Fall for some people means apple picking and pumpkin lattes, but for high school seniors it means college applications. Let’s go! 

Many students have already started submitting individual applications; others are still winnowing the college list and only beginning to think about the personal essay (the main essay that a student submits to almost all schools on the Common App for US schools). 

Writing the personal essay

To be ready to apply to all schools, a student should have requested letters of recommendation, developed a thoughtful college list, and written the personal essay. If your student is still working on the personal essay, here is our best guidance on writing it. Writing the College Essay

Writing supplemental essays

Once a student is ready to apply to individual schools, she may discover that many schools on her list require additional essays, either within the application or in a writing supplement post submission. These are often called supplemental essays. Some schools have numerous prompts– Stanford has eight– and others have a more typical set of two or three. 

CTK Pro Tip: Hang onto all the ideas and stories you did not use for your Common App essay so you can draw on them for the additional essays. 

Although these essays are often called supplements, don’t let the name fool you– they are not “supplemental” to the application; they are a core part of the student’s file. Even if they are labeled as optional, students should respond with thought and care (and lots of editing) to the prompts. 

CTK Pro Tip: Our advice is to organize all application requirements and deadlines in one place, whether on a Google sheet or in a table, see my free resource below. Start working on applications in deadline order– first rolling, then early action/early decision, and then regular decision. This gives you some breathing room between applications.

CTK Pro Tip: There is so much overlap in prompts that students can work efficiently by keeping everything in one document, copying and tailoring essays for individual schools. 

Do I have to write essays for honors colleges or scholarships? 

You may also find yourself writing essays for special circumstances: merit scholarships at individual colleges, honors college applications, and outside scholarships. Penn State and the University of South Carolina have several essay requirements for their honors colleges, the University of Pittsburgh has one long essay due December 1 (students applying early under Pitt’s rolling deadline can submit this essay later), and other schools require no application or essays at all. 

Can I work ahead on these essays if I am a junior? 

Colleges often change their supplemental prompts from year to year, so our team keeps track of updated prompts. After the Supreme Court’s decision this summer, numerous schools changed their supplemental essay prompts to give space for students to write about their lived experience. A junior can work ahead on the personal essay, as the prompts change little or not at all, but we do not advise working ahead on supplements for juniors. 

Essay help

Is your student still struggling with the personal essay? You can work with Rachel or Stephanie through a five-session package if your student is just starting the personal essay. We also offer a 10-school package to guide students through all the tasks of applying to college, from essays to Common App to deadlines.

View our Essay Package | Offline Essay Editing, 25 min | Offline Essay Editing, 50 min