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A Strong Vanderbilt Essay Example from an Accepted Student

Consistently ranked as one of the best schools in the nation, Vanderbilt University is world-renowned for exceptional academics. A top-tier reputation leads to a highly selective admissions process, so to get into Vanderbilt, you need more than just strong grades and test scores—you need stellar essays that set you apart from other academically excellent applicants.

In this post, we will share a real essay submitted by an accepted Vanderbilt student. We will go over what this essay did well, and where there is room for improvement.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Read our Vanderbilt essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Essay Example – The Power of Story

At an intersection in Oakwood, an elderly Asian man walks on the sidewalk. Behind him, a man in a black hoodie follows. Without warning, the man in the black hoodie pushes the Asian man to the ground, his face landing flat against the sidewalk, motionless.

Pausing the video, I watch my friends’ faces flicker between confusion, anger, and hurt. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes became personally painful for my Asian American friends. We encountered news of elderly Asian Americans violently thrashed and berated with slurs. But beyond our circle, conversations about these occurrences were absent. And despite the South Asian community being relatively safe from these crimes, I shared the sobs of my friends.

A few years ago, I joined a nonprofit that empowers minorities to be civically engaged citizens. Engaging with this group of passionate individuals, I was inspired by their unrelenting dedication to improving others’ lives through community-building.

Eager to foster solidarity among Reno’s AAPI community in light of these tragedies, we pioneered a march against hate, where we invited student speakers to share their stories of racial discrimination. Listening to my peers’ journeys, from finding confidence as an immigrant to navigating implicit bias in the classroom, I became captivated by the power of story.

Bonding over the commonality in our journeys and in our activism, I yearn to persist in championing the use of dialogue to build community in the face of adversity at Vanderbilt.

What the Essay Did Well

This “Extracurricular Essay” does a great job of telling a story. The beginning draws the reader in by including details like “ an intersection in Oakwood ,” and “ a man in a black hoodie ,” to help us visualize the scene. In the next paragraph, we realize that we are watching this situation through the eyes of the student. By first providing readers with the terrible situation directly, the student arouses our own emotions, which allows us to immediately understand the student’s shock and anger once we realize we are actually in their shoes.

The second paragraph goes on to provide good background on the student’s personal connection to the situation, which allows readers to understand their motivation for engaging in the extracurriculars described in the third and fourth paragraphs. By showing us the pain their friends felt (“ I watch my friends’ faces flicker between confusion, anger, and hurt ”) and explaining that this issue was at the forefront of their mind, but ignored by many others (“ But beyond our circle, conversations about these occurrences were absent ”), we get a tangible sense of the student’s connection to the issue.

Then, the essay shifts to discussing the student’s extracurricular activity. The point of this kind of essay is to help admissions officers see that you are involved in your activities to grow and learn about the world, rather than pad your resume. Because the student took the time to explain their passion for AAPI activism and demonstrate their compassion for others in the previous paragraph, we can clearly see that this nonprofit is genuinely meaningful to them.

Finally, although this essay just asks about an extracurricular, this student was still able to infuse elements of their personality into the essay in the way they told it. From the details included, we know this student is compassionate, an activist, and values justice and diversity. Being able to show the reader all that without telling us these aspects of their personality outright makes for an engaging, informative essay.

What Could Be Improved

The biggest thing this essay needs to improve is the shift in focus from the cultural context of the first two paragraphs to the student’s involvement in the extracurricular itself. Right now, that transition is rather abrupt, so although the topics are related, the reader is left to tie them together on their own.

For example, while the detail in the introduction describing the instance of hate is captivating, in such a short essay, that space could be used much more wisely. A better hook would immediately place the reader in the extracurricular activity, possibly like this:

“ STOP ASIAN HATE. PROTECT ASIAN LIVES. I AM NOT INVISIBLE. Hundreds of cardboard signs blocked out the strong Reno sun, the feeling of change hanging in the air. My throat sore and mouth parched after hours of chanting, I couldn’t help but smile knowing that we made this march possible. ”

With this introduction placing the reader in the middle of the action (a technique called “in medias res”), the rest of the essay could then be spent providing more details about what the student did as a part of the nonprofit. They tell us they “ pioneered a march against hate, where we invited student speakers to share their stories of racial discrimination,” but a stronger extracurricular essay would delve into the specific role the student played in planning these events.

Similarly, rather than ending the third paragraph by just telling the reader that they became “ captivated by the power of story ” through listening to others, this student could have demonstrated how that power tangibly affected their own actions, by adding a sentence along the lines of:

“ Inspired by the stories I had heard, I encouraged my friends to submit their own stories as opinion pieces to our school newspaper, while I created flyers for the march that included photos of myself as a child, to humanize our movement .” Notice how this version both shows us what the student did and provides more insight into their character.

With a word count this low, you need to understand exactly what the prompt is asking for, and make sure everything you say is helping provide that. Background context is important, but if the prompt is asking about your extracurriculars, most of the essay should be dedicated to your actual involvement in the extracurricular.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay

Do you want feedback on your Vanderbilt essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

What Vanderbilt Admissions Officers Look for in Essays

Beautiful casual student using laptop indoors.

If Vanderbilt University, also known as Vandy, is one of your top-choice schools, you may be wondering how to craft your admissions essay to help you stand out. Vanderbilt is incredibly selective, so they look for students who demonstrate what they can contribute to the diverse campus community academically and otherwise. Your response to these essays contributes to the holistic review of your application, so it’s important to put a lot of thought into them.

Keep reading for more information about the Vanderbilt essays and some strategies for writing them, including tips from one of our IvyWise counselors.

What Are the Vanderbilt Essays?

When you apply to Vanderbilt, you can expect to write at least two essays — additional essays are required if you apply for scholarships. The first essay is a response to one of the personal essay prompts on the Common App, Coalition Application , or QuestBridge, and the second is a response to one of two supplemental essay questions that are unique to Vanderbilt University . First-year and transfer students will have different personal essay prompts, but the supplemental essay prompts are the same for both.

The Vanderbilt supplemental essay is designed for the admissions committee to get to know you on a deeper level and gain a better understanding of how you’ll fit in on campus. It’s important that your essay does not repeat information that admissions readers will find elsewhere in your application. However, it is in short answer format, so it needs to pack a punch.

How to Write The Supplemental Essay Prompt for Vanderbilt

Unlike your personal essay from the Common App, Coalition Application , or QuestBridge — which is sent to every school you apply to — the supplemental essay prompts are exclusive to Vanderbilt University, allowing you to tailor your response to Vandy’s unique culture. IvyWise Master College Admissions Counselor and former Admissions Officer at Vanderbilt University , Carolyn , shares these tips for writing the supplemental essay:

Develop content ideas for both of the essay prompts, then decide which of the drafted topics would add the most new and positive information to your application.
Regardless of which prompt you choose, answer the provided questions directly and completely.
Draft a response that is close to the word limit (250) without going over.
Avoid repeating any information that is already evident from the other pieces of your application.
Get straight to the point , and include as much information in this small space as you can.
Proofread your final draft meticulously before submitting.
Remember that the supplemental essays are opportunities to add new and helpful information to your profile, but they are not nearly as important as the academic pieces of your application (such as your transcript and test score). In other words, make it good, but don’t spend too much time stressing out over it.

2022–2023 Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays — Analyzed

This prompt is meant to assess how willing you are to engage with people who have opposite viewpoints from yours. Identify a time you had a difficult conversation with someone about a polarizing topic. Focus on the impact this conversation had on you — if you walked away with a better understanding of their perspective or learned a better approach to having these types of conversations. Tie this into Vanderbilt’s culture of valuing and celebrating diverse perspectives.

Prompt #2

Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.

This is a standard prompt about extracurriculars. In fact, you may see similar prompts on other college applications — but if you repurpose your answer, remember to change the name of the school! Choose an activity for this essay that you haven’t already mentioned in your personal statement. It must be meaningful to you, and you should be able to discuss how this activity helped you grow. For example, did it teach you leadership skills or direct you toward a new purpose and /or passion? Connect this example to what you hope to contribute to the Vanderbilt community.

How to Answer Vanderbilt Scholarship Essays?

If you’re applying for any of Vanderbilt’s merit-based scholarships, you will need to write an additional essay for each one. The Vanderbilt scholarship essay prompts for fall 2023 admissions give you a good idea of what to expect, though the prompts are subject to change each year.

Based on her experience reading applications for Vanderbilt, IvyWise Counselor, Carolyn, offers these scholarship essay tips:

Do your research on each of the three scholarship programs — Ingram Scholars, Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholars, and Chancellor’s Scholars — and apply only to the program(s) for which you think you would be a strong fit.
If you think you would be a strong fit for one of the more focused merit awards — Carell Family, Curb Leadership, or Fred Russell-Grantland Rice — submit an application for the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship, through which you will be considered for all other available awards.
Do not reuse essays or ideas from your Common Application. The scholarship committee will have access to both your scholarship and Common App essays.
If you are applying for the Ingram Scholars Program, make sure your passion for business, philanthropy, and innovation are evident in all of your scholarship essay responses, as well as in the various pieces of your Common Application.
If you are applying for the Chancellor’s Scholarship, make sure your passion for and experience in bridging gaps across various communities within your school is evident in your scholarship essay response, as well as the various pieces of your Common Application.
Submit both your admission and scholarship applications early (ideally by early November), even if you are applying Regular Decision.
Make sure your essays respond directly and completely to the given prompt and come close to the word limits without going over.

How Long Should My Vanderbilt Essay Be?

For the supplemental application essay prompts, your response should be approximately 250 words. It can be a challenge to write a meaningful essay with such a limited word count, so it’s important to be as informative, focused, and concise as possible.

The scholarship essays have varying requirements for word length — anywhere from 250 to 2,500 words depending on which scholarship you’re applying for:

Ingram Scholars Program: 250 – 500 words
Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship: 500 words
Chancellor’s Scholarship Program: 500 words
Curb Leadership Scholarship: 2,500 words maximum
Fred Russell-Grantland Rice Scholarship: no limit specified, but 10 published sports journalism samples must be included

Can I Get Into Vanderbilt With Low Stats but Good Essays and Extracurriculars?

Vandy is among the most selective schools in the U.S., so when considering how to get into Vanderbilt , your academic performance in high school will matter more than your college essays and extracurriculars. They receive thousands of applications each year and have an acceptance rate of approximately 7%.

More than 90% of the students who are accepted graduate with in the top 10% of their high school class and tend to have high standardized test scores. As a prospective student, you would also need to submit a letter of recommendation from your guidance counselor and two from teachers who can speak to your academic abilities.

Is Vanderbilt on your college list ? It can be difficult to gain admission, but our expert counselors are available to help you present yourself as a compelling and desirable applicant. All of o ur IvyWise counselors have worked as admissions officers at some of the top schools in the U.S., so they know how to help you stand out. Schedule an Initial Consultation today to see how we can help you gain admission to your top-choice schools.

Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

July 25, 2023

With an acceptance rate of just 5.6% for the 2023-24 entering class, Vanderbilt has become one of the more selective schools in the United States. It’s easy for prospective applicants who can claim a 99th percentile score and a position near the top of their high school class to feel overly confident when applying to a university of this ilk. Yet, it is critical to realize that, in 2023, the median SAT at Vandy is over 1500, and just about every admitted student finished near the top of their high school class. This brings us to the topic of this blog – the Vanderbilt supplemental essays.

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

When applying to Vanderbilt, you can’t just rely on your fabulous grades and test scores to carry you toward an eventual acceptance letter. You need those credentials, of course, but you also need to pour every ounce of effort into other components of the application in order to separate yourself in the eyes of the admissions committee. The Common App and supplemental essay present just that opportunity.

Below are Vanderbilt’s supplemental essays for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with our advice for composing a winning essay. Note: Applicants only pick one of the two prompts.

Vanderbilt Supplemental Essay Prompt – Choice #1

Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity (Eminem beat starts to ramp up)…While many highly-selective colleges offer two, three, or even more supplemental prompts, Vandy only offers this single essay (that you choose from between two options). They don’t ask about your role in a community, overcoming an obstacle, a list of every book you read this year, or what a particular quote from the 19th century means to you—they just want you to briefly discuss one activity or work experience. So, the question is, how to make your response to such a basic prompt really count?

Here are a few considerations for you to mull over as you begin the prewriting process:

Start this process by asking yourself, “What is the most interesting and consequential moment that I have experienced in one of my extracurricular activities?” If you can identify one clear-cut moment, that is likely the activity worth sharing with the Vanderbilt admissions staff.
With this prompt, Vanderbilt is not necessarily asking you to write about the activity where you earned the most prestigious awards. Nor the activity where you held the highest position of leadership. The university is going to see all of your activities in that section of the Common App. As such, you want to ask yourself which of your entries is crying out for more explanation and detail?
Which activity is closest to your heart and most representative of your unique passions? Pick the option that will allow you to deliver additional detail that may be memorable to the admissions reader.

Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays (Continued)

There are no wrong answers to this prompt, but there are unhelpful ways to approach it. For example, you decide to write about a two-week summer program at Rice University, not because it was life-changing and contained a meaningful and revealing story about your life, but because you think it will impress Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, you pass up the chance to talk about working at Dairy Queen where you got to meet people from all walks of life and learned a ton about the human experience. Just because DQ doesn’t sound as “prestigious” as a Rice summer program, doesn’t mean you should shy away from it.

Again, the admissions office is going to see all of your activities and honors in the Common App. This 250-word piece should be about telling an authentic story that reads like more than just an expanded description of your most “impressive” high school activity.

Required Essay Prompt – Choice #2

The U.S. presently finds itself in an extreme state of polarization. There seems to be little agreement even as to what constitutes “truth” or “facts”. Within this divided world, it can be hard for individuals with competing viewpoints to engage in civil and productive dialogue. Here, Vanderbilt is giving you the chance to show that you are an open-minded, intellectually curious, truth-seeking young person. Illustrate how you are willing to converse with people holding opposing positions on topics of great importance to you. One key thing to remember when addressing this prompt is that you don’t have to be the hero of the anecdote. In fact, you may be one who learned to expand your thinking.

How important are the Vanderbilt supplemental essays?

The essays (both the Common App essay and supplemental essay) are “very important” to the Vanderbilt admissions committee . This places them in the same category as: GPA, standardized test scores, class rank, the rigor of your secondary school record, extracurriculars, and character/personal qualities. In short, the Vanderbilt supplemental essays are among the most important factors to the University when evaluating your application.

Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

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

College Essay

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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Want to see your chances of admission at Vanderbilt University?

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

Vanderbilt University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt short response.

Please select one of the following short answer 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?

How To Write The Vanderbilt Supplemental Essay + Examples

Picutre of a girl in black dress sitting at a picnic bench writing her Vanderbilt supplemental essay

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 4/25/24

If you need help writing the Vanderbilt supplemental essay, read this guide to learn everything you need to know about it, including essay prompts and examples!

You may feel pressured before applying because of Vanderbilt’s competitive applicant pool. Don’t worry; everyone must start somewhere. If you need more assistance, read our comprehensive guide to getting into Vanderbilt University .

As you start building your college list , you must decide what you look for in a school. You must balance the college application process well and spend enough time on each school. If Vanderbilt is on your college list, read this article to learn how to write the Vanderbilt supplemental essay.

We will break down the question, share tips on answering the prompts, and provide examples of successful essays.

Vanderbilt University Supplemental Essay Prompts 2023-2024

In addition to the essay requirements for the Common, Coalition, and QuestBridge Apps, Vanderbilt has one required supplemental essay. Having to write one essay has its benefits and disadvantages. You can focus on your response and make it as excellent as possible. However, you may prefer to have more options to consider before writing.

The following prompts can be found on the Vanderbilt admissions page .

“Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own. How did these conversations/experiences influence you?”

“Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.”

Both of these supplemental essay prompts have a 250-word limit. Make sure you choose the essay prompts you know you can answer well!

How to Write Each Essay Prompt For Vanderbilt University

Female student sitting in bed typing on laptop

Here, we’ll cover how to write each essay prompt for Vanderbilt University.

How to Write Vanderbilt University Supplemental Essay #1 + Analysis and Tips

Vanderbilt University prompt #1 : “Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own. How did these conversations/experiences influence you?”

Analysis of prompt #1 : This prompt wants you to reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from yours. The prompt is looking at how you handle discussions with people with different viewpoints.

This prompt can also be considered a diversity essay, which Vanderbilt includes because the school values all walks of life.

Here are some tips to help you write this prompt:

1. Tip #1: Choose a Conversation : To choose the best conversation to talk about in your essay, ask yourself the following questions:

What are my beliefs and values?
How do others respond to these beliefs?
What is one belief I have that others contest or oppose?
How has this belief changed over time?
Has anyone influenced this belief?
What points of the opposition can I agree with?
Why is it important to discuss differing views on things?

Remember, you aren’t simply relaying a conversation with a friend to the committee. You’re explaining how you respond to opposing views, demonstrate respect for differences, and, most importantly, how you grow because of them!

2. Tip #2: Identify the Different Viewpoints : Clearly explain the contrasting viewpoints you encountered. Highlight the key differences between the viewpoints without judgment. You'll want to convey your ability to engage with diverse perspectives and how those interactions have shaped your thinking.

3. Tip #3: Highlight What You Learned : Explore how the conversation expanded your understanding of the topic. Discuss any new information or perspectives that you gained. Vanderbilt is looking to see if you’re willing to learn from opposing views, so if you learned anything from the conversation, make sure to add it!

How to Write Vanderbilt University Supplemental Essay #2 + Analysis and Tips

Vanderbilt University prompt #2 : “Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.”

Analysis of prompt #2 : This essay asks you to talk about one of your extracurriculars, so it should be an activity or experience that matters the most to you. Vanderbilt values extracurricular activity and emphasizes students having a balance when it comes to their academics.

1 . Tip #1: Choose an Extracurricular : Start with a self-reflection and brainstorming session instead. Put together a list of everything you do outside of your schoolwork, even if it’s not with a formal club or job. It may be an initiative you started, a volunteering experience, or an internship.

Your response should not list your extracurriculars since you have already done that in another part of your application.

2. Tip #2: Highlight Transferable Skills : Identify and highlight the skills you gained from the experience that are transferable to both academic and social settings. This could include teamwork, leadership, communication, or organizational skills.

3. Tip #3: Discuss Impact on Academic Performance : Explain how participating in the extracurricular activity or work experience positively impacted your academic performance. This could be through improved focus, discipline, or understanding of your learning style.

Examples of Vanderbilt University Supplemental Essays That Worked

Below, you’ll find some Vanderbilt University supplemental essays written by successful applicants who were admitted to the school! Let’s look at each one and discuss what worked about it.

Sample Essay #1

Prompt : “Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.”

“I never would’ve thought joining my school’s DECA chapter would catalyze my entrepreneurial aspirations. Yet, three years later and now a [POSITION] of said DECA chapter, I’ve channeled this ever-growing tenacity toward not only being a fierce competitor, but also a fierce leader. Aside from defining my high school experience, DECA has helped me find my place in school and given me the bigger-picture purpose necessary to help me develop into who I want to be, who I’ve already been all along: an entrepreneur.

As a freshman, I was daunted by the task of producing a business proposal that’d cover all aspects of a business, including financial statements I’d never even heard of before. However, I soon found myself thriving by taking on the role of a potential franchisee, working on each section of my business proposal separately and putting them together to watch my business grow on paper, like pieces of a puzzle fitting into place. Embroiled in the encapsulating realm of entrepreneurship, I was inspired by my first year in DECA to immerse myself in the world of business, seeking to involve myself in additional academic and real-world business-esque opportunities and experiences.

Within the chapter, I’ve made strides as an officer and now a [POSITION] to increase our member engagement and provide resources for members to help guide them through their business proposal construction process. Recently, tasked with the responsibility of building a chapter website, I’ve channeled my problem-solving and marketing skills gleaned from DECA into constructing an innovative platform that communicates our chapter’s mission, conveys important dates for meetings and competitions, displays samples of officers’ past proposals, as well as highlights Great Neck North DECA alumni.

With each new year, each new business proposal thrusts me into a new level of competition: from qualifying for the state competition as a timid freshman to qualifying for the international competition during my sophomore year to confidently presenting and defending my most recent business proposal as a competitor in the final round at the international competition during my junior year. Outside of competition, each new year in DECA has thrust me into a new level of exploration, personal growth, and mentorship as I continue to absorb as much business-related knowledge as possible while savoring my time in DECA as both a leader and a competitor, ultimately allowing me to flourish as both a student and a future entrepreneur.”

Why Essay #1 Worked

This is a great essay because the writer captures their feelings about joining DECA and how much it has impacted them. The essay also illustrates the DECA chapter’s mission, which helps showcase that the writer believes in it.

Sample Essay #2

“Driving intoxicated in the waning hours of the night, he recklessly swerves in and out of lanes until he finally loses control and rams his car into a tree. Save for a few cuts and bruises, he escapes unscathed. His sister’s lifeless body is discovered the morning after the crime–or was it a crime? The light knock of the gavel summons the courtroom to its feet; parents, teachers, coaches, spectators and competitors all stand as the single hour that months were spent preparing for commences.

Having not placed in the regional tournament in a decade, Mock Trial was regarded as little more than a team just barely keeping its head above water, far past its glory years when I first joined the school’s organization. My admiration for the club stretched far beyond simply checking my name off as a member–being content with mediocrity would have no place as long as I was on the team. And so to prevent it from disappearing into oblivion, I began with myself, spending hours learning, polishing and perfecting the skills necessary to succeed. With this, not only did I grow tremendously as an individual and a competitor, but I also gained the respect and admiration of my teammates, earning a leadership role.

Revamping the way Mock Trial operated quickly became a full time job. But, within a year, we were able to secure a spot in the top three of the regional tournament and lift the organization back into prominence. So when the trial starts, have no doubt that the top is the only place we aim. ‘Your honor, opposing counsel, and members of the jury….’ Show time.”

Why Essay #2 Worked

This essay immediately grabs your attention with a detailed reenactment of a crime scene that is a mock trial tournament. The student shows us what this extracurricular means and how they have grown alongside it. They are specific in their accomplishments within the activity, which is a great way to leave a lasting impression .

Get More Sample Essays Here!

Examining successful supplemental essays is an excellent method for uncovering effective strategies. Explore numerous samples in our comprehensive college essay database below to discover a wide range of examples!

Do you still have questions about the Vanderbilt supplemental essays? Below, we have frequently asked questions.

1. What Is Vanderbilt University’s Acceptance Rate?

Vanderbilt’s acceptance rate is 5.1% . Out of the 41,336 applicants in the 2024 cycle, only 1,512 were admitted.

2. How Is the Admissions Process for Vanderbilt University?

Vanderbilt uses a holistic admissions process , meaning one element does not make or break an application. The school considers all student evaluation factors, from test scores and grades to extracurricular activities and leadership roles.

3. What Kinds of Applications Can I Submit for Vanderbilt?

You can apply for Vanderbilt using the Common App, Coalition App, and QuestBridge program. Choose the right application system for you, as Vanderbilt has no preference. Carefully follow the instructions on their respective site.

4. What Are the Other Application Requirements for Vanderbilt?

Apart from the requirements of each application system, you must submit high school transcripts, a counselor's letter of recommendation, two teacher recommendations, and an application fee of $50. Fee waivers are available for qualified students, and standardized test scores are currently optional.

5. Are There Any Other Supplemental Materials for First-Year Applicants?

If you apply for Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, you must complete a separate application besides the Coalition or Common App. You must also submit at least one artistic recommendation, a headshot, a music resume, a repertoire list, and a pre-screening video. You can find more details on the Blair Admissions Page .

Final Thoughts

The Vanderbilt supplemental essay asks you to focus on an experience with opposing views or an extracurricular activity that matters to you, whether it be a school club, job, internship, or volunteer experience.

Since you only have one prompt to show the admissions committee your story, be thoughtful in your response and choose a topic that highlights your values and goals.

Writing an excellent essay is only one part of your application, so follow our ultimate guide on applying to Vanderbilt. Remember, the best essay is one where you can proudly share a meaningful conversation or activity that impacted your perspective for the better.

Focus on what you want to show the admissions committee, not what you think the committee wants to read. You will craft a stellar essay if you draw on your unique experiences.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 5 tips for writing a stellar vanderbilt supplement essay.

College Essays

Vanderbilt is one of the United States' highest-ranked colleges. With an acceptance rate of just 7 percent, it's ranked as extremely competitive . It's no surprise—Vanderbilt is known for having a wealth of appealing programs, including its school of medicine, the Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and Blair School of Music.

Because it's extremely competitive, you'll need to set yourself apart as a prospective student . That doesn't mean just your grades and impressive extracurriculars; it also means writing a killer essay to go along with your application.

In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know about Vanderbilt's supplemental essay, including some ideal topics, some pitfalls to avoid, and even some analysis of past Vanderbilt essays that have worked.

Feature Image: Dansan4444 /Wikimedia Commons

The Vanderbilt Supplement Basics

Vanderbilt's application is fairly straightforward. They accept multiple application formats, including both the Common and Coalition Applications, as well as Questbridge.

What application you use is up to you. There are many reasons to choose one or the other , but regardless of which application you pick, you'll still be writing just one supplemental essay prompt from Vanderbilt. Choose whichever application works best for you.

In addition to the essays required for your Common, Coalition, or Questbridge Application, Vanderbilt requires one supplemental essay. There are two promp ts to choose from; you’ll select one to respond to in a short answer essay of no more than 250 words.

However, having just one supplemental essay means that you'll need to put a lot of attention into making your essay as good as it can be. You only have one chance to prove yourself in your essay, so make it count!

What Are the Vanderbilt Supplement Essay Prompts?

Vanderbilt has two prompts for their supplemental essay. You’ll be asked to select one and respond to it in 250 words or less . The prompts are as follows:

Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own. How did these conversations/experiences influence you? Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.

Each prompt asks you to describe and reflect on a different aspect of your experiences and values, so we’ll break down how to answer them individually.

Supplemental Prompt #1: Diversity

In this prompt, Vanderbilt is asking you to describe how you interact with and learn from people who are different from yourself . College campuses are diverse communities filled with people of different races, ethnicities, nationalities, and religious and political beliefs. This essay is your chance to show Vanderbilt that you’re the kind of student who’s open to learning from and with people from many different backgrounds–and that you’ll be kind and compassionate in the process.

To answer this question, think of a specific conversation (or series of conversations) you’ve had with a person or group who expressed views that are different from your own. You’ll want to tell a compelling story about the experience, so try to remember details like how the conversation started, why the people involved felt invested in the conversation, what the outcome was, and, most importantly, how you were influenced by the conversation.

Rather than giving a play-by-play, “they said/I said” of the conversation, focus on describing how you and the other people involved expressed yourselves and treated each other . Did you have a shouting match in the hallway at school, then apologize later because you realized that yelling isn’t a good way to express your views? Did you have a heartfelt, tearful conversation wherein you finally came to understand someone you’ve been at odds with for years? And most important of all, how did you come to these realizations, and how have they affected who you are and how you treat people who are different from you today?

Remember to keep your essay focused on the people involved in the conversation , how you treated each other, and how you were affected by the interaction . This essay isn’t the place to harp on how you were right and you totally owned your opponent with your awesome debate skills. Instead, Vanderbilt wants to see that you can engage civilly and empathetically with people who are different from you –and that you’re open to learning new things from others. After all, learning and growing with people from different backgrounds is a key part of the college experience.

Supplemental Prompt #2: Extracurricular Activities

The question is straightforward—Vanderbilt is asking you to discuss one of your extracurriculars in depth. This doesn't just demonstrate to the admissions office that you're dedicated to your interest, but also that you have passions outside of school. Vanderbilt wants to know that you'll bring something besides academics to campus, and this is the space to tell them about it.

Keep in mind that Vanderbilt isn't looking for a list of activities or just a short discussion of one of your extracurriculars. They specifically ask for one, but you have 250 words to cover—which means you should spend some time unpacking not just the activity itself, but why you do it and why it matters to you. Be thoughtful; really think about your activities and why you do them beyond that they look good on your college application.

Don't just pick the extracurricular activity that you think Vanderbilt would want to hear about. If you're a champion Mathlete but you really feel fulfilled when you're making short films with your friends over the weekend, you should be writing about the short films. If your short film was played at a local film festival but you find more meaning in the time you spend knitting, write about knitting!

It's not about being impressive here. Plenty of other applicants will be discussing their charity work or science team victories. Use this space to discuss yourself, and why the things you do matter to you. If the most impressive thing in your repertoire and the thing that's most personally meaningful line up, great! But don't feel like you can only write about things like academic success, leadership roles, or entrepreneurship. Write about what's meaningful to you and Vanderbilt will see your personality—which is really what they're looking for—shine through.

Vanderbilt Essays That Worked: Analysis

To give you a sense of what an effective Vanderbilt supplemental essay looks like, we tracked down an example of a successful Vanderbilt essay.

Keep in mind that this is a response to an older prompt. However, it still gives you a good idea of what admissions counselors are looking for in a thoughtful response. Consider this essay from an admitted Vanderbilt student:

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (150-400 words). While all my extracurricular activities have helped me shape my values, there is one in particular I have enjoyed the most: picking tangerines from my grandmother’s orchard. Picking tangerines was often to me simply a burden. I had to wake up at six every Saturday and drive fifty miles to help my grandmother reap good tangerines. On the whole ride I would think to myself: I would rather be reading poetry and ponder upon ways to change the world. As far as I was concerned, reaping tangerines was not going to help me do so. The orchard belonged to my grandmother, who to save money had to “hire” me and my mom. There was no wage; the only working benefit was being able to taste a few fresh tangerines for free. At age thirteen, such benefit was enough. At seventeen, I was not so sure if it was. Working at the orchard usually involved scratches, itching, worms, climbing up the ladder, getting hurt, and demanding, long hours of physical labor. But as I worked through the years with tangerines, I began to recognize all the beauty my labor had. Everything in the orchard began telling their own stories. A tiny, pruned tree took pride in its small fruition, all the while a chunky tree demanded attention for its crooked children. Their offspring–tangerines–told by their taste who their trees were; some of them edgy, some of them warm, and some of them implicitly angry. Bugs would tell me which tree needs my help. No tree is without a hope. Within a few days of assistance, all the trees fought back those tiny enemies and always claimed victory. They became ever more proud, stronger, and complete. Enemies came back; but this time the trees didn’t need my help. Some tangerines would go bad–in extreme cases would give up under negligence. We grieve. But we simply carry on. We learn to proceed more carefully, and we let go. The orchard is for me a story of life–human life. It makes all the complications of our lives more simple, easier to grasp, and more available at my tongue, hands and feet. So as of right now, my Saturday is always booked for the orchard. I hope by next year this time around, however, my orchard will be at Vanderbilt.

This essay was successful--the applicant was accepted at Vanderbilt! The fact that it was successful shows you that it contains features that Vanderbilt likes to see.

The writer of this essay discusses the unconventional “education” they received while working in their grandmother’s tangerine orchard. This topic is striking because it’s an extracurricular/work experience that few other applicants have likely had. The applicant’s creative interpretation of “extracurricular activities or work experience” from the prompt makes their essay stand out from others that discuss more common experiences.

Not everybody had this same experience, but that doesn't mean that you can't use some of the same ideas in your own work. The writer draws a clear line between their experience working the orchard and the person they are now—you could do a similar thing by connecting the person you are with the activity you've chosen to write about. What have you learned about yourself because of what you do?

The writer is also able to connect what they learned through working the orchard to the kind of student they will be at Vanderbilt. By drawing an analogy between the tangerine trees and the challenges we go through in life, the applicant conveys their core values. More importantly, they write about where those values come from—something you could easily do by referencing the importance of the activity you choose.

What's most important to take away from this essay is the way that the writer connects the experience of working the orchard to the person they became. No matter what your education was or what activity you choose to write about, you can do a similar thing in your own essay!

5 Key Tips for Writing Your Vanderbilt Essay

Vanderbilt is a prestigious school, but there are some essay standards that hold true no matter where you're applying . Follow these steps to write an essay that's sure to impress!

#1: Start Writing

Starting is the step that sounds the easiest, but it's actually the hardest. No matter what you have to do to start writing, whether it's freewriting, brainstorming, or just pumping out a first draft as fast as you can, you need to do it. At this point, don't worry about quality or being impressive. Just get words down on paper so that you can edit them into shape later— if you spend too much time worrying about starting with a perfect beginning, you'll never make it past that point.

Step two is when you can start worrying about quality. Read your essay aloud and see if you can spot problems with word choice and flow. If you're struggling to read it, change words and add punctuation as necessary.

Also think about your overall point. Does it make sense? Are you able to trace your logic all the way through without a problem? If not, find ways to connect your thoughts from beginning to end.

Be thorough in cutting extraneous words. 250 words isn't a lot, and you'll want to make sure you're making your essay count by picking vibrant, active verbs and clear language. Don't worry about being flowery or busting out the thesaurus, but do be sure that your wording doesn't feel tired or dull.

#3: Seek Feedback

One of the best ways to find holes in your logic or other issues in your essay is to get others to give you feedback. Find people who want to see you succeed, but preferably not those who aren't going to give you criticism if you need it. Teachers and other mentors are a good choice, if they're available.

Don't feel like you have to use every piece of feedback you receive, but do consider all of it. Your essay should always be your own work, so try to rephrase suggestions in your own words or rewrite confusing passages how you would write them, not how others suggest.

#4: Take a Break

With deadlines looming and other essays to write, it may be tempting to just rush through after getting feedback and fix everything. But take some time away from your essay, focusing on other college application duties or on other things entirely. Anywhere from a couple days to weeks to months can be good for improving your essay, though do leave yourself time to revise.

Taking a break lets your mind forget what you've already written, so that when you come back to revise you do so with fresh eyes. This way, you can see holes in your logic or places where your language isn't as tight as it could be. You'll never be able to completely shed your attachment to your essay, but spending some time away from it can give you a whole new outlook on your work!

Now that you've had some time away and you have notes to incorporate, it's time to revise. Revision can be something you do multiple times, combing through your essay for errors and places to strengthen it, but eventually you are going to have to turn it in. Don't get caught up in perfection—focus on making your essay the best you can. Check it for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors to be sure it's clean and easy to read, and send it off!

What's Next?

Starting your essay is often the hardest part. If you're unsure where to begin, check out this guide to starting a college essay perfectly , and don't be afraid to just dive right in!

A good essay is just one part of a successful Vanderbilt application . If you want to really wow the admissions office, be sure your grades and test scores are up to snuff, too!

Vanderbilt University may not be an Ivy League school, but that doesn't mean your application can't be Ivy League-ready. Use these tips for getting into Harvard to shape your college application, and you'll have no problem getting into any school you choose!

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:

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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Vanderbilt University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1

You Have:

Vanderbilt University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

Vanderbilt decided to keep it short and sweet, so we’ll follow suit. A one-question supplement means you’ve got one shot at perfection. No pressure, though.

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Activity , Diversity

Please select one of the following short answer prompts in approximately 250 words: *

Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you. .

This is a standard activity essay, much like the prompts of Brown , Tulane , and University of Michigan . So here’s the assignment: tell admissions something they don’t already know about you. When you pick your activity, make sure it doesn’t appear in other essays you’ve written (like your Common App personal statement, for example). This is a perfect opportunity to showcase leadership skills, extracurricular interests, or personal values. So choose an activity that is meaningful to you and through which you have grown in tangible ways (getting promoted) or intangible ways (learning the value of compassion). Oh, and that 250-word limit means you could easily recycle an activity essay you’ve written for another school. Just make sure you swap out any institution-specific details before you hit submit!

Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own. How did these conversations/experiences influence you?

Engaging others in meaningful conversations about important issues can be daunting. It can also be insightful or, unfortunately, polarizing. Vanderbilt wants to know about a time when you interacted with someone whose beliefs were different from your own. So think back to identify a time when you had a conversation with friends, family, or even mere acquaintances about a difficult topic. Maybe you challenged your uncle when he dismissed your concerns about climate change. Did you leave the conversation with a better understanding of his point of view? Were you able to effectively communicate your perspective? If you were to converse with someone on this topic again in the future, what would you do or say differently?

You don’t need to have changed anyone’s mind to impress admissions here. You just need to show that you’re not afraid to speak up about issues that matter to you or communicate with those who have different opinions than your own. Vandy will present you with plenty of opportunities to meet and engage with people who are very different from you, so show admissions that you’re willing to have the hard talks.

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Vanderbilt University Merit Scholarship Essay Guide

In this Vanderbilt University merit scholarship essay guide, I will discuss some tips and tricks on how to respond to the 2020-2021 Vanderbilt University merit scholarship essays. Please keep in mind that you cannot apply to the Blair School of Music via the QuestBridge application. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

For the Vanderbilt University Supplementary Essay Guide, click here .

Ingram Scholars Program

1. e. bronson ingram was known for his innovation in both the business world and through his philanthropic efforts. describe how you think innovation is best approached and how you have incorporated these principles into your own endeavors. in so doing, also describe how you will approach creating greater opportunities at the intersection of entrepreneurship and high impact philanthropy (250 to 500 words).

Part of the battle with this merit scholarship essay is that there are a lot of points to cover in 500 words or less. As you draft this essay, you should ensure that you are answering all three components of the prompt. The other part of the battle is understanding what “innovation” means to you. No one expects you to have found the cure to cancer or to have invented a device that stops global warming. Innovation can be finding a unique way to approach an everyday problem or identifying an issue and developing a method to address it.

As you write this essay, it would also be valuable to do some research on E. Bronson Ingram so you understand his approach to entrepreneurship and philanthropy. You do not necessarily need to include your findings; however, this research can help you understand characteristics that the Ingram Scholars Program values at Vanderbilt University.

2. Explore what you think it means for individuals AND businesses to, “serve the common good.” How might these commitments inform your personal career aspirations? (250 to 500 words)

When you explain your perspective on how both individuals and businesses should serve the common good, I recommend demonstrating your position through examples rather than a series of statements.

When you discuss the individual component, share an example of how you have demonstrated your belief throughout your own experiences.

When you discuss the business component, perhaps include an example of a specific company that showcases your position. This can then lead you into a discussion of your career goals. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do; however, you can discuss characteristics you value in your future career beyond Vanderbilt University.

3. Describe a civic/community service project in which you have been involved that you believe may be scaled to greater benefit. In so doing, focus primarily on how that scaling could be achieved. (250 to 500 words)

With this prompt, briefly discuss the premise of your project while focusing on three or four characteristics that are vital for scaling the project to yield greater benefit. Depending on the project at hand, characteristics may include (but are not limited to) improving effectiveness, efficiency, and transmission to individuals. By focusing on a few characteristics, you have more space to better communicate how the scaling should be approached, while showcasing what you think is important to focus on when attempting to achieve more benefit.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship

Answer only one. If you are applying to more than one school, answer the question for your first-choice school only.

1. For applicants to the School of Engineering, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and Blair School of Music: Recognizing that you have applied to a focused area of study, please comment on the reasons you are interested in your chosen academic program. In this context, discuss personal experiences, goals, and interests that relate to your choice of major. Please limit your response to 500 words.

The key to answering this scholarship essay prompt is to simply share the journey (past, present, and future) that led you to apply to the school of your choice. Since you are applying to a specific school, the admission committee just wants to make sure you have thoroughly thought about your decision.

To strengthen your essay, you can include specific information on aspects of Vanderbilt’s programs that interest you. However, do not only focus only on what Vanderbilt University can do for you. Use your journey and perspective to communicate how you can add to the community as well.

2. For applicants to the College of Arts and Science: The College of Arts and Science is a liberal arts school committed to introducing every student to a broad range of subjects in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. How will you embrace the breadth of courses offered by the College of Arts and Science? How will this fit into your academic journey or life’s passions? Please limit your response to 500 words.

The best way to approach this merit scholarship essay is to get familiar with the broad range of classes that the Vanderbilt University College of Arts and Science has to offer. Based on your current interests and academic goals, it is valuable to find specific classes that could potentially support your exploration. For example, you may be a pre-medical student that plans to major in Biology and take a majority of classes in natural sciences, however, you can find classes in both social sciences and humanities that will help you grow as a future medical professional.

Chancellor’s Scholarship program

1. create a chart listing activities in which you have participated or actions you have taken that show your commitment to building a strong high school community by bridging gaps between economically, socially, and racially diverse groups. for each listing, please include the following information: activity, role, responsibilities, years of involvement, hours spent on project..

As stated in the essay prompt, this is a simple chart listing your activities. Include only the activities related to the mission of the scholarship. Your complete activity chart from your admission file is part of the review.

2. The values promoted by the Chancellor’s Scholarship are leadership, scholarship, diversity, and citizenship. Please describe how one of your activities from the list above has contributed to your understanding of these values. Please limit your response to 500 words.

By now, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been emphasizing sharing stories and examples rather than broad statements. A story better communicates your understanding and development, especially of the four values discussed in this prompt. You may not have the word count to share four different stories to address each value independently. Instead, you can share one or two anecdotes, then briefly highlight how they showcase your interpretation of these values.

I would also do some research on the Chancellor’s Scholarship itself in order to determine why these four values are important and to better grasp the purpose of this merit scholarship essay.

For the next two merit scholarships, you are encouraged to also submit the application for Cornelius Vanderbilt merit scholarship to ensure consideration.

Curb Leadership Scholarship

1. tell a story using a collection of 7 items that demonstrate how you have combined your creativity, entrepreneurship, and leadership talents to create a positive contribution to your family, school, or community. you may include in your document additional links or images that demonstrate creativity in action. please limit your response to 2,500 words or less..

While this merit scholarship essay emphasizes creativity, a good thing to keep in mind is that your 7 items do not need to be special or complex contraptions. They can be everyday objects or symbols, ones that can help communicate your story of positive contribution. Furthermore, the prompt says to limit your response to 2,500 words; however, you are not obligated to use all that space.

Fred Russel-Grantland Rice Scholarship

1. please explain how you plan to use your vanderbilt experience to develop your anticipated career in sports journalism. include no more than 10 published samples of your work within your document. (no word count included).

Similar to the Cornelius Vanderbilt merit scholarship essay prompts, it is important to do research on the Vanderbilt experience (academics, extracurricular activities, special programs, etc.) to guide your response. With the opportunity to share samples of your own work, think about how your previous experiences can help to enhance your experience at Vanderbilt University.

This Vanderbilt University Merit Scholarship essay guide was written by Rashmi Bharadwaj , Vanderbilt University ‘21. If you want to get help writing your Vanderbilt application essays or Vanderbilt University merit scholarship essays from Rashmi or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

By Eric Eng

The Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 offer applicants a platform to delve deeper into their aspirations and fit with the university. While seemingly daunting, these essays provide a golden opportunity for students to showcase facets of their personality and experiences that might not be evident in other parts of their application.

What are the Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays 2023-2024?

Vanderbilt University, nestled in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, is renowned for its commitment to fostering a diverse and vibrant community of scholars. The Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 play a pivotal role in this mission.

For the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, Vanderbilt University has crafted prompts emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives and the interplay between academic and extracurricular experiences in shaping an individual’s worldview.

Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences and respect for alternative views and voices are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from yours. How did these conversations/experiences influence you?” This question encourages applicants to reflect on their interactions with individuals holding divergent opinions, emphasizing the transformative power of such dialogues.
Vanderbilt offers a community where students balance their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you. Through this question, the university seeks insights into how non-academic experiences have shaped the applicant’s character, values, and aspirations.

These essays are not mere afterthoughts or additional hoops for applicants. Instead, they are integral components of the application that allow the admissions committee to understand each applicant holistically.

Students can articulate their passions through these essays, discuss their most transformative experiences, and elucidate how they envision contributing to the Vanderbilt community. Essentially, these essays breathe life into the black-and-white statistics of grades and test scores, painting a vivid picture of the individual behind the numbers.

The college application process is a unique blend of introspection and projection, where students reflect on their past experiences and envision their future trajectories. The Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 are designed to facilitate this introspective journey, allowing applicants to delve deep into their narratives and share stories that resonate with the university’s values.

The Word Limit and Format Expectations for Each Prompt

In its quest to ensure depth and clarity in responses, Vanderbilt University has set a word limit for each supplemental essay prompt. Applicants are expected to respond to both questions, each answer being approximately 250 words long.

This word count, while concise, provides ample space for students to offer detailed reflections and share meaningful anecdotes. Adhering to this word limit is crucial, as it demonstrates an applicant’s ability to express thoughts succinctly and shows respect for the guidelines set by the university.

In terms of format, the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 should be structured with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, ensuring a coherent flow of ideas. Using specific examples and personal narratives can make the essays more compelling and relatable, allowing the admissions committee to better understand the applicant’s perspective.

View of a student using her laptop while writing.

How to Write the Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays

Essay prompt #1:.

Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences and respect for alternative views and voices are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from yours. How did these conversations/experiences influence you?

One of the most intriguing prompts revolves around the theme of diverse perspectives. Vanderbilt University seeks students who recognize the value of contrasting viewpoints and engage with them meaningfully in a world increasingly characterized by polarization. Writing an essay on this topic requires introspection, authenticity, and a clear understanding of the nuances of the prompt.

Understanding the Prompt

The diverse perspectives prompt for the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 calls for reflection on interactions with individuals with different viewpoints. At its core, the question seeks to understand how these interactions influenced the applicant’s thinking and personal growth.

It’s not merely about recounting a conversation; it’s about delving deep into the transformative power of such dialogues. Vanderbilt values a community where differences are tolerated and celebrated as catalysts for growth and innovation. Thus, applicants should approach this essay focusing on personal evolution, showcasing how exposure to alternative views has enriched their understanding and broadened their horizons.

Brainstorming Your Response

Embarking on the brainstorming journey for the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 requires a dive into past experiences. Begin by listing interactions or conversations that challenged your beliefs or introduced you to a new perspective.

It could be a discussion with a foreign exchange student, a debate with a friend on a contentious issue, or even an enlightening conversation with a family member from a different generation. Reflect on the emotions these interactions evoked, the internal conflicts they might have triggered, and the resolutions or realizations you arrived at. The goal is to identify a moment that exemplifies engagement with diverse viewpoints and highlights personal growth and transformation.

Narrative Approach : Start with a specific story of when you engaged with someone whose views differed from yours. Maybe it was a classroom debate, a community meeting, or an online forum. Describe the setting, the topic of discussion, and the key points of contrast. Then, reflect on what you learned from the experience, how it challenged or changed your views, and how it helped you grow intellectually or personally.
Thematic Approach : Instead of focusing on a single encounter, you might discuss a recurring theme in your life—perhaps your experiences growing up in a diverse community or attending a school with a culture of debate. Explain how regular exposure to differing opinions has shaped your approach to learning and engagement with complex issues.
Transformative Event : Reflect on a particular event or moment that caused a significant shift in your perspective. This could be a volunteer experience, an international trip, a significant book or film, or an encounter with someone from a different cultural or socioeconomic background. Discuss how this event or interaction opened your eyes to new viewpoints and influenced your thinking.
Academic Perspective : If an academic subject has exposed you to diverse viewpoints, describe how studying this field has influenced your understanding of the world. Whether it’s history, literature, or science, discuss how learning from different schools of thought within the discipline has enriched your education.
Extracurricular Engagement : Perhaps you’ve been involved in an extracurricular activity—like Model United Nations, debate club, or a cultural organization—that has immersed you in diverse viewpoints. Describe how participating in these activities has influenced your perspective.
Personal Relationships : Sometimes, the most profound learning comes from personal relationships. You might talk about a friendship or family relationship that has exposed you to new ways of thinking. Reflect on how these personal connections have influenced your views.
Professional or Internship Experience : Discuss any work or internship experiences where you faced differing viewpoints, perhaps in a team setting or with clients/customers. Explain how navigating these professional relationships helped you understand the importance of diverse perspectives in problem-solving and innovation.
Challenge and Resolution : Write about a time when you were initially resistant to a different viewpoint but, through dialogue and reflection, came to a resolution or compromise. This could demonstrate your ability to be flexible and your commitment to learning from others.

Structuring Your Answer

A well-structured response is pivotal in conveying your narrative effectively. Start with an introduction that sets the stage for the interaction, providing context and hinting at its significance .

The essay’s body should delve into the details of the conversation, emphasizing the contrasting viewpoints and the challenges they presented. Highlight introspection, realization, or transformation moments, showcasing how the interaction influenced your perspective.

Conclude by connecting the dots, summarizing the personal growth resulting from the experience , and elucidating how this growth aligns with Vanderbilt’s ethos of valuing diverse perspectives.

Remember, the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 are about recounting experiences and showcasing the journey of growth they catalyzed.

Essay Prompt #2:

Vanderbilt offers a community where students balance their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.

In today’s multifaceted educational landscape, it’s not just about what you learn in the classroom but also about how you apply that knowledge outside of it and how those external experiences, in turn, enrich your academic journey. Crafting an essay on this topic requires a deep dive into one’s narrative, highlighting moments where academic and extracurricular worlds seamlessly intertwine.

The prompt for the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 that focuses on the symbiosis between academic and extracurricular experiences seeks to uncover the multifaceted nature of the applicant. Vanderbilt University recognizes that authentic learning extends beyond the confines of a classroom.

The prompt invites applicants to showcase how their extracurricular activities or work experiences have complemented and enhanced their academic journey. Whether it’s a research project inspired by a community service experience or leadership skills honed in a club that proved invaluable during group projects, the university is keen to understand how students bridge the gap between formal education and real-world application.

To craft a compelling response for the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024, start by listing significant extracurricular activities or work experiences. Reflect on moments where these experiences directly influenced your academic pursuits.

Perhaps a challenging problem in your robotics club gave you insights into your physics class. Maybe a literature course inspired you to write and direct a play. Or, possibly, a summer internship provided practical context to theoretical concepts discussed in lectures.

The aim is to identify experiences that best exemplify the symbiotic relationship between your academic and extracurricular worlds, showcasing a seamless integration of knowledge and application. When crafting a response to this prompt, you should focus on demonstrating personal growth, skill development, and how the experience has prepared you for a balanced academic and social life at Vanderbilt. Here are various ways to approach your answer:

Leadership Role in an Organization : Discuss how taking on a leadership role, such as club president or team captain, taught you time management, responsibility, and teamwork. Explain how balancing these duties with your academic work has prepared you for the university environment.
Volunteering Experience : Share a volunteering experience that has impacted you. Perhaps working with underprivileged children or assisting in a soup kitchen helped you develop empathy, cultural sensitivity, and an understanding of social issues, which you’ll bring into your life at Vanderbilt.
Part-time Job : If you’ve held a part-time job, talk about how it has instilled a strong work ethic in you, taught you financial responsibility, and how you’ve learned to juggle work with school and leisure, a skill you’ll carry into your college life.
Athletics : If you’re an athlete, describe how sports have taught you about discipline, perseverance, and the importance of balancing physical health with academic pursuits, contributing to a well-rounded college experience.
Performing Arts : If you’re involved in the performing arts, discuss how preparing for performances has honed your time management skills, ability to work under pressure, and the significance of supporting your peers—qualities that will enhance your college experience.
Academic Clubs or Competitions : Elaborate on your involvement in clubs like debate or science Olympiad. Discuss how these experiences have expanded your intellectual curiosity and taught you to balance academic competition with collaborative learning.
Creative Hobbies : If you have a creative hobby, like writing, painting, or playing an instrument, describe how this outlet has helped you maintain a healthy balance between your studies and personal life and how it’s essential to your overall well-being.
Entrepreneurial Ventures : If you’ve started a project or small business, discuss the lessons learned from this venture, such as risk-taking, innovation, and balancing the demands of a startup with school responsibilities.
Tech or Coding Projects : For those involved in technology or coding, talk about how this passion has helped you manage your time between screen hours and real-world interactions and how it’s prepared you for the tech-savvy yet socially rich environment of Vanderbilt.

Begin your essay with a captivating introduction that offers a glimpse into the chosen experience and its significance.

The body should delve into the narrative, detailing academic and extracurricular elements. Highlight moments of realization, challenges faced, and the insights gained from merging these two worlds. Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture, allowing the admissions committee to walk in your shoes.

Conclude by reflecting on the broader implications of this interplay. How has it shaped your approach to learning? How will this integrated perspective benefit you at Vanderbilt and in future endeavors?

Remember, through the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024, the university seeks individuals who not only excel in academics but also understand the value of real-world experiences and their profound impact on holistic education.

How Can Applicants Effectively Revise and Proofread Their Essays?

Crafting a compelling response for the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 continues once the initial draft is penned down. The subsequent stages of revision and proofreading are equally, if not more, crucial in ensuring that the essay truly resonates with the admissions committee.

An effective revision process involves refining the essay’s content, structure, and language, ensuring that it answers the prompt accurately and showcases the applicant’s unique voice, experiences, and fit with Vanderbilt University.

The Importance of Multiple Revision Rounds

The journey from a rough draft to a polished essay is iterative. More than one round of revision is needed to capture and rectify all areas of improvement. Multiple revision rounds allow applicants to refine their thoughts, enhance the flow of the essay, and eliminate any redundancies or ambiguities.

With each subsequent review, the narrative becomes sharper, the arguments more convincing, and the overall essay more compelling. Especially for the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024, where the aim is to present a holistic and authentic picture of oneself, it’s imperative to invest time in revisiting and refining the essay multiple times, ensuring that each word adds value and each sentence drives the narrative forward.

Seeking Feedback from Teachers, Peers, or Mentors

While self-revision is essential, seeking external feedback adds more depth to the refinement process. Teachers, peers, or mentors, with their varied perspectives and experiences, can offer invaluable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the essay.

They can point out areas that might be unclear to a reader, suggest enhancements in the narrative, or even highlight aspects of the applicant’s story that might have been inadvertently overlooked. This external feedback, combined with self-revision, ensures that the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 are well-crafted and resonate with a broader audience.

Tips for Self-Editing and Ensuring Clarity, Coherence, and Authenticity

Self-editing is an art that requires both detachment and introspection. When revising the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024, applicants should first focus on the macro elements – the overall structure, flow, and alignment with the prompt.

Once satisfied, they can delve into the micro aspects – language, grammar, and tone. Reading the essay aloud can help in identifying awkward phrasings or jarring transitions. Another effective technique is to take a break and revisit the essay with fresh eyes, allowing for a more objective review. Throughout the process, the key is to ensure authenticity.

While it’s tempting to use complex vocabulary or elaborate metaphors, the essence of the essay lies in its authenticity. It’s about showcasing one’s genuine experiences, aspirations, and fit with Vanderbilt, ensuring that the narrative is both compelling and authentic to oneself.

How Do Vanderbilt’s Supplemental Essays Compare to Other Top Universities?

The college application landscape is dotted with a myriad of essay prompts from various top-tier universities, each designed to glean insights into the multifaceted personalities of their prospective students. The Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024, while sharing some thematic similarities with other prestigious institutions, have their distinct flavor and emphasis.

Areal view of the main building of Vanderbilt University

While many elite universities focus on academic aspirations, extracurricular passions, or personal growth, Vanderbilt’s prompts delve deeper, seeking a holistic understanding of applicants, their alignment with the university’s ethos, and their vision for their future within its hallowed halls.

A Comparative Analysis of Essay Prompts from Other Prestigious Institutions

Some patterns and divergences emerge when juxtaposed with essay prompts from other leading institutions. For instance, Ivy League schools like Harvard or Princeton often have prompts that encourage reflection on personal growth, intellectual curiosity, or societal impact.

With its short-answer questions, Stanford seeks snippets of an applicant’s personality, quirks, and passions. With its tech-centric ethos, MIT often leans towards understanding an applicant’s problem-solving abilities and innovative mindset.

In contrast, the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 emphasize diverse perspectives and the unique interplay between academic and extracurricular experiences. While themes overlap across universities, the nuances lie in the depth, focus, and context each institution emphasizes.

The Role of Supplemental Essays in the Admissions Process

In the hyper-competitive landscape of college admissions, especially at elite institutions like Vanderbilt, every component of the application holds significant weight. The Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 are no exception. These essays serve multiple purposes.

Firstly, they act as a litmus test for an applicant’s genuine interest in the university. A well-researched and thoughtfully crafted essay can indicate a student’s earnest desire to join the Vanderbilt community.

Secondly, the essays provide a platform for students to highlight experiences or aspects of their identity that might not be immediately apparent in transcripts or resumes. This could include unique challenges faced, niche interests pursued, or specific instances that sparked personal growth. In a sea of qualified applicants, these essays can be the distinguishing factor that sets one application apart from the rest.

How Vanderbilt University Views These Essays in the Context of the Overall Application

To Vanderbilt University, the supplemental essays are not isolated writing pieces but integral parts of a cohesive narrative that applicants weave throughout their application. The university recognizes that students are more than just their academic achievements.

The Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 offer a window into an applicant’s character, values, and potential contributions to the campus community. The admissions committee looks for essays that resonate with Vanderbilt’s inclusivity, innovation, and impact ethos. They value authenticity, seeking students who present their true selves rather than what they perceive the university wants to hear.

What Final Tips and Advice Can Be Offered to 2023-2024 Applicants?

As the application season for the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 approaches, applicants often grapple with anticipation, excitement, and anxiety. Crafting essays that resonate with the admissions committee while staying true to one’s unique journey can be daunting.

However, with the right approach, mindset, and strategies, applicants can navigate this process with confidence and clarity. As the final touches are put on these essays, some advice can make the difference between an outstanding essay.

The Significance of Authenticity and Honesty in Responses

In the realm of college admissions, authenticity is paramount. With their vast experience, Admissions committees can easily discern genuine essays from those contrived or tailored to what applicants perceive the university wants to hear.

Applicants must honestly approach the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024, presenting their true selves, experiences, and aspirations. Authenticity resonates; it paints a vivid, relatable picture of the individual behind the application, making them memorable in the eyes of the admissions committee. While it’s tempting to embellish achievements or mold narratives to fit perceived expectations, genuine stories, even if they’re simple or seemingly mundane, often leave the most profound impact.

Encouragement to Start Early and Reflect Deeply on Each Prompt

Procrastination is often the Achilles’ heel of many college applicants. With their depth and nuance, the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024 require time, introspection, and multiple revisions. Starting early gives applicants the luxury of time – to research, reflect, draft, and refine.

It allows for reflection, helping applicants delve deep into their experiences, values, and aspirations and articulate them with clarity and coherence. Each prompt is an invitation to reflect, to understand oneself better, and to envision a future at Vanderbilt. By starting early, seeking feedback, and revisiting the essays multiple times, applicants can ensure that their responses are well-crafted and reflect their best selves.

Ready to Craft Your Standout Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays for 2023-2024? Let AdmissionSight Help You!

Navigating the complexities of college admissions is no small feat, especially when aiming for elite institutions like Vanderbilt University. Your essays are more than words on a page; they reflect your journey aspirations and fit your dream school. That’s why crafting compelling, authentic, and impactful essays is crucial.

At AdmissionSight , we specialize in helping students like you present the best version of themselves in their college applications. With our expert guidance, you’ll understand the nuances of Vanderbilt’s supplemental essays and learn how to weave your unique experiences and perspectives into a compelling narrative.

Don’t leave your Vanderbilt dreams to chance. Contact AdmissionSight today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward making your college aspirations a reality!

Want to assess your chances of admission? Take our FREE chances calculator today!

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5 Vanderbilt University Essay Intros That Worked

essay topic
college application essays

Vanderbilt University doesn’t require many other supplemental essays in their application. While this means there’s less to work to do, it also means you need to put a lot more effort into your personal statement.

To help get that brain of yours moving, here are 5 essays from students who gained acceptance at Vanderbilt :

Vanderbilt ‘17

My grandfather waited patiently for me to surrender the blocks to him after my frustration sunk in. I remember the large crevices and calluses on his hands and marveled at how such large extremities could move with such gentle grace, while my tiny smooth hands barely had the coordination to grasp a single block. He never comforted me, praised me or showed affection; it was part of his culture. Instead, he always reminded me that patience is key. Growing up and developing coordination takes time, there was nothing I could do to rush the process besides wait for the frustration to pass and try again. View full essay.

RebeccaKreiger

Vanderbilt ‘19.

I am a different person than I was two months ago. Before the summer, even during the summer, I was convinced it wouldn’t happen. I couldn’t understand why, but the program wasn’t “working” on me; I wasn’t having the life-changing experience past fellows had promised. And yet, here I am - I’ve changed. Our summer English assignment had been to create an anthology of three poems that “deserve to be read for as long as poetry is read in the English language” and also to compose three poems. During the first week of school, we each had to share our reflections. I’ve never struggled to speak in class, and before this summer, I was certain I had it all together. As I prepared to reveal the complete state of confusion that I had found through my experience on Bronfman, I listened to the first few students read from their anthologies and heard them conspicuously avoid their own work. Finally, I stood and offered my voice, “I’ll read.” Keep reading .

If the 500-yard freestyle didn’t have counters, I would still be swimming. (Actually, that happened once and I ended up swimming a 550.) When I compete in the 500, I’m not thinking about the race. I don’t think about my speed, and I don’t think about the people swimming on either side of me. The moment I dive into the water, none of that matters. I set my pace, my overworked brain shuts down, and my subconscious takes over. Read on.

Vanderbilt ‘18

If there is one place in the world where I am content, it is Sunday dinner at my Grandma’s house. There are three courses of the Italian food that no one will ever be able to cook just like my grandmother does. The oval table it’s served on is surrounded by three generations of my mom’s family all taking the opportunity to relax at dinner together to take a breath and rejuvenate for the upcoming week. Although the weekly tradition has become less consistent as my cousins and I have grown both older and busier, Sunday dinners will always hold a special place in my heart. Continue reading.

Vanderbilt ‘20

C, G, Em, D: over and over I strummed these chords on my first acoustic guitar. Every time, the transition between each chord became a little quicker; the sound rang out a little more clearly. It was final exam week of the first semester of my freshman year, and I was trying to take a mental break from studying. By winter break though, these simple chords came together as I learned to play my first songs. I looked up how-to-play videos on YouTube, bought different chord books, and practiced every day. I doubled, tripled, and then quadrupled the amount of chords and songs I knew. Keep reading.

——

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Frances was born in Hong Kong and received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. She loves super sad drama television, cooking, and reading. Her favorite person on Earth isn’t actually a member of the AdmitSee team - it’s her dog Cooper.

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1. Webinar Series: College Application Prep for High School Juniors
2. College Application Lessons from 2020-2021: Strategizing through Covid Changes (Part 2)
3. College Admissions Lessons from 2020-2021: Strategizing through Covid Changes (Part 1)

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5. COVID-19 and Your College Essay: Should You Write About It?
6. College Search: How to Find Your Best College Fit
7. College Tours 101: Everything You Need to Know
8. Waitlisted? 5 Ways to Move from the College Waitlist to Acceptance
9. When (and why) should you send additional materials to colleges you’re interested in?
10. How to Make Your College Essay Stand Out
1. How to Write College Essays to Boost your Chances Part 2: Focusing the Priority
2. How to Write College Essays to Boost your Chances Part 1: Biggest Essay Mistakes
3. College Application Lessons from 2020-2021: Strategizing through Covid Changes (Part 2)
5. Winners of the AdmitSee 2020 College Scholarship
6. COVID-19 and Your College Essay: Should You Write About It?
7. Education, Access and Systemic Racism
8. Applying to BS/MD Direct Medical Programs: Why Early Med School Admission Might be Right for You
9. How to Get Off the College Waitlist (5 Go-To Strategies)
10. College admissions prep during the Coronavirus

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College Essay Format: Top Writing and Editing Tips for 2024

A good college essay format, with the right topic, goes beyond describing your academic accomplishments and extracurriculars. Learn how to make your college essay stand out with these tips.

[Featured image] An aspiring college student works on her college essay with a notebook and laptop.

You want to stand out in a crowd, particularly when you’re applying to the college of your choice. As part of the application process, many schools ask for an essay to accompany the standard academic and personal information they require.

At its core, your college application essay tells a story that offers admissions officers a glimpse into who you are, beyond your grades, extracurricular activities, and test scores. Your college essay, often called a "personal statement," is your opportunity to reveal your personality and give an idea about the kind of student you'll be in college.

So how should a college essay be formatted? This article covers formatting best practices, how to choose a compelling topic for your essay, and tips to help you craft an essay that captures your reader's attention, clearly communicates its message, and is free from errors.

College essay format best practices

Your personal statement should tell a compelling story that effectively demonstrates your unique values and personality. While the format of your college essay is largely up to you, consequently, it can be helpful to have a sense of how you might format your essay before composing it.

Consider the following college essay format to organize your writing and craft the most compelling story possible.

1. Think about using a title.

A title for your college essay isn't necessary. But, including one could make your essay intriguing to readers. That said, if you're low on word count, skip a title altogether and just jump into your narrative. You can also wait until after you write your essay to decide. It's often easier to come up with a fitting, compelling title after you've told your story.

2. Open with a hook.

Your opening sentence is one of the most important parts of your essay. It's what you'll use to capture the attention of the reader and compel them to continue reading. The start of your essay is your opportunity to make an impactful first impression, so make your opening a good one.

Here are two examples of how you might craft an interesting hook for your essay:

Start in the middle of your story: Call out the most interesting point of your story, and then backtrack from there. For example, "And there I found myself, surrounded by baby sea turtles on the hazy shores of Virginia Beach."

Make a specific generalization: This is a sentence that makes a general statement on what your essay will be about but gives a specific description. An example: "Each year on our family vacation out of the city, I contemplate the meaning of life as we cross the Golden Gate Bridge."

3. Use your introduction to set up your story.

While your hook will spark the reader's curiosity, the rest of your introduction should give them an idea of where you're going with your essay. Set your story up in four to five sentences, making sure to only include information that is absolutely necessary to understand your story.

4. Tell your story in the body of your essay.

The Common Application has a 650 word limit for personal statements. That means, if both your introduction and conclusion are roughly 100 words each, your body will most likely end up being about 450 words. Think of that as three to five paragraphs, with each paragraph having its own main idea or point.

Write in a narrative style—closer to how you might write a short story than an instruction manual. Tell your story in a way that’s logical, clear, and makes sense for what you're trying to convey about yourself.

While you should pay strict attention to using proper grammar and sentence structure, you have the freedom to make your essay a reflection of your personality. If you're a humorous person, use humor. If you're an eternal optimist or love getting into the minute details of life, let that shine through. But, keep in mind that your essay is fundamentally about highlighting the qualities that you'd bring to a college community, so keep your anecdotes focused and on point.

5. Use the conclusion to clarify your essay's core idea.

Finish your story with a conclusion paragraph, where you clarify the value or idea you're trying to convey. What is the main thing you want the college to know about you through this story? Is it what you've learned, a value that's important to you, or what you want to contribute to society? Finally, use the last line of your personal statement to reinforce this central idea, so that your reader leaves with a clear impression about who you are. After the "hook" of your personal statement, the concluding line is the most important of your essay.

How to develop your college essay story

Now that you know how to format your college essay, we'll explore how to develop the story you'll tell in it. Here are some steps to get started:

1. Explore past college essay prompts

Over 900 colleges use Common App essay prompts, which means you may be able to write one essay for several college applications. Some past Common App college essay prompts—which are announced publicly each year—include the following topics:

Share a story about your background, interest, identity, or talent that makes you complete as a person.

Describe a time when you faced a setback, failure, or challenge and what you learned from it.

Tell about a topic, concept, or idea that is so captivating to you that you lose all track of time.

Write about something that someone has done for you that you are grateful for, and how gratitude has motivated or affected you.

These are broad topics that give you the freedom to tell all kinds of different things about yourself. Explore these questions to start brainstorming ideas of stories you may be able to tell about yourself.

There are a lot of potential prompts out there. Some of the other college essay prompts you might encounter include:

Describe a person you admire and how that person has influenced your behavior and thinking.

Why do you want to attend this school?

Describe your creative side.

Name an extracurricular activity that is meaningful to you and how it has impacted your life.

Tell about what you have done to make your community or school a better place.

2. Pick a topic.

Choose a topic that allows you to best highlight what you want the college to know about you. A good start is to list three positive adjectives that describe you. Then, see if you can write two or three real-life examples of each trait that demonstrates that you possess that characteristic.

If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, think about the stories other people tell about you or the positive words they use to describe you. Consider asking people who know you well the following questions:

What do you think sets me apart from others?

What are my strengths?

How would you describe my personality?

What are my quirks?

These ideas can become the inspiration to develop material for a good college essay. You don't have to write about a major life-changing event. It can be a mundane or ordinary situation—like a dinner table conversation, a day at school, or a conversation with a friend. Often, slightly unusual topics are better than typical ones because they hold a reader's attention.

Regardless of the topic you choose, remember that the true topic of your college essay is you, and the purpose of it is to show how you are unique. It highlights an important piece of who you are and where you want to head in life.

3. Consider length.

Consult your college application instructions to see how long your essay should be. Typically, personal statements are between 500 and 650 words long, while supplemental essays are often around 250 to 300 words. Use the required essay length to help you determine what you will share. You won't be able to tell your life story within these few paragraphs, so choose the most impactful examples as your content.

4. Outline your essay.

An outline helps you plan your essay's key points, including its beginning, middle, and end. Use your outline to stay on topic and get the most out of your word count.

The most effective outlines are usually the simplest. For instance, a good story has a beginning, middle, and end. Likewise, your essay will have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Unless the college requests a specific admission essay format, use the format you've been using to write essays in high school that you're likely to be the most comfortable with.

If you're stuck on how to open your essay, write the middle of your story first. Then, go back and write a compelling introduction and a concise conclusion.

Tips for writing your college essay

Your college essay format and writing should be both compelling in clear. So, as you're writing your college essay, keep these tips in mind:

1. Be authentic.

One of the most essential parts of how to format a college application essay is to be authentic. The college wants to know who you are, and they will be reading dozens of essays a day. The best way to make yours stand out is to just be yourself instead of focusing on what you think they want to hear.

Imagine you’re speaking to an actual person as you write. Be honest and accurate, using words you normally use. Your essay is a personal statement, so it should sound natural to the reader—and to you too.

2. Show you can write .

While the most important part of your personal statement is showcasing who you are, you'll also be judged on your writing ability. That's because knowing the fundamental principles of writing is important to college success. Show that you understand the structure of an essay and proper use of the English language.

3. Stay on topic.

If you're using a specific question as your writing prompt, answer the question directly in the opening paragraph. Then, use the rest of the essay to elaborate on your answer. Make good use of your word count limit by being concise and coherent. Stay on topic and refrain from adding any information that doesn't add to the main idea of your essay.

4. Use concrete details to make your story come to life.

Your essay should describe a real-life event that you've experienced. And, to make that experience as vivid as possible for your reader, you'll want to lean into concrete details that effectively convey it through the written word. This adds color and validity to your personal statement. Personal examples will show you embody the characteristics or values you claim to, rather than merely saying you do.

5. Follow directions.

Read and understand the specific instructions set by the college for your essay. Then, review them again before you submit your essay to make sure you've met all of the requirements. Only once you're confident that you've followed them correctly and that your essay is free from any errors should you submit your essay.

How to edit your college essay

Once you've written your essay, you'll want to edit it until you’re satisfied it conveys your message and is free of errors. Let your first draft be as messy or pristine as it comes out. Then, go back later—several times if needed—to clean it up. Ask yourself these questions as you edit your essay:

Is my essay free of grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors?

Is it the proper word length assigned by the college?

Have I answered the question in the prompt?

Does the introduction make me want to read more?

Are there any vague statements I can replace with more specific details?

Do any parts drone on or feel boring?

Does it feel too formal?

Are any parts or words repetitive?

Have I misused any words (such as there, their, and they're)?

Are my sentences varied in length?

Have I shared with the college what I most want them to know about me?

It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust to read your essay and give you constructive feedback. This might be a trusted teacher, parent, school counselor, or college student. It's best to choose someone who is familiar with the purpose of a college essay.

Ask them to give feedback about your essay using the same questions as above. But they should never try to rewrite your essay. And never let others edit out your voice. Ask them to focus on grammar and mechanics and to give suggestions on items to add in or leave out.

Above all, ask your guest editor what point they think you were trying to make with your essay. If they get it right, you know you've crafted a college essay that reflects you and your intended message.

PSA: Save your essay drafts!

Instead of writing your essay directly in the online application, draft and save your essay in a document like Google Docs or Word—or start out on paper and pen if that's what you're most comfortable with. That way you can make edits and use helpful online spelling and grammar checkers. And, you won't risk losing your essay if the application times out or you navigate away from it by mistake.

When you copy and paste your essay into the application, make sure your formatting, such as line spacing and bolding for headings, remains intact.

Enhance your writing skills on Coursera

Bring out your best in your college essay with a course in Writing a Personal Essay from Wesleyan University. Learn how to find your voice, structure your essay, choose relevant details, and write in a way that pulls in your readers.

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Vanderbilt Essay

Would anyone be willing to read my Vandy essay: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences? I can’t PM yet so if you would be willing to give an email or something else, that would suffice. Thanks in advance

Bump

Would you mind telling me what the topic is? Other than the common app essay, I can’t seem to find a Vanderbilt specific supplement…?

Sorry for the confusion. It must only be for transfers (me). It says “Briefly elaborate on one of your extra curricular activities or work experiences.” @Pikidikitiki‌

Ahh, it’s all good.

Would you be willing to read and critique mine? @Pikidikitiki‌

@Gman3595 PM it to me, yeah.

The Admissions Criteria That Top Schools Really Care About

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Harvard College Admissions

When navigating the competitive college admissions process at Ivy League and other top schools, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of advice, myths, and speculation. Parents, school counselors, and successful applicants are often eager to share their opinions about what truly matters to admissions officers, and weeding through this plethora of information can quickly become overwhelming. While prospective students cannot know for certain what admissions committees’ deliberations look like, there are ways to gain insight into what schools value most in their admissions considerations. For instance, the lawsuit against Harvard revealed that admissions officers rate students on a scale of 1–6 (with 1 being the most desirable score) on the basis of their academic, extracurricular, athletic, and personal skill sets. While the lawsuit offered unique insight into Harvard’s admissions process that isn’t readily available for all other institutions, there are still ways to determine institutions’ primary considerations—the most accessible being the Common Data Sets (CDS).

The CDS is a detailed report compiled by colleges and universities to share their institutional data, including admission statistics and criteria. Each school’s report includes a lengthy list of admissions considerations from class rank to interviews, talent, legacy status, state residency, essays, and extracurriculars. Colleges indicate the level of importance that each item bears in their admissions process (ranging from “very important,” to “important,” “considered,” and “not considered”). While the information is not comprehensive—for instance, understanding that a school values extracurricular activities does not tell us what kind of involvement the school looks for—it can be a helpful starting point for students as they strategize for the admissions process.

Here’s what the most recent CDS tells us about the admissions criteria top colleges care the most about:

Rigor of Secondary Record

Very Important At Schools Such As : Berkeley , Johns Hopkins , Tulane , UCLA

While many students focus their energy on upping their GPA, it is critical to note that top schools care just as much about the caliber of classes students enroll in. Having a 4.0 means nothing if a student is simply acing the easiest classes available to them. Almost every Ivy League and top school lists the rigor of a student’s academic record as “very important” in their CDS report. As such, students should start enrolling in the most challenging courses available at their school early in their high school careers—whether APs, IBs, or Honors classes. This is particularly important for coursework related to a student’s intended area of study.

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Application Essay

Very Important At Schools Such As : Stanford , Princeton , Brown

The application essay is an important element of a student’s application because it showcases multiple facets of their candidacy—not only can it demonstrate their academic skills through their strong command of language, but it is also an opportunity for students to share the intangible elements of their candidacy such as their talents, personal qualities, and character (all factors that are listed as “very important” alongside the application essay at all of the schools listed above). Students should strive to compose essays that stand out through their creativity and originality, and that authentically represent their distinct voices.

Extracurricular Activities

Very Important At Schools Such As : Dartmouth , Vanderbilt , Yale

For many Ivy League and top schools, what students accomplish outside of the classroom is equally important as what they accomplish in it. Though not explicitly stated in their Common Data Sets, we know from experience that top schools look for students who demonstrate significant involvement in a few key activities rather than superficial participation in many. This depth of commitment indicates that students can balance multiple responsibilities and contribute meaningfully to campus life. Therefore, students should start to hone their passions and identify opportunities for leadership in activities that they are passionate about early in their high school careers.

Character / Personal Qualities

Very Important At Schools Such As : NYU , Notre Dame , Carnegie Mellon

As a part of the holistic application review process, schools evaluate more than students’ on-paper accomplishments—they also care about how a student’s values, personality, and defining characteristics make them a unique fit for their campus community. What intangible qualities are colleges looking for? This largely depends on the school to which students are applying, but the best way to determine which characteristics to highlight is to read about the college’s mission and values and determine where their own personal qualities align. For example, Carnegie Mellon looks for students who demonstrate “leadership, motivation, passion and perseverance, concern and advocacy for others.”

Recommendations

Very Important At Schools Such As : Northeastern , Emory , Amherst

Letters of recommendation offer qualitative information about students’ academic skills and character, whereas numerical values such as GPA, test scores, and class rank provide quantitative information. They are particularly important because they are the only element of a student’s application that offers a third-party evaluation of students’ skill sets. As such, students should approach these letters with as much strategy and thoughtfulness as other elements of their applications. Every student should select teachers who have thorough knowledge of their academic skills (ideally in the discipline they intend to pursue) and who they have established relationships with over the course of their high school career. Students can also use these recommendations strategically to fill in gaps in their other materials—for instance, if a student struggled academically their junior year, a teacher can attest to their growth and progress over time; or, if a student had a challenging family circumstance, a school counselor can share how they overcame personal difficulties and flourished as a community member and scholar.

Every college has its own unique campus character and institutional values, and thus places emphasis on different elements of students’ applications. Understanding which criteria are particularly important to the schools to which they are applying will help students prepare thoughtfully and strategically throughout their high school careers, ensuring that they enter the application season with confidence and preparation.

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‘He was Willie Mays’: Remembering the best player of the generation that electrified baseball

FILE - This is a 1955 file photo showing New York Giants baseball player Willie Mays. Mays turns 90 on Thursday, May 6, 2021. (AP Photo/File)

He was part of the scenery, like a Van Gogh on your refrigerator, right there with the grocery list and the ice dispenser. If they’d set up a recliner or massage chair or a throne for the exalted Willie Mays, nobody would have minded. All he needed was a seat at the table.

This was in Scottsdale, Ariz., where the San Francisco Giants hold spring training, in the tight little locker room off the first-base dugout. The Giants now dress in a much bigger space, a lavish modern clubhouse. But for years they gathered in cramped quarters, going about their mornings with the game’s greatest all-around player right there among them, over by the door to the hallway, seated at a table with his signature on it, swapping stories.

It was like this all over, not too long ago. Hey, that little guy with the funny ears and welcoming grin, puttering around the Yankees’ clubhouse every spring? That’s Yogi Berra. And the dapper fellow with the deep, commanding voice, up in the third row of the press box in Cleveland, studying the action below? Oh, just Bob Feller.

You didn’t take them for granted — the invisible halo of baseball sainthood always hovered — but you figured, against reason, that they’d always be there. They always had been. It just seemed right.

Baseball endures, and the death of Mays on Tuesday, at 93 years old, could not have been surprising. He had been in decline for years. Younger legends still blend in, like Ichiro Suzuki in Seattle, still in uniform for daily pregame work, forever hoping, it seems, for another at-bat.

But the generation of stars from the Mays era is fading, the stars of the ’50s.

In April it was Carl Erskine, an All-Star pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who died at 97 . Erskine faced Mays 75 times and gave up eight of his 660 home runs. Last summer, at his home in Indiana, Erskine still marveled at their encounters, the way Mays would pull majestic fouls into the upper deck, scaring pitchers from pounding him inside — even though, as Erskine saw it, that was the only way to have a chance at getting him out.

“He was a pure hitter,” Erskine said. “Those guys, there’s just a handful of them in baseball, they break all the rules about how you stand, how you grip. But they’re the best hitters in the league.”

Like Erskine, Mays was a rookie in 1948, the year after Jackie Robinson integrated the Dodgers . Mays played that season in the Negro Leagues, with the Birmingham Barons at 17 years old. As a boy in Fairfield, Ala., it was the pinnacle of what he imagined.

“It was my dream to play for the Black Barons,” Mays says in his book, “24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid,” written with John Shea in 2020. “I thought that’d be the highest level I’d reach. My dad used to take me to the games, so Rickwood Field meant a lot to me.”

Mays died two days before Major League Baseball’s tribute game at Rickwood on Thursday between his Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals . The timing will add poignancy to the event, a chance to ponder the meaning of the man and his mountain of achievements.

About those — well, it’s a sea of black ink, league-leader status in all of these categories, in one year or another: runs, hits, triples, homers, stolen bases, walks, average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, total bases. He also won a Gold Glove every year from 1957, when the award was created, through 1968, when he was 37 years old.

If you’re into wins above replacement, Mays led the National League 10 times, per Baseball Reference, and only four players ever collected more than his 156.2 WAR — Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Cy Young and Barry Bonds. That’s three guys born in the 1800s who played in the segregated majors, and Bonds, Mays’ godson, whose ties to steroids have kept him out of the Hall of Fame.

It’s fairly easy, then, to make the case for Mays as the best ever , notwithstanding our modern fixation with Shohei Ohtani , a breathtaking two-way talent who — to be fair — does not play in the field and struggles to stay healthy on the mound. Mays didn’t pitch, of course, but he was always available: From 1954 through the end of the ’60s, only Hank Aaron played more games.

Aaron, who died in 2021 , is perhaps the only player from the early integration era — or maybe even the entire history of the sport — who can be reasonably compared to Mays.

“You can certainly make the case that Hank was the better hitter of the two by a narrow margin — and Hank was also a great outfielder and baserunner — but Willie was just a magnificent all-round player who exuded joy,” the Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Costas said on Tuesday.

“He just transmitted it. It’s like Michael Jordan and basketball: If you’d never been to a basketball game and no one told you who was who, your eyes would go to Michael Jordan. And if you’d never been to a baseball game and no one told you who was who, your eyes would go to Willie Mays. Even if he was 0 for 4, even if there was no spectacular play, even if it was just the way he did it, the way he carried himself. He was Willie Mays.”

That unmistakable joy could sometimes cast Mays as a two-dimensional caricature: a childlike, instinctual talent with a piercing laugh who played stickball after games in the streets of Harlem.

“Often the condescension was unconscious, but it was nonetheless corrosive,” wrote George F. Will in “Men At Work: The Craft of Baseball.” “The truth is that Mays was, from the first, a superb craftsman.”

As a fielder, Mays designed his trademark basket catch to give him a quicker release on his throws. As a hitter, Frank Robinson told Shea for “24,” Mays adapted his swing to drive more balls to right at Candlestick Park, knowing that forbidding winds would impact many flies to left. As a baserunner, Mays learned to track hits while running without slowing down, and prided himself on not needing a base coach for direction.

It was a captivating blend of skills, smarts and style, spanning the coasts at a time of extraordinary change in the game and the country.

In 1991, in an essay from Scottsdale, Roger Angell wrote of a spring training chat with Mays, a shared memory of a catch-and-throw at the Polo Grounds 40 years earlier, by a very young Mays against Brooklyn. All who witnessed it, Angell wrote, from the players to the fans to maybe even Mays himself, “understood that something new and electric had just begun to happen to baseball.”

New. Electric. And no going back. If you love the game, you’re grateful for Mays and all he brought to it. His generation flickers, but its fire burns forever.

(Top photo of Mays with the New York Giants in 1955: AP Photo/File)

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Tyler Kepner is a Senior Writer for The Athletic covering MLB. He previously worked for The New York Times, covering the Mets (2000-2001) and Yankees (2002-2009) and serving as national baseball columnist from 2010 to 2023. A Vanderbilt University graduate, he has covered the Angels for the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise and Mariners for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and began his career with a homemade baseball magazine in his native Philadelphia in the early 1990s. Tyler is the author of the best-selling “K: A History of Baseball In Ten Pitches” (2019) and “The Grandest Stage: A History of The World Series” (2022). Follow Tyler on Twitter @ TylerKepner

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Personal Essay and Short Answer Prompts
Short Answer Question. For both first-year and transfer applicants, we ask you to complete a short answer essay (approximately 250 words) based on one of two prompts. Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest ...
How to Write the Vanderbilt University Essay 2023-2024
Option 1: Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you. Option 2: Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences ...
A Strong Vanderbilt Essay Example from an Accepted Student
Essay Example - The Power of Story. Prompt: Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you. (250 words) At an intersection in Oakwood, an elderly Asian man walks on the sidewalk.
Vanderbilt Essay Examples
The first one of our Vanderbilt essay examples is an extracurricular activities essay example. In this Vanderbilt supplemental essays examples, we learn that this student cares deeply about their community. The student puts a lot of thought into how best to give back to their local community of houseless people.
How to Write the Vanderbilt Supplemental Essay
Prompt #1. Pick 1 of 2: Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you. Please provide your response in approximately 250 words.
What Vanderbilt Admissions Officers Look for in Essays
The Vanderbilt supplemental essay is designed for the admissions committee to get to know you on a deeper level and gain a better understanding of how you'll fit in on campus. It's important that your essay does not repeat information that admissions readers will find elsewhere in your application. However, it is in short answer format, so ...
Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays 2023-24
Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays 2023-24 - Prompts and Advice - College Transitions. July 25, 2023. With an acceptance rate of just 5.6% for the 2023-24 entering class, Vanderbilt has become one of the more selective schools in the United States. It's easy for prospective applicants who can claim a 99th percentile score and a position near ...
Vanderbilt University's 2023-24 Essay Prompts
Option 2. Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you've had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own.
How To Write The Vanderbilt Supplemental Essay + Examples
Here are tips on how to write the Vanderbilt admissions essay, examples, and analysis! Get in touch: +1-800-991-0126. Get in touch: +1-800-991-0126. Programs. Grades 6 - 11. College Profile Development. ... Explore numerous samples in our comprehensive college essay database below to discover a wide range of examples! ...
Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays
The Vanderbilt supplemental essays form a major part of the overall Vanderbilt admissions process. Your Vanderbilt essay helps to provide crucial context to your application. It can also help the admissions office better understand how you'll fit on campus. Overall, the Vanderbilt supplemental essays work to build a more holistic picture of ...
Vanderbilt University Essay Prompts
Vanderbilt University has released its 2023-2024 supplemental admissions essay prompts for applicants to the Class of 2028. This year, in addition to The Common Application's Personal Statement, Vanderbilt requires applicants to answer one of their two supplemental essay prompts in approximately 250 words. So what are this year's prompts? Wonder no more!
Tips for Writing Your College Essay
Tips for Writing Your College Essay. Posted by Kim Struglinski on Monday, October 9, 2017 in Application Process, General Information, The College Essay, Vandy Bloggers. When I speak with students about the components of an application to Vanderbilt, I always save the personal essay for last.
5 Tips for Writing a Stellar Vanderbilt Supplement Essay
Vanderbilt is one of the United States' highest-ranked colleges. With an acceptance rate of just 7 percent, it's ranked as extremely competitive. It's no surprise—Vanderbilt is known for having a wealth of appealing programs, including its school of medicine, the Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and Blair School of Music.
How to Write the Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays
Vanderbilt asks 2023-24 applicants to respond to one of two prompts in 250 words or fewer. CEA's Founder and Chief Advisor, Stacey Brook, is here to walk you through drafting a distinct essay response. About Kat StubingView all posts by Kat Stubing »
College Essay Guides
Vanderbilt Essay Guide Quick Facts: Vanderbilt has an acceptance rate of 12%— U.S. News ranks Vanderbilt as a most selective school. We recommend answering the Vanderbilt application essay comprehensively and thoughtfully to maximize your chances of admission.
The College Essay
Tips for Writing Your College Essay. Oct. 9, 2017— When I speak with students about the components of an application to Vanderbilt, I always save the personal essay for last. This is partly because it is my favorite part of the application to read, but also because I know this is often the most dreaded part of the application process.
2023-24 Vanderbilt University Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
Vanderbilt 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! Vanderbilt decided to keep it short and sweet, so we'll follow suit.
College Essay Guides
This Vanderbilt University Merit Scholarship essay guide was written by Rashmi Bharadwaj, Vanderbilt University '21. If you want to get help writing your Vanderbilt application essays or Vanderbilt University merit scholarship essays from Rashmi or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts, register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.
Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays 2023-2024
When revising the Vanderbilt supplemental essays 2023-2024, applicants should first focus on the macro elements - the overall structure, flow, and alignment with the prompt. Once satisfied, they can delve into the micro aspects - language, grammar, and tone. Reading the essay aloud can help in identifying awkward phrasings or jarring ...
5 Vanderbilt University Essay Intros That Worked
Vanderbilt '19. I am a different person than I was two months ago. Before the summer, even during the summer, I was convinced it wouldn't happen. I couldn't understand why, but the program wasn't "working" on me; I wasn't having the life-changing experience past fellows had promised. And yet, here I am - I've changed.
Extracurricular Supplemental Essay. : r/Vanderbilt
Extracurricular Supplemental Essay. Hello everyone. I am an ED applicant for Vanderbilt and wrote my first draft of the supplemental essay. For the activity prompt, should all of the 400 words focus on the activity or can I include a sneaky why Vanderbilt part? I was going through college essay guy's guide and the example there had a part ...
Supplemental Essay Guides
Crash Courses. Supplemental essays are additional pieces of writing required by many highly-selective universities, and they can be just as revealing and important as your personal statement. Read on for how-to guides with essay examples & analysis on tackling these essays for some of the most popular colleges and universities.
College Essay Format: Top Writing and Editing Tips for 2024
Tips for writing your college essay. Your college essay format and writing should be both compelling in clear. So, as you're writing your college essay, keep these tips in mind: 1. Be authentic. One of the most essential parts of how to format a college application essay is to be authentic.
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is committed to the principle of equal opportunity. Vanderbilt University does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, or genetic information in its administration of educational policies, programs, or activities; admissions ...
Vanderbilt Essay
College Essays. Gman3595 August 11, 2014, 5:41pm 1 Would anyone be willing to read my Vandy essay: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences? ... Other than the common app essay, I can't seem to find a Vanderbilt specific supplement…? Gman3595 August 12, 2014, 8:31pm 4 Sorry for the ...
The Admissions Criteria That Top Schools Really Care About
Each school's report includes a lengthy list of admissions considerations from class rank to interviews, talent, legacy status, state residency, essays, and extracurriculars.
'He was Willie Mays': Remembering the best player of the generation
College World Series ... in an essay from Scottsdale, Roger Angell wrote of a spring training chat with Mays, a shared memory of a catch-and-throw at the Polo Grounds 40 years earlier, by a very ...