The golden rule of writing a successful college essay is as follows: if you don’t find your writing interesting, neither will an admissions officer at your dream school! Writing a competitive essay is easier said than done. Still, if you lead with honesty, a singular admissions hook, and lots of research, you’ll do much more than almost everyone else in the applicant pool. The most competitive college applicants write about wanting to change the world in a particular and often unusual way. Any written material should be a vivid and heartfelt showcase of this hook!

Let’s unpack how to make different types of college application supplements as compelling as possible, complementing the story of your singular admissions hook that you’ve (hopefully) woven throughout your Personal Statement.

How to Approach Supplemental Admissions Essays

The Why College Essay

Perhaps the most challenging application essay to execute correctly is what we at Ivy Coach call the “Why College” essay. Every school has at least one prompt that asks some version of the same question: “Why are you interested in this school in particular?” When students inevitably stumble across this prompt on their application, the last thing they should do is copy and paste sentences from the previous Why College essay they wrote. On the other hand, a surefire way to make the Why College essay as compelling as possible is to load it with specifics about that school in particular. 

You should think of the Why College essay as a writing assignment your prospective school has assigned you. Admissions officers want to see that you’ve done your research. Take note — we don’t mean writing about the courses currently offered there or the faculty who teach them. Capture enduring institutional priorities, history, and culture. 

If you’re applying to Stanford University, for example, write about how the school has incubated an unprecedented number of student-run businesses on campus, many of which have become highly successful. You should make a claim and back it up with evidence from your research. Don’t just go for the low-hanging fruit —” I want to innovate in the hub of Silicon Valley at your school” — say something that admissions officers likely don’t already know about why Stanford has this industrious history!

The Culture and Background Essay

The college admissions landscape may seem radically different after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling overturning Affirmative Action. However, students of color should rest assured that colleges are still considering race-based criteria through the Roberts Loophole. Application supplements probing how your background and identity have informed your intellectual journey are perfect for introducing your story about race-based adversity.

However, don’t stuff this essay full of sentences that gesture to the broader civil rights landscape, experiences of parents or grandparents, or anecdotes that don’t relate to your personal experience. Write about yourself! Admissions officers are tired of hearing from students who have to outsource their stories about adversity. Wow them by weaving a compelling tale about an experience that directly impacted you and changed how you navigate the world. If you can tie this essay back to your singular admissions hook, that’s even better! Find a unique way to tell your story that eschews cliches.

The Favorite Activity or Intellectual Experience Essay

Bragging and boasting in the Personal Statement is a bad look. It makes you unlikable, not exactly the sort of person an admissions officer wants to root for. On the other hand, if your prospective school asks a question about how one activity or experience, in particular, has shaped your academic journey, take this as an opportunity to tastefully mention what you loved about the activity in the context of your singular hook. Did you conduct research with a mathematics professor at your local university? Great! Write about how that furthered your journey as it relates to math. Do you see the idea?

How Ivy Coach Helps Students Write the Most Compelling College Application Essays Possible

We at Ivy Coach know that heartfelt, entertaining readability is the spice of a great college application essay. Get essay help from Ivy Coach and give admissions officers a fun break from the drudgery of bland college application essays!

If you are interested in optimizing your child’s case for admission to a highly selective college, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll contact you.