college specific supplements

How to Write the University of Chicago Supplement 2021-2022

The University of Chicago is a private research university located in Chicago, Illinois. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was just 7% and the undergraduate population is about 7,000. The university is known for its rigorous academics and its quirky style. In fact, few schools offer such an array of unique essay prompts as U of Chicago. (And we don’t love them!) But, if you’re dying to get into this prestigious university, we recommend checking out our tips below on how to complete the supplement:

How to Write the Notre Dame Supplement 2021-2022

Notre Dame is a private university in Notre Dame, Indiana. One of the most famous Catholic schools in the nation, Notre Dame is also known for its football team, The Fighting Irish, which was the subject of the Sean Astin film classic, “Rudy.” Though Notre Dame is a parochial school with religious traditions and offerings, students need not practice Catholicism (or any religion) to attend. Notre Dame has an undergraduate population of about 8,500 and is also known for producing many of the nation’s Fulbright scholars. The acceptance rate is about 19%. Here’s our advice on how to tackle the most recent supplement:

How to Write the Wesleyan University Supplement 2021-2022

Wesleyan University is a small liberal arts school located in Middletown, Connecticut. Wesleyan was originally a Christian school--it’s named after the founder of Methodism--but it’s now non-sectarian. Wesleyan is one of the “little ivies” along with Amherst and Williams, and is known for its rigorous curriculum and focus on academics. Wesleyan has a , and a 55% acceptance rate in Early Decision.

How to Write the Syracuse University Supplement 2021-2022

Syracuse is a private research university located in Central New York about an hour away from Lake Ontario. Founded in 1870, the university is comprised of thirteen schools and boasts 200 majors, 100 minors, and 200 advanced degree programs. With nearly 15,000 undergrads, Syracuse is no small school upstate. The University has something for everyone, but they are very proud of their D1 sports. You don’t have to love sports or play sports to go to Syracuse, but you might want to take in a basketball game while you are there. Their acceptance rate is around 45%, though to certain programs it can vary slightly.

How to Write the Villanova Supplement 2021-2022

Villanova is a private, Catholic research school in Villanova, Pennsylvania. An NCAA Division I school, Villanova is known for its athletics. There are 6,800 undergrads. The acceptance rate was 25% for the class of 2025. The supplement is pretty straightforward, but what’s interesting about Villanova is they offer a number of on their website. Be sure to check those out before you get started. Here’s some advice on how to tackle the supplement:

How to Write the College of William and Mary Supplement 2021-2022

The College of William and Mary is a medium-sized, public research university located in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. It is the second oldest college in the United States, being founded in 1693 by King William and Queen Mary. W&M is known mostly for their STEM programs, and has an acceptance rate of 37.7%.

How to Write the Colorado College Supplement 2021-2022

Colorado College is a small, private liberal arts college located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Colorado College is known for their innovative “Block Plan,” in which students take one class for three and a half weeks, and then have almost five days off between blocks. Their acceptance rate in 2020 was 13.5%, and they only have one supplemental question. Shocking no one, it asks about the Block Plan. We’ve covered Colorado College before, but the questions have changed from last year. Let’s dive in.

How to Write the Colgate University Supplement 2021-2022

Colgate University is a small, private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. Colgate is famous for its dedication to environmental consciousness, and went carbon neutral in 2019. Sustainability is a big mission for Colgate, and it is incorporated into every part of their campus, from the classroom to the dining hall. It is also known as a “Hidden Ivy” or “Little Ivy” and has a 22.6% acceptance rate. We recently did an analysis of how they’ve changed their admissions process here.

How to Write the Rice University Supplement 2021-2022

William Marsh Rice University, better known simply as Rice, is a private research institution in Houston, Texas. Rice boasts eleven residential colleges and eight schools of academic study. TLDR: they have a lot of programs. Rice sits right next to Houston’s Museum District and Hermann Park. Their acceptance rate hovers for regular decision, but jumps up to 20% for early decision candidates.

How to Write the Colby College Supplement 2021-2022

Colby College is a small, private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It is one of the most selective liberal arts colleges around, with a 9.7% acceptance rate and a little under 2,000 undergraduates in total. Colby also doesn’t have a supplemental essay. We can see the light go out behind your eyes as you realize this is a whole article on how to write the Colby College supplement. “But TKG,” you say, “there is no supplement!” Not with that attitude!

How to Write the Washington & Lee Supplement 2021-2022

Washington and Lee is a small liberal arts school in Lexington, Virginia. While it’s one of the oldest schools in the nation, It only became a coed school in the 1980s. Washington and Lee is a liberal arts school through-and-through. There’s also a big emphasis on the outdoors and the surrounding Shenandoah Valley environment. The school is known for its semester scheduling, with a short spring semester where students focus, in-depth on a single course. There are about 1,800 undergrads and the acceptance rate for the class of 2025 was 19%.

How to Write the Smith Supplement 2021-2022

Smith College is a women’s liberal arts college in Northampton, Massachusetts. There are about 2,500 undergrads, making it the largest of the Seven Sisters women colleges. Smith is part of the Five College Consortium with which students can take classes at all of them. The acceptance rate is about 31%. The supplement is short and prompts creativity, much like Smith itself.

How to Write the Bryn Mawr Supplement 2021-2022

Bryn Mawr is a women’s liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1885 as part of the Seven Sisters, seven women’s colleges founded as educational equivalents to the traditionally all-male Ivy League schools. Bryn Mawr is a pretty tiny school, with around 1,300 undergraduates. Their acceptance rate hangs around 33%.

How to Write the Harvey Mudd Supplement 2021-2022

Harvey Mudd College is a private college located in Claremont, California. With less than 1,000 undergrads, Harvey Mudd itself is tiny, but the college is a part of the Claremont Colleges consortium. The Claremont Colleges is made up of 7 schools all located in Claremont, and they all share a central library. Pretty cool. Harvey Mudd’s specialty is STEM, and has a 14% acceptance rate.

How to Write the Carleton College Supplement 2021-2022

Carleton College is a private liberal arts college located in Northfield, Minnesota, with only around 2,000 students. Carleton offers 34 majors and 36 minors, ranging from a minor in Biochemistry to a major in Physics and their acceptance rate is 19%. The questions for Carleton’s supplement have changed from last year, with our least favorite section becoming the main question -- but no fear, we’ve updated our guide to help you navigate this year’s supplement.

How to Write the Claremont McKenna Supplement 2021-2022

Claremont McKenna College is a small, private liberal arts college located in Claremont, California. It is a part of a consortium called the Claremont Colleges that shares resources with seven other colleges in Claremont. Each school specializes in something different, and Claremont McKenna is mainly focused on degrees in the social sciences, like government and economics. CMC has roughly 1,300 undergraduates and has a 10.3% acceptance rate.

How to Write the Haverford Supplement 2021-2022

Haverford College is a small liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. All students live on campus for all four years. The acceptance rate was 17.8% for the class of 2025. As you’ll be able to see in the below (long!) prompt, the Honor Code is quintessential to the school’s ethos. They take it pretty seriously. Classes are small and largely seminar-based. The nice thing about supplements is they give the applicant a chance to get a sense of the school’s vibe. They’re telling you what’s important to them in their incoming classes below. Make sure you read everything carefully before diving in: