Sighing in relief, you smile. You’ve just finished your Common App Essay/personal statement, and now, you’re done writing essays for college applications! But wait—are you?
As you click through your Common App dashboard, you realize that your relief is simply too good to be true. One school throws you another three 200-word essays. The next school ‘gifts’ you another 400-word essay. The third? A 300-word and 550-word essay. The list goes on.
But wait, don’t fret! Together, let’s break down two of the most common supplemental essay prompts and learn how to conquer them.
Number One: The Community/Experience/Diversity Essay
The first and most important step of writing this essay is identifying your community. So, what does community mean to you?
As stated by the College Essay Guy, communities can be defined by: place (ex. your town, your street, etc.), action (ex. your mental health advocacy group, your school’s student council, etc.), interest (your monthly book club, your dance studio, etc.), or circumstance (your cultural identity, your religious identity, etc.).
You might be afraid to come across as too cliche. “But everyone writes about being _____. It’s too common!” Sure, it might be true that a lot of people write about the same topics, but that doesn’t make your experience any less true or unique. It’s not what you write about that matters. It’s how you write about it. For example, while you might share the same cultural or religious identity as someone else, your experiences are likely to be vastly different. That’s when the phrase, “be yourself,” actually comes in handy.
Moreover, make sure your essay is growth-oriented. Admissions officers want to see that you are a human—not a robot! Show your ability to be vulnerable, yet mature at the same time. Be authentic, and let your true voice shine through!
On a side note: some schools might ask you to talk about how you plan to continue exploring your community on campus. If so, you can include some specific school offerings that appeal to you. However, if the prompt does not require you to include aspects about the school, you don’t have to and should instead focus more on talking about yourself.
Number Two: Why Us?
When you hear of a “Why Us?” essay, your mind might immediately jump to listing a myriad of facts about said college/university. But, don’t be fooled. A “Why Us?” essay is just as much of a “Why You?” essay. The school already knows how awesome it is. But why are YOU a good fit for them?
Start with a brief, but niche narrative/experience that is specific to you and relates to why you want to attend the school. Aim to use around one-third to one-half of the essay’s word count to talk about yourself. Then, bridge your unique narrative/experience into the school. Something like, “At _____, I’ll continue _____.” After that, jump into some specific academic, extracurricular, etc. offerings of said school. The type of things you pick should vary based on the specific school’s prompt. For instance, if they ask you to talk about academics, make sure you’re focusing on what you want to study and why. However, make sure you’re not just listing 100 things you’re excited to explore at the school. You want to elaborate on why you want to do what you mention, what you’re going to add to the school, and how you’re going to do it.
Finally, make sure to tie in your future goals! This should align with your hook, or your narrative/experience, and the school’s offerings. Remember to highlight how the school is going to help you get to where you want to be and accomplish what you want to do.
You’ve got this!
The hardest part about writing supplemental essays is getting started. However, the more you write, the better you’ll get. You’ll begin to develop your authentic voice. Just remember to stay true to yourself. Good luck!
Sources:
- https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/community-essay
Thank you to Diya R for editing this article!