Supplemental Essays
The Common App, UC Application, and ApplyTexas personal essays do not allow you to express your interest in particular schools.
Colleges and universities take great pride in their admission and retention statistics. Every school wants a high percentage of those invited to attend.
I help you express specific interest in each school to which you apply, quelling fears of admissions representatives that you might reject an offer of admission. We will find unique gems of information to convey what you will bring to that college.
| In a statement to Forbes, UW-Madison spokesperson Kelly Tyrrell emphasized that the supplemental essay is just one of many pieces of the application process and that its admissions officers are looking for [a] “strong personal voice and a specificity of detail that can’t easily be replicated.” |
Some colleges do not have even one supplemental essay, while others have up to 10. Most have 1 – 3 essays. Multiply that by the number of colleges to which you’ll apply; admissions personnel read an incredible number of essays. Get started early so you don’t feel pressured for time as you are writing and revising. Pacing yourself will help make your essays stand out among the multitude.
Supplemental essay prompts fall into nine general categories. After you settle on your list of schools, I will build a chart cross-referencing all supplemental essay prompts. These essays are between 100 words and 700 words. Hypothetically, if you apply to twelve colleges, four might have a version of this actual prompt:
A great institution is diverse. It brings students of different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and religions to campus. This college recognizes this and exposes students to a rich variety of perspectives and backgrounds in their educational and social experiences. Tell us in 150-200 words how you have prepared to immerse yourself in a community such as this or how you look forward to growing as a result of your experience at this college.
This is a diversity essay. After creating a completed essay for the longest of the four colleges with a diversity essay, you will have a template for this prompt, making the other three essays easier to tackle. I give an 80% discount on “repeat essays.” Even though the theme repeats, each of the four essays will be distinctive, with concrete references.
Please note there are plenty of prompts that do not fall into the nine general essay prompts. The number of repeat essays is the luck of the draw based on the schools to which you apply. Some of my clients have up to eight repeat essays while others have none.