There are a number of LACs on the list below of schools with post-app supplements. I can say that, with respect to Denison – the number of applications has exploded over the past five+ years, as its reputation grew, including its reputation for merit money. Denison, like many LACs, has a particular campus culture and is looking for students genuinely interested in being part of that community. President Weinberg said Denison was not using the uptick in popularity to simply pick the highest stat kids but was continuing to prioritize “fit.”
A post-Common App supplement, particularly for students who have not visited/interviewed on campus, helps Admissions figure out who has paid attention to what the college says about its values and community and can speak to what it means for them as well as who threw in another random app. I’m guessing similar rationale would apply to Colby, Colgate, Lehigh, and Union.
Personally, I’d prefer that a LAC really try to figure out whether an applicant is a good fit so that campus maintains its identity for the benefit of future students. A school using post-app supplements wouldn’t drop in my estimation, but I understand when someone is in the middle of the process, it can feel like a lot.
Again, why can’t they ask these questions with the application or before the app is done? My D26 is only applying to small LACs. Most of them have one, two, or up to six(!) specific supplemental questions that are targeted at the student’s interest in the particular school, as part of the actual application. In my view, they do this for all the reasons you explain Denison, Colby and crew purportedly spring these post application essays on kids. Many of them also have optional interviews, and I’d think one could take whether a student chooses to interview or not (or at least apply to interview if not enough room), as some indicator of legitimate interest. If most of the LACs can gauge interest without surprise post-application essays, I don’t see why this list of schools can’t. My strong suspicion is that there are alternate reasons why they spring them after the fact, beyond the ones you describe.
I should add that the LAC on D26’s list that has six supplementals has an admission rate well above 60%. I am fairly confident they could lower their admissions rate by claiming “we have no supplementals!” in order to apply, and then springing 6 “optional” supplementals to sus out actual interest and fit after the common app was in. I would feel entirely differently about the school’s admissions process and commitment to student wellbeing vs their commitment to improving their stats, if they made that choice to up their app numbers and yield.
Super helpful but I stand corrected on the UT artist statement. I did find it on the website. It is not hidden (it’s just not in the common app). And for NEU I was speaking of additional supplements for the College of Arts Media and Design (not music). Thanks for doing this!
There are. One is that many of the schools listed above, particularly LACS that are off the beaten path, have been struggling to attract more applicants that do not fit their traditional, dominant culture. They hope that by having free applications (or super easy waivers) and no supplements that they will attract some applications from students who might not normally think about them but ones they would love to have. If those applicants look like they could thrive at their school, they may well be accepted – and even wooed – without doing the optional, supplemental essays. So it’s not all nefarious.
I know a number of folks who have worked in admissions, and the worst thing in their world is not having choice. This “bare bones up front” application strategy gives them choice, and then they give students the opportunity to give them more reason to choose them. Within certain buckets, which are those largely represented by the CC community, getting to expand on your common app essay is almost always an opportunity well taken (if not welcomed!). But there will be some students admitted without doing that. They may be offered fly-ins for admitted student days, etc. And this is one way that schools find those students.
And yes, there are all kinds of other consequences.
Thank you for this helpful response on some of the context on why some LACs might prefer the surprise supplemental approach when others do not employ that tactic.
In another thread (linked below), there’s a discussion about how one might show interest in Wesleyan by using the additional information and circumstances & challenges section of the Common App. Pointing it out in this thread as it’s a sort of “hidden” way of proving that you’re interested in the school by taking advantage of an area of an application that’s considered to be common among schools. It’s the first I’ve heard of doing something like that, although it does make sense. I wouldn’t have expected putting an essay or even a short response specific to a college in that section.
Interesting. I know that my kid has tried to convey unique interest in schools that don’t have supplementals through admissions interviews when they offer them.
Same for mine. In the interviews, she could talk about specific things she liked about the school and ask questions about those areas. Wesleyan doesn’t have evaluative interviews, supplemental essays, and they don’t track demonstrated interest. So, the preferred way to show some interest is through parts of the Common App that you might not ordinarily change for each school. It makes sense, but I was surprised by it.
It would be better if colleges using post-application supplements disclosed that applicants may or will be asked to submit them later (giving a time frame for such), with such disclosure done before the application is paid for and submitted. That way, the applicant can know that additional work may be coming their way and budget time for that, rather than being surprised by that.
Also, Denison, as one example, only asks for the supplemental essay for RD kids. ED applicants don’t get it. Clearly, due to the no-fee application, the supplement is to show if the kids have some level of interest.
I’m blanking out at the school, but with our S22 we got a surprise “Parent’s please write a recommendation letter” email after the application. Edit - it was College of the Holy Cross
We saw that from Holy Cross and promptly ignored it. Lol. Our kids had such stellar grades and ec’s, leadership etc, that there was nothing I felt I could add to move the needle. I think it’s a great opportunity for some parents to fill in gaps or explain a bump in the road that a high school counselor might miss or add an accomplishment that the kid didn’t include. It was totally optional.
I believe that HC wanted the parent to write something nice or interesting about your child. I know some parents are busy, and it isn’t a priority, but I believe if a parent has a few minutes, and the child is interested in the school, it is important to do.
I absolutely agree with you. If a parent/guardian can add important details to their students application, they should do so. It’s one of those important “demonstrated interest” actions. I should have indicated our kid did the ultimate demonstrated interest of applying ED, so we were less concerned with adding a parents letter to their admissions file. HC’s invitation to add details by the parents is not a surprise “gotcha” move, like the initial post insinuates, it’s an opportunity to increase chances of admission to a highly selective LAC.