The University of San Diego is a prestigious private Catholic institution which brands itself as a “changemaker” in higher education. This university, like many others, requires prospective students to provide a supplemental essay as part of the admission process. Although this essay is a requirement by the university, you may be curious about how seriously they consider this part of the application compared to the primary application.
We’ll explore various aspects of the university's admission process to understand how they view this essay.
Let’s start off with what they really want from students.
How to Please USD'S Admission Officials
Understanding what makes the admission officials happy will give you a better gauge into how seriously they take the supplemental. Basically, you can check to see whether the questions asked align with what the admission officials expect.
Let's start with what the university looks for.
What USD Looks for in Applicants
The University of San Diego sets its standards high for prospective applicants by seeking innovative changemakers. These are thinkers, explorers or dreamers.
USD'sofficial admission page expressly states that they value achievements in academics, personal pursuits, as well as extracurricular activities. They take a holistic approach in the review process. They want to see your unique accomplishments and attributes.
Are Supplemental Essays Important?
Now that we know what the university looks for, let's analyze the specific supplemental essay requirements to see how they match with their interests.
The essay prompts in the CommonApplication require first-year students to choose one of five themes (Collaborate, Advocate, Illuminate, Cultivate, and Innovate). These prompts are not just centered on academics, but aspects greater than academics like spirituality, the community and humanity. You are supposed to describe how the chosen theme resonates with you and why.
Note that this university offers diverse educational opportunities within the liberal arts and sciences, and it takes an overall holistic approach to education. Since the essay prompts are in line with the holistic approach that the institution takes in education, it’s therefore clear that the supplemental is definitely important.
These are the essay prompts:
1. Essay Prompt Option #1
Here, the prompt will require you to reflect on your contributions to the school or local community. Such contributions should exemplify commitments and awareness in creating an inclusive, diverse and equitable community. This aligns with USD's Horizon projects dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive campus community.
To approach this prompt, you can share specific examples of your contributions. You should also emphasize your understanding of the importance of inclusivity and diversity.
2. Essay Prompt Option #2
This question encourages you to discuss a challenge facing humanity today. You will explain why it matters and share relevant insights and experiences. This aligns with USD's emphasis on change-making through civic engagement, social justice and global perspectives.
To approach this question, strive to connect your personal experiences with the broader context of global issues and social justice. And always focus on your commitment to positive change.
3. Essay Prompt Option #3
Here, applicants are required to share their ideas about spirituality or faith in someone's life or even their personal lives. Considering that the university is founded on the Catholic faith, this is certainly a key consideration for admission officials. Note that the university still welcomes students from diverse faith traditions and backgrounds.
Your approach to this question should involve genuine experiences and thoughts regarding faith and spirituality. Don’t try to portray a false image.
4. Essay Prompt Option #4
This 4th question applies to transfer applicants and is mandatory. USD requires you to show how the university will help your education and professional paths beyond your current institution.
Your approach to this question should involve specific aspects of USD. Don't be vague or general as this will show that you don’t have a clear understanding of what the university offers.
Based on these essay prompts, it's clear that the University of San Diego takes supplementals seriously, especially since the 4th one is mandatory.
Understanding the Applicant's Requirements
Another way to find out how seriously the university takes supplementals is to check on the requirements for applicants. Typically, mandatory aspects denote areas that are more seriously considered than optional aspects.
Let's start by seeing the requirements for both first-year students and transfer students.
The Requirements for Transfer Students and First-Year Students
The university clearly indicates a range of aspects that prospective applicants must fulfill during the application process.
For first-yearapplicants, these are the documents and materials required:
· Completed Common Application essay and supplemental essay, including USD member questions
· Official high school transcripts
· Academic letter of recommendation
· Application fee of $55
Evidently, the supplemental is considered part and parcel of the main application since it is included as a requirement along with the other materials.
Now let's check the transfer applicants' requirements. Here you need to submit:
· Completed Common Application essay and supplemental essay, including USD member questions
· Official college transcripts from all institutions attended
· Official final high school transcript, proof of high school completion, or equivalency
· Academic letter of recommendation
· Transfer college reports
· Transfer mid-term reports
· Application fee of $55
Here too, transfer students must include a supplemental essay. The essay is not considered optional in any situation. There may be extra requirements for transfer students, but they do not overshadow the need for a supplemental.
University of San Diego Application Deadline
Differences in application deadlines may indicate an emphasis in one essay or the other during the application process. Some universities require the main application before any extra supplemental questions. That often indicates that the main application is more valued than the extra questions which may not be required in certain cases.
In the case of USD, first-year students have the following application deadlines:
· Fall 2024 Regular Decision in December 1, 2023
· Fall 2024 Late Consideration Decision in January 15, 2023
· Spring 2024 Regular Decision in October 2, 2023
In turn, transfer students have a different set of deadlines:
· Fall 2024 Regular Decision in March 1, 2024
· Spring 2024 Regular Decision in October 2, 2023
Evidently, there is only one deadline for both the Common App and the supplemental. Since you‘re submitting them together, they are likely considered to be equally important.
Requirements for University of San Diego
Let's delve further into the value that USD places on supplementals during its admission process.
Notably, the university committed to a test-free admission process for applicants in the fall of 2024 and the spring of 2024. This means that standardized test scores (SAT or ACT) are not considered during the admission process. This factor indicates that the Common App and the supplemental are vital components of getting into the university.
Note that international students should still demonstrate English language proficiency despite the university being test-free.
Here are some more valuable insights provided by Topher McDougal, Associate Professor, and Emily Nagisa Keehn, Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs at the Kroc School concerning what you need to do to get into the university
They emphasize the importance of telling a compelling and authentic story in your personal statement, ensuring your letters of recommendation are meaningful, researching the faculty and program, highlighting your academic aptitude and fit, and submitting your complete application early. They stress the significance of tailoring your materials to the specific requirements of the Kroc School and providing a clear narrative that showcases your potential for success in their programs. Additionally, they encourage applicants to engage with faculty, meet with referees to discuss their goals, and seek support from the admissions team throughout the application process.
What You Need to Know About USD
As you contemplate on the value of the supplemental, it would be useful to understand a bit more about the university. Getting a broader understanding of this institution will help you understand what they are actually looking for in the essay and how they value it.
Here are some useful insights you should know.
University of San Diego Acceptance Rate
The competitiveness of a university can give you an insight into how critical the application process is.
The official USD admission page gives the following statistics for the fall of 2023:
- 16,000 applications received
- 46% acceptance rate
- 4.0 to 4.4 middle 50% admitted GPA (weighted)
This acceptance rate places the university in a moderate category regarding competitiveness. For a better perspective, consider these universities that have a much lower acceptance rate:
- California Institute of Technology, 3%
- Harvard University, 3%
- Columbia University, 4%
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 4%
- Stanford University, 4%
Even so, USD's acceptance rate is much lower than such institutions as:
- Adams State University, 100%
- Albizu University, Miami, 100%
- Alliance University, 100%
- Alliant International University, 100%
- Art Academy of Cincinnati, 100%
This shows that you’re not guaranteed entry into USD like in universities which have acceptance rates that are as high as 100%. Therefore, you must place as much importance as possible on every aspect of the admission process, including the supplemental.
Is USD a Good School?
For USD, it holds a respectable position in national rankings, according to US News. This is how it ranks compared to other institutions:
- #98 National Universities
- #54 Best Value Schools
- #62 Undergraduate Teaching
- #65 Best Colleges for Veterans
According to the rankings of the institution, they are likely to pay close attention to what is submitted in your supplemental. Therefore, put your best foot forward.
Let’s also see whether this university is highly regarded and what it’s famous for.
According to US News, the most popular majors at USD include management, business, marketing, social sciences, biological and medical sciences, engineering, computer and information sciences, psychology, liberal arts, and English language and literature.
The satisfaction of its student body with such courses can indicate how much they value these academic offers. Sitting at a 90% retention rate for the average freshman, it's quite clear that the university is well regarded. Consequently, applications for this university are likely to be competitive. Therefore, you should consider every aspect of the application process to be valuable – not just the supplemental.
Conclusion
As much as you may want to find out how seriously the university considers your supplemental, you too would need to consider whether it's worth your investment.
Besides the academic successes of the institution, its rankings and the satisfaction of the students, you need to find out whether it aligns with your academic and personal goals. You have to consider the campus culture, extracurricular opportunities, and overall learning environment.
Ultimately, only you can determine whether the university is the right fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let's cover a few extra questions that you may still have concerning the university and the supplemental essays that they require.
How important are supplemental essays for USD?
Supplemental essays are part of USD's holistic admissions approach. Since they don't consider your academic grades, then your essay is that much more critical. Therefore, the supplemental is a must-have.
Is the Common App essay or supplemental more important for USD?
Unlike other universities that make the supplemental optional, USD requires it along with the Common App. You also have to submit both at the same time. Moreover, the questions given seek to evaluate aspects that are important to the university. Inevitably, you have to assume that both application essays are equally important.
Are personal statements more important than supplemental essays?
You may wonder whether personal statements are typically more important than supplementals in universities in general. This might give you an insight on how the issue might be treated by USD.
Generally, universities that have supplementals consider them to be of equal value as the Common App or personal statement. This is because the supplemental covers issues that are not covered in the personal statement. Supplementals are more targeted to the specific institution unlike personal statements that can be applicable to any institution.
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