Most students save their supplemental essays for the very last thing they do on the application. This is a mistake. Some admissions experts say supplemental essays are as important as the Common App personal statement — and a lackluster supplement after a strong personal statement is a red flag that admissions officers notice immediately.

Supplemental essays are where you show each college that you understand their specific campus, programs, and culture — and that you have thought carefully about why you belong there. They are also an opportunity to reveal dimensions of yourself that your personal statement cannot cover alone.

📖 This guide is part of our comprehensive resource on What Are the Common App Essay Prompts? A Complete 2026–2027 Guide

What Are Supplemental Essays?

Supplemental essays are additional short essays required by individual colleges beyond the Common App personal statement. They range from as few as 50 words to as many as 500 words, depending on the school and the prompt. While the personal statement goes to every school on your list, each supplemental essay is written for — and read by — a specific college.

The most common supplemental prompts fall into a few recurring categories: “Why do you want to attend this college?” “Tell us about your academic interests.” “Describe a community you belong to.” “Elaborate on an extracurricular activity.” Beyond these standards, many schools include creative or unique prompts designed to reveal personality and cultural fit.

Students applying to 10–15 schools may write anywhere from 8 to well over 25 supplemental essays, depending on each college’s requirement. However, because topics overlap significantly across colleges, a well-prepared student can adapt core responses for multiple applications rather than starting from scratch each time.

Why Supplemental Essays Matter More Than You Think

Admissions officers often score essays as they read them. At some schools, the personal statement is scored separately from the supplements. At others, all essays are scored together. Either way, weak supplemental responses can significantly damage your chances — even if your personal statement is outstanding.

What to be careful about:

Admissions officers raise eyebrows when they read an excellent personal statement followed by a mediocre supplemental essay. The contrast suggests the student either did not care enough about the school to put in effort, or ran out of time — neither of which signals demonstrated interest.

Creating prose that is both concise and compelling takes time and effort — and usually multiple drafts. Many supplements are short, which means every word has to earn its place. Students who leave supplements for the last minute produce generic responses that blend into the thousands of others. Students who invest time in them produce essays that admissions officers actually remember.

How Supplementals Differ from the Personal Statement

“Writing supplemental essays is a very different process than writing the personal statement. The personal statement is a ‘get to know me’ essay. The supplementals also want to know more about the student, but as it relates to what the question is asking. The most important piece of advice I tell students when it comes to supplementals is to answer the question being asked.”

— Pam Gentry, senior admissions counselor at Great College Advice

The personal statement gives you creative freedom — those seven Common App prompts are flexible enough to accommodate almost any story you want to tell. Supplemental essays operate differently. Colleges have crafted their prompts deliberately, and they want direct answers.

“When they are asking supplemental questions, they are asking very specific questions that they want you to answer in very few words. You cannot veer off and give an anecdote about the discovery you made in a job if it does not answer the question. Some of them ask ‘Why us?’ or ‘Why this major?’ But some of them ask, ‘Our school motto is Be True — what does this mean to you?’ Just answer the question.”

— Jamie Berger, veteran college admissions expert

The other critical difference: your personal statement and your supplemental essays should not overlap. Each piece of writing on your application should reveal something new and different about you. Do not use supplementals to reiterate what is already in your personal statement, your activities list, or your other essays.

The personal statement and other application essays must be put into the context of the entire application. From a strategic point of view, essays offer an opportunity to introduce new information to the application — information that may not appear in the list of extracurricular activities, the teacher recommendations, or school reports. It is important that the essays work together with the rest of the student’s application to create a coherent image of the applicant.

— From the Great College Advice Family Handbook

The Most Common Supplemental Essay Types

Despite the enormous variety of supplemental prompts across hundreds of colleges, most fall into a handful of recurring categories. Understanding these archetypes lets you prepare thoughtfully and adapt responses across your college list.

“Why This College?”

The most common supplemental prompt. Requires research, specificity, and a genuine connection between you and the school. Lengths: 50–500 words.

Academic Interest

“Why this major?” or “Tell us about your intellectual interests.” Asks you to explain what excites you academically and why. Lengths: 100–400 words.

Community Essay

“Describe a community you belong to.” Increasingly prevalent since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling. Lengths: 150–500 words.

Activity Essay

“Elaborate on an extracurricular activity.” A chance to show motivation, not just list accomplishments. Lengths: 150–350 words.

Beyond these four, colleges may ask about your response to a particular quote or motto, request a creative or imaginative response, or pose questions specific to their school’s values. The principles remain the same: answer the question, be specific, and reveal something new about yourself.

“The most common questions we see are variations of: Why are you interested in this major? Why are you interested in this college? And tell us about a community that is important to you. But then there are much more interesting supplemental questions that require that authentic voice we look for in the personal statement while still answering the question. With the supplemental essays, every piece of writing is an opportunity to share who you are, what you value, and why you would be an asset to the university.”

— Pam Gentry, senior admissions counselor at Great College Advice

How to Write the “Why This College?” Essay

The “Why This College?” essay is the supplemental you are most likely to encounter. It takes many forms — “Why are you a good fit?” “What will you bring to our campus?” “What draws you to our school?” — but the core question is always the same.

When Yale updated its “Why Yale?” essay for 2025–2026 after more than 20 years, the admissions team explained why: the old prompt had been producing essays that told Yale more about Yale than about the applicant. The new prompt explicitly asks students to start with self-reflection — your interests, values, and experiences — and then connect those to Yale. This principle applies to every “Why This College?” essay you will write.

What to Do

Start with yourself. Before researching the school, identify what you are looking for in a college experience: academic programs, campus culture, opportunities, and community values. Then research how the specific school delivers on those priorities.

Be specific. Reference particular courses, professors, research labs, programs, or traditions that genuinely appeal to you. Explain why they matter to you specifically. Generic statements about “great academics” or “diverse community” will not distinguish your essay.

Do your homework. Spend time on the college’s website. Understand the curriculum, the extracurricular opportunities, and what the school takes pride in. The only way to be specific is to know what you are talking about.

What to Avoid

Do not praise the campus food, the climbing wall, or the beautiful quad. These tell the admissions officer nothing about your academic fit or intellectual curiosity.

Do not write about rankings or prestige. Admissions officers know their own ranking. They want to know why you want to be there — not why U.S. News says it is a good school.

“What students will do with the supplemental essays is try to squeeze more about their neuroscience internship into a question that asks, ‘What do you like about our school and why?’ Sure, you might have a little bit in there about your interest in brain science. But the question is asking you something specific — answer it.”

— Jamie Berger, veteran college admissions expert

How to Write the Academic Interest Essay

The academic interest essay asks you to explain what you want to study and why. Even if you are undecided, you need to show some intellectual direction — a general area of curiosity, even if you have not settled on a specific major.

A strong academic interest essay goes beyond saying what interests you. It explains why you are interested in these disciplines, topics, or ideas. What excites you about these theories? Why would it be important to you to explore them more deeply? What resources at this particular school would help you pursue your academic goals?

The key is to make your academic interest feel authentic and connected to the rest of your application. Your interest in environmental science should make sense alongside your extracurricular activities, your course selections, and your life experiences. If there is a disconnect, the admissions officer will notice.

Pro Tip:

Be specific about the school: mention particular courses, faculty, research programs, or interdisciplinary opportunities that connect to your interests. This shows you have done real research, not just copied a response from another application.

How to Write the Community Essay

The community essay has become more prevalent in college applications. Schools like Cornell, Yale, and Swarthmore now use community prompts to invite applicants to share how their backgrounds and experiences have shaped them.

The definition of “community” is intentionally broad. It can mean your family, your neighborhood, a cultural tradition, an online group, a sports team, a religious community, a hobby group — any collection of people where you feel genuine belonging. You can even think of it through overlapping circles on a Venn diagram, with you at the center where they all meet.

The essay should focus on what this community means to you and how it has shaped who you are. It is not a description of the community itself, and it is not necessarily about community service (though your actions within the community may be relevant). The colleges want to understand your sense of belonging and how you conceive of yourself in the larger world.

How to Write the Extracurricular Activity Essay

The extracurricular activity essay asks you to elaborate on one of your activities. The critical mistake many students make here is choosing their most impressive activity — the one that already dominates their activities list. If you are a star tennis player and a possible recruit, that fact is already clear from your application. Use this essay to highlight a different dimension of yourself.

Consider which activities carry the most personal meaning to you. Maybe you go to a music store on Saturdays where a group of bluegrass players jam together. Maybe you spend hours on crossword puzzles or build model airplanes. These unexpected details can reveal more about your character than another paragraph about your primary activity.

The activities list on the Common App addresses “What, When, and Where.” This essay addresses “Why.” What motivates you? What do you feel when you are engaged in this activity? Why do you keep coming back to it? That is the story the admissions officer wants to hear.

Matching Your Tone to the School

Not all supplemental prompts call for the same tone. Reading the prompt carefully — and understanding the school’s culture — is essential to getting the voice right.

“With supplemental questions, it is also about the tone of voice. Some schools are much more formal — ‘What is your major and why? What do you hope to accomplish after college?’ Those should get a very serious, straightforward answer. The University of Vermont gives you a choice of prompts, and one of them is, ‘If you could name an ice cream flavor, what would it be and why?’ Well, have fun with that one.”

— Jamie Berger, veteran college admissions expert

Pam Gentry takes this principle further when advising students applying to schools with strong value statements. For example, Vanderbilt University values students who care about their communities and engage beyond themselves. Understanding this culture — and reflecting it in your supplemental essays — can be the difference between a competitive application and an outstanding one.

Strategic Tips for Managing Multiple Supplements

When you are applying to many schools, the volume of supplemental essays can feel overwhelming. Here is how to manage the workload strategically:

Map your prompts early. As soon as supplemental prompts are released (typically late summer), create a spreadsheet listing every prompt for every school on your list. Group prompts by type — you will quickly see how many “Why This College?” essays, community essays, and activity essays you need.

Build core responses. Write one strong draft for each prompt type, then customize it for each school. The structure and personal story can remain consistent; the school-specific details must be unique.

Do not duplicate across your own application. If you are the captain and quarterback of your school football team, do not write a supplemental essay about football. If the activities section already covers your primary involvement, use the supplement to reveal something else. The goal is to round out the vision of you as a multidimensional person.

Start early and finish the bulk over the summer. Our counselors set a goal for families to complete the majority of the work before school starts in the fall of senior year. When students enter senior year with solid drafts in hand, they can focus on academics and refine small pieces rather than scrambling to produce new work under pressure.

“Getting the main essay done and feeling good about it over the summer was the biggest stress reliever. When supplements hit in September, it was just targeted research and customization — not starting from zero.”

— A parent in the Great College Advice community

Frequently Asked Questions

What are supplemental essays for college applications?

They are additional short essays (50–500 words) required by individual colleges beyond the Common App personal statement. They address school-specific prompts and help admissions officers assess fit with their campus.

How do supplemental essays differ from the Common App personal statement?

The personal statement is a broad “get to know me” essay. Supplementals ask specific questions that demand direct, focused answers. The most important rule: answer the question being asked. Each supplement should also reveal something new about you.

How important are supplemental essays?

Extremely important. Admissions officers often score them alongside or separately from the personal statement. A weak supplement after a strong personal statement is a red flag. Poor supplements can hurt admission chances even if the rest of your application is strong.

What is the most common mistake on supplemental essays?

Not answering the question. Students frequently try to redirect the essay toward topics they want to discuss rather than what the college asked. The second most common mistake is duplicating content from the personal statement or activities list.

How do you write a strong “Why This College?” essay?

Start with self-reflection about your own interests and values, then connect those to specific programs, professors, and opportunities at the school. Be specific and do your research. Avoid generic praise about rankings, campus beauty, or cafeteria food.

How many supplemental essays will I need?

It varies widely. Students applying to 10–15 schools typically write 8–25 supplemental essays. Many topics overlap across colleges, allowing you to adapt core responses rather than starting fresh each time.

Should you match tone to the school?

Yes. Formal questions about your major call for a serious, direct tone. Playful or creative prompts invite personality and humor. Reading the prompt carefully and understanding the school’s culture shows you have done your research.

How do you write the community essay?

Define “community” broadly — family, neighborhood, cultural tradition, team, or any group where you feel belonging. Focus on what the community means to you and how it has shaped who you are, not just a description of the group itself.

How do you write the extracurricular activity essay?

Choose an activity that reveals something new — not necessarily your most impressive one. Focus on why you do it and what it means to you, rather than listing accomplishments.

Need Help with Your Supplemental Essays?

Our counselors provide brainstorming and editing assistance for your personal statement and up to 25 supplemental essays — helping you craft compelling responses that stand out at every school on your list.

Schedule a Free Consultation

The post How to Write Your Supplemental Essays first appeared on Great College Advice.

For a complete understanding of what happens after you apply, including being admitted, waitlisted, rejected, or conditionally admitted, see our comprehensive guide on admission decisions and common outcomes.

What Is the Fundamental Difference Between Early Decision and Early Action?

Understanding the core distinction between these two application plans is essential before making any strategic decisions about your college applications.

Early Decision (ED) is a binding promise. Under this program, students apply early, usually by November 1 or November 15, and receive decisions by mid-December. In return for this early review, the student, parents, and school counselor sign a pledge that if accepted, the student will attend that college, withdraw all other applications, and not accept any other offers of admission. You can only apply to one school Early Decision.

Early Decision Two (ED2) operates similarly but with later deadlines—typically about six to eight weeks after ED1. This allows students who weren’t ready for the November deadline, or who were deferred or denied from their ED1 school, to make a binding commitment to another institution.

Early Action (EA) offers an early application review without the binding commitment. Students may apply as early as mid-October and receive decisions as early as mid-December. However, EA applicants are under no obligation to accept an offer and can wait until May 1 to decide. Students may apply to multiple schools EA.

As veteran college admissions expert Jamie Berger explains: “Early action is something almost everyone should do. You’re not bound to a school. You’re just expressing genuine interest. And you get some answers in December or January, so you have some schools in your back pocket.”

Be aware that some elite universities offer their own variations, including Restrictive Early Action (REA) and Single Choice Early Action (SCEA). These non-binding programs require that you not apply early to other private colleges although you typically can apply EA to public universities.

When Should a Student Apply Early Decision vs. Early Action?

The decision between ED and EA should be driven by your specific circumstances, not by the assumption that “earlier is always better.”

Apply Early Decision when all three conditions are met:

First, the college must be far and away your first choice. Ask yourself honestly: “If I got into every college on my list, would I choose to go to this particular school?” If you can’t answer with a confident “yes,” ED to that school is not advised.

Second, you need a reasonable chance of admission. Are your grades and test scores within the range the university generally accepts? If your scores are slightly below the 50% range, do you have a “hook” that makes you appealing, such as legacy status, recruited athlete designation, first-generation college student status, or underrepresented background?

Third, if your family needs financial aid, the school should meet 100% of demonstrated need. Great College Advice generally does not recommend that students with significant financial need apply ED unless that school guarantees to meet full financial need.

Apply Early Action when:

• You want the benefits of early notification without binding yourself to one school. 
• You need to compare financial aid packages before committing. 
• You’re still exploring your options and haven’t identified a clear first choice. 
• You’ve had academic challenges that senior year grades could help overcome.

Jamie Berger notes: “The only time not to apply early action is when you’ve had a rough patch. Say your junior year grades were lower and you need to prove yourself in the first semester of senior year. That is the rare occasion when regular decision is going to be greatly to your advantage.”

Does Applying Early Decision Actually Increase Your Chances of Admission?

The statistical advantage of ED is real but often misunderstood.

Many highly selective colleges accept 30-50% of their entire freshman class through the ED process, and the ED applicant pool is typically smaller than the regular pool. This creates a genuine statistical advantage for qualified applicants. Colleges value ED applicants because they can count on those students enrolling, which helps them predict yield—a critical metric for admissions offices.

However, Great College Advice emphasizes an important caveat: “What may be statistically true for an entire pool of applicants may not be true for an individual applicant. Admission is not a matter of randomized statistics. If a student does not possess at least the minimum requirements for entrance to a particular college, they will not somehow sneak past the admissions gate in the early round.”

Early applicants are still judged on their merits. The ED advantage works for students who are already competitive for admission—it doesn’t transform a reach school into a likely one.

As one parent in the Great College Advice community observed: “Don’t waste your ED on a dream school where you’re significantly below their typical admits. Save that binding commitment for a school where you’re actually competitive and where it can make a real difference.”

The key question isn’t whether ED provides an advantage generally, but whether it provides an advantage for you specifically, given your academic profile and the schools you’re considering.

How Does Early Decision Affect Financial Aid and Scholarship Opportunities?

This may be the most consequential consideration for many families, and it’s often underestimated.

When you apply ED, you essentially give up the right to compare financial aid packages. As Jamie Berger explains: “Early decision favors families who can pay the full cost or can pay what the Net Price Calculator estimates. Every family should be running the NPC for each school they want to apply to, especially if they want to apply early decision. If it pumps out an amount you can’t pay, you shouldn’t apply early decision because you are bound to accept that offer.”

The financial implications extend beyond just comparing packages. The ED system can subtly disadvantage students with high financial need in ways that are difficult to prove. Great College Advice notes: “If a student with high financial need is qualified for admission but not necessarily a clear stand-out, they may be deferred to the regular round. The reason? A high-need student costs the institution more money. If the admissions office feels they will have to pay a heavy price to admit a student in the ED round, the college may choose to defer a decision so as to ‘shop around’ for better customers in the regular pool.”

Early Action preserves your negotiating power. Jamie Berger illustrates: “It’s somewhat like buying a car. If you get four financial offers and your top choice gives you the least money, you can write to them and ask if they can approach what school X is offering. Early action gives you that bargaining ability. Early decision does not—you’re bound to one school.”

While the ED commitment isn’t legally binding, it is ethically so. You can be released from the agreement if the financial aid package is insufficient, but this should be a genuine last resort—not a planned strategy to game the system.

What Are Restrictive Early Action (REA) and Single Choice Early Action (SCEA)?

Several elite universities have created their own early application variants that fall between standard EA and ED.

Restrictive Early Action (REA) is non-binding like regular EA, but it restricts you from applying Early Decision to any other private college. You can typically still apply EA to public universities.

Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) is also non-binding but more restrictive—you cannot apply ED or EA to any other school (with some exceptions for public universities).

Schools offering these programs include Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford. The appeal for students is clear: you can apply early to a highly selective school without making a binding commitment. However, you cannot hedge your bets with other early applications to private institutions.

Understanding these distinctions is crucial when building your application strategy. Violating the restrictions—even accidentally—can result in rescinded applications or offers. Always read the fine print on each school’s early application policies and discuss your strategy with your counselor.

What Happens If I’m Deferred or Rejected in the Early Decision Round?

Not every ED application results in acceptance. Understanding your options after deferral or rejection is essential.

If you’re deferred, your application moves to the regular decision pool for reconsideration alongside all RD applicants. You’re released from any ED commitment and free to pursue other options, including applying ED2 elsewhere.

If you’re rejected, the decision is final for that application cycle, but you’re similarly released from the ED agreement.

Great College Advice states clearly: “Once a college has released you from the ED agreement either by deferring or denying you, you can feel free to tell another school that you will go there if accepted by applying ED2, if they offer an ED2 application plan.”

This is precisely why Great College Advice insists that students complete all applications before ED decisions arrive: “If a student is rejected from all ED and EA applications, they will have only about two weeks to complete and submit the remaining RD applications. Leaving all this work to the last minute means running the risk of submitting poorly crafted applications.”

Beyond the practical concerns, there’s an emotional dimension: “If a student is rejected by their first choice college, and maybe some second and third choices too, the psychological energy needed to complete those subsequent RD applications is significant. That disappointment can have a negative impact on the quality of those RD applications.”

Can I Back Out of an Early Decision Acceptance, and What Are the Consequences?

This question comes up frequently, and the answer requires understanding both the technical and practical realities.

Technically, the ED agreement is not a legal contract. You cannot be sued for breaking it. However, the consequences are serious enough that Great College Advice treats it as a moral promise.

Breaking the agreement could potentially ruin admissions chances at that university for future applicants from your high school, and will likely ruin your relationship with your high school counseling department. The ED agreement requires your counselor’s signature, and they are expected to enforce it. If you refuse to honor the agreement, the university may express its displeasure by refusing to admit future applicants from your school.

Jamie Berger puts it directly: “It’s not legally binding, but there are consequences if you back out. Consequences to the high school. Consequences to the kid.”

The only legitimate reason to withdraw from an ED acceptance is if the financial aid package is genuinely insufficient for your family to afford attendance. If that happens, you should work with the financial aid office to try to find a solution. If one cannot be reached, you can ask to be released from the commitment—but this should never be your planned strategy going in.

A community member noted: “We tell families to think of ED as a real commitment. Don’t sign it hoping the aid will work out or planning to back out if something better comes along. That’s not fair to the school, your counselor, or future applicants from your high school.”

Making Your Decision: A Strategic Framework

Choosing between Early Decision and Early Action isn’t about gaming the system—it’s about aligning your application strategy with your genuine circumstances and priorities.

Choose ED if: You have a clear, unwavering first choice. Your academic profile is competitive for that school. Your family can afford the school regardless of the specific aid package, OR the school guarantees to meet 100% of demonstrated need. You’re ready to commit.

Choose EA if: You want early answers without binding commitments. You need to compare financial aid packages. You’re still refining your college list. You want to keep your options open while demonstrating genuine interest.

Choose Regular Decision if: You need senior year grades to strengthen your application. You’re not ready to commit to any school early. Your college list is still evolving significantly.

Remember that applying ED is the ultimate demonstration of interest—but it should only be done when it’s genuinely the right decision for your situation. As Great College Advice advises: “Please discuss any thoughts about applying Early Decision with your counselor” to ensure your strategy aligns with your goals, your profile, and your family’s needs.

Ready to Build Your Early Application Strategy?

Deciding between Early Decision and Early Action is one of the most important choices in your college admissions journey—and you don’t have to figure it out alone. Our team of veteran college admissions experts at Great College Advice can help you evaluate your options, identify the right schools for your ED or EA applications, and build a strategy that maximizes your chances of admission.

Schedule a free consultation today to discuss your student’s unique situation and get personalized guidance from professionals who have helped thousands of families navigate the admissions process successfully.

The post Early Decision vs. Early Action: Which Is Right? first appeared on Great College Advice.

• Think carefully about your choice of major and/or academic interest;
• See this as an opportunity to reveal more about yourself;
• Relate this to the college
• Show, don’t tell

The importance of the college essay about academic interests

Colleges are academic institutions. They are places where the library occupies the central location on the campus. Academic buildings surround the quad, and the most important staff members are professors ready to share their knowledge and cultivate knowledge and understanding in their students.  

Colleges are places where you will study. You’ll take tests and write papers. Perhaps you’ll attend labs and discuss important books and research.  

And colleges want to know about your own academic life. They want to get a glimpse of your intellectual orientation, your curiosity, and your zest for learning. 

This college essay about academic interests is an important way to demonstrate that you belong on a university campus.

A few recent examples of the prompts eliciting a college essay about academic interests include:

• Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected. 150 word limit.. (150-word limit, Rice University)
• Expand on your academic interest (250-word limit, USC)
• University of Michigan: Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate college or school to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (550 word maximum.)
• Yale: Students at Yale have time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? 

The dos and don’ts of the college essay about academic Interests

To help you write a terrific college essay about your academic interests, just follow these basic guidelines.  

DO: 

Think carefully about your choice of academic interest

Many students don’t know what they want to study yet. And while admissions officers know that undergraduates change their major an average of at least once, and you may be completely undecided at this point, you still need to craft an answer to this prompt with more than “I’m undecided.” You need to have some direction in which you are headed.

Even if you don’t have a specific direction, you might have a general one. For example, you may realize (perhaps through the assessments you have already completed) that you gravitate more toward a general academic area: humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. You may have some inkling of subjects you really do not like. You may have researched different majors that may interest you, but with which you are still unfamiliar. For instance, few students have taken much in the way of anthropology, geology, or linguistics in high school. The point is to narrow your direction just a bit in ways that will help you craft a response to this essay.

The other challenge is that your academic interest should make sense with the rest of your application. What we mean by this is that when an admissions officer reads your application, the choice of your major, future plans and academic interest essay should make sense in the context of your class choices, extracurricular activities and life experiences.  See more below.

See this as an opportunity to reveal more about yourself

What is the evidence in your life that would support this area of interest? Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you develop a strong answer:

• Have any classes or teachers inspired this interest?  How?
• Are there life experiences that you have had that have spurred your interest?
• Family involvements
• Personal anecdotes
• What experiences have helped expand your understanding of this interest?
• Club or extracurricular
• Job or internship
• Reading: a specific book or publication that impacted your thinking
• Mentors or other influencers
• Is there a connection to your future plans that you can envision?

Relate this to the college

This is also an opportunity to show that you’ve done your research. You can provide reasons why this school is a good match for you. Is there a special program, professor, or class that shows why you want to pursue your academic interest at this particular school?  

Because some schools ask both about your academic interests and why their school, think about how you will answer both. You do not want to waste precious word count with any repetition of the same information or ideas.

Show, don’t tell

You are going to hear this again and again. Give the specifics that show how this academic interest has developed for you. As with your primary personal statement, you want to give evidence of your interest. Sometimes anecdotes can be very helpful in showing your interests. Avoid sweeping, vague statements.

DON’T

Worry that your answer is a commitment to what you will study

Some institutions will ask applicants to apply to the major or school in which they want to study. If accepted, these applicants will be enrolled directly in that major or school. Happily, at the majority of schools, you are likely to have a great deal of flexibility to change your major later. Even with institutions that are less flexible, your response to this prompt is unlikely to lock you into a major. 

Note that a small handful of schools are particularly strict with regard to you studying what you indicate on your application (e.g., Cal Poly – SLO). If you have questions about this as you fill in your application, be sure to ask your counselor. 

Sweat that your answer is not very specific

Perhaps you have not settled on a major just yet. Perhaps one of the reasons you have chosen this school is that you’ll have the chance to explore and make decisions later about your major.  

It’s perfectly okay to be undecided at a lot of colleges (and presumably, if you are undecided, you’ve chosen to apply to colleges that embrace your “multi-interested” character).  

However, it’s likely that you have academic preferences as well as academic strengths. For example, maybe you’re super strong in science, and you anticipate exploring scientific disciplines in ways you haven’t yet in high school. You might even be able to say that it’s likely you’ll major in the sciences. You can point to the other ways in which your love for sciences shines beyond school.  

For example, maybe you are a nature freak: you hike in the woods, you have had a fishing license since you were 10, and you have volunteered on trail crews every summer. Or maybe you’ve worked on a bird-banding team during migration season. Or maybe you’ve read every popular book and article and watched every video by Neil deGrasse Tyson. All these things indicate that you enjoy science and provide evidence that are likely to pursue science in college. 

Provide a confusing answer

While there are many right ways to write this essay, there is one major pitfall to avoid. Don’t choose to write about an academic interest that you can’t support with any evidence revealed elsewhere in your application. This creates a confusing image of you to your application reader and could send your application to the recycling bin.  

Academic interest essay examples

You might have suddenly decided that you want to study international relations. But your choices might not support the decision. For example, perhaps you stopped taking a foreign language after two years. Or maybe you haven’t chosen any relevant electives, such as human geography, world religions, or international relations. Do you follow international news? If not, then you probably shouldn’t select this academic interest unless you have some other compelling story that proves this major makes sense.

To give another example, let’s say you tend to excel in humanities classes, especially literature. You’ve taken a couple of extra English courses, and you attended a “Great Books” program over the summer. The recommendation letter from your English teacher oozes with compliments about your penchant for literary criticism and remarks how many times you have come into her office to discuss this poem or that novella. And then you write your college essay about an academic interest on how excited you are to be a math major. While it may be true that you do like math, the reader of your essay is likely to be confused about which interest represents your true priorities as you enter college.  

The point is that your answer to this question has to be backed up with some sort of evidence that this academic interest is not an invention. You need to provide a clear and convincing case for how you got interested in this area or discipline, the ways in which you have explored this interest so far, and how you plan to continue this interest in the future.

Your college essay about academic interests – a summary

Colleges are schools. They like scholars. They serve up academic inquiry. This supplemental essay about academic interests is a place for you to demonstrate your academic credentials. It’s also a place to explain how your interests have developed over time and the ways in which you will pursue these interests in the future.

Give the college a picture of who you are intellectually. Demonstrate that you are ready to explore your interests, and to navigate the world of academia as a college student.

Great College Advice Guide to Supplemental Essays

• See our guide to why supplemental essays are important;
• See our guide to the ‘Why this College?’ supplemental essay;
• See our recommendations on the ‘community’ supplemental essay;
• See our guide to the ‘Extracurricular or Activity’ supplemental essay.

Need Help with your college essays?  

Need some help writing a great college essay for the Common App? Having difficulty finding a good Common App essay topic? Please contact us for a free consultation. At Great College Advice, we provide personalized college consulting focused on helping make the process of preparing, selecting, and applying to college more successful, less stressful, and more fun. 

Since 2007, the expert team of college admissions consultants at Great College Advice has provided comprehensive guidance to thousands of students from across the United States and over 45 countries across the world. Great College Advice has offices in Colorado, New Jersey, Chicago, North Carolina and Massachusetts.

In addition to our one-on-one counseling, Great College Advice extends its support through one of the most active and resource-rich Facebook Groups for college-bound students and their families: College Admissions Experts. With nearly 100,000 members—students, parents, and experienced counselors—this vibrant forum offers peer support and expert advice like no other.

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Admissions officers often give a score to the essays as they read them.  In some instances, the Common App essay is scored separately from the supplements.  In other cases, admissions officers score all the essays together:  Common App plus the supplements.

Either way, lackluster responses to those supplemental essay prompts can really hurt your chances of admission. So put in the effort to make sure those supplemental essays shine.

Top 3 tips to improve your supplemental essays

Don’t wait until the last minute!

Some students are chronic procrastinators. They leave important things to the last minute. While I will admit, reluctantly, that once in a blue moon a student is able to pull out a masterpiece with only minutes to spare, these sorts of students are about as rare as snow leopards.

You want to make sure you have plenty of time to brainstorm good messages for your essays, and that you have time to create paragraphs that are well-structured, clear, and concise. Many supplements are short.  Therefore you need to pack them full of juicy words and ideas. Creating prose that is both pithy and clear takes time and effort–and usually multiple drafts. 

So start early, and focus on ensuring that the messages you want to convey in these short supplemental essays are clear and compelling. 

Answer the question!

One of the most frustrating things about reading supplemental essays is that students often do not answer the question. The admissions officers take a lot of time crafting the prompt in hopes that they will get thoughtful, interesting answers that will help them differentiate the applicant pool.  They want to admit applicants who have taken the time to answer their questions carefully and completely. They want to know that the applicant cares enough about their application to their school that they dedicate the time necessary to do a great job.

The “Why do you want to go to this college” is among the best examples of how important it is that you take the time to plan and execute a teriffic answer to this prompt. Most colleges want to know why you are interested in attending. So tell them!

Write about specific things that have attracted you to the school. Go beyond the beautiful campus and great food in the dining hall. Talk about a professor you researched on-line and can’t wait to take a class from. If you are playing a sport, talk about your impressions of the coach and the team. Find out about the programs the student government organizes then talk about how you can’t wait to organize a specific event next year. Really envision yourself as a student at the school and then tell the admissions officer what you think that would be like.

Similarly, the “tell us about your academic interests” essay requires thought. You want to take the time not only to say what interests you, but why you are interested in these disciplines, topics, or ideas. What excites you about these ideas and theories? Why would it be important to you to explore these ideas more deeply? What resources at the school would help you achieve your academic objectives? Be specific, be concise, and be enthusiastic.

Though it may sound weird and cruel, supplemental essays are supposed to be the “fun” part of your application. So, take them seriously.

Don’t repeat yourself on your supplemental essays

Each piece of writing on each application you submit should tell the admissions office something different and interesting about you. So you should not write supplemental essays that significantly duplicate information provided in other places on your application.

For example, don’t use the supplemental essays to recount or amplify your extracurricular activities. There is ample space on the Common Application to identify and explain your extracurricular involvements:  the Activities section. Use that space wisely. But don’t repeat yourself by saying similar things in your Common Application. For example, if you are the captain and quarterback of your school football team, don’t write a supplemental essay that talks all about football. If you’re asked to write about an activity you enjoy, use the supplemental essay to highlight your interest in building model airplanes or archery or crossword puzzles. Round out the vision of you as a multidimensional person so that the admissions office gets a more complete picture of your humanity.

Similarly, don’t repeat facts or themes or ideas from your Common Application personal statement. You want each supplemental essay to present fresh content–fresh ideas about who you are as a person. Admittedly, sometimes the prompts from the Common App can come back around in a new form in the supplemental essays. Try to find a way to write about something new without duplicating the personal statement.

If you really can’t think of anything, it might be best to rework your personal statement into a supplemental essay for a particular application, and then write an entirely new personal statement (the Common App allows you to do such shenanigans for one application, if you need to). But this would be a drastic measure.  So avoid it, if you can.  Instead, think of new ways to explore a similar topic so that you can reveal more about who you are on the application as a whole.

Need help writing supplemental essays for your college applications?

The expert college counselors have years of experience helping their students develop interesting, clear, and successful supplemental essays for the Common Application.  Whether you need help only with essays or you prefer to get more comprehensive college admissions help, the folks at Great College Advice can make the entire college admissions process less stressful and more successful.  Contact us today for a free consultation. We look forward to getting acquainted.

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If you are going through the college application process, more than likely you are encountering supplemental essay questions asking you to elaborate on why you want to attend that institution. The question takes many forms. Why are you a good fit? What will you bring to our campus? What is it about our school that makes you want to attend? But, ultimately, it’s really the same question just asked in a different way: “Why this college?”

In my line of work as a college advisor, I read a lot of these essays, and I can say that I see many weak attempts at answering this question. Students seem to fall into the same “traps” every time. So, in this article, I’m going to cover the do’s and don’ts of writing a great response to the “Why our college?” question. Follow my advice, and it should lead you to an essay that will stand out to admissions offices.

Getting Started: Do Your Homework

“Why do you want to go to this college?” I ask.

“I dunno.”

You’d be surprised at how often I engage in this little snippet of conversation. Often young people settle on a college choice without much thought. Maybe it’s close by. Maybe it’s famous. Or perhaps Mom and Dad have pushed the college. Maybe it’s where your friend attends, or where your boyfriend wants to go.

But this essay forces you to really think about why you want to go—and to present your reasons in an essay.

So the first thing you must do before you start writing is to know the answer to the question: “Why this college?”

One of the ways to do this is to sort of reverse-engineer your choice. You need a list of criteria that drives your college choice. So if you find yourself at a loss to come up with solid, rational reasons, perhaps have a look at this article about how to choose a college based on such criteria. 

Once you have this solid list in hand, then you can begin to craft your response to the “Why this college” essay.

Construct a template for the Why This College essay

If you have carefully thought through the basic criteria for all the colleges to which you will be applying, and if you have carefully selected colleges that fit those general criteria. Then you can begin to build a generic framework for answering this question.

What follows is a list of “dos” and “don’ts” for answering the “Why this college” essay prompt.

The Why This College Essay DOs:

DO take clues from how the question is asked

Since these questions all fall into the same category of “Why do you want to go to our school?”, it’s easy to simply just answer it with that particular question in mind. But you should read the question carefully because each college will have a slightly different angle on it. You want to be sure that you are answering all aspects of the question. Sometimes, colleges will give you clues as to what they are looking for in how they phrase the question, and this can help you develop ideas on how to answer it.

DO explain why you want to spend the next 4 years of your life there being involved in intellectual and academic pursuits

While this tip may sound like a no-brainer, you’d be amazed at how many students forget to mention the academic reasons that attract them to the school. Instead, they focus on all kinds of other things: awesome sports teams, a beautiful quad, or a killer climbing wall. But aren’t you going to college to get an education, first and foremost?

Think about and research the educational opportunities that are offered at the school. Why are they an academic fit with who you are, how you learn, what you have done, and what you are interested in pursuing? Think about the general curriculum of the degree, the structure of your intended major, and other academic resources that attract you (e.g., specific research facilities, academic centers, specialized libraries, and/or study abroad).

You don’t have to know what you want to major in to include this in your essay. In fact, if you are undecided, it’s okay to talk about that, but then consider: what does that school have to offer you to help you explore and decide?

Do discuss how and why you fit at the school

Schools want students on their campus who are going to be happy and successful. Just as every student is different, so is every college, and admissions offices want to be sure that you understand what their school is all about before you land on their campus. After all, if you get there and you don’t fit in, you’re not going to be happy.

What do I mean by “fit?” For example, say you are applying to a school with a student body that is known to be significantly involved in community service. And this is something that you yourself have been a part of while in high school. Talk about that. What if you are looking for a school with a lot of spirit? Because that’s something that you didn’t have in your own high school experience? You can discuss that. Whatever aspects of a school are attractive to you, be sure to back them up with personal reasons.

Do give examples of how you will get involved at college and have an impact on campus

Colleges are all about building an academic community. with the key word being “community.” That means that they don’t just want students who are going to go to class, go home, and not contribute to the life of the campus. Colleges and universities are just pieces of real estate: it takes people to animate them and give them the vibrancy that probably attracts you.

College admissions people are looking for givers. They are looking for individuals who will enliven the campus. So, tell them how you plan to get involved.

Think about the activities you enjoy. How will you continue those activities on campus? Show the admissions committee that you envision yourself in that same activity once you get to college. For example, if you enjoy making ceramics, give them a vision of how you—as a political science major—will spend time in the pottery workshop firing your work in the university kiln.

Also, think about the activities you’d like to try. Explain why this new activity interests you, and present a detailed vision of how you’ll get involved. For example, perhaps you live in Florida but your chosen college is in a snowy locale. Give an image of yourself rollicking in the drifts and engaging in winter sports wearing a puffy parka. Show the admissions folks that you are excited by the possibilities of your new “home.”

Do be specific

I cannot stress this enough. Above, I suggested topics that you should try to cover in your essay. With each of these, you must get specific, specific, specific. And did I mention that you have to get specific? So, discuss some classes that intrigue you. Find a professor who focuses on your area of interest and mention her work. Talk about particular clubs and activities where you could see yourself contributing. Name the academic center or the name of the swimming pool.

Highlight things that impress you about the campus and make you want to go there. Touch on interactions that you make with students, staff, or alumni of the school. Name names. Let the college know that you are really interested in attending their particular institution by showing them that you know about and are interested in specific things.

As I said before, you need to do your homework and tailor your essay to each college. While the structure of the “Why this college” essay may be the same from college to college. The substance of the essay must be highly specific to each college on your list.

Do your research

Before you ever start typing your response to this essay question, know what you are talking about. Spend some time on the college’s website so that you truly understand what the school has to offer you. And why you really should want to go there. Check out what the college prides itself on. Look at the course offerings. Be clear on how the curriculum works. Educate yourself on the extra-curricular opportunities. The only way you can get specific (see bullet point above!) is to do your research.

The Why This College Essay Don’ts:

Don’t focus on superficial aspects of the school

Oh, how many essays have I read that have talked about how great the food looked in a college’s cafeteria? C’mon. Is that really a reason that you want to go to a certain school? Even if it is, that shows a shallowness of thought that you probably don’t want to reveal to the college of your choice. You must gear your essay to discuss more meaningful aspects.

Common pitfalls when it comes to these more “superficial” topics are:

School Setting and/or Geographic Location

Students spend a good chunk of their essays focused on a school’s setting or geographic location. They simply talk about the location without either making it about the school or about themselves. (“And the University of XYZ is located right in the heart of ABCity, which I love so much!”) While the setting is, of course, an integral part of the school, when the student makes this the crux of their reason for attending. It sounds like the student just wants to get to that location.

Regardless of the school itself, it’s perfectly fine to talk about the location and have that be a reason. But as with any other aspect of your essay, you need to make your discussion personal and relevant to you. (“I love the fact that the University of XYZ is located in the heart of ABCity because I’m a musician myself who loves listening to all types of music from show tunes to jazz. I would really enjoy getting a chance to go to the many different types of musical performances that I’ll find there.”)

College Reputation

A college’s reputation is NOT a good reason to say you want to go there. That says nothing about you nor why you are fit for it. On the other hand, if you can back it up with specific examples of why that reputation was earned, and its relevance to you, then go for it. For example, you could say, “I’m excited about the prospect of studying engineering at U of XYZ, which has attracted top-notch faculty, such as Prof. Prizewinner who teaches engineering in my area of interest.”

Don’t just compliment the school

“U of XYZ is by far the best place on earth! It has the most intelligent and motivated students anywhere! Your study abroad programs are like no other!” Most colleges are proud of their institutions, and they should be. But, let’s face it, none of them is a utopia. Unfortunately, you sound completely fake when you make sweeping, superlative statements about the school without also being able to support your claim.

While you absolutely should be enthusiastic and think very highly of the schools you are applying to, and you should tell them. So, a better approach is to complement the school in the context of yourself.

For example, if you want to study abroad, and the college has a strong offering in that area, that can be one of the main reasons that you are attracted to it. Then discuss a particular program they have that might appeal, And, explain why it excites you and why you feel it’s so top-notch. Remember, specificity is always best.

Don’t waste words telling them what they already know

Often, when students do get specific about particular courses, programs or activities that they are interested in at a given school. They spend the majority of their writing focusing on describing and explaining it. Well, guess what? The school already knows what that class, program, or activity is all about because it’s their class, program, or activity! Don’t waste your precious words. Spend your prose making it personal. Discuss how those courses, programs, or activities fit with who you are and what you want to accomplish.

Don’t write a “Plug and Play” essay

A “Plug and Play” essay is one where you submit the exact same essay to each school that asks the question. Then you only change up a couple of small details, one of which is the college’s name. If you are applying to several schools, the “Why Our School?” question is one that you will probably have to answer multiple times during your application season. So the appeal of doing a “plug and play” is obvious. I do not, however, recommend this approach.

Experienced admissions readers know a mostly generic “plug and play” essay when they see one. And it does not cast a favorable light on the student. It leaves the impression that the student didn’t have enough interest in the college to take the time to understand the school or to write an essay that was based on the unique things about that institution.

It’s okay to reuse the same themes about yourself from one essay to the next so that you don’t have to completely reinvent the wheel. But you absolutely should tailor the essay to the individual school that you are writing about. Also to be genuine about the reasons that you are interested in that particular institution.

Don’t go too broad when you have only a few words

The length requirements for the “Why our college” essay cover a range. Some ask for just a few characters, while others have no restrictions. The most common maximum length requirements, however, seem to be in the 150-300 word range. I’ve recommended a lot of things that you should consider covering when you write this essay. But how do you do that when you only have a little bit of space to do it in?

In a word: focus. Don’t try to do it all. Instead, pick one or two things that appeal to you about the school. Then drill down on just those things. Better to go deep than wide so that you can really make the argument, at least on one level. Why you and that institution are the right fit.

Conclusion – the Why This College Essay

Combining the dos and don’ts of writing the “Why our college” essay will help you to strategically approach developing a truly strong piece of writing. While trying to incorporate all of these strategies into your writing may seem a little scary (and, of course, we are always here to help!), remember that the goal of any piece of writing that you do for a college application is to allow the admissions office to understand more about you, who you are, and what makes you tick.

The post Write a Great Why This College Essay first appeared on Great College Advice.

The definition of community is open to interpretation and can be difficult to pin down. We each belong to a wide variety of communities ranging from our family and friend groups to being members of the global community.  

My Communities 

For example, I belong to a bunch of different communities. I sing in a choir, so I’m part of the community of the Colorado Chorale community (and within that community, I’m a member of the tenor section). I go to see plays a lot, so I’m a member of the “theater-going” community. Birdwatching can be fun, I find, so I belong to the “community of birdwatchers.” I belong to a club or two, so I’m a member or those communities. I belong to a political party, which is a community in a sense. I went to Dartmouth, so I belong to a community of alumni, both locally and globally. Same with my grad school: my friends and I still talk about belonging to the “Fletcher Community.” 

When I lived in Hong Kong, I was a member of the American community, which was part of the large expatriate community. I speak French and live in Denver. Therefore, I’m part of the community of Denverites who speak French as a second language. I live in a specific neighborhood in the city of Denver in the State of Colorado in the United States. All of those communities define me in one way or another. Finally, at a more intimate level, I also belong to a family community that is very important to me.

Really, when you stop to think about it, we all belong to a large number of overlapping communities. Think of a Venn diagram with lots of overlapping circles—and we are at that tiny dot in the center where each of those circles overlaps. 

Why write the community essay for the Common App?

Why do colleges ask you to write this community essay? In writing about community as it relates to you, you reveal important details at the core of who you are. Colleges are hoping to bring students to their campuses who will contribute in a positive way to campus culture, whether intellectually, socially, or through their extracurricular activities. 

They want students who will be successful in their new community and enrich the college through their varied backgrounds, experiences, accomplishments, activities and behavior. Thus, the way you answer this prompt will help them imagine if you would be a good addition to their campus community.

Here are some examples of the community essay prompt:

• Please complete the following, and have a little fun doing so: “I appreciate my community because …” (up to 300 characters)
• At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being good friends. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. (200-250 words)
• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?  (up to 350 words)
• Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.  (up to 300 words)
• Macalester is a community that includes people from many different backgrounds, some who have lived around the world and others who have lived in one place their entire lives. Please write an essay about how your background, experiences, or outlook might add to the Mac community, academically and personally. (up to 500 words)*

* Note: this last prompt doesn’t ask about a community to which you currently belong, but rather asks you to reflect on what you will bring to the community. This essay is a mix of activities and community essays. However, this essay should emphasize what the applicant would add to the campus community.

The community essay vs. the community service essay

Notice that this essay is not narrowly focused on any service you might provide to your community. Of course, it is entirely possible that your involvement in a community may include some sort of involvement that helps to promote the community and the interests of its members in some way.  

However, the community essay prompts do not specifically ask you to talk about this service. The prompts want you to think about what it means to “belong,” and how you conceive of yourself in the larger world. A sense of community may, indeed, lead you to act in certain ways to advance a cause, donate your time, or exert your energies to meet the needs of your community. Your actions certainly may become part of this community essay as a way to demonstrate the ways in which you identify with—and contribute to—this community. But the focus of this essay is on that sense of belonging. 

Service to your community—or to someone else’s?

To put a finer point to it, it is possible to provide “community service” to communities to which we do not belong. We might donate time to the homeless community—but that does not make us homeless. We might spend time working with refugees, even if we, ourselves, are not refugees. Or while we might enjoy good health, we still might donate time to make meals for the critically ill.

So make sure that when you write the community essay you zero in on a community that defines you, and not on the service you devote to a community that is not your own.  

When preparing for the community essay for the Common App, DO THESE THINGS:

Think carefully about your choice of community

The community you choose says a lot about you. Think carefully about what message even just the choice of community might convey to your reader. In fact, you may even want to start by asking yourself “What aspects of who I am do I want the reader to know?” and then pick the community that will do that in the best possible way. Think, too, how your choice can help you differentiate yourself and share important insight into who you are. 

Factors for you to consider as you brainstorm the community essay for the Common App:

• Which communities are most important to you and why?
• What do these communities say about you that you haven’t shared with your reader elsewhere in your application?
• What roles have you played in these communities?
• How would you measure the impact of your participation in these communities?
• What does your participation in these communities say about your character, qualities, and how you interact with the world around you?
• What does the overall message say about you as a future college student?

Use this as an opportunity to reveal more about yourself

This prompt isn’t just to elaborate on your community; this is another opportunity to reveal important qualities about yourself. Explain why this community is so important to you. Write about what you learned about yourself and how it has shaped who you are. Reveal how you have made contributions to this community.  

Show, don’t tell

Like every essay, the details show your reader what you want them to know about you. Be specific, but selective, with the details you include. Every word should contribute to the message you want to share with your reader. If you have space, share an anecdote to help the reader visualize the qualities that you are trying to share.

Ensure you answer the prompt fully and directly

Some of these prompts are simple and short, but other schools have long prompts. Don’t get lost in answering the first part of the prompt and forget about the remainder. Re-read the prompt after you have drafted your ideas to make sure you’ve addressed everything. 

In addition, sometimes, if you have multiple applications that ask a “community” question, you may be tempted to simply repurpose the same exact essay from one application to the other. Beware! Each prompt will have different nuances to it, and you will need to ensure that you are actually answering the prompt that is being asked. You can certainly re-use the content from one application to the next, but you should tailor how you express those ideas so that they match the prompt.

When drafting the community essay for the Common App, DON’T DO these things

Don’t be afraid to “think outside of the box”

Some communities to which we belong are obvious because we participate in them on a daily basis. These would include our families and our friend groups. Others are obvious because they are clearly defined: the football team or student government. But what about those informal communities, occasional communities, or hard-to-define communities to which you might belong? Are you a crafty person who blogs about your creations with an online community?

Do you belong to a book group in your neighborhood? Are you a classic car connoisseur? Even writing about things that might not seem like natural “communities” can work quite well as long as they reveal important aspects of who you are. For example, we’ve read a successful “community” essay about a student who belonged to a community of anonymous subway riders. We read another about a community of students who wear crazy socks to school. 

Don’t share obvious details

The detail about the community is not the most important part of your response, even if the prompt does say to “describe a community to which you belong.” Consider only sharing those details about the community that ties into what you are trying to share about yourself. For example, most drama groups put on performances for the public.

But not all drama groups are community-based and have participants ranging in age from 9 to 99. If part of your story is about this multi-generational community, then this detail plays a part in your story. Include those details that play a role in why the community is important or impactful for you.

Remember these things about the community essay for the Common App

No matter which community you choose to write about, you want to be sure that you reflect deeply about why this community is important to you. If you have a longer word count, you can consider using an anecdote to share with the reader, but for the shorter prompts, keep your writing personal, but just more to the point.

And don’t lose sight of the reason that you are writing this essay. You are applying to be a part of a new community. You want to show that you have a deep appreciation for the sense of satisfaction, dedication, and attachment that comes with being a member of a community. The purpose is to demonstrate that you know how to nurture the community and how you nourish others’ sense of belonging in that circle.  

Colleges want to know that you will keep the flame of that college community alive, even as you graduate and move on with your life. The admissions office wants to know that you will cherish and contribute to the community that they already call their own. Convince them that you deserve to belong.

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