Colleges typically request for a supplemental essay in combination with the main personal statement. This extra essay is aimed at figuring out your suitability for the specific institution.
There are multiple aspects that the admission officials will consider when assessing your suitability.
We will go through the different components to help you understand all this.
What You Need to Know About Supplemental Essays
Supplemental essays are generally similar to the main college application essay in getting an insight into who you are. The key difference is, unlike the main essay, which focuses on uniqueness and personality, the supplemental is aimed at figuring out the specific motivations that you have for a particular field of study and your desire to join the institution.
Let's dig deeper into this.
What is the Point of Supplemental Essays?
Each college will likely have very different supplemental essay prompts. The reason for such differences is each college values different aspects. The prompts are designed to figure out if you are suitable to the community in that college.
Here are the major factors that are checked.
Your Knowledge of the Institution
The extra questions in your application will help the institution understand what you know about the particular college. Therefore, generic responses will definitely get you rejected. For example, if you’re discussing your interest in the computer science program, you can mention faculty members whose research aligns with your passion.
The extra application questions are aimed at finding out how you developed your interests in a particular field through challenging experiences. Your answers should showcase your growth and development to the point where you want to explore that area of study in university. For example, if prompted to discuss your challenging experiences, make sure to also include the way you overcame the challenges and what you learned through that experience to make you a better person.
Fit and Contribution
Admission officials want to know whether you are aware of the culture, values and aspirations of the college community. It's also important for them not to include disruptive elements into the community.
Although your main motivation is to pursue your academic goals, you can only achieve that if you are comfortable in the community. An example of portraying this fit to the institution is discussing specific aspects of the college culture that resonate with you. You can also show how you’ll contribute to the community.
Do Colleges Actually Read Supplemental Essays?
The supplemental is one extra step in evaluating potential candidates. If admission officials have a range of applicants with similar Common App essays, the supplemental would be the place where some can stand out from the rest.
This is particularly important for colleges that no longer check standardized test scores. An example of such a college is the University of San Diego.
Here are some of the specific areas that admission officials would look at.
Evaluating Genuine Interest
What you write and how you write could show the passion you have for a particular area of study. Someone who crafts generic statements would likely not be as engaged as someone who gives a unique narration in an essay.
An example of approaching this issue is to state specific campus initiatives or unique courses that you are genuinely interested in, rather than just generally saying that you want to join the institution.
Assessing Writing Skill
Your ability to communicate effectively, convey complex ideas, and structure your thoughts properly would be evident in your essay. Therefore, don't just focus on the ideas you want to convey but ensure that they are written in a way that is understandable to your target audience. Pay attention to all aspects of good writing like coherence, clarity, and proper grammar.
Common App versus Supplemental Essays
Figuring out the differences in what admission officials look for in the two application essays can help you identify what is expected of you in a supplemental essay. Besides, understanding the key differences will help avoid any overlap or redundancies in your content.
Let's take a deep dive into this.
What Admission Officials Look for in Supplemental Essays vs. Common App/ Personal Statements
The common app is typically one essay submitted to multiple colleges while the supplemental is customized to a specific college. This impacts many other differences between the two types of content.
Here are the issues that stand out.
Institution Fit
While the common app focuses on your personal journey and experiences, the supplemental is tailored to the specific aspects of your character and motivation that apply to a particular institution.
This is how you would approach the two essays concerning this key difference. If discussing a personal challenge in the supplemental, you need to show how your growth made you uniquely passionate for an academic field. Although you can use the same approach with the Common App, in a supplemental you would have to expressly mention certain programs or resources in the target institution that you are passionate about.
Academic Fit
While the Common App takes a more holistic approach to your character, encompassing personal interests and extracurricular pursuits, the supplemental is more focused on your academic aspirations. This means you won’t delve too much on personal issues in the supplemental, but you will specifically focus on career-oriented aspects. You would only mention extracurricular factors if specifically required in the essay prompt.
What Admission Officials Want to See in Supplemental Essays for Different Universities
Since supplementals are geared towards a specific institution, you can only tell what is required by assessing each individual college.
We have compared some examples of institutions to help you figure this out.
Read on to find out more.
What is the Purpose of UNC CH Supplemental Essays?
The supplemental essay prompts of the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill are aimed at revealing how applicants can contribute to
the Carolina community. The prompts also seek to identify your academic
passion.
Here are the short answer prompts for 2023-2024 that you will be required to answer:
· Respond in up to 250 words about one of your personal qualities and share a story of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community.
· In 250 words, discuss an academic topic you're excited to explore in college and why it interests you.
Note that UNC CH indicates that your responses can also be considered for scholarships and other opportunities.
What's Harvard Looking for in the Supplemental Essay?
The supplemental essay prompts of Harvard University take a more holistic approach.
Each of the five required short answer questions have a 200-word limit. You will find the questions targeting intellectual experiences, diversity, extracurricular activities, personal insights, and aspirations. Therefore, you should be prepared to cover all aspects of your experiences.
This means that the university is looking for well-rounded students with a wide range of experiences across a broad spectrum. If you are such a student, you definitely have an edge over the rest.
What is UC Chicago Looking for in Its Supplemental Extended Essay?
If you’re looking for thought-provoking and unconventional essay prompts, you will find it with the University of Chicago.
The 2023-24UC Chicago prompts have a mandatory question that explores your suitability to the university based on your desire for a specific area of learning. You will also have to choose one extended essay prompt covering creativity and self-expression.
What Do Med Schools Look for in Supplemental Essays?
Med schools tend to go beyond academic excellence in evaluating potential applicants. This is evident in schools such as Harvard Medical School, UCSF School of Medicine, and Duke University School of Medicine.
For example, Duke University School of Medicine places emphasis on your learning skills, personal characteristics, and commitment to service. The institution is seeking a demonstration of the reasons why you seek a career in medicine.
Similarly, the Harvard Medical School admission selection features a holistic approach. The institution doesn't give preference based on your undergraduate concentration. Instead, they focus on a balanced, liberal education. Note that you will make your application through AMCAS.
Finally, the UCSF School of Medicine application process features equity, diversity, anti-oppression, and belonging. The institution actually seeks to increase the number of physicians from disadvantaged and historically underrepresented populations. Therefore, such applicants may have an advantage.
Examples of Supplemental Essays
To help you in writing your own supplemental essay that fulfills the objectives of your target institution, here is a useful sample to give you some insights.
This is an example provided by The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It can help you figure out what they expect from you and also give you some insight on how to answer prompts from other institutions:
Here is the prompt:
“Explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else.”
Here is a sample essay for the prompt, based on an imaginary DNA Analysis Major:
“My high school biology teacher taught me the importance of curiosity, creativity, and integrity in scientific endeavors. She inspired me to continue taking science classes throughout high school to learn as much as I could. By the start of senior year, I knew I wanted to work in a science field, but it was a trip to a forensics lab last summer that helped me decide I want to specialize in DNA Analysis. On the trip, the first place we visited was the DNA lab, where I was able to speak to the lab technician about different techniques for analyzing DNA samples. He showed me the equipment and explained how proper analysis is vital in crime investigations. After witnessing biology used in this manner, I am certain I want to pursue a career in forensics, starting with studying DNA Analysis at UIUC.”
Here is another example provided by the Olin College of Engineering:
This is the prompt:
“What change do you hope to be a part of? Why is this particular change important to you?”
Here is a sample essay for the prompt:
“I see the issue of transportation as of special importance because of how often it is overlooked. While there are plenty of people who are committed to tackling the world's most frequently-discussed issues, from climate change to world hunger, both incredibly noble goals, the issue of inadequate public transportation feels unjustly underrepresented... I see this as both the result of powerful corporations in the auto industry acting in their own self-interest, creating and maintaining a dependency on cars to preserve their fortune, and our modern complacency with this flawed system. This is one reason why I am especially intrigued by this problem. It needs a solution deeper than a singular innovation or design.”
Conclusion
As you can see, the objectives sought by admission officials in supplementals vary drastically from institution to institution.
What admission officials would want to see would depend on the college's values, programs, and community. Therefore, you should investigate a lot more concerning the particular college to understand what they truly value.
Frequently Asked Questions
To explain aspects that may not be clear, here are a few questions that you may still have.
How can I write a supplemental essay to suit admission officers?
The general rule in writing supplemental essays that satisfy admission officials is to deeply research on the institution, tailor your responses to fit your area of study, showcase your personality that fits with the community, connect your past experiences to your future goals, and be concise.
What do you talk about in a supplemental essay?
What you talk about will depend on what the institution values. Typically, the prompt will state exactly what you need to say whether it regards your intellectual or extracurricular activities, contribution to the community, academic passion, or any other aspects. Following the prompts is the simplest way to deliver the right answers.
What should I not say in a supplemental essay?
Generally, you'll be on the safe side if you avoid these critical mistakes: using generic responses, using negative language, overuse of clichés, exaggerations or fabrications, or lacking specifics. You may need an extra pair of eyes to review your essay just to be sure that you avoid such simple mistakes.
.jpg)
