How Students Can Tackle Supplemental Application Essays

Now that the Common App has reset and most colleges have updated their applications as of Aug. 1, college application season is in full swing! Typically, the most time-intensive aspect of this process is essay writing. While many colleges require a general personal statement that can be sent to many different schools, quite a few colleges also require students to write supplemental essays. Although these are sent to only one school, your supplemental essay responses are just as important as your general personal statement and sometimes, even more important!

Read on for tips on how to tackle these essays before senior year begins.

What Are Supplemental Essays?

While the personal statement is written to a more general audience (since it gets sent to all or most of the schools that a student is applying to), supplemental essays are required by specific schools and written with a much more specific audience in mind: that college's admissions team.

Supplemental essays can vary widely in subject and length. Some schools ask straightforward questions, while others get surprisingly creative.

Some examples include:

• University of Chicago: "How many piano tuners are there in Chicago?"
• Stanford University: "What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?"
• Elon University: "Name three songs from your perfect playlist."

More commonly, however, supplemental essay prompts ask students to write about topics such as:

• Their academic or intellectual interests
• Community involvement and leadership
• Personal values or identity
• Why they want to attend a particular college
• Why they are interested in a specific major or program

Whether the prompt is traditional or unconventional, every supplemental essay serves the same purpose: helping admissions officers better understand who you are and how you might contribute to their campus community.

The "Why" Essay

By far the most common supplemental essay prompt is what we like to call the "Why" essay, which asks some variation of the question:

Why do you want to attend this school?

For example, here is UW–Madison's required supplemental essay:

Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided, please describe your areas of possible academic interest (650-word maximum).

 

When approaching a "Why" essay, remember to:

• Carefully read every part of the prompt before you begin writing.
• Break the question into smaller pieces so you answer every part.
• Explain both why the school fits your goals and why you would be a good fit for the school.
• Connect your interests with the college's specific opportunities.

One of the biggest mistakes students make is spending the entire essay describing how wonderful a college is. The admissions office already knows their school is great—they want to know why it's a great fit for you.

Do Your Research!

For many supplemental essays—but especially the "Why" essay—it helps to be as specific as possible about what draws you to a particular college.

Colleges want to see evidence of demonstrated interest, and your essays are one of the best places to show that you've taken the time to learn about their community.

Look for opportunities to mention things like:

• Academic programs or majors that excite you
• Specific professors, courses, or research opportunities
• Student organizations, clubs, or leadership opportunities
• Campus traditions or experiences from a visit
• Internship, study abroad, or service-learning opportunities
• Unique aspects of the school's culture that align with your goals

Including these kinds of details demonstrates that you've done your research and can genuinely picture yourself on that campus.

Questions to Consider Before You Start Writing

Even before beginning your supplemental essays, it can be helpful to spend time brainstorming. Free-writing or creating bullet-point responses to questions like these can make the writing process much easier later.

Your Academic Interests

Ask yourself:

• What do you hope to study in college?
• What academic, work, volunteer, or personal experiences led you to this interest?
• What skills or experiences do you hope to gain during college?

Your Activities

Think about:

• Which extracurricular activities have been most meaningful during high school?
• Why have those experiences mattered to you?
• What kinds of clubs, organizations, or leadership opportunities do you hope to pursue in college?

Your Communities

Community can be defined broadly. Consider communities based on:

• Your hometown or neighborhood
• Clubs, teams, or organizations
• Religious or cultural affiliations
• Ethnicity or nationality
• Friendships or family
• Workplaces or volunteer organizations

Then ask yourself:

• How have you contributed to these communities?
• How have these communities shaped who you are?

Your Personal Qualities

Finally, think about:

• What values are most important to you?
• What traits or strengths define you?
• What parts of your identity might not already appear elsewhere in your application?

Taking time to reflect on these questions now will make it much easier to respond thoughtfully to supplemental essay prompts—and may even help you clarify what you're looking for in a college.

Happy writing!

Feeling like you could use some extra support getting started? Our experienced essay coaches at Galin Education work one-on-one with students to brainstorm, draft, and polish compelling college essays. Contact us at info@galined.com to learn more.