College Application Series - Part 8: SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS AND NON-COMMON APP ESSAYS
By Karen Treon
When college-going students and their families talk about “essays,” it can sound like the sheer volume of the writing required is overwhelming. That doesn’t have to be the case. If your student is applying to any schools that require the Common App, it is wise to start with the Common App Personal Statement. Going through that process of organizing thoughts and landing on the story they want to tell can lay the groundwork for additional essays and streamline the writing process. If they are strategic and organized from that point on, they can knock out the supplemental and additional essays in a reasonable amount of time.
First, let’s review what other types of essays might be required. This is an overview only, and of course students need to check school websites and the Common App to confirm what they need to do to complete applications.
Supplemental Essays / Supplemental Questions:
Many colleges ask several shorter questions, called Supplemental Essays or Supplemental Questions. These prompts are unique to the school and are often asked to see how the applicant aligns with the school’s mission and values. The pertinent questions are included in a student’s Common App once they list their colleges.
Sometimes a student can get a sense of what a college is after simply by the name of the prompts. Are they Supplemental Essays (with longer word count limits) or Supplemental Questions (with shorter word count limits)? If they are deemed Questions (with shorter word count limits), the school probably isn’t looking for construction and creativity as much. Students might want to approach these like job interview questions and give short, succinct answers.
Supplementals are very important, and colleges use them to get more specific and personal insight into the student and what they would bring to the school if admitted. Students should do some homework before answering them and should take time to carefully review and edit them..
Two very good resources on Supplementals are College Transitions and College Essay Guy. Both offer general writing guidance as well as specific insights into why particular schools ask the questions they ask.
University-Specific Personal Statements:
Some schools use the Common App, but don’t use the Common App Personal Statement prompts. While this may sound confusing, it is pretty clear once in the Common App. The University of Washington is one example. They use the Common App, but have their own prompt for the primary essay. If this is the case for a school your student is applying to, remind them to take the time to carefully read the actual prompt. Most schools aren’t trying to create extra work for your student, and have put thought into the prompt they are using. Your might be able to modify their Common App Personal Statement to make it work, but if it’s a stretch, it’s best to start anew.
Honors College Applications:
Some universities have honors colleges or programs that require additional essays with their applications.
Students should reach out to admissions or honors colleges directly to make sure they are applying the correct way. Sometimes honors colleges use their own portals.
These deadlines can be early - students should look into honors college application timelines if they are interested in applying to an honors college.
State or School Specific Application Platforms:
While a huge number of schools use the Common App, some don’t. The University of California system, the California State system, many international universities, and other domestic colleges have their own admissions platforms. Some schools that didn’t previously use the Common App have changed in recent years, including the University of Texas, the University of Washington, and most recently Georgetown University. They all now use the Common App platform.
These platforms have their own deadlines and requirements. The California systems are huge and there are many helpful resources available for these applications.
The University of California has its own type of questions, called Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). They are short and are framed as questions. They aren’t looking for creative essays, but precise answers. The webinars hosted by University of California admissions officers are invaluable.
We have a few more tips to share as you help your student navigate this:
Your student might not need to complete the Common App! For example, the three public universities in Arizona do not require any essays for in-state applicants. Many in-state students who know they will stay in-state use the university admissions platforms instead. That said, these universities do accept the Common App, so students who are applying to out-of-state schools can elect to use the Common App for these schools too. Students need to dive into the admissions websites a bit to understand the options.
If you are a parent providing the moral support and encouragement as your students write, encourage them to keep all of their writing in one place, such as a google doc or a word doc. They will find that there is some overlap in the questions they have to respond to, and they might be able to use something previously written as a first draft for another school.
Deadline management matters here – if a student is applying to a school with a January 8th application deadline, they don’t need to be burning the midnight oil on those essays on October 30th.
And if your student is totally overwhelmed and running out of gas, maybe they have too many schools on their list and might want to shave a few off.
Students who are submitting applications with earlier deadlines will find that they start hitting the “submit” button in October. Students don’t have to submit to colleges all at once - they can submit as they are completed. They should take their time, ask someone else to look it over to catch any typos or errors, and submit it during work hours on a weekday BEFORE the deadline. This ensures that the student can contact the good people at Common App or at the university admission offices for help as needed. People are there to help and students should not hesitate to call them for assistance.
