Make Your Supplemental Essays Stand Out: Tips from a College Admissions Expert

In my last blog post, I provided students with four top tips for strengthening the written component of their college applications. I reviewed the purpose of the main admissions essay and how applicants can set themselves apart from the crowd.

Below, I discuss the best way to approach the supplemental essays that will accompany your applications. Although these essays may sound less important than the main essay, they are just as critical to your application and they can determine whether or not youre accepted into your top school.

Tip 1: Dont be afraid to get creative.

The average admissions officer reviews hundreds of applications every day during the application period. It can be a very tedious process, and so the best way to ensure your application is noticed is to really engage your reader. Creativity in your answers is key: if you can write something that will capture the admissions offices attention, theyll be intrigued by your application and view you in a more positive light.

For example, you may be asked to Discuss your academic interests and how you would explore them at our college in one of your supplemental essays. When responding, dont just jump straight into your answer with something like, I am interested in science and particularly passionate about conducting experiments in your well-stocked laboratories. Instead, set the scene for your reader, as if youre telling a story, with something like:

Last week, my friends and I were sitting in the cafeteria at lunch. Since were all in our senior year, we were talking about where we want to go to college and how weve been feeling about our applications. I said that Id really like to go to [college] to study [discipline], and one of my friends piped up to ask why. I explained that Im impressed by your schools fantastic resources in my academic area, including a library devoted to [discipline]. I also mentioned [faculty member], whom I have researched and would love the opportunity to learn from. I know that [college] is renowned for [chosen field] and also recognize that [city] is an excellent place to learn about, and expand on, my most passionate academic interests.

This kind of answer will better demonstrate your passion for your area of study, and help the reader relate to you as an individual.

Tip 2: Discuss your unique positioning.

Supplemental essays are the best place for you to discuss your application positioning that is, what makes you stand out as a unique and exceptional candidate. If you have a special talent, skill, interest or experience that sets you apart from your classmates, work to weave it into the answers in your supplemental essay. Almost every school has supplemental essay questions that they use to get a sense of potential students and what they might be like, so use this opportunity to show your dream schools how youll help to make their campus diverse.

Some questions may directly relate to your positioning, making it easy for you to bring up your most positive unique attributes. But if there doesnt seem like an obvious fit, look for questions like, What would you like us to know about you thats not reflected in the rest of your application? This is an ideal place to talk about what you have determined is specifically special to you.

Tip 3: Review the requirements first.

Finally, gather all of the supplemental essay application questions you will need to answer in your applications. When you have all of the supplemental essay questions in front of you, group like questions from different applications together. Begin working on your answers for each set of similar questions at once, making each answer as strong as possible and tailoring it to slightly different versions of the questions across your applications, if needed. Once you have finished with one set of similar questions, move onto the next one, until you have completed all of them. Conclude by reviewing each individual schools application essay separately, to make sure it flows well and that your answers are not redundant.

Most schools should have their application information posted on their websites now, so you can likely start this process right away. If using the common app, the supplemental questions will be available once you add schools to your application. If applying to standalone schools like MIT, Georgetown or the University of Texas, visit their websites, click Apply, and you should be able to see their essay questions.

What next?

To conclude, you should approach the essay parts of your application in the following order:

1. Gather all of the supplemental essay questions required for your chosen schools
2. Determine what your main essay focus on
3. Group all similar supplemental essay questions together and answer them at once
4. Move onto distinctive supplemental essay questions and answer them one at a time
5. Review your application essays for each school for clarity, consistency and comprehensiveness
6. And remember to keep track of the deadline for each of your applications, prioritizing those that are due first

During your application, youll also need to prepare an activities and honors list stay tuned for tips on how to compile a strong list in my next article.

Dee Blackman is affiliated with The Ivy Dean, Inc. , an independent college admissions consulting firm.