When I first came to Boston, Tufts wasn't more to me than an option out of a list of possibilities.

The limit is 50-100. My response is 98 words.

When I first came to Boston, Tufts wasn't more to me than an option out of a list of possibilities. It was after I began exploring my University choices that I learned about Tufts. My interest in the school was initially due to my telling me it had the friendliest people, as well as discovering it's medical program's prestigious status. I don't plan waver between schools, which is why it's reputation mattered greatly to me. However, it wasn't until I toured the campus, and heard Jumbo the mascot's courageous tale that I became fixated into being admitted there.

I think you essay is great, but I just can't get the third sentence "My interest....Prestigious status." Maybe you would have to review that sentence.

is this any better? I know it's not focused, but is it an improvement at least? It's a 101 words exactly.

My primary concerns when it comes to finding a suitable university for me are major availability, medical school status, and school spirit. I'm planning to go into medicine, hoping to ultimately earn a PhD in neurosurgery, field known for the competitiveness of it's pursuers, and I believe earning a degree from a school as prestigious as Tufts' School of Medicine would greatly aid me in my journey.

I know that there are other Universities in Boston alone that could offer me just as much, but upon hearing Jumbo the Mascot's courageous tale during my campus tour, I knew I belonged there.

Well, I think such essays are mostly about something specific about the college that made you consider attending the college or university, but I think yours is better.

- Danah, let me see if I can clean this up for you. Feel free to use my version if you think it is something you can use :-)

I chose to attend Tufts because of its status as one of the top medical schools in the country. Since I plan to complete a medical degree,ultimately earning my Phd in Nuerosurgery, I need to enter the best school possible. Completing medical school is hard enough, add my ambition to obtain a Phd and it becomes an almost impossible dream. But I am confident in the knowledge that Tufts will best prepare me for the rough and demanding road ahead of me. After all, Jumbo the Mascot welcomed me with open arms and a place to call my academic home.

This is exactly 100 words.

Thank you so much! but my conscience wouldn't allow me to copy yours word for word. I'm still going to use it as a model to shape what I write, though.