Updated for ‘25-'26 cycle
Here are some tips for making supplemental essays easier. (See #6 for UC PIQ info.)
The topic is actually YOU. Find SPECIFIC details about the school and relate them back to yourself.
It is important to note that for the most selective colleges, you need to show an understanding of what a college looks for in its applicants beyond the surface level.
- For “Why Us” essays:
Spend time on their website. Go to pages that are not obvious. Always look at the college Mission Statement. Try to show how you represent those buzzwords in your essay. Find classes of interest specific to your intended major. A professor or institute whose work interests you. Particular clubs or community groups you’d like to be involved with. Special programs that are unique to that school. How your values are in line with the university’s stated goals. These essays are about gauging fit, showing how you will become part of the campus culture, and, often, showing genuine interest. Use every word wisely because these are often extremely short.
The more competitive the college, the more you need to show that you understand what the college is looking for, and how you offer that. Spending ten minutes on the website is probably not going to suffice, so dig deeper.
There is a goldmine of stuff to bring into your essay under the Research tab, or Community, or Career Center, or Civic Engagement, or Academics. Start clicking around all the tabs on the home page, and dig deeper into the website. Look at stuff that might not immediately seem obvious. Example: I just now randomly typed in an Ivy college, clicked on community, clicked on arts and culture, clicked on events, and saw a cool “master class” on how to write for tv shows. I plan on majoring in media studies and/or creative writing, so maybe I could work that class into my essay because it aligns with my interests.
Your own experiences can be brought into these essays. Did you do Science Research at school, for example? Maybe you researched salmon migration and you want to major in environmental science. Show how you can expand the scope of your work by utilizing the Environmental Institute and its current work on salmon populations, or how a cluster of ES courses is related to what you did and relevant to what you intend to study. Perhaps your poetry was published, or you received an award for a poem you wrote. You could relate that to Modern Poets of the 2000’s or From Renaissance to AI: Poetry Past and Present courses and discuss how your poetry will benefit and adapt. These are just examples, of course.
Many supplemental essay questions are intentionally very broad. They provide more insight into you. Think about the college’s Mission Statement and try to reflect aspects of it.
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For Diversity essays:
This type of prompt is commonly phrased something like “Diversity and inclusion are integral to our community. How will you contribute to these qualities on campus?” For some, this will be relatively simple. If you feel that there is nothing diverse about you, think outside the box. You could discuss your own actions to promote diversity, a family tradition from the ancestral land, a time you spoke up for someone being marginalized, an enlightening conversation you had with someone from a very different background, or how you’ve come to appreciate the culture of the immigrant community in your town. These essays help the AO gauge the perspective you bring to campus. -
For Community/Identity essays:
Another common supplemental essay topic might be along the lines of “tell us how your identity, culture, or background has played a role in your personal growth,” or, “tell us about a community you’re involved with and what you have learned from that community.” Many students can use this question to elaborate on their cultural affiliations or identity, a club they are very involved with, the neighborhood they live in, their volunteer work, or even a job. Use it as a chance to tell them more about what’s important to you and how your involvement in a community manifests itself. These questions help the AO envision how you will be part of the campus community. -
For Beliefs/Values/Equity/Justice Essays
These prompts are becoming more common and might be along the lines of “Discuss a time you discussed your beliefs and values with another person. Did you agree or disagree?” or “How have you tried to promote equity in your community?” or “How will you ensure justice for all on campus?” Think about the issues we have seen in our world in the last few years. What conversations have you had? What community actions have you been involved with? Is there a campus organization or initiative that aligns with your feelings? Or maybe you feel strongly about something and can show how the college will give you space to help enact change. Be sure to convey that you are willing to engage in dialog and find productive ways to promote understanding. However, be careful not to engage in extreme politicization or rhetoric. Keep the focus on you. -
For Involvement essays:
Similar to the why us or community essays might be the “tell us how you’ll be involved in Super Duper College life if you are accepted.” Know something about the clubs on offer, volunteer opportunities, the athletics culture (games, participation, etc..), live performances, lecture series, special programs, etc… You may well see that there is a fair bit of overlap with prompts, or that different colleges have similar prompts. -
For UC PIQs:
The PIQs are pretty much the same as any other college essay, but they are shorter than the Common App personal statement, and it’s more important to get to the point. It makes them easier, imo, than a lot of other supplements: How to Write the UC Essay Prompts 2023/2024 (+ Examples) .
Here is the official UC link on PIQs. Personal insight questions | UC Admissions
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Warning:
If an AO can swap out the name of their college for another, your essay is not specific enough. And again, the more selective the college is, the more this matters. -
I can’t stress how important it is to stay within word count and answer the prompt. If the supplemental questions ask you to explain how you’re going to be involved on campus, don’t instead say “Super Duper College is my top choice and I’d be honored to attend.” Firstly, those are wasted words, and you can’t afford to waste when you only have 100-250 words to play with. Secondly, your essay should be able to show your enthusiasm without you having to state the obvious.
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Saving time:
Yes, you can reuse essays and it can save you a ton of time. Just be sure you adjust them to fit the prompt and word count. -
“Optional or Recommended” essays:
Supplemental essays are often not really “optional,” even if the college says they are. If you think they are not worth the hassle, consider who you are, where you live, and the selectivity of the college you are applying to. Maybe you don’t need to write them, but in my experience, it’s always in your best interest to do so. -
Prioritize your top choice colleges. The more colleges you apply to, the more essays you will likely do. Devote your writing energy to your top choices --preferably including at least a couple of schools within the realm of possibility-- because many students run out of steam. You really don’t want to submit substandard writing.
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In a nutshell, these essays are meant to help AO’s decide if they can see you on campus. Give them a reason to say yes.
- Common App updates
For '25-'26, the Community Disruption (will be renamed Challenges and Circumstances) prompt remains in the Additional Information section
Over the last several years, events such as Covid and natural disasters have profoundly affected students’ lives, sometimes in devastating ways. Use the space if necessary to explain the impact on your school performance. Trying to explain a few C’s or a low GPA one semester may end up sounding trivial. AO’s would probably prefer you leave that space blank unless there was a real impact (family tragedy, loss of job, serious illness, etc…). If you think it might sound like an excuse, you are probably right.
For suggestions on what makes a good personal statement, try this thread: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/what-makes-a-good-essay
For suggestions on what to avoid writing about in the personal statement, try this thread: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/avoid-the-trap-of-the-bad-essay/