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Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 10
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The Requirements: Five short answers; one essay of 150 words, one essay of 200 words, one brief essay of 75 words, one list
Supplemental Essay Type(s): Oddball, Short Answer
Short Answers dominate the Elon application. So, in brief, they’re looking for confidence. When an essay must clock in at under 200 words, there’s no room for you to circle your main idea with broad statements. You’ve got to get straight to the point. The successful applicant will choose precise, meaningful words that bring vivid details to life and highlight your overall intelligence and perspective. For example, did you merely attend a business conference or did you learn valuable lessons from industry pros? Did you act as president of the club or did you spark creativity among your peers? See the difference in word choice that paints a picture? Keep reading to learn how to write winning Elon supplemental essays!
Elon knows you are a multifaceted person, that your identity cannot be boiled down to nuggets of information on an application. That’s why admissions provides this open-ended question, so you can write about any facet of your identity. Start by jotting down some words that you would use to describe yourself or work backward from the activities, passions, and hobbies that mean the most to you and extrapolate what they say about you as a person. You can write about anything from your gender, race, culture, or religion to your introversion, love of archaeology, or any other critical part of yourself. With only 200 words, keep your focus on why you find this part of yourself meaningful. Does your love of biology set you apart in a family of artists? Does singing at your Hindu temple make you feel more connected to your Indian culture? As the prompt recommends, keep it fun and concise!
Don’t overthink your answer to this quirky short answer. We recommend keeping it clean, but other than that, let your freak flag fly. Maybe you want to include a classic (however you define the term), a current bop, and a timeless ballad. Or maybe it’s old school funk for all three. Whatever you choose, be true to yourself, and you’ll ace these short answers.
5.4. 3. 2. 1. (100 c each)
This is one of our all-time favorite short-answer questions. It’s also one students dread, initially, because they don’t know how to approach it. Like many of the other questions on this list, think about what you do or what you are interested in that might also be of interest to admissions. What else about who you are and what you do have you not yet revealed about yourself? The Founder of CEA always jokes that she would list her favorite kinds of pasta in order (because she is an actual pasta fiend). Maybe she would make a list of the top five pasta meals of her life and who she ate them with to showcase how much pasta is a part of her social life and how she connects with others (food is truly the centerpiece of her world). Think about how you can add dimension to your list and take a collection of favorite movies or museums beyond the ordinary. Pro tip: if someone else could duplicate and submit your exact list, that means it’s not specific or creative enough and probably won’t tell admissions anything they really want or need to know.
"I am officially bound for Elon this fall! I could not be more excited about my decision, and cannot wait to see where Elon will take me. It is impossible for me to express my gratitude to both of you enough. I am positive that I would not have had the opportunities I did if it weren't for my strong essay and supplements."
– CEA Student, Elon University, Class of 2028
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– CEA Parent, Elon University, Class of 2025
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