What Is the Common App Essay?
The Common App essay, also known as the personal statement, will be submitted in the Common Application portal. It’s your chance to reflect on an experience, identity, value, or moment that helped shape who you are today. It can be up to 650 words and should allow admissions officers to gain a deeper understanding of your personality, values, and character. We wrote an article reviewing the entire list of the Common Application essay prompts.
Because this essay will be sent to every school you apply to, your personal statement should highlight the special qualities that you want to show to the admissions committee and will set the tone for the rest of your application.
What Are Supplemental Essays?
Once you’ve written your Common App essay, many colleges will ask you to write additional school-specific essays. These are called supplemental essays, and they’re just as important. These supplemental essays typically range from 100–300 words (varies by school).
While the Common App essay expresses your thinking, ideology, or personality, the supplemental essays are designed to give the admissions committee a better idea of why you want to apply to their school, your interest in a specific program, or your hobbies or interests.
For example, this is the list of questions asked by Stanford:
- What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?
- How did you spend your last two summers?
- What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?
- Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.
- List five things that are important to you.
Stanford’s prompts are designed to provoke introspection and highlight your voice, emotional intelligence, and intellectual interests. They’re short, but not easy. Every word counts, and thoughtful, original answers are far more impactful than trying to sound impressive.
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Why Do Supplemental Essays Matter?
1. They Show You’ve Done Your Homework
Colleges use supplemental essays to assess how genuinely interested you are in their institution. A generic answer suggests you’re not serious about attending, while a personalized, informed response tells admissions officers that you’re intentional about your application.
Admissions teams aim to create communities comprised of students who align with their mission and will actively contribute to campus life. Your supplemental essays are the most direct way to communicate that alignment.
Don’t treat supplementals as afterthoughts—they’re your opportunity to speak directly to each school and make a compelling case that you belong there.
2. Supplemental Essays Can Make or Break Your Application
While they may seem secondary to the Common App essay, supplemental essays often carry just as much weight in highly selective admissions. At top-tier colleges, where thousands of applicants have similar GPAs and test scores, the supplemental essays help admissions officers distinguish one strong candidate from another.
These essays offer insight into how well you understand the school, your values, and how you’ll contribute to the campus community. A thoughtful, well-crafted supplemental essay can elevate your application, showing that you’re not only qualified but also a perfect fit for that specific institution.
3. Planning Ahead Saves Stress
Many students underestimate the time-consuming nature of supplemental essays. While the Common App essay is a single, unified piece, each college’s supplemental essays come with their own set of questions, often requiring thoughtful, school-specific answers. If you’re applying to 10 or more schools, it’s not uncommon to write 20–30 individual essays.
Waiting until the last minute can result in rushed and lower-quality responses. Starting early gives you time to craft responses that are strategic and personal. Better yet, you can repurpose content effectively by identifying common themes and essay types, customizing each response without starting from scratch.
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