Has anyone used advice from College Essay Guy for the Boston University essays?

College Essay Guy’s advice around storytelling and authenticity is useful for any essay, but the Boston University "Why BU?" supplement does demand a focused approach. The key with BU’s prompt is to be specific — admissions readers want to see why their school is the best place for you, personally, to grow and achieve your goals.

Several students who have used College Essay Guy's "vivid details" and "show, don't tell" advice for BU had the best luck when they moved past generalities. Instead of writing, "BU offers a wide range of research opportunities and a diverse community," they described a particular lab, professor’s research, or student organization in biology they were excited about, and why. For example, one successful applicant wrote about wanting to join BU's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program to study regenerative medicine with Professor X, and connected that directly to a personal passion sparked by a summer volunteering experience. That kind of personalization made their response stand out.

What helps the most is blending his storytelling strategies with facts only true about BU. So, start with a personal anecdote—a moment in your science journey that made you realize what environment you need to thrive. Then show how BU offers exactly that: maybe a specific biology course, the interdisciplinary approach, or the Boston location fostering hospital research placements. Tie it all together by showing why those pieces fit you and your aspirations in a way no other school can replicate.

The risk of using only general essay advice is ending up with a very polished, but still generic, response. You want to show that you’ve done your BU research and you know exactly what you’ll do there. Admissions officers can tell when students are reusing "Why Here?" essays from other schools.

In short: use College Essay Guy’s guidance for voice, storytelling, and structure, but make sure your content is so specific to BU that it couldn’t just be swapped into another school’s supplement. Approach the essay as if you're making a case for why BU and you are the perfect match—nobody else.

If you're stumped, look up current student blogs or the biology department’s website for actual programs or opportunities you couldn’t pursue elsewhere. Integrate a brief personal story as a hook, then demonstrate clear alignment with what BU offers.

That balancing act—genuine storytelling plus university specifics—is what’s worked for BU admits in the past.