Webinar overview
Join Prepory Program Director Taylor Piva for a free webinar on writing supplemental essays that stand out at selective colleges. Taylor will cover:
- What supplemental essay prompts are really asking, and how admissions officers read them
- How to write a “Why This School” essay that goes beyond surface-level research
- What separates a memorable supplemental essay from a forgettable one
- How to write authentically about your interests, activities, and goals in your own voice
- Which schools have the most demanding supplemental requirements and how to approach them
- Live answers to your specific questions during an interactive Q&A
Meet your webinar host: Taylor Piva
With 12 years in higher education, including time at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Chicago, Taylor Piva knows what admissions teams look for in an application. As Prepory’s Program Director, she oversees the coaching and writing teams, and has guided students to acceptances at UPenn, the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, UT Austin, NYU, and beyond.
Meet your webinar host:
With 12 years in higher education, including time at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Chicago, Taylor Piva knows what admissions teams look for in an application. As Prepory’s Program Director, she oversees the coaching and writing teams, and has guided students to acceptances at UPenn, the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, UT Austin, NYU, and beyond.
Frequently asked questions about writing supplemental essays
Supplemental essays are short-answer or long-form writing prompts required by individual colleges in addition to the Common App or Coalition App personal statement. Most selective colleges require them, and at schools like UPenn, Northwestern, and the University of Michigan, they carry significant weight in the admissions decision. Admissions officers use supplemental essays to assess whether a student has a genuine understanding of the school, a clear sense of their own interests, and the ability to articulate both with specificity. A weak supplemental can undercut an otherwise strong application, while a compelling one can elevate a student's entire file.
The "Why This School" essay should demonstrate specific, researched knowledge of the institution rather than general praise that could apply to any university. Strong responses go beyond rankings and reputation to reference particular programs, faculty, research opportunities, or campus culture that align with the student's academic and personal interests. Admissions officers can tell immediately when an essay is generic or interchangeable. The most effective "Why" essays show that a student has thought carefully about how they would contribute to and grow within that specific community, and they use concrete details to make that case.
The most common supplemental essay mistakes are writing in generalities, recycling the same content across multiple schools without tailoring it, and treating activity-list prompts as a chance to simply restate the resume. Students also frequently misread the actual prompt, answering a question the college didn't ask. For schools with multiple short supplements, students often underestimate the importance of the shorter responses and treat them as afterthoughts. Each prompt, regardless of word count, is an opportunity to show a different dimension of who you are, and admissions officers notice when students haven't taken that seriously.
Yes. While this webinar is specifically about writing supplemental essays, students who are still building their college list will benefit from understanding what supplemental essays require before they finalize which schools to apply to. Knowing the volume and complexity of supplements at schools like UPenn or Northwestern can be an important factor in list-building decisions. Understanding what strong supplementals look like also helps students think about how to present their interests and experiences throughout the application process, not just in the essays themselves.
