We’ve said it before, : you can write about almost anything for your college essay, in almost any format, as long as it fits the 250-650 word length requirements, but there are a few topics that we feel very strongly about avoiding. And by very strongly, we mean very strongly. This isn’t because we’re kill-joys or trying to dull your sparkle. It’s really in your best interest.
How to Write the Scripps College Supplement
Scripps College is a small all-women’s liberal arts school in Claremont, CA. It’s a part of the Claremont Colleges, which include Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer. Like the West Coast equivalent of the Five and Consortium. Scripps’ supplement has two parts—we’ve broken down how to approach it all. Read on:
How to Write the College of William & Mary Supplement
The College of William & Mary is a public school in Williamsburg, Virginia with an enrollment of about 9,000 students. Located in the quaint, colonial Williambsurg (think carriage tours and folks dressed in 17th-century attire), William & Mary is the perfect school for someone looking for a rigorous academic environment coupled with a small-town vibe.
Which Extracurricular Looks Best for College?
How to Write the Northwestern Supplement
Northwestern is a prestigious private school that has aspects of a big, midwestern state school. In addition to rigorous academics, an incredible location on the coast of Lake Michigan, Northwestern is also a part of the Big 10. Some would say Northwestern has it all: Division 1 sports, access to the bustling city life of Chicago (only 30 minutes away by train), and is located in Evanston, one of the most culturally diverse towns in the country.
How Much Testing Information Is Too Much Testing Info.?
Imagine you are a little kid again and your parents tell you that if you took out the trash every day for a week, you can get a new toy. You’re probably going to want to demonstrate your compliance by alerting them, somehow, to your success every time you complete the chore. Perhaps you have a chart with gold stars, or you walk them over to the newly-emptied trash can each day, or maybe you just yell across the house as the door slams behind you, “IT’S WEDNESDAY AND I’M TAKING OUT THE TRASH AGAIN.” What you don’t do is take out every piece of trash, put each one on your parents’ desk so they can see, put the trash back in the bag, and then take the bag outside.
How to get into the University of Michigan
It’s no surprise to us that University of Michigan is a very popular school amongst prospective students. Wolverines enjoy top-notch academics, a great college town, football, and a uniquely-balanced social life for such a high-ranking university. This past year, nearly 60,000 people applied for about 7,000 spots. That number might seem intimidating, but granted each kid we’ve ever helped with the Michigan application has gotten in, we are confident in our method:
How To Write the Trinity College Supplement
Trinity College is a small, selective liberal arts school in Hartford, CT. With about 2,300 undergraduates enrolled, Trinity prides itself on being an “urban” liberal arts school. Their supplement is interesting and requires students to defend their opinions and perspectives on multiple issues. Here’s how we tackle it:
To Play or Not to Play: Will Sports Get Me Into College?
Let us begin with a story.
One of our writers has an older sister who was captain of the high school basketball team. Her sister was a natural power forward with nimble feet. Our writer was, well, better-suited for writing. As she entered high school, she thought being on the team with her sister looked like a lot of fun, so even though she had no idea what a layup was until the first practice, she joined. She subsequently developed the nickname “Bench” because that’s where she sat for most of the season.
How to Write the Colorado College Supplement
Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, CO. The undergraduate population is comprised of about 2,100 students. One of the most unique things about Colorado College is the Block scheduling system. Instead of the typical college schedule where you take 3-5 courses per semester or quarter, you take 1 class at a time. You attend class every day M-F from 9am-12pm for 3.5 weeks. Students then have a long weekend and begin a new class the next Monday. This repeats 4x per semester, and there are two semesters per year. We break down their supplement below:
Should I Do The Optional Harvard Supplement?
How to Manage Time During the College Application Process
For many a college-aspirer, the application process can seem like an impassable mountain of paperwork. In the face of juggling both college essays and schoolwork the urge to hide under the covers can be real. Sorry, but that digital stack of to-dos isn’t going anywhere. Fear not, though, applicants, there is an end in sight and just on the other side of it is a beautiful college welcome week waiting to greet you.
What Should I Write About For The Optional Harvard supplement?
Harvard is fancy. If you didn’t know that already...well, that’s mildly (read deeply) concerning. Their admissions rate is one of the lowest in the world at just above 5% and they are notoriously finicky. If you want to get into Harvard, you have to be at the very very top in everything you do. You should have top grades, top scores, be a leader in your school and in your broader community, and (and this is where most people trip up) you need to have something interesting to say about all of that. You can’t be a damp rag when it comes to talking about yourself and sharing your work because the admissions officials are looking for just about any reason to toss an application.
How to Write a College Admissions Essay About Failure
Deciding what to write about for your college essay isn’t always easy. You want to stand out, but you don’t want to come off as totally off-the-wall crazy. You want to do something unique, but you know that writing your essay backward, in a spiral, in colored pencil is a terrible idea (if you were thinking of doing this, don’t, it’s a terrible idea). Within the mountain of grades and scores, your essay is the place where you get to be yourself and to reveal something about yourself that a college wouldn’t otherwise see, but it can be hard to know what to reveal, and how much.
How To Write the Harvey Mudd Supplement
Harvey Mudd is an amazing college. It’s small, with under 900 undergraduates, and located in Claremont, CA. Its primary focuses are math, science, and engineering, but it’s a liberal arts school with strong humanities departments as well. Their supplements require thought and storytelling. We break it down below:
How to Get into an Ivy League School with Average Grades
A student gets 2100 on the old SAT and gets into Harvard. No, this is not the start to a bad joke. Despite falling into the 25th percentile for Harvard’s class of 2020, a place that you really don’t want to be if you’re looking to get in, she got in. Not only did she get into Harvard, though. She got into all six of the Ivies she applied to. If you’re scratching your head, that’s understandable, but we’re here to tell you the not-so-secret secret to getting into an Ivy League school with average grades: a killer essay.
How Do I Submit An Arts Supplement?
Arts supplements are optional portfolios that schools allow students to submit in addition to their regular academic application. It’s a great chance to display and share your interest in and contribution to your creative medium of choice, . Your interest in the field should be notable and you should have the time commitment and talent to show for it. So, you’ve reviewed if the arts portfolio is for you, and you’ve determined it is. Now, how do you do it?
What Is An Arts Supplement and Should I Do One?
How to Write a 500-Word College Supplement
Ok! So we’ve covered , , , and now we’re in the final stretch of our Supplement Series: the 500(ish)-word answer. We’re adding ‘ish’, because (as you will see) these longer-form supplements have been known to range from 400 to a whopping 800 words, but the same strategy applies for all of them. Basically, each one of these is like a Common App essay where you don’t get to choose what you write about, but you should take it just as seriously. The awesome thing is that you are getting the intel on how to ace it from us, so they shouldn’t be a problem. If you want more, we even have that break down specific supplement questions, outlining our strategies for success! If we haven’t written a post on the supplement for a school you’re applying to, . While the tips below will give you a firm foundation, we’d love to help you build an amazing application :)
How to Write a 250-word College Supplement
Welcome to the third part in our supplement series! We’ve covered , and , but most of the supplement questions come across fall into the 200-300 word range. Colleges like the 250(ish)-word length because it’s concise enough to be a quick read, but it gives the student enough space to either do a really good job or to raise some admissions red flags. We want you to do a really good job, so we’re here to help you out.