Supplemental essays are a common requirement at US colleges. Unlike the standard personal essays, which tell your life story, supplemental essays are customized to specific institutions. High school graduates commonly use them to showcase their fit for a particular college or program.

While, in theory, supplemental essays should increase your odds of enrolment, they can be tricky for a few reasons. For example, you might not have the right background for a particular field of study (haven’t participated in any extracurricular activities pertaining to that science). As such, they can reveal certain application deficiencies that might not be obvious with a standard essay.

In this article, we’ll explain the importance of supplemental essays and how they can open doors for you. After that, we’ll share a few tips that will increase your odds of getting into a school of your choosing.

The Main Purpose of the Supplemental Essay

Many teenagers perceive supplemental essays as nothing more than an unnecessary hassle. However, besides providing additional information to college admissions officers, they also give you a chance to reassess your priorities.

• Determine Fit: Colleges want to learn more about your goals, personality, and past activities to determine whether you’re a good fit. They want to be certain they’re not wasting a spot on someone who's only half-interested in their program.
• Show Interest: The problem with college applications is that most students apply to several institutions simultaneously, making it hard for officers to determine if they’re serious. Through supplemental essays, you have a chance to prove your interest by talking about the school, its staff, and programs.
• Differentiate Yourself: With so many people around the world applying to the popular US colleges, the selection process can be quite rigorous. Every little bit counts, and smart students use supplemental essays to separate themselves from the crowd.
• Highlight Achievements: The regular statement tries to cover all your past achievements and activities. As such, admissions officers might not understand how important some things were for you. You can rectify this through a supplementary essay by talking more about your biggest challenges and wins.

Supplemental essays are a powerful tool in the right hands, but can also negatively affect your application. Understanding what the admissions office is looking for will help you create a better case for yourself.

6 Tips for Incredible Supplemental Essays

These are the most important things you must take into consideration when writing a supplemental essay for college:

1. Perform Thorough Research

Start your research by checking the college’s website. Go through their academic programs, traditions, and student organizations. Learn how they’ve changed over the years, and whether their curriculum is suitable for the needs of the modern society. Take time to understand their mission, including their stance on diversity, innovation, and community services.

It is advisable that you check the latest campus updates and blog posts to understand what’s important for the school. Get acquainted with their initiatives and how they plan to grow over time. Take note of interesting details and try to implement them in your essay, to showcase high level of interest.

2. Provide Direct Answers

People who don’t have experience writing tend to drift off even when talking about simple concept. It is vital that you’re highly focused during your presentation, ensuring that every piece of information hits its mark. Start by focusing on main keywords relevant to the admissions officers.

More importantly, don’t use someone else’s essay, even if it might be loosely applicable in your particular case. Stick with the format and word count rules, and avoid information that doesn’t work in your favor. Once you’re done, share the essay with a few people, so you get a different point of view.

3. Show What You Mean

Although you must stick to the topic, your essay shouldn’t be dry. Use descriptive language whenever you can to make readers feel more involved. Talk about your interested, experiences, and values, so that the admissions officers see how you think.

Don’t generalize things and, instead, replace them with as many details as possible. Connect everything you’re writing about with the college and its curriculum, so that the officers can easily understand where you’re going with it.

4. Talk About Your Experiences

A lot of supplemental essays revolve around high school graduates’ values, challenges, accomplishments, and growth. Talk about everything you’ve done in the last several years, even if you failed to accomplish your goals. Show the reader how you’ve grown during this experience, and why it might be important for the college.

A great way to go about things is to talk about different steps you’ve taken and how they’ve impacted you. For example, you can explain how your approach changed during a student project, and why it was important to be flexible.

5. Retain Authentic Voice

The reader must feel as if there’s a unique voice and sentiment behind the essay. Talking about your personal experiences can be too revealing, but it’s the best way to persuade the admissions officers that its genuine.

We recommend that you keep conversation light, without overusing slang or formal language. Talk about both your wins or defeats, or it might sound overpromotional. Furthermore, even if you wish to embellish information, make sure that essay properly represents a life story of someone your age.

6. Talk About Your Contributions

Admissions officers wish to determine whether you’ll have a positive impact on the college and campus. Talk about all the extracurricular activities you want to engage in, and how your leadership will improve the lives of others.

Explain how you would communicate with your peers and faculty, and how your experience and knowledge will assist in creating a better professional environment for everyone.

Mastering Supplemental Essays

By staying true to yourself and your educational vision, you can enrol into schools that seemed out of your reach. Use supplemental essay as a powerful tool for your application, connecting with admissions officers and providing additional insights about your background.

And if you ever get stuck, you can seek assistance from a professional college admissions consulting firm.