Here at College Essay Advisors, we work with applicants one-on-one to guide them from the brainstorming and topic-generation phase of the process all the way through the final polish. When working on supplemental essays, we consider each student’s application submission as a whole. These school-specific essays serve to further humanize the application by providing additional information about each student’s interests, communities, and aspirations beyond the personal statement. We help students to think strategically about their stories and where each narrative should fit within the puzzle of their application.
The Why Essay, which asks applicants to discuss their interest in their intended major and/or the school in question.
The Activity Essay, which asks applicants to describe their involvement in an activity that is meaningful to them.
The Community Essay, which asks about a community the applicant belongs to and the role that community plays in their life (and vice versa!).
The Diversity Essay, which often asks applicants to explore how they champion diversity and inclusion in their communities and/or how they engage with people from different backgrounds or who hold opposing views.
The Short Answer, which asks applicants to answer prompts in very few words (or characters) to add context to their application and a splash of personality.
The Oddball Essay, which asks applicants to tap into their creativity to connect curveball questions to their lives and interests.
Harvard University requires applicants to pen five (5) 200-word short answers that touch on their aspirations, interests, community, and more.
Yale University requires applicants to answer six (6) short answer questions and choose from three (3) prompts to respond to in 400 words or fewer.
Princeton University requires applicants to write two (2) essays of 250 words or fewer, one essay (1) of 500 words or fewer, and three (3) short answers.
Stanford University requires applicants to draft three (3) essays of 100-250 words each and respond to five (5) short answers of 50 words each.
University of Chicago is notorious for requiring applicants to write one Why Essay and one Oddball Essay, each 1-2 pages in length.
Brown University asks applicants to write three (3) essays of 250 words or fewer and respond to four (4) short answers ranging from 3-100 words each.
Columbia University requires applicants to write four (4) essays of 150 words each and create a list including 100 total words or fewer.
Cornell University requires one (1) essay of 350 words or fewer of all applicants and one (1) to six (6) additional essays ranging from 100-650 words each, depending on major selection.
Dartmouth College asks all applicants to write one (1) essay of 100 words and two (2) essays of 250 words each.
University of Pennsylvania requires applicants to write three (3) essays of 150-200 words each, one of which must address their academic interests.
College Essay Advisors has over twenty years of experience guiding students one-on-one through the supplemental essay writing process for Ivy Leagues and other top universities. We take a holistic approach to these essays, considering each student’s application package as a whole. It’s incredibly important to us that each student’s voice is preserved, and we pride ourselves in helping students to write successful Ivy League supplements that differentiate them from similarly qualified applicants. When applying to top universities with single-digit acceptance rates, these supplemental essays need to be authentic, succinct, and memorable.
Most top universities ask applicants to pen at least two (2) supplemental essays. Typically, the more competitive an institution, the more time-intensive their supplements.
In order to write supplemental essays that stand out, we recommend setting aside enough time to brainstorm, draft, revise, and revisit. Essays that are written in a rush rarely make an impact. Instead, take your time and try to think about your application as a whole. What can you reveal about yourself that hasn’t already been covered to give admissions a better sense of who you are and who you hope to become? Of course, you’ll also want to follow one of the most popular pieces of writing advice: show, don’t tell.
Supplemental essays are very important in the admissions process. Admissions officers are reviewing thousands of applications, which are largely filled with data sets. These essays are an opportunity for you to humanize your application and give admissions officers a sense of what it would be like to have a conversation with you and have you on campus in their community.
Absolutely not. Although you can elaborate on an idea, activity, interest, or community that you mention or allude to in your Common App essay, you should not reuse content in supplemental essays—imagine the same person sitting down and reading them all at once! Admissions is giving you an opportunity to add layers to your application, so take advantage of that and reveal something new about yourself.
Remember: you are not boring! Everyone has a story to tell, and we’re willing to bet you’re more interesting than you think. Give yourself plenty of time to consider different topics and revise, revise, revise! Also, our handy dandy Supplemental Essay Guides are sure to help.
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– CEA Parent, Columbia University, Class of 2026
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– CEA Student, Brown University, Class of 2026
"Thank you so very much for all of your work with my daughter on her personal essay! The two of you came up with such a neat positive approach and topic, and you really helped bring out the best in my daughter and showcase her accomplishments and strengths. And you made the process interesting, useful, and motivating for her. You gave so much of yourself and your expertise. We're grateful!"
– CEA Parent, Stanford University, Class of 2025
"Your response time without compromising quality is impressive. Not only that, but your words of encouragement totally transformed a teen girl on the verge of a nervous breakdown. My daughter got accepted at multiple colleges: Cornell (her choice); Johns Hopkins; Boston College, Boston University, NYU and SUNY Binghamton. This victory is also yours. Again, I'm really grateful and thankful to you."
– CEA Parent, Cornell University, Class of 2024
