The holidays are over, but college essay season is not, as many of the supplemental essays are due on January 15th for regular decision and others aren’t due until late spring. The rule of thumb is: the more competitive the college, the earlier the deadline.

This year marks my busiest year in regards to college consulting, and I can only assume this trend will continue. Statistics show that each year more and more students apply for college and most of them apply to the same top 20 schools. That being said, the application process is getting uber competitive. Will AI change this trend? It is too early to tell, but my thinking is that it will as some students will veer off of the college path and choose trades instead. But as of now, we are in full swing.

So now, more than ever, it’s important to have accurate information when it comes to applications. While many students are watching TikTok videos to glean information and learn the supposed tricks of admission, they are often times being mislead. I’ve had students tell me all sorts of dubious information about how to position yourself perfectly for a school or get in with a specific major. Some of the information is possible, but a lot of it is simply hearsay. Misinformation gets passed on from one student to another quite quickly and then it continues to spread until everyone has the wrong deadline for a school or other false information ranging from [insert school] doesn’t read essays or only accepts students from a specific racial group.

There is also a lot of misinformation in the parent communities as well. I’ve spoken with countless parents who are under the impression that their child has to volunteer one place, start a club on campus about something else, take up an obscure sport, and take all of the AP courses available. This too, is not accurate, and in fact, may hurt their chances of getting in as it looks like the student is simply going through the motions.

However, there are some trends that are consistent. Previously, completing a rigorous course load and maintaining a high GPA were enough to make a student stand out. If they had some community service or had started a club, it was a plus. Now, schools seem to want a student to have the grades and the coursework, but also a passion (something they adore and dedicate their time to outside of school, something that is philanthropic in nature but also tied to a specific interest).

Another change is the amount of energy schools are dedicating to analyzing the supplemental essays, rather than the Common App general essay. Many of the college admissions representatives have explained that they are weighing these supplementals heavier than the general essay because they have so many applicants and want to see that the student has “done their research” on the program they offer and know why they want to attend their university. This is a shift in that the general essay, being that it’s 650 words and has more breadth, used to be the main thing.

Lastly, the advent of AI has refocused what colleges are looking for in essays (both supplementals and the general) because they’ve found that students are using ChatGPT to help them write their essays (using it for organization or ideas) or plagiarizing their essay completely. Because of this, many admissions boards are focusing more on content and specific activities/programs, rather than creative writing ability or flow. This will be a continuously changing issue since machine learning will continue to accelerate and what it can do will grow exponentially. All of this to say, it more important than ever to get direction in this process and learn from those who know the system the best, specifically by getting help on the supplemental essay. It may be what tips the scale in your favor.

First of all, the ED deadline has passed (almost always 11/1) and so has the EA deadline (11/1 or 11/15) for many of the top universities, but every year I run into the same story when it comes to this option. Students apply ED when they aren’t 100% they want to attend the university (or can pay for it). Others don’t know about it, but would have used the option if they did.

Before a student selects ED as an option they need to recognize this: ED is a legally binding submission, meaning that they have to attend the school and pay the tuition if they get accepted. Unless a student is completely sure they want to be at this university, they should never apply as ED. On the flip side, applying ED can increase an applicant’s chances of getting in. When. a student applies as ED the university knows they are intent on going there, that it is the client’s first choice, which reasonably makes them want to accept. Students can only apply to one school as ED. Who doesn’t want someone who sees them as their “first choice?” It’s a guaranteed win for the university because they don’t have to wonder if they’ll be chosen. However, most of the schools that offer ED or EA are highly selective universities and therefore they can be choosy.

EA can be very helpful as well. EA means that the student is signing up as early action, which gives them a head start on the application process and a higher chance of getting in. Of course, it depends on which school they’re applying to. Highly selective campuses are always going to be very difficult to get into and applying as EA doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more likely students will be accepted. Still, it’s a good decision if the student is really serious about a school. EA is not binding, meaning that they won’t have to attend the university, but it does mean that they won’t be able to apply again as regular decision most of the time if they don’t get it. There is risk in all of this, of course.

On that note, when students are deciding when to apply, they should give substantial thought as to how ready their college essays are. Many students try to rush the college as a process so they can apply ED or EA and in the process greatly diminished their chance of getting in because their essays aren’t strong . Let this sink in. You may have a much better chance of getting in if you apply on the regular deadline, if it means that your essays are going to be polished.

Besides your data, the only thing a school uses to decide whether they want to accept you or not is your essay and your extracurricular activities (students list this on their application). This is why it’s so important to make sure everything you write in your essay adds value to what was already listed on your application. Additionally, it’s important for students to be really careful and thoughtful about how they answer each of the questions on the application, making sure it sounds smooth, and has no grammatical errors. Admissions officers are looking at your application first (most of the time) and then reading through your extracurriculars. Finally, they get into your essays. This is the typical pattern, so you want to make sure that your essays are adding to the picture rather than reiterating what you already said.

I can’t emphasize how important it is to submit a powerful essay. And this goal, along with deciding when the best deadline is for you, should be your primary concern in the application process.

Many people don’t know much about the college application process, specifically the essays, because there is a lot of misinformation out there in the great Wild West of the online community and also they lack a bird’s eye view into the process. Unless you’re a student filling out the application or a consultant who has worked with clients for years, it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed.

In the midst of confusion I find that many of my clients don’t realize that the Cal States don’t take essays, the UCs have 4 prompts that need to be answered out of 8 options, and the general Common App essay is used for all of the schools that utilize the system with the exception of a few. The general essay is a personal statement that usually needs to be at around 650 words.

The element many people miss is the almighty supplemental essay (or maybe essays, depending on the school). These essays are just as important as the general Common Application essay as they provided added insight into an applicant’s life and situation. Because they present themselves as Questions (this is how they are listed on the Common App) students have a tendency to not take them seriously and simply answer them in a straightforward manner. This is a missed opportunity.

When talking with reps, I often get into a conversation about the supplementals. Time and time again they mention how important these supplementals are. In fact, sometimes they are school specific (like the paint the rock question for Northwestern or the Rice Box for Rice University-although this is simply an image rather than an essay). These questions allow an admissions officer to see whether a student has really investigated the school and is hoping to attend because they have chosen it specifically or if they are just applying purely out of name recognition.

So, here’s to thinking carefully about the supplemental essays and treating them as the valuable fortune tellers they very well may be.

Yes, it’s true these essays should be more direct, more specific, and include a student’s accolades but they should also be written as a package that together, adds value to what’s already on the application. That being said, each essay should discussing a different part of who the student is.

You listed that you’re part of a club and have volunteered there 100+ hours? Fantastic! What specifically did you do there? Which events made an impact on you? Why is this organization special to you personally? Admissions officers want to see that you are invested in something beyond yourself. Your essays should demonstrate that, as well as show the depth and breadth of who you are beyond the data. They are essentially the only way you can have a conversation (albeit one-sided) with the reader and allow them to have a first-hand look into what makes you who you are.

Many young people stress about choosing the right prompts, but the real focus should be on the quality of writing and what the essay shows about them. Does your voice shine through and represent you? Are you able to express how much you value whatever you’ve chosen to write about? Did you demonstrate personal growth and the development of grit?

All of this to say, these essays are so much more than simple answers. They should be treated as precious gold. They show the reader who you are, how you express yourself, what you want from the university and life, and why you do the things you do. They are everything you wish your data could show: the long hours of studying for Calculus, the sweat on your brow after a game, and the intense desire to make the world much better than it is.

Throughout my years of working with young people, there is one pattern I’ve noticed time and time again: they do not want to work on their college essays ahead of time. The thought of being done with the hardest part is enticing, but also overwhelming. To thwart this common mindset, my recommendation is for them to work on the hardest literary piece of their lifetime first. This seems to be the daunting Common App essay. Although there are supplements that go along with the general essay for most of the schools, this main essay is the one they fear the most. Once this one is done, the others will roll out much easier as the process of creation has begun and many of the other essays can be built off of this important piece.

Some recommendations for young people? Take some time to brainstorm all of the parts that make up the whole known as YOU! You are not average, normal, or uninteresting, like you think you are. You have unique attributes that make you different from those around you, if even if you can’t see them initially. It takes some careful consideration to make these parts of yourself show themselves, but if you take the time to sit down with pen and paper or a laptop/phone and take notes on everything you believe, activities you enjoy, life events, music you listen to, cultural norms, etc. you’ll begin to see the shape of yourself. This is the first step in discovery.

The beginning starts today.

–LM