Are supplemental essays second-class citizens in your mind? I wouldn’t blame you. They’re shorter and far easier to write than the Common App essay and you need to write so many of them, even for target and safety schools. They’re pesky little obligations, probably buzzing around your mind but flying just outside of your immediate range of concern.
However, if you treat your supplemental essays as an afterthought, you’re overlooking a prime opportunity in your college applications. Because many students apply to several schools and leave supplements for last, they write them without much thought or attention.
The thing is, colleges care about supplements. Admissions officers created the supplemental questions specifically for their school’s admissions process, and they want to learn more about you from your responses. Sure, the Common App essay allows you a whopping 650 words while some supplements may give you as few as fifty. But that’s fifty more words to show who you are, to show another side of you, or to double down on an existing personality trait you’d like to highlight. That’s fifty more words to advocate for you. There’s a lot you should do in that space, along with a lot you shouldn’t, so let’s explore all of that today.
How to write your supplements
First, we recommend writing down all the supplements (and their word counts) that you’ll need to write across all your colleges. There will be many overlaps and it’ll be helpful to know which supplements can basically be copied from another one with minor tweaks.
Once you do that, it’s time to get writing! Here’s our comprehensive guide to tackling four common types of supplements.
1. "Why Us?"
Columbia University: Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia.
What do admissions officers want here?
They want to see evidence that you've done your research and have a genuine interest in their institution. They also want to see that you're a good fit for their campus.
How to approach these
Research the school thoroughly and go beyond the surface level. Look into specific professors, classes, student organizations, unique programs, and campus initiatives. Try reading the school’s Strategic Plan or campus newspapers, or go down rabbitholes starting from the college’s website. Jot down names that you might want to “namedrop” in your essay and the contexts around them.
In addition, remember that this essay is about you, too. Once you have the college-specific names, find ways to link the school's offerings to your personal experiences and goals. This is extremely important; your namedrops mean nothing if they don’t relate clearly back to you. If you have a higher word limit, you could even dive into anecdotes of your own experiences before linking them with a college-specific opportunity.
Elements you should include
- Specific opportunities at the school: professors, classes, student organizations, unique programs, campus initiatives, etc.
- How each opportunity aligns with your interests or goals. This should also hint at what you'll bring to the campus community
Example excerpt
On my high school’s Energy Committee, we brainstormed ideas for the homes of the future: solar panels, high-efficiency insulation, gray water systems… At X University, I would love to bring those ideas to life at the Urban Design Lab. After reading Professor Y’s publication on the future city of Neoluna, I have an ever-growing list of questions about the city’s solar capacity and its reliance on other alternative energy sources. I can’t wait to take his class, ENV 341: Alternative Energy Infrastructure to learn more and answer some of these questions.
2. "Why (Major)?”
Pomona College: What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.
What do admissions officers want here?
They want to see your passion for your chosen field and a demonstration that you’ve taken initiative to explore it. They also want reassurance that you’ll succeed in this field that you’ve chosen once you come to campus.
How to approach these
Like the “why us?” essay, this isn’t purely about the college. It’s about you, too. In fact, some "why major" prompts are designed to entirely be about you; make sure to read it carefully.
In this essay, describe how your passion for the subject developed and what feelings and experiences led to you realizing that you were interested in this field. Show your genuine excitement about the field and show why exactly it excites you so much.
Make sure to link your previous experiences with your future goals in this field and what you want to investigate further, in college or beyond. If applicable to the prompt, you should mention school-specific opportunities here as well (professors, classes, etc.), and make sure to link them to your goals.
Elements you should include
- The origin of your interest in the field and any relevant experiences or projects
- Your future aspirations in this field
- (if applicable) How this major at this specific school will help you achieve your goals
Example excerpt
My interest in neuroscience began when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She went from the loud woman who taught me to bake my own bread to someone who struggled to recognize her own children. As I watched her memories slip away, I wanted to understand how exactly the brain stores memories and why her disease was causing them to fade. In junior year, I conducted a science fair project on the biomarkers of memory decline. X University's Cognitive Neuroscience Lab would be my dream environment to continue this research and work towards developing new therapies for diseases like Alzheimer’s.
3. "A Community You're a Part Of"
University of Michigan: Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
What do admissions officers want here?
They want some more insight into your background and values that your Common App essay may not provide. They want to gauge your ability to engage with diverse groups and contribute to the campus community.
How to approach these
Select your community wisely: don’t automatically choose the one you’ve spent most time with. Choose the community where you've made a meaningful contribution or where you’ve learned the most from. Choose the community that’s given you a good story to tell.
Make sure to describe your role within this community and focus on how you’ve changed it and how it’s changed you. If possible, relate what you’ve learned from this community to how you'll engage with others in college. Show that you’ll apply your growth from this community to all other communities you’ll join in the future.
Elements you should include
- Description of the community, your role, and your contributions
- Lessons learned or personal growth
- How you’ll use these lessons/growth in your college communities
Example excerpt
I first joined the Web Warriors Club because I wanted to make a public website displaying my favorite influencers. I didn’t realize this club would ignite my interest in both creating technology and empowering others… When I became president in junior year, I started structuring our meetings like mini-hackathons: first demonstrating a concept, then partnering experienced members with beginners for hands-on practice. I loved watching our members make their first websites about all sorts of things, from their pet hamster to their basketball team. It’s now my passion to build the communities that get people excited about technology, even if they’ve never seen a line of code before.
4. Fun Supplements
Stanford: Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better.
Dartmouth: Celebrate your nerdy side.
MIT: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.
What do admissions officers want here?
They want to see your personality and interests. They’re just making sure that 1. you’re a real person and not just a list of accomplishments, and 2. you would be a fun and active peer and student on campus.
How to approach these
Don’t overthink it! We know these are hard to start. As a first step, list out all your initial thoughts/answers to whatever the prompt is.
Then, choose carefully from your list and try to show something new about you that isn’t shown in the rest of your application. Try to balance seriousness with levity: share both meaningful aspects of your character and fun quirks.
Most importantly, make sure you don’t come off as arrogant or obnoxious or someone that might be difficult to deal with. These can be huge red flags to admissions officers.
Elements you should include
- Interesting personal details or personality traits that aren’t anywhere else in your application
- A mix of serious and lighthearted information, if applicable
Example excerpt
Dear future roommate,
Don't be alarmed if you hear me saying goodnight to Pixie before bed. No, Pixie isn't a secret pet or an imaginary friend — she’s my trusty camera, a well-worn Canon EOS R100 that's been my constant companion for three years.
Why did I name her Pixie?
- It’s short for Pixel. Not short, but… you get what I mean. In Adobe Lightroom where I edit my photos, just a few pixels can dramatically alter the impact of a shot. From the hours I’ve spent obsessing over pixels, I’ve learned to find the beauty in small details.
- Like her namesake fairy, Pixie has a knack for capturing magic in ordinary moments. It might be a laugh between my friends, or the way sunlight catches morning dew on a leaf outside my window, or the split second when a hummingbird hovers nearby. She’s taught me that anything ordinary can be turned extraordinary with some creativity and sparkle…
Last thoughts
The key to all these supplements is to be authentic while strategically showing new sides of yourself that are not represented elsewhere on your application.
Have fun with them and good luck! If you’d like a professional opinion on any essay, we’re happy to help. At Essay Cafe, we have an amazing team of essay consultants from Stanford, UPenn, Columbia, and other top schools. Sign up here and you'll see the option to book a brainstorm session or essay review with us today! ✨
About Kelsey
Kelsey Wang is an essay consultant at Essay Cafe with a B.S. in Data Science and a minor in Creative Writing from Stanford University. She approaches essay editing from both a data perspective (applying successful patterns from hundreds of essays read) and a creative perspective (making each individual student stand out) and has personally helped students get into top schools like Princeton, Yale, Brown, UCLA, Duke, Stanford, Columbia and many more.