Writing a supplemental essay can be daunting for anyone applying to college. You want to stand out, but not in a bad way. You want to convey genuine interest in the college without sounding generic. The supplemental essay is one of the few parts of your application tailored specifically for each college. If you’re applying to your dream college, the 300 or 400-word limit may seem extraordinarily restrictive. Additionally, you might find that your chosen topic for your common or coalition application essay overlaps with the supplemental essay topic.
The key to your college application is presenting a full picture of yourself through standardized and supplemental essays. Across all your essays, find opportunities to expand on your intellectual growth, extracurricular experiences, and personal story. Connecting one or two of these elements to each essay in your portfolio can help you create a cohesive narrative.
Balancing Your Narrative
Balancing all the things you want to tell a college between several prompts can be challenging. In theory, the Common App essay tells a college everything they need to know about who you are beyond your academic statistics. For colleges without supplemental essays, the Common App essay is crucial. However, for those with supplemental essays, use them to build out your narrative without repeating what you’ve already written.
Invictus Prep offers a Narrative Synchronization tool to help you keep track of what you’re saying to each school, ensuring colleges have the most complete picture of you possible.
Common Supplemental Essay Prompts and Tips
Below, we’ve compiled the top 8 supplemental essays you should keep an eye on during your college application journey.
1. The “Why This College” Essay:
Example Prompt: Why are you interested in Bryn Mawr? — Bryn Mawr College
Some schools are straightforward with their essay prompts, wanting you to explain why you should be chosen based on your merits and what you believe you’ll gain from their environment. A compelling argument often comes from thorough research into the university.
For example, if you’re applying to Northwestern University, instead of mentioning their well-known undergraduate research opportunities, delve into specifics like the Global Poverty Research Lab and emphasize how distinguished professors there align with your research interests.
Tips:
- Research specific programs, professors, or partnerships.
- Mention unique study abroad programs or the opportunities provided by the university's location.
- Show that attending this university will be a uniquely transformative experience for you.
2. The Major Essay:
Example Prompt: Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? — University of Michigan
This essay can be easy or challenging, depending on how well you know your desired field of study. Cover both a personal reason for your choice of major and why the school's program is a good fit. Learn about the degree program's layout and offerings, and demonstrate passion for the specifics.
Tips:
- Connect your personal reasons for choosing the major with the university's program specifics.
- Voice any trepidation about your choice and pivot to your excitement about learning.
- Highlight how the program supports your long-term vocational goals.
3. The Community Essay:
Example Prompt: At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are not simply driven to master their discipline, but who are also passionate about doing so to serve the public good. Please elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you. We encourage you to think about community broadly - this could include family, school, or local and global communities. — Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
This essay asks you to show how you fit into the college’s unique community by discussing your past experiences. Highlight how you’ve positively impacted your community and how those experiences have contributed to your growth.
Tips:
- Discuss your role in a meaningful community activity or experience.
- Show humility and appreciation for the contributions of others.
- Connect your past experiences with how you will add value to the college community.
4. The Extracurricular Essay:
Example Prompt: Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
This essay focuses on your extracurricular activities and what you’ve learned from them. Show how these experiences have helped you grow and how they will inform your college journey.
Tips:
- Focus on one or two significant extracurricular activities.
- Tell a compelling story that highlights your personal growth.
- Show how your extracurricular experiences have prepared you for college.
5. The Leadership Essay:
Example Prompt: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. — University of California System
This essay is a hybrid between the extracurricular and community essays. Highlight your leadership experiences and how they’ve positively impacted others.
Tips:
- Discuss traditional or unconventional leadership roles.
- Highlight problem-solving and emotional intelligence.
- Show how you’ve enriched your community through leadership.
6. The Intellectual Curiosity Essay:
Example Prompt: The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. — Stanford University
This essay is similar to the major essay but broader, asking you to discuss your passion for learning. Highlight your excitement about lifelong learning and the power of knowledge in everyday life.
Tips:
- Connect early childhood memories with later academic experiences.
- Discuss interdisciplinary studies and future aspirations.
- Highlight your passion for your chosen field of study.
7. The Diversity/Equity Essay:
Example Prompt: Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If you would like to share with us more about your identity, you can do so here, or use any previous essay prompt you feel is appropriate. — Duke University
This essay is about how you perceive yourself and others. It asks you to discuss your unique qualities and your determination to thrive in a diverse environment.
Tips:
- Acknowledge and celebrate diversity while espousing tolerance.
- Move beyond cliches by reflecting on personal experiences.
- Show how your unique perspective will enrich the college community.
8. The Open-Ended Essay:
Example Prompt: Established in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, VT, Ben and Jerry’s is synonymous with the ice cream business. The company’s success and unique brand identity are due in part to their one-of-a-kind flavors. Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you? — University of Vermont
This essay allows for creativity and fun. Use it to showcase your personality in a fun, unique way.
Tips:
- Start with a broad topic and narrow it down to something that showcases you.
- Make a joke or indulge in your weirdness.
- Show that you can think creatively and make connections in unexpected ways.
Tips for Writing Multiple Essays for One School
Most schools with supplemental essays have one to three prompts. Use different experiences and themes to address each prompt without repetition. Invictus Prep’s Supplemental Essay Grouping Tool can help you organize your essays and figure out what to talk about where.
Conclusion
These approaches to writing your supplemental essays will help you present a complete picture of yourself. Invictus Prep offers several tools to help you organize and streamline your essay-writing process. Click HERE to schedule your FREE trial call with us today!
