The Ultimate Guide to Writing College Supplemental Essays

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Supplemental essays are a key component of any good college admissions strategy. These small but powerful essays are a great way to differentiate yourself, particularly at competitive schools. This blog dives into what they are, how they differ from your personal essay, and how to write them well.

What is a supplemental essay?

A supplemental essay is an additional essay that colleges ask applicants to write alongside their personal statement. These essays usually respond to specific prompts that reflect a school's values, interests, or expectations. Colleges use supplemental essays to gather more personalized information about an applicant beyond grades and test scores, allowing students to showcase how they align with the institution’s academic programs, culture, and community.

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What is the difference between a personal essay and a supplemental essay?

A personal essay and a supplemental essay have different purposes in the college admissions process and each have a unique focus. The personal essay is not tied to any specific school and the topics are often decided by the Common Application or its alternative, the Coalition application.  Supplemental essays, on the other hand, are school-specific, often asking applicants to answer targeted questions or prompts related to that particular institution.

The primary purpose of the personal essay is to allow the applicant to share something significant about themselves, their experiences, and their personal or intellectual journey. It is more general and focuses on who you are as a person. Typically, this essay provides an opportunity to communicate your character, values, and how past experiences have shaped you. It can touch on personal growth, challenges, aspirations, and passions.

Conversely, supplemental essays help admissions officers understand why you want to attend that school, how your academic and personal goals align with what the institution offers, and how you will contribute to their campus community​​. For example, many schools ask "Why this college?", where you are expected to demonstrate knowledge about the school and how it fits into your academic goals​​. Supplemental essays can also explore your academic interests, potential majors, or specific aspects of your identity​.

What should I write my supplemental essay about?

Your supplemental essay should effectively address the prompt provided by the school and tie into the overall ethos, or theme, of your application. You should use the supplemental essay strategically and tailor your response to each school and program. It should reflect your genuine interest in the college, and highlight how you fit with their programs, culture, and values.

How long does it take to finish a supplemental essay?

How long it takes to finish a supplemental essay varies widely. How confident you are in what you are writing, how easy it is for you to write, and how long you want to give yourself to proofread and make edits all determine how long it takes to write a supplemental essay. That being said, supplemental essays are generally short (250 words or less) and a first draft can typically be written in 20-30 minutes. It is the refining process that makes the process longer, as well as the total number of supplemental essays you need to write.

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What Are the Different Types of Supplemental Essays?

There are many different topics - and even formats - of supplemental essays: far too many to list them all! Below we cover a few of the most common and what colleges are looking to see in each.

1. "Why Us?" Essays

• Purpose: Schools like Cornell and Penn use these essays to assess applicants’ knowledge of the institution’s unique resources and culture. This prompts students to demonstrate genuine interest in the school’s specific programs and values.
• What Colleges Seek: Admissions readers look for evidence that the applicant has researched their institution and can articulate a specific fit, including majors, faculty, clubs, and research opportunities. Authenticity, specificity, and alignment with the institution's ethos are key​​.

2. Intellectual Curiosity or Academic Passion Essays

• Purpose: Universities often request essays that reveal a student’s passion for a subject area, like public health, environmental science, or data science.
• What Colleges Seek: Schools like UChicago encourage unique, thought-provoking approaches, pushing students to demonstrate an inquisitive, critical-thinking mindset. Admissions officers assess how the student's curiosity translates into research, community projects, or in-depth self-study, seeing it as a precursor to academic contributions on campus​​​.

3. Community Impact or Service Essays

• Purpose: Prompts related to community service and impact ask students to detail their contributions to their local or school communities, illustrating their awareness and proactive involvement in societal issues.
• What Colleges Seek: Colleges value stories that highlight students’ proactive problem-solving, empathy, and long-term commitment. This demonstrates a capacity for leadership and a civic-minded approach to challenges that will benefit the campus community​​.

4. Identity and Perspective Essays

• Purpose: Many top schools ask about applicants' personal backgrounds, often phrased as questions about their identities or unique viewpoints.
• What Colleges Seek: Admissions committees evaluate how students’ identities inform their values and perspectives. For example, writing on “identity” at a reach school like Penn might require an introspective, nuanced answer that showcases critical thought rather than a straightforward description of heritage​.

5. Video Supplements

• Purpose: Video essays or supplements are a newer trend where students are asked to answer a prompt via a short, recorded video. These formats offer admissions committees a chance to observe a student’s personality, passion, and communication skills directly. Brown University has become particularly known for its requirement of a video supplement.
• What Colleges Seek: Schools use video supplements to assess applicants’ engagement and authenticity, giving them insight into their character and enthusiasm in a way that written essays can’t always capture. The videos also allow students to add a new dimension to their application narrative, such as creative flair or humor, as well as real-time responses to potentially unrehearsed questions​.

Do colleges really look at supplemental essays?

Colleges definitely look at supplemental essays. Since the personal essay is a multipurpose essay often used for all or most of the schools to which a student is applying, the supplemental essay(s) gives admissions officers the chance to really understand why a student is interested in a specific program or school. They are particularly important as a differentiator for highly selective schools and programs, since many applicants will have strong grades and test scores. The supplemental essay is where you can emphasize unique experiences, perspectives, and academic interests that align with the college’s programs​.

Supplemental Essays in 2024

When Will the Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2024-2025 Be Released?

The 2024-2025 supplemental essay prompts were released over the summer of 2024 and can be found in the Common Application portal under the “Writing Supplement” Section (sometimes called “Other” or “Additional Essay”) for each school to which you are applying.

When Do Schools Release Supplemental Essays?

Supplemental Essay prompts are officially released on Aug 1 each year for the Common Application. Individual schools may choose to release their supplemental essays slightly earlier in July or later in August. Schools change their supplemental essays frequently so make sure you are using the correct prompts for your admissions cycle before beginning.

Colleges Without Supplemental Essays

Not all colleges choose to use supplemental essays (here’s a nice list). In some cases the supplemental essays are optional. If your school does not require supplemental essays but offers them, it is definitely advantageous to complete them.

How To Write A Supplemental Essay: 7 Tips For A Good Essay

To write a strong supplemental essay, our Director of College Admissions, John Morgenelli, Jr., shares his top tips based on the BluePrint Method he developed and his insights from years in the college admissions space.

1. Understand the Ethos of the Essay. The ethos is the core message or character of your essay. It should align with the prompt and strategically reflect your application narrative​​. Before writing, ask yourself: What message am I trying to convey through this essay? Your ethos should make clear your values, interests, and the role you would play at the university. Each supplemental essay should contribute to your overall narrative, complementing other parts of your application.
2. Tailor Your Response to Each School. Each college has its own unique culture and expectations, so it’s crucial to tailor your responses accordingly​​. Schools often ask for essays about why you want to attend or how you would contribute to their community. Research the specific programs, faculty, and opportunities that align with your goals, and reflect those details in your essay. Show that you’ve done your homework and understand how you fit into the school’s environment.
3. Be Specific and Personal. Avoid vague or overly general answers. Use concrete examples from your experiences to illustrate your points​. If you’re discussing a future academic interest, describe specific engagements or research projects you've been involved with that align with the program you’re applying to​. Personalizing your response by connecting it to your own narrative makes your essay more authentic and engaging​.
4. Be Creative and Thought-Provoking. Especially for reach schools, it’s important to stand out with creativity and originality​. When choosing prompts or topics, consider those that allow you to showcase your unique perspective. Approach the essay in an unexpected way—avoid clichés and predictable answers. Think of creative ways to address the prompt, like challenging an assumption or posing an intriguing question​.
5. Use an Intellectual and Strategic Tone. Admissions committees are looking for critical thinkers. Even in personal essays, demonstrate depth of thought by explaining why your experiences or interests matter in the broader context of your future goals​​. Don’t just state facts—reflect on them and discuss how they have shaped your intellectual journey and potential contributions to the college.
6. Create a Coherent Narrative Across Essays. Each supplemental essay should serve a purpose within your overall application, contributing to a cohesive narrative​. If one essay focuses on your academic interests, another might highlight your leadership or community involvement. Together, they should paint a full picture of who you are and what you will bring to the school.
7. Be Honest, but Strategic. While authenticity is important, your essays should also be strategic​. Focus on the aspects of your personality and experience that best align with the program and the ethos of the school. If you’re not sure which qualities to highlight, consider what the school values most (e.g., intellectual curiosity, leadership, collaboration) and emphasize those traits in your essays.

By following these strategies, you can craft supplemental essays that not only stand out but also complement your overall application narrative, making you a more compelling candidate.

If you’re concerned about the strength of your supplemental essays, or have yet to craft an overall application strategy, consider working with Ivy Tutors Network. We offer college essay coaching, college admissions coaching, and our trademarked BluePrint plan to help you achieve your college admissions goals.