Supplements are short essays given by each individual school asking you about your interest in the school, why you chose a specific major, and/ or questions to figure out if you will be a good fit for the school and if the school will be a good fit for you. Schools vary in the number of supplements they will give you and within each school; the number can depend on what you are majoring in or which department you are applying to.
Most Common Supplemental Essays:
“Why Our School” Essay
Usual Question: “why our school?” or “why our community?” or “why our curriculum? (word limit depends on school)
TIPS: Research the school throughly: programs, research opportunities, specific courses, professors, and etc. Fit: Discuss why you as a student would be a great fit for that school's curriculum, or community - from experience
Extracurricular Activities and Academic Interests(Major) Essay
Usual Question: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences(Usually 150 words) Helpful Questions to Consider
How did you become interested in this extracurricular?
What is your role in the activity or work experience?
Why do you do it?
Have you experienced growth within the activity over time?
*This supplemental essay usually has a very small word limit, so do not forget to get to the point! Major Essay:
Try not to list yourself as undecided, think about a particular major you wouldn't mind studying
Try to develop this question by basing it off your own experiences, and the accomplishments that you have generated.
Community Contributions and Solving of Global Problems
Usual Question: Discuss a community you belong to that has impacted who you are today, or which global issue would you like to change and how would you do that with our specific university.(word limit depends on school)
It is important that you maintain specificity for this essay, please do not generalize these global issues into a small matter(show your intellectual curiosity)!
Make this question a bit personal(but this depends solely on your comfortability), essentially make this question a representation of your own experiences and thoughts about that matter.
Helpful Tips/Reminders:
Supplement Stacks
If you are applying to multiple colleges, it is highly likely that you will wind up with some of the same prompts. For instance, "Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences". In some cases, you should certainly edit the pieces so it represents your fit to a specific college, but if your answer is broad, that is totally fine. But I am not referencing the "Why Our School" essays or any prompt that tests for your fit to a college; you must always research for these essays that gauge your particular match at a university/college. This is simply for supplementary questions that overlap, and not ones that deal with specific questions related to a college.
Time Management
Many students will stress out due to the quantity of supplements that they will do when applying to certain colleges, so you must always remain wary of deadlines and set up remainders so you submit these essays on time. It is solely up to you to be responsible for these pieces, therefore manage your time well so you can produce concise and thoughtful supplements that speaks to your fit to a dream school. It will take multiple times until you find a draft that works best for a particular prompt, so please try your best and believe in your abilities.
Show Passion
This merely means that you highlight specific passions or interests while drafting these essays. This is represented through your high-school career, whether that be classes, extracurricular activities, or competitions that may have elevate your interest in a particular field. Colleges want enthusiastic students who can be change makers for the future, so it is up to you to show your potential to these colleges, and to show them why you are up to par with their standards. This does not mean that you are selling yourself to these college; you are without a doubt all wonderful individuals with distinct backgrounds and interests. Overall, it is your job to highlight why these experiences have crafted you into the individual you are today, as well as the personal dreams that you hold dear to your heart.