Why Do So Many Strong Liberal Arts Colleges Not Have Supplemental Essays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a common app essay, grades, test scores, 3 LORs. getting a recycled 'why us' essay shouldn't move the needle.

But this is not unique to LACs. There are a few that don't require them, that's true. It's also true that CWRU doesn't have them. Nor Northeastern. Nor UConn or UVM. Not Tulane. Not Clemson, Alabama, LSU. Not Indiana, Iowa or Minnesota. Not Bing. Not Ohio State.

I don't know about most of the others but UVM does have supplementals.

As for Northeastern, they set the example! Eliminate essays as a way to increase apps and decrease admissions rate, making yourself look more selective.

Also, most schools require 1 letter of recommendation. Or zero. Almost none require 2. Few even allow 3.

"Why us" essays absolutely move the needle at SLACs. I have worked in admissions.

most SLACs require two teacher and one guidance counselor. that's three.

Guidance counselor letter is not considered a LOR

As a reader, it is 100% a LOR

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a common app essay, grades, test scores, 3 LORs. getting a recycled 'why us' essay shouldn't move the needle.

But this is not unique to LACs. There are a few that don't require them, that's true. It's also true that CWRU doesn't have them. Nor Northeastern. Nor UConn or UVM. Not Tulane. Not Clemson, Alabama, LSU. Not Indiana, Iowa or Minnesota. Not Bing. Not Ohio State.

I don't know about most of the others but UVM does have supplementals.

As for Northeastern, they set the example! Eliminate essays as a way to increase apps and decrease admissions rate, making yourself look more selective.

Also, most schools require 1 letter of recommendation. Or zero. Almost none require 2. Few even allow 3.

"Why us" essays absolutely move the needle at SLACs. I have worked in admissions.

most SLACs require two teacher and one guidance counselor. that's three.

Guidance counselor letter is not considered a LOR

As a reader, it is 100% a LOR

It's in the same place in Slate, I read them in a row. It's very important - at private schools in particular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a common app essay, grades, test scores, 3 LORs. getting a recycled 'why us' essay shouldn't move the needle.

But this is not unique to LACs. There are a few that don't require them, that's true. It's also true that CWRU doesn't have them. Nor Northeastern. Nor UConn or UVM. Not Tulane. Not Clemson, Alabama, LSU. Not Indiana, Iowa or Minnesota. Not Bing. Not Ohio State.

I don't know about most of the others but UVM does have supplementals.

As for Northeastern, they set the example! Eliminate essays as a way to increase apps and decrease admissions rate, making yourself look more selective.

Also, most schools require 1 letter of recommendation. Or zero. Almost none require 2. Few even allow 3.

"Why us" essays absolutely move the needle at SLACs. I have worked in admissions.

then you're being played. kids - and their coaches and GPT - write these why us essays based on what the internet tells them to do. some colleges want you to find a teacher you've never heard of and shout them out (It's been a dream of mine to take Dr Feelgood's class Adventures in Physics since I was a toddler). some colleges want rizz. go online and find out what they want and serve it to them. that's not a great system

Oy. I am not unaware of the strategies used to answer the question. I am saying that they move the needle. At large schools , students can choose different paths but at SLACs there are more limited options academically and culture-wise. Supplementals/Why Us essays are a way of ensuring that a student knows what she's getting into or that a student has done her homework. They are a way of neutralizing yield risks. A clear-cut example is Colorado College which has an unusual block system. You need to show that you understand/accept/desire the block system and the only way to do that is in the supplemental essay.

CC has one basic supp. And less than half submit test scores. And ED1 , ED2 etc They don't require more info than Williams which has an "optional" academic paper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are declining in popularity, especially amount the diverse pop they desperately want to attract.

Yes, this is exactly why the top SLACs are generally getting numbers of applications that far exceed the pre-Covid era. Why don't people even pause and think about how easy this stuff is to fact check before they start blithering? You just out yourself as stupid.

[Anonymous]

Could it be that admissions is out of the hands of admissions offices more and more? That Boards and general counsel are micromanaging, perhaps with appeasing politicians in mind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm suprised by how many liberal arts schools are Common App only - no supplemental essays at all. Schools like Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Any idea why? Is it simply an attempt to boost the overall number of applications and therefore their selectivity rate?

DH and I both went to big universities. But we both assumed one of the upsides of small liberal arts schools is that they're tight-knit communities of highly engaged students.

To create that culture, wouldn't schools want more information from applicants than their GPA/test scores and their bare-bones list of ECs on the Common App?

At a minimum, why skip the short "Why College X?" essay? Or the "Tell us about your academic interests (or lessons learned from your community) and how you plan to pursue/apply them at College X?" like so many of the other schools out there? Even the big state schools like UMD, Wisconsin, Maryland etc. include supplementals.

OP, the vast majority of SLAC's have one or more supplementals. They care a lot about the fit. Of course, the ones that do not are trying to increase applications. Some of them even waive application fees. Colby is now one of the "most selective" colleges because of it.

Schools that have none: Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Two of those schools have typically ranked in the top 10 SLACs for the past 35-40 years. 3 others have been in the top 20 for that time period and the last in the top 25. The have all been considered among the very top schools of their type for the last among the very top schools for decades preceeding the rankings nonsense. I'm pretty confident that they know what they are doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm suprised by how many liberal arts schools are Common App only - no supplemental essays at all. Schools like Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Any idea why? Is it simply an attempt to boost the overall number of applications and therefore their selectivity rate?

DH and I both went to big universities. But we both assumed one of the upsides of small liberal arts schools is that they're tight-knit communities of highly engaged students.

To create that culture, wouldn't schools want more information from applicants than their GPA/test scores and their bare-bones list of ECs on the Common App?

At a minimum, why skip the short "Why College X?" essay? Or the "Tell us about your academic interests (or lessons learned from your community) and how you plan to pursue/apply them at College X?" like so many of the other schools out there? Even the big state schools like UMD, Wisconsin, Maryland etc. include supplementals.

Hamilton has a supplemental

[Anonymous]

williams ask you to submit an academic sample. which is harding to ChatGPT.

[Anonymous]

*harder

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm suprised by how many liberal arts schools are Common App only - no supplemental essays at all. Schools like Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Any idea why? Is it simply an attempt to boost the overall number of applications and therefore their selectivity rate?

DH and I both went to big universities. But we both assumed one of the upsides of small liberal arts schools is that they're tight-knit communities of highly engaged students.

To create that culture, wouldn't schools want more information from applicants than their GPA/test scores and their bare-bones list of ECs on the Common App?

At a minimum, why skip the short "Why College X?" essay? Or the "Tell us about your academic interests (or lessons learned from your community) and how you plan to pursue/apply them at College X?" like so many of the other schools out there? Even the big state schools like UMD, Wisconsin, Maryland etc. include supplementals.

Where are you getting your info from? it's wrong. Hamilton definitely has a supplemental:

At Hamilton, we each bring different backgrounds and perspectives, and we teach one another about the world through our individual and shared experiences. What would you like us to know about you and your interest in Hamilton? How can Hamilton inspire you on your journey to “know thyself?” (350 words)

[Anonymous]

Won't say which one -- so as not to trigger an argument as to what is "strong" but my kid ED'd to an SLAC that most would consider fairly highly academic. No supplemental essay but an interview where the interviewer both looked to determine how kid fits with the school and to help kid determine how the school fits for kid. I think this is actually a better approach -- can't game it with AI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is to help with admissions stats and drive applications. Same reason many also make the application free. Just a few button clicks to apply.

Yep. Schools that require supplemental essays really want to read them. People who complain about having to do them are clearly not that interested in attending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm suprised by how many liberal arts schools are Common App only - no supplemental essays at all. Schools like Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Any idea why? Is it simply an attempt to boost the overall number of applications and therefore their selectivity rate?

DH and I both went to big universities. But we both assumed one of the upsides of small liberal arts schools is that they're tight-knit communities of highly engaged students.

To create that culture, wouldn't schools want more information from applicants than their GPA/test scores and their bare-bones list of ECs on the Common App?

At a minimum, why skip the short "Why College X?" essay? Or the "Tell us about your academic interests (or lessons learned from your community) and how you plan to pursue/apply them at College X?" like so many of the other schools out there? Even the big state schools like UMD, Wisconsin, Maryland etc. include supplementals.

OP, the vast majority of SLAC's have one or more supplementals. They care a lot about the fit. Of course, the ones that do not are trying to increase applications. Some of them even waive application fees. Colby is now one of the "most selective" colleges because of it.

Schools that have none: Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Two of those schools have typically ranked in the top 10 SLACs for the past 35-40 years. 3 others have been in the top 20 for that time period and the last in the top 25. The have all been considered among the very top schools of their type for the last among the very top schools for decades preceeding the rankings nonsense. I'm pretty confident that they know what they are doing.

I don’t doubt that they know what they’re doing.

I’m just trying to understand WHY they do it the way the do, especially compared to other, non-SLAC, T20 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a common app essay, grades, test scores, 3 LORs. getting a recycled 'why us' essay shouldn't move the needle.

But this is not unique to LACs. There are a few that don't require them, that's true. It's also true that CWRU doesn't have them. Nor Northeastern. Nor UConn or UVM. Not Tulane. Not Clemson, Alabama, LSU. Not Indiana, Iowa or Minnesota. Not Bing. Not Ohio State.

I don't know about most of the others but UVM does have supplementals.

As for Northeastern, they set the example! Eliminate essays as a way to increase apps and decrease admissions rate, making yourself look more selective.

Also, most schools require 1 letter of recommendation. Or zero. Almost none require 2. Few even allow 3.

"Why us" essays absolutely move the needle at SLACs. I have worked in admissions.

then you're being played. kids - and their coaches and GPT - write these why us essays based on what the internet tells them to do. some colleges want you to find a teacher you've never heard of and shout them out (It's been a dream of mine to take Dr Feelgood's class Adventures in Physics since I was a toddler). some colleges want rizz. go online and find out what they want and serve it to them. that's not a great system

Oy. I am not unaware of the strategies used to answer the question. I am saying that they move the needle. At large schools , students can choose different paths but at SLACs there are more limited options academically and culture-wise. Supplementals/Why Us essays are a way of ensuring that a student knows what she's getting into or that a student has done her homework. They are a way of neutralizing yield risks. A clear-cut example is Colorado College which has an unusual block system. You need to show that you understand/accept/desire the block system and the only way to do that is in the supplemental essay.

CC has one basic supp. And less than half submit test scores. And ED1 , ED2 etc They don't require more info than Williams which has an "optional" academic paper.

Sure. I am not saying Colorado College does it better, just that they take it very seriously. I consider Williams's "optional academic paper" in the same category - a required supplemental essay. Williams is a much more academic school than CC so the paper is great way to evaluate if the student is a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They already have two essays and three recommendation letters. At a certain point, they have enough information to know who will make it into the « could admit » pile. After that, they are building a class around their own priorities not about the specific kids. There is no real difference between the final group of kids that they admit or reject except that they already had too many kids from New York or not enough kids from public school, etc.

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