var searchModel = new Pupil
{
    FirstName = "Ben",
    LastName = null,
    City = null,
    PostalZipCode = null
};

List<Pupil> pupils = db.Pupils.Where(p =>
        (searchModel.FirstName == null || p.FirstName == searchModel.FirstName)
        && (searchModel.LastName == null || p.LastName == searchModel.LastName)
        && (searchModel.City == null || p.LastName == searchModel.City)
        && (searchModel.PostalZipCode == null || p.PostalZipCode == searchModel.PostalZipCode))
    .Take(100)
    .ToList()

 USE [EFSchoolSystem]
DECLARE @p__linq__0 NVarChar(4000) SET @p__linq__0 = 'Ben'
DECLARE @p__linq__1 NVarChar(4000) SET @p__linq__1 = 'Ben'
DECLARE @p__linq__2 NVarChar(4000) SET @p__linq__2 = ''
DECLARE @p__linq__3 NVarChar(4000) SET @p__linq__3 = ''
DECLARE @p__linq__4 NVarChar(4000) SET @p__linq__4 = ''
DECLARE @p__linq__5 NVarChar(4000) SET @p__linq__5 = ''
DECLARE @p__linq__6 NVarChar(4000) SET @p__linq__6 = ''
DECLARE @p__linq__7 NVarChar(4000) SET @p__linq__7 = ''

-- Executed query
SELECT TOP (100)
        [Extent1].[PupilId] AS [PupilId] ,
        [Extent1].[FirstName] AS [FirstName] ,
        [Extent1].[LastName] AS [LastName] ,
        [Extent1].[Address1] AS [Address1] ,
        [Extent1].[Adderss2] AS [Adderss2] ,
        [Extent1].[PostalZipCode] AS [PostalZipCode] ,
        [Extent1].[City] AS [City] ,
        [Extent1].[PhoneNumber] AS [PhoneNumber] ,
        [Extent1].[SchoolId] AS [SchoolId] ,
        [Extent1].[Picture] AS [Picture]
FROM    [dbo].[Pupils] AS [Extent1]
WHERE   (@p__linq__0 IS NULL OR [Extent1].[FirstName] = @p__linq__1)
        AND (@p__linq__2 IS NULL OR [Extent1].[LastName] = @p__linq__3)
        AND (@p__linq__4 IS NULL OR [Extent1].[LastName] = @p__linq__5)
        AND (@p__linq__6 IS NULL OR [Extent1].[PostalZipCode] = @p__linq__7)

 if (searchModel.City == null)
{
    pupils = db.Pupils.Where(p =>
        (searchModel.FirstName == null || p.FirstName == searchModel.FirstName)
        && (searchModel.LastName == null || p.LastName == searchModel.LastName)
        && (searchModel.PostalZipCode == null || p.PostalZipCode == searchModel.PostalZipCode))
        .Take(100)
        .ToList();
}
else
{
    pupils = db.Pupils.Where(p =>
        (searchModel.FirstName == null || p.FirstName == searchModel.FirstName)
        && (searchModel.LastName == null || p.LastName == searchModel.LastName)
        && (searchModel.City == null || p.LastName == searchModel.City)
        && (searchModel.PostalZipCode == null || p.PostalZipCode == searchModel.PostalZipCode))
        .Take(100)
        .ToList();
}

public class RecompileDbCommandInterceptor : IDbCommandInterceptor
{
    public void ReaderExecuting(DbCommand command, DbCommandInterceptionContext<DbDataReader> interceptionContext)
    {
        if(!command.CommandText.EndsWith(" option(recompile)"))
        {
            command.CommandText += " option(recompile)";
        }
    }
    //and implement other interface members
}

 var interceptor = new RecompileDbCommandInterceptor();
DbInterception.Add(interceptor);
var pupils = db.Pupils.Where(p => p.City = city).ToList();
DbInterception.Remove(interceptor);

var result = db.Pupils.AsQueryable();

if(searchModel.FirstName != null )
     result = result.Where(p => p.FirstName == searchModel.FirstName);

if(searchModel.LastName != null )
     result = result.Where(p => p.LastName == searchModel.LastName);

if(searchModel.PostalZipCode != null )
     result = result.Where(p => p.PostalZipCode == searchModel.PostalZipCode);

if(searchModel.City != null )
     result = result.Where(p => p.City == searchModel.City);

var schools = db.Schools
    .OrderBy(s => s.PostalZipCode)
    .Skip(model.Page * model.ResultsPerPage)
    .Take(model.ResultsPerPage)
    .ToList();

SELECT  text, query_plan
FROM    sys.dm_exec_cached_plans
        CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_query_plan(plan_handle)
        CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_sql_text(plan_handle)

int resultsToSkip = model.Page * model.ResultsPerPage;
var schools = db.Schools
    .OrderBy(s => s.PostalZipCode)
    .Skip(() => resultsToSkip) //must pre-calculate this value
    .Take(() => model.ResultsPerPage)
    .ToList();