Stand out from the crowd: mistakes to avoid in writing your supplemental essays
Writing essays for a college application has been a rite of passage for generations of high school students. Lots of attention gets focused on the “personal statement” of the Common Application: a 650-word essay where the applicant shares stories and anecdotes that reveal compelling personal attributes that will make an admissions officer excited to make an offer.
And this essay IS important.
But at selective colleges and universities, it is not the most important essay in an application.
Instead, the supplemental essays – which are IN ADDITION to the Common Application – are what separate great applicants from good applicants at selective schools. It is in the supplement that each institution provides prompts that are relevant to the kinds of students they are looking for. Sometimes these essays ask the student to explain why their school is a good fit; other times they ask questions about identity and community. Too often, applicants work on these essays at the last minute or spend so much time on their Common App personal statement that the quality of their supplemental essays is noticeably weaker. This is a big mistake.
Beyond de-prioritizing the supplemental essays, there are other mistakes students make with these essays. As students craft their responses, here are some common missteps to avoid.
1. Being generic or superficial. Supplemental essays are often much shorter than the length required for the personal statement but that is not an excuse for spouting generalities. Be specific, and provide well-thought-out examples to make your point. Don’t fall back on platitudes that everyone knows, such as “your school has a great reputation.” Make it crystal clear and detailed in describing why that school is a great fit for you.
2. Not answering the question. When a school asks why their curriculum is attractive to you, don’t talk about how pretty the campus is or how fun it will be to attend football games on the weekend. Do the research necessary to talk with confidence and insight into what they are seeking in their prompt.
3. Repeating yourself. Be strategic about what you’ve already included in your Common Application essay. Avoid re-visiting the same material and topics. Utilize the supplemental essays to show additional great qualities about yourself.
4. Not answering optional questions. Selective schools are competitive. If other applicants (who are seeking the same precious few admit slots that you are) are answering optional questions, you want to take advantage of this opportunity to provide more information about yourself as well. Any optional essay is another opportunity to show a committee how great you are!
5. Not knowing the school you are applying to. If you’ve visited, make sure you find a way to subtly drop that you’ve been there, and wow the reader with your understanding of what makes the institution a great fit for you. And, as mentioned before, be specific.
6. Forgetting to talk about yourself. Even as you answer the question and provide specifics, be sure to include appropriate background about yourself that makes your statements credible and believable. Admissions committees offer these supplements to learn even more about you than what is available in the Common App. As you answer the prompts, be sure to keep your responses personal.
College admissions committees can tell when a supplement has been put together at the last minute. They can also infer how interested you are by reading the depth and quality of your responses. Give them every reason to believe that you are committed to their school; you can do that by investing time in each essay (even the optional ones!), carefully researching the school in question, and providing specific and personal reasons why you are a good fit.
Yes, keep working hard on that Common Application personal statement, but be sure to reserve at least that same amount of time for your supplemental essays!