Can anyone share examples of strong college supplemental essays?

It's totally normal to feel a little lost when starting your supplemental essays—these are much shorter than the personal statement, but they can be even trickier to nail. The best supplemental essays are personal, specific to the school, and avoid generic statements like "I love your challenging academics" or "The campus looks beautiful."

For "Why College" prompts (like "Why Boston University?"), strong essays go beyond listing the college's features and focus on why those features matter to you, personally. For example, instead of writing "BU has a strong research program," you might say, "After shadowing a researcher in adolescent mental health, BU's emphasis on undergraduate neuroscience research—especially the Youth Cognition Lab—aligns perfectly with my drive to understand how teenage brains adapt to stress."

With "Community" or "What type of community do you want to join/contribute to?" prompts, the key is to connect something about you—maybe an identity, a value, or a formative experience—to a specific community at the school. A strong example: "Growing up as the child of two Deaf parents, I've always navigated between two worlds. At Northeastern, I’m eager to join the ASL Club, where I can share my cultural experiences while working on programs to foster inclusivity for D/deaf students."

One practical way to keep things unique is to choose a very specific detail or moment that others might overlook. For instance, for UChicago’s more creative prompts, students have taken intellectual risks—one wrote about their fascination with palindromes, linking the structure of the word to their approach to problem-solving. Or, if you volunteered at a community garden, don't just mention that. Dive into a quirky story, like how you handled a disastrous tomato plant invasion and what that taught you about group dynamics.

What to avoid: laundry lists of clubs or classes, vague compliments, generalizations about the school, and overused topics like the sports victory, service trip, or a generic love of learning. Instead, illustrate what excites you about a school in a way that couldn't fit for any other college.

A tip: Research some unique programs, professors, or traditions at the school, but always tie it back to what you've done or plan to do. Admissions officers want to see why their school is a fit for you specifically.

If it helps, jot down three experiences, challenges, or qualities that feel truly yours. Then, see if you can connect those to school offerings. The more specific and personal you get, the more memorable your essays will be.

Want extra inspiration? Read a few model essays on the universities’ own admissions blogs or look for published student examples (as long as you don't just copy the structure). But remember, your voice and story are what will stand out most.