how to respond to secondary app question

I am always wondering the best way to answer the question, "Why THIS School?"
What exactly are they looking for here? Especially if it is not your state school and you have no ties there…I have trouble differentiating schools from their websites and booklets.
In the past, I have looked at specific research projects going on there and discussing one of them, but I feel that at any given medical school there are the same type of projects…

The schools want people who want them. Be that as it may, you need to convince the school that if they give you an acceptance, more than likely you will take it.
I would go to the website, look around, and if you can go visit the school and talk to the students. Then you will be better equiped to answer this question.

Well, you must have had some reason to apply to that school, right? I mean, there are over 100 allopathic schools alone, plus dozens of osteopathic and Caribbean schools, but you didn’t apply to all of them (I hope ). Somehow you narrowed your list down to X number of schools. So, what made you choose to apply to that particular school instead of various others that you decided against? Sure, geography can be a reason, but so can school mission, special programs, positive word-of-mouth, research opportunities, clinical opportunities, study abroad opportunities, service opportunities, curriculum features, cost/financial aid, strength in an area of interest to you, student body diversity, etc. Really, the reasons are endless, but only you know which one(s) made you decide to apply to that school.

i understand all of that and I know why I made the decisions that I did, just am searching for maybe what they are looking for. Since in the past 2 years, all schools wanted secondaries, but none (except state school) granted an interview, that may be where my problem lies. To be honest, most school websites look the same and include the same content, except for a few big schools.
I did write about what QoQ said, so maybe i am just a hopeless cause???
Or maybe it is my letters…who knows.

There are so many facets of your application, it’s not a good idea to assume it’s one thing or another. So got to the source and ask those places who rejected you why they did so. Many places will not tell you why, but some will. Some even offer rejected applicants meetings, where they’ll tell you where you went wrong, and you can sit down with the dean and ask their opinion.

Schools want to know exactly why you want to be at their school. This involves research into what they specifically offer, and what you bring that fits. Details are important. If anyone else could be writing the same things about “why our school?” you aren’t being specific enough in your answer.
Cheers,
Judy