Supplemental essays really do matter! Colleges that request supplements (even if they call them “optional”) are looking to get a more complete picture of who you will be when you get to campus. What classes will you take, which clubs will you join? What skills and personality will you bring as a roommate, friend, teammate, community member? Here are some key points to keep in mind as you write.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Before you even sit down to write the essay, spend at least 15 minutes on the college’s website and take notes. What majors are you interested in? Which classes from the course catalogue call to you and why? Are there other opportunities at the school that seem awesome—study abroad programs, unique clubs, residential communities? Are there particular professors who would inspire you? Write it all down so you can weave this info into your supplements.
CHOOSE THE FUN TOPIC
Some schools offer unique essay prompts. UVM has a supplement about inventing an ice cream flavor. William & Mary asks you to plan a tour of your hometown. Wake Forest lets you share your “Top Ten list.” Even if creative writing isn’t your specialty, choose the fun topic. You will be able to reveal things about yourself in a format that’s inherently engaging and personal.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Do not tell the school how much you love the city in which it’s located (ahem, ahem, Tulane). Don’t gush about how beautiful the library is. Or how much you love the school colors. If these factors are important to you, weave them into your essay in a way that reveals something about you. You want to be in New Orleans to study jazz music; libraries have always been your happy place because you get lost in the stacks, pouring through biographies of the American presidents; the school colors are the same as those on the flag where your grandfather was born. Connect every detail to some tidbit that shows the admissions readers who you are and who you will be when you get to college.
