How Important Is the Supplemental Essay in a College Application?
You have a great transcript, phenomenal test scores and a strong personal statement. Plus, you put your heart and soul (along with tons of energy and time) into crafting the perfect college essay for your Common Application.
You’re understandably stymied, then, to find out that all your top school choices are also asking for a short “supplemental” essay on a topic of their choosing.
Are these school-specific essays really that important? Absolutely.
Your Supplemental Essay Could Make or Break Your Chance at Admissions
Ivy League and top-tier schools are increasingly using supplemental essay questions to help them spot which students really want to attend their particular school and which students are applying as part of a backup plan.
Asking applicants to submit a supplemental essay can actually deter a number of students from applying to a university that they don’t really want to attend. After all, your time and energy are limited, so why put all the extra effort into a school you aren’t really interested in? Ivy League schools, in particular, may ask you to answer a dozen or so specific questions, so that’s a lot of work if you don’t genuinely want to attend.
The supplemental essay is also the one place where colleges can ask applicants whatever they want, so it’s their chance to see the “real you,” outside of your transcripts and test scores.
Your Supplemental Essay Gives You the Ability to Demonstrate True Interest
What’s so different — and so important — about the supplemental essay? Regardless of the wording of the question, the underlying subtext is usually something like, “Why do you want to come to our school, and how will you be a good fit?”
If the question is fairly straightforward (and they often are), take this opportunity to show just how well you’ve researched the school and what specific aspects of the academic and campus community appeal to you.
Saying only that you value the school’s academic reputation or that it’s always been your dream to attend the school is far too generic of a response to merit the admissions board’s interest. Instead, talk about specific academic programs that the school offers or how much you want the chance to study under a specific professor. Go into detail about the unique aspects of the campus community that make you want to be there.
Don’t Let an Offbeat Supplemental Question Throw You off Balance
Sometimes a school will ask a “quirky” or offbeat question, instead. (For example, “Tell us about spiders,” and “What was your favorite thing about last Wednesday?” are real questions that students have struggled to answer in the past.)
With questions like these, the subtext is really, “Tell us something about yourself that we can’t learn from your transcripts.”
The admissions office is conscious of the fact that the vast majority of essays that they see on the common application are carefully planned and highly polished. “Oddball” questions are designed to give them a peek at the real you, so dig deep. Whatever your response, try to make sure that your answer somehow shows your ability to be reflective and insightful and demonstrates your character or interests.
Done well, a supplemental essay can be the number one thing that elevates your application package to the top of the pile — so take your time with them!
