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Supplemental Essay Examples

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Filter exemplars, finding peace in the simplicity of nature, the power of kaizen: finding inspiration in continuous improvement, captivating supernatural mystery: binge-watching "stranger things, capturing the cosmos: my passion for astrophotography, first impressions: a warm smile and quiet contemplation, savory sea salt kale chips, the power of storytelling: exploring narrative in english, film, and theater, mountain memories: our annual family camping trip, bonding through birding, a new lens: exploring cultural awareness through travel, exploring academic interests for a future psychiatrist, green retrofit features: a perfect fit for an eclectic learner, sharing the joy of music: teaching drums and fostering young talent, antarctic adventure: exploring untouched wilderness, embracing the unknown, uncovering historical truths: my journey in history, nature's tranquility: a source of pure joy, exploring historical truth: a stanford experience, essential values: family, kindness, nature, present living, and lifelong learning, the need for equity in society, embracing boredom: finding joy in idleness, the reflective bridge, unraveling the mysteries of ancient egypt, fulfilling my quest for intellect and harmony at columbia university, a productive and meaningful two summers, embracing diversity: overcoming adversity in a new environment, embracing discomfort: how my visit to morocco shaped my view of community, the corleone legacy, learning perseverance through baking, embracing tradition and creativity: why brown, driven by the future, innocence and injustice: exploring 'to kill a mockingbird', artistic and linguistic roommate with a heart of gold, the art of thrifty decision-making, resilient, determined, tenacious, versatile, informed, supportive, nature's tranquil bliss, exploring academic interests: philosophy, global affairs, and literature, applying classroom learnings to real-world problems, the mentality of absent-mindedness: a challenge for society.

How to Write a Supplemental Essay for College Applications

Discover tips for tackling writing supplements, and read a sample essay from a current student.

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A supplemental essay gives you an opportunity to tell the admissions committee about something you weren't able to cover in your main essay.

Prospective students are usually aware that they must write an essay as part of the college application process . But they may not know that some schools will ask for additional writing samples such as a supplemental essay.

Avoid These College Application Mistakes

Courtney Rubin and Cole Claybourn July 26, 2023

These writing supplements are usually shorter than the main college essay , but they're no less important, experts say.

"Every word counts in getting your story across," says Deborah Davis, president and founder of Davis Education & Career Consultants LLC, based in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Some colleges ask for just one supplemental essay while others may require several.

For example, Wake Forest University in North Carolina had six additional questions for prospective students to respond to on its 2020 undergraduate admissions application. However, a couple of the questions asked applicants to write lists – for instance, a personal top 10 list – rather than a full paragraph or two.

Supplemental essay prompts come in all shapes and sizes. In some cases, schools let applicants choose from several options. For instance, the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill 's fall 2019-20 application included four prompts – such as "What do you hope will change about the place where you live?" – from which prospective students had to select two.

Davis says two of the most common prompts she's seen are "What do you want to major in?" and "Tell us about a favorite activity."

While word counts for supplemental essays vary, they tend to be limited.

Wake Forest has a 150-word limit for each of its supplements, says Tamara Blocker, the university's senior associate dean of admissions. UNC caps applicants' short answer responses at 250 words each, according to the school's website.

In contrast, The Common Application , a platform that allows students to apply to multiple colleges at once, has a suggested 650-word limit for the main essay and 250 words for others.

These types of written responses are more like vignettes or snapshots, rather than full-blown essays, says Stephen Farmer, vice provost for enrollment and undergraduate admissions at UNC.

"I think – I hope, anyway – that students feel the opportunity maybe in the shorter responses to worry less about form and just be a little more open with us," he says.

To help prospective students familiarize themselves with supplemental essays, U.S. News obtained an example from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Ryan Sheehan from Wallingford, Pennsylvania, wrote the short piece and is a computer science major in the class of 2021.

As part of his application, Sheehan responded to the following prompt: "There is a Quaker saying: 'Let your life speak.' Describe the environment in which you were raised – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – and how it influenced the person you are today."

"As the son of two journalists, I have grown up under a lifelong inquisition: How is your room such a mess? Can you please stop chasing the cat? Will you come down from the tree already? Granted, those are all from this past year, but the point still stands. Like any good journalists, my parents have also always had a propensity for uncovering the truth. On the third night that I had my license, I decided to go to the library to study. Before 15 minutes had passed, I noticed the librarian peering at me through the shelves before quickly averting her eyes and whispering, "He's here," into her phone. Even so, regardless of how many spies they've hired over the years, I have always looked up to my parents immensely. However, I have found my inherited inquisitiveness to be a trait most useful in a place far from the realm of reporting: the robotics lab. After four years of spending almost more time in the lab than at home, I have learned that nothing is more important than asking the right questions. As a programmer, I need to be able to communicate with my builders. Come press time, if I don't interview them properly, our robot will invariably end up as a hunk of unresponsive aluminum. To make a machine, the team must work as one. So although I may be writing source code instead of a breaking story, I am glad I had such nosy parents after all."

Karen Richardson, former dean of undergraduate admissions and enrollment management at Tufts who is now dean of admission at Princeton University in New Jersey, explained why she liked this response: "This is a great essay because, in just 250 words, it shows rather than tells the reader who Ryan is and the things that matter to him. It gives us a sense of his family life and academic interests, and it even shows us he has a sense of humor. As an admissions committee, we learned a lot about Ryan in just one paragraph."

Here are five additional tips from admissions officers to help prospective college students craft strong supplemental essays.

Answer the Question

This may seem obvious, but applicants should carefully read a supplemental essay prompt and make sure they understand what it is asking before answering it, Richardson says.

Prospective students may want to reuse an essay they wrote for another college, but that doesn't always work because supplemental questions tend to be more tailored to an individual institution, she says.

Start With an Outline

Applicants may have their own writing process, but Davis encourages those she works with to create outlines. She says prospective students should brainstorm the personal qualities, skills or experiences they would like to convey in their supplemental essays.

Don't Repeat Yourself

Supplemental essays are a chance for applicants to give more information to an admissions committee to further show why they are a good fit for a school, Davis says. So prospective students should make sure they aren't repeating something that's already been covered in their main essay.

Narrow Your Focus

Probably the biggest mistake applicants make in supplemental essays is choosing a topic that's too big, Farmer says. For example, he says prospective students may attempt to settle a complex political issue in just one paragraph.

"I think it's better to do something small and do it well than to do something big and skate over the surface," he says.

Maintain Your Voice

It's a good idea for applicants to ask another person for editing help, but too much input can be detrimental to an essay, experts say. If lots of people – teachers, parents, peers – read and weigh in on an essay, they can weaken how clearly a student's voice comes through in the writing.

"It's great to read something that sounds like it was written by an 18-year-old and not by a machine," Farmer says, "or by someone who's trying to be prematurely middle-aged."

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1. Complete the Common Application

Complete and submit the  Common Application . Upon submitting, you will be asked to pay a $70 nonrefundable application fee.  Be sure you use the same email address for every part of the application process, including registering for standardized tests.

If applying for Spring or Fall 2024, you will be required to submit a supplemental essay of 250 words.

Supplemental essay prompt: 

Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the University of Miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. The University of Miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute.

Please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive University community.

In addition, students will be asked to respond to one of seven prompts in a personal statement of 650 words or less. 

These portions of the Common Application give you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to develop your thoughts, to communicate them clearly, and to write them concisely conveying your unique voice. Please include a list of your extracurricular activities; these activities will be evaluated as part of the admission process.

2. Send Official High School Transcripts

If you attended high school in the United States, s ubmit your   official   high school transcripts directly from your high school. A school official may submit them electronically via the Common Application, Slate.org, SCOIR, or Parchment. They can also be emailed directly from your school official to [email protected] .

If electronic submission is not possible, these documents can be mailed to one of the following addresses:

Mailing Address University of Miami Office of Undergraduate Admission P.O. Box 249117 Coral Gables, FL 33124-9117   

If sending via FedEx, DHL, UPS, or courier University of Miami Office of Undergraduate Admission 1306 Stanford Drive University Center, Suite 2275 Coral Gables, FL 33146   

If you attended a secondary school outside of the United States, please refer to the International Evaluation Requirements page .

If you are a homeschooled applicant, please refer to the Homeschool Transcript Requirements page .

3. Submitting Test Scores

No change announced from current test optional policy for students who are applying for admission for the Spring or Fall 2024 term.

Students who choose to submit an ACT and/or SAT score may:

• Request that official scores be sent to the University directly from the testing agency.
• Self-report their scores on the Common Application. You will not need to Superscore your own results or recalculate your scores. Simply enter your scores exactly as you receive them. Students self-reporting scores will be required to submit official score reports only if they are admitted and choose to enroll.

All students whose native language is not English are required to submit official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or  Duolingo English Test (DET) . For information on scores, visit the  English Proficiency Requirements  page. 

Architecture applicants not submitting test scores must instead submit a portfolio. All Music applicants complete an audition as part of the evaluation process.

Note:  You may update your decision to have your application reviewed with or without test scores even after you have submitted your application. Early Decision I and Early Action applicants have until November 15, while Early Decision II and Regular Decision applicants have until January 15 to update their file. 

Here are some examples of testing-specific updates applicants can make:

• Submit test scores for the Admission Committee’s consideration
• Update your test scores
• Update your choice to be test optional or not

To make these and other changes, applicants must complete the  Test Score Updates  form in the  Applicant Portal .

Submit your application by the stated deadline: November 1 for Early Decision I and Early Action or January 1 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision. The deadline for opting in or out of having your test scores considered as part of your application and for self-reporting your test scores is November 15 for Early Decision I and Early Action, and January 15 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision.

Test Codes for UM:

• TOEFL Code: C730
• IELTS Code: 4861
• ACT Code: 0760 
• SAT Code: 5815
• DET Code: select “University of Miami Undergraduate Admissions” from the options

4. Complete the School Report

The School Report should be completed by your high school guidance counselor and can be found on the  Common Application . It is often submitted along with your high school transcript and information about your high school. 

5. Submit a Letter of Recommendation

You are required to submit one letter of recommendation/evaluation, which can be from either a school counselor or a teacher. The most expedient way to submit your letter electronically is through the Common Application, Slate.org, Scoir, or Parchment.

6. Additional Requirements for Special Programs

• Bachelor of Architecture - Portfolio required if not submitting ACT/SAT scores
• Frost School of Music* - Supplemental Application, Prescreen, and Audition Required  
• Theatre Arts B.F.A.*   - Supplemental application and audition required

*Not available for Spring applicants

Supplemental applications are available in the Applicant Portal. Beginning mid-September, access to the portal will be granted 48-72 hours after  your admission application is received .  Please submit any additional documentation as soon as possible. We will accept documents  up to seven  days after the admission plan deadline.

Applicants to the Frost School of Music and the Theatre Arts B.F.A. program who are not admitted to the major of choice and did not indicate a second-choice major on their application will not be considered for admission to any other academic program at the University of Miami. Applicants may not add a second choice major after submitting their application to the University of Miami.

7. Submit Educational Activities

If you have a time gap of three months or more during your educational career or from the time you graduated high school to the date of your intended University of Miami enrollment, you must submit an Educational Activities statement in the Common Application explaining the reason for the gap(s) and include the dates.

If you are unable to provide this information within your Common Application, you can submit it through the applicant portal under the "Materials Upload" section, or by emailing it to  [email protected] . If emailing, be sure to include “Educational Activities” in the subject line and your full name and date of birth on all correspondence. This information is required to complete your application file.

8. Complete the Financial Certification Form (International applicants only)

All prospective first-year international students who apply for admission to UM must submit an International Financial Certification Form, which can be accessed via the Applicant Portal after you have submitted your application.

International applicants who are applying for need-based financial aid must also submit the CSS Profile.

9. Submit Financial Aid Documents

If you are applying for financial aid, review the checklist on our  Applying for Aid  page. There you will find the dates and required documents that must be submitted in order to be considered for need-based financial aid.

10. Send Conduct Updates

If there is any update to your academic achievement or personal   conduct, you must notify the Office of Undergraduate Admission immediately by uploading the documentation to your Applicant Portal in the "Materials Upload" section or by emailing the update to  [email protected] . 

Be sure to include your name and date of birth on all documents.

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Navel Gazing

John dickerson’s notebooks: the power of four numbers.

Noticing longer, gray lockboxes, a soul-crushing teacher, Georgia O’Keeffe and more are explored in this week’s audio essay from John Dickerson.

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Episode Notes

In this week’s essay, John discusses the art of attention and how to develop the skill of slow-looking.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 75, page 8. September 2021

Notebook 1, page 54. June 1990

-        Magna carta 1215 at Salisbury

-        Girls skipping

-        The Haunch of Venison

-        Chris

References:

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

A Little History of the World  by E.H Gombrich

Artist Jeff Koons

“ The Art of Divination: D.H. Lawrence on the Power of Pure Attention ” by Maria Popova for  The Marginalian

“ Gabfest Reads: A Woman’s Life in Museum Wall Labels ” for Political Gabfest

One Woman Show  by Christine Coulson

“ Grammy-winning artist Jason Isbell talks about the craft of songwriting and his latest music ” for CBS News

A Journey Around My Room  by Xavier De Maistre

“ Just think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind ” by Timothy Wilson, et.al for  Science

“ Our Rodent Selfies, Ourselves ” by Emily Anthes for the  New York Times

One Man’s Meat  by E.B. White

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at  [email protected]

Want to listen to Navel Gazing uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Navel Gazing and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit  slate.com/navelgazingplus  to get access wherever you listen.

About the Show

Political Gabfest host John Dickerson has been a journalist for more than three decades, reporting about presidential campaigns, political scandals, and the evolving state of our democracy. Along the way, he’s also been recording his observations in notebooks he has carried in his back pocket. He has captured his thoughts about life, parenthood, death, friendship, writing, God, to-do lists, and more. On the Navel Gazing podcast, John Dickerson invites you to join him in figuring out what these 30 years of notebooks mean: sorting out what makes a life—or a day in a life—noteworthy.

John Dickerson is host of CBS News Prime Time With John Dickerson , co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest, host of the Whistlestop podcast, and author of The Hardest Job in the World .

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 5 tips for writing a stellar vanderbilt supplement essay.

College Essays

Vanderbilt is one of the United States' highest-ranked colleges. With an acceptance rate of just 7 percent, it's ranked as extremely competitive . It's no surprise—Vanderbilt is known for having a wealth of appealing programs, including its school of medicine, the Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and Blair School of Music.

Because it's extremely competitive, you'll need to set yourself apart as a prospective student . That doesn't mean just your grades and impressive extracurriculars; it also means writing a killer essay to go along with your application.

In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know about Vanderbilt's supplemental essay, including some ideal topics, some pitfalls to avoid, and even some analysis of past Vanderbilt essays that have worked.

Feature Image: Dansan4444 /Wikimedia Commons

The Vanderbilt Supplement Basics

Vanderbilt's application is fairly straightforward. They accept multiple application formats, including both the Common and Coalition Applications, as well as Questbridge.

What application you use is up to you. There are many reasons to choose one or the other , but regardless of which application you pick, you'll still be writing just one supplemental essay prompt from Vanderbilt. Choose whichever application works best for you.

In addition to the essays required for your Common, Coalition, or Questbridge Application, Vanderbilt requires one supplemental essay. There are two promp ts to choose from; you’ll select one to respond to in a short answer essay of no more than 250 words.

However, having just one supplemental essay means that you'll need to put a lot of attention into making your essay as good as it can be. You only have one chance to prove yourself in your essay, so make it count!

What Are the Vanderbilt Supplement Essay Prompts?

Vanderbilt has two prompts for their supplemental essay. You’ll be asked to select one and respond to it in 250 words or less . The prompts are as follows: 

Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own. How did these conversations/experiences influence you? Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.

Each prompt asks you to describe and reflect on a different aspect of your experiences and values, so we’ll break down how to answer them individually.

Supplemental Prompt #1: Diversity

Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own. How did these conversations/experiences influence you?

In this prompt, Vanderbilt is asking you to describe how you interact with and learn from people who are different from yourself . College campuses are diverse communities filled with people of different races, ethnicities, nationalities, and religious and political beliefs. This essay is your chance to show Vanderbilt that you’re the kind of student who’s open to learning from and with people from many different backgrounds–and that you’ll be kind and compassionate in the process. 

To answer this question, think of a specific conversation (or series of conversations) you’ve had with a person or group who expressed views that are different from your own. You’ll want to tell a compelling story about the experience, so try to remember details like how the conversation started, why the people involved felt invested in the conversation, what the outcome was, and, most importantly, how you were influenced by the conversation. 

Rather than giving a play-by-play, “they said/I said” of the conversation, focus on describing how you and the other people involved expressed yourselves and treated each other . Did you have a shouting match in the hallway at school, then apologize later because you realized that yelling isn’t a good way to express your views? Did you have a heartfelt, tearful conversation wherein you finally came to understand someone you’ve been at odds with for years? And most important of all, how did you come to these realizations, and how have they affected who you are and how you treat people who are different from you today? 

Remember to keep your essay focused on the people involved in the conversation , how you treated each other, and how you were affected by the interaction . This essay isn’t the place to harp on how you were right and you totally owned your opponent with your awesome debate skills. Instead, Vanderbilt wants to see that you can engage civilly and empathetically with people who are different from you –and that you’re open to learning new things from others. After all, learning and growing with people from different backgrounds is a key part of the college experience. 

Supplemental Prompt #2: Extracurricular Activities

Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.

The question is straightforward—Vanderbilt is asking you to discuss one of your extracurriculars in depth. This doesn't just demonstrate to the admissions office that you're dedicated to your interest, but also that you have passions outside of school. Vanderbilt wants to know that you'll bring something besides academics to campus, and this is the space to tell them about it.

Keep in mind that Vanderbilt isn't looking for a list of activities or just a short discussion of one of your extracurriculars. They specifically ask for one, but you have 250 words to cover—which means you should spend some time unpacking not just the activity itself, but why you do it and why it matters to you. Be thoughtful; really think about your activities and why you do them beyond that they look good on your college application.

Don't just pick the extracurricular activity that you think Vanderbilt would want to hear about. If you're a champion Mathlete but you really feel fulfilled when you're making short films with your friends over the weekend, you should be writing about the short films. If your short film was played at a local film festival but you find more meaning in the time you spend knitting, write about knitting!

It's not about being impressive here. Plenty of other applicants will be discussing their charity work or science team victories. Use this space to discuss yourself, and why the things you do matter to you. If the most impressive thing in your repertoire and the thing that's most personally meaningful line up, great! But don't feel like you can only write about things like academic success, leadership roles, or entrepreneurship. Write about what's meaningful to you and Vanderbilt will see your personality—which is really what they're looking for—shine through.

Vanderbilt Essays That Worked: Analysis

To give you a sense of what an effective Vanderbilt supplemental essay looks like, we tracked down an example of a successful Vanderbilt essay.

Keep in mind that this is a response to an older prompt. However, it still gives you a good idea of what admissions counselors are looking for in a thoughtful response. Consider this essay from an admitted Vanderbilt student:

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (150-400 words). While all my extracurricular activities have helped me shape my values, there is one in particular I have enjoyed the most: picking tangerines from my grandmother’s orchard. Picking tangerines was often to me simply a burden. I had to wake up at six every Saturday and drive fifty miles to help my grandmother reap good tangerines. On the whole ride I would think to myself: I would rather be reading poetry and ponder upon ways to change the world. As far as I was concerned, reaping tangerines was not going to help me do so. The orchard belonged to my grandmother, who to save money had to “hire” me and my mom. There was no wage; the only working benefit was being able to taste a few fresh tangerines for free. At age thirteen, such benefit was enough. At seventeen, I was not so sure if it was. Working at the orchard usually involved scratches, itching, worms, climbing up the ladder, getting hurt, and demanding, long hours of physical labor. But as I worked through the years with tangerines, I began to recognize all the beauty my labor had. Everything in the orchard began telling their own stories. A tiny, pruned tree took pride in its small fruition, all the while a chunky tree demanded attention for its crooked children. Their offspring–tangerines–told by their taste who their trees were; some of them edgy, some of them warm, and some of them implicitly angry. Bugs would tell me which tree needs my help. No tree is without a hope. Within a few days of assistance, all the trees fought back those tiny enemies and always claimed victory. They became ever more proud, stronger, and complete. Enemies came back; but this time the trees didn’t need my help. Some tangerines would go bad–in extreme cases would give up under negligence. We grieve. But we simply carry on. We learn to proceed more carefully, and we let go. The orchard is for me a story of life–human life. It makes all the complications of our lives more simple, easier to grasp, and more available at my tongue, hands and feet. So as of right now, my Saturday is always booked for the orchard. I hope by next year this time around, however, my orchard will be at Vanderbilt.

This essay was successful--the applicant was accepted at Vanderbilt! The fact that it was successful shows you that it contains features that Vanderbilt likes to see.

The writer of this essay discusses the unconventional “education” they received while working in their grandmother’s tangerine orchard. This topic is striking because it’s an extracurricular/work experience that few other applicants have likely had. The applicant’s creative interpretation of “extracurricular activities or work experience” from the prompt makes their essay stand out from others that discuss more common experiences.

Not everybody had this same experience, but that doesn't mean that you can't use some of the same ideas in your own work. The writer draws a clear line between their experience working the orchard and the person they are now—you could do a similar thing by connecting the person you are with the activity you've chosen to write about. What have you learned about yourself because of what you do?

The writer is also able to connect what they learned through working the orchard to the kind of student they will be at Vanderbilt. By drawing an analogy between the tangerine trees and the challenges we go through in life, the applicant conveys their core values. More importantly, they write about where those values come from—something you could easily do by referencing the importance of the activity you choose.

What's most important to take away from this essay is the way that the writer connects the experience of working the orchard to the person they became. No matter what your education was or what activity you choose to write about, you can do a similar thing in your own essay!

5 Key Tips for Writing Your Vanderbilt Essay

Vanderbilt is a prestigious school, but there are some essay standards that hold true no matter where you're applying . Follow these steps to write an essay that's sure to impress!

#1: Start Writing

Starting is the step that sounds the easiest, but it's actually the hardest. No matter what you have to do to start writing, whether it's freewriting, brainstorming, or just pumping out a first draft as fast as you can, you need to do it. At this point, don't worry about quality or being impressive. Just get words down on paper so that you can edit them into shape later— if you spend too much time worrying about starting with a perfect beginning, you'll never make it past that point.

Step two is when you can start worrying about quality. Read your essay aloud and see if you can spot problems with word choice and flow. If you're struggling to read it, change words and add punctuation as necessary.

Also think about your overall point. Does it make sense? Are you able to trace your logic all the way through without a problem? If not, find ways to connect your thoughts from beginning to end.

Be thorough in cutting extraneous words. 250 words isn't a lot, and you'll want to make sure you're making your essay count by picking vibrant, active verbs and clear language. Don't worry about being flowery or busting out the thesaurus, but do be sure that your wording doesn't feel tired or dull.

#3: Seek Feedback

One of the best ways to find holes in your logic or other issues in your essay is to get others to give you feedback. Find people who want to see you succeed, but preferably not those who aren't going to give you criticism if you need it. Teachers and other mentors are a good choice, if they're available.

Don't feel like you have to use every piece of feedback you receive, but do consider all of it. Your essay should always be your own work, so try to rephrase suggestions in your own words or rewrite confusing passages how you would write them, not how others suggest.

#4: Take a Break

With deadlines looming and other essays to write, it may be tempting to just rush through after getting feedback and fix everything. But take some time away from your essay, focusing on other college application duties or on other things entirely. Anywhere from a couple days to weeks to months can be good for improving your essay, though do leave yourself time to revise.

Taking a break lets your mind forget what you've already written, so that when you come back to revise you do so with fresh eyes. This way, you can see holes in your logic or places where your language isn't as tight as it could be. You'll never be able to completely shed your attachment to your essay, but spending some time away from it can give you a whole new outlook on your work!

Now that you've had some time away and you have notes to incorporate, it's time to revise. Revision can be something you do multiple times, combing through your essay for errors and places to strengthen it, but eventually you are going to have to turn it in. Don't get caught up in perfection—focus on making your essay the best you can. Check it for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors to be sure it's clean and easy to read, and send it off!

What's Next?

Starting your essay is often the hardest part. If you're unsure where to begin, check out this guide to starting a college essay perfectly , and don't be afraid to just dive right in!

A good essay is just one part of a successful Vanderbilt application . If you want to really wow the admissions office, be sure your grades and test scores are up to snuff, too!

Vanderbilt University may not be an Ivy League school, but that doesn't mean your application can't be Ivy League-ready. Use these tips for getting into Harvard to shape your college application, and you'll have no problem getting into any school you choose!

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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How to Write the Yale University Essays 2023-2024

Hoping to become a Yale bulldog? When applying to such a selective school, writing standout supplemental essays can certainly give you a boost. Through your supplemental essays, you can create a complete picture of who you are and humanize yourself to readers.

Read on for our best advice on Yale’s short answer and longer essay prompts.

You can also check out these Yale essay examples to inspire your writing.

Yale University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Students can apply to Yale University using the Common Application, the Coalition Application, or Questbridge. All applicants are required to respond to two short answer questions that involve exploring your areas of interest and outlining your reasons for applying to Yale. 

Additionally, all applicants must write one 400-word essay. Students applying through the Common App or the Coalition App are required to answer four very short answer questions, around 35 words each.

Short Answer Questions (For all applicants, including Questbridge)

Short Answer 1: Students at Yale have plenty of 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? Please indicate up to three from the list provided.

Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected above. Why are you drawn to it? (200 words or fewer)

Short Answer 2: What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

Common App and Coalition App Supplemental Questions (200 characters, ~35 words) 

What inspires you?

If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be?

Other than a family member, who is someone who has had a significant influence on you? What has been the impact of their influence?

What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application?

Essays (For all applicants)

Please respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer. Please indicate the number of the prompt you choose.

Option 1: Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful?

Option 2: Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. Why is this community meaningful to you? You may define community however you like.

Option 3: Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?

Short Answer Questions

Short answer 1, students at yale have plenty of 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 please indicate up to three from the list provided..

For context, as part of answering this prompt, you’ll be asked to pick three of several different academic areas from a long list. This prompt is similar to a traditional “ Why This Major ” prompt, however, 200 words is a tight amount of space, so you need to be comprehensive and clear. Whether or not you plan on majoring in physics, economics, or neuroscience, the same basic strategy can be applied across the board. Of course, this essay prompt, like many, can usually be answered through several different possible angles. 

One strategy involves tying your past and future together through your present interest. As directly as possible, you would describe how your academic interests developed, what exactly is compelling about your intended major (which will likely be directly connected to one or more of your academic interests), and perhaps what your professional goals are. 

For example, maybe you’re interested in Linguistics because you’re a third culture kind, and have always struggled to get rid of your American accent in Portuguese, but your younger brother speaks without an accent. You want to explore the science behind language acquisition, as well as the human impact of language (culture, identity, language preservation). You’re potentially interested in becoming a translator one day, primarily to expand great works of literature across language barriers.

Or, maybe you’re interested in Psychology and Political Science because you’re fascinated by today’s polarized political climate. You want to understand why people hold the beliefs they do, and why voters act the way they do. One day, you hope to work on the campaigns of progressive candidates who support the causes you care about.

Secondly, a respondent to this question could dive more deeply into the topic itself, with less of a focus on career and future and more on how you think. You could begin with a hook that loops readers into the very marrow of your interest, perhaps with a personal anecdote. Then, you could fully nerd out on whatever your interest is, from fine art to molecular biology to Spanish Literature. In order to explain why you are drawn to this interest, you can discuss your chosen topic or idea in a way that truly showcases your particular passion.

For example, a student with an interest in evolutionary biology could note the field’s tendency to challenge common assumptions surrounding anything from the innateness of gender norms to the “why’s” of our biological realities, while an international relations aficionado could say that being raised in a bilingual household triggered a lifelong love of translation, not only of language but also of  social norms, and cultural phenomena, between differing worlds. 

Whatever your interest is, waste no space in diving right into the most specific details. Then, work to connect the details to future goals and interests. While a traditional “Why This Major” essay should include why you want to study that major at that specific school, you may not have any space, given the small word count. Luckily, the next question allows you to discuss how Yale can support your academic goals.

Short Answer 2

What is it about yale that has led you to apply (125 words or fewer).

This is a classic example of the “ Why This College ” essay. For this prompt, you’ll want to cite specific reasons Yale is a good fit to support your academic goals. You may also want to include any compelling extracurricular reasons, as college is not only about what you do in the classroom. 

Let’s go back to the example of the student who’s passionate about Psych and PoliSci. A specific Yale resource they might want to highlight is the PoliSci Department’s funding for students working on election campaigns . This funding allows students to develop and implement a campaign strategy related to their unique skills. For example, they might choose to create a social media campaign, using their knowledge of voter psychology. 

Aim to get just as granular in your essay, and do extensive research on resources at Yale. See our post How to Research a School for the “Why This College” essay if you don’t know where to start.

In an essay of only 125 words, you’ll likely only be able to mention 2-4 aspects of Yale that resonate with you. That’s totally okay! It’s better to show a deeper understanding of what Yale offers than to list a bunch of general characteristics. 

Under no circumstances should you mention anything vague that could apply to other schools, such as the location, prestige, or even a strong academic department. If you could copy and paste your essay for another school and just switch out the school name, that’s a sign that your essay isn’t specific enough. Take it to the next level; what courses, programs, organizations, or grants could support your goals? 

Common App and Coalition App Supplemental Questions

What inspires you (200 characters).

This sounds a lot like “vision statements” that many business professionals write for themselves. The idea here is to give a concise summary of what drives you every day.

While brainstorming an answer to this question, it’s a good idea to think about how you would summarize your application in a few sentences. What are your recommenders saying about you? What do your classwork and extracurriculars demonstrate an interest in? What sentence instantly helps to combine the disparate elements of your application into a cohesive narrative? This should help guide an answer to the question that’s consistent with your overall application.

For example, maybe you’re passionate about competitive weightlifting and computer programming. You love the two very different activities because they allow you to constantly push your limits. You can always lift more, and create a more efficient program. Your response to this prompt might focus on your desire to continually improve yourself and what you’ve built.

Or, maybe the focus of your high school career was leadership and service. You served in Student Government, participated in Model UN, and started an organization to combat the food desert in your local community. In this case, you might write that working with governing bodies to enact meaningful change is what motivates you.

Of course, you could derive your inspiration from something external, like a certain group of people you interact with every day or even your favorite musician. This is fine and can make a meaningful essay, but it’s the sort of thing a person has to be very careful about. For example, writing an essay about how inspired you are by your mother’s diligence as a hand surgeon can be a great read, but these types of essays make it easy to accidentally focus more so on your inspirational subject than about you. Make sure to always tie back the source of your inspiration to yourself, your drive, your actions, and your values. 

If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be? (200 characters )

This is just a proxy to ask “what interests you?” That is, what interests you enough that you’d want to share that passion with others? You can let your creativity run wild here; if you have a niche interest, this is the perfect place to mention it.

For a college course, share the title and give a brief description of the course, such as the works you’ll study and the themes covered.

Remember that an answer like “Designing and Testing Role Playing Games” is a lot better than “Economics 101.” Alternatively, think about two interests you have. For example, if you like cartoon shows and politics, a class called “The Politics of Cartoon Shows” will definitely catch the eye of an admissions officer.

For a book, you’ll want to share the title and a brief synopsis. An example might be: “ Who Made My Clothes? Stories from Garment Workers Around the World. This book will humanize these workers, sharing their backgrounds, their reasons for sewing, and the conditions they work in.”

For the original work of art, also share the title and give a visual description mixed with the inspiration for the piece. An example would be: “ Mushroom Forest , mixed media. This work depicts an ethereal forest of colorful, self-foraged mushrooms and moss. A small, painted frog looks onward, shielded from the rain by the mushroom canopy.”

Keep it engaging, witty, and quick!

Other than a family member, who is someone who has had a significant influence on you? What has been the impact of their influence? (200 characters)

People with great mentors and role models usually become successful in their fields, and Yale wants to admit successful students. This prompt also gives you an opportunity to show self-awareness and gratitude for someone else’s impact on your growth.

If no one comes to mind immediately, it may be easier to think of traits or aspects of your application you want to highlight, and then consider who had the biggest impact on that area of your life. For example, pretend you’re Beth from The Queen’s Gambit, and your obvious talent is playing chess. You might choose to write about Mr. Shaibel, the janitor who introduced you to chess:

Mr. Shaibel, my orphanage’s janitor, not only taught me chess; he helped me grasp opportunities I didn’t have, introducing me to the HS coach and even giving me money to enter my first tournament.

You have an extremely limited character count, so get straight to the point, and feel free to use well-known abbreviations/acronyms to maximize space.

What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application? (200 characters)

This one is incredibly open-ended, which can be as terrifying or as exciting as you decide it to be. It gives you a great opportunity to showcase something that wouldn’t traditionally show up in a letter of recommendation or a resume. Here are a few questions to consider for brainstorming:

• What are your hobbies?
• What could you talk about endlessly?
• What are you known for in your friend group? How about your family?
• What’s your guilty (or not so guilty) pleasure? Reality TV? In-n-Out runs? Gummy worms?
• Do you have a random skill, like cutting hair or making friendship bracelets?
• Do you have siblings, and does your role in the sibling hierarchy affect your life?
• What’s a weird story of yours? A spontaneous thing you’ve done or something that happened to you and the way you reacted to it?
• What’s a value you were raised to have?
• What’s something you like doing, regardless of whether you’re good at it or not?
• On that subject, what’s something you’re bad at but do anyway?

Brainstorm as freely as you can and leave no stone unturned; nothing is too stupid or frivolous to make it into your essay! The important thing in any college essay is rarely the subject itself, but what the subject reveals about you. For example, you can write about how, as the most skilled hair-braider on your cross-country team, you’ve gotten to know all of your teammates better through being the unofficial “team braider,” or that as a middle child, you’ve developed dual penchants for observation and conflict resolution. You only have a few words and it’s implied in this prompt that this essay can be an off-the-resume one, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be deep. But it should still be revealing in some way!

Essays for All Applicants

Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. why did you find the experience meaningful (400 words).

This essay presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase both your intellectual vitality and your social skills. At its core, it’s an essay about your growth as a thinker and person. 

We disagree with people often, often multiple times a day, so there’s plenty of material to brainstorm from. This may be especially pertinent for members of argument-based extracurriculars, like debate, Mock Trial, and Model UN students. Activists and researchers, too. But remember— it doesn’t have to be an argument, just a discussion with a dissenter. 

Write down a list of possible topics, and don’t worry too much about the context of the discussion so much as its content and impact. When this essay is well-written, quarrels with the woman in front of you in line for grocery checkout can be just as fascinating as a national debate closing argument. 

Also, determining whether an issue is “important” or not can be a subjective matter. Your essay doesn’t necessarily need to be about traditional political debate topics, such as abortion or gun control. In fact, we encourage you to write about issues that will be a little less common, if you can think of some relevant experiences (local issues can be especially promising). Topics such as cultural appropriation, the ethics of thrifting and reselling, or whether your school district should get rid of its gifted program are all fair game.

Just remember that Yale is a liberal university, so you don’t want to alienate your audience by sharing that you have a particularly conservative point of view.

After creating your list, scan your potential topic ideas for varied points of interest. Pay special attention to the second half of the prompt and consider which experiences either helped you sharpen your reasoning or change your opinion. Which experience was the most transformative? Intellectually stimulating? Emotional? Unique? Which do you remember the most clearly and why? Once you’ve narrowed down your options into a few viable ones, pick the one that you feel will make it easiest to craft a compelling story.

When starting this essay, include just enough to set the scene. Don’t dwell on exposition, irrelevant details of the conversation, or negative emotions surrounding the event for too long. Who was there? How did you disagree, and why? Introduce each viewpoint as succinctly as possible while still preserving important details, keeping in mind the strict word count. 

Explain the important points within the conversation before fully diving into the essay. Often essays around any sort of challenge are better-written when the writer focuses on the growth aspects of the story rather than whatever challenging circumstances came before. 

Really dive into how your thinking was shifted or augmented by your experience or even what broader lessons you may have learned after better understanding a specific issue. What did you do during or after the discussion? Did you research it more deeply or take action in support of your final opinion?

For example, maybe your environmental club thought that your school should ban plastic straws because of their negative impact on the planet, but then you learned from disabled students how important plastic straws can be for accessibility. As a result, you shifted the campaign to introducing a composting system instead, and learned the importance of inviting more diverse voices to weigh in on the club’s initiatives.

By the end of the argument, your reader should feel that you’ve truly gotten to know your topic well and experienced positive change as a result. Feel free to mention specific logical progressions, newfound evidence, or novel philosophical perspectives you’ve discovered.

This essay is also an exercise in open-mindedness, so make sure to avoid ad hominem attacks against your “opponent.” As a general rule of thumb, frame your viewpoint throughout as a respectful one, regardless of how the discussion actually went. 

Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. Why is this community meaningful to you? You may define community however you like. (400 words)

With this prompt, admissions officers are trying to learn what is important to you in a community and why you are important in a community. Yale’s essay prompts have historically stressed the importance of community, as it’s an understandable priority for them. When applying to a university, you are applying to join their community—so think about what they want! They want to accept students who form deep bonds, care for their peers, and have strong guiding values and principles. This essay allows you to show that you are already well-versed in forming meaningful connections. 

Most people are a part of various communities, whether they realize it or not or whether these communities are formal (town, soccer team, religious organization, school) or informal (group of friends, coworkers, family) ones. If you are having trouble identifying which yours are, consider which people you feel a sense of community with. Volunteer groups, families, cultures, and clubs may spring to mind. Really, though, anything can make the cut: your Dungeons and Dragons group, those sharing your gender or sexual identity, people with similar life experiences to you. 

You can aim to organize your essay in the following way:

First, define and describe the community you are writing about. Defining the community is especially important for applicants writing about informal communities. For example, if you are writing about your siblings, make sure that this is clear. When describing the community, be sure to describe the culture. How do you interact as a group? For example, your soccer team may be more than teammates – perhaps you have special moments while traveling on the bus for a match. Make sure you discuss the dynamic. As a group, are you sarcastic, silly, or serious? Does your community have a specific kind of humor or tradition? 

To draw readers into your story, feel free to lead with a charming sensory anecdote, like that of your family cooking their favorite traditional dish or the roars of laughter emerging from gameplay. In just a few sentences, show your reader just how important this community is to you and in which ways you feel connected to it. Do they make you laugh harder or understand you better than anyone else? Do you feel particularly passionate about an issue they represent? 

When you are outlining the aspects of a community that are meaningful to you, you are also outlining your values! If you want to position yourself as fun-loving, you may want to focus on the sarcastic or silly aspects of your community. If you want to be seen as deep and thoughtful, you may want to focus on your community values and traditions.

Secondly, discuss your engagement with the community. You can lead by introducing your motivation for your efforts to explain them. For example, did you create a Snapchat group chat for your debate team that allowed you to bond outside the context of serious competitions, opening up a channel for close friendship among teammates? Did you regularly grab lunch with your co-workers at a local bakery? Or, did you meet survivors of gender-based violence through your work with a local organization? In this way, your efforts and their meaning can be covered in one fell swoop. Describing your role in your community will allow admissions officers to get a more full picture of what you value and how you act on your values.

Finally, reflect on why your involvement was important to you , and how it’s shaped you. For example, did the Snapchat group chat teach you to empathize with your competition, improving your sportsmanship? Did conversations with your coworkers over lunch spark your interest in food science? Or, did volunteering at a non-profit increase your interest in being a human rights lawyer? You could also talk about how being the oldest sibling taught you to be a caretaker and sparked your interest in becoming a doctor. Regardless, you want to write about how you have become who you are through your engagement with this community.

Although this essay presents an opportunity to show off what you’ve done, there should be just as much emphasis—if not more so—on your personal connection to your achievements as on your achievements themselves. Remember that admissions officers will already be looking over your activities and awards information, so there’s a good chance they’ll see it soon before or after reading your essays! Take this chance to display your core values, because in a way, this prompt is asking a sub-question: What is meaningful to you?

In this video, we read a successful Yale essay for a similar prompt: “What is a community to which you belong?”

This essay can take on a narrative form if you want to tell a brief story that exemplifies your community involvement or you can write it as a simple description/explanation. If you choose to be more explanatory in your writing, you should make sure to give yourself some sentences for deep reflection. While there is a prompt to answer, make sure that your writing stays engaging and thoughtful!

Where to Get Your Yale Essays Edited

We hope this post was helpful in at least getting the ball rolling on your submission. While your essays do play a substantial role in landing you an acceptance letter in the spring, they aren’t the only thing that matters. Also, assessing the quality of your own hypothetical essays is one of the less objective ways of estimating the chances of your application’s success. 

That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Supplemental Instruction and Study Group Sessions

The OAS is pleased to announce that we will be facilitating Supplemental Instruction sessions for all sections of Human A&P for Allied Health, General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and additional courses listed in the schedule below.  

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic support program that targets traditionally difficult courses, courses with high D, F, and W rates. A trained peer tutor attends the lecture class, takes notes, and facilitates study sessions for the course. All students in the course are encouraged to participate in the study sessions. The SI program has had resounding success. In one course, the regular attendants received a course average of 3.02, while those who did not attend SI sessions received an average of 1.6.

Additionally, there will be structured study group sessions for a variety of subjects, including Music Theory and College Physics. Trained peer tutors facilitate the sessions, guiding the members and helping them find answers to their questions and make a regular habit of studying.

Students do not need to sign up to attend these sessions; they can simply show up during the scheduled time for the session. Locations of the sessions are listed by the session time.

Current Supplemental Instruction Sessions Spring 2024

This schedule begins on Tuesday, January 16. Sessions will end on Sunday, April 28. Sessions will not be held during holidays and breaks.  For example, no sessions March 1-10 due to Spring Break and no sessions March 27-April 1 due to Easter holiday.  There may be changes to this schedule, so please check this page regularly or contact the SI leader directly.  

Session times and days are listed. Please contact [email protected] for details.

Study Groups for PHYS 162, PHYS 172, NURS 364, and MUSC 202

This schedule begins on Tuesday, January 16. Sessions will end on Sunday, April 28. Sessions will not be held during holidays and breaks.  For example, no sessions March 1-10 due to Spring Break and no sessions March 27-April 1 due to Easter holiday.  There may be changes to this schedule, so please check this page regularly or contact the SI leader directly.   

If you are in a class for which a group is not listed, and would like to receive assistance, please complete a request for a tutor.a

Willamette University

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Want to see your chances of admission at Willamette University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Willamette University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Why this college short response.

Your written response to the question below along with your Common App essay are both intended to demonstrate your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and they help you distinguish yourself in your own voice. It also helps the Admission Committee learn more about you and what sets you apart from your courses, grades, and test scores. Please be aware, while Willamette University understands the use of AI programs like ChatGPT are tools that can be helpful in the writing process, an applicant should not submit an essay in which any portion of the writing has not been generated by the individual applicant.

You will be asked to write a short response to the question: "Why Willamette?" This is not an additional essay, but it is a fun way for us to learn more about your motivation to potentially join our community.

In as many or as few words as you would like, please tell us why you‘re interested in attending Willamette University.

Theatre Scholarship Essay

What do you think 21st Century theatre will look like in the next 20 years, and what do you hope your role will be in creating new theatre?

Art Scholarship Essay

How does art influence contemporary society, and how do you want to use art to affect change?

STEM Scholarship Essay

Why and how do you think the additional support structure offered by the STEM Fellows Program will help you succeed in your STEM career?

Heatherington Public Health Scholarship Short Response

How and when did you become interested in public health? For example, some students first discover a love for public health through their involvement in other areas, such as community wellbeing, public safety or environmental health. Please tell us about one or more ways in which you have been, or hope to be, engaged in public or community health.

Select-A-Prompt Essay

A response of 500 words (maximum) to ONE of the following:

Why are you interested in joining our speech and debate team, and what experiences have prepared you to be a successful contributor to it?

If you joined our speech and debate team, how would the experience contribute to the success of your post-graduation plans? In other words, what would you gain from this experience, and how do you plan to apply it in the future?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Butler University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Feb 1

You Have: 

Butler University 2023-24 Application Essay Explanations

The Requirements: 1 short essay of 100 words

Supplemental Essay Type: Why  

Briefly describe your reasons for selecting your chosen academic major(s) and how you believe Butler will help you achieve your related career goals upon graduation. (100 words)

This prompt gives you the opportunity to geek out about your intended major at Butler. Will Butler’s Actuarial Science major help you improve upon your statistical skills? Or are you planning to get a jump on your Hollywood career with a major in Creative Media and Entertainment? Whether your goals are intellectual, professional, or somewhere in between, your reasoning should be grounded in what Butler has to offer. 

Though 100 words isn’t a lot of space, that doesn’t mean you can’t offer a detailed response. Get ambitious and aim to answer these two key questions: What do you absolutely love about your intended major? Why is this school the ideal place for you to study it? Think about what excites you about Butler’s academics: professors, classes, guest speakers, alumni. Dig deep to show admissions that Butler is a key ingredient for your future success.

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