Category: Supplemental Essays

This is a classic extracurricular activity essay. So you’ve been crushing it as an intern at a local tech startup, volunteering at an urban gardening nonprofit, and babysitting your neighbor’s insane twins for extra cash. Which one do you write about?  It depends!  Your most…

This is a super short “Why us?” essay.   Because it’s so short, the key will be finding 2-3 reasons that set Tufts apart from all the other schools you’re applying to. Here’s the “Why us?” essay guide—in this case, check out the Cornell example to…

This prompt should make you feel excited. Sure, it’s open-ended. But, it’s also more interesting than the average “What will you bring to our community” prompts you see on lots of other college applications. Reed lets you create your very own curriculum. You get to…

Show us your brilliant brain. Talk about that weird true-crime podcast that inspired your love of criminology or that obscure painting that got you interested in analyzing Cold War propaganda. Let your inner nerd out, and don’t hold back. Here’s a great sample essay, followed…

Choose one of the following prompts: The Hawaiian word mo’olelo is often translated as “story” but it can also refer to history, legend, genealogy, and tradition. Use one of these translations to introduce yourself. In the aftermath of World War II, Dartmouth President John Sloane…

Most schools ask their applicants to expand on why they’re interested in applying to X school in particular. That’s what we call a “Why us?” essay. But this question is like a “Why us?” essay … with a twist.  That’s because this prompt flips the…

At first, Bowdoin’s unconventional prompt might throw you off. A mandatory selection of a line of poetry and then an “optional” response? Don’t worry: This is not an AP exam-style free response question, and you aren’t being asked for rhetorical analysis and interpretation (whew). Consider…

Rochester is looking for learners and thinkers who can push the conversation forward, and its supplemental essay prompt emphasizes this. However, you only have 250 words to answer a BIG question. Before you even start writing, make sure you know what points/values you absolutely have…

This is basically a “Community Essay.” You can find our comprehensive guide on how to write that kind of supplement here. Or, here’s the shortened version: Step 1: Create a “communities” chart by listing all the communities you’re a part of. Keep in mind that…

For this one, rather than general tips, check out our complete guide on the “Why us?” essay. Want the TL;DR version? Here it is: Don’t talk about things the University of Michigan already knows about and hears from tons of other applicants. These are things…