"Surprise" supplemental essays

[Anonymous]

Moving this question to its own thread so the answer doesn't get lost/more people might be able to see it.

For those schools that have "surprise" supplemental essays (a supplemental essay the applicant has to write after the application is submitted), how do they notify the student of the supplemental essay? Do they have to check their portal or do they get an email to their normal email account that there is a supplement to write?

[Anonymous]

I don't know the answer to the question, but just want to comment that I find the practice to be rude.

[Anonymous]

What fresh hell is this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What fresh hell is this.

Oh yea. My favorite last year was Cornell wanting my kid to write a 1000 word essay to stay on the wait list. This was pretty late in the cycle so I am pretty sure they knew they were not admitting many kids at this point.

Then there are also the extra honors college essays.

[Anonymous]

Usually this was an email. Definitely had some surprised in the portal though. There are some schools that want you to enter test scores an extra time too, seemingly just to make things difficult.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know the specific universities, but this seems to be happening a lot. I teach seniors, and they are regularly commenting about these “sneak supplementals” now that their applications are in. One student earlier this week said she had 8 more essays to write now that her Common App is submitted.

If anybody in university admissions is reading this:
These seniors are burned out. They wanted to rejoice in finishing all their applications, and now they feel like they are starting over again because of these new supplementals. I really feel for them, so much that I postponed an assessment to give them more time for this second round of essays. It seems… wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Usually this was an email. Definitely had some surprised in the portal though. There are some schools that want you to enter test scores an extra time too, seemingly just to make things difficult.

Thank you!

What school did your child have surprises in the portal? So far, I've heard of:

Grinnell
Denison
Case

doing the surprise essays. I just want to prep my kid to be on the lookout/check their portals more frequently after she submits her applications.

[Anonymous]

I find the idea kind of brilliant. Kids don’t have time to workshop the essay with a paid consultant, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find the idea kind of brilliant. Kids don’t have time to workshop the essay with a paid consultant, etc.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Usually this was an email. Definitely had some surprised in the portal though. There are some schools that want you to enter test scores an extra time too, seemingly just to make things difficult.

Thank you!

What school did your child have surprises in the portal? So far, I've heard of:

Grinnell
Denison
Case

doing the surprise essays. I just want to prep my kid to be on the lookout/check their portals more frequently after she submits her applications.

att

I have never heard this of Case. My DS attends and throughout different circles have never heard of a surprise CWRU essay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the idea kind of brilliant. Kids don’t have time to workshop the essay with a paid consultant, etc.

+1

I’d be okay with it if the students weren’t also trying to hold down tons of AP classes and sports schedules.

They are breaking down to the point of tears. I suspect someone here will say, “if they can’t handle this, they can’t handle college.” The pressure they are under right now is far more than I even dealt with in grad school. It’s unreal. The college application process is so much worse than it was when the common DCUMer was applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find the idea kind of brilliant. Kids don’t have time to workshop the essay with a paid consultant, etc.

Sure they do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Usually this was an email. Definitely had some surprised in the portal though. There are some schools that want you to enter test scores an extra time too, seemingly just to make things difficult.

Thank you!

What school did your child have surprises in the portal? So far, I've heard of:

Grinnell
Denison
Case

doing the surprise essays. I just want to prep my kid to be on the lookout/check their portals more frequently after she submits her applications.

att

I have never heard this of Case. My DS attends and throughout different circles have never heard of a surprise CWRU essay.

Can't remember either. They had a bunch of nonsense to stay on the wait list - including scheduling some interview for which all the slots fill up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Usually this was an email. Definitely had some surprised in the portal though. There are some schools that want you to enter test scores an extra time too, seemingly just to make things difficult.

Thank you!

What school did your child have surprises in the portal? So far, I've heard of:

Grinnell
Denison
Case

doing the surprise essays. I just want to prep my kid to be on the lookout/check their portals more frequently after she submits her applications.

Wow---case should just add a "why case" supplemental initially. This is ridiculous they are adding items after you submit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find the idea kind of brilliant. Kids don’t have time to workshop the essay with a paid consultant, etc.

what about time management? Kids do not have unlimited time. Most seniors are in a crunch with college applications, scholarship applications, intensive schedule of Honors/AP courses and all their ECs/Sports. Not to mention college visits. How the hell are they supposed to crank out more essays if they simply don't have the time? Too much pressure and it is not necessary