<p>So I applied ED to Stern the other day, and filled out my supplement in literally 30 minutes. I didn’t think they were that important (obviously I’m really, really, really wrong) and I submitted them without even thinking about how dull the answers were >_></p>
<p>Would bad supplement answers hurt my application significantly? My common app essay is far from dry - it show cases me - but my supplement answers are like I said really, really really dull. I’m really worried now, I should’ve searched CC for some guidance beforehand :/</p>
<p>It will affect you to some degree, depending on how badly answered your supplement questions are. However, if you are supremely qualified academically and your personal essay on the common app stands out and everything else about your application is stellar, then i’m sure they will not punish you so harshly as to not accept you. Good luck!</p>
<p>Yes, they do matter. I don’t know how else to say it. If you are a borderline candidate, good supplements can push you into the ‘accept’ pile. Supplements are also the only way to stand out from the crowd, in a sense. Boring supplements can make you blend in with the rest of the candidates, instead of being memorable. But I agree with what AudreyH said.</p>
<p>Yes, definitely. I would attribute my normal-decision acceptance to Stern solely to that. I knew nothing about this school before I applied, it was a fairly blind, whimsical decision. My Common App essay was pretty good but I wouldn’t have considered it great, I had great academic stats (GPA, SAT) but almost 0 ECs. I consider my college application to have been very barebones.</p>
<p>I did, however, devote an entire night to the NYU supplement, and I really loved the personal statement prompts I got. I poured my self into them, literally my <em>self</em>. Looking back, it’s probably the only thing that got me in here.</p>
<p>If you’re the opposite of me and you have great stats, great ECs, great experience, great recommendations, and a great Common App, you probably won’t be hurt that much by your supplement. However, the thing to remember is that the supplement is designed specifically to prove to the school how much you want to go there and there specifically, so while your Common App might be great and get you some credit everywhere you apply, it’s each school’s supplement that gets you into each school.</p>
<p>Gah. I’m beyond worried right now seeing as there’s nothing I could do >_>. My first two were straight and to the point, which I guess would hurt me because then I’m just yet another Asian applicant… but then I think my 3rd one might have redeemed myself a bit (bringing the person to a place you value) cause I think my person is someone unexpected. But then again, I wrote it kinda cheesy-like. ARGH. I really, really, really, really want to go Stern :/</p>
<p>Well thanks for the responses guys, hopefully this will help some 2012 grad and make sure they don’t make the same mistake…</p>
<p>sasasa, you’d be surprised. One thing you’ll learn as you leave high school is that in writing, longer is not better. People value power or strength conveyed in brevity. In all honesty, I believe my personal statements are what got me in. The rest of my application had nothing at all to set me apart.</p>
<p>That have to matter to some point, that’s why they have them. But, that being said, that have a lot of apps to look at, and the answers are all 500 characters max, so they can’t be spending too much time looking at them. My guess would be they can’t break it for you (unless they were childishly bad), but they can make it for you if you’re on the cusp.</p>