Supplementary Essays
If you are interested in applying to a selective university, which most readers of this blog probably are, you will need to write one or more supplementary essays for each university. Multiply this by 10 applications and you can see that this can be a daunting task.
The supplementary essays are important because every university tends to have a unique culture and mindset
for example one of Caltech essays directly addreses its honor code:
Members of the Caltech community live, learn, and work within an Honor System with one simple guideline; ‘No member shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community.’ While seemingly simple, questions of ethics, honesty and integrity are sometimes puzzling. Share a difficult situation that has challenged you. What was your response, and how did you arrive at a solution? (200 word max)
as you can see, the essays are often a way for the admssions team to judge if you would be a good fit for the campus culture. It is common knowlede that one of the reasons students want to study at elite univesities is the peer group and alumni network . Interact with alumni and current students to get a first hand feel of the culture.
It makes a big difference if you visit the campus as you can speak to students an get a genuine feel of the student profile and mindset.
Internet research can also help in gauging the university culture. For example Carnegie Mellon's motto is " My heart is in the work". The students are often very passionate and involved in their major.
It is a good idea to decide on your list of colleges to apply to early so you have time to visit and do research. Once you have a feel for a place , its easier to write a meaningful essay that is natural and not forced.
If you are interested in applying to a selective university, which most readers of this blog probably are, you will need to write one or more supplementary essays for each university. Multiply this by 10 applications and you can see that this can be a daunting task.
The supplementary essays are important because every university tends to have a unique culture and mindset
for example one of Caltech essays directly addreses its honor code:
Members of the Caltech community live, learn, and work within an Honor System with one simple guideline; ‘No member shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community.’ While seemingly simple, questions of ethics, honesty and integrity are sometimes puzzling. Share a difficult situation that has challenged you. What was your response, and how did you arrive at a solution? (200 word max)
as you can see, the essays are often a way for the admssions team to judge if you would be a good fit for the campus culture. It is common knowlede that one of the reasons students want to study at elite univesities is the peer group and alumni network . Interact with alumni and current students to get a first hand feel of the culture.
It makes a big difference if you visit the campus as you can speak to students an get a genuine feel of the student profile and mindset.
Internet research can also help in gauging the university culture. For example Carnegie Mellon's motto is " My heart is in the work". The students are often very passionate and involved in their major.
It is a good idea to decide on your list of colleges to apply to early so you have time to visit and do research. Once you have a feel for a place , its easier to write a meaningful essay that is natural and not forced.
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