Supplemental essays provide the opportunity to show college admissions committees who you are beyond your GPA, standardized exam scores, and resume. Like most writing projects, supplemental essays require thoughtful reflection, effective planning, and thorough editing. Some prompts, like the “Why Us?” essay, necessitate considerable research to answer properly.
In a world growing increasingly accustomed to AI-assisted writing tools, college essays can seem a daunting endeavor: as applicants, you are expected to write concisely, vulnerably, and convincingly about why you would make a valuable addition to a university’s student body. Unlike personal statements, supplemental essays are short and school-specific, though certain prompts are recurring.
Common supplemental essay questions include:
The “Why Us?” Essay
University of Pennsylvania: “Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, how will you explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania?”
The “Community Contribution” Essay
University of Michigan: “Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong and describe that community and your place within it.”
The “Describe a Challenge” Essay
University of California: “Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?”
Be sure to give yourself plenty of time in advance of the application deadline to reflect on the required prompts for the schools you are interested in, write and polish several drafts for each, and edit your essays thoroughly before submission. Consider the following guide to help you minimize stress and uncertainty throughout the process:
Step 1: Thoughtful Reflection
Supplemental essays can feel overwhelming, especially as your college list grows longer. Before touching a pen or keyboard, The Enrichery recommends reading through the prompts required by your schools of interest and simply thinking about them. This is especially beneficial for prompts asking you to expand on a personal experience or character trait. (As such, you can probably skip this stage for the “Why Us?” essays.)
Print or write out a list of prompts and leave it on your desk for a few days: jot down brief notes on the page or in your Notes app as you come up with ideas in your daily life. Once you’ve generated potential topics, share them with friends and family. They may be able to point out something unique about yourself you had initially overlooked.
Step 2: Brainstorming/Research
Before jumping into the drafting process, turn those sporadic reflections into well-developed ideas. For the “Why Us?” essays, now’s the time to conduct in-depth research into your schools of interest.
To begin with, explore the following for each item on your college list:
- At least 1 specific program you are particularly interested in
- At least 1 professor whose research or career experience aligns with your goals
- At least 1 student organization you would be excited to join
For the personal experience prompts, pick one or two topics you feel most drawn to and set a time limit to brainstorm each.
Ask yourself the following questions and make relevant notes:
- Does this idea directly answer the prompt? If not, how can I modify it to do so?
- What do I want college admissions officers to learn about me through this essay?
- How am I linking my personal experience to the specific features of the school to which I am applying?
Pro-tip: During this stage, consider recording voice memos as you talk to yourself (literally!) or to a friend or family member. Doing so will relieve the pressure to write things down immediately, providing you the space and time to get creative without distractions.
Step 3: Outlining
Like any essay assignment for school, your supplemental essays should be well-structured: that means a clear beginning, middle, and end. While college admissions committees appreciate creativity, playing with form risks muddying the content of your essay. At no point should your reader be unclear of the point you are trying to make.
Consider the following structure to get you started:
- Beginning: something personal to draw your reader into your world
- Middle: how does this personal anecdote relate to you as a unique individual?
- End: how will this aspect of your personality help you fit into your school of interest?
Step 4: Writing the First Draft
The most important thing to keep in mind about first drafts is that they are not supposed to be well-written. In fact, the pressure to write perfectly from the start can trigger writer’s block and feelings of insecurity before you’ve even begun! One particularly useful tip I learned in college and continue to implement in my own life is to eradicate this pressure completely by writing intentionally badly. Imagine you’re texting a friend: how would you casually explain the concept of your essay from beginning to end?
Step 5: Editing
Once you’ve produced a full first draft of your essay, if you’ve followed the advice provided above, you may not love the way it sounds, but you should feel confident in the idea itself. From now on, your goal is to proofread, edit, and re-write your essay until you are happy with it.
Throughout this process, return to those questions you asked yourself during the brainstorming stage. If you find yourself going on tangents, eliminate those areas and redirect yourself to the prompt: make sure you answer the question! Ask a family member or close friend to read your draft and tell you their biggest takeaway: does it align with the lesson you wanted your readers to learn about you? If not, where did your message get lost?
Pro-tip: Never permanently delete essay drafts until you have completed the college application process. Old drafts can prove useful for future prompts, and you may find yourself wishing to return to the way you had worded a sentence or paragraph in the past. Instead, before each editing session, copy and paste your current draft onto a new page/file and approach it as a fresh piece of writing.
Feeling overwhelmed? Every summer, The Enrichery offers a highly productive College Admissions Workshop (CAW) program for junior-year students seeking assistance drafting, writing, and editing college application essays; applying for scholarships; and constructing resumes. With numerous scheduling options available between June and August, workshops take place over a single immersive week, ensuring the rest of your teen’s summer remains open and their senior year workload is reduced considerably.
Spaces are limited, so submit a request to contact us now at https://theenrichery.com/contact-us-submission/!
