Summer will be over in just a few weeks, and seniors who want to reduce the stress of college applications are working on their applications now. This is a great time to get those major essays written, but be sure to pay close attention to the entire application.

Several admissions directors have told me they read the “Why do you want to attend our school?” short essays very carefully. One admissions officer said that students don’t usually get help on these questions like they do on the longer essays, so he believes he gets a writing sample that is truly the student’s work.

Another reason to spend time on this question is that some colleges try to gauge how serious a student is about attending the school. Knowing what is distinctive about the college and being able to say why it is a good match for you tells admissions officers that you’re motivated enough to do some research and write a thoughtful answer to the question.

There’s another, perhaps more important reason to think carefully about this question. It helps you clarify your reasons for choosing a certain school, and if you can’t come up with anything to say, perhaps you shouldn’t be applying to that school. Being able to articulate what you want and how you would fit into a college community not only improves your chances of admission, it gives you a better chance of making a good college match, and that’s real success.