If you have to write both a Common App and supplemental
essay, you may be curious about the possibility of writing the same essay in
both instances. The two have certain differences since the Common App is a
personal statement which reflects on your personal experiences, and the
supplemental is more school specific, requiring information relevant to a
specific institution.
However, certain instances may overlap in these two types of
content.
To help you understand the differences and similarities,
we'll assess the situations where the two overlap and the differences as well.
What You Should Know About Making Your Supplemental Essay Similar to Your Common
App
Understanding the critical aspects in each type of content
will help you figure out the areas where they can be similar or stay different.
Here are the instances that you need to take note of.
Is The Common App Personal Statement the Same as a Supplemental?
Both the Common App personal essay and supplemental are
pivotal in an admission process, but they serve different purposes in this
process.
According to Ciaflo,
your personal statement is aimed at showing your personal growth with detailed
narratives that emphasize essential character traits. This type of content
recounts your personal experiences with engaging introspective reflection as
well as an articulation of future aspirations based on such experiences.
On the other hand, supplemental essays tend to have an
explicit purpose with a fixed question targeting a goal. This is designed to
understand your suitability for a particular institution. Here, students must
provide narration that perfectly aligns with the target question and
institution.
However, different universities may place different levels
of importance on either the personal statement or supplemental. Understanding
which type of content is more valuable will help you place greater importance
on the right one.
Is the Supplemental College Essay Deadline the Same as the Regular Deadline?
Another area of similarity could be the deadlines.
Supplementals are commonly required at the same time as the
rest of your application. This means you have a similar amount of time to write
your personal essay as the time you have for the supplemental.
Schools generally have an early decision or early action
deadline in October with regular decision deadlines in January or February. However,
some institutions will only provide questions for the supplemental after
receiving your initial application. This makes the two types of content
different in terms of the level of importance.
Are the People Who Read Your Personal Essay and Supplemental the Same People?
The similarities between these two types of content could also
be assessed in terms of the readers.
Some colleges employa single reader for each set of essays. In other instances, the essays
might be read by different people who later collaborate in admissions committee
meetings. But, you might not be aware of the process involved unless the
institution explicitly mentions these aspects.
If you are addressing different readers in the two sets of
essays, you might craft your essay to resonate with diverse audiences. However,
you still want your message to be a unified piece even when read by different
people. Therefore, how you present your message should have a similar theme
across the two essays.
Should College Essays and Supplementals Connect to the Same Theme?
Generally, you should strive to have a unified narrative across both sets of essays.
It might seem weird for admission officers to get the
perception of two different individuals when reading the two sets of content.
Therefore, avoid contradictions between the main application and the supplemental.
However, each essay should have something unique and
valuable that is not in the other content. One should not be a repetition of
the other.
Differences and Similarities between Supplemental Essays and the Common App
Let's analyze the Common App specifically to see how the
main application differs from the extra questions required by individual
universities.
Overall, the main application is focused on you, your story,
and your experiences. On the other hand, the extra questions drill further into
your suitability to a specific institution, community and the alignment of your
interests with your target, career or field of study.
Let's dig deeper into these aspects.
The Common App
The main Common App essay prompts have a word requirement of between 250 to 650 words.
The 2023-24 prompts require self-expression and reflection on
your identity, background, overcoming challenges, intellectual fascinations and
personal growth. This is aimed to give a wholesome picture of you as a person
and a student.
Based on this understanding of the main prompt, let’s
explore the differences or similarities with the extra questions for different
universities.
The Common App versus the Rice University Supplemental Essay
Unlike the Common App prompts that cover a broad spectrum of
storytelling and deep introspection, the Rice University supplemental essay is
condensed and targeted, asking you why you want to study your targeted major at
the institution. You are required to address specific features of the college
that are particularly appealing to you.
Although they might seem different, the main application can
lead on to the extra prompts for the institution.
Your personal experiences and story can make you suitable
for the type of community at Rice University. Hence, the main application will complement
the extra questions and set the stage for your venture into that institution.
The Common App versus Williams College Supplemental
The Williams College supplemental differs from the Common
App prompts in that it addresses your academic style and thinking without the
requirement of narrative storytelling. This is different from the narrative
driven personal statements of the Common App.
Here too, your narrative and experiences in the personal
statement showcase your personality which could also show your suitability for
the academic pursuits that you desire at Williams College. If your personality
and experiences differ too much from your academic life, that might appear as a
hindrance.
The Common App versus Stevens Institute of Technology Supplemental
The Stevens Institute of Technology has specific questions
regarding how you see yourself fitting into and benefiting from the college's
community. This is a bit different from the expression of individuality and
life lessons expressed in the Common App.
While the two essays might seem different, it's quite
evident that your individuality would have an impact into how you fit into Stevens
Institute of Technology.
Therefore, when you write the two types of content, check
through and see whether there is an underlying theme that flows from the
personal statement to the supplemental. If there is no connection between the
two, you might want to reconsider what you write in either of them.
The Common App versus University of Michigan Supplemental
The University of Michigan's extra questions are focused on
your relationship with communities and what attracts you to specific UM
programs. This is similar to the other supplementals but different from the
Common App that takes a broad and open-minded narrative of self-expression.
Although you should try to present a unified theme across
the two essays, do not be afraid to express your unique qualities in the Common
App. Universities are looking for individuals who will enrich the experiences
of their communities. All you have to do in the supplemental is to show how
your uniqueness can enrich the experiences of the community.
The Common App versus University of Miami Supplemental Essays
The extra questions by the University of Miami ask you to
outline how you’ll contribute to the culturally rich and inclusive UM
community. This goes a step further than the Common App that only focuses on
your personal experiences.
Therefore, the individuality that you portray in the Common
App can be a bonus that helps you show how you'll provide unique contributions
to the UM community. However, this would only apply if your unique qualities
would not contrast or disrupt the type of community in this institution.
The Common App versus University of Washington Supplemental Essays
The University of Washington requires you to answer extra
questions on how you overcame personal barriers and also seeks to understand
your cultural and individual influences. This seems to match the Common App prompts
that cover your life stories and defining moments.
It might be possible to narrate similar experiences for both
types of content. However, it would be advisable to cover different experiences
in order to avoid redundancies.
Verdict on Making Supplemental Essays Similar to the Common App
Based on the specific examples we have covered above, we can
now better answer the question on whether you can use similar content in both
the supplemental and the common app.
We’ll cover different areas in giving this verdict to
understand the instances where you can or cannot write the same thing.
Are Supplemental Essays More Important Than the Common App?
If you want to write similar content for the two essays, you
have to consider which one is more valuable. This way you will place more
emphasis on the most important one and use it as an anchor in writing the
other.
Admission experts typically state that the Common App is
considered one of the most critical application requirements. In some instances,
the supplemental is even optional. However, as long as the institution has
extra questions to answer beyond the main application, it would be advisable to
consider them to be just as important.
If you don't know the value of a specific essay, it's best
to place as much importance on each.
Reasons to Use the Same Essays
Although you may not write the same essay for the
supplemental and Common App, you can capture similar aspects. You’ll do this by
conveying a unified narrative that cuts across the two types of content.
Here are the reasons to do that:
1.
Consistency of narrative
You’ll avoid obvious contradictions by having a unified
theme across both pieces of content. This will make your application appear
genuine, unlike instances where you may have inconsistencies that make your
narration seem implausible.
2.
Time and effort
Only as a last resort would you decide to adopt the same
aspects in both the Common App and the supplemental. If you have to meet a very
close deadline, it would be safer to use a unified theme rather than trying to
bring up new contradictory ideas in the two essays.
Reasons to Use Different Essays
Although you shouldn't write contradictory information in
both applications, there are instances where you can write distinct essays for
the Common App and supplemental.
Here are instances where that may apply:
1.
Addressing specific questions
The specific questions asked in supplementals may require
you to point out aspects that you never covered in the Common App. You should
craft responses that are specifically tailored to the questions such that you
are providing new information.
2.
Showcasing diversity
You can present different areas or experiences of your life
in the two essays to give a more comprehensive view of who you are.
Conclusion - Striking the Right Balance
Whether you write similar or different issues in the Common App
or supplemental is a delicate balancing act.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. You have to
understand the specific institution you are applying to and the requirements
they have. You can also check previous applications by past successful
students. Read the questions that you are given keenly to understand what you
are supposed to answer.
More importantly, understand what the admission officers are
looking for. This way you will know whether you can provide more similar or
more diverse answers in either of the two types of admission components.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cover other areas that we haven't elaborated on, here we’ll
address some lingering questions that you may have.
What is the most common supplemental college essay?
One of the most common supplementals across various
universities is the “why this college” question. If you have this in mind, you
can think of ways of making such an essay to match the theme of your Common App.
For example, your personal experiences can make you well suited for the culture
and values of a specific college.
What happens if I don't sound the same in the Common App and supplemental essays?
One obvious sign of a bad application is inconsistencies in
narration or voice between the Common App and supplemental. Admission officers
expect genuine narration of your personal experiences and interests. If there
is a huge gap between the two, it might indicate an extent of untruthfulness. This
would be clearly evident if the same person is reading both of your essays.
Should I write supplemental essays the same way as the Common App?
Typically, supplementals have different requirements from
the Common App. You can cover similar things, but the way you write the two
would likely be different.
The supplemental is more focused on direct answers without
lengthy narration, which is different from the Common App that is more tailored
to self-reflection and storytelling.
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