engineering supplemental essay

Cornell Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Search cornell admissions, cornell first-year writing supplement prompts.

In the online Common Application Writing Supplement, please respond to both the Cornell University essay question and the essay prompt that corresponds to the undergraduate college or school to which you are applying.

Cornell University Essay Question

In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War, Ezra Cornell wrote, "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study." For over 150 years, Cornell University has remained deeply committed to Ezra’s vision. Explain how your life experiences will help inform your contributions to a learning community devoted to “... any person … any study.” We encourage you to think broadly about your life experiences, including how local (e.g., family, school, neighborhood) or global communities you’ve been part of have helped shape your perspective. (350 word limit)

College- and School-Specific Essay Questions

College of agriculture and life sciences.

Required: Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected? Please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. How will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University specifically serve to support your learning, growth, and the pursuit of your goals? (650-word limit)

Instructions: The optional short-answer questions invite you to share additional information about your background, interests, and experiences as they relate to aspects of the Cornell CALS mission. The content of any responses submitted will be included in the holistic review of your application (which is also the case for any optional additional information submitted as part of your Common Application or uploaded through your Cornell Application Portal once you've applied).

Optional: At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are not simply driven to master their discipline, but who are also passionate about doing so to serve the public good. Please elaborate on an experience where you had a meaningful impact on people, a community, and/or an environment of importance to you. (200-word limit)

Select all that apply:

A primary source of income for my parent/guardian(s) comes from ownership of or employment by an agricultural entity.
My extended family owns or operates an agricultural entity.
I have experience working in an agricultural entity.
I have interest in pursuing a career in an agricultural entity.

Please feel free to share additional details (optional). (100-word limit)

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (650 word limit)

College of Arts & Sciences

At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences. (650 word limit)

Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy

Why are you drawn to studying public policy? Drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the Brooks School will help you achieve your life goals. (650 word limit)

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration). (650 word limit)

College of Engineering

Instructions: All applicants are required to write two supplemental essays. Each has a limit of 250 words. Essay 1 is required of all applicants. For Essay 2, you must choose between Question A and Question B.

Essay 1: Required response. (250-word limit)

How do your interests directly connect with Cornell Engineering? If you have an intended major, what draws you to that department at Cornell Engineering? If you are unsure what specific engineering field you would like to study, describe how your general interest in engineering most directly connects with Cornell Engineering. It may be helpful to concentrate on one or two things that you are most excited about.

Essay 2: Choose either Question A and Question B. (250-word limit)

Question A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. Describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem.

Question B: Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?

College of Human Ecology

How have your related experiences influenced your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology (CHE)? How will your choice of major impact your goals and plans for the future? Your response should show us that your interests and aspirations align with CHE and your choice of major. (Refer to our essay application tips before you begin.) (650 word limit)

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School. (650 word limit)

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Cornell Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

September 6, 2023

The 7.3% acceptance rate for Cornell’s Class of 2027 was just a touch higher than last year’s 6.9%; as late as 2003, the school still had as high as a 31% acceptance rate. Clearly, getting into Cornell in 2023-24 is a vastly different enterprise than earlier in the millennium. Even if you earned a 1450+ on the SAT and maintained straight A’s throughout a high school career littered with AP and honors courses, you still need to find a way to distinguish yourself from other high school superstars. Fortunately, Cornell’s supplemental essays present applicants with just the opportunity they need to showcase their unique personality, writing ability, passions, and talents.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Cornell University? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into Cornell: Admissions Data and Strategies for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

In addition to the required supplemental response for all applicants (new this year), each college within Cornell has its own essay requirement(s). Below, we examine the Cornell supplemental essays for the 2023-24 admissions cycle.

Cornell Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Required for all applicants:

In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War, Ezra Cornell wrote, “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” For over 150 years, Cornell University has remained deeply committed to Ezra’s vision. Explain how your life experiences will help inform your contributions to a learning community devoted to “…any person…any study.” We encourage you to think broadly about your life experiences, including how local (e.g., family, school, neighborhood) or global communities you’ve been part of have helped shape your perspective. (350 words)

Cornell is inviting you to share more about your background/identity/community through the lens of how that will impact your experience at the university. Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. You are essentially invited to talk about any of the following topics:

A perspective you hold
An experience/challenge you had
A community you belong to
Your cultural background
Your religious background
Your family background
Your sexual orientation or gender identity

Although this prompt’s open floor plan may feel daunting, a good tactic is to first consider what has already been communicated within your Common App personal statement and activities list. What important aspect(s) of yourself have not been shared (or sufficiently discussed)? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned and how you grew.

You’ll then need to discuss how your background/identity/experiences will best allow you to contribute to Cornell’s “any person…any study” vision. Firstly, what does “any person…any study” mean to you? Defining that for yourself will enable you to more fully discuss how your background and life experiences will contribute to the University’s mission.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected? Please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. How will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University specifically serve to support your learning, growth, and the pursuit of your goals?(650 words)

There are 22 undergraduate majors and more than 40 minors within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Obviously, the content of this essay is going to be quite different for a prospective American Indian Indigenous Studies major versus someone looking to study Biomedical Engineering. Firstly, you’ll need to discuss your motivations and past experiences related to your major of choice—how have you engaged with the subject, formally and/or informally? What drives you to pursue this course of study in college? Moreover, you’ll need to clearly lay out your academic and career goals, providing explicit evidence of why CALS is the ideal place to help you achieve them. For instance, this may involve researching the professors, courses , study abroad programs , undergraduate research opportunities , and student-run organizations relevant to your major of choice.

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

What three words best describe you? (30 characters each)

No tricks here—you truly only need to choose three words for this response. As such, make sure those three words are pulling their weight. For example, “interesting, hard-working, dedicated” could likely describe any number of Cornell applicants. Instead, try to think of descriptive or evocative words that capture what makes you unique or what you most value—perhaps it’s your wit, your bibliophile tendencies, or your generosity, to name a few.

Cornell Supplemental Essays (Continued)

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (650 words)

There are five departments within the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning : Architecture. Art, City and Regional Planning, Real Estate, and Design Tech. Firstly, you’ll need to discuss your motivations and past experiences related to your major of choice—how have you engaged with the subject, formally and/or informally? What drives you to pursue this course of study in college? Moreover, you’ll need to clearly lay out your academic and career goals, providing explicit evidence of why Cornell AAP is the ideal place to help you achieve them. For instance, this may involve researching the professors , courses, study abroad programs , undergraduate research opportunities , and student-run organizations relevant to your major of choice. Note that the prompt provides specific guidance on what exactly should be addressed in the response depending on prospective major, so be sure to integrate that guidance into your essay.

College of Arts and Sciences – Cornell Supplemental Essays

With 78 different majors and minors , the College of Arts and Sciences offers myriad opportunities for any student. As such, Cornell wants to see evidence of your drive, passion, and intellectual ambition as well as your specific plans for continuing to be academically engaged while in college. What are your current interests? How have you explored them inside and outside the classroom? How do you hope to continue pursuing them as an undergraduate? Great things to highlight here include:

Departmental offerings , curriculum attributes , and/or specific courses offered in your discipline(s) of interest at Cornell.
Undergraduate research opportunities in the summer or during the school year as well as independent research you would like to conduct under faculty supervision.
Cornell professors whose work/research/writings you find fascinating and how you might want to connect with them as an undergraduate.
Last, explore academically focused student organizations at Cornell.

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration). (650 words)

To stand out as an applicant to Dyson or the School of Hotel Administration , applicants need to show that they have availed themselves of every opportunity to dive into the business world during their high school years. Of course, not everyone has parents who hand them money to invest in the stock market or hook them up with a Goldman Sachs internship in ninth grade. Relevant experiences can include high school investing clubs, participation in activities like FBLA, summer programs/courses in business/finance/economics, running your own local small business or e-business (Etsy, landscaping, etc.), or just a regular old retail job. From there, and as a result of your experiences, what topics or issues are you interested in? How do you plan to explore said issues or topics at Cornell? You might consider citing departmental/curricular attributes , specific courses, research opportunities , and/or experiential learning opportunities, among others.

College of Engineering – Cornell Supplemental Essays

Essay 1 Required for all engineering applicants

For the “Why Cornell Engineering?” prompt, refer to our recommendation above for the College of Arts & Sciences essay. Do your homework. Tell Cornell about the departments , courses , professors , facilities , research opportunities , and unique programs that make their College of Engineering your top choice. In addition, be sure to follow their advice and focus on one or two things that you are most excited about vs. trying to squeeze in a laundry list of offerings.

Essay 2 Choose either Question A or Question B. (250 word limit)

Question A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. Describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem.
Question B: Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?

Question A is, in many ways, a quintessential engineering prompt. It is truly as simple as identifying a problem and proposing a solution. However, you’ll want to follow Cornell’s guidance and focus on a problem that manifests in your local community. For example, this could involve something in the realm of:

Climate change
Energy efficiency
Pandemic management/data tracking
Infrastructure
Sustainability
Rethinking how cities and towns look and work
Safeguarding personal data

Question B choice may be challenging to answer in a deeply meaningful way if you are not a member of an underrepresented group with respect to ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual identity. If this one doesn’t “sing” to you, it’s best to stick with Question A. If you do select Option B, you’ll also want to be sure that it does not overlap with the required essay for all Cornell applicants, which also has to do with your background and life experiences.

Engineering Short Answer Questions (Required)

See advice under the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning.

What are three words you would use to describe Cornell Engineering?

Before attempting to answer this question, make sure to do your research. Read through the School’s mission statement as well as the departmental websites, diversity goals, research initiatives, and student life offerings. What stands out to you most about Cornell’s program as a whole? Then, do your best to capture that in three words.

College of Human Ecology

The direction of your essay will be guided by your choice of major within the College of Human Ecology . For example, the content will look substantively different for a Fashion Design and Management major versus a Nutritional Sciences applicant. Regardless of your area of study, the prompt seeks to get the heart of why you’re interested in your particular field and where you see your education/career moving forward. In summary, speak honestly about your goals for the future and how your major will help you achieve them. Along the way, be sure to cite specific CHE offerings like courses , professors , research initiatives , student organizations , and/or special programs.

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Labor relations is not exactly the most common topic for a 17-year-old to fall in love with. Therefore, there is probably a pretty interesting story behind your desire to pursue the ILR path. Given that this major is an intersection of areas like business, economics, government, history, law, and public policy, among others—your interest in Cornell’s ILR program may have been sparked by traditional classroom learning. Or, on the other hand, perhaps the spark was the experience of a friend or relative. Perhaps it was even something you have been following in the news (e.g., Starbucks workers trying to unionize). Above all, let your passion and commitment for this field shine through in your composition, and be sure to cite ILR offerings that will allow you to pursue your interests even more deeply, such as the curriculum structure , research opportunities , internships , or student organizations , among others.

Brooks School of Public Policy

At Brooks, you can pursue one of two majors: Public Policy or Healthcare Policy . As such, in this essay, you’ll want to be sure to communicate why you’re interested in your major of choice. What related experiences have you had? How have you explored your interests and curiosities inside and outside the classroom? Most importantly, how do you hope to continue pursuing them as an undergraduate? Great things to highlight here include departmental offerings , specific courses, research opportunities , faculty members , student life , and/or experiential learning opportunities of interest.

Want Personalized Coaching with your Cornell Supplemental Essays?

In conclusion, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Cornell supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote today.

College Essay

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First-Year Applicants

We hope you will consider applying to the College of Engineering at Cornell University. Each year approximately 800 first-year students from the U.S. and abroad join our world-renowned program. We encourage you to review the information here on the requirements for applying to Cornell Engineering.

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Information for First-Year Undergraduate Applicants

Individuals with a high school diploma or GED who have earned fewer than 12 college credits may apply as a first-year applicant. If you have earned 12 or more credits at another accredited college or university since graduating from high school, you must apply to Cornell Engineering as a transfer student .

Dates and Deadlines

Early decision.

Early decision (ED) is an option for applicants who have a clear preference for one institution. You apply to only one institution as an ED applicant. When applying ED, the applicant is making a binding commitment to that institution and, if admitted, must enroll at that school unless the financial aid package is not considered adequate by the family. While pursuing ED admission at Cornell, you may apply to other non-binding institutions but not to those with a binding ED process. If you are accepted to Cornell through ED, you must promptly withdraw any application(s) you have submitted to other schools and cannot submit additional applications to any other institution. For a student who has a definite first-choice college, applying ED has many benefits:

a higher rate of admission relative to the regular decision pool;
reduced stress by cutting the time spent waiting for a decision;
saved time and expense of submitting multiple applications;
once accepted, more time to prepare for college.

Students and parents can use the College Board's Pros and Cons of Applying to College Early to weigh their options.

ED application deadline: November 1
ED financial aid application for international students deadline: November 1
ED financial aid application for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens deadline: November 21
ED quarter-year report due (recommended): Thanksgiving
ED admissions decisions released: Mid-December

Regular Decision

Application deadline: January 2
Financial aid application for international students deadline: January 2
Financial aid application for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens deadline: February 15
Mid-year report due: Mid-February
Admissions decisions released: Early April

Curriculum Requirements

Cornell Engineering requires the completion of the following math and sciences classes prior to high school graduation . A unit is equivalent to one academic year of study.

4 units of mathematics, including 1 of calculus
1 unit of physics (Taking physics in the latter part of your high school career is beneficial as you will be required to take one semester of physics in your first year at Cornell.)
1 unit of chemistry

The following courses are recommended but not required:

computer science
1 unit of biology

Application Requirements

A Completed Application through the Common Application .
$80 Application Fee or Fee Waiver. To request a fee waiver, follow the instructions on the application.
Essay 1 — Required response (250 word limit) How do your interests directly connect with Cornell Engineering? If you have an intended major, what draws you to that department at Cornell Engineering? If you are unsure what specific engineering field you would like to study, describe how your general interest in engineering most directly connects with Cornell Engineering. It may be helpful to concentrate on one or two things that you are most excited about.
Question A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. Describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem.
Question B: Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?
Two (2) Teacher Recommendations. We require at least one recommendation be from a math, science or computer science teacher. The second recommendation may be from a teacher instructing a subject of your choice. If you are an international or ESL student, we strongly encourage that the second recommendation be from a teacher who can directly address your English proficiency. We suggest giving your teachers at least one month to write the letters, and be sure they know you and your work well.
Secondary School Reports. This includes your guidance counselor recommendation, school profile, and official transcript. These items are submitted by your guidance counselor.
Mid-Year Report. We strongly recommend that students provide a current senior-year grade report. For early decision, this is a quarter-year report. For regular decision, this is a mid-year report. If you are admitted to Cornell Engineering, you will need to submit your final grade report.

Standardized Testing Requirements

Cornell University has extended its suspension of SAT/ACT requirements to 2025 first-year applicants . SAT Subject Tests are not required or expected for admission to Cornell University.

English Language Proficiency Testing Requirements

Our international applicants follow the same application process as our first-year applicants and transfer applicants . All Cornell students must have a strong command of the English language to be successful in their engagement in their university studies. If English is not your native language or if you have not attended high school in a country where English is an official language for the four years prior to your planned enrollment at Cornell, you may be asked to submit results from an English language proficiency examination.

Please note that Cornell does NOT waive the English language proficiency requirement for students who have attended an English-speaking school in a non-English speaking country. We will consider and accept dozens of examinations and other qualifications from around the world to meet the English Language Proficiency requirement .

Have more questions?

See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.

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I am a Cornell Engineer

There is nothing more powerful than getting a group of people to tackle a problem. "Two heads are better than one" is a vast understatement of the power of collaborating in a group.

~Nathan (Ashland, MA), mechanical engineering

As more diverse individuals enter engineering fields, the way we make decisions about infrastructures and systems will change. I hope to inspire the next generation of black, female computer scientists.

~Destiny (East Orange, NJ), computer science

I break the rules by challenging traditional solutions, thinking critically, and charting my own unique course. My generation is ready to face challenges and solve problems in innovative ways!

~Joshua (Oakton, VA), operations research and engineering

Sofia '20

Sofia (Aurora, CO) is a computer science major, a Meinig Scholar, and an intern in the B.A.B.Y lab. Hear how she breaks the rules by applying theories to immediate problems.

I will break the rules to create what doesn't exist. Always ask what "you can do", not what people what you to do.

~Tse Tse (Manassas, VA), electrical and computer engineering

Jamey '18

Jamey (Bethesda, MD) is a mechanical engineering major with a passion for aerospace. Hear how his defining moment at Cornell helped shape his time as an undergraduate student and his plans for the future as an M.Eng. student here at Cornell.

Cornell Engineering Admissions Statistics*

Class of 2025.

Applications Submitted: 17,284 Class Size: 890 Early Decision Enrollment: 56.2% First-Generation College Students: 20.8%

*Data taken from PeopleSoft Frozen File on July 19, 2021

Testimonial by

My time at Cornell has been essential to my growth as an academic and a person. In classes, I've both learned theory and applied it through the numerous projects I've completed in my computer science classes. These experiences gave me the qualifications to work at amazing research institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. In terms of personal growth, I've become more aware and understanding of opinions and experiences different than my own. Cornell is home to people from many walks of life, and hearing various life stories always inspires me to adjust the way I act to become a little bit of a better person everyday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Application process.

Can I apply to more than one college at Cornell University?

Do I have to apply to a particular major? If so, what if I change my mind later?

How important are my SAT/ACT scores for my application?

How can I check on the status of my application?

If I need to mail application materials to Cornell, where do I send them?

If I already have an undergraduate degree, may I apply as a first-year student to obtain a second bachelor's degree?

Are admissions interviews required?

How do you evaluate applicants who are home-schooled?

Early Decision (ED)

What happens if I'm not admitted during early decision?

Can I apply early decision if I am applying for financial aid? What happens if I'm admitted and my family can't afford to pay for my Cornell education?

High School Coursework and Credit

What is the minimum high school GPA required to be admitted to the College of Engineering as a freshman?

If calculus is not offered at my high school, will this hurt my chances of being admitted?

Is AP level coursework in the fields of math and science needed in order to apply?

Which is more important, AP Physics 1 & 2 or AP Physics C?

Does the College of Engineering offer credit for AP, IB, and A-level scores?

Will the College of Engineering offer transfer credit for college classes taken during high school?

Cornell University only allows applicants to apply to one of the seven undergraduate colleges and schools.
No, you do not apply to a particular major; you apply to the college. When you apply to the College of Engineering, you can indicate an intended major if you wish. You do not officially select your major until the second semester of your sophomore year. It is not uncommon for students to change their minds about what area of engineering they'd like to specialize in.

Cornell University has extended its suspension of SAT/ACT requirements to 2025 first-year applicants .

SAT Subject Tests are not required or expected for admission to Cornell University.

When we receive your application and application fee (or fee waiver request), we will email you with the information you need to establish an online application status account. This may take up to two weeks at peak processing times. Receiving your Applicant ID and PIN via email is your confirmation that we have received your application. Using this secure site, you will be able to track your application materials and update your email address as necessary.

If I need to mail application materials to Cornell, where do I send them?

Students are required to submit their Common Application electronically. We strongly encourage you to upload supplemental materials using your application status portal. If your supplemental material cannot be uploaded electronically, items can be mailed to the below address if necessary.

Cornell University Application Processing Center 410 Thurston Rd Ithaca, NY 14850

No, Cornell Engineering does not enroll students for a second bachelor's degree. Individuals who already hold an undergraduate degree need to apply for a graduate degree program.
No, interviews are not required nor are they offered for Engineering. However, an applicant may be offered an opportunity to meet with a Cornell alum once his/her application has been submitted. Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN) members may contact prospective students in their local area to see if they would like to meet. The meetings are purely optional, but provide candidates with a chance to learn more about Cornell from an alum's perspective. If you are unable to meet with a CAAAN member or there is no one available in your area it will not adversely impact your chance of admission.
In order to understand and appreciate the depth and variety of the homeschool experience, the admissions selection committee requires the following information for all four years prior to entering college:
English : list of books (including all textbooks and other anthologies) you have read each year; how many papers and how long (indicate which are creative and which are expository writing); any research papers (list titles and length of each).
Social Studies : list of textbooks and books you have read each year; how many papers (topics listed) and how long; independent research projects (titles and lengths).
Foreign Language : list of textbooks you have read each year; list of projects and/or papers; descriptions and dates of visits to other countries.
Science : textbooks you have used each year (description of topics covered if you did not use a textbook or only used part of the book); list of experiments and/or field trips; any projects or research done (titles and time spent).
Mathematics : textbooks (covering which topics) you have used each year; any independent projects (titles and time spent).
We ask that applicants provide an official high school transcript if available, as well as transcripts from any college courses you may have taken. You should also send information on independent projects, laboratory experiences, research projects, etc. In addition, you may submit scores from any standardized examinations (state, SATs, ACTs, APs).

What happens if I'm not admitted during Early Decision?

Students who are not admitted during the Early Decision period may be deferred to Regular Decision or denied admission altogether. Deferrals to Regular Decision are only granted to a small number of students who are in serious contention for a spot in the class. Unfortunately, if a student is denied in Early Decision, he/she cannot re-apply to any of the seven undergraduate colleges/schools at Cornell University.

Can I apply Early Decision if I am applying for financial aid? What happens if I'm admitted and my family can't afford to pay for my Cornell education?

You can still apply Early Decision if you are applying for financial aid. Make sure to follow the financial aid application deadlines and submit all the required forms as outlined on the Cornell University Financial Aid website. When you receive your financial aid package, we expect you to work with the Financial Aid Office to make any necessary adjustments to your package. If both sides have done as much as possible and your family is still unable to afford Cornell, we will release you from your Early Decision agreement.
Admitted students are usually those who have excelled in their studies, particularly in math and sciences, and who have grades that are generally in the A range. Most of the students admitted into the College fall within the top 10% of their high school graduating class. When considering a student's GPA, we look at the rigor of the high school curriculum, whether the GPA is weighted or un-weighted, and whether the student has taken challenging courses if they are offered at their school.
Calculus is extremely important given the engineering common curriculum, which includes several calculus courses during the first two years at Cornell. Cornell Engineering requires one year (or one high school unit) of calculus as a component of the engineering application because our engineering curriculum is fundamentally driven by facility in calculus. Any applicant choosing to apply to Cornell Engineering without meeting this requirement would be placed at a substantial disadvantage relative to the engineering applicant pool. This is important to factor in during the college search process. Rare exceptions can be made, but may require the admitted student to come to Cornell during the summer before his/her freshman fall semester to take a college-level calculus class. If it is possible for you to gain calculus experience during your senior year at a local or community college, it will be in your best interest to do so.
AP level coursework is not required as long as candidates receive one full unit of the required subjects (calculus, chemistry and physics) during their high school years. AP level courses are rigorous and having access to this level of coursework can strengthen candidates' opportunities for admission and potential to succeed academically in the engineering curriculum.
No appreciable distinction is made between AP Physics 1 & 2 and AP Physics C other than AP credit is only awarded for a score of 5 on the AP Physics C test. More important is that students have exposure to at least one high level physics class in high school, and students are challenging themselves in the curricular environment that is available to them. Because physics is critically important to many fields of engineering, we prefer that students' most recent exposure to physics occur in their junior and/or senior year.

Does the College of Engineering offer credit for AP, IB, and A-level scores?

The College of Engineering routinely offers credit for appropriately high scores on Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB), and General Certificate of Education (A-level) examinations. We will award credit for certain AP and IB classes based on your exam results. You can also earn credit by taking a Cornell Advanced Standing Exam (CASE) during the fall orientation period.

Will the College of Engineering offer transfer credit for college classes taken during high school?

Transfer credit for college courses taken before high school graduation may be awarded if the following criteria are met:
Students must have received at least a grade of C (not C–) in the course, and the subject matter must be applicable to the Engineering curriculum at Cornell.
The Engineering Registrar’s office must receive a signed statement from the high school guidance office certifying that the course was not used to fulfill high school graduation credit.
The course must have been taught on a college campus, by college faculty and attended by college students.
An official transcript must be received by the Engineering Registrar.

Students may also earn credit by taking Cornell Advanced Standing Exam(s) during the fall orientation period. CASE exam performance will demonstrate understanding of key subject areas (i.e. calculus, physics, chemistry, and biology) within the framework of the Cornell Engineering curriculum. While these exams are voluntary, they help place students in the appropriate coursework level.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 3 top tips for a stand-out cornell essay.

College Essays

For the 2022–2023 admission cycle, Cornell admitted less than 8% of their total applicant pool. To be one of the students who gets accepted, you need to write amazing essays as part of your Cornell University application.

In this article, we'll outline the different types of essays you need to write for your Cornell University application and teach you how to write a Cornell supplemental essay that will help you stand out from the thousands of other applicants.

What Are the Cornell Essay Prompts?

Most students applying to Cornell only need to answer one Cornell supplemental essay prompt as part of their application (engineering students are the exception).

Don't get too excited though, because this one essay carries a lot of weight. The word limit is on the longer side (usually around 650 words), and the topic depends on which school within the university that you're applying to.

Cornell University consists of many smaller colleges, each with their own required Cornell writing supplement.

Your Cornell essay prompt will correspond to the school that you plan to study at, so give your future as a Cornell student some thought before you start writing. Be sure to write about the subject or area of study that you are currently interested in, even if that may change when you get to college. As with all college admissions essays, authenticity is key. You may have myriad scholastic interests, but for this essay, stick with what you know best and are most passionate about. Your potential topic must correspond with the areas of study at the college too.

The Cornell essay prompts give ample space for you to express yourself and reveal a more complete portrait of who you are as a student and human simply because of the word limit. You can say a lot in 650 words, so take advantage of it!

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2023–2024 Cornell Supplement Essay Questions

Here are the essays and instructions as shown on the Cornell University admissions website :

College Interest Essays

The primary focus of your college interest essay should be what you intend to study at Cornell. In the online Common Application Writing Supplement, please respond to the essay question below (maximum of 650 words) that corresponds to the undergraduate college or school to which you are applying. Note that the College of Engineering is the only college that requires multiple shorter essays, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences lists one required and two optional essays.

Here are this year's prompts:

Brooks School of Public Policy: Why are you drawn to studying public policy? Drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the Brooks School will help you achieve your life goals.
Required: Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected? Please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. How will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University specifically serve to support your learning, growth, and the pursuit of your goals?
Optional: At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are not simply driven to master their discipline, but who are also passionate about doing so to serve the public good. Please elaborate on an experience where you had a meaningful mpact on people, a community, and/or an environment of importance to you (200-word limit).
A primary source of income for my parent/guardian(s) comes from ownership of or employment by an agricultural entity.
My extended family owns or operates an agricultural entity.
I have experience working in an agricultural entity.
I have interest in pursuing a career in an agricultural entity.

Please feel free to share additional details (optional) (100-word limit).

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning: How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues.
College of Arts and Sciences: At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences. .
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business: What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration).
Essay 1 (Required response): How do your interests directly connect with Cornell Engineering? If you have an intended major, what draws you to that department at Cornell Engineering? If you are unsure what specific engineering field you would like to study, describe how your general interest in engineering most directly connects with Cornell Engineering. It may be helpful to concentrate on one or two things that you are most excited about.
Question A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. Describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem.
Question B: Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?
College of Human Ecology: How have your related experiences influenced your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology (CHE)? How will your choice of major impact your goals and plans for the future? Your response should show us that your interests and aspirations align with CHE and your choice of major. (Refer to our essay application tips before you begin.)
School of Industrial and Labor Relations: Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School.

Cornell Supplement Essays Analyzed

In this section, we'll take a look at each Cornell supplemental essay prompt in depth.

Remember, you may only answer one prompt for your application.

We'll also give tips for how to best approach answering the individual essay questions. Some tips will apply to all of the questions, but we will highlight the important differences for each program.

Brooks School of Public Policy

To apply to the Brooks School of Public Policy, you'll need to select a specific major . Be specific about what you want to study and why, and make sure that you clearly state why the Brooks School in particular is the best option for you.

Don't panic if you don't have a lot of experience with your chosen major yet! Instead, think about why you're interested in this field and what experiences led you to it . Maybe you're inspired by something you personally experienced, by research you conducted, or by a documentary or article you read.

You should also research the history of the Brooks School and its different programs. Choose the one that best aligns with your goals , and look to see whether any notable faculty or alumni might further inspire you.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Applicants must answer one required essay, but also have the option to answer two optional essays. We'll break down your options below.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences asks you to have an idea of your major as you apply. In your essay, you should commit to one major and be specific about why it's important to you. Choose a topic of genuine interest to you and that you have a personal connection with, even if that personal connection consists solely of articles you've read and documentaries you've seen.

Do your research about the topic and the school. Dedicate some time to reading about CALS—its history, its current faculty, and its notable alumni. Is there anyone from your research who you can relate to or who you think of as inspiring? Are there professors whom you are looking forward to working with?

Lean into the school's reputation, and choose something specific to write about that has a personal connection to you. For example, instead of writing about homesteading trends across the country, write about a local farm in your area that you visited as a child or how you got interested in food science.

You could also write about your personal connection to a specific project of a professor who teaches in the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

This is a great opportunity for you to show how you want to use your passion for the greater good . Because the prompt tells you to define your impact "on people, a community" broadly, you have a lot of leeway here. Think about your local neighborhood, your family and friends, any trips you may have taken through school or service organizations—anything that shows your commitment to serving others.

Optional: Cornell CALS is dedicated to purpose-driven study of the agricultural, life, environmental, and social sciences and welcomes students with interests that span a wide variety of disciplines. Given our agricultural history and commitment to educating the next generation of agriculturalists, please share if you have a background or interest in agriculture, regardless of your intended major. An "agricultural entity" for the purpose of this question is defined as cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock (e.g., farm, ranch, greenhouse, vineyard, etc.). Select all that apply: A primary source of income for my parent/guardian(s) comes from ownership of or employment by an agricultural entity . My extended family owns or operates an agricultural entity. I have experience working in an agricultural entity. I have interest in pursuing a career in an agricultural entity. Please feel free to share additional details (optional). (100-word limit)

This isn't an essay prompt so much as a way for you to self-identify . If any of these options apply to you, make sure to check them!

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues.

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning wants to know how you connect your creative passions with your scholastic interests here. Think about what you learn about or engage with of your own volition, not just because you're required to. In other words, when you fall down an Internet rabbit hole, what are you often researching?

For example, what design trends fascinate you? Which artists, photographers, or architects do you gravitate toward? What sort of urban planning projects would you be inspired to pursue? What transportation, housing, or infrastructure issues in your community or region do you want to work toward solving? Keep in mind that you'll want to not just describe who or what motivates you but also why .

Note also that the question asks you to describe either a "passion" or a "creative project," so if you've already had the opportunity to work on an art installation or design project that has inspired you to pursue your degree at Cornell, then describe that project and explain why it motivates you. Remember, the prompt asks about passions, as well as quirks. Don't feel embarrassed! Share something personal about yourself. Maybe you love watching old cinema or make your own pop-up cards for your family. Maybe you watch hundreds of hours of videos from YouTube photographers. Maybe you visit the City Hall of whatever new town you visit.

Whatever you choose, make sure you elaborate on why you're interested in it and how it's affected your life.

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences is the most generalized school of study at Cornell University, and the admissions essay reflects that. If you know that you love to learn but aren't sure what your career will look like after college, it's likely you'll be applying here.

Don't be fooled! Just because the question is broad, you don't have to write a broad essay in response. Don't feel like you have to demonstrate an interest in both Russian literature and molecular biology. Rather, describe your real intellectual pursuits with honesty and sincerity .

You don't have to have huge aspirations or a fancy reason for your intellectual pursuits. Stay true to yourself. If you're interested in Tudor history because of some historical fiction novels you read as a child, that's fine! You can say that. Just be sure to always tie it back to how Cornell's academics will let you study your passion.

If you have multiple areas of study that you are passionate about, you may write about them—but don't write about more than two or three at the most. Otherwise, your essay will feel more like a list rather than an in-depth exploration of your actual interests.

If you do choose to write about multiple interests, be sure to connect them back to you and your individual experience as a Cornell student and community member.

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

For the Johnson College of Business, the first part of the essay question asks you to think about the business-related topics or issues you are interested in; how they're connected with your life, academic, volunteer, or work experiences; and why. The next part of the prompt invites you to discuss your interests in terms of what's on offer at the business school.

Your best approach, then, is to r esearch the programs so that you know exactly what their approach to business, management, economics, and hospitality is. What topics do they offer classes on? What specific research areas do their professors study? Then, think about what you most often find yourself thinking, reading, or talking about that relates to two or three of these topics. Those connections should be the core of your essay.

For example, did a history class inspire you to research the evolution of print advertising to digital marketing? Did moving from abroad get you interested in international development? Did you grow up in a family of entrepreneurs and want to further explore how to build your own business?

As you build your response, keep in mind that your essay should also indicate why you want to attend Cornell's College of Business rather than any other and how you'll take advantage of the resources it offers. So do some research on what makes the college stand out from others. You can list specific classes you'd like to take or professors you'd like to study with. Doing so will show that you're interested in Cornell, not just any old business school.

If you're specifically interested in the School of Hotel Adminitration and you're having trouble coming up with a topic, use the list of global hospitality industry topics as a jumping-off point. Which are you interested in? How did you become interested in them? Why do you care so much about these topics? What type of career do you want in this industry?

When writing about the experiences that define you and your passions as a future business major, don't generalize. Instead, use stories, anecdotes, and details that actually happened and that show your personality traits and motivations. Follow that old grade-school writing rule: show; don't tell.

College of Engineering

All applicants are required to write two supplemental essays. Each has a limit of 250 words. Essay 1 is required of all applicants. For Essay 2, you must choose between Question A and Question B.

Essay 1 (Required): How do your interests directly connect with Cornell Engineering? If you have an intended major, what draws you to that department at Cornell Engineering? If you are unsure what specific engineering field you would like to study, describe how your general interest in engineering most directly connects with Cornell Engineering. It may be helpful to concentrate on one or two things that you are most excited about.

Essay 2 (Required):

And now for something a little different. Instead of writing one long essay, College of Engineering applicants have to write two shorter essays, and they get to choose from three prompts.

Each of the prompts seeks to understand why you want to study engineering and why you believe you'd excel at engineering. For all prompts, be sure to go beyond the surface level with your answers. Don't just say that you want a steady job after graduation. Cornell's College of Engineering wants to see that you have both ambition and interesting ideas.

The first prompt is required and is the most similar to the prompts for the other colleges. It's a basic "why us?" prompt, in which you explain to Cornell what it is about their College of Engineering that made you want to apply. Again, the more specific you can be here, the better. Mention things such as specific professors, classes, or internship opportunities to strengthen your essay.

The second prompt is a chance for you to put your thinking cap on! This is a great place for you to shine. Your job here is to choose a problem that is important to you —and say a little about why before diving into the prompt itself. If you know what type of engineering you want to study, make sure the problem you're addressing can be solved through that subfield. If you're not decided, you have a little more leeway.

For the third prompt, you're focusing on diversity and how you'll add to it. This doesn't just need to be racial diversity; think about what your unique life experiences can bring to Cornell's College of Engineering and how that would contribute to its diversity.

College of Human Ecology

This essay prompt gives you lots of room for creativity. That being said, heed this caveat: don't get carried away in stating your grandiose mission for solving the world's problems. As with the other essay prompts, specificity is key.

For the first question, choose an example from your life to illustrate your answer. Pick something that has truly been formative in your educational and professional goals , dive in deep, and write from the heart.

For example, if you're interested in studying policy analysis and management, you could talk about how your experience with social welfare programs has affected your life. Or if you're looking to be part of the fiber science and apparel design program, you could talk about why clothing has played such an important part in your life and your passion for fashion design.

Be sure to include your future goals in your answer. The College of Human Ecology has a very specific focus—you'll want to reflect that as you discuss your career and life aspirations.

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

This essay is a great opportunity to show off your academic side. You get to write about your topics of study and describe how you will continue to make it a part of your life in your college career and beyond.

You don't have to limit your answer to school experiences. Academic pursuits can grow from hobbies, travels, or personal experiences. Do you take on leadership roles in your religious community? Have you had a particularly influential summer job? As long as you relate the experience back to academics, you are golden.

You should also specify why ILR is the right college at Cornell for you to pursue these interests. What can you study at ILR that you can't study in Cornell's other colleges, such as the College of Arts and Sciences? It can be helpful to list specific courses or tracks of study at ILR that reflect your intellectual interests. Remember, the prompt specifically asks why ILR is your Cornell college of choice.

How to Write a Great Cornell Essay

Regardless of which Cornell essay prompt you're responding to, you should keep in mind the following tips for how to write a great Cornell essay.

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is to give the admissions committee a chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors.

Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed-out person.

You should, then, make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Cornell wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Clichés and Overused Phrases

When writing your Cornell essay, try to avoid using clichés or overused quotes or phrases.

These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays from students who have grand plans to change the world. Only talk about changing the world if you have legitimate interests to back it up.

Strive for originality and avoid using clichés, which take away from the strength and sincerity of your work.

#3: Check Your Work

It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Cornell essay is the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Cornell application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays.

Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit.

It's a good idea to have someone else read your Cornell essay too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check to make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

Recap: Writing a Stellar Cornell Essay

The Cornell essay prompts give you a chance to really show the admissions committee who you are. Regardless of the question you're answering, remember to follow these basic dos and don'ts as you're writing:

Be authentic and honest.
Be specific when citing people, places, and things.
Strive for brevity and clarity; less is more!
Be yourself, and do your research—both will shine through in your essays!
Base your essays on what you think the Cornell application committee wants to hear.
Use clichés or broad sweeping statements.
Try too hard to be funny and original. Be genuine and your positive attributes will be visible to the committee.

What's Next?

Are you working on the Common App essay as part of your application? Read our breakdown of the Common App prompts and our guide to picking the best prompt for you .

If you're planning to take the SAT or ACT as part of your application , try out some of our famous test prep guides, like " How to Get a Perfect Score on the SAT " and " 15 Key ACT Test Day Tips ."

Want to write the perfect college application essay? We can help. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will help you craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay to proudly submit to colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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College Application

Your Definitive Guide to Supplemental College Application Essays

Including supplemental essay examples to inspire your own.

Supplemental college application essays come in a vast range of topics and sizes and are often the biggest challenge for students after getting through the grueling initial application stages. These essays are crucial in the admissions process, as they provide a more personal and detailed context of your candidacy. They allow you to speak about more specific topics than the more general and broadly-structured personal statement or Common App essay that you submit in your primary application.

In this blog, our college essay advisors go over the general categories and purposes for the various supplemental essays you may have to navigate, and offer examples of short, medium, and lengthy supplemental essays.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 25 min read

Why are supplemental college application essays so important.

Supplemental essay prompts are usually provided directly by colleges as part of the secondary application, after you’ve submitted your primary application. Some colleges ask for multiple essays of varying lengths while others may ask for just one long-form supplemental essay. The specific prompts and word count requirements vary widely between schools. Every admissions committee creates their own supplemental requirements, including secondary essay prompts, to help them form a holistic picture of the applicant and judge how well-suited they would be for their school.

At the outset, it’s vital to understand that the term “supplemental” does not mean optional or second in importance. A supplement fills or makes up for an absence or imbalance, and that’s precisely the role these essays play in your application. Think of it a bit like adding colored paint to a black and white drawing. Your high school resume , transcripts, and test scores have given admissions committees an initial sense of what your candidacy. Supplemental essays, when correctly attuned to the personal statement, create a more nuanced portrait of your as an applicant.

Supplemental essays present a unique challenge as they have to be written in a short period of time, typically in 2 weeks or a month. Colleges send out secondary applications only after receiving your primary application and they provide strict submission deadlines. Additionally, unlike your personal statement, it’s not always possible to write supplemental college essays in advance since colleges frequently change their exact prompts from one year to the next and secondary essays need to always be tailored in response to specific prompts. However, that doesn’t mean you have to wait till you actually receive your specific prompts to start work on the essays.

A good strategy to tackle advance work on supplemental college essays is to spend 2 to 3 weeks writing rough drafts of the most common supplemental college essay types. Depending on the colleges you’re applying to, you can focus on specific prompts they’ve frequently asked in previous years. You can also check out college essay examples to get a better idea of what kind of content you need to come up with.

As you’re working on your primary application in the summer before senior year of high school or in September/October of your senior year, you can spend a few minutes each day brainstorming ideas for the previous year’s secondary essay prompts from colleges you’re applying to and creating a few rough drafts. For instance, most colleges ask for the “why us” essay, so you should definitely brainstorm your answer to that question in advance for all the colleges you’re applying to.

The advantage of following this strategy is that you will probably be wrapping up your primary application, including your personal statement or Common App essay, just as you begin work on your secondaries. Writing an effective personal statement requires a lot of brainstorming, journaling, introspection, free writing, rough drafts, and revisions. In the process, you’re sure to have spent plenty of time identifying key experiences, events, incidents, and people in your life, and also thinking about your own strengths, weaknesses, motivations, ambitions, and failures. Not all of this would have made it into your personal statement, and you can re-use a lot of this rough material as inspiration for your supplemental essay content. Moreover, you would have already honed your structuring and writing skills working on your personal statement, and the basic written communication skills required for the secondary essays are the same.

The goal of this advanced writing process is to have ideas and inspiration ready for when you actually receive your specific essay prompts. All your pre-writing and brainstorming will give you plenty of base material to work with, and rather than starting from scratch, you can spend the critical time before your supplemental deadline tailoring your essays to respond to the specific prompts and word counts. Remember, this is going to be a very busy period for you: while different colleges have different supplemental application dates and timelines, they generally occur within a similar period of time, typically between October and November for early decision programs and December and January for regular applications. So, you’re bound to have some overlap between the secondary essay deadlines for different colleges you’re applying to. You might end up having to work on secondary essays for multiple colleges within the same 1 month period. That’s why it’s all the more important that you complete your brainstorming in advance and create a few rough drafts of essays in response to the most commonly expected prompts.

Now, let’s discuss some general trends and categories frequently used for supplemental college application essays.

How to Tackle Different Supplemental Essays Prompts

While these categories cover the general focus of most supplemental essays, it’s important to note that schools change their secondary and supplemental essay prompts regularly, sometimes every year, and as a result, topics and categories evolve over time. Nonetheless, these are the most common categories both historically and currently.

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind while working on any essay type:

The School-Specific Supplemental Essay

What is it?

As we mentioned previously, this is one of the most frequently used supplemental college prompts. These are typically between 250-350 words in length, although this varies widely from school to school. This is actually one of the easiest types of secondary college prompts to answer. Students don’t usually choose their undergraduate institutions randomly, rather, they make their choice after careful deliberation and research. To answer the school-specific essays, use that research! Schools want to know you’re engaged with their overall mission and clearly understand their place in the world, as well as what you specifically hope to get out of the campus experience aside from a Bachelor’s degree.

Sample essay prompts

Dartmouth : While arguing a Dartmouth-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818, Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, delivered this memorable line: \"It is, sir,\u2026a small college, and yet there are those who love it!\" As you seek admission to the Class of 2026, what aspects of the College's program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? (maximum 100 words) ","label":"Dartmouth","title":"Dartmouth"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

How to write this type of essay

Provide specific details that tie to an overarching theme : It’s very important to set up the connection between your academic ambitions and what the college has to offer. Think deeply about what you hope to achieve and why you’ve identified this specific college. Back up your thesis with specific details about the college. It’s not enough to say – “I love XYZ college, and I’d love to pursue ABC major there.” The why is crucial. Remember, in this essay, colleges don’t want to see you simply discuss you and your journey; they want to know how that journey led you to them. Back up your claims with details about what attracts you to them, which could be anything from the campus and famous alumni, to the college’s unique values, or their innovative curriculum.
Go beyond the obvious : This type of essay is, crucially, asking you to do your research and go beyond the obvious. Don’t just talk about a school’s generally known reputation or what’s on their homepage. Instead, try to identify specific projects, academic opportunities, research avenues, extracurriculars, or faculty that interest you, and relate them to your goals.
Consider what you can do for them : Think not only about why this college is a great choice for you, but why you are a great choice for them. Why do you think you’ll fit into their campus? Are there college traditions you would be proud to continue? Can you contribute to any on-going projects or initiatives on campus? Demonstrate why they should choose you by using a concrete example.

The Extracurricular Essay

In this essay, you may be asked to talk about a particularly meaningful extracurricular activity. You might have already covered the basic details of this activity in the activities section of your application, but supplemental essays dealing with your extracurricular activities get into more overtly personal territory. Remember, the intent here is not to simply get a rehash of your activities section or transcript; rather, in these essays, schools want you to get into the deeper aspects and psychological nuances of your involvement in those activities.

It’s important to keep in mind that most prompts will not directly reference extracurriculars, but the most likely answer to these kinds of prompt will include a discussion of an extracurricular activity. For instance, some colleges ask you to elaborate on an activity where you demonstrated leadership or what helps you explore your creative side.

University of California: Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. (maximum 350 words) ","label":"University of California 2","title":"University of California 2"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

Pick the right activity : It’s important to pick the right activities to talk about in your supplemental essays. Research the school’s website and social media to see their mission, values, and what kind of qualities they value in their matriculants, and choose an activity that reflects these. While you obviously want to remain genuine in your essays, it does not mean you cannot be strategic. Choose an activity you know will resonate with the college you’re applying to. Another tip: If you’ve already discussed one activity in detail in your personal statement, avoid repeating that here. Additionally, don’t pick achievement-oriented activities just because you think this might impress the admissions committee. You’ve already communicated your achievements in the activities section – in this essay, you have a chance to share another side of your personality and show the admissions committee more of what makes you unique. So, you can either focus on activities you are passionate about but haven’t mentioned elsewhere, such as cooking, woodworking, non-competitive chess playing, and so on. Or pick a compelling angle for activities you’ve already mentioned. For instance, if you’ve noted being a musician in your application elsewhere, this essay would be an opportunity to discuss why and how it’s been meaningful in your life, and potentially the lives of others.
Do not be repetitive : Think of the personal circumstances, feelings, failures, and learnings surrounding your extracurriculars and write an essay that elaborates on one of these aspects. For example, even if you do end up picking your top activity from your primary application to write about, make sure the essay you write covers a unique aspect of your experience that you haven’t discussed elsewhere in your application before. Continuing our previous example, don’t just cover the obvious aspects of musical performance, but get into the psychological impact of performing, and of what specific types or music have impacted you through immersive practice or playing.

Check out this infographic:

This type of essay is often the hardest for students to navigate, and also comes with the longest minimum word count requirement, often 500 or more words. If you’ve had your head down in the grind of coursework and achievement-oriented activities for most of your time in high school, odds are, you haven’t had a lot of time to engage in community service or collective projects outside of school. In a sense, this is a supplemental essay that requires some advanced planning: volunteer or community service work is a widely-understood key to getting admitted to competitive universities, so you will need something to refer to in this regard. Moreover, in this essay more than any other, colleges want to see an account of meaningful experience rather than a mere description of activities performed. They’re looking for long-term involvement, thoughtful self-reflection, and a clear personal growth journey. It’s a lot to ask from a high school student writing a 500 word essay!

However, part of the brilliance of this type of essay is its flexibility. You don’t need to have built a new community center with your bare hands to have impacted your community. Maybe you’ve participated in a group project that benefitted other students, or maybe you took part in planning a school event. Even a part-time job likely had some impact on your neighbors and fellow citizens. You could also discuss “informal” activities, such as helping your elderly neighbor with her grocery shopping, helping your family with a cultural project, your background as a member of a minority group, and so on. Think creatively about the ways you’ve acted in the world, and from that, determine how those actions have impacted others.

MIT : 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\u2019s 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. (200\u2013250 words) ","label":"MIT","title":"MIT"}]" code="tab3" template="BlogArticle">

Find what makes you unique : If you’re having trouble identifying which communities you’ve been a part of, or which part of your identity to focus on, try the “what makes me unique?” angle. This is definitely something you would have brainstormed for your personal statement, so bring those notes out! We are all a part of various communities, whether we realize it or not, and we all contribute to them in our own unique way. You might have a unique skill or talent, or maybe it’s a personal quality that helped you deal with an issue in the community. Alternatively, maybe your background and identity are a key part of your life’s journey, and you have many experiences related to that. There’s no “wrong” community you could discuss, whether it’s a Dungeons and Dragons club you created with your friends, the ethnic community you’re a part of, or the neighborhood where you grew up. The key is to identify what makes you unique.
Focus on your growth journey: The easiest way to discuss community engagement in a “meaningful” way is to focus on how you, individually, found growth and learning through your participation in a larger community, and how you simultaneously impacted them. No matter what the community is, the growth narrative is important. There has to be a clear two-way impact that demonstrates how your engagement and contributions affected those around you.

Create Your Own Class Essay

One of the more creative type of essays, these prompts ask students to come up with their own class, reimagine a whole department, conceptualize their ideal lecture series, and so on. This essay is your chance to show your creative and out-of-the-box thinking, while also expanding upon your academic interests and sharing your passions with the admissions committee. This essay is essentially a more creative alternative to the “why this major” essay.

Boston College : Boston College strives to provide an undergraduate learning experience emphasizing the liberal arts, quality teaching, personal formation, and engagement of critical issues. If you had the opportunity to create your own college course, what enduring question or contemporary problem would you address and why. (maximum 400 words) ","label":"Boston College","title":"Boston College"}]" code="tab4" template="BlogArticle">

Get creative : You can really use this essay topic to stand out from the crowd. Come up with a creative answer and expand upon it with fun, yet thoughtful details that show your intellectual curiosity and unique perspective on the world.
Align your answer with the college : Remember, you’re being asked to come up with a course for the specific college you’re applying to. What’s their mission? What kind of curriculum do they have? What type of learning do they value? Find out the answer to these questions and incorporate these details in your essay. For example, if the college you’re applying to values an interdisciplinary learning environment, try to come up with a course that incorporates both science and humanities concepts.
Use your experience : This prompt is also the school’s way to learn more about your personal goals and experiences. Try to ground your motivation for creating this course in your own life. For example, if you want to create a curriculum that covers the influence of fashion on punk rock culture, try to connect it to your own interests or skills, such as a sewing hobby or your love of underground culture.

The Major or Field of Study Essay

This can be a tricky essay type to handle for college students who are still undecided about their major, which is very natural for high school students. Luckily, not all colleges ask for this type of essay. You can expect this essay mostly from colleges focused on a specific stream of study, who want to know why you’re attracted to that field. Some elite universities, like Ivy League schools , also ask this question because they want to see the applicants’ long-term academic ambitions and how well these fit in with their own mission.

Interested in learning more about how to gain acceptance to an Ivy League School? Check out this video!

Sample essay prompt

MIT: Pick what field of study at MIT appeals to you the most right now, and tell us more about why this field of study appeals to you. (maximum 100 words) ","label":"MIT","title":"MIT"}]" code="tab5" template="BlogArticle">

Include personal as well as college-specific details : Similar to the “why us” essay, you need to refer to specific details of the college program, faculty, academic curriculum, research opportunities, and campus life. Connect these details with your own experiences and passions and explain why this college or program aligns with your academic or professional interests. Think about key formative events and personal motivators for your interest. For example, if you’re applying to a top science, technology, engineering, or medicine (STEM) college such as MIT, you obviously have a specific passion for one of these subjects. While you can and should expand on your personal ambitions, don’t forget to explain why MIT is the best option to help you achieve them.
Focus on the long-term : In a way, this type of essay is analogous to the “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” interview question. If you do have a clear plan of how you see your future academic and professional life developing, this essay is where you share it. However, you need to make sure you don’t just spin a beautiful story that isn’t based in reality. Your ambitions should be supported by thorough research, real-world industry knowledge, and a careful consideration of your own strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, don’t just include grand ambitions for the sake of sounding impressive – back them up with personal motivations, or better yet, include concrete, achievable goals. For instance, if you’re applying to the best undergrad business schools , your supplemental essay shouldn’t simply say “I want to be youngest CEO in the USA” or “I want to feature in a 30 under 30 article” – instead, it should focus on specific business interests and goals, for example – “I want to use my leadership skills, business training, and community engagement experience to eventually pay it forward by expanding the economic and business opportunities in my own community.”

The Quirky Essay

This type of essay is meant to catch you off-guard or ask you to write about something not often discussed in the context of admissions. These essays are often among the shortest in terms of length, and generally hope to evince some humor and self-awareness from the writers. Topics for these essays include odd talents, strange experiences, or hyper-specific situational questions like what superpower you’d choose if given the chance. They can also be quite general: Princeton, for instance, includes a prompt asking, simply, “what brings you joy?”.

Princeton: What brings you joy? (maximum 50 words) ","label":"Princeton","title":"Princeton"}]" code="tab6" template="BlogArticle">

Keep the tone light : When responding to such prompts, don’t get too caught up in trying to be ultra-intellectual, serious, or different from the crowd. Be creative, have fun, and try and show a lighter side of your personality to the admissions committee. Match the tone of the question and don’t overthink this one too much!
Be genuine : The tricky part about responding to these random and creative prompts is to make your answer humorous while also being as honest and genuine as possible. Sincerity is key – make sure you don’t pick an answer you think sounds funny, or impressive, but that isn’t strictly true and backed up by the rest of your application. For instance, if asked “what kind of bird are you”, if you respond with something like “eagle” and talk generically about your leadership qualities without any specific details, admissions committees will be able to tell you aren’t being genuine. You can give any answer you like here! The important thing is to justify it with real aspects of your personality that add some interesting color to your application.

Now, let’s look at how to structure essays depending on the length. We’ll also go over an example for each essay type.

Short Supplemental Essay (250 Words or Fewer) Examples

According to our college admissions consulting experts, these can be quite dangerous for some students, so don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because an essay has a short word count, you don’t need to spend much time on it. This can actually be one of the toughest types of essays, since you have very limited space in which to capture the admission committee’s attention and make your point. When you start writing, you might find that by the time you’ve set up your premise, you’re already done with 80% of the available word count! The key here is to include crisp, well-structured sentences to directly address the question being asked. There’s not really any space for a “hook” here, such as a quote, story, or layered personal experience. Only include a story or a personal experience if the question explicitly asks you too. In just 250 words or less, you won’t be able to describe too complex an event or activity, so just cut straight to the point.

Recommended Structure

Direct opening sentence : Your first sentence should clearly address the essay prompt and set up the topic. Don’t worry about this being a boring or straightforward strategy – that’s what you need here!
Specific details to support the topic : Add personal details and self-reflections suitable for the prompt to support your opening sentence. Remember, every word is crucial here so leave out any unnecessary facts and descriptions – stick to what’s relevant. Try and focus on a single experience, reflection, opinion, or topic, as you really won’t be able to do justice to any more. At the same time, make sure you don’t sacrifice flow to brevity. Each sentence should connect smoothly to the next, setting up a logical pathway from your opening thesis to your conclusion.
Conclusion : Add the key takeaway or reflection and tie it back to the prompt.

To see how a short essay should be structured, let’s take a look at this prompt from Brandeis :

“Justice Brandeis once said, ‘If we would guide by the light of reason, we must let our minds be bold.’ Tell us about something bold that you’ve recently done.”

Here’s a sample answer:

Although painting isn't itself an especially wild or bold activity, showing my art for the first time felt very bold indeed. As someone with a motor impairment, I've never been able to draw well, and found art classes throughout elementary school incredibly frustrating and embarrassing. However, discovering the wide and extremely varied world of abstract art a few years ago, I was finally bitten by the art bug, and began experimenting with acrylic paint. At first, I just learned how to operate the varying dilutions and textures of paint, but over time I became obsessed with the idea of color gradients and shading, and how the paint itself can do a lot of work that doesn't depend on a completely steady hand. I amassed a small stack of canvasses, and this past year asked around at the two art galleries in town to see if anyone was interested in putting some of my pieces up. Fortunately, and to my surprise, one independent gallery offered to show my entire collected work for a month. Not only did I receive a tonne of really positive and encouraging messages from visitors to the gallery, but I even sold 3 pieces! I was honestly terrified at every step of the way, but that first sale was about the most confidence-building event I've ever experienced. It felt bold, but also made me hungry to continue making art and sharing it with others. (237 words)

Medium Supplemental Essay (250-500 Words) Examples

Shorter than your personal statement, longer than a short answer, these essays require you to balance a logical flow with a crisp central narrative.

While the basic structure of this essay can be similar to the long-form 650 word essay, you’ll need to make a few adjustments to suit the shorter length.

Opening paragraph : You can choose to add an “anchor experience” for these essays, or you can write it in a more direct style, responding to the prompt and getting straight to the point. It depends on what you want to say and how you want to say it. For example, if your essay is focused on personal experiences, then an evocatively described personal experience could be a great hook. However, if the prompt asks you to provide your opinion about a specific issue or creatively imagine a specific scenario, then getting right to the point is a better idea.
Main body : Here, you describe your central thesis and add further details to support it. You have to be very efficient with your choice of experiences and even with the details of any experience you chose to include. Each sentence should be in service of the essay prompt. Review this section with the questions “Is this related to the essay prompt? Does this help to answer the question being asked?”.
Conclusion : The key to an efficient, memorable conclusion of a medium length supplemental essay is economy of words. In a single sentence, you should address the question being asked and also communicate your own central thesis, with a focus on what makes you special. Crafting this conclusion will take you time! First, identify the points you want to make, and then figure out a way to compress them into as few words as possible, without sacrificing clarity.

Let’s check out an example of this type of essay.

University of California: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? (maximum 350 words)

Growing up as the precocious daughter of hard-working immigrant parents, academic excellence and achievements were always the two key cornerstones of my life. My parents inculcated the importance of doing well in school in me from a young age. After all, it was education that had enabled my parents to escape the poverty and trauma of their homeland and find refuge in this country. With a natural penchant for academics and a love for learning, I never had cause to question this life-long commitment – not until junior year of high school.

That was the year when my parents’ restaurant business took a huge hit, and from a regular middle-class American immigrant success story, we were brought to the brink of bleak poverty. It was a shock to our family that took us through some of the toughest times I’ve ever experienced. We all had to make sacrifices, and one of the most profound changes I experienced in that period was a total shift in my priorities, as I had to work at my parents’ restaurant every day after school to help keep the business afloat. From being a grade-A student, I became a struggling straggler who could barely keep up with tests and exams, much less take on extra credit projects. At one point, I even considered quitting school! The worst part was watching the pain in my parents’ eyes, knowing they couldn’t provide the ideal home environment they had envisioned for me, which they themselves had never received.

However, looking back, I consider that period one of the most significant learning experiences of my life. It tested my commitment to my academic interests, which had previously always been so easy to pursue, and I came through with a system that allowed me to contribute at home and also excel at school. It made me further appreciate the struggles my parents had gone through as immigrants juggling family, work, education, and a major cultural adjustment. And finally, it made me appreciate what a gift and privilege education truly is, and vow never to take it for granted. (347 words)

Want to know a surprising fact? You might actually find the long-form supplemental essays easier to write than their shorter counterparts! These essays are typically 500 to 650 words long, which means you have plenty of space to build a coherent narrative, expand on your thesis, and support it with relevant details. When writing a longer supplemental essay, you can actually re-use many of the same strategies you employed for your Common App essay or personal statement. The basic structure (which we’ll explain in a moment) will be similar, and you can even recycle some of your rejected personal statement ideas to write an exemplary supplemental essay.

You can go for the commonly used 3 to 5 paragraph essay structure here. Include the following:

Introduction : For longer essays, it’s critical to have a strong opening that hooks the reader and draws them into your narrative immediately. Admissions committees are reading thousands of essays, so you want to shake them out of their “reading fatigue” by capturing their attention with story, personal experience, unique quote, etc. In this paragraph, you should also clearly set up the central thesis of your essay. Critically for supplemental essays, ensure that your central thesis directly addresses or answers the prompt. Tie the “hook” of your opening paragraph in with this central thesis.
Body paragraphs 1/2/3 : While the 5-paragraph structure is the most commonly used essay format for long-form essays, you can include more or fewer, as per the requirements of your specific narrative. Remember to be selective when you choose the experiences to support your thesis. In these paragraphs, you build on the central narrative you set up in introduction, supported with your self-reflections and personal examples. Include only the necessary details that help to build the central theme of the essay. Your essay should be written in a natural, direct style, but you can try and include evocative details and personal reflections to help communicate your point.
Conclusion : As with all other supplemental essays, the conclusion is critical. You must include a key takeaway, learning, or crisp one-liner to sum up your answer to the question being asked.

Harvard : An intellectual experience (course, project, book, discussion, paper, poetry, or research topic in engineering, mathematics, science, or other modes of inquiry) that has meant the most to you. (maximum 650 words)

“It is the sandbox of men who care not where they are going; they merely want to know where everyone else has been.”

It’s a hot summer’s day, I’m red-faced, sweaty, and out-of-breath, hunched over a pile of earth, delicately brushing away tiny amounts of ancient mud, and John Bishop’s words suddenly pop into my mind. Our project director, Professor Saltzman, had led a brief session that morning concluding with this memorable quote, and it stayed with me for one clear reason: I felt it perfectly encapsulated my own journey, from a guy who cared too much about where he was going, to someone who now primarily cared about the business of these long, long, dead ancient women and their kitchen tools. The irony of the realization made me chuckle a little, disturbing the earth around the little kitchen mound I was excavating, and then I went back to my gentle brushing, once again fully absorbed.

It was simply not a picture of myself I could have believed merely months prior. From a very young age, I had a vision of myself as a lawyer. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father and grandfather, carving an illustrious career that would begin, like theirs, at Harvard, and end with me on the Supreme Court. This dream hit a minor snag when, due to a medical absence is junior year, I missed my AP History exam. Mr. Griffin, my history teacher, suggested that I complete a summer archeology program he was affiliated with to make up the credit. And that was how this “minor snag” actually ended up diverting my passions, interests, and ambitions away from law and firmly into the field of archeology.

It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. I was resistant to what I perceived was a distraction from my true interest, the practice of law – I thought then I’d much rather be shadowing my father in a cushy air conditioned office than sweating it out in a desert, digging for broken bits of ancient pottery. But within a couple of days, I found to my surprise that I loved every second of it. The director of the program, Professor Saltzman, liked to walk us through our findings, however minor, at the end of each day. For the benefit of the younger students present, he often delivered lectures expanding upon the critical contextual history of that period. I was amazed at how these small, faded pieces of pottery could tell us so much about the socio-cultural norms of 8000 years ago; from which countries they traded with to what they ate, from their dominant gender roles to the kinds of currency they used.

Most amazing of all, at least to me, was how archeology could actually help envision the lived reality of these people from long ago. Our key findings in that dig were the kitchen utensils of a woman we nicknamed “Leda”, a widowed fisherwoman with two children. Every day, we would discover a new piece of evidence and spend hours classifying, dissecting, and contextualizing it to discover all it could tell us about how Leda lived her life. I realized that all the physical discomforts were worth the thrill of bringing these tiny pieces of history back to life.

In those 4 weeks, I experienced a kind of wonder, and joy in learning, and intrinsically motivated intellectual curiosity, that I had never experienced before in my life. With law, I was primarily attracted to all the perceived prestige and privileges that accrued to the profession; with archeology, the subject matter itself drew me onwards to push past my prejudices and discomforts. Today, I hope to continue to pursue my passion for archeology by continuing my work under Professor Saltzman as an undergraduate at Harvard, and hopefully discover the secret lives of many more Ledas in the future. (643)

The personal statement is a more general essay with a broader scope, typically submitted as part of your primary application, whereas supplemental essays respond to specific prompts and are submitted with your secondary application directly to each school. You only need to write one personal statement (such as the Common App essay) which goes out to all your colleges, and it should therefore never include any college-specific details. On the other hand, each college asks for their own set of supplemental essays, and they may often ask you to expand upon your interest in the specific college, program, or major you are applying to. A personal statement is a single long-form essay of 650 words or more, whereas colleges can ask for multiple supplemental essays that can range in length from 35 to 650 words.

The most commonly used supplemental college essay prompts are:

The “why us” essay that asks you to discuss why you want go to a specific college
The extracurricular essay that asks you to discuss your activities, talents, or skills
The community essay that asks you to expand upon your identity, diversity, community engagement, and so on
The “why this major” essay that asks you to discuss your specific academic interests
The “create a class” essay that asks you to creatively design a major or come up with your own class
The “quirky” essay that can include creative, zany, out-of-the-box, informal prompts

Supplemental college essays can range in length from 35 words to 650 words. Every college has their own prompts and requirements, so you should check the admissions website of your colleges to learn more.

The “why this school” college essay is one of the most common supplemental college essay types. It’s very important to be college-specific in this essay, and to include details of your special interest in the concerned college supported by your knowledge of their unique offerings. You will have to do some research on the college so you can make your essay as specific and unique as possible.

Yes, supplemental essays are a critical part of your application. They help to personalize and flesh out your application, building on your achievements, transcripts, and scores, to show the admissions committee a well-rounded, unique individual. Crucially, supplemental essays are a chance for you to show how well your thinking and experiences align with the college’s missions and values and why you would be an excellent candidate for their program.

A word count of 250 words or less can pose a significant challenge for students. To write an effective short answer, you need to be concise and direct, addressing the question asked while building a logical flow from introduction to conclusion. There’s no space in such questions for fancy opening hooks and elaborate narratives – just stick to the relevant experiences and reflections and always connect back to the prompt itself.

It depends on the topic! It’s not a good idea to copy paste the essay content for college-specific prompts such as “why us” or “why this major”, where the expectation is that you will talk in detail about the unique features of that college which attract you. However, for more generic topics like “what inspires you” or “how did you serve your community”, you can certainly re-use topics and themes between essays. Just make sure you edit each essay to meet the specific word count and include college specific details wherever possible. Additionally, you should always read and understand the prompt thoroughly before drafting your essay. Respond to the spirit as well as the letter of the prompts in your opening and concluding sentences, even if you’ve re-used most of the main body content from another similar essay.

Supplemental college essays certainly afford you greater room to be creative and informal than your personal statement. However, the extent to which this style of writing would be appropriate depends on the prompts. The short answer, zany, creative prompts, are the perfect place to show a lighter side of your personality and introduce a little humor in your application. But an essay about significant obstacles you’re overcome, or your long-term academic goals, might not be an ideal place to get overtly casual and humorous.

You will receive your secondary application directly from the college after you submit your primary application. The deadline to complete secondary applications varies from college to college. Most colleges ask you to submit your completed supplemental application, including essays, within 2 weeks or a month of receiving the prompts. This isn’t a lot of time, especially considering most colleges will be sending out secondary applications in the same rough time period and you’ll have to work on multiple applications at once. However, you can prepare in advance for your supplemental essays by brainstorming ideas and writing rough drafts in response to previous years’ prompts.

Every college has their own unique secondary application requirements. You should check the admissions websites of your colleges to learn more about their specific requirements. Some colleges may ask for just a single 650-word essay, while others may provide 5 or 6 prompts of varying lengths. Generally speaking, most colleges don’t ask for more than 1 or 2 long supplemental essays (500+ words), along with 2 or 3 shorter essays.

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Can extracurricular activities contain sth like assisting family ,and socal activities that doesn't encounter certificate?

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello Phoebe! Thanks for your question. Yes, you can definitely consider these extracurriculars, depending on the activity you did. For example, if you assisted a family member after an illness or organized social activities like fund raisers.

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Cornell Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Cornell University is one of the most competitive schools in both New York and the nation. In recent years, the Cornell acceptance rate has only gotten lower . When considering how to get into Cornell , there’s no room to slack off on any part of your Cornell application. Simply meeting the Cornell University requirements will not be enough to gain admission. That’s where your Cornell supplemental essays come in.

In fact, these essays are a key part of your application. Your Cornell essays allow you to highlight who you are beyond your grades, test scores, and recommendations. This means that you should approach each of the Cornell essay prompts with thought, consideration, and attention to detail.

If you’re feeling stuck when approaching the Cornell University requirements—and particularly the Cornell supplemental essays—then you’re in luck. This guide to the Cornell supplemental essays includes expert guidance on how to approach each prompt. You’ll find a breakdown of how to approach each Cornell essay and tips for creating an application narrative that will stand out to admissions.

Cornell Essay Guide Quick Facts:

Cornell acceptance rate: 9% – U.S. News ranks Cornell as a most selective school.
1-2 school-specific essays (varies depending on school)
Cornell application note: The prompts and word counts for the Cornell supplemental essays vary depending on the college to which students apply. All students will complete the Cornell University requirements via the Common App .
#1 Cornell essay tip: We strongly recommend answering all Cornell supplemental essays—including the optional Cornell essay prompts—comprehensively and thoughtfully. Well-written Cornell supplemental essays give your readers a deeper look into your personality and passions, which can significantly increase your chances of admission.

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

How many supplemental essays does Cornell require?

You must complete one or two of the Cornell supplemental essays listed on the 2023-2024 Common App. The number of Cornell supplemental essays and the prompt you answer, however, depends on the school to which you apply.

Each of the Cornell essay prompts corresponds to one of eight undergraduate colleges/schools at Cornell. While there are eight Cornell supplemental essays to choose from—and we’ll cover them in this Cornell supplemental essays guide—you will only answer one or two Cornell essay prompts.

What are the Cornell supplemental essays?

The Cornell supplemental essays are accessible through your Common Application. Additionally, you can visit the main Cornell site for a full checklist of first-year application requirements (including the Cornell essay prompts).

In addition to your Common Application Personal Statement , you will select one of eight Cornell essay prompts to answer. Each of the Cornell essay prompts corresponds to the undergraduate college or school at Cornell to which you are applying (including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; College of Arts and Sciences; Cornell SC Johnson College of Business; Brooks School of Public Policy; College of Engineering; College of Human Ecology; or the School of Industrial and Labor Relations). So, choosing which Cornell majors interest you is a key first step as you approach the Cornell supplemental essays. We’ll dig into each prompt later in this article.

Although there are several Cornell essay prompts to choose from, you will only answer the prompt that corresponds to the undergraduate school at Cornell to which you apply. For example, those interested in engineering should only answer the prompt(s) for the College of Engineering . This means that every applicant will write only one to two Cornell writing supplements.

Remember that no matter which Cornell majors interest you, all applicants must also write the personal statement essay found on the Common App. Need some help writing your Common App essay? Get great tips from our latest Common App essay guide to build your college application with confidence.

Cornell Supplemental Essays – College Interest Essays

The Cornell supplemental essays may seem more intimidating than other college essays—Cornell is an Ivy League school, after all. However, you’ll notice many similarities. It may seem as though the Cornell essay prompts vary greatly based on the college to which you apply. However, that’s not necessarily the case.

The majority of the prompts for the Cornell supplemental essays pose the same questions. Why this major? And why at Cornell? So, essentially these Cornell supplemental essays are like a why major essay and a why school essay .

Cornell College Interest Essay Prompts

College of arts and sciences:, at the college of arts and sciences , curiosity will be your guide. discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. your response should convey how your interests align with the college, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in arts and sciences. , college of architecture, art, and planning:, how do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the college of architecture, art, and planning (aap) why architecture (b.arch), art (bfa), or urban and regional studies (urs), b. arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. bfa applicants may want to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at cornell into a coherent art practice. urs students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues., brooks school of public policy:, why are you drawn to studying public policy drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the brooks school will help you achieve your life goals., college of architecture and life sciences:, why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. how will an education from the college of agriculture and life sciences (cals) at cornell university specifically serve to support your learning, growth, and the pursuit of your goals, s.c. johnson college of business:, what kind of a business student are you using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the cornell sc johnson college of business (the charles h. dyson school of applied economics and management or the cornell peter and stephanie nolan school of hotel administration)., college of engineering:, how do your interests directly connect with cornell engineering if you have an intended major, what draws you to that department at cornell engineering if you are unsure what specific engineering field you would like to study, describe how your general interest in engineering most directly connects with cornell engineering. it may be helpful to concentrate on one or two things that you are most excited about., choose question a or b to respond to..

A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. Describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem.
B: Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?

College of Human Ecology:

How have your related experiences influenced your decision to apply to the college of human ecology how will your choice of major impact your goals and plans for the future your response should show us that your interests and aspirations align with che and your choice of major., school of industrial and labor relations:, using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. your response should show us that your interests align with the ilr school..

Note that some of the Cornell supplemental essays are optional. We’ll take a closer look at these optional prompts later in this guide.

Each of these prompts is slightly different. However, you’ll notice that the general essence of the questions stays the same. Your Cornell supplemental essays will vary greatly based on your unique experiences, academic interests , and future goals. There will be no one-size-fits-all way to complete the Cornell supplemental essays. Still, there are certain things that can help you craft the best Cornell University essay possible.

Keep in mind that the most important part of answering a why major essay and a why school essay is being specific. You cannot give generic responses in your Cornell supplemental essay.

Cornell Essay- Choosing a college

Before we break down each of the Cornell essay prompts, let’s take a look at all of the colleges to which you could apply at Cornell. Each one has its own set of Cornell majors available. However, don’t be intimidated if you aren’t certain of your major just yet. Applicants are by no means locked into these colleges should they reassess their academic and career goals if accepted to Cornell.

Academic Colleges at Cornell University:

Brooks School of Public Policy . Applicants who complete the Cornell supplemental essay for Brooks will have two undergraduate majors to choose from. Brooks students can study Policy Analysis and Management or Health Care Policy.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) . Students who choose to study at CALS during their time at Cornell have a wide range of undergraduate degrees to choose from. Some options include Marine Biology, Plant Breeding, Food Science, Horticulture, and many more.

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) . Students who study at Cornell AAP can choose to study Urban and Regional Planning, Fine Arts (BFA), Architecture, or Real Estate.

College of Arts and Sciences . This is likely the college to apply to if you are undecided on your major as it offers a liberal arts education. Students in this college can choose from many different majors such as Economics, English, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, or Linguistics.

SC Johnson College of Business . Students who hope to study business at Cornell will choose from two undergraduate programs: Applied Economics and Management or Hotel Administration.

College of Engineering . Applicants interested in the engineering program at Cornell will have to write two Cornell supplemental essays. Students accepted to the program will have 14 majors and 22 minors to choose from.

College of Human Ecology . Cornell’s College of Human Ecology offers three different majors: Human Centered Design, Psychology, and Nutritional Sciences.

School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) . There is only one major for undergraduates to study within ILR at Cornell. However, it’s an interdisciplinary program that studies urgent issues affecting society, organizations, the economy, and international affairs.

Before reading all about the college-specific Cornell supplemental essays, take a look at an example of a successful why school essay for some tips. Of course, your Cornell University essay will be quite different. However, it should share the same goal: convincing admissions that you belong on campus.

When writing a “why this college” essay, it is important to write passionately. If you’re waiting to take a tour of campus until after you’ve received your acceptance letter , then why not take one virtually ? Envisioning yourself on campus will help you find motivation and inspiration for the Cornell supplemental essays. So, no matter which of the Cornell supplemental essays you choose, admissions officers should be able to envision you enriching the college community.

Now, let’s dive into how to write the Cornell supplemental essays for each college.

Cornell Essay: College of Arts and Sciences

Students who are undecided on their major will likely write a Cornell supplemental essay to this college—unless, of course, a major within a different discipline has captured their interest. The College of Arts and Sciences focuses on an interdisciplinary education. This college is “curiosity-driven” and the perfect place for academic “exploration and discovery.”

Let’s look at the prompt.

At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences.

You’ll notice that this is a somewhat typical why school essay and essentially a why major essay as well. So, you’ll need to choose an area of academic interest in order to complete this Cornell University essay prompt. However, as the prompt states, you can mention multiple Cornell majors. You’ll have 650 words in which you can respond to this Cornell supplemental essay prompt.

You can choose various areas of study interest to write about. However, you want to make sure that they connect. You should also highlight how they’ll help you to achieve your future goals. For example, don’t just state that you’re interested in studying Economics and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality studies without giving any context. Maybe you’d like to explore the earning differences between different groups and find solutions to bridge those gaps. Whatever your current interests are, use this Cornell supplemental essay to logically link them to you and your future goals.

Keep in mind

When responding to the Cornell essay prompts, reference specific opportunities only offered at Cornell. Get specific when writing about your academic interests as well as the Cornell community. How will studying at Cornell impact your education and future career?

Additionally, your Cornell supplemental essays should highlight your passion for the subject matter. However, this specific Cornell essay prompt asks applicants to “discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey.” What makes you a curious learner? How have those interests played a part in your education up until now? And, essentially, how will your intellectual curiosity help you when studying in the College of Arts and Sciences?

Still struggling to identify some majors to write about? Check out our article on how to choose a major for some guidance.

How to Choose a Major

Cornell Supplemental Essays: College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning offers three distinct majors. If you’re applying to this college, you likely know yours—if not, you’ll need to choose one before responding to this Cornell essay prompt.

Here’s the AAP Cornell University essay prompt for hopeful applicants:

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues.

This Cornell supplemental essay prompt is essentially another why school essay and why major essay combined. However, successful Cornell supplemental essays will link applicants’ interests with their intended area of study.

What do we mean by that? Well, let’s say you plan on studying architecture . Rather than writing about your obsession with baking the perfect cupcake, instead, focus on your love of old buildings. Was there a moment, an experience, or a trip that made you begin to notice every little detail of the buildings you step into? Strong Cornell supplemental essays should take the reader into these moments.

Don’t shy away from using personal anecdotes. However, make sure that it connects back to the Cornell College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. After reading this Cornell supplemental essay, Cornell admissions should know just why you’ve chosen your intended major. Additionally, this Cornell essay prompt asks applicants to specify their interests even further within the school. That means Cornell supplemental essays to AAP should clearly state which area within that college is of interest to you. The anecdotes, interests, and experiences you describe in this Cornell University supplemental essay should relate to your intended area of study. As with every why school and why major essay, students should use specific examples of program offerings, faculty, or internships that they’d take advantage of.

Keep in mind that applying to an Ivy League school is always a reach. So, it’s important to have other options in mind. Check out some of the best architecture schools to round out your college list.

Cornell Essay: Brooks School of Public Policy

While our other two Cornell supplemental essays were nuanced versions of the why major essay and the why school essay, the Cornell essay for Brooks is pretty upfront in its intentions. Let’s look at the prompt.

Clearly a why school and why major essay, applicants to the Brooks School of Public Policy will use their Cornell supplemental essay to tell Cornell admissions why they want to study Public Policy and why at Brooks. So, you’re likely familiar with this kind of college essay. However, this doesn’t mean your Cornell University essay should read as a list.

Feel free to get creative with this Cornell supplemental essay. You can use an anecdote to make your why major essay uniquely yours. Remember that successful Cornell supplemental essays will be specific. Generic Cornell supplemental essays will do applicants no favors when it comes to impressing Cornell admissions. Think about your reasons for choosing this major, what offerings you will utilize that are only available at Brooks, and how this will all tie into your future goals. Address all of these points within your Cornell essay to Brooks.

Additionally, keep in mind that Brooks aims to educate students to make positive changes in the world. So, if you can tie that into your Cornell University essay, great! However, steer clear of writing a cheesy Cornell essay that centers around world peace. Of course, if you can reference an experience you had that has had some impact on this larger, important theme, then by all means mention that in your Cornell essay for Brooks.

Learn more about Cornell admissions from the undergraduate advising team for the Brooks School of Public Policy in this helpful video below:

Cornell Supplemental Essays: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Similar to the Brooks College of Public Policy , CALS asks all of its applicants to answer one prompt that reads as a typical why major and why school essay.

Here’s the required prompt for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell:

Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected? Please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. Specifically, how will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and Cornell University help you achieve your academic goals? How will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University specifically serve to support your learning, growth, and the pursuit of your goals?

You’ll want to answer this Cornell University essay prompt by exploring why you’ve chosen this major. Start brainstorming just what brought you to this field of interest. Once you have a list, touch on the most meaningful or impactful points in order to write your most passionate Cornell supplemental essay. Or, maybe you know the exact moment when you decided this major was for you. Great! That’s a great place to dive into for this Cornell essay. This prompt asks you to show how your interests and experiences have influenced your choice.

The second part of this essay asks why you want to study this major at Cornell. It also asks how studying there will help you to achieve your future goals. Strong Cornell essays will mention specific programs, internships , or professors at CALS. Do your research so that you can get the details right.

Keep in mind that while not specifically among the Cornell University requirements for this school, applicants should show passion for intellectual exploration “on the ground.” Basically, when studying at CALS, students will get a lot of hands-on experience. Your learning won’t be confined to a laboratory. Cornell supplemental essays for this college might focus on the applicant’s adventurer’s spirit. Highlight how you constantly explore and dissect the world around you in order to make it a better place.

Applicants to Cornell CALS can also answer two optional Cornell essay prompts. We encourage applicants to consider the first essay required. After all, strong and passionate Cornell supplemental essays will only enhance your Cornell application. However, you should only complete the second of these Cornell supplemental essays if it genuinely applies to you.

Let’s look at both of the optional Cornell supplemental essays.

Here’s the first optional prompt:

At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are not simply driven to master their discipline, but who are also passionate about doing so to serve the public good. Please elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you. We encourage you to think about community broadly – this could include family, school, or local and global communities. (300-word limit)

This essay may seem familiar from other college applications. Many universities want to know about applicants’ community involvement. This helps Cornell admissions officers understand how you would enrich campus life.

The prompt makes it clear that “community” can mean many things. So, try to think outside the box with this prompt. There are many ways to write this Cornell essay, so start by thinking about which communities matter in your life. Then, choose one that matters most to you. You’ll need to show how you impacted that community and how you’d bring that experience to CALS.

Now, let’s look at the second optional Cornell University essay prompt for CALS.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is dedicated to the exploration of the agricultural, life, environmental, and social sciences and welcomes students with interests that span a wide variety of disciplines. Given our agricultural history and commitment to educating the next generation of agriculturalists, please share if you have a background in agriculture or are interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, regardless of your intended major. (300-word limit)

Select all that apply:.

My family owns or operates a farm.
I have experience working in agriculture.
I have an interest in pursuing a career in agriculture.

Cornell admissions wants to know more about applicants with significant agricultural experience. Consider this Cornell supplemental essay prompt truly optional. You should only respond if you have significant experience in agriculture or a serious interest in pursuing a career in that field.

If you answer this Cornell supplemental essay prompt, use specific examples to illustrate your experience. Ideally, applicants should use personal anecdotes in order to show just how agriculture has influenced their lives so far. Applicants should also highlight why these experiences have made them want to pursue a career in agriculture.

For more information directly from Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences check out this YouTube video below:

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Applicants to the SC Johnson College of Business will need to specify which discipline they’d like to pursue: Applied Economics and Management or Hotel Administration. So, this Cornell essay prompt is another why major and why school essay.

Here’s the Cornell supplemental essay prompt for SC Johnson College of Business applicants:

Like the other Cornell supplemental essays, this prompt asks applicants to explore their experiences and show how they connect to their potential business major at Cornell. First and foremost, in order to respond to this Cornell essay, applicants must select a major. Make sure your essay justifies your choice. Strong Cornell essays will show how your past experiences and interests have led you to your chosen field.

Additionally, applicants should tie in their future goals when writing this Cornell University essay. How will attending SC Johnson College of Business help you achieve your goals? Why do you want to study business there? Again, be specific and reference programs only found within each of these business programs at Cornell.

Successful Cornell supplemental essays will also consider the values of Cornell’s business program. You won’t simply study business, but “business with impact”. Students at SC Johnson College of Business are educated to be leaders in business by creating sustainable and shared prosperity. So, tie in your personal values with the college’s in order to highlight why you’re a perfect fit for this program.

Remember that the Cornell acceptance rate is very selective, and it is among the top business schools in the nation. So, when writing your Cornell supplemental essay, start long before the application deadline to give yourself plenty of time to write an impressive essay.

Cornell Essay: College of Engineering

The College of Engineering prompt is a little different from the other Cornell supplements. Instead of one long essay, applicants to the College of Engineering will be required to answer the first prompt. They will then choose one of the two following provided Cornell essay prompts to complete. Your maximum word count for the two required Cornell supplemental essays is lower as well (250 words), so concision is key.

Like with the other Cornell supplemental essays, we will walk through each College of Engineering prompt. We’ll then put together a strategy for answering these Cornell essays effectively.

Let’s look at the first prompt, which is required for all applicants to the College of Engineering.

The first of the Cornell supplemental essays for the College of Engineering is similar to many we’ve seen: the why major essay and the why school essay. It’s a combination of the two. So, in order to successfully answer this Cornell essay prompt, you’ll need to think deeply about why you want to study Engineering at Cornell.

This Cornell supplemental essay prompt does two things. First, it asks you to talk about your academic interests. Then, it checks whether you’ve done your homework on Cornell Engineering. An effective response to this Cornell essay will explain both your interest in engineering and how Cornell specifically fits into your future as an engineer.

When answering a “why this college?” question like this Cornell essay prompt, specificity is key. Represent your future with Cornell in mutualistic terms. What do you hope to gain from attending Cornell Engineering? What will you, in turn, give back to the community, either in the short or long term?

Start with the basics

Let’s start with the basics. Why do you want to apply to Cornell Engineering? Speak honestly. You don’t need to stuff your response with tons of niche details or copy/paste from the Cornell mission statement . Instead, give honest reasons why Cornell fits with your aspirations. Then, highlight how studying at Cornell will help you grow as both an engineer and a person.

Do you have a makeshift robotics lab in your garage? Are you set on studying artificial intelligence within the Computer Science major at Cornell Engineering? Did you visit and fall in love with the community values you saw on campus? Or did you have an interaction with a professor whose research fascinated you? Tell the reader about it!

Emphasize your interest in engineering as well as specific reasons why Cornell is the right place for you to foster this interest. Make sure that you tie your engineering interests to your intended major.

If you’re unsure of your intended engineering major, that’s okay. However, make sure that your love for engineering comes through. You can use a personal anecdote to show just how passionate you are for the field, too. Don’t shy away from creativity if it feels right for you. Still, make sure to relate it all back to Cornell.

Now, on to the second Cornell supplemental essay for Engineering applicants. For this Cornell essay, students will need to choose between two prompts.

Choose either Question A or Question B. (250 word limit)

Question A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. Describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem.
Question B: Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?

When choosing a prompt, one question may stand out to you more than the other. Choose that one. If that doesn’t happen, then do a brainstorming session for potential topics for each prompt. Review your lists and see which topic most motivates you. That’s the prompt to write on.

Let’s start with Question A. This Cornell University essay prompt is hoping to see applicants’ critical thinking skills. They want to know that you can navigate your way through a problem. Start listing potential problems and how you would address and solve them. They don’t have to be the most complex thing. Any problem will do—just make sure that it’s engineering-related and you can legitimately solve it with your response.

Question B wants to see how your diverse background will impact the Cornell Engineering community. When talking about “backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities,” applicants have a lot of options. Focus on what most impacts who you are and how you navigate the world. First, you’ll want to address those topics and then demonstrate how they will positively influence the Cornell community. What will your unique experiences bring to the Cornell community? How will it impact your future in engineering both on and off campus?

Beyond academics

Top colleges like Cornell want to know that you will be an active participant in the campus community. Of course, your academics are a big part of your college experience. However, you will learn just as much from your interactions with other students on campus. In turn, other students will learn from you.

Question B asks you to explain what you will bring to campus—not only in terms of your own academic excellence, but also in how you will contribute to student life . Will you be an active member of the community? How will you work to ensure diversity and inclusion prevail at Cornell—be it through extracurricular leadership or through inclusive conversations over dinner? In short, what experiences and traits do you bring to the campus community? How will you use those experiences to build meaningful shared experiences with other Cornell students?

An effective Cornell writing supplement prompt will describe how you have fostered diversity and inclusion in your own communities. This Cornell essay will allow you to talk about how you wish to bring your own voice and experiences to Cornell’s campus.

Ultimately, a strong response to this Cornell essay will make it clear that you belong at one of the top engineering colleges in the nation.

Cornell Supplemental Essays: College of Human Ecology

Applicants to the College of Human Ecology at Cornell should have an interest in studying human health and well-being. Logically, the Cornell supplemental essay prompt asks applicants to expand on their interest in this particular field.

This is the Cornell supplemental essay prompt for the College of Ecology:

How have your related experiences influenced your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology (CHE)? How will your choice of major impact your goals and plans for the future? Your response should show us that your interests and aspirations align with CHE and your choice of major.

For this Cornell University essay, students will need to directly link their passion for the field to their interests or experiences. For example, if you’re interested in studying nutritional sciences, you might want to relate it to your experience as an athlete and a vegetarian. Whatever your chosen major is, you will need to back up your interest in it with direct experiences in this Cornell essay.

After you’ve shown why you want to study in this college, dive into your future goals. Do you want to work as a nutritionist for hopeful Olympic athletes? Or be the dietician for a professional sports team? Just make sure your objectives tie into the major you’ve selected. Since this is a why major essay and a nuanced why school essay, you’ll want to mention how studying at Cornell will specifically help you achieve your goals. The most impactful Cornell supplemental essays will specifically reference certain programs only offered at the Cornell College of Ecology.

Cornell Essay: School of Industrial and Labor Relations

The Cornell essay for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) follows a similar framework as the majority of the other Cornell supplemental essays. Let’s take a closer look at this Cornell essay prompt.

When applying to the Cornell ILR, there is only one major that students can choose: Industrial and Labor Relations. No surprises there, right? So, when you choose to apply to this school, you’ve already chosen your major as well.

Now, you need to show Cornell admissions why you’ve chosen this major. This Cornell essay prompt gives you plenty of ways to show your interest in this field. You can use personal, academic, work, and volunteer experiences. Start brainstorming a list of things you care about. Then, see how this list connects to your experiences. Or, maybe it’s easier to do it vice versa. Whatever works for you is fine.

Once you have your topic, you need to show how it connects to this specific program. Students studying ILR at Cornell have an interdisciplinary major. They’ll take courses in law, organizational psychology, economics, history, statistics, and management. So, you’ll explore plenty of topics in this college—and your essay should show your enthusiasm for them.

Let’s say you work on the school yearbook committee and notice that one group of students was in none of the photos. You gather your team members together to speak on the topic and decide to get some candid shots of the excluded group. This shows not only your leadership skills, but also that equality and inclusion are important to you. How would those skills and interests align with the ILR major? Show that in your Cornell University essay.

No matter which of the schools you apply to, keep in mind that the Cornell acceptance rate is one of the most competitive in the nation. That being said, your Cornell application will need to stand out among a large pool of qualified applicants. Writing an impactful, passionate, and authentic essay is a great way to make your Cornell application memorable.

So, when considering how to write the ILR essay, or any others, don’t simply aim to check off another of the Cornell University requirements. Really take your time and write something that not only comprehensively answers the prompt, but also shows some insight into who you are as a person.

How do you write a Cornell essay?

Next, let’s talk a bit more about how to approach the Cornell supplemental essays.

To begin, you want to have a thorough understanding of what the Cornell essay is asking. Define any key terms, and ask yourself, “Is this a single Cornell essay with multiple steps/answers?”

Once you’ve gotten a grasp on what the Cornell writing supplement is asking, then you’ll want to freewrite. In general, freewriting can help you if you’re struggling with how to begin an essay. It can also help you choose one topic from a long list of potential essay responses. For specific guidance, check out CollegeAdvisor’s guide to reflection exercises .

Now, armed with your freewrite, you’ll want to start drafting your Cornell essay. While you can work from your existing freewrite, you can also start fresh. In the early stages of drafting Cornell supplemental essays, don’t worry about the word count. While it’s important, you don’t want to stifle your creative flow. Leave the ruthless editing for later on in the process.

Once you’ve completed the draft and have edited as needed, take your draft to a few trusted sources. These individuals (teachers, counselors, etc.), should read over your essay with a fine-toothed comb. They should focus on grammatical accuracy as well as tone and style.

This guidance should help you begin the Cornell essay process. However, use the specific breakdowns above for each college for more insights. This will help you approach each of the Cornell supplemental essays with confidence.

To make sure you’re on the right track, keep in mind the following questions after writing your first draft for the Cornell supplemental essays.

Cornell Essay Reflection Questions:

Does your Cornell essay response reveal what makes you a good addition to campus? Does it highlight your best core values?
Do you explain your future aspirations in your chosen field?
Does your writing show a true passion for your field of study?
Do your Cornell essays make the reader want to learn more about you?

How important are the Cornell supplemental essays for admission?

In a word—very! Each Cornell essay plays an important role in the review process.

Schools like Cornell University receive top-notch applicants from around the world in record numbers every year. High test scores , excellent grades, and meaningful extracurricular achievements are common in the Cornell application pool. Combined with your Common App personal statement, the Cornell supplemental essays give you valuable space to discuss your passions, values, and character.

Cornell admissions looks for students who demonstrate “honesty, open-mindedness, initiative, and empathy,” both academically and in their daily lives. The Cornell essay prompts are designed to find this kind of student. Use your Cornell supplemental essays to make it clear to Cornell that you are passionate about learning, curious about the world, willing to challenge yourself to pursue your interests, and will be a valuable addition to Cornell. Above all, your Cornell supplemental essays should show what makes you special and why Cornell should admit you!

Finally, remember that the Cornell supplemental essays are a required part of your Cornell application. However, try not to see them as a chore. After all, a strong Cornell essay, combined with a competitive Cornell application, will make a huge difference in admissions.

Share your voice

Your Cornell essay is a window into your passions, values, and personality. The Cornell supplemental essay allows you to speak to your readers on your own terms. While this task may seem daunting, a well-executed Cornell essay can be incredibly helpful to your application.

You can read more about what Cornell admissions officers look for in prospective students (and what they look for in applicants’ responses to Cornell essay prompts) on the “What Cornell Looks For” page . This can help you write Cornell essays tailored to the Cornell admissions team.

Of course, Cornell is among the most elite universities in the nation. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your perfect college fit. Before you obsess over writing the perfect Cornell essay, l earn more about what it’s like to apply to and attend such a competitive university from a Cornell alumni per s pective . These insights can also help you write specific and targeted supplemental essays.

Cornell Supplemental Essays: Final Thoughts

Completing the Cornell supplemental essays can seem daunting, but don’t let them discourage you from applying. Instead, view these Cornell essays as an opportunity to introduce yourself to admissions. The Cornell writing supplements should help them see why you’d be a great addition to their school. Additionally, each Cornell essay gives you the chance to learn more about the school to which you’re applying. As you write, you should seriously think about what excites you about potentially studying there.

Check out these successful college essay examples for inspiration. While they won’t be exactly like the Cornell supplemental essay prompts, they will show you how college essays can vary greatly from one another. The most important thing of any Cornell essay is showing admissions who you are while fully answering the prompt.

Use your essays to your advantage

Maybe you’re applying with a lower than average GPA or SAT score , or maybe you have a couple of blemishes on your transcript. A well-written set of Cornell supplemental essays can work in your favor and make it obvious that you would be a great addition to campus. So, if you’re dreaming about the day you enroll at Cornell, use this guide to help you approach each Cornell application essay with a solid strategy.

The Cornell supplemental essays are a great way to impress admissions, but make sure the rest of your Cornell application impresses as well. Don’t forget to read our How to Get Into Cornell guide for an overview of application strategy. Good luck!

This Cornell supplemental essay guide was written by Sarah Kaminski . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, cornell engineering supplemental essays examples.

Hey everyone! I'm applying to the engineering program at Cornell and I'm struggling with writing my supplemental essays. Does anyone have any examples or advice on what made their essays successful? It would be really helpful! Thanks!

Hello! While it's not best practice to share or copy other people's essays, I can definitely give you some tips and guidance on how to make your engineering supplemental essay for Cornell stand out!

1. Answer the prompt: Make sure you thoroughly address the essay question, which typically asks about your interest in the engineering field and program at Cornell specifically. Be genuine in your response and try to connect your passion for engineering with your personal and academic experiences.

2. Showcase your unique background: Admissions officers want to learn more about you and what makes you unique. Talk about your experiences and achievements in the engineering field, but also consider discussing how your upbringing, culture, or other aspects of your identity may contribute to your perspective as an engineer.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of Cornell's program: Research specific aspects of Cornell's engineering program, such as unique courses, clubs, research opportunities, or faculty members with whom you'd like to work. Incorporate these details into your essay to show your genuine interest in attending Cornell and how you plan to make the most of the resources available.

4. Focus on your problem-solving skills: Engineering is all about solving complex problems. If you have a past experience where you tackled a challenging issue and succeeded, consider incorporating this story into your essay to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and how they have shaped your interest in engineering.

5. Connect engineering to your long-term goals: Explain how studying engineering at Cornell will help you achieve your career and personal goals. This can include your plans for making a positive impact in the world or how your engineering interests and ambitions might contribute to a specific industry or community.

6. Be mindful of your tone and structure: Use clear and concise language throughout your essay, and be sure to organize your ideas in a logical manner. Strive for a mix of reflection and analysis while showcasing your personality and passion for engineering.

To learn more, click this blog post: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-cornell-university-essays/

By focusing on these elements, you'll be able to craft a strong supplemental essay that demonstrates your genuine interest in Cornell's engineering program and highlights your unique qualities and experiences. Good luck with your application!

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How to Approach the Yale Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

Padya Paramita

July 19, 2021

As you embark on the road to writing your Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 , it’s important to think about why you’ve chosen to apply, beyond the obvious fact that Yale is consistently one of the highest-ranked schools in the country. Is it the chance to combine your two favorite subjects through the “ Mathematics & Philosophy ” major that resonates with you, or is it the once-in-a-lifetime shot at studying reefs and rainforests for a semester in Australia that you can’t stop thinking about? Whatever it is about the home of the Bulldogs that calls your name, there’s no better way to let admissions officers know than through your supplemental essays.

Yale highly values knowing what motivates your academic pursuits, and the supplemental essays provide the opportunity to show the school that you're curious, ambitious, and intellectually driven. To frame your aspirations in a way that highlights you as an impressive applicant, you need to take advantage of the Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022. To guide you through them, I’ve outlined each of the prompts, how best to approach them, and additional tips to make sure that you write outstanding essays that separate you from the particularly tough Yale applicant pool.

Short Answer Questions

Applicants submitting the coalition application, common application, or questbridge application will respond to the following short answer questions: .

Students at Yale have plenty of time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Please indicate up to three from the list provided.

This question is your chance to show your focus directly. So, emphasize areas of choice that make sense alongside other parts of your application. The three majors you choose should definitely be connected. Within your major, try to be as specific as possible. Don’t just automatically say “biology.” Look through options that match your aspirations and consider options such as “Biology (Ecology & Evolutionary),” “History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health,” and “Biomedical Engineering.” Don’t choose a topic just because you think it sounds impressive. Admissions officers aren’t looking for any specific answers beyond what legitimately reflects your interests and goals.

Why do these areas appeal to you? (100 words or fewer)

Now we get to why these areas appeal to you. Again, there are no specific boxes that your reasons need to check. 100 words is a very restricted limit, so don’t run around in circles. If you picked three areas in your first answer, you’ll have around 33 words to explain each choice of major.

Don’t talk in general terms such as “studying Environmental Engineering can help scientists understand the world’s issues better.” The question asks why the areas appeal to you . If you’ve picked three areas that seem random at first, such as English, Economics, and Gender Studies, explain why the overlap is more than what meets the eye and how they all connect in helping you get where you want. You could use a short anecdote to drive your point home. Focus on what an ideal undergraduate academic experience looks like for you, and how Yale’s programs are suited for you.

What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

Now we get to the classic “Why Yale” question in the Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 . When reading your responses, Yale wants to know two things : “Who is likely to make the most of Yale’s resources?” and “Who will contribute most significantly to the Yale community?” The key to answering this question is to keep it simple and specific while making sure your knowledge of the school comes through. You want to be presented as a one-of-a-kind candidate. Since the word limit is tight, you must pinpoint one or two things that makes Yale special – not in general, but in connection to your interests.

Are you excited by the chance to explore your love for film and media through courses such as FILM 233: Children and Schools in Global Cinema and FILM 320: Close Analysis of Film, while becoming an active member of the Yale Film Society? Or are you more drawn by the chance to enrich your advocacy for global health care through the Health & Community: Globalization, Culture, and Care comparative study abroad program across five different countries?

Keep your scope narrowed to features that can only be found at Yale so the reader knows you’ve done your research and are applying for the school itself, and not just the Ivy League name.

Check out all supplemental essay prompts here!

Applicants submitting the coalition application or common application will also respond to the following short answer questions, in 35 words or fewer:.

What inspires you?
Yale’s residential colleges regularly host conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What question would you ask?
You are teaching a Yale course. What is it called?
Most first-year Yale students live in suites of four to six students. What do you hope to add to your suitemates’ experience? What do you hope they will add to yours?

Based on your answers to these four very short questions, admissions officers hope to gauge how you think and who you are. There’s no need to spend hours coming up with the “perfect” response because it’s all about painting an authentic picture of your personality. For any of these responses, you should avoid the most basic or common answers such as inviting Bill Gates or Barack Obama to be the guest speaker or wishing to teach a course called “19th Century Literature.” Your goal is to stand out and 19th Century Literature courses already exist in every university. They won’t make you memorable!

“What inspires you?” is an extremely broad question. With 35 words in your hand, you cannot get too elaborate. Don’t mention random disconnected things that are all over the place. It is easiest to stick to one answer here – for example, a piece of media such as a song or movie, or a goal such as achieving success in the future.

For the second prompt, you should spend more time thinking about your question rather than about the guest’s identity. This is a good chance to show admissions officers where your interests lie, what you’re curious about and whether you have the ability to ask a good question.

In answering the third question, think about something more niche within your area of interest. You aren’t locked within traditional boundaries of academics – you could teach a social media course or poster-making class!

For the fourth question, remember that Yale wants students who are both strong and personable . The reader wants to know whether you’re a candidate who is a friendly and considerate human being. Plus, nobody wants a selfish suitemate. Admissions officers want to know how you would engage with others and what you would share with your community.

Applicants submitting the Coalition Application or Common Application will respond to the prompt below in 250 words or fewer:

Yale’s extensive course offerings and vibrant conversations beyond the classroom encourage students to follow their developing intellectual interests wherever they lead. Tell us about your engagement with a topic or idea that excites you. Why are you drawn to it?

Note that this question from the longer Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 has asked for a topic that’s “intellectually exciting” as opposed to academically interesting. So you can extend beyond subjects that you’d study at school and talk about pretty much any idea that causes you to sit up and engage in lively discussions.

What topics do you enjoy thinking about in school or in your extracurriculars? It could be related to sports, theatre, a mathematical equation. A good way to narrow down your options might be to ask yourself, “What can I give a five-minute presentation on right now?”

In answering the why part of the question, think about how the topic is relevant to you. Do you have a personal connection with the concept? Is there a historical or cultural relevance in the subject that’s beyond what meets the eye? Show the reader your perspective on why everyone should pay attention.

Respond to ONE of the following prompts.

Reflect on your engagement with a community to which you belong. How has this engagement affected you?

When answering this prompt in the Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 , think about a group or place that has impacted you – it could be your ethnic or religious community or it could be a club at school, or an organization outside of school that matters to you. Think about the role you’ve played in the community, how it has shaped your perspective, and how you’d be different without it.

The heart of this prompt lies in clarifying the role you have played in this community. Were there situations where you had to lead the community? Have there been any changes that you’ve successfully implemented? Since the prompt doesn’t specify whether your engagement with the community should be positive or negative, you can take a nuanced route and talk about both – factors that you love about the community, and issues that you didn’t like and worked to change.

Reflect on something that has given you great satisfaction. Why has it been important to you?

If you write about a local or global topic broadly, with no obvious relation to you, admissions officers will see through you. The more specific and unique your selection, the more the essay will stand out to admissions officers.

Finally, you should tie your answer back to Yale in answering the second half of the question. Is there a course where you hope to learn more on the topic? Is there a student organization where you can meet like-minded peers to partake in ongoing discussions around the subject? Choose this prompt if there's something you can talk about for a while, that doesn't overlap with your personal statement.

Engineering Essay

Applicants submitting the Coalition Application or Common Application who select one of Yale’s engineering majors will also respond to the prompt below in 300 words or fewer:

Please tell us more about what has led you to an interest in this field of study, what experiences (if any) you have had in engineering, and what it is about Yale’s engineering program that appeals to you.

This question has three parts, so start by understanding exactly what it is looking for:

What has led to your interest in studying engineering
What engineering experiences have motivated you
Why have you chosen Yale specifically to pursue this major

This leaves you only about 100 words to dedicate to each sub-topic. Ideally, the three parts would have a connection between one another. For example, if you wish to concentrate in Mechanical Engineering based on a childhood interest taking toy cars apart and your experiences have revolved around participation in mechanics competitions or interning at local labs, talk about how Yale can help you fuel your skills and enthusiasm around the subject. Don’t say you’re interested in Biomedical Engineering and then talk about how you wish to study Computer Engineering at Yale with no connection back to the biomedical aspect. That won’t make any sense.

The core of the essay lies in knowing why Yale is the place for you to hone your engineering skills. There are many other undergraduate engineering programs in the country – don’t just write an essay that could apply to Duke’s or Princeton’s engineering school as well. Do your research on Yale and let the reader know you’ve done so. Are you excited to engage with the wider New Haven community through programs such as Yale Funbotics and introduce robotics to underrepresented youth? Are you keen on Yale because of courses such as MENG 472, which would allow you to conduct your own independent project under the mentorship of the Mechanical Engineering faculty?

Don’t go off-base and talk about the wider importance of engineering in the world or what is great about Yale in general. The engineering portion of the Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 should demonstrate your capabilities as a prospective engineer and demonstrate the fact that you’ve actually done your homework when it comes to understanding the exceptional undergraduate offerings at Yale School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Additional Tips for Writing the Yale Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

As you brainstorm and jot down ideas to compose your Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 , keep the following tips in mind:

Be succinct but confident – None of the Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 have a significantly high word limit. The word limit for the longer essay questions is only 250 words. So in a matter of 100-200 words, you have to confidently answer questions by convincingly telling a story, providing a clear picture of yourself, and outlining your goals in relation to the programs at Yale. Don’t beat around the bush. Get straight to the point and go through multiple drafts while actively reflecting on how Yale is the right school for you.
Don’t misrepresent yourself – For questions that ask about your academic interests or ideas that you find exciting, it might be tempting to try and guess what Yale wants to hear. Definitely avoid that, as it’s neither fair to you nor your reader. Yes, there comes a lot of pressure with applying to a school as selective as Yale, but if you try too hard, you’re going to put a lot of effort into an application that is dishonest. You want the admissions officers to evaluate you based on your real interests.
Make sure to be specific – For a few prompts in the Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 , such as the role of the “Why Yale?” question, you might be misguided to list things straight from the Yale website to prove that you have done your research. Except, the website exists for everybody and if admissions officers wanted to read it, they’d pull it up on their web browser. Don’t just copy and paste cool features – tell the school something about yourself that they don’t know in connection to how you’d benefit from Yale’s resources. The goal of these essays is to see how you’d fit within the campus environment. Why do you think Yale is the best place for you ?

The best way to stand out from your peers in the Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 is to emphasize qualities and experiences that are unique to you. If admissions officers come away from reading your responses knowing you’re making a well-informed decision, they’re more likely to go to bat for you. Ultimately, make sure your responses have highlighted the perspective you’ll bring and why Yale’s resources can help you achieve your goals. Best of luck!

Tags : applying to yale , how to get into yale , yale university , yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 , yale essays

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Supplemental Essay Prompts

Freshman admissions.

The Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) program seeks inquisitive, self-motivated students with a passion for finding and solving big problems.

The following essay question is designed to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. It gives you the opportunity to provide unique information about yourself, your interests, and your reasons for applying to the program. In addition to content, essays are evaluated for writing and critical thinking ability, skill in organizing and presenting thoughts, and the relevance of your answer to the question posed. Your response is limited to 350 words.

Required Essay: (350 words maximum)

Your supplemental essays must be submitted by 11:59 pm PST on December 15, 2023 .

Describe how the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology Program in Engineering and Business at UC Berkeley will help you to achieve your goals. Share with us the world you come from (for example, your family, school, community, city, or town). What unique experiences from your world motivated you to apply to our program?

Video Essay Invitation

Some applicants may receive a request to record a video essay. Video essay requests are by invitation only and will be requested starting in November. Videos must be submitted by 11:59 pm PST on January 12, 2024 . Check your email for an invitation and if requested, be sure to submit your video essay by the deadline.

The questions are:

How have you contributed to and bolstered the communities you are a part of? (Communities can = school, extracurriculars, family, etc.)
How will your admittance into the program catapult your educational journey or complement your career plans?
What has been your biggest failure and how did you respond?

Continuing Student Admissions

The following essay questions were created to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. They’re framed within the context of The Haas School of Business’s four Defining Leadership Principles and the College of Engineering’s mission and vision, and give you the opportunity to provide unique information about yourself and your interests. These essays are the principal means we have of gaining insight about you and your reasons for applying to the Berkeley M.E.T. Program. In addition to content, essays are evaluated for critical thinking and writing ability, skill in organizing and presenting thoughts, and the relevance of your answers to the questions posed.

All applicants are required to answer question A and to choose either topic B or C. The Admission Committee does not have a preference for either question B or C. They’re given equal weight in the review process. Essay D is optional.

Required Essay A: (500 words maximum) Describe your post-undergraduate goals. Why is the Berkeley M.E.T. Program essential in helping you achieve these goals?

Tip: We understand that both Haas and the College of Engineering (COE) have world-renowned reputations and faculty, strong alumni networks, and that majors have priority access to business and COE courses. Aside from these factors, why do you feel that studying both COE and Business is a necessary step in pursuit of your immediate post-undergraduate goals? You’re not required to include a detailed post-undergraduate plan, but you should address how the program will help you achieve your goals broadly.

Choose either Essay B or C: (500 words maximum)

Essay B: Describe a time when something important to you did not work out as planned. How did you respond, and what did you learn from the situation?

Tip : If you applied to M.E.T. as a freshman, this is an opportunity for you to share with us what has been enhanced since then.

Essay C: If admitted to Berkeley M.E.T., how would you help develop a sense of belonging for classmates from diverse communities? What challenges do you anticipate, and how will you respond to them?

Optional Essay D: (250 words maximum) Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application?

Tip: Use this essay to explain academic issues, grade disputes or personal/family/medical circumstances you want the admission committee to be aware of. Currently, there are unique circumstances impacting applicants to Berkeley M.E.T. You may also use this essay to discuss how you’ve been impacted by matters such as the pandemic, social unrest, and/or natural disasters.

University of Southern California (USC) 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Dec 1

You Have:

University of Southern California 2023-24 Application Essay Questions Explained

The Requirements: 2 or 3 essays (depending on major selection) of up to 250 words; 2 short-answer lists.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Oddball , Short Answer , Community

Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (250 word limit)

This is USC’s take on the classic Why essay. In asking how you plan to pursue your interests, admissions is really trying to suss out your core reasons for choosing USC. While college will offer you a wealth of social and professional opportunities, its primary function is academic — and your primary role is as a student. So, what kind of student do you hope to be? Where do you hope your studies will take you? What resources and opportunities does USC offer that will meet your needs and guide you towards your goals?

To answer these questions, set aside an hour or two to pore over the USC website (there’s no hack, you’ve just got to put in the time). Beyond the basic departmental listings, look up information about news and research coming out of your department, the kinds of courses available, the opportunities that other undergrads have had studying in your area of choice. Even if you have a wide array of interests, consider explaining how two to three departments might complement each other or foster your interest in a larger idea or theme. Your ultimate goal is to show that your interest in USC (just like your intellectual curiosity) runs deep!

Describe yourself in three words (25 characters).

Your answers do not need to be so outlandish that admissions needs a thesaurus to look them up, but they should avoid the generalities that so often populate these questions: loyal, kind, smart… you get the idea. We’re sure you are all of these things — and they are lovely qualities to showcase in the stories you tell elsewhere in your other written responses — but these sorts of terms can ring hollow. Think about how different people in your life would describe you. Though this assignment is short, you may need to spend some time wordsmithing different combinations. When the prescribed format is a list, order matters just as much as content, so use every element of the assignment to your advantage!

The following prompts have a 100 character limit:

What is your favorite snack, best movie of all time:, if your life had a theme song, what would it be, dream trip:, what tv show will you binge watch next, which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate, favorite book:, if you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be.

Behold! USC’s attempt at being quirky! You’ve been limited to less than the length of a tweet for each answer, so you’d better make every word (and character) count! These prompts don’t have time for generalities or gentle introductions, so you’ll have to cut straight to the point. The more specific your words are, the more memorable your answers will be. Favorite snack? Don’t just say, “popcorn and Junior Mints.” How about, “A box of junior mints melting over hot popcorn as I watch a horror movie” (72 characters). If you can paint a funny picture or display a knack for wit, take this chance, but don’t force it. You also don’t exactly have to think of this as filling in the blanks, but more as filling in any blanks in your application. Anything that doesn’t feel like it merits a full essay can go here as a tweet, hot take, punchline, or elegantly-worded sentence.

USC Dornsife Applicants: Please provide an essay of no more than 250 words on the topic below. In your response, we encourage you to write about something that you haven’t already discussed elsewhere in your application.

For more information, please click here ., many of us have at least one issue or passion that we care deeply about – a topic on which we would love to share our opinions and insights in hopes of sparking intense interest and continued conversation. if you had ten minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your talk be about (250 words).

We at CEA love this question because it’s a unique way of asking applicants: what do you care about and why? What’s important to you? What information do you wish other scholarly minds had access to? Start by making a list. Maybe you’d like to use your ten minutes to speak about media literacy and how we can and should consider what we see online through the lens of the powers that dictate how and when we receive information. Perhaps you’d want to spread the word about the dangers of climate change and the irreversible impact it will have on the planet if we don’t take action swiftly. What keeps you up at night? What kind of positive effect do you want to have on the world? These are the questions you should be asking yourself when brainstorming for this prompt. Bonus points if you can speak to how a USC Dornsife education will prepare you to address this issue head-on in the future!

USC Viterbi Applicants:

The student body at the usc viterbi school of engineering is a diverse group of unique engineers and computer scientists who work together to engineer a better world for all humanity. describe how your contributions to the usc viterbi student body may be distinct from others. please feel free to touch on any part of your background, traits, skills, experiences, challenges, and/or personality in helping us better understand you. (250 words).

USC Viterbi School of Engineering wants to accept students who will contribute to diversity on campus. When considering an aspect of your identity or background to expand upon, we recommend choosing one that has had the biggest impact on the way you experience and interact with the world. Ideally, the unique aspect you select should come with a couple anecdotes. Maybe you want to write about your experience as a person living with a disability and how this has shaped your interest in engineering, design, and accessibility. Perhaps you embody #BlackGirlMagic and will bring a fresh perspective to a field in which women of color are underrepresented. Regardless of the part of your identity you choose to address, be specific about how it impacts your worldview and how it will add a distinct perspective to USC Viterbi.

The Engineering Grand Challenges (for USC Viterbi Applicants):

The national academy of engineering (nae) and their 14 grand challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. learn more about the nae grand challenges at http://engineeringchallenges.org and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why. (250 words).

Strong responses to this prompt will showcase self-reflection, care for the greater good, and ambition. Review the fourteen Grand Challenges and see which you connect with the most. Maybe you’re passionate about providing access to clean water, since you know firsthand what it’s like to not have that access in your hometown in Michigan. Perhaps you hope to engineer better medicines in honor of a loved one you lost to illness prematurely. Maybe you’ve always been fascinated with outer space and would jump at the opportunity to engineer new tools of scientific discovery. Make sure to relate your own life experiences and/or interests to the challenges the world is facing and emphasize how you’d like to be part of the solution.

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Office of Admissions

Physical Address: University of Idaho Bruce M. Pitman Center 709 Deakin Street Rm 117 Moscow, ID 83844

Mailing Address: University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 4264 Moscow, ID 83844-4264

Phone: 208-885-6326

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First-Year students are those applying directly from high school or those applying with fewer than 14 semester credits of transferable college work earned after high school graduation.

Review First-Year Admission Requirements

Regionally accredited high school students.

First-year students who graduate from a regionally accredited high school must meet all admission requirements in effect for the year they graduated.

These students include:

Those enrolling directly from high school.
Those enrolling directly from high school who have completed college-level work while in high school.

Please note: Applicants with fewer than 14 transferable semester credits completed after high school graduation must also meet transfer GPA requirements.

Early admission may be granted based on a sixth or seventh semester high school transcript if it appears that the student will meet admission requirements.

You must submit:

An application for admission .
$50 application fee (nonrefundable). No application fee required for Idaho residents.
ACT or SAT test scores. You may request copies of your ACT or SAT scores. If your ACT or SAT scores are on your school transcript, you do not need to have them sent separately. New first-year students entering in 2024 who do not provide test scores will automatically be considered for admission if their cumulative unweighted GPA is 2.60-4.00. Those who have cumulative GPAs of 2.30 - 2.59 will be admitted through the Vandal Gateway Program . Students in this GPA range are also welcome to appeal through our Admissions Committee . Every student who has a test score is encouraged to provide it for admission as well as class placement.
Official high school transcript showing graduation date. If you have not yet graduated from high school, a transcript showing all completed work may be accepted for early admission.
Official transcripts from any colleges or universities attended.

Academic requirements:

Core requirements
Combination of cumulative GPA and test scores
Applicants with fewer than 14 transferable semester credits earned after high school graduation must also meet the admission requirements for new transfers .

If you do not meet the published criteria for admission at the time of review, you may apply to the Admissions Committee for consideration.

GED Students

First-Year students who have completed their GED instead of graduating from an accredited high school and have earned fewer than 14 transferable semester credits since obtaining their GED will have their application for admission referred to the Admissions Committee for a decision.

ACT or SAT test scores. Please note: If you have an ACT composite of 26 or higher or an SAT Evidence Based Reading + Math score of 1260 or higher, you are not required to submit the letters of recommendation or the written statement referenced below.
Official high school transcript showing the work completed. (Note: high school transcripts are required from any high school attended even though the student did not graduate.)
A copy of the GED test results.
Three signed letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to the student's academic ability.
A written statement from the student which includes the student's goals, educational and/or professional objectives, an explanation of past academic performance, information and/or documentation regarding any extenuating circumstances and any other information the student wishes to have considered.

Please note: Applicants with fewer than 14 transferable semester credits completed since obtaining their GED must also meet the admission requirements for new transfers.

Home-Schooled Students

First-year students who have been home-schooled either partially or completely for grades nine through 12 and have earned fewer than 14 transferable semester credits since graduating from home-school will have their application for admission referred to the Admissions Committee for a decision. You must submit:

ACT or SAT test scores. Please note: If you have an ACT composite of 26 or higher or an SAT Evidence Based Reading + Math score of 1260 or higher, you are not required to submit the letters of recommendation or the written statement referenced below.
Home-school transcript or a description of your educational background including subjects studied.
Official transcripts from any secondary school attended prior to or in addition to home schooling.
A copy of the GED test results if obtained.
A written statement from the student that includes the student's goals, educational and/or professional objectives, an explanation of past academic performance, information and/or documentation regarding any extenuating circumstances and anything else the committee might find useful when reviewing your file.

Please note: Applicants with fewer than 14 transferable semester credits completed since graduating from home-school must also meet the admission requirements for new transfers .

Non-Accredited High School Students

First-year students who graduate from non-accredited high schools (high schools without accreditation from a regional accrediting agency such as the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges) and have earned fewer than 14 transferable semester credits since graduating from high school will have their application for admission referred to the Admissions Committee for a decision. You must submit:

ACT or SAT test scores. Please note: If you have an ACT composite of 26 or higher or an SAT Evidence Based Reading + Math score of 1260 or higher, you are not required to submit the letters of recommendation or the written statement referenced below.
A copy of the GED test results if obtained.

Students with Fewer than 14 Transferable Credits

First-year students who have earned fewer than 14 transferable semester credits since high school graduation must meet both first-year and transfer admission requirements.

ACT or SAT test scores. You may request copies of your ACT or SAT scores. If your ACT or SAT scores are on your school transcript, you do not need to have them sent separately. Students entering in 2024 who do not provide test scores will be considered for admission if their cumulative unweighted GPA is 2.60-4.00. Every student who has a test score is encouraged to provide it for admission as well as class placement.
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Start your journey ad the University of Idaho. As the best value public university in the West (U.S. News and World Report), we provide a quality, affordable education. You'll help solve the world's problems as you innovate and create alongside faculty in nontraditional classrooms. You'll tell your story in a welcoming community as you build connections through 200+ student organizations. You'll embrace a world of adventure in beautiful, historic Moscow. Whether you're hiking, rafting or discussing big questions, there's always something new to explore. At the University of Idaho, you'll discover the world - because the world needs you.

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How to Write the Williams College Essays 2020-2021

Found in rustic, western Massachusetts, Williams College is a small liberal arts college known for its stellar undergraduate education. With a tight knit community of 2,000 students, Williams boasts a 7:1 student to faculty ratio and offers 36 different majors. Williams was founded in 1793, and through its 227 year history, it has accrued deep traditions, such as a school-wide Mountain Day, in which students hike up nearby Mount Greylock.

Williams College has consistently been ranked by US News as the number one liberal arts college in America. The college is also highly selective, and for the class of 2023, only 13% of applicants were accepted (most recent official stats). Williams alumni are also diverse, ranging from President James Garfield to composer Stephen Sondheim to photographer Walker Evans.

A key aspect of the Williams application lies in the strength of your supplemental essay, which gives the admissions committee a more personal look at your profile, and we’ve broken down each essay prompt below! Want to know your chances at Williams? Calculate your chances for free right now.

Want to learn what Williams College will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering Williams College needs to know.

How to Write the Williams College Supplemental Essays

This is an opportunity for you to present another writing sample. It’s entirely optional, and you can either respond to one of the prompts below in an essay of no more than 300 words, or you can upload an academic paper (preferably in the humanities or social sciences) completed in the last academic year.

Option 1: The first-year Entry—a thoughtfully constructed residential microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience—brings together students from around the world with different perspectives, interests and backgrounds. Imagine having a late-night conversation with your Entrymates about a community that you value. Describe that community and why it’s important to you.

Option 2: All-Campus Entertainment (ACE), a student organization, hosts a weekly event called “Stressbusters”—an opportunity for students to focus on self-care by stepping away from their typical routine and enjoying some unscheduled time—and snacks!—with friends. Weekly Stressbuster activities might include a concert, playing with a therapy dog, painting pumpkins, building with Legos, etc. What’s your version of a “stressbuster,” and how does it help you rejuvenate in the midst of a hectic week?

Option 3: At Williams, we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 pre-determined tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. What topic would you be most excited to study in that setting and why?

Option 4: I would like to upload my own essay (from a humanities or social science course and ideally 3-5 pages in length).

The first-year Entry—a thoughtfully constructed residential microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience—brings together students from around the world with different perspectives, interests and backgrounds. Imagine having a late-night conversation with your Entrymates about a community that you value. Describe that community and why it’s important to you. (300 words)

In this essay, you want to first brainstorm the communities that have been valuable to you growing up, any community that has been formative for you as a person. This can be a cultural or ethnic community, a family, a sports team, a musical ensemble, a neighborhood, an online community, or a workplace. The key simply is to bring this community alive in your essay, illustrate how much it means to you, and show how you’ve given back to it.

You want to show the admissions committee passion and commitment to groups and organizations that you’re invested in, just as you would in a freshman residential community. Then, you could look toward the future, toward your time at Williams, and talk about wanting to meet people outside of your own bubbles, and have intimate conversations with people from all over the world.

Williams College consistently admits students from the vast majority of states in America, as well as from over 30 countries worldwide, so their commitment to diversity is deep. As a result, you want to think about what perspective you would uniquely bring to the Williams Entry, what kinds of conversations you could contribute to foster a diverse community. There’s enough space to also think critically about the communities you’ve been a part of, and think through the different problems that you had to undergo while being a part of them.

Here are a few different examples for you to think about:

Maybe you have been committed to your Indian Bhangra team for the past four years. You could talk about the technical aspects of your work, such as choreographing dances, organizing practices, and putting on performances. However, you could also dive into the most difficult parts of your commitment, such as the time a dance wasn’t coming together leading up to the concert, or dealing with a sudden drop out in your group, or having communication issues within the team. Through these experiences, you could talk about drawing closer to your team, as well as feeling closer to your own Indian heritage through dance and performance.
Maybe you’ve been shaped by your environmental surroundings, being from Idaho. You could talk about how you never grew up in a city or a large community, but spent most of your time with your family and friends hiking mountains and going camping. You could talk about how as an Idahoan, you have come to value land conservation, indigenous rights, and an overall respect for the places you inhabit. You could illustrate for the reader the beautiful scenery that surrounded you growing up, the thrill of looking out from a mountaintop, and the difficulties of living outdoors.
Maybe you’re not American, and grew up in Brazil. You could talk about your own local customs and culture, how it differs from the stereotypes of Americans you have grown up hearing. Maybe your interest is primarily in politics, and so you envision having long conversations that compare the Brazilian government to the American government, and how race relations operate in both countries.

All-Campus Entertainment (ACE), a student organization, hosts a weekly event called “Stressbusters”—an opportunity for students to focus on self-care by stepping away from their typical routine and enjoying some unscheduled time — and snacks! — with friends. Weekly Stressbuster activities might include a concert, playing with a therapy dog, painting pumpkins, building with Legos, etc. What’s your version of a “stressbuster,” and how does it help you rejuvenate in the midst of a hectic week? (300 words)

There’s many different ways in which you can approach this essay, and it’s certainly a bit more left field than prompts one and three, but if done right, this essay can shine an equal amount of light on your character, personality, and passions. However, this essay is a bit tricky, because you want to answer the prompt and talk about the ways in which you relieve stress, but you also want to show the admissions committee a deeper picture of yourself as a person. Therefore, you should try to avoid a simplistic response, like “I binge Netflix,” without a bit more depth into your own struggles and passions as a person.

You can be as open as you want to be, talking about stress relief side by side with your daily stresses, flipping back and forth between the difficulties and the pleasures of your daily life. Ideally, your stressbuster could also be a hobby or activity you love to do, but just don’t have enough time to pursue. Or maybe your stressbuster is an extracurricular activity, and you’ve been struggling over the difficulty in enjoying it, while being pushed to excel in it. It’s critical that you drive the essay towards not what you do, but who you are.

Here are a few examples for you to think about:

Maybe your stress reliever is playing the cello, but you have a particularly complicated relationship with that because playing the cello also brings you stress. You want to both excel in the instrument, winning competitions and helping your school orchestra, but also want to keep it as a hobby that brings you joy. You can talk about the times it’s been a relief, maybe when you play a certain song you love, but also dive into the times when it’s caused stress and pain in your life.
Maybe your destresser is watching food channels on YouTube, which not only makes you more hungry, but has also instilled within you a curiosity about the different food cultures across the world. Maybe there’s a few particular YouTubers you follow closely, which has inspired you to create your own YouTube channel, and spread joy through cooking videos of your own. Making the videos turned out to be hard work, but you found joy through seeing other people respond positively to your content.
Maybe your hobby is building model airplanes, which you’ve been doing with your father since you were a child. You could talk about how despite everything else changing in your life, school getting much more difficult, and witnessing different familial troubles, you’ve never stopped working on model airplanes with your dad, and it’s been a soothing and reliable activity for you.

At Williams, we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 pre-determined tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. What topic would you be most excited to study in that setting and why? (300 words)

First, you want to brainstorm the kinds of academic fields you’re interested in, and it’ll be even better if you have past experiences studying the topic. Then, you want to choose a specific sub-topic in the particular field you chose: if you want to study English, you could choose a particular author, or literary movement, or genre of writing. If you want to study chemistry, you could choose anything from thermal dynamics to quantum mechanics to inorganic chemistry.

The key here is to be able to both talk about a specific topic, as well as shed light into your own character, passions, and desires for your future education. You want to show the readers what you’d bring to the table in an academic discussion, and how you would engage with difficult academic questions.

You should also do some digging into all the different tutorials Williams offers , just to get a sense of the kinds of classes taught at Williams. The topics truly span the entire range of academic disciplines, with titles ranging from “Fictions of African American History” to “Analytic Number Theory” to “Advanced Planetary Geology.”

Next, you want to think about why you’re excited to study the subject, and here, past anecdotes are great. If you want to do a computer science tutorial, you could talk about your own experience learning how to code and working on your side projects, but then go into how Williams takes it up to the next level, with their “Machine Learning” tutorial. You could talk about how you’re excited to work with similarly passionate people, and not only get better at the technical aspect of coding, but also dive into the ethical and societal questions suitable in a tutorial-esque setting.

Maybe you want to study history, and the topic you’d be most excited to study is the Vietnamese War, because of your own history of being the child of Vietnamese refugees. You want to get to know more about your own history and culture, as well as be able to understand your parents’ own socio-political contexts better.

While imagining your ideal tutorial, it wouldn’t hurt to brainstorm what the class itself would look like. What kinds of materials and mediums would you be engaging with in class? What primary sources excite you? What kinds of problems would you want to solve each week? Even if you don’t include all of this in the essay, it’ll help bring the tutorial to life in your head.

I would like to upload my own essay (from a humanities or social science course and ideally 3-5 pages in length).

If you feel like a high school essay captures better the essence of who you are, rather than the aforementioned prompt options, you should go for this option. Or, you could pursue this option if you’re completely crunched for time. However, we would recommend that you pursue one of the first three options, because they are all excellent avenues for you to illustrate your personality and character, but also show to Williams that you’re committed to writing about their school.

Ideally, if you do end up choosing this option, the essay should be grammatically tidy and free of any syntactical errors. A well argued analytic essay should do the job, but it would be even better if you had a personal essay you could use, because the main point of the supplemental essays is for the admissions committee to get to know you on a personal level.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Read Our Research On:

The State of the American Middle Class

Who is in it and key trends from 1970 to 2023

Table of contents.

Acknowledgments

This report examines key changes in the economic status of the American middle class from 1970 to 2023 and its demographic attributes in 2022. The historical analysis is based on U.S. Census Bureau data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplements (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS). The demographic analysis is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS). The data is sourced from IPUMS CPS and IPUMS USA , respectively.

The CPS, a survey of about 60,000 households, is the U.S. government’s official source for monthly estimates of unemployment . The CPS ASEC, conducted in March each year, is the official source of U.S. government estimates of income and poverty . Our analysis of CPS data starts with the 1971 CPS ASEC, which records the incomes of households in 1970. It is also the first year for which data on race and ethnicity is available. The latest available CPS ASEC file is for 2023, which reports on household incomes in 2022.

The public-use version of the ACS is a 1% sample of the U.S. population, or more than 3 million people. This allows for a detailed study of the demographic characteristics of the middle class, including its status in U.S. metropolitan areas. But ACS data is available only from 2005 onward and is less suitable for long-term historical analyses. The latest available ACS data is for 2022.

Middle-income households are defined as those with an income that is two-thirds to double that of the U.S. median household income, after incomes have been adjusted for household size. Lower-income households have incomes less than two-thirds of the median, and upper-income households have incomes that are more than double the median. When using American Community Survey (ACS) data, incomes are also adjusted for cost of living in the areas in which households are located.

Estimates of household income are scaled to reflect a household size of three and expressed in 2023 dollars. In the Current Population Survey (CPS), household income refers to the calendar year prior to the survey year. Thus, the income data in the report refers to the 1970-2022 period, and the share of Americans in each income tier from the CPS refers to the 1971-2023 period.

The demographic attributes of Americans living in lower-, middle- or upper-income tiers are derived from ACS data. Except as noted, estimates pertain to the U.S. household population, excluding people living in group quarters.

The terms middle class and middle income are used interchangeably in this report.

White, Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander include people who identified with a single major racial group and who are not Hispanic. Multiracial includes people who identified with more than one major racial group and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.

U.S. born refers to individuals who are U.S. citizens at birth, including people born in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories, as well as those born elsewhere to at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen. The terms foreign born and immigrant are used interchangeably in this report. They refer to people who are not U.S. citizens at birth.

Occupations describe the broad kinds of work people do on their job. For example, health care occupations include doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others who are directly engaged in the provision of health care. Industries describe the broad type of products companies produce. Each industry encompasses a variety of occupations. For example, the health care and social assistance industry provides services that are produced by a combination of doctors, managers, technology and administrative staff, food preparation workers, and workers in other occupations.

The share of Americans who are in the middle class is smaller than it used to be. In 1971, 61% of Americans lived in middle-class households. By 2023, the share had fallen to 51%, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data.

A bar chart showing that Share of Americans in the middle class has fallen since 1971

As a result, Americans are more apart than before financially. From 1971 to 2023, the share of Americans who live in lower-income households increased from 27% to 30%, and the share in upper-income households increased from 11% to 19%.

Notably, the increase in the share who are upper income was greater than the increase in the share who are lower income. In that sense, these changes are also a sign of economic progress overall.

But the middle class has fallen behind on two key counts. The growth in income for the middle class since 1970 has not kept pace with the growth in income for the upper-income tier. And the share of total U.S. household income held by the middle class has plunged.

Moreover, many groups still lag in their presence in the middle- and upper-income tiers. For instance, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Black and Hispanic Americans, and people who are not married are more likely than average to be in the lower-income tier. Several metro areas in the U.S. Southwest also have high shares of residents who are in the lower-income tier, after adjusting for differences in cost of living across areas.

Change in income
Share of total U.S. household income
Race and ethnicity
Marital status
Veteran status
Place of birth
Employment status
Metropolitan area of residence

Our report focuses on the current state of the American middle class. First, we examine changes in the financial well-being of the middle class and other income tiers since 1970. This is based on data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplements (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS), conducted from 1971 to 2023.

Then, we report on the attributes of people who were more or less likely to be middle class in 2022. Our focus is on their race and ethnicity , age , gender, marital and veteran status , place of birth , ancestry , education , occupation , industry , and metropolitan area of residence . These estimates are derived from American Community Survey (ACS) data and differ slightly from the CPS-based estimates. In part, that is because incomes can be adjusted for the local area cost of living only with the ACS data. (Refer to the methodology for details on these two data sources.)

This analysis and an accompanying report on the Asian American middle class are part of a series on the status of America’s racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. middle class and other income tiers. Forthcoming analyses will focus on White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial Americans, including subgroups within these populations. These reports are, in part, updates of previous work by the Center . But they offer much greater detail on the demographic attributes of the American middle class.

Following are some key facts about the state of the American middle class:

In our analysis, “middle-income” Americans are those living in households with an annual income that is two-thirds to double the national median household income. The income it takes to be middle income varies by household size, with smaller households requiring less to support the same lifestyle as larger households. It also varies by the local cost of living, with households in a more expensive area, such as Honolulu, needing a higher income than those in a less expensive area, such as Wichita, Kansas.

We don’t always know the area in which a household is located. In our two data sources – the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) and the American Community Survey (ACS) – only the latter provides that information, specifically the metropolitan area of a household. Thus, we aren’t able to adjust for the local cost of living when using the CPS to track changes in the status of the middle class over time. But we do adjust for the metropolitan area cost of living when using the ACS to determine the demographic attributes of the middle class in 2022.

In the 2023 CPS ASEC data , which reports income for 2022, middle-income households with three people have incomes ranging from about $61,000 to $183,000 annually. “Lower-income” households have incomes less than $61,000, and “upper-income” households have incomes greater than $183,000.

In the 2022 ACS data , middle-income households with three people have incomes ranging from about $62,000 to $187,000 annually, with incomes also adjusted for the local area cost of living. (Incomes are expressed in 2023 dollars.)

The boundaries of the income tiers also vary across years as the national median income changes.

The terms “middle income” and “middle class” are used interchangeably in this report for the sake of exposition. But being middle class can refer to more than just income , be it education level, type of profession, economic security, home ownership or social and political values. Class also could simply be a matter of self-identification .

Households in all income tiers had much higher incomes in 2022 than in 1970, after adjusting for inflation. But the gains for middle- and lower-income households were less than the gains for upper-income households .

A bar chart showing that Incomes of upper-income U.S. households increased the most of any income tier from 1970 to 2022

The median income of middle-class households increased from about $66,400 in 1970 to $106,100 in 2022, or 60%. Over this period, the median income of upper-income households increased 78%, from about $144,100 to $256,900. (Incomes are scaled to a three-person household and expressed in 2023 dollars.)

The median income of lower-income households grew more slowly than that of other households, increasing from about $22,800 in 1970 to $35,300 in 2022, or 55%.

Consequently, there is now a larger gap between the incomes of upper-income households and other households. In 2022, the median income of upper-income households was 7.3 times that of lower-income households, up from 6.3 in 1970. It was 2.4 times the median income of middle-income households in 2022, up from 2.2 in 1970.

The share of total U.S. household income held by the middle class has fallen almost without fail in each decade since 1970 . In that year, middle-income households accounted for 62% of the aggregate income of all U.S. households, about the same as the share of people who lived in middle-class households.

A line chart showing that Share of total U.S. household income held by the middle class has plunged since 1970

By 2022, the middle-class share in overall household income had fallen to 43%, less than the share of the population in middle-class households (51%). Not only do a smaller share of people live in the middle class today, the incomes of middle-class households have also not risen as quickly as the incomes of upper-income households.

Over the same period, the share of total U.S. household income held by upper-income households increased from 29% in 1970 to 48% in 2022. In part, this is because of the increase in the share of people who are in the upper-income tier.

The share of overall income held by lower-income households edged down from 10% in 1970 to 8% in 2022. This happened even though the share of people living in lower-income households increased over this period.

The share of people in the U.S. middle class varied from 46% to 55% across racial and ethnic groups in 2022. Black and Hispanic Americans, Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders, and American Indians or Alaska Natives were more likely than others to be in lower-income households .

A bar chart showing Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native people are more likely than others to live in lower-income U.S. households

In 2022, 39% to 47% of Americans in these four groups lived in lower-income households. In contrast, only 24% of White and Asian Americans and 31% of multiracial Americans were in the lower-income tier.

At the other end of the economic spectrum, 27% of Asian and 21% of White Americans lived in upper-income households in 2022, compared with about 10% or less of Black and Hispanic Americans, Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders, and American Indians or Alaska Natives.

Not surprisingly, lower-income status is correlated with the likelihood of living in poverty. According to the Census Bureau , the poverty rate among Black (17.1%) and Hispanic (16.9%) Americans and American Indians or Alaska Natives (25%) was greater than the rate among White and Asian Americans (8.6% for each). (The Census Bureau did not report the poverty rate for Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders.)

A bar chart showing Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. children lived in lower-income households in 2022, about half in the middle class

Children and adults 65 and older were more likely to live in lower-income households in 2022. Adults in the peak of their working years – ages 30 to 64 – were more likely to be upper income. In 2022, 38% of children (including teens) and 35% of adults 65 and older were lower income, compared with 26% of adults ages 30 to 44 and 23% of adults 45 to 64.

The share of people living in upper-income households ranged from 13% among children and young adults (up to age 29) to 24% among those 45 to 64. In each age group, about half or a little more were middle class in 2022.

Men were slightly more likely than women to live in middle-income households in 2022 , 53% vs. 51%. Their share in upper-income households (18%) was also somewhat greater than the share of women (16%) in upper-income households.

A bar chart showing that Men, veterans and married Americans were more likely than their counterparts to live in middle- or upper-income households in 2022

Marriage appears to boost the economic status of Americans. Among those who were married in 2022, eight-in-ten lived either in middle-income households (56%) or upper-income households (24%). In contrast, only about six-in-ten of those who were separated, divorced, widowed or never married were either middle class or upper income, while 37% lived in lower-income households.

Veterans were more likely than nonveterans to be middle income in 2022, 57% vs. 53%. Conversely, a higher share of nonveterans (29%) than veterans (24%) lived in lower-income households.

A bar chart showing that Immigrants were more likely than the U.S. born to be lower income in 2022; people born in Asia, Europe or Oceania were most likely to be upper income

Immigrants – about 14% of the U.S. population in 2022 – were less likely than the U.S. born to be in the middle class and more likely to live in lower-income households. In 2022, more than a third of immigrants (36%) lived in lower-income households, compared with 29% of the U.S. born. Immigrants also trailed the U.S. born in the shares who were in the middle class, 48% vs. 53%.

There are large gaps in the economic status of American residents by their region of birth. Among people born in Asia, Europe or Oceania, 25% lived in upper-income households in 2022. People from these regions represented 7% of the U.S. population.

By comparison, only 14% of people born in Africa or South America and 6% of those born in Central America and the Caribbean were in the upper-income tier in 2022. Together they accounted for 8% of the U.S. population.

The likelihood of being in the middle class or the upper-income tier varies considerably with the ancestry of Americans. In 2022, Americans reporting South Asian ancestry were about as likely to be upper income (38%) as they were to be middle income (42%). Only 20% of Americans of South Asian origin lived in lower-income households. South Asians accounted for about 2% of the U.S. population of known origin groups in 2022.

A bar chart showing that Americans of South Asian origin are the most likely to be upper income; Hispanic origins are the least likely

At least with respect to the share who were lower income, this was about matched by those with Soviet, Eastern European, other Asian or Western European origins. These groups represented the majority (54%) of the population of Americans whose ancestry was known in 2022.

On the other hand, only 7% of Americans with Central and South American or other Hispanic ancestry were in the upper-income tier, and 44% were lower income. The economic statuses of Americans with Caribbean, sub-Saharan African or North American ancestry were not very different from this.

Education matters for moving into the middle class and beyond, and so do jobs. Among Americans ages 25 and older in 2022, 52% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education lived in middle-class households and another 35% lived in upper-income households.

A bar chart showing that The share of Americans in the middle- or upper-income tier rises sharply with education and employment

In sharp contrast, 42% of Americans who did not graduate from high school were in the middle class, and only 5% were in the upper-income tier. Further, only 12% of college graduates were lower income, compared with 54% of those who did not complete high school.

Not surprisingly, having a job is strongly linked to movement from the lower-income tier to the middle- and upper-income tiers. Among employed American workers ages 16 and older, 58% were in the middle-income tier in 2022 and 23% were in the upper-income tier. Only 19% of employed workers were lower income, compared with 49% of unemployed Americans.

A bar chart showing that More than a third of U.S. workers in technology, management, and business and finance occupations were in the upper-income tier in 2022

In some occupations, about nine-in-ten U.S. workers are either in the middle class or in the upper-income tier, but in some other occupations almost four-in-ten workers are lower income. More than a third (36% to 39%) of workers in computer, science and engineering, management, and business and finance occupations lived in upper-income households in 2022. About half or more were in the middle class.

But many workers – about one-third or more – in construction, transportation, food preparation and serving, and personal care and other services were in the lower-income tier in 2022.

About six-in-ten workers or more in education; protective and building maintenance services; office and administrative support; the armed forces; and maintenance, repair and production were in the middle class.

A bar chart showing that About a third of U.S. workers in the information, financial and professional services sectors were in the upper-income tier in 2022

Depending on the industrial sector, anywhere from half to two-thirds of U.S. workers were in the middle class, and the share who are upper income or lower income varied greatly.

About a third of workers in the finance, insurance and real estate, information, and professional services sectors were in the upper-income tier in 2022. Nearly nine-in-ten workers (87%) in public administration – largely filling legislative functions and providing federal, state or local government services – were either in the middle class or the upper-income tier.

But nearly four-in-ten workers (38%) in accommodation and food services were lower income in 2022, along with three-in-ten workers in the retail trade and other services sectors.

The share of Americans who are in the middle class or in the upper- or lower-income tier differs across U.S. metropolitan areas. But a pattern emerges when it comes to which metro areas have the highest shares of people living in lower-, middle- or upper-income households. (We first adjust household incomes for differences in the cost of living across areas.)

A bar chart showing that The 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest shares of residents in the middle class in 2022

The 10 metropolitan areas with the greatest shares of middle-income residents are small to midsize in population and are located mostly in the northern half of the U.S. About six-in-ten residents in these metro areas were in the middle class.

Several of these areas are in the so-called Rust Belt , namely, Wausau and Oshkosh-Neenah, both in Wisconsin; Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Michigan; and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Two others – Dover and Olympia-Tumwater – include state capitals (Delaware and Washington, respectively).

In four of these areas – Bismarck, North Dakota, Ogden-Clearfield, Utah, Lancaster and Wausau – the share of residents in the upper-income tier ranged from 18% to 20%, about on par with the share nationally.

A bar chart showing that The 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest shares of residents in the upper-income tier in 2022

The 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest shares of residents in the upper-income tier are mostly large, coastal communities. Topping the list is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, a technology-driven economy, in which 40% of the population lived in upper-income households in 2022. Other tech-focused areas on this list include San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue; and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut, is a financial hub. Several areas, including Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, are home to major universities, leading research facilities and the government sector.

Notably, many of these metro areas also have sizable lower-income populations. For instance, about a quarter of the populations in Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk; Trenton, New Jersey; Boston-Cambridge-Newton; and Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California, were in the lower-income tier in 2022.

A bar chart showing that The 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest shares of residents in the lower-income tier in 2022

Most of the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest shares of residents in the lower-income tier are in the Southwest, either on the southern border of Texas or in California’s Central Valley. The shares of people living in lower-income residents were largely similar across these areas, ranging from about 45% to 50%.

About 40% to 50% of residents in these metro areas were in the middle class, and only about one-in-ten or fewer lived in upper-income households.

Compared with the nation overall, the lower-income metro areas in Texas and California have disproportionately large Hispanic populations. The two metro areas in Louisiana – Monroe and Shreveport-Bossier City – have disproportionately large Black populations.

Note: For details on how this analysis was conducted, refer to the methodology .

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Income, Wealth & Poverty
Middle Class

The State of the Asian American Middle Class

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Methodology

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Requirements Proverbs web page, 1996 onwards An Engineer Looks at ... Democracy article, 2007 An Engineer Looks at ... Rumour article, 2007 The Ant & The Grasshopper Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 2005 Old English Requirements Met Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 2004 Requirements, Myths, & Magic Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 2002 The Glamour of Formalisation Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 2002 The Orthodox Barber, or What Tools Shouldn't Be Used For Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 2001 Engineering the Requirements ... for my Loft Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 1999

Requirements Discovery

Making It All Fit Together (a Metamodel for Requirements Discovery) Article for RQNG, October 2010 Model-Based Requirements Discovery Invited Talk, RuSEC, Moscow, September 2010 (.pdf) Моделеориентированное_выявление_требований Invited Talk, RuSEC, Moscow, September 2010 (.pdf, in Russian) Piecing Together the Requirements Jigsaw Invited Keynote Talk, REFSQ, Essen, July 2010 (.pdf) Perfect Requirement Discovery: Way Bigger Than It Seems IET RM Blog, February 2009 Discovering Requirements Book, February 2009 Discovery Article for RQ, September 2007

Requirements Management

Not Exactly a Requirements Blog Occasional Informal Articles inspired by events Learning to Drive, the Rumsfeld Way 'RE-flections' Article for RQ, September 2007 What are Requirements Made of? Leading Article for Requirements Networking Group (RQNG), July 2007 Books for a Desert Island Column for Automated Software Engineering Journal, 2007 One Counter-Example is Enough Column for Requirements Quarterly, December 2005 Bleach and Soap Column for Requirements Quarterly, June 2005 Ta kontroll �ver kraven (Take control of your requirements, in Swedish) article for Dagens Industri , a Swedish magazine, November 2002 What is RE Anyway? Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 2001 Requirements are EITHER Needs OR Specifications Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 2001 Visualising Requirements in UML article for Telelogic NewsByte, 2001 Is There Such a Thing as a User Requirement? article in Requirenautics Quarterly, 1999; republished in Requirements Engineering (1999) 4:221-223 A Historical Perspective on Requirements paper in Requirenautics Quarterly, 1997

Building What Stakeholders Desire Point Counter Point, IEEE Software, March/April 2007, pages 62-65 Surrogacy Article for Requirenautics Quarterly, Summer 2004 Stakeholders without Tears: Understanding Project Sociology by Modeling Stakeholders column, co-authored, in IEEE Software, Vol.21, No.1, Jan/Feb 2004, 23-27 Stakeholders - Who is Your System For? article for Computing & Control Engineering, April 2003

Modelling Argumentation, Toulmin-style article for Telelogic Innovate, 2003

Scenarios, Stories, Use Cases edited & co-authored book, Wiley 2004 Scenarios, an Introduction from 'Scenarios, Stories, Use Cases', Wiley 2004 Short Version condensed from 10,000 down to 750 words Requirements and Testing: Two Sides of the Same Coin (Use Cases, Test Cases) A Version of this Article appeared in Telelogic Innovate, September 2002

Extreme Programming - Rapid Requirements article in Requirenautics Quarterly, 1999 The Limits of eXtreme Programming Contribution to the first IEEE Computer Society DynaBook (2000) Measurable Requirements paper at Dev-Test, London, 1999 Against Fashion in Engineering Column for Requirenautics Quarterly, 1998 Evolution of a Maintainable Quality System putting a process model to work, 1997

Model-Based Requirements Discovery Invited Talk, Russian Systems Engineering Conference (RuSEC), Moscow, September 2010 (.pdf) Моделеориентированное_выявление_требований Invited Talk, RuSEC, Moscow, September 2010 (.pdf, in Russian) Modelling Argumentation, Toulmin-style article for Telelogic Innovate, 2003 Systems Engineering: -ilities for Victory article for Requirenautics Quarterly, March 2005 Systems Engineering introductory essay, 2001 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) article for Telelogic NewsByte, April 2001

The Perfect RM Tool - Harder than it Looks IET RM Blog, February 2009 Getting Started with DOORS DXL article for Telelogic NewsByte, April 2001 Why I Use DOORS & DXL for System Modelling article, April 2002 Graphics with DOORS DXL article for Telelogic NewsByte, April 2001 Links with DOORS DXL article for Telelogic NewsByte, 2001 Regular Expressions with DOORS DXL article for Telelogic Innovate, 2002 The DOORS Success Story report for Impact Project, 2004

COMMENTS

Cornell First-Year Writing Supplement Prompts
Instructions: All applicants are required to write two supplemental essays. Each has a limit of 250 words. Essay 1 is required of all applicants. For Essay 2, you must choose between Question A and Question B. ... Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different ...
How to Write the Cornell Supplemental Essay
How to write each supplemental essay prompt for Cornell. All Undergraduate Applicants essay. College of Arts & Sciences essay. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Prompt #1: "Why us + Why major" essay. Prompt #2: Optional "Community contribution" essay. Prompt #3: Optional "Agriculture background" essay.
Cornell Supplemental Essays 2023-24
College of Engineering - Cornell Supplemental Essays . Instructions: All applicants are required to write two supplemental essays. Each has a limit of 250 words. Essay 1 is required of all applicants. For Essay 2, you must choose between Question A and Question B. Essay 1 Required for all engineering applicants
Cornell Engineering Undergraduate Admissions Requirements
We want you to express your interest in engineering and Cornell Engineering specifically. All engineering applicants are required to write two supplemental essays. Essay 1 is required of all applicants. For Essay 2, you must choose between Question A and Question B. Essay 1 — Required response (250 word limit)
How to Write the Cornell University Essays 2023-2024
How to Write the Cornell University Essays 2023-2024. The largest of the eight Ivy League universities, Cornell University is made up of eight undergraduate schools that applicants apply directly to. Because of this, you will be required to submit a school-specific supplemental essay (or essays) in addition to one campus-wide essay.
2023-24 Cornell University Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
How to Write the Cornell Supplemental Essays 2023-24. In addition to the personal statement in the Common Application, you are also required to respond to the Cornell University essay question and the essay prompt (s) for the undergraduate school or college to which you are applying. It's important to note that many of Cornell's ...
3 Top Tips for a Stand-Out Cornell Essay
College of Engineering: All applicants are required to write two supplemental essays. Each has a limit of 250 words. Essay 1 is required of all applicants. For Essay 2, you must choose between Question A and Question B. Essay 1 (Required response): How do your interests directly connect with Cornell Engineering? If you have an intended major ...
How to Write the Princeton Supplemental Essay
Princeton Supplemental Essay Prompt #7 For Applicants Pursuing a B.S.E. Degree: Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in, or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests.
3 Great Cornell Essay Examples
3 Great Cornell Essay Examples. Cornell is one of the top schools in the nation, and a member of the esteemed Ivy League. With an extremely low general acceptance rate, admissions is highly-selective, though keep in mind that acceptance rates vary by schools within the university. Cornell requires a single supplement for all applicants, but the ...
2023-24 Cornell University Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
Cornell University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations. *Please note: the information below relates to last year's essay prompts. As soon as the 2024-25 prompts beomce available, we will be updating this guide -- stay tuned! The Requirements: 1 school-specific essay of 650 words or 2 essays of 250 words each.
Your Definitive Guide to Supplemental College Application Essays
Updated: Apr 13, 2024. Supplemental college application essays come in a vast range of topics and sizes and are often the biggest challenge for students after getting through the grueling initial application stages. These essays are crucial in the admissions process, as they provide a more personal and detailed context of your candidacy.
Cornell Supplemental Essays & Cornell Essay
Now, on to the second Cornell supplemental essay for Engineering applicants. For this Cornell essay, students will need to choose between two prompts. Choose either Question A or Question B. (250 word limit) Question A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a ...
How to Write the UPenn Supplemental Essays 2023-2024
UPenn Supplemental Essay Prompts ... The second thing your essay needs to communicate is what your personal and career aspirations are, relative to engineering. In an essay this short, this doesn't need to be more than a sentence or two, but including a forward-thinking mindset will show the admissions committee your dedication to the subject
Cornell Engineering Supplemental Essays Examples
5. Connect engineering to your long-term goals: Explain how studying engineering at Cornell will help you achieve your career and personal goals. This can include your plans for making a positive impact in the world or how your engineering interests and ambitions might contribute to a specific industry or community.
Supplemental Application Essays
The essays are an opportunity to tell us about yourself in your unique voice. There are no right or wrong answers but we do have some advice: Remember, Caltech is an unapologetic STEM institution. Literally, there is no way to write about too much STEM in your supplemental questions. So lean all the way in on the STEMiest of STEMmy topics (yep ...
How to Approach the Yale Supplemental Essays 2021-2022
The engineering portion of the Yale supplemental essays 2021-2022 should demonstrate your capabilities as a prospective engineer and demonstrate the fact that you've actually done your homework when it comes to understanding the exceptional undergraduate offerings at Yale School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
How to Write the University of Southern California Supplemental Essays
Mistake #5: Describing traditions the school is well-known for. Mistake #6: Thinking of this as only a "Why Them" essay. Here's a great sample essay for this prompt: Example: At two opposite ends of the spectrum, I'm both the analytical thinker and creative pursuer. Science stimulates my thoughts. Music heals my soul.
Supplemental Essay Prompts
Your supplemental essays must be submitted by 11:59 pm PST on December 15, 2023. Describe how the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology Program in Engineering and Business at UC Berkeley will help you to achieve your goals. Share with us the world you come from (for example, your family, school, community, city, or town).
2023-24 University of Southern California Supplemental Essay Guide
University of Southern California 2023-24 Application Essay Questions Explained. *Please note: the information below relates to last year's essay prompts. As soon as the 2024-25 prompts beomce available, we will be updating this guide -- stay tuned! The Requirements: 2 or 3 essays (depending on major selection) of up to 250 words; 2 short ...
First-Year Admission Requirements
Review First-Year Admission Requirements. Regionally Accredited High School Students. GED Students. Home-Schooled Students. Non-Accredited High School Students. Students with Fewer than 14 Transferable Credits. Discover the admission requirements for first-year applicants at University of Idaho. Your path to academic excellence starts here.
Apply to University of Idaho
Apply for first-year Apply for transfer. Explore. University of Idaho. Start your journey ad the University of Idaho. As the best value public university in the West (U.S. News and World Report), we provide a quality, affordable education. You'll help solve the world's problems as you innovate and create alongside faculty in nontraditional ...
Congratulations to our 2024 PSTC Graduates!
Dissertation Title: Essays on Labor Market Institutions Placement: Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Oslo, followed by Assistant Professor at Monash University Fu Jin (Economics) Dissertation Title: Essays in Crime, Policing and Political Economy Placement: Cornerstone Research in Washington, D.C. Geetika Nagpal (Economics)
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Key Facts, Data and Trends Since 1970
The median income of middle-class households increased from about $66,400 in 1970 to $106,100 in 2022, or 60%. Over this period, the median income of upper-income households increased 78%, from about $144,100 to $256,900. (Incomes are scaled to a three-person household and expressed in 2023 dollars.)
Ian F Alexander: Papers on Requirements Engineering
Column for Automated Software Engineering Journal, 2007. One Counter-Example is Enough. Column for Requirements Quarterly, December 2005. Bleach and Soap. Column for Requirements Quarterly, June 2005. Ta kontroll över kraven (Take control of your requirements, in Swedish) article for Dagens Industri, a Swedish magazine, November 2002.