Supplemental Essays - "Hidden" Application Work (That Takes Hours)
Learn how supplemental essays can set you apart and how to approach these often-overlooked questions.
There are countless blogs, videos, books, social media posts, and websites dedicated to the Common App essay.
You know, the essay. Personal statement. Common App personal statement. Whatever you call it, students and families have (thankfully!) become pretty familiar with this 650-word-or-less personal narrative that gives admissions officers a deeper look into who you are.
But today, let’s talk about all those other essays—the ones individual colleges require.
Often called supplemental essays, these additional questions and prompts can range from short answers to full-length essays, adding even more writing to your application process.
Consider yourself warned - depending on your college list, it can take more time to complete supplemental essays than to complete your Common App Essay.
Plan accordingly.
Supplemental Essays - “Hidden” Application Work (That Takes Hours)
I call supplemental essays “hidden” application work. This is because you don’t see this work until you’ve finalised which colleges you are going to apply to and have dug into the specific application requirements of each.
The questions themselves can appear under ‘Writing’ sections in the Common App, but more often than not they are buried under ‘Additional Information’ or ‘Other Information’ sections, making them hard to discover.
This is how students can end up being surprised by the amount of additional writing they’ll need to complete in order to submit their apps.
Supplemental Essay examples:
The 8 Personal Insight Questions in the University of California application (students must answer 4 of these). [4x 350 words, University of California system]
“Why do you want to study your chosen major and why do you want to study your major at Georgia Tech?” [300 words, Georgia Tech]
“Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why?” [300 words, UT Austin]
“Why did you choose to apply to Agnes Scott college?” [100 words, Agnes Scott College]
“Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it?” [300 words, Boston University]
“Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?” [550 words, University of Michigan]
“Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington.” [300 words, University of Washington]
An Example
I recently helped a student who had the following (IMHO, not unreasonable) college list. The supplemental essay requirements are in [brackets].
University of California schools (UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego) [4x 350 words]
University of Washington [1x 300 words]
Washington State University [no supplemental essays]
Lewis & Clark College [1x 300 words]
Seattle University [2x 250 words of optional supplemental essays]
Willamette University [1x 200 words]
The student’s Common App Essay was 650 words, and was required by a few (but not all) of the colleges in the list.
However, this student needed to write an additional 9 supplemental essays totaling 2,700 words.
This was a lot of additional application work!
Recommendations
Let me suggest some ways to manage the workload of supplemental essays, and hopefully reduce stress.
Make a Plan (Seriously, You’ll Need One): These essays add up fast! After you’ve finalised your college list, map out all your prompts early and set deadlines for yourself. I like to put these into a simple spreadsheet with the name of the school, the essay question(s), the min and max number of words for each essay, and the application date for when you’ll need to have the essay written. As you finish, cross them off your list. Your future self will thank you. 😊
Know What You’re Up Against: Different schools have different prompts, from “Why Us?” to creative questions like, “What’s your favorite word and why?” Take time to understand what each college is asking—and why. Some of this will likely require you to research the college more deeply.
Look for Opportunities to Reuse and Recycle: You may have had a few good topics for your Common App essay, but ultimately settled on one. Can you reuse the other ideas for any of your supplemental essays? Some schools have similar questions even if they are worded differently, particularly the “Why this major?” question. See if you can recycle answers, or even a few sentences from another essay to save time. Just make sure you are very careful when using the name of colleges and universities in your essays. You don’t want to make the mistake of including the name of one college in a response to another.
It’s Totally OK to Cross a College Off Your List: Sometimes the workload of supplemental essays doesn’t match your interest in a school—and that’s fine! If a college’s prompts feel overwhelming or don’t excite you, it’s 100% your call to move on. Focus your energy on colleges you’re genuinely excited about applying to!