Grasping the Type of Supplementary Essay

• I want to understand the different types of prompts for Essays.

• As I started writing, I began to understand my writing style, so I will give it a try.

• If I can write each of the following essays in about 250 words, adjusting them slightly should cover about 70% of the Supplements.

    - Example:
        - > We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.  [[MIT Application]]
        - > Whether big or small, mundane or spectacular, tell us about something that brings you joy. [[Brown Application]]
    - For (blu3mo): [[Essay World of Mist Proposal]]
  
    - It seems like having about two variations would be good.
    - For (blu3mo): [[Essay Unprecedented Case]], [[Essay History EE Proposal]]
    - Example:
        - > The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. [[Stanford Application]]
        - > We are inspired by students who are flexible in their approach to learning, who are comfortable with experimentation, and who are willing to take intellectual risks that move them out of their comfort zone. Reflect on a time that you were intellectually challenged, inspired, or took an intellectual risk—inside or outside of the classroom. How has that experience shaped you, and what questions still linger? [[Swarthmore Application]]
  
    - For (blu3mo): [[Influence Received from Essay Community]]
    - Example:
        - > Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's diverse and collaborative community. [[Columbia Application]]
        - > Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? [[MIT Application]]
  
    - For (blu3mo): [[Essay CCC Proposal]]
    - Example:
        - > Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. [[UC application]]
    - This story could also be used for prompts related to collaboration and leadership.
        - > Tell us about how you have collaborated with and worked together within a small group of your peers on some task or endeavor in the past, or about how you imagine you will work with your Caltech peers in the future. [[Application to Caltech]]
  

• Points to note

  • It’s generally difficult to reuse essays as they need to be adjusted according to the prompt.
  • These are different from the Common App 650-word Essay content.

• If you plan to apply to UC/MIT, it’s a good idea to start by writing essays for those universities.

  • Both UC and MIT have many essay prompts that can be easily reused.

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The following was written around August 2021.

• I found it difficult to categorize.

  • For example,
    • Some prompts ask about extracurricular activities and beliefs while incorporating the characteristics of the university (indirectly asking about the reasons for your choice).
    • Some prompts delve into deep exploration of thoughts and interests based on past extracurricular activities and specific experiences.
  • I categorized them based on the closest genre.
    • I expect that knowing this will be the main point, so I divided them accordingly.

• Universities I applied to

  • Stanford, MIT, Columbia, Harvey Mudd, Swarthmore, Harvard, UBC, Brown

• Prompts related to extracurricular activities and experiences

  • There are prompts that simply ask about activities and those that ask about the connection between experiences and something else, but fundamentally, they seem similar.
    • Even in prompts that ask simply, it is necessary to establish a connection with something of your own.
  • Some prompts ask specific questions like “did simply for pleasure” or “contributed to the community.”
  • Examples include:
    • Various prompts asking about activities or experiences like:
      • How did you spend your last two summers?
      • Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.
      • The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.
      • Please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you noted in the application.
      • We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.
      • At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc.
      • Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?
      • We are inspired by students who are flexible in their approach to learning, who are comfortable with experimentation, and who are willing to take intellectual risks that move them out of their comfort zone. Reflect on a time that you were intellectually challenged, inspired, or took an intellectual risk—inside or outside of the classroom. How has that experience shaped you, and what questions still linger?
      • Give us an example of how the pandemic has changed your involvement in the community or group most important to you. What have you learned from this experience?
      • Explain how you responded to a problem and/or an unfamiliar situation. What did you do, what was the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience?
      • Brown’s culture fosters a community in which students challenge the ideas of others and have their ideas challenged in return, promoting a deeper and clearer understanding of the complex issues confronting society. This active engagement in dialogue is as present outside the classroom as it is in academic spaces. Tell us about a time you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?

• Prompts related to environment- Describing Personal Background and Influences:

  • Reflect on the environment that has influenced your dreams and aspirations, such as family, clubs, school, community, city, or town.
  • Consider how your worldview has been shaped by prior experiences and exposure to different ideas and values. How has your immediate context, including neighborhoods, faith communities, families, and classrooms, impacted your growth and development?

• Sharing Thoughts and Interests:

  • Direct Approach:
    • Discuss something meaningful to you and explain why.
    • Describe your interest in a specific field of study at MIT and why it appeals to you.
    • Share what is important to you and the reasons behind it.
    • Talk about your academic interests that excite you and how you would explore them using Brown’s Open Curriculum.
    • Reflect on how you learn from and contribute to diverse, collaborative communities at Columbia.
  • Indirect Approach:
    • Explore significant challenges society faces today.
    • Imagine witnessing a historical moment or event.
    • List the titles of required readings or extracurricular books that you enjoyed during secondary/high school.
    • Share resources and outlets you engage with to explore your interests.
    • Describe something that brings you joy, whether big or small.

• Reasons for Choosing a Specific Institution:

  • Explain what you are looking forward to experiencing at Stanford.
  • Discuss your interest in attending Columbia University and what aspects of the university appeal to you.
  • Share what influenced your decision to apply to Harvey Mudd College and what appeals to you about their curriculum and community.
  • Describe what you would like to learn in an ideal Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts class at Harvey Mudd College.
  • Explain why you are interested in applying to and attending Swarthmore University.

• Unconventional Prompts:

  • Write a note to your future roommate at Stanford revealing something about yourself.
  • Describe yourself and how your family, friends, and community members would portray you, including something you are proud of and why.