How do you approach the Colorado College supplemental essays?

The Colorado College supplemental essays, especially the one about the Block Plan, are definitely tricky because it’s easy to fall into just paraphrasing what’s already on their website. To stand out, it helps to move beyond describing the Block Plan to showing why it works specifically for YOU—your learning style, your interests, and the projects you hope to pursue.

Instead of just saying, "The Block Plan lets me focus on one class at a time," connect it directly to something meaningful in your life. For example: as someone interested in environmental science, maybe you’ve loved getting your hands dirty during single-topic summer programs, or you do your best work when you can go deep instead of cramming for multiple classes at once. You might describe a time you spent an entire weekend experimenting with water testing in a local creek and how uninterrupted time let you make real discoveries. Then, you could explain how the Block Plan would let you dive into field research like that for a full month—maybe even doing intense field studies in the Rockies or a hands-on independent photography project documenting environmental changes.

If you’re also into photography, you could talk about how single-minded creative focus helps you see a project through, like when you spent days capturing the same location in changing weather or light. The Block Plan would give you a unique chance to combine environmental study with visual storytelling, quickly turning inspiration into a finished project without the distractions of other classes. For example, you might propose a collaborative project with the Outdoor Education program, chronicling a research expedition through both a scientific and artistic lens.

So, the key is to use very specific examples from your own life showing how you pursue your interests when you have focused time and space. Then, show how Colorado College’s system will amplify these strengths and help you tackle projects that go beyond what traditional classes allow.

For the "why us" aspects, reference some particular environmental or photography courses, student groups, or professors whose work excites you, ideally tying these resources back to your earlier examples. That way, your essay grounds Colorado College’s unique offerings in your own story, rather than sounding generic.

A winning approach for these essays is authentic, personal, and focused on your real passions in the context of what makes the Block Plan (and CC overall) a great match for your style. If you use vivid anecdotes and connect them directly to what you hope to do at CC, your supplement will definitely stand out!