By: Marissa Williams
Supplemental essays hold just as much weight as any other part of your application. Supplemental essays allow for the admissions office to see how you directly connect to the college and or its values. Supplemental essays should be personal and show a clear connection between you and as to why you believe you should be admitted.
Step 1: Understand what they are asking
What specifically are they asking you to write about? Some prompts may be asking you to tell them something that you may bring to their campus. Talking about leadership, community service, or your collaboration skills can be key points that will allow the admissions committee to get to know a specific part about you. With this, you want your application to be consistent meaning if you have a strong sense of leadership that you know your teachers usually highlight, you should tell a story about a time where you took charge!
Step 2: Do your research
Using the college or university’s website, or social media is a great way to understand what the school is like.Traditions, campus culture, academics, and opportunities are all things that you want to make sure align with your goals before you apply. Digging deeper into what the schools values are can help you create a stronger supplemental essay when they ask the “Why us?” question. When writing your “Why us?” you want to show that you clearly know what you are talking about and by doing your research your essay will be much stronger.
Step 3: Brainstorm
Starting with a personal story is key! Think about a time in your life that directly connects with the school and what its offers. Do they have an amazing nursing program? Talk about how you’ve done many nursing programs in your free time and then talk about a specific learning experience within one of the programs. What about their preforming arts? Instead of just stating that you are apart of a performing arts program, talk about a moment that deepened your love for the arts! Coming up with as many ideas as possible will be the most useful and effective allowing you to pick which idea you would enjoy writing the most about.
Step 4: Starting your draft
Most supplement essays have around a 250-300 word maximum which is not alot of words meaning that every word that you write should have a purpose. Your hook is something that should always capture your audiences attention. After your hook, you want to immediately tell your story then make a connection to the school. Although your hook should get the admissions officer interested, you have to be able to uphold that. When telling your story, you want to keep the officer wondering what will happen next. By the end of you essay, you want to make it full circle by talking about how the school will help you to continue to grow as a student and a person!
Step 5: Revise
Reading your essay aloud, making your sentences flow better, fixing any minor grammatical errors are all things that should be apart of the revision process. Asking yourself whether or not you answered the question is also something to think about after writing your essay. If it is possible ask a peer or two for some feedback. Remember it never hurts to ask for feedback however asking too many people for feedback is where students go wrong!
Three UsefulTips!
Have multiple drafts to use interchangeably.
Don’t try to be perfect instead be authentic.
Remember the admissions office needs to get to know you therefore don’t make it too formal.