additional benefits you\u2019ve gained during your time there.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Show how your choice of school connects with your choice of career.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve established the process that led you to attend your chosen college or university, connect this back to the job opportunity you\u2019re applying for. If your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/what-is-a-college-major\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major<\/a> doesn\u2019t directly relate to the position, talk about relevant skills you\u2019ve learned through electives or experience you\u2019ve gained through internships. Since employers are interested in how you evaluate opportunities and make decisions, showing that you\u2019ve thoughtfully considered the current opportunity will reassure them that you\u2019re committed to the position and the organization.<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Say something like:<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cThe experiences I\u2019ve had at XYZ University have also shaped my decision to apply for this position. I want a role that will allow me to put the things I\u2019ve learned into practice and develop my skills even further. I know that this position would be a good fit for me and I\u2019m excited about the possibility of joining the team.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Now bring it all together.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI originally chose to attend XYZ University because ______________. During the time I\u2019ve spent there, I\u2019ve been lucky enough to have access to ______________. My education has given me a solid foundation for a career in _________ and I\u2019m so glad I made the decision to go to school there.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The experiences I\u2019ve had at XYZ University have also shaped my decision to apply for this position. I want a role that will allow me to put the things I\u2019ve learned into practice and develop my skills even further. I know that this position would be a good fit for me and I\u2019m excited about the possibility of joining the team.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you\u2019ve chosen to attend a small liberal arts college or large university, your choice of school can tell an interviewer a lot about you. Answering \u201cWhy did you choose to attend this university or college?\u201d is a great opportunity to show the hiring manager that you take big decisions seriously and that you\u2019ve put some serious thought into your college experience and professional career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/how-to-become-a-recruiter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Become a Recruiter<\/a> and find answers to common interview questions such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/answer-handle-pressure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How Do You Handle Pressure?<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWhy did you choose to attend this university or college?\u201d is one of the questions you may encounter during an interview for an entry-level job or internship. This question is designed to help employers understand your values and how you make major life decisions. The key to answering it effectively is showing that you\u2019re proactively &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/answer-choose-attend-university-college\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to Answer: Why Did You Choose to Attend This University or College?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,25],"tags":[46,48,76,77,78,197,198,199],"class_list":["post-77","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviewing-101","category-top-culture-fit-questions","tag-interview","tag-interview-tips","tag-interview-questions","tag-common-interview-questions","tag-culture-fit-interview-questions","tag-underclassman","tag-postgrad","tag-senior"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Answer: Why Did You Choose to Attend This University or College? | Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explaining your decision to attend a specific university is a key part of nailing your interview. 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