Common App and Scoir: How to Write Exemplary Supplementals
- How Do You Apply for U.S. Colleges?
- What Are the Common App and Scoir Supplemental Essays?
- Supplemental Essays: What Admissions Officers Want to See
- Conveying Your Experiences through the Supplemental Essays
- Towards Stronger Common App and Scoir Supplementals
- BartyED’s U.S. College Admissions Support
How Do You Apply for U.S. Colleges?
The main routes for U.S. college applications are, for both international and domestic students, via the Common App and Scoir platforms. While Common App is the application platform that most candidates are familiar with, it’s worth noting that Scoir is increasing in popularity. However, in terms of the demands of the application, the two platforms are very similar.
Both Scoir and Common App require students to write a 650 word personal essay, followed by a number of ‘supplemental’ essays. These are shorter essays assigned by colleges, and designed to get to know candidates in more detail. The supplemental essays are an essential part of U.S. college applications, and are a major factor in college admissions decisions.
What Are the Common App and Scoir Supplemental Essays?
The Common App and Scoir supplemental essays can be placed into different categories based on what the questions are trying to elicit from candidates.
For example, many colleges require candidates to write a ‘community’ essay as part of their supplementals. Such a prompt may ask candidates to reflect on how they impact their community. An appropriate response could detail the candidate’s time volunteering at a local community centre, or focus on unexpected relationships that candidates have formed within a community.
Likewise, there are many effective ways to respond to a ‘why us?’ college supplemental essay prompt. Here, candidates should refer to different features of the college in question, from its community, to its exemplary academics, to a particularly fascinating area of research pioneered by the college.
Overall, when writing supplemental essays, it’s important for candidates to do their research and reflect on their experiences in order to craft an authentic and compelling response.
Supplemental Essays: What Admissions Officers Want to See
It is perhaps worth considering why Scoir and the Common App require candidates to write supplemental essays in the first place. After all, candidates have usually already written an essay that has been meticulously crafted to reveal their most compelling experiences and core parts of their identity.
Ultimately, U.S. college admissions really do like to ‘get to know’ the whole candidate. It isn’t just something on a marketing brochure. Supplemental essays allow students to discuss experiences that weren’t included in their main application essay, and also demonstrate that they have carefully considered the colleges that they are applying to. College admissions officers use the supplemental essays to make sure that candidates are well-rounded, and can discuss a wide range of experiences and interests.
Conveying Your Experiences through the Supplemental Essays
Every year, U.S. college candidates express trepidation to their advisors about the amount that they have to write on their applications. Indeed, it can be daunting at first to look at all the different essays that need to be completed before submitting an application. Yet, what actually happens is that candidates quickly realise that several 100 word essays will often take longer than the main 650 word application essay.
This is partly because being both concise and compelling is a skill, and one that needs to be practiced. Even when compelling anecdotes and experiences have been identified, it’s challenging to reduce the whole narrative down to 100 words, while not losing the depth of reflection required as part of a supplemental essay.
We advise candidates to focus on particular kernels of insight, and stick to one main idea per supplemental essay. It’s also good practice to remove extraneous descriptions and adverbs, if they’re not adding to the point being conveyed.
Towards Stronger Common App and Scoir Supplementals
The best supplemental essays that we see are those that are focussed, with a clear insight regarding the candidate at their centre. This can be with regard to the development of an academic interest, or a hobby, or simply a way in which the candidate has grown from a challenge. U.S. college admissions officers love to see candidates demonstrate that they have achieved a measure of personal growth over the years. Supplementals are a great way to showcase this growth, as well as allude to future plans.
Many of the supplemental essays, particularly the ‘why us?’ questions, will require candidates to engage in much more research into individual colleges and universities. Taking this process seriously and locating unique classes and elements that only that college can provide is a great way to ensure that you are both answering the question, as well as standing out from the crowd.
BartyED’s U.S. College Admissions Support
It’s worth bearing in mind that U.S. college admissions is a lengthy and complex process. The application essays require considerable effort and skill, often needing multiple redrafts so that they express the candidate’s ideas perfectly. Add in the on-going demands of schoolwork and extracurriculars, it’s easy to see why college applications can be overwhelming. That’s why BartyED offers comprehensive support for college admissions.
We work closely with a number of families every year to shape candidate profiles, and develop competitive college applications. This includes supporting candidates as they draft admissions essays and the supplementals for both Common App and Scoir. We support our students throughout the process of brainstorming responses to essay prompts, drafting and editing. You can find out more about our U.S. admissions consultancy here, or contact us via our website form, email, or whatsapp.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Common App (or the Common Application) and Scoir are the two main platforms used for U.S. college admissions. Through these platforms, candidates are able to fill out their details, as well as write their application essays and supplementals. College admission is more competitive than ever, making an excellent and compelling Common App or Scoir application all the more essential.
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Supplemental essays are used by most colleges to differentiate between candidates. It allows them to see if a candidate has done their research, and if they are well-rounded. The main application essay is very focussed, so the supplemental essays are a great opportunity to show admissions officers other facets of your profile.
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The best supplemental essays are focussed on one clear idea. Rather than addressing multiple anecdotes in one essay, try and stay fixed to a singular story. This will allow you to be more reflective and compelling in your supplemental essay—key qualities that admissions officers look for.
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Candidates sometimes fail to allow themselves enough time to craft their supplemental essays with the same depth and rigour with which they wrote their main application essay. This would be a mistake. The supplemental essays are just as important as any other part of the U.S. college application process.