Supplement Essay Questions Short Takes

1 Harvard University Possible Topics- Unusual circumstances in your life- Travel of living experiences in other countries- A letter to your future college roommate- An intellectual experience (course, project, book, discussion, paper or

research) that has meant the most to you- How you hope to use your college education- A list of books you have read during the past twelve months

1 Princeton University 1. Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or

vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held,

if not already detailed on the Common Application.

2. Choose One

a) Tell us about a person who has influenced you in a significant way.

b) Using the statement below as a starting point, tell us about an event

or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how

you approach the world.

“Princeton in the Nation’s Service” was the title of a speech given by

Woodrow Wilson on the 150th anniversary of the University. It became

the unofficial Princeton motto and was expanded for the University’s

250th anniversary to “Princeton in the nation’s service and in the service

of all nations.”

Woodrow Wilson, Princeton Class of 1879, served on the faculty and

was Princeton’s president from 1902–1910.

Your favorite book and its author:

Your favorite website:

Your favorite recording:

Your favorite source of inspiration:

Your favorite line from a movie or

book and its title:

Your favorite movie:

Two adjectives your friends would

use to describe you:

Your favorite keepsake or memento:

Your favorite word:

c) Using the quotation below as a starting point, reflect on the role that

culture plays in your life.

“Culture is what presents us with the kinds of valuable things that can

fill a life. And insofar as we can recognize the value in those things and

make them part of our lives, our lives are meaningful.”

Gideon Rosen, Stuart Professor of Philosophy, chair of the Council of

the Humanities and director of the Program in Humanistic Studies,

Princeton University.

d) Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the

last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience

that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach

the world. Please write the quotation, title and author at the beginning of

your essay.

3 Yale University 1. In this second essay, please reflect on something that you would like us to know that we might not learn from the rest of your application – or something that you would like to say more about. We ask that you limit your essay to fewer than 500 words. Before you begin, we encourage you to go to http://admissions.yale.edu/essay, where you will find helpful advice.

2. Optional essay for prospective engineering majors:If you selected one of the engineering majors, please write a brief third essay telling us what has led you to an interest in this field of study, what experiences (if any) you have had in engineering, and what it is about Yale’s engineering program that appeals to you.

4 Columbia University 1. Please tell us what you found meaningful about one of the above 1. List the required readings from

mentioned books, publications or cultural events.2. Please tell us what you find most appealing about Columbia and why.3. For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Application Data section. If you are currently undecided, please write about any field or fields in which you may have an interest at this time.4. For applicants to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, please tell us from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) what attracts you specifically to the study of engineering.

courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed most in the past year2. List the books read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year3. List the publications you read regularly, including print and electronic sources4. List the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed most in the past year

4 University of Chicago Essay Option 1.

Winston Churchill believed "a joke is a very serious thing." From Off-Off Campus’s improvisations to the Shady Dealer humor magazine to the renowned Latke-Hamantash debate, we take humor very seriously here at The University of Chicago (and we have since 1959, when our alums helped found the renowned comedy theater The Second City).

Tell us your favorite joke and try to explain the joke without ruining it.

Inspired by Chelsea Fine, Class of 2016

Essay Option 2.

In a famous quote by José Ortega y Gasset, the Spanish philosopher proclaims, "Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia" (1914). José Quintans, master of the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago, sees it another way: "Yo soy yo y mi microbioma" (2012).

You are you and your..?

Inspired by Maria Viteri, Class of 2016

Essay Option 3.

"This is what history consists of. It's the sum total of all the things they aren't telling us." — Don DeLillo, Libra.

What is history, who are “they,” and what aren’t they telling us?

Inspired by Amy Estersohn, Class of 2010

Essay Option 4.

The mantis shrimp can perceive both polarized light and multispectral images; they have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Human eyes have color receptors for three colors (red, green, and blue); the mantis

shrimp has receptors for sixteen types of color, enabling them to see a spectrum far beyond the capacity of the human brain.

Seriously, how cool is the mantis shrimp: mantisshrimp.uchicago.edu

What might they be able to see that we cannot? What are we missing?

Inspired by Tess Moran, Class of 2016

Essay Option 5.

How are apples and oranges supposed to be compared? Possible answers involve, but are not limited to, statistics, chemistry, physics, linguistics, and philosophy.

Inspired by Florence Chan, Class of 2015

Essay Option 6.

In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, pose a question of your own. If your prompt is original and thoughtful, then you should have little trouble writing a great essay. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun.

6 MIT

6 Stanford 1.Stanford students possess intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.2.Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—know you better.3.What matters to you, and why?

8 Duke University

8 University of Pennsylvania

10 Caltech

10 Dartmouth College

12 Northwestern University

13 Johns Hopkins University

14 Washington University in St. Louis

15 Brown University

15 Cornell University

17 Rice University

17 University of Notre Dame

17 Vanderbilt University

20 Emory University

21 Georgetown University

21 UC-Berkeley

23 Carnegie Mellon University

24 UCLA

24 USC

24 University of Virginia

27 Wake Forest University

28 Tufts University

29 U of Michigan – Ann Arbor

30 U of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

31 Boston College 1. St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, encouraged his followers to live their lives in the service of others. How do you plan to serve others in your future endeavors?

2. From David McCullough's recent commencement address at BC:“Facts alone are never enough. Facts rarely if ever have any soul. In writing or trying to understand history one may have all manner of 'data,' and miss the point. One can have all the facts and miss the truth. It can be like the old piano teacher's lament to her student, 'I hear all the notes, but I hear no music.”Tell us about a time you had all of the facts but missed the meaning.

3. In his novel, Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann writes:“We seldom know what we're hearing when we hear something for the first time, but one thing is certain: we hear it as we will never hear it again. We return to the moment to experience it, I suppose, but we can never really find it, only its memory, the faintest imprint of what it really was, what it meant.”Tell us about something you heard or experienced for the first time and how the years since have affected your perception of that moment.

4. Boston College has a First-Year Convocation program that includes the reading and discussion of a common book that explores Jesuit ideals, community service and learning. If you were to select the book for your Convocation, what would you choose and why?

32 NYU

33 Brandeis University

33 College of William and Mary

33 U of Rochester

36 Georgia Tech

37 Case Western Reserve U

38 Lehigh University

38 UC – Davis

38 UC – San Diego

41 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

41 UC – Santa Barbara

41 U of Wisconsin – Madison

44 UC – Irvine

44 U of Miami

46 Pen State U – University Park

46 U of Illinois – Urbana Champaign

46 U of Texas – Austin

46 U of Washington

46 Yeshiva University

Liberal Arts Colleges Supplement Essay Question Short Takes

1 Williams College Imagine looking through a window at any environment that is particularly significant to you. Reflect on the scene, paying close attention to the relation between what you are seeing and why it is meaningful to you. Please limit your statement to 300 words.

2 Amherst College 1. "Rigorous reasoning is crucial in mathematics, and insight plays an important secondary role these days. In the natural sciences, I would say that the order of these two virtues is reversed. Rigor is, of course, very important. But the most important value is insight--insight into the workings of the world. It may be because there is another guarantor of correctness in the sciences, namely, the empirical evidence from observation and experiments."Kannan Jagannathan, Professor of Physics, Amherst College

2. "Literature is the best way to overcome death. My father, as I said, is an actor. He's the happiest man on earth when he's performing, but when the show is over, he's sad and troubled. I wish he could live in the eternal present, because in

the theater everything remains in memories and photographs. Literature, on the other hand, allows you to live in the present and to remain in the pantheon of the future.Literature is a way to say, I was here, this is what I thought, this is what I perceived. This is my signature, this is my name."Ilan Stavans, Professor of Spanish, Amherst CollegeFrom "The Writer in Exile: an interview with Ilan Stavans" by Saideh Pakravan for the fall 1993 issue of The Literary Review

3."It seems to me incumbent upon this and other schools' graduates to recognize their responsibility to the public interest... unless the graduates of this college... are willing to put back into our society those talents, the broad sympathy, the understanding, the compassion... then obviously the presuppositions upon which our democracy are based are bound to be fallible."John F. Kennedy, at the ground breaking for the Amherst College Frost Library, October 26, 1963

4. "Stereotyped beliefs have the power to become self-fulfilling prophesies for behavior."Elizabeth Aries, Professor of Psychology, Amherst CollegeFrom her book Men and Women in Interaction, Reconsidering the Differences

5. "Difficulty need not foreshadow despair or defeat. Rather achievement can be all the more satisfying because of obstacles surmounted."Attributed to William Hastie, Amherst Class of 1925, first African-American to

serve as a judge for the United States Court of Appeals

3 Swarthmore College Why Swarthmore?

4 Middlebury

6 Bowdoin College Bowdoin students and alumni often cite world-class faculty and opportunities for intellectual engagement, the College’s commitment to the Common Good, and the special quality of life on the coast of Maine as important aspects of the Bowdoin experience. Reflecting on your own interests and experiences, please comment on one of the following:1. Intellectual engagement2. The Common Good3. Connection to place

6 Wellesley College When choosing a college, you are choosing an intellectual community and a place where you believe that you can live, learn, and flourish. To this end, the Board of Admission is interested in knowing your reasons for applying to Wellesley College and how Wellesley will help you to realize your personal and academic goals.

8 Carleton College Why are you interested in Carleton College and how did this interest develop? And finally, for a bit of fun: what's the first thing that comes to mind when you see each of the following words?KnowledgePlayFuture

9 Haverford College 1. Why are you applying to Haverford?2. We recognize that reading about an Honor Code is very different from living

with it. Nevertheless, if you come to Haverford, the Code will be a part of

your college life. We therefore ask you to write a reflective essay of 1-2 pages in response to one of the following prompts:

- Given the dynamic nature of the Honor Code and the opportunity you will have to shape and change the Code if you come to Haverford, what issues and ideas do you think are essential for an Honor Code to focus on, and how should an Honor Code address them?

- Write about an experience in which you encountered a tension between personal freedom and community standards. Discuss the experience and the underlying issues, how you dealt with the tension, and whether or not there was a satisfactory resolution.

- The Honor Code at Haverford creates an environment of deep trust, respect, and collegiality between professors and students which, in turn, fosters open dialogue and free intellectual exchange. Talk about the conditions you think are essential to allowing this type of dialogue and exchange in both academic and non-academic settings.

10 Claremont McKenna College 1. What influenced you the most in your decision to apply to CMC?2. Leadership is a constant theme and emphasis at CMC. One way CMC

emphasizes leadership is through the Athenaeum Speaker Series (www.cmc.edu/mmca), which enables CMC students to dine with leaders from a wide range of fields every weeknight during the academic year. Recent speakers have included authors, activists, entrepreneurs, scientists, professors, politicians, and more. If you could invite anyone to speak at the Athenaeum, who would you choose and why?

1) If I could trade jobs with anyone in the world, that person would be _______________.2) One modern invention I would remove from the world permanently, if I had to, is _______________.3) The greatest challenge facing society today is _______________.4) One question to which I wish I had the answer is _______________.

5) The person who made the greatest positive impact on the world in the past 50 years is _______________.

10 Vassar College HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT VASSAR AND WHAT ASPECTS OF OUR COLLEGE DO YOU FIND APPEALING?

photograph

12 Harvey Mudd College What influenced you to apply to Harvey Mudd College? What about the HMC curriculum and community appeals to you?Choose one:1. "Scientific research is a human endeavor. The choices of topics that we research are based on our biases, our beliefs, and what we bring: our cultures and our families. The kinds of problems that people put their talents to solving depends on their values." - Dr. Clifton PoodryHow has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve?2. In a world where technology continually adapts and progresses, Harvey Mudd College expects that our students will be aware of the impact of their work on society. How would you use new advances to improve your life and/or the lives of those around you? Describe your idea and its potential impact. Feel free to be as creative or as practical as you like.3. What is one thing we won't know about you after reading your application that you haven't already reported in the Common Application "Additional Information" section?

14 United States Naval Academy

14 Washington and Lee University "Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one." (Robert E. Lee,

President of then-Washington College, 1865-1870) Discuss a time when you were tempted to do a wrong thing or when you actually did a wrong thing. What was your motivation? What lessons did you draw from this experience? Do you believe that there is always dishonor in doing a wrong thing? Why or why not?"I have in mind a Washington and Lee graduate entering the arena of public debate. Off to one side is a cacophony of voices, loud and harsh. On the other side are the silent ones, wracked by self-doubt, who avoid the great issues of our time. It would be easy to gravitate to one or the other. I wish for you a more difficult life, somewhere in the complicated center, where the courage of your convictions blends with humility and respect for others." (Kenneth Ruscio '76, current President of Washington and Lee University) Discuss your engagement in an issue that faces your school, community or another group of which you are a part.Consider the meaning of “fair.” What impact does fairness—perceived or actual—have in society and your life? Has fairness ever helped or hurt you personally? At what cost or benefit to you or others?"To promote literature in this rising empire and to encourage the arts, have ever been amongst the warmest wishes of my heart." (George Washington, 1798, first president of the United States and first major benefactor of Washington and Lee University) What do you value enough to promote to a wider audience? Why is it important to you?OR:1. Describe a work of art that has influenced you, and discuss the impact it has

had on you.2. Why does the United States have among the highest rates of poverty and

income inequality of any developed nation, and what, if anything, can and should we do to reduce the prevalence of these problems in our country?

16 Hamilton College Please Describe Your Reasons for Applying to Hamilton: How did you first learn about Hamilton?

17 Wesleyan University

18 Colby College Briefly describe how your interest in Colby developed and why you have decided to apply for admission.

18 Colgate University We honor the many different forms of diversity in our community. Your perspective is valuable because it comes from your life experiences, family backgrounds, and culture. Please tell us about yourself, how you plan to share your perspective with the Colgate Community, and what you hope to learn from other members of the community.

How did you first learn about Colgate?

18 Smith College Applying to college can be serious business; yet we're eager to get to know you in a less formal way. Have fun answering the following question: If you had a theme song - a piece of music that describes you best - what would it be and why? Please include the name of the song and the artist.

How did you first learn of Smith College and why are you applying? (Limit response to 100 words.)

18 United States Military Academy

22 Bates College Since 1855, Bates College has been dedicated to the emancipating potential of the liberal arts. Bates educates the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. With ardor and devotion - Amore ac Studio - we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action. Preparing leaders sustained by a love of learning and a commitment to responsible stewardship of the wider world, Bates is a college for coming times.

22 Grinnell College One of the fascinating qualities of Grinnell College is the diversity of its student How did you first learn about Grinnell

body. Grinnell students come from around the world and from innumerable socioeconomic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. What place, people, or culture would you like to get to know better and why?

College?

24 Macalester College 1. (for all applicants) What factors have led you to consider Macalester College? Why do you believe it may be a good match, and what do you believe you can add to the Mac community, academically and personally?

2. (for international students) Describe a situation where you had to work or closely associate with someone from a background very different from your own. What challenges did you face and how did you resolve them?

How did you first learn about Macalester?

24 Scripps College What about Scripps College has inspired you to apply?(1) The Core Curriculum, which emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, is the foundation of a Scripps education. All first year students take Core I, a lecture/discussion class taught by 15 or more faculty members from different academic disciplines that explores issues from a variety of perspectives. How and why does interdisciplinary learning appeal to you?(2) Describe the environment you come from-family, community, and/or culture-and tell us how that has helped to shape the person you are or want to become.(3) "I was motivated to be different in part because I was different," said Donna Brazile, author and political analyst. Sometimes it's the little things that make us stand out: what quirks, beliefs, or interests make you different or unique?

26 Bryn Mawr College Please attach an essay of no more than one page telling us what you think you would gain from the educational experience at Bryn Mawr and what you would contribute to the community.

26 Oberlin College Given your interests, values, and goals, explain why Oberlin College will help you grow (as a student and a person) during your undergraduate years.

28 Barnard College A. How did you first learn about Barnard College and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? Why do you think the College would be a good match for you?

B. Pick one woman in history or fiction to converse with for an hour and explain your choice. What would you talk about?

C. Alumna and writer Anna Quindlen says that she “majored in unafraid” at Barnard. Tell us about a time when you majored in unafraid.

D. Community - educational, geographic, religious, political, ethnic, or other - can define an individual’s experience and influence her journey. How has your community, as you identify it, shaped your perspective?

28 Colorado College 1. How did you learn about Colorado College and why do you wish to attend? (Early candidates: Please include a statement indicating why you are applying early.)

2. The Block Plan at Colorado College has a tradition of innovation and flexibility. Please design your own three-and-a-half week intellectual adventure and describe what you would do.

28 University of Richmond Tell us about an experience in which you left your comfort zone. How did this experience change you?

31 United States Air Force Academy

32 Bucknell University 1. What are the three most important things Bucknell's faculty and students should know about you?

2. Think about a subject or topic that you love. It can be something you have studied in school or on your own, but something about which you have really enjoyed learning. What first intrigued you about this subject and what

have you found to be most fascinating? In what ways have you shared what you have learned with others?

32 College of the Holy Cross

32 Kenyon College 1. Why are you interested in Kenyon?2. Choose one of the following. Please indicate your choice by checking the box

below.- "From now on, I'll connect the dots my own way," says Calvin in the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson '80.- What is "your way" of making sense of things? Are there dots you hope to connect?- What's the next great discovery in which you want to play a role?- Who would be on your "dream team" and what would this team do?- If you could, what would you do over?

3. Where are you from? (Please answer this in any way you’d like—geographically, culturally, artistically, politically, etc.)

32 Mount Holyoke Choose one of the following:1. What is the first thing you noticed about our College? What kept you interested, and what would you like to contribute to our community? -submitted by Lauren O. (Sarasota, FL)2. What do you miss most from your childhood? -submitted by Katie T. (Hadley, MA)3. If you didn't know how old you were, how old would you be? -submitted by Hyun Ji "Jaime" K. (Eugene, OR)

36 Bard College Choose oneA) One hundred years ago, in 1912, the Austrian writer and social critic Karl

Kraus, famous for his provocative aphorisms, wrote "Civilization ends, since

barbarians erupt from it." Write a short commentary on what you think this

might mean from your perspective 100 years later, and whether it makes any

sense.

B) The Roman philosopher Seneca, writing in the first century, wrote a set of

letters of advice to a young friend. In the 23rd letter he wrote, "Make this your

business: learn how to feel joy...true joy, believe me, is a serious thing." Write a

short response to these thoughts, indicating if you wish, the extent to which you

may have come to realize that Seneca was right.

C) Submit a graded analytical paper (a thousand words or less) written in your

junior or senior year (transfer candidates: from a college class). The submitted

paper must include the teacher/professor comments, grade, and assignment.

36 Sewanee-University of the South

1. How did you initially hear about Sewanee?

2. After hearing about the school, why do you believe Sewanee is a good fit for you?

38 Trinity College

39 Lafayette College Choose one:1. In 1777, at the age of 19, the Marquis de Lafayette left a life of privilege and prestige in France and sailed to America to fight for the American Revolution. His family motto guided his sense of adventure and reflects an attitude that pervades Lafayette College today: "Cur Non?" ("Why not?). Based on this motto, discuss a "Why not?" moment in your personal, academic, or social life.2. Lafayette offers the opportunity to create your own major or start a new club.

Why are you interested in Lafayette?

If you could pursue either option, what would the major or club be, and why is that an interest of yours?3. Imagine it is the eve of your graduation from Lafayette and you are reading what the yearbook says about the impact you have had on the college during your four years as a student. What might the yearbook say?

39 Occidental College 1. There are thousands of colleges and universities. Why are you applying to Occidental? In your opinion, what distinguishes it from your other choices?

2. While we realize your interests may change in college, what are your current academic and intellectual curiosities?

3. Choose a book you have read - at any point in your life - that most affected you and clarify its effect.

4. Identify and describe a personal habit or idiosyncrasy - of any nature - that helps define you.

41 Connecticut College 1. What, in particular, influences your desire to attend Connecticut College?2. Tell us about your favorite place and why it holds special meaning for you. It can be close to home or on another continent, your kitchen or a mountaintop.

41 Union College Choose two of the following to answer in no more than 150 words each.1. What excites you about Union?2. What can you contribute to the Union community?3. Given the opportunities to conduct research at Union, what would you

choose as a project?4. What fascinates you?5. What frightens you?

How did you learn about Union?

43 Pitzer College Choose one:1. Incorporating one or more of our values, propose a solution to a local or

global issue you deem important.2. Tell us about an accomplishment of yours. How did you use one or more of our core values to reach your goal?

43 Skidmore College

43 Whitman College Choose one1. If you could select a text to be added or dropped from the Encounters curriculum, what would you choose and why?2. Pick three of these words or phrases with which you identify and explain how those terms resonate with you personally or reveal your intellectual expectations.3. During your time at Whitman, how do you envision engaging with a current local, national, or global issue that is important to you?4. Describe an unpopular opinion you have had and why you stood (or stand) by it.5. Choose a facet of your current community that inspires you. How will you bring this sense of inspiration to life as you transition to your new Whitman community?Choose one1. If you could select a text to be added or dropped from the Encounters curriculum, what would you choose and why?2. Pick three of these words or phrases with which you identify and explain how those terms resonate with you personally or reveal your intellectual expectations.3. During your time at Whitman, how do you envision engaging with a current local, national, or global issue that is important to you?

4. Describe an unpopular opinion you have had and why you stood (or stand) by it. Choose a facet of your current community that inspires you. How will you bring this sense of inspiration to life as you transition to your new Whitman community?

46 Dickinson College Explain why you have chosen to apply to Dickinson and how your interests, talents and goals fit with Dickinson’s distinctive character.

46 Franklin and Marshall College 1. How did you first hear about Franklin and Marshall and why did you choose to apply?

2. Imagine yourself as Benjamin Franklin the inventor, what would you invent and who would it impact?

46 Gettysburg College 1. Gettysburg College students are engaged learners and 'make a difference' both on and off campus through their academic and extracurricular activities. Describe a situation in which you have made a difference in your school or community and what you learned from that experience.

2. How did you become interested in Gettysburg College?

49 Denison University Denison values diversity in our college community. Please describe a personal experience that you have had with diversity and tell us how it might inform your college experience.

1. Briefly discuss a book you have read that had a significant impact on you.

2. Please write a paragraph or two briefly describing your reasons for applying to Denison

49 Furman University Choose one:1. Passion has been defined as "the object of an intense desire, ardent affection, or enthusiasm." How would you define passion in your life? What are the ideas,

people, and experiences about which you feel passionate?2. Describe a time when you felt it was necessary to challenge authority in the defense of fairness. What did you learn?3. The author Frederick Buechner said, "The time is ripe for . . . sifting through the things we have done and the things we have left undone for a clue to who we are and who, for better or worse, we are becoming." As you look back over your life up to this point, what things have you done that provide clues about who you are and who you are becoming?

49 Soka University of America 1. Imagine you are at SUA, and you're invited to give a lecture to all the students and faculty. What would you talk about, and why?

2. In today's world, what is your purpose in seeking a liberal arts education? Among the many fine colleges and universities you might attend, how do you think SUA could help you fulfill that purpose?