“The supplement is a chance to expand one’s candidacy, to reveal one’s personality, and to prove one’s interest. If the essay was the heart of the application, the supplement was it’s soul”
Becky Munsterer Sabky
~Valedictorians at the Gate
Today is a big day in the college admissions world. The Common App reopens for the 2023 admissions cycle. Students can see which colleges on their list will require supplemental essays and get started on them. They can return to school next month with their applications complete so they can focus on their senior year, getting the best grades in the most rigorous classes in their high school career and enjoying their last year at home. If you know a senior that needs to tackle the next stage of writing, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The length can vary. I have seen questions that require an answer the length of a tweet. Others can be 500-1,000 words. Typically they are 150-250.
2. These pieces are usually shorter than the main essay, but they need to be polished. The supplemental essays should receive the same level of care and effort as the main essay.
3. You might see prompts that you can use more than once. Two examples that I often see are “Tell us about a meaningful extracurricular that you enjoy” or “Tell us why you want to study and why”.
4. Another typical supplement that colleges use is the “Why Us?” essay. In order to write this effectively, you need to craft a detailed piece with specific information that draws you to the college.
5. The supplement is an opportunity to show another facet of yourself that is not already a part of your application.
6. Colleges use this portion of the application to allow students to share their voice, more of their personality and their interest in a school.
If you know a rising senior, encourage them to get started sooner rather than later. As I tell the kids that I work with, “You can pay now or you can pay later, but you are going to pay.” Good luck!