Overview
Draft supplemental essays for Early Action/Early Decision schools. These are smaller, school-specific essays on top of the Common App essay. Due November 1.
What Are Supplements
- Additional essays required by some schools
- Specific to each school
- Usually 100-500 words
- Vary in prompt type
Common Supplement Types
Why This School
- Most common
- Why you want to attend
- Specific programs, professors, opportunities
- Genuine research required
Why This Major
- Why this specific field
- Academic interests
- Future goals
- Alignment with school's offerings
Community/Diversity
- What you'll contribute
- Your background
- Your perspective
- Community engagement
Extracurricular Elaboration
- Deep dive on one activity
- What you learned
- Your role
- Impact
Intellectual Curiosity
- What you want to explore
- Academic passions
- Books, ideas, concepts
- Discussion starters
Hypothetical
- Creative prompts
- Fictional scenarios
- Show imagination
- Personality
Identity
- Race, religion, gender
- First generation
- Cultural background
- How it shapes you
Planning Approach
List All Schools
- Their specific supplements
- Word counts
- Due dates
- Similarity of prompts
Find Overlap
- Similar "Why us" prompts
- Adaptable essays
- Customizable for each
Unique Prompts
- Require individual writing
- Cannot be recycled
- Time-intensive
Research for Supplements
Why This School
- Specific programs
- Faculty members
- Courses you'd take
- Unique opportunities
- Location-specific advantages
- Campus culture
- Student experiences
How to Research
- School website
- Program pages
- Faculty directories
- Student blogs
- News about school
- Campus visits/virtual tours
Specific Examples
- Name a specific professor
- Reference a specific course
- Mention a specific club
- Cite a specific project
Writing Tips
Specific > Generic
- Named professor with research interest
- Specific course name
- Exact program offering
- Particular opportunity
Your Voice
- Same tone as main essay
- Consistent across all supplements
- Authentic to you
Tight Language
- Every word matters
- Cut unnecessary words
- Powerful verbs
- Concrete nouns
Avoid Cliché
- "I've always been passionate about..."
- "When I visited campus..."
- "The perfect fit"
- "Community of scholars"
Word Count Strategies
Short (100-150)
- Very focused
- Specific answer
- No padding
- Concrete example
Medium (200-300)
- Clear argument
- Two to three supporting points
- Specific examples
- Concluding thought
Long (400-500)
- Developed narrative
- Multiple points
- Extended examples
- Substantive conclusion
Examples of Great Supplement Writing
Specific Why This School
"The combination of Dr. Jones's work on climate policy in the Government department, the Center for Public Policy, and the option to pursue a joint degree in Environmental Studies and Economics makes [School] unique. I want to study how policy translates to environmental outcomes, and this combination of resources doesn't exist elsewhere."
Generic Why This School (Avoid)
"I'm drawn to [School] because of its excellent academic programs and vibrant student community. I would thrive in this environment."
Community/Diversity
Specific Contribution
"As someone raised in a multilingual household, I bring perspectives on how language shapes identity and belonging. I hope to contribute to the Foreign Language Club and start a peer translation service."
Authentic Identity
"Being first-generation doesn't define my experience, but it shapes my approach to education. I know the privilege of higher education because my parents didn't have it. This informs how I take advantage of opportunities."
Extracurricular Elaboration
Deep Dive
"Our debate team's move to online competitions during the pandemic required me to build an entirely new community. As captain, I organized weekly practice rounds via Discord, recruited 12 new members, and built relationships with debaters from 15 other schools."
Show Impact
"In four years, I wrote 18 articles for the school paper. My most controversial piece on the administration's response to student mental health received 2,000 comments and led to policy changes."
Intellectual Curiosity
Specific Interest
"I'm fascinated by the overlap between linguistics and computer science. Watching how algorithms interpret human language reveals patterns in how we actually use words. I'm currently reading Pinker's 'The Language Instinct' and hope to study computational linguistics."
Show Engagement
"When our chemistry teacher posed a question I couldn't answer, I spent a week researching. I found three peer-reviewed articles on sulfur compounds in seawater, which I then used in my IB Chemistry internal assessment. The grade reflected my depth of research."
Time Management
By October 15
- Drafts of all supplement prompts
- Feedback received
- Revisions in progress
October 20-25
- Final drafts
- Final revisions
- Proofreading
By October 28
- All supplements ready
- Submit applications
November 1
- Deadline day
- Submit (if not done earlier)
Recycling Essays
Allowed
- Similar prompts across schools
- Adapt specific examples
- Modify length
- Change school-specific references
Not Allowed (Risky)
- Exact same essay for different prompts
- Copy-paste without adaptation
- Same school-specific examples for different schools
- Obvious recycling
Quality Standards
Each Supplement
- Specific to the school
- Shows research
- Demonstrates fit
- Well-written
Across All
- Consistent voice
- Consistent strength
- No weak links
- Complete portfolio
Common Mistakes
- Generic writing
- Cliché openings
- Over-research (showing off)
- Under-research (generic)
- Starting too late
- Not editing
Parent/Teacher Involvement
- Feedback only, not rewriting
- Grammar and clarity
- Not content direction
- Maintain your voice
Final Step
- Print and read aloud
- Check all specifics accurate
- Verify word counts
- Submit with confidence