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Howard University Secondary Application Questions and Tips

• Cracking Med School Admissions

Howard University College of Medicine prides itself in recruiting diverse medical students, including individuals international students. As a top-tier historically black university in Washington, DC, Howard University College of Medicine is an incredibly competitive school for prospective students to gain admission. Your previous experiences and future desires to served underserved communities needs to be elucidated in your Howard University secondary application questions. Read our Howard secondary application tips below. 

Howard does not change its secondaries too often, except for adding a question last year. We strongly encourage students to pre-write the Howard University secondary application questions and turn them in early.

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to Howard University College of Medicine and other medical schools in urban communities. Additionally, many of our students are committed to helping underserved communities, and we help them highlight this passion in their medical school application essays . Make sure to ask us any questions you have about what to emphasize on your Howard secondary application.  We can also help you personalize your secondary through our  secondary essay editing packages . 

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Howard University Secondary Application Questions: 2023 – 2024

• Have you lived in communities which are medically underserved, or where the majority of the population is economically and/or educationally disadvantaged? (Please indicate, Yes or No and then explain/ describe briefly in 250 words or less)
• Have you worked (volunteer or paid employment) with medically underserved, economically disadvantaged and/or educationally disadvantaged populations? (Please indicate, Yes or No and then explain/ describe briefly in 250 words or less)
• After residency, do you plan to practice medicine in an underserved or disadvantaged community? (Please indicate, Yes or No and then explain/ describe briefly in 250 words or less)
• Please provide below any additional information you believe is important in evaluating your application (e.g. additional coursework, problems with academic record; disadvantaged, etc.) (Please indicate, Yes or No and then explain/ describe briefly in 250 words or less)
• Did COVID-19 impact you preparing your AMCAS application for fall 2024? (i.e. volunteer/work experience, financially, course registration, MCAT testing, etc.) (Please respond Yes or No and then explain/ describe briefly in 250 words or less, indicate N/A if not applicable)
• Why Howard University College of Medicine? (2500 character limit)   This is a new question

Tips to Answer Howard Medical School Secondary Application Essays

Albert Secondary Application Pre-Writing Guidance: This is a great secondary to start pre-writing and submit early! There are not too many required essays on this supplemental application and the Howard University secondary application questions don’t change frequently. 

• Download our   Cracking Med Secondary Essay Workbook and Examples .

Howard Medical School Secondary Application Tip #1: As you can imply from the Howard University Medical School secondary application essay prompts, Howard University has a mission to serve underserved areas around the world. Therefore, it is important to understand healthcare disparities. Throughout your Howard secondary essays, you should incorporate an example from your own life about how you have already contributed in combating systemic discrimination or how you’ve already tackled healthcare disparity issues.

Additionally, read about current events in healthcare, including healthcare disparities . Remember that health disparities is a broad and complex issue, and you can reflect on  how you might want to decrease the gap in health disparities (access to healthcare, access to health insurance, health literacy, health outcomes, etc.)

• Read our blog post  Top 10 Current Events You Need To Know For Your Medical School Interview

Howard Medical School Secondary Application Tip #2: For the Howard University College of Medicine secondary application essay question about “anything else you want to add,” topics students have written about include

• Reasons for low MCAT score
• Reasons for poor grades
• Leave of absences from school
• Gap year activities and experiences
• COVID-19 experiences
• Additional information about working with underserved populations 

If you have any questions about what you should write, contact us below. 

Howard Medical School Secondary Application Tip #3: Write about “Why Howard University College of Medicine” throughout your Howard secondary essays. Specifically, talk about why the mission resonates with you and what projects you want to do during your time at Howard University. You can discuss how you want to improve healthcare disparities, especially among African Americans. Or, you may want to improve access to healthcare among underserved populations.

• Read our blog post why this medical school to gain insights on how to incorporate a strong “Why Howard College of Medicine.” You can discuss specific aspects of the Howard Medical School medical education curriculum, academic program, community service activities, and extracurricular activities you want to be involved with as a Howard medical student. 

Howard Medical School Secondary Application Tip #4: Get our help to edit your Howard University secondary application questions. Our team has been successful in helping students get into Howard Medical School the past few years!

We can help you through our secondary essay packages . Have questions about how you can tailor your essay towards Howard Medicine’s mission? Contact us below.

Howard Medical School Secondary Application Tip #4: For the optional essay, “ After residency, do you plan to practice medicine in an underserved or disadvantaged community? ” we think the answer should be “yes” in almost all applications. And if it’s not, maybe you should rethink about applying to Howard University College of Medicine. To answer this question well, we think an applicant should paint a picture of his or her career in medicine. You can also include opportunities you will pursue at Howard University College of Medicine and Washington, DC available to medical students.

[ Read more secondary essay tips:  New York Medical College ,  University of Arizona College of Medicine , LSU Shreveport (Louisiana State University) , University of Alabama ]

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Howard University Secondary Application Questions: 2022 – 2023

• Did COVID-19 impact you preparing your AMCAS application for fall 2023? (i.e. volunteer/work experience, financially, course registration, MCAT testing, etc.) (Please respond Yes or No and then explain/ describe briefly in 250 words or less, indicate N/A if not applicable)

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Howard University Secondary Application Questions: 2021 – 2022

• Did COVID-19 impact you preparing your AMCAS application for fall 2022? (i.e. volunteer/work experience, financially, course registration, MCAT testing, etc.) (Please respond Yes or No and then explain/ describe briefly in 250 words or less, indicate N/A if not applicable)

Howard University Secondary Application Questions: 2020 - 2021

• Have you lived (for three years or more) in communities which are medically underserved, or where the majority of the population is economically and/or educationally disadvantaged?\
• After residency, do you plan to practice medicine in an underserved or disadvantaged community?
• Have you worked (volunteer or paid employment) with medically underserved, economically disadvantaged and/or educationally disadvantaged populations?
• Please provide below any additional information you believe is important in evaluating your application (e.g. additional coursework, problems with academic record; disadvantaged, etc.)

Howard University Secondary Application Questions: 2019 – 2020

Howard university secondary application questions: 2018 – 2019.

• Have you lived (for three years or more) in communities which are medically underserved, or where the majority of the population is economically and/or educationally disadvantaged? (250 words max)
• After residency, do you plan to practice medicine in an underserved or disadvantaged community? (250 words max)
• Have you worked (volunteer or paid employment) with medically underserved, economically disadvantaged and/or educationally disadvantaged populations? (250 words max)
• Please provide below any additional information you believe is important in evaluating your application (e.g. additional coursework, problems with academic record; disadvantaged, etc.) (No character limit)

There’s also a section to explain any discrepancies with your pre-requisite coursework

Howard University Secondary Application Questions: 2017 – 2018

Howard university secondary application questions: 2016 – 2017.

• Please provide below any additional information you believe is important in evaluating your application (e.g. additional coursework, problems with academic record; disadvantaged; degree program, etc.) (No character limit)

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Howard University

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Want to see your chances of admission at Howard University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Howard University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Common app personal essay.

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

The Art of the Admission Essay

The admission essay is your chance to showcase who you are, and is a major component of our review process. Please note the tips included below so that you can hone in on your voice, and showcase why you should join our Bison community. 

USE YOUR VOICE

Each applicant is different: you have different intellectual interests, academic backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses, and life goals. These differences are what make you individually intriguing to our admission counselors. Your application essay is your most important opportunity to show us who you are in your own voice. That means, we want to hear your unique story. People will always have similar life experiences, but your reactions to and feelings about them are as unique as your fingerprint. So, tell us what drives you, what is important to you, what your goals are, and how you plan to achieve them.

BE HONEST, DO NOT EMBELLISH, AND STAY FOCUSED

Remember that your application essay is not a list of every reason you should be admitted nor is it a history report on Howard University and our influential alumni. The essay is about you. Before you start writing your essay, take time to brainstorm people who inspire you, events that have shaped you, and issues that matter to you. Then choose one idea or two connected ideas to write about. If you want to tell us a story, that’s great! Everyone loves a good story, at least our admission counselors do. One rule of creative writing that is useful for your admission essay is, wherever possible, show not tell. This means, instead of telling us that you are compassionate and determined, recount an event or conversation that shows us these attributes. However, you cannot tell stories without adding your opinion and reflection! This is what shows us that you are a critical thinker and an informed, ethical applicant. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to write about simple things. For example, a good essay may be about how you became interested in botany from helping your grandmother meticulously maintain her tiny backyard garden when you were young. Such an essay could easily show our admission counselors that you are a family-oriented, disciplined, and self-motivated student – and this is what we are looking for! Not all great essays are about volunteering abroad or overcoming chronic illness. Finally, ignore the urge to use “how to” books and websites that promise you can write the “perfect” essay if you follow their formula. We believe that if there is one rule to writing the best application essay, it ought to be this: The essay is YOURS! Stay in control of it! It is good to ask your teachers and friends to proofread it, but don’t let them overtake it! Everyone will have different ideas about what will make your essay more effective. But if you take everyone’s advice, you risk losing your own voice.

WRITING SUPPLEMENTS

In addition to your main Common Application essay, supplemental essays may also be submitted as part of your application. While not required, a supplemental essay allows you to expound on why you may be interested in a particular school/college or program. It also gives our admission committee another chance to see who you are, and get a better sense of how you can contribute to the legacy of the university. To ensure you write a thoughtful essay, we highly encourage you to thoroughly research your desired school/college or program of interest. Please note, your writing supplement(s) must be submitted separately from your Common Application. After your application has been submitted, you may then review and submit your writing supplement(s) under the “Writing Supplement” heading. All writing supplements must be submitted by our stated application deadline.

Howard University Undergraduate College Application Essays

These Howard University college application essays were written by students accepted at Howard University. All of our sample college essays include the question prompt and the year written. Please use these sample admission essays responsibly.

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College Application Essays accepted by Howard University

In the barriers of sunnydale housing projects anonymous, howard university.

Imagine coming from a neighborhood in which the only thing that is promised is death. I lost one of my closest friends a few months ago to gun violence. Witnessing this horror changed my perspective: I want to have a successful life. Killings and...

Why My Masters? Anonymous

I woke up to the sound of sergeant instructors yelling to the top of their lungs at 4:30 in the morning - myself bloused in desert camis, and covered in blisters from the six mile hike the night before. Marine Corp Training is not a place to be...

I randomly went vegan Nia Sekayi Greene

Come on Otis! I tugged on my dog’s leash. My feet pounded the ground, quickly accelerating in speed because the kitchen was awaiting my arrival. I opened the door and was hit with a wave of anxiousness and excitement.

What should I cook? All this...

Recent Questions about Howard University

The Question and Answer section for Howard University is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

In 500 words tell us about what makes you you.What are your strengths,weaknesses and your motivation?What seperates you from any other applicant.How do you think Howard University will increase your strengths and diminish your weaknesses?

Im a good person

Which of the following market structures is most likely to experience a large inflow of new firms into the market?

I'm sorry, this is a short answer literature forum designed for text specific questions. We are unable to assist students with other subject matter. Please refrain from asking any other unrelated questions. The answer to your question is:

Does Howard university revolve around the pride in academic success of African Americans?

Sorry, we only do literature related questions here. I honestly could not give you an accurate answer, 

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Sample Supplemental Essay for College Admissions: Why This College?

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Most college applicants fail to put adequate time into a supplemental college essay. The Common Application's personal essay allows a student to write a single essay for multiple colleges. The supplemental college essay, however, needs to be different for every application. Thus, it's tempting to dash off a generic and vague piece that can be used at multiple schools, resulting in a  weak essay .

Don't make this mistake. Your "Why This College" essay must be specific, demonstrating a high level of interest in and commitment to this particular school. To better understand how to ace this supplemental essay prompt, let's analyze a sample essay written for Oberlin College .

The essay prompt reads:

"Given your interests, values, and goals, explain why Oberlin College will help you grow (as a student and a person) during your undergraduate years."

Sample Supplemental Essay

I visited 18 colleges over the past year, yet Oberlin is the one place that most spoke to my interests. Early in my college search I learned that I prefer a liberal arts college to a larger university. The collaboration between the faculty and undergraduate students, the sense of community, and the flexible, interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum are all important to me. Also, my high school experience was greatly enriched by the diversity of the student body, and I am impressed by Oberlin’s rich history and its current efforts connected to inclusiveness and equality. To say the least, I’d be proud to say I attended the first coeducational college in the country.

I plan to major in Environmental Studies at Oberlin. After my campus tour , I took some extra time to visit the Adam Joseph Lewis Center. It’s an amazing space and the students I chatted with spoke highly of their professors. I became truly interested in issues of sustainability during my volunteer work in the Hudson River Valley, and everything I’ve learned about Oberlin makes it seem the ideal place for me to continue exploring and building upon those interests. I am also impressed by Oberlin’s Creativity and Leadership Project. I’ve been a bit of an entrepreneur ever since second grade when I made a dollar producing and performing The Runaway Bunny for my extended family. I’m drawn to a program that supports the move from classroom learning to creative hands-on, real-world applications.

Finally, as the rest of my application clearly demonstrates, music is an important part of my life. I’ve been playing the trumpet since fourth grade, and I hope to continue performing and developing my skills throughout college. What better place than Oberlin to do so? With more performances than days in the year and a large group of talented musicians in the Conservatory of Music, Oberlin is an ideal place for exploring my love of both music and the environment.

Understanding the Essay Prompt

To understand the strength of the essay, we must first look at the prompt: the admissions officers at Oberlin want you to "explain why Oberlin College will help you grow." This sounds straightforward, but be careful. You're not being asked to explain how college, in general, will help you grow, nor are you being asked how attending a small liberal arts school will help you grow. The admissions offers want to hear how  Oberlin , in particular, will help you grow, so the essay needs to include specific information about Oberlin College.

A strong "Why This College" essay will make a case for why the school in question is a good fit for the student. The case should be made by connecting facts about the school—unique opportunities, educational values, campus culture, et cetera—with the student's goals, values, and interests.

From the Admissions Desk

"We want to see [in the "Why This School" essay] that students understand the unique educational model at High Point University. We know that students have access to more information than ever before and that most colleges focus on the classroom experience. We want students who desire 25% of their time to be experiential ... who want to grow as people of character with strong values and to fully immerse themselves in our life skills education."

–Kerr Ramsay Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions, High Point University

A good way to see if you've responded to the prompt well is to swap out the name of the college you're applying to with the name of any other college. If the essay still makes sense once you do a global replace of the school name, you haven't written a good supplemental essay.

A Critique of the Supplemental Essay

The sample essay certainly succeeds on this front. If we were to substitute "Kenyon College" for "Oberlin College" in the essay, the essay would not make sense. The details in the essay are unique to Oberlin. Demonstrated interest can play a meaningful role in the admissions process, and this applicant has clearly demonstrated that she knows Oberlin well and her interest in the school is sincere.

Let's look at some of the essay's strengths:

• The first paragraph makes several important points. First of all, we learn that the applicant has visited Oberlin. This may not seem like a big deal, but you'd be surprised how many students apply to a large number of colleges based on nothing but the schools' reputations. Also, the student notes that she wants to go to a  liberal arts college , not a larger  university . This information isn't really specific to Oberlin, but it does show that she has thought about the options available to her. The final point in this first paragraph gets more specific—the applicant is familiar with Oberlin and knows the school's socially progressive history.
• The second paragraph is really the heart of this essay—the applicant wants to major in Environmental Studies, and she is clearly impressed with the program at Oberlin. She has visited the Environmental Studies building, and she knows of some of the unique opportunities offered at Oberlin. She has even talked with Oberlin students. This paragraph can't help but make a favorable impression on the admissions folks—the applicant is drawn to Oberlin, and she clearly knows exactly  why  she likes Oberlin.
• The final paragraph adds another important dimension to the application. Not only does the student find the Environmental Studies program attractive, but her love of music makes Oberlin an even better match. Oberlin has a top-rated music conservatory, so the applicant's dual love of music and Environmental Studies makes Oberlin a natural match for her.

Admissions officers can't help but feel that Oberlin is a great match for this applicant. She knows the school well, and her interests and goals line up perfectly with Oberlin's strengths. This short essay will certainly be a positive piece of her application.

A Final Word About Supplemental Essays

The content of your supplemental essay is extremely important, and poor decisions on this front can lead to a weak supplemental essay . But content isn't everything. You also need to focus on the presentation of your ideas. Make sure your essay is entirely free of any grammatical errors, and be sure to avoid common stylistic problems . The admissions officers need to conclude that you are sincerely interested in attending their school and that you are an excellent writer.

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Supplemental Essay Sample

See a sample supplemental essay that provides additional information for the college admissions committee to consider in their review of an application.

An applicant may always attach supplemental, or unrequired, information to his or her application . Some college application forms even have a space for “Additional Information,” which is where you would supply any added information about YOU. One way to supply that extra information is to attach an additional essay. An essay may be attached even if there is not such a space.

Supplemental essays are a great way to explain circumstances like bad grades or family problems or learning difficulties. A supplemental essay can also be used to highlight your talents.

Below is an actual supplemental essay. Specifics of name, location, etc. have been changed to protect the privacy of the student.

When I moved to Boston during elementary school, I was still a pretty good student, at least as it seemed to me. My goal was to make the honor roll, which I did in elementary school. By the time I hit middle school, my grades were in decline; but, then, friends and a good time were at the top of my list of priorities. I thought high school would be a breeze so I was surprised when my guidance counselor recommended me to the FAPS (Freshman Academic Program for Success) program, a ninth grade program designed to help freshmen with study habits and organization. The idea was that FAPS would help me with my homework and my concentration. All of the teachers in the program dealt with the same students so they could talk with each other about how the kids were doing. It was a program that I didn’t think I would need, but my parents convinced me that it couldn’t hurt to try.

Halfway through the first quarter of my high school career is when I realized I definitely needed help. My grades were not good, and for some reason, concentration was a huge problem for me. My family and I saw a doctor who determined I had ADD. That is why it was so difficult for me to be successful in school. People with ADD are normally given a special 504 program. This allows them to get a little extra time for tests and, in general, helps create a better learning environment for them. Unfortunately, it was determined that I did not need this type of help, and I was forced to try and deal with ADD as best I could.

So, for the past three years, I have been attached at the hip with ADD. It lingered around every corner and followed me to every class. However, ADD was never more evident than on test days. Test days were always the most stressful, and that’s when ADD decided to bring in its “A” game and kick me while I was down. I would sit down to take the test and constantly look at the clock. That clock was always my enemy, and with every tick of the minute hand, my confidence would fade a little bit more. That’s when the panic set in. Students would begin turning their work in so I rushed to complete mine. At that moment I knew, once again, ADD had gotten the best of me. It was almost like ADD would taunt me afterward whispering, “It’s ok; at least warning notices don’t come out for a couple more days.”

However, the past two years, I have been much more successful coping with my ADD. I finally received the proper medication, sought the assistance of my school and teachers, and began to turn my grades around. In the process, I have learned a lot about myself. Going through this has made me a better student and person. I learned to pace myself during tests so I wouldn’t blindly rush through them at the last minute. I have learned to bring myself back to a lecture by drumming my fingers quietly against my desk. I’ve also learned that expecting a lot from other people without knowing what their limitations are may be unfair. No one ever knows what may be going on in someone or what troubles that person may be dealing with. I respect people now more for what they do accomplish. And, I’ve learned to listen to people when they are trying to help me. People tell you things that can help you if you really listen.

Freshman and sophomore years were the times when I struggled to pass. Since then, hard work and finding my own ways to deal with ADD have resulted in much better grades, including being on the honor roll twice last year. Even though I thought at first it would be impossible to achieve, I know now ADD is no longer in control of my grades or my life. And, through high school, I learned to cope, which made me realize how much potential I have.

With this supplemental essay, this student has not only revealed himself as a person, but also explained why his grades throughout high school were not always good. Even though you may be able to explain your circumstances during the college interview , a supplemental essay is very effective for communicating any additional information that might be pertinent to the college you are applying to.

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How to Write the Most Common Supplemental College Essays: A Complete Guide

Note: This post focuses on supplemental essays. If you want advice on the Common App prompts, check out our guide to the Common App essays .

Your grades are in, your test scores have been sent, and recommendation letters have been uploaded…but there’s one last component of your college applications left: the essays. For many students, essays are the final and most daunting hurdle to clear before hitting submit.

Your essays, however, are your opportunity to tell admissions officers how you want them to remember you. Maybe you didn’t do so well on the SAT, or maybe you got a lower grade than you hoped for in Honors Chemistry, but you can’t change your grades or scores.

The essays, however, are entirely in your control. There is so much freedom to tell your story and what makes you unique. Our mission at CollegeVine is to make the essay-writing as stress-free as possible. Read on for our tips and tricks on writing a college essay that will give you the best chance at getting that thick envelope!

Content overview:

• Why this college?
• Why this major?
• Elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience.
• Discuss a community you belong to that has impacted who you are today.
• Crafting the essay
• Avoiding pitfalls

Want to learn more about Supplemental Essays? Check out one of our popular recorded live streams on this topic.

Common Types of College Essays

Colleges will find a hundred different ways to ask a question, but most of the time, the prompt boils down to one of the following common essay themes.

Common Essay #1: Why this college?

Students’ most common mistake on a “Why this college?” essay is lack of specificity; in particular, some students will list attributes that can apply to multiple schools, which is what you want to avoid at all costs.

When it comes to a “Why this college?” essay, you need to discuss qualities and programs specific to that school. It is not enough to merely list or name-drop, however. Instead, talk about why this item is important to you. Here’s how this plays out:

What not to do:

I want to go to the University of Southern California because it is a highly ranked school in Los Angeles. In addition, I like its Cosmic Writers Club, as well as the Incubate USC program. I am especially excited about the abundant film resources.

Why the previous response doesn’t work:

There are many reasons you want to avoid a response like this. Let’s start with the first sentence: replace the school’s name with UCLA and the accuracy doesn’t suffer. What this means is that the sentence is not specific enough to USC. In addition, you never want to state, or even imply, that you’re applying to a school due to prestige or ranking.

The exception for the previous rule is if a school is ranked highly for a specific program of interest. For example, if you want to pursue creative writing and a school has the number one creative writing program in the country, you can mention this because it is a quality specific to that school. A school’s overall prestige, however, should not be mentioned in your essay.

Why else doesn’t this response work? Let’s look at the second sentence. The writer does well to mention specific programs within USC. However, the response fails to discuss why they liked these programs or how they would benefit from having access to them.

What to write instead:

As someone with a lasting love for writing and a blossoming passion for entrepreneurship, I was so excited to find a large urban school like the University of Southern California that would give me the resources to pursue both. From classes with award-winning authors—amongst them Professor T. Boyle, whose environmental fiction works are similar to those I hope to someday publish—to clubs like the Cosmic Writers Club, which unites author hopefuls, USC offers more resources than I could ever exhaust in my journey to publish my first book.

On the business side, USC is known for fostering the type of creativity and innovation needed in pursuing start-ups. In particular, I was so excited to learn of the Incubate USC program, a unique mothership of ideas that nurtures the creativity of students. With the help of this program, I would be able to pursue my growing interest in the world of start-up ventures.

Why the previous response works:

This response not only mentions programs and resources specific to USC, but it shows how the student would take advantage of these opportunities. In addition, this response portrays passion and ambition, infusing elements of the student’s personality while still staying focused on answering the prompt.

Other things to keep in mind:

• The first time you say the school’s name, you should write it out. After that, you can abbreviate.
• Avoid writing what every other applicant is going to write. For example, every NYU applicant is going to mention NYU’s location in New York City. Unless you have a unique twist on this, you should skip it.
• Don’t mention frivolous things like dorms or dining halls. Your reasons for liking a school should be more substantial.
• Do your research. For example, don’t say you’ve always wanted to go to a city if you’re writing an essay for a rural school.
• Do not copy and paste your “Why this college?” essay and simply change the school name. Many non-Harvard admissions officers have received essays from students about why they want to go to Harvard. If your “Why this college?” essay is so general that you can copy and paste it, your reasoning will not impress admissions officers.

For more tips on writing this essay, see our complete guide to the “Why this college?” essay , including a real sample essay.

Common Essay #2: Why this major? 

One of the most important things to remember is that admissions officers are not looking for a résumé. This is not to say you can’t discuss your activities and how they culminated a passion for a specific major. The challenge, however, is to use these activities to tell a story rather than a mere list of achievements.

How do you do this? Share your thought processes. Many times it is the thoughts surrounding an activity more than the activity itself that will show the reader your journey to choosing a major.

Other tips:

• Don’t ever say that your reason for choosing a major is money-making potential. If you want to mention life beyond college, then talk about how this major will help you achieve your dreams. If your dream is to produce a feature-length film and a film major will help you get there, say that. But don’t say your dream is to be a rich film producer.
• Undeclared? That’s totally okay. Just be sure to list a couple potential majors, and explain your interest in those. Under no circumstances should you say you have absolutely no idea, as that will make you look like you don’t care. For more tips, see our post on how to write the “Why this major?” essay if you’re undecided .

For more tips on writing this essay, see our complete guide to the “Why this major?” essay , including a real sample essay.

Common Essay 3: Elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience.

Is there an activity or work experience in your application that you have more to say about? Maybe there’s a story behind it that you want to tell. Some questions to consider are:

• How did you become interested in this extracurricular?
• What is your role in the activity or work experience?
• Why do you do it?
• Have you experienced growth within the activity over time?

There are endless angles you can pursue here, but your essay should, in short, show your motivation behind participating in a certain activity or job.

What you don’t want to do, however, is simply restate something that’s been said elsewhere. If you have already spotlighted an activity in another essay for a given college, don’t write about the same activity. Your goal here is to share new information and your breadth of experiences.

As with the “Why Major?” prompt, it is more powerful to share a story with the reader rather than to detail the activity itself.

For more tips on writing this essay, see our complete guide to the Extracurricular Activity essay , including a real sample essay.

Common Essay 4: Discuss a community you belong to that has impacted who you are today.

“Community” can mean many things, so there are many possible approaches to this prompt. Some applicants respond with a community they’re linked to through culture, and others through sports or a club.

One thing you can emphasize is personal growth—or other aspects of who you are as a person—that has come from belonging to this community. The majority of the essay should, in fact, center around how being part of this group has changed or impacted who you are as a person.

What to avoid:

• Do not discriminate against other communities in your response.
• Try not to talk about your community in broad terms, but instead focus on your place within this community.
• Avoid using the essay as a chance to complain. If you choose to talk about challenges in a certain community, find a way to give your essay a sense of resolution. This can consist even of talking about how you’ve grown as a person or learned how to confront these obstacles in a productive way.

Writing the Essay

Phase 1: ideation.

Highlights of this section:

• Thinking of an idea
• Portraying individuality
• Staying true to yourself
• General tips and tricks

Now that you’re familiar with some of the most common types of essay prompts, let’s dive into the ideation process. Here are some questions that it’s good to ask yourself when you’re just starting out, particularly when the prompt deviates from the more straightforward archetypes above:

• What makes you unique?
• What is your story?
• Is there something you weren’t able to say in your application that you think admissions officers should know?
• Did you mention something earlier in your application that you want to elaborate on?

Remember that your essays, and application in general, should read like a portfolio in which all components are complementary without being redundant. If the application is like a drawing, then the essays should contribute to creating one coherent image without sketching the same line more than once or leaving gaps in the drawing.

Don’t shy away from being quirky! The more you present yourself as your own unique person, the more likely the admissions officer is to remember you. Take the following cases, for instance:

• A football player who scores a winning touchdown in the last five seconds of the game.
• A football player who knits scarves for residents of a retirement home in his free time.

In the first case, telling this story doesn’t do anything to differentiate this football player from others. However, the second story portrays a unique student with two interests the reader might not otherwise have paired together. Individuality is the goal here.

Of course, don’t exaggerate , lie, or pretend to be someone you’re not. In particular, don’t write something just because you think the admissions officer wants to hear it. They have read enough applications to separate the genuine voices from the insincere. As such, your only job is to put your true self on the page!

Here are some other things to keep in mind while brainstorming college essay topics:

• Narratives will always be more successful because they engage the reader emotionally. They are also an easy way to demonstrate how you’ve changed and grown over time.
• If you have already emphasized something in your application, don’t dedicate an essay to it unless can share an entirely new perspective. When in doubt, choose a new topic.
• Your essay doesn’t have to be about something rare and incredible. You don’t have to have started a company or traveled the world to write a solid essay. In fact, some of the strongest essays have taken a simple, perhaps even everyday occurrence, and portrayed it in a beautiful way that shows a unique way of thinking.
• Be sure to answer all aspects of the prompt while still giving the reader insight into who you are. It’s very easy to speak about some topics in third-person or broad terms (example: “What is your idea of success?”). Don’t do this. Instead, find a way to link the prompt to your own life.

Overall, think of the essays as a way to let the admissions officer get to know you on a personal level. Humanize yourself.

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Phase 2: Crafting the Essay

• Show, don’t tell.
• Perfecting the first and last sentence
• What does the essay say about me?

You have likely heard this next tip a hundred times throughout high school, but it’s vital to writing a strong essay: show, don’t tell . The whole point of essays is to give insight into who you are and how you think. Can you effectively do that if you’re merely listing off things that happened? Nope. Let’s take a lot at two examples:

• An example of telling: The cat ran out the door, and I got scared.
• An example of showing: The doorbell rang, accompanied by the creak of the mailbox as the mailman slipped the day’s envelopes inside. I ran downstairs and threw the door open, knowing today was the day I was going to hear back. My excitement made me oblivious, though, and it wasn’t until I saw a blur of dark fur dash through the open door that I realized my mistake.

The second example takes the facts and turns it into a story. It gives the reader a sense of anticipation as well as a character to identify with and root for. That’s what “show, don’t tell” does for your essay.

Now let’s talk about the two most important parts of your essay: the first sentence and the last sentence.

Your first sentence’s job is to hook the reader. Aim for a first sentence that surprises, even slightly jars, the reader to wake them up and get their full focus on your essay. Here are some examples:

• It wasn’t supposed to be blue.
• Was the car meant to sound like that?

In both cases, the writer has intentionally withheld information, providing just enough to leave the reader wanting to know the rest of the story. What isn’t supposed to be blue? What happens next?

As for the last sentence, its job is to resolve the essay, leaving the reader with a sense of peace and finality. Give the reader one last great impression to remember you by. Here’s an example:

“I’ve learned to hold my failures close; not so close that they burden me, per say, but just

close enough that they can guide me as I journey onward.”

This sentence works because it gives the reader a sense that, though the story continues on in the form of the narrator’s ongoing journey, the story on the page has been resolved. It feels peaceful.

Now then, after you’ve completed your first draft, the next thing you want to do is ask yourself the following question : What three things about me can the reader get from reading this essay? If you’re having trouble answering this question, then the essay needs to share more about you. Otherwise, you’re ready for revision!

Phase 3: Revision

• Careless errors
• Staying under the word limit
• Getting a second opinion

You’ve done the hard work. You came up with a brilliant idea and poured your heart and soul into the writing. Now comes the tedious part: revision.

Most importantly, college essays need to be absolutely devoid of grammatical or spelling mistakes . You don’t want to give your admissions officer the impression that you didn’t care enough to proofread, especially after all of your hard work.

Another aspect that tends to frustrate students is the word limit. If you’ve made it under the word limit, great! If not, here are some methods of cutting down.

• Example: In visiting your campus, it occurred to me that the method with which you schedule your classes is ideal because…
• This can be cut down to: The way you schedule your classes is ideal because…
• Most times phrases such as “I think,” “I believe,” “it seems,” and other similar wording is not necessary and simply takes up extra space. Use your judgement, but generally, these phrases get the boot.
• Keep an eye out for the word “that.” This can almost always be cut.
• If you use a long hyphen (—), no space is needed between words. This will bring your word count down. Don’t get too hyphen happy, though!

If the above tips are not enough to get you below the word limit,  you may need to remove entire paragraphs. If a paragraph does not drive the story forward, or is unnecessary in understanding the progression of the story, you may want to remove it.

Once your essay is mistake-free and below the word limit, your next task is to send it to at least three trusted individuals. Ask them the following questions to guide their suggestions:

• Does it make sense?
• Does it sound like me?
• What does it say about me? (Check that this aligns with what you want it to say about you).

Take note of their responses and decide what changes you want to implement. Be receptive, but remember to stay true to yourself and your vision.

Avoiding Pitfalls:

• Avoid discussion of taboo subjects or things that can be perceived as controversial. Everyone is entitled to their own views, but you don’t want to chance saying something controversial that your reader might disagree with.
• Never appear discriminatory in any way. Colleges tend to be vastly left-wing and progressive.
• Don’t turn in work that isn’t your own. When does accepting another person’s edits become plagiarism? If they are rewriting entire sentences in their own words, it is no longer your own work.
• Avoid clichés! It is okay to write about a common experience (like a sports injury or service trip), but only if you have a unique take on them. Don’t write on a popular topic if you will simply describe the same lesson that everyone else learned.
• Don’t write your essay directly into the application text box or it may not save your work. Write it in a separate document and copy and paste it later. Then, double check that the format is correct.

At the end of the day, your essays should just leave the reader thinking: I want to have a conversation with this student. You want to show that you’re an multifaceted, mature person with an interesting story to tell. At CollegeVine, we’re rooting for you all the way—go get writing!

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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Harvard University 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1

Harvard University 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: Five essays of 100 words or fewer

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Diversity , Activity , Oddball

How to Write Compelling Harvard Supplemental Essays

Since Harvard University asks applicants to pen five (5) essays of 100 words or fewer, the key to writing compelling responses to the prompts is threefold. First, brevity is integral to a winning response. Never use two words where one word will do. Second, give yourself plenty of time to reflect and brainstorm before drafting. Admissions is asking some serious questions about your background, aspirations, and ability to communicate with others, so it would be a mistake to miss out on an opportunity to give your responses thought. Third, think about each response as a piece of a larger puzzle. You want each response to reveal new information about you, so try to steer clear of mentioning the same club in the three different essays. Instead, think of each essay as a different angle for admissions to view from. Each essay will add depth to your application and compliment your other application materials. 

Harvard Essay Prompts Breakdown

The following required five short answer questions invite you to reflect on and share how your life experiences and academic and extracurricular activities shaped you, how you will engage with others at harvard, and your aspirations for the future. each question can be answered in about 100 words., harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. how will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to harvard .

Admissions wants to know what has made you into the person you are today and how those experiences will affect the way you engage with and contribute to the Harvard community. So, tell a story about an experience that has shaped you and connect the lessons you learned to the ways in which you will contribute to diversity on campus next fall. Start by thinking about the kinds of experiences you’ve had in the communities you’ve been a part of thus far. Then, once you’ve identified the life experience(s) that have shaped you, think ahead to how those will impact your time at Harvard. Admissions wants to know what your area of influence will look like on campus—whether that be applying the leadership skills you developed in your community theater troupe to the drama productions at Farkas Hall, celebrating intersectional identities with other members of the queer Jewish community with BAGELS , or connecting and networking with your peers through Harvard Black Students Association . Whatever you write about, make sure your response to this prompt shows that you have put some serious thought into the things that have shaped you and how you will apply those lessons and experiences to your time at Harvard next fall. 

Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?

Whether during a pregame pasta party with your teammates, a long bus ride with classmates, or your family Thanksgiving dinner, odds are you’ve disagreed with someone about an idea or an issue—and Harvard wants to hear about it. Admissions wants to know not only how you went about engaging with someone with an opposing viewpoint, but also what you took away from the experience. To make sure your response stands out from the pack, be as specific and purposeful as possible. What did you disagree on and how did you communicate? Maybe you used some deescalating tools you picked up from a friend of yours or, perhaps, you made an effort to see things from their point of view while still making a case for your perspective. If you can’t recall where you were at the time, no problem; but details are your friend here to add credibility. Whatever conversation you decide to write about, remember to address what you learned from the experience. Were you introduced to a point of view that you hadn’t considered before? Did you and your conversation partner find a middle ground or did you feel even more resolute in your viewpoint than you had before the conversation? Maybe what you took away wasn’t so much about the topic of the conversation, but the mechanics of holding a difficult conversation. Show Harvard that you can consider new ideas and engage with others about important issues.

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. 

Next up is a fun twist on the classic activity essay, which asks you to expand on an extracurricular endeavor that has shaped who you are. Our advice is to focus on one or two activities that have made the biggest impact on you. Although we usually urge students to write about items that haven’t appeared elsewhere on their application, the activity essay is an exception since it specifically asks you to address an item on your resume. The trick here is to  pick something with meat! Maybe your trip to visit your extended family members in Thailand opened your eyes to how limited your world had been in your small Midwestern town. Perhaps four years of debate club have nurtured your communication skills and ability to speak up for yourself. Whatever activity you choose to write about, be sure to pick one that has been fundamental to your understanding of who you are.

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? 

Admissions already knows a bit about what makes you you; now they want to know why Harvard is the obvious next step in the trajectory of your life. Take some time to meditate on what you hope your life will look like after Harvard—we’re talking ten, twenty years in the future. Once you have an idea of what you hope for that person to be like or do on an average day, invite admissions into your vision and show them how a Harvard education is a pivotal step (or three) on the ladder of success to get there. Regardless of your vision, your response should cite programs, activities, and organizations that Harvard offers. Anyone can say they hope to become a renowned doctor or an attorney for the people, but not everyone is going to do their homework to show admissions that they’ve thought through exactly how they want to get there. Of course, admissions isn’t going to hold you to your blueprint, but they do want to see that you’ve given not only your decision to apply to Harvard some serious thought, but your life post-graduation as well.

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. 

With this prompt, admissions is hoping to see a different side of you, perhaps one that is less intellectual (unless that’s just who you are, in which case, rock on with your nerdy self) and a little more casual. Start by making a list. Write down everything that comes to mind. You can edit and revise later—no idea is too silly to jot down! Maybe you think your roommates should know that you just can’t not sing while in the shower (we’re talking Celine Dion, Adele, Whitney Houston) or that you make the meanest plate of rice and beans in your pressure cooker (and you love to share). Once you’ve narrowed your list down to three (3) things, see if you can weave together a narrative that gives admissions a little taste of what it would be like to hang out in the dorms with you. How do you connect with your peers? What most excites you about residential life? What are the quirks that make you you ? By the time admissions puts down your application, they should feel like your personality is jumping off the page.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Harvard Essays

We have been reading Harvard essays for over twenty years now, so we know a thing or two about the most common mistakes students make. The most common mistakes to avoid are repeating the prompt in your essay (don’t waste your words), trying to sound like an academic (admissions wants to hear your authentic voice!), and using cliches (they’re ineffective and—let’s face it—lazy).

Why Choose College Essay Advisors for Harvard Essays

We at College Essay Advisors have been guiding students one-on-one through the essay writing process for the Harvard supplements for over twenty years. We take a holistic approach to these short essays, considering each student’s application package as a whole and identifying their strengths to highlight. Our Advisors accommodate each student’s scheduling needs to virtually brainstorm, draft, and revise winning essays. It’s incredibly important to us that each student’s voice is preserved, and we pride ourselves in helping students to write successful Harvard essays that differentiate them from similarly qualified applicants. For more information, submit a contact form below or review our one-on-one advising services or list of student acceptances . 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Harvard asks applicants to write five (5) supplemental essays. 

Harvard wants to learn more about the students applying. Admissions is looking to glean how your life experiences have shaped you, how you will engage with other community members on campus, your aspirations for the future, and more.

Authenticity and reflection are key. You want to both ensure that you’re submitting essays that no one else could submit—meaning they contain specific details from your life or interests that aren’t easily replicable—and show that you’ve put thought and care into your response.

The Harvard supplemental essays, aside from your personal statement, are the only opportunities you have to speak to admissions in your own voice. They offer insight into what it would be like to sit down and have a conversation with you while revealing how you interact with the world around you. They also speak to your writing skills and creativity. 

Absolutely not! The admissions committee will be reading both your Common App essay and Harvard supplements, so your essays should not overlap in content at all. Of course, it’s possible you may mention a community you belong to in your personal statement and then expand on that life experience in one of your supplements, but the story should be different and reveal new information about you that admissions couldn’t have gathered from your Common App essay alone.

Each Harvard essay should be 100 words maximum.

We always recommend reviewing the prompts and writing down everything that comes to mind (no censoring yourself!). Next, comb through your ideas to see if any topics jump out at you. And if you skipped the guide above, more brainstorming ideas and advice for writing memorable Harvard supplemental essays can be found there!

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