13.24 Did you answer the question?
13.24 Why us?
November! Early Decision deadlines are largely behind us, and many of you are are still stunned by the effort of lining up so many moving parts to get your ED application in on time. Have you had a talk with your younger siblings and friends, who may still think that all they will need to do to apply is "write an essay"?
But you did it! The big chunks of your Common Application are ready and waiting to be used as the foundation of the rest of your applications.
What's next? Supplements!
Athena Advises
Supplements are the questions and essay prompts that many colleges add to tailor your application to their particular school.
You will find these on the Common App website. Under each school, there are sections called "Application" and "Writing Supplement."
Some of the questions are general, but most as quite specific. Here's one from Wellesley: "Visit the Wellesley 100 and select two items that attract, inspire, or energize you." Nevertheless, I have seen essays in which the student does not indicate which two items they have selected.
Every college wants to know why you are applying to them in particular, not just to college in general. Sometimes they use these exact words:
Here's an example from Boston College Human-Centered Engineering: "What societal problems are important to you and how will you use your HCE education to solve them?" Boston College actually posts two guides, one for "Why major?" and one for "Why us?" Applicants are advised to devote about 200 words to each section. Do students follow the instructions? Sometimes, they do not even look on the website to see whether the college has posted material to help applicants write the supplements.
That's why my advice for today is: Answer the question. If there are instructions, follow the instructions.
Before you hit submit, ask yourself:
Dr. Marlena Corcoran
Founder and CEO
PS In case you missed this, I was recently interviewed on the podcast, "Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast"--and you can access the recording for free.
Click below to learn the one thing you absolutely must not tell an Ivy League admissions committee—and what to do instead!
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