Ace the Supplemental Essays: “Why Us?”
On November 1st, the majority of early action and early decision college applications are due. For the next six weeks I will share college application tips to help the whole process run smoothly. (Read previous advice about logistics, the common application form, the honors and activities sections and the core essay.)
- In addition to the main common application essay, many colleges will ask you to write additional essays and short responses.
- These essays often appear in each college’s writing section, but they are also sometimes “hidden” in the academic, contacts or additional information sections, so be sure to look at all fields.
- Before you start to write any supplements, read all of them, for every school that you’re applying to. You will notice that many colleges are asking versions of the same question, and if you choose your topics wisely you might not need to write as many unique responses.
- For instance, the “why us/what do you want to study” essay is likely to appear at more than one program.
- For this essay, it’s critical to make sure that your response isn’t too high level or generic. If you can replace “Michigan” with “Wisconsin” and the essay still makes perfect sense, it isn’t specific enough.
- You also want to weave together information about yourself with the target school’s actual classes, courses, clubs and opportunities. (It’s not enough to say that you will take “Introduction to Psychology,” which can probably be found at most schools – you should also mention the target school’s psychology research lab, by name.)
- To extract these details, conduct research (on the school’s website), and create a document with tangible illustrations that you can include in your response.
- Before writing, in addition to conducting this research, it can help to draft a statement of three things that people need to know in order to understand you. (You grew up in another country, you are a serious lacrosse player, you are passionate about marine biology.)
- Therefore, you want a school with diverse, international students, competitive club lacrosse, and extensive marine biology courses, since you have wanted to dedicate your life to saving dolphins since a pod of them saved you from a shark when you were 7.
- I also suggest articulating what you are most excited about at this school, why it’s a good fit for you, and what you are going to contribute.
- Furthermore, colleges like to see evidence that you are making an informed decision, because they are more likely to yield students who understand the school. (These students are also more likely to be happy if they attend.) To demonstrate that you are knowledgeable, reference contacts that you have had with the school, including campus visits, conversations with students and alums, and online information sessions.
- As with all components, the supplemental essays take longer than you think, so plan ahead!
- However, when leveraged correctly, the supplemental essays are an excellent opportunity to showcase your strengths and passion for the school.
Next Friday, more college application tips – how to use AI in your applications.
