Admissions are in progress, and students are asking a lot of questions about personal statements and other supporting documents.
One of the most common questions on the lips of students is how to write a supplemental essay. What exactly is a supplemental essay in the first place?
If you’re one of those curious about these questions, you’re in the right space. In the next few sections of this article, we’ll answer the following common questions about a supplemental essay:
- What is a supplemental essay?
- How to write a supplemental essay
- Supplemental essay vs. personal statement—what’s the difference?
- What are the Harvard supplemental essays for 2025?
Ready to kickstart your supplemental essay? Let’s get started!
Table of Content
What is a Supplemental Essay?
A supplemental essay is an additional short essay required by some schools alongside your main personal statement.
While they may be shorter than your main essay, supplemental essays carry significant weight. Therefore, they must be carefully thought out and well written.
Some common prompts for a supplemental essay include:
- The “Why?” prompt, e.g Why are you interested in attending this school? Why are you interested in studying at the University of Washington?
- Describe a community you belong to and your role in it. How will you use your experiences to contribute to our campus community?
- How has your background shaped your perspective?
- Describe a time you faced a significant challenge and how you handled it.
- What’s a failure you’ve experienced, and what did you learn from it?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals? How will this program help you achieve your future plans?
- What’s a moment that significantly impacted who you are today?
- How do our core values align with your own?
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How to Write a Supplemental Essay
In writing a supplemental essay, you must be strategic yet straightforward. Be careful not to deviate from the main point of the prompt—read the prompt over and over to fully grasp it before you start writing.
If this is your first time writing a supplemental essay, you’re probably asking how to write a supplemental essay, and we’re here to answer that question! The following paragraphs will outline a step-by-step guide on how to write a supplemental essay.
How to Write a Supplemental Essay Step-by-Step
Step 1
Write a rough draft. Your first draft may be rough, disjointed, and not good enough—that is why it is freewriting. However, it helps streamline the direction of your essay. Simply use your first draft to highlight the main points you’ll cover in each prompt, ensuring that your responses align with the prompt.
Step 2
Create a compelling introduction. In every essay, it’s important to start with an introduction that can’t be ignored. Let your essay be interesting right from the start.
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Step 3
Tie up your introduction to a solid point that responds to the prompt. Below is a clear example:
Prompt: Why do you want to study at the University of Stanford?
Compelling Introduction: I once watched my Dad fix a broken radio when I was 7 years old. As he worked on it, I asked, “How does sound travel through wires and speakers, Dad?” His explanation was amazing to my little mind, and that moment sparked a curiosity about how mechanics work—and how they can work better.
Tying the Introduction to an Answer to the Prompt: That curiosity has driven me toward Stanford’s renowned engineering program. The university’s hands-on learning approach, access to cutting-edge research, and culture of entrepreneurial thinking align perfectly with my goal of designing sustainable tech solutions that improve everyday life.
Step 4
Next up, elaborate on the point that you’ve made in the first paragraphs. Remember, you have limited words in a supplemental essay, hence your elaborations should be precise while hitting the nail on the head.
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Step 5
Finally, end with a conclusion that ties all your points together and gives the admission committee something to reflect on. Let them see themselves and their everyday lives in your words. Below is a sample:
From working on a radio with my Dad as a child, to building sustainable tech projects in high school, my journey has been one of exploration, growth, and a deep desire to make a meaningful impact. I’m ready to bring my voice, my questions, and my vision to a campus that lives at the intersection of excellence and innovation, preparing for a future where I develop tools that benefit you and me.
Harvard Supplemental Essays 2025
In the previous section, we broke down the process of how to write a supplemental essay. Using the steps we outlined, you can craft an outstanding supplemental essay.
Aspiring college students also often ask about the Harvard supplemental essay prompts. This helps them know what they can expect from other institutions and also serves as a high-standard practice tool. The Harvard supplemental essay prompts 2024 – 2025 are as follows:
- Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?
- Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?
- Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.
- How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?
- Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.
Each of the Harvard supplemental essays 2025 must be between 10 and 150 words, maximum. It is important to practice how to stick to the word count when writing your supplemental essays. This is the first thing admission committees will verify, and most times they would dismiss any essay that is below or above the stipulated word count.
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Supplemental Essay vs Personal Statement
Supplemental essays are often confused with personal statements and college essays. While they may be similar, supplemental essays are quite different from personal statements.
In this section, we’ll compare supplemental essays vs. personal statements to truly understand how they differ.
| No. | Personal Statement | Supplemental Essay |
| 1. | A long, narrative essay. You may be given one prompt to direct the course of the essay, or you may simply be required to write freely. | Short-form essays with different unique prompts for each. |
| 2. | Can be between 500 and 2,000 words | Usually between 100 and 500 words |
| 3. | Provides a broad overview of who you are, your experiences and achievements | Must be streamlined to the specific questions asked |
| 4. | One personal statement can be used to apply to multiple institutions | You might not be able to use the same essays across institutions, as schools usually have different prompts for their supplemental essays. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
A supplemental essay is usually short, ranging between 100 and 500 words. This should be between 2 and 3 paragraphs.
The most common supplemental essay prompts are usually around your experiences, background, and achievements. Here are some of the most common supplemental essays:
Why are you interested in studying at the University of Washington?
How do our core values align with your own?
What’s a moment that significantly impacted who you are today?
How will this program help you achieve your future plans?
The introduction of your supplemental essay must be strong enough to grasp the attention of the admission committee. You can start with a short story, a powerful quote, or a firm belief. This format is more interesting than simply saying something like, “My name is Gana Williams and I am applying to study Law at the University of Michigan.” While stating your name and selected course is important, you can do so after your compelling introductory statement.
Conclusion: All the Best in Your supplemental Essay!
A supplemental essay is an important part of your admission process. It’s important that you take time to analyze the prompts, create multiple drafts, and edit and re-edit before submitting.
This article has covered sound steps and tips on how to write a supplemental essay. Follow the steps carefully, and you’ll be good to go. We wish you all the best in your supplemental essay! Remember to stay tuned to this blog for more college and university tips and news.
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References
- www.scribbr.com – How long does it take to write a college essay?
- www.goingmerry.com – 9 Tips for Writing an Essay About Yourself
- www.summer.harvard.edu – 12 Strategies to Writing the Perfect College Essay
