College Essays

Writing the “Why This College” Supplemental Essay

Writing the “Why This College” Supplemental Essay

In addition to the main Common Application essay, many colleges will ask students to answer one or more school-specific questions referred to as supplements. One of the most common supplemental essay prompts is usually along the lines of “Why do you want to attend this college?” This essay is designed to gauge several things: first,…

How to Answer the COVID-19 Question on the Common Application

How to Answer the COVID-19 Question on the Common Application

Last year, the Common Application added an optional, 250-word question about COVID to the Additional Information section of the application. The prompt appears again this year and it reads: Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts….

How to Write A Standout Extracurricular Supplemental Essay

How to Write A Standout Extracurricular Supplemental Essay

As we prepare for the official opening of the 2021-2022 Common Application on August 1, many students have taken advantage of the summer months to get a head start on their personal statements (aka Common App essays) as well as the numerous supplemental essays and short-answer questions. Historically, the supplemental essay prompts have ranged from…

2021-2022 Supplemental Essay Prompts: Duke, University of Chicago, UM and More!

2021-2022 Supplemental Essay Prompts: Duke, University of Chicago, UM and More!

Seniors: The time has come. Do not leave this for the last minute; start now on your supplemental essays! Now and over the coming weeks, the prompts for many of the colleges’ school-specific essays, also known as writing supplements, will become available to applicants. Most colleges will have released their essay prompts by the time…