Lafayette is a private liberal arts school in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school has a close-knit community vibe and an undergraduate class of approximately 2,500 students. The acceptance rate for the class of 2022 was 29.5%. There is only one writing supplement this year.

Students identify Lafayette as an excellent fit for countless reasons. In your response, be deliberate and specific about your motivation for applying to Lafayette.

Why Lafayette? (20-200 words)

Lafayette’s supplement basically begs for brevity, but don’t think for one second that 20 words will cut it. You only have 200 words to convince an admissions officers that your interests align with the school’s offerings, so you need to make every word count. There are two main points you need to address:

Academic interests: Start by looking at the list of majors and minors on Lafayette’s website. Key in on one of your academic interests (make it as specific as possible) and find a major or minor that is closely related. If you’re ~still figuring out~ what your academic interests are, browse the website until you find something that sounds like it could be a good fit. Just writing that you want to major in international affairs won’t cut in: look for upper level classes and thematic concentrations to write about. There could be a research project you want to join or a professor you’re dying to take a class with, the goal is to show the reader of your essay that you’re laser focused on something specific that Lafayette just so happens to be well versed in.
Extracurriculars: Your essay should tell a story, and the second part of that story is about your extracurricular plans. There’s a list of clubs and organizations where you’ll be able to find something that is related to the major that you’ve written about AND also related to the activities you were involved with in high school. Sticking with the international affairs example, that student would not shockingly be a great fit for the international affairs club. Research what the club does, when they meet, and what they accomplished last year then write about how you plan to contribute. Your goal is to show that what you did in high school will make you a natural fit for whatever extracurricular you choose to write about.

We’re good at helping students with researching and writing. Want some help?