April 26 2019

The Supplemental Essays: How Much Do They Matter?

Students often tell me they don’t need to worry about the supplemental essays because they’re short – usually between 50-150 words.

But this is far from the truth!

In fact, admissions often read the shorter ones first, especially the “Why?” Wouldn’t you?

Think about it. Rather than dive into a 650 word essay, which might or might not be worth your time, why not read a shorter one and see if it grabs you. And wouldn’t you want to know if the applicant’s interest is sincere?

So the supplemental essays are not just important, they’re critical. And they must get the reader’s attention from the get go (especially because they’re short).

Although we often start working on the Common App Personal Statement first, there is no harm in downloading the supplemental essays and starting to brainstorm on possible topics for these.

Sometimes, in fact, in the process of thinking about one of the supplementals, you might stumble upon a topic for the Common App you would not have otherwise come up with.

This is an additional benefit in not waiting too long before finding the supplements for each of your schools.

Recently I was helping a student with her Common App essay and she was stuck. Wellesley was her first choice school and she intended to apply there Early Decision.

“Let’s look at Wellesley’s supplements,” I suggested.

I knew full well what the question was and suspected it would help us think about other supplements and essays.

Wellesley College Application Essay Prompt

When choosing a college community, you are choosing a place where you believe that you can live, learn, and flourish. Generations of inspiring women have thrived in the Wellesley community, and we want to know what aspects of this community inspire you to consider Wellesley. We know that there are more than 100 reasons to choose Wellesley, but the ”Wellesley 100” is a good place to start. Visithttp://www.wellesley.edu/admission/100 and let us know, in two well-developed paragraphs, which two items most attract, inspire, or energize you and why. (p.s. ”Why” matters to us.) (2 paragraphs)

Then I read her an essay written by a student who applied and got in EARLY DECISION to Wellesley.

Take a look at this deftly written pair of essays by Rose Miller whose subjects were Hilary Clinton and the Lulu Library. Rose later used both of these subjects for other essays and parts of it, amended, for the Common App. And by the way, if you like this one, you will find another essay by Rose Miller in Best College Essays 2018.

Surrounding me was a wall of solemn and powerful, larger-than-life portraits of the former presidents of Wellesley. I immediately realized they were all women! The enthralling tour ended in the majestic Lulu. Looking up at her jagged corners, the many shades of layered brown, I noticed another oddity: there were no right angles in the building. This is female power, I thought, this is female ingenuity. Women think outside the box, or in this case, outside the lines. What I saw was the true nature of women: we are strong, creative, and fearless.

And they were fearless, my group of political neophytes. The journey started with a plea for funds to take students to the state capitol. Although I got a lot of no’s, I got just enough yes’s to make bus reservations. As Chair of the California High School Democrats, it was my responsibility to make sure students had the opportunity to be civically engaged and make a tangible impact. Finally, there they were, these aspiring young politicians gazing over the whole expanse of the capitol building. I saw a bit of trepidation in their eyes. I gave them a look of reassurance, one that said I’m here to support you. This is going to be great! It was on these very steps I met one of the most famous Wellesley alumnae, Hillary Clinton. The lodestar of my political aspirations, she showed me how to be a resilient and intelligent leader. During that life-changing meeting I looked over her shoulder, just a momentary glance, at Wellesley in my future. And now, with stoic determination, my posse walked in. Calm and assured, I gave them a thumbs up: You can do this, too. And they did. Their courage was beautiful. I watched as they went up and spoke about their personal experiences. “We deserve to afford every woman the right to choose her own destiny,” they argued. My group of California High School Democrats walked out of the capitol building, grinning from ear to ear. A few months later, we heard that the resolution passed. I hope someday to be looking the other way: from Wellesley to the steps of the United States Capitol. Though there may not be a right angle in Lulu, there is an intersection, like that between my love of politics and my desire to help fellow women succeed. This intersection, like going to Wellesley, is the structure of my dreams.

My advice on Supplemental Essays boils down to this: Don’t wait until you finish your Common App Essay to look at them. They can provide wonderful triggers for great ideas!

And they need to be excellent in their own right.

Take a look at the Stanford Short Questions below. Any one of these could be used, in an expanded version, for the Common App.