Tips on Content for Supplemental College Essays

college admission college applications college planning supplemental essays Jun 13, 2024

3 Key Takeaways

Learn how to align your extracurriculars and academic experiences with your chosen college and major.
Understand the importance of strong openings and conclusions in your essays.
Discover strategies for discussing personal challenges while maintaining a positive tone.

Writing supplemental college essays can be daunting, but with the right approach, you can turn this task into an opportunity to showcase your strengths and fit for your chosen colleges. Here are some essential tips on content to help you craft engaging supplemental essays.

How to Showcase Your Research Abilities

Supplemental essays often require demonstrating your research abilities. Whether it’s a “Why our college?” essay or a prompt about your intended major, thorough research is key. As I always advise, “Be sure to give an example to illustrate each idea. Always use specific details. This is what makes an essay come alive.”

1. Conduct In-Depth Research

Explore the college’s website, blogs, and social media. Take notes on courses, professors, student organizations, and any unique aspects that appeal to you. For example, if you’re interested in USC, look into the variety of majors, degree requirements, and specific courses that align with your interests.

2. Align Your Experiences

Once you’ve gathered your research, align it with your experiences. Highlight how your extracurricular activities and academic achievements make you a good fit for the college. This not only shows that you’ve done your homework but also illustrates your commitment and enthusiasm.

Crafting Strong Beginnings and Endings

Admissions officers spend very little time on each application, so it’s crucial to hook them from the start and leave a lasting impression.

1. Start with a Hook

Begin your essay with a compelling anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a bold statement. This will grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read more.

2. Conclude with Impact

End your essay on a strong note. Summarize your main points succinctly and reiterate your enthusiasm for the college or program. This leaves a positive impression and reinforces your interest.

Balancing Personal Struggles and Achievements

Sometimes, discussing personal challenges can make your essay more relatable and authentic. However, it’s important to strike the right balance.

1. Keep the Focus Positive

When mentioning a struggle, limit it to about a quarter of the essay. “The after part, after you have overcome, how you overcame, that should be three quarters of the essay about the solution,” I always tell my students. This ensures that the majority of your essay highlights your resilience and accomplishments.

2. Maintain a Positive Tone

Even when discussing difficult situations, use neutral language and focus on the positive outcomes. Avoid bashing others or highlighting negative aspects, as this can detract from the overall tone of your essay.

Crafting “Why Our College?” Essays

One of the most common supplemental essay prompts is “Why do you want to attend our college?” This requires a detailed and personalized response.

1. Highlight Specifics

Research the college’s academic programs, faculty, and extracurricular opportunities. Mention specific courses, professors, or clubs that interest you. This shows that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in what the college offers.

2. Connect to Your Goals

Explain how the college’s offerings align with your academic and career goals. Be specific about how you plan to contribute to the college community and how the college can help you achieve your aspirations.

Final Thoughts

Writing effective supplemental college essays requires a blend of research, personal storytelling, and strategic thinking. By focusing on specific details, crafting strong openings and conclusions, and maintaining a positive tone, you can create essays that stand out and resonate with admissions officers.

Navigating the intricacies of supplemental college essays can be challenging, but you don't have to do it alone. At Anja Education Consultants, we specialize in personalized guidance to ensure your essays shine and enhance your College Admissions journey. If you need expert assistance, book a discovery session with us today and take the next step towards achieving your college dreams.

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Video Transcription

(Anjali Maazel): "So a few tips on content. The supplemental essays need to be a window into a few things. Of course, your research abilities for the ones that require research, but really how your extracurriculars and academic experiences fit the major and the college. Again, just like the common app essay or personal statement, we want you to share your strengths to show how you are going to contribute to the college community. So be sure to give an example to illustrate each idea. Always use specific details. This is what makes an essay come alive. When you are doing research on why us, for example, why our college, why do you want to come to our college, take notes, and do the brainstorming exercises before writing draft one. This is going to save you a lot of time. You need to hook the reader from the start to make them want to read on. Remember that they are spending very few minutes on each application and certainly on each essay. So be sure that your beginnings and endings of each essay are strong. beginnings and endings of each essay are strong. Now, sometimes a struggle needs to be part of an essay. Some difficulty you have overcome. However, do check the tone. Colleges are admitting students they feel will contribute their strengths, their talents, their perspectives to the campus community. And if you're talking about a struggle that you've overcome, be sure that you're keeping the description of that struggle to know more than about one quarter of the essay. That's the before. The after part, after you have overcome, how you overcame, that should be three quarters of the essay about the solution. That keeps the reader engaged and you remain positive about your accomplishments. For why our college essays, why do you want to attend our college? There are a few steps you can take to really write a strong draft. Research and take notes by exploring the college website, the blogs, and social media of that college. Also focus on the major. What courses does the college offer that align with that major? Which professors are engaged in that department? What are the degree requirements? For example, if you look on the USC website, but this applies to a lot of different schools, you'll see that there are a variety of majors. And you can easily find the other information we're going to describe in a minute. Once you have looked at the academics of that institution and taken notes, then you want to add student organizations, aspects of the college community, the university's mission and values. Sometimes it's a little bit difficult to find this on college websites, so we recommend that you allow yourself enough time to do the best research you can. And finally, and this is the most important thing once you've done the research, align the examples you give of why you're a good fit for that college with your past experience. Now be sure that your examples that you give and the stories that you tell in these essays are from high school, not middle school or childhood. Middle school and childhood might be referenced in passing very, very quickly, but the focus needs to be high school. And be very careful about this. Don't bash other schools or other programs or people. Even if you're talking about a difficult relationship or a difficult situation, try to focus on the positive aspects. If you need to mention something that somebody has done to you, be sure to do it in as neutral language as possible. Because even though your intention might not be to bash anyone or any organization, that's the way it might come across in a short essay."

Anjali Maazel

Founder and CEO of Anja Education Consultants

At Anja Education Consultants, we pride ourselves on the exceptional expertise of our Founder and CEO, Anjali Maazel. With over 15 years of experience as an alumna interviewer for Princeton University, our team, led by Anjali, brings a wealth of knowledge in college admissions. Our interdisciplinary approach, which melds arts, international education, and public relations, allows us to provide unparalleled guidance in college planning. The cornerstone of our success is the proprietary Talent Development 3D Process™, a unique strategy that has achieved a remarkable 100% success rate in securing admissions for our clients to at least one of their top three preferred schools. As a respected Ted Talk speaker and a sought-after authority in college admissions, we are frequently invited by high schools across the globe to share our insights and strategies, empowering students to reach their full potential in the competitive world of college admissions.

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