Writing the Supplemental Essay
A student's supplemental essay is crucial for colleges when assessing how a student fits in their community. While some schools require additional essays, others recommend them. In most cases, you should show the school that you are interested by completing these essays, even when they are optional. However, if you feel as though your responses will reflect poorly on your application after working long and hard on them, then I would not include them. Below are some tips on how to write excellent supplemental essays and responses.
Tips and Advice
1. Be Authentic: Just like with the main college essay it is both easier to write about something important to you and admissions teams can tell when students are not being authentic. Write about something that has affected your life but avoid cliches.
2. Be Unique but answer the question: Colleges are asking you supplemental questions for a reason so answer them. However, be unique and honest.
3. Keep a strong narrative voice throughout: Maintain a strong, consistent voice throughout all of your essays.
4. Research the school: Most of the supplemental questions that you will be asked are specific to the school. Thus, in order for you to answer them well, you should have a good feel for the school. Specifically find out what the college values in their community, both academically and socially. Colleges are looking to add students who will fit-in well with their culture so tailoring your responses to show that you would enhance their already established community. On the other hand, if you find that you don't fit with their community, that is a sign to you that maybe this college is not the best fit.
2. Be Unique but answer the question: Colleges are asking you supplemental questions for a reason so answer them. However, be unique and honest.
3. Keep a strong narrative voice throughout: Maintain a strong, consistent voice throughout all of your essays.
4. Research the school: Most of the supplemental questions that you will be asked are specific to the school. Thus, in order for you to answer them well, you should have a good feel for the school. Specifically find out what the college values in their community, both academically and socially. Colleges are looking to add students who will fit-in well with their culture so tailoring your responses to show that you would enhance their already established community. On the other hand, if you find that you don't fit with their community, that is a sign to you that maybe this college is not the best fit.
Sample Response
Here is a sample answer to one of MIT's supplemental questions. This student does a nice job both answering the question in an intelligent way and keeping a strong voice throughout, while revealing a personal topic not conveyed on other aspects of their application.
Prompt: Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that
didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?(*) (200-250 words)
Response:
The summer before Junior year, I dedicated myself to having a successful cross country
season. One Sunday afternoon, I returned from a run with pain in my right foot. I had fractured
my fourth metatarsal.
Despite not being able to run, I continued going to practice where I would use the bike or
weights to preserve what I could of my hard work. But not running began to take its toll. By the
time I could return to a full training schedule in the spring, I was the slowest runner on the team
and finished last in every race. My failure left me even more determined than before, and I ran
through the summer to meet my goals. Afterall, nearly every book that I read as a child told me
that if I tried hard enough and refused to give up, success was inevitable.
Yet, by the end of my season, I was far from my goal. There were no more finish lines to
push towards and no more opportunities to rise from failure. Mile after mile, I chased a goal that
was never to be realized. My life is filled with these aspirations, the destinations that seem to
always lie just beyond my reach. Yet, only through these pursuits can I begin to see new
possibilities, the detours and unexplored places that reveal the divergent nature of opportunity.
So I rise from bed each morning and ready myself for another mile, knowing that there is no
finish line, but countless paths to travel.
Prompt: Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that
didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?(*) (200-250 words)
Response:
The summer before Junior year, I dedicated myself to having a successful cross country
season. One Sunday afternoon, I returned from a run with pain in my right foot. I had fractured
my fourth metatarsal.
Despite not being able to run, I continued going to practice where I would use the bike or
weights to preserve what I could of my hard work. But not running began to take its toll. By the
time I could return to a full training schedule in the spring, I was the slowest runner on the team
and finished last in every race. My failure left me even more determined than before, and I ran
through the summer to meet my goals. Afterall, nearly every book that I read as a child told me
that if I tried hard enough and refused to give up, success was inevitable.
Yet, by the end of my season, I was far from my goal. There were no more finish lines to
push towards and no more opportunities to rise from failure. Mile after mile, I chased a goal that
was never to be realized. My life is filled with these aspirations, the destinations that seem to
always lie just beyond my reach. Yet, only through these pursuits can I begin to see new
possibilities, the detours and unexplored places that reveal the divergent nature of opportunity.
So I rise from bed each morning and ready myself for another mile, knowing that there is no
finish line, but countless paths to travel.