The University of Richmond is a private liberal arts school in Richmond, Virginia. Nestled in the heart of the South, U of Richmond is a relatively small (around 3,500 undergrad), suburban campus. Business is among its most popular majors, along with general liberal arts and humanities. The school has an acceptance rate of 33%.
The Supplement
The purpose of the university supplement as an exercise is pretty straightforward: to see if you and the college are a match. In every part of your application, you should strive to tell the university something about your personality they don’t know yet. Students often have the urge to use the supplement to regurgitate portions of their resume. Don’t waste the opportunity to let a new part of yourself show up. University of Richmond’s supplement includes three prompts. Students are supposed to pick one and answer the question in 650 words or less. 650 words is A LOT. You don’t need to use it all to accomplish the task at hand.
Prompt 1: What is an urgent global challenge or social justice topic about which you are passionate? What solutions or outcomes do you hope to see?
We wouldn’t recommend choosing this one.
The point of the exercise is for schools to get to know you through your accomplishments and personal stories. Hopes don’t actually communicate much about what you’ve already done in life, so this one is a bit tricky. Just don’t choose it.
Prompt 2: By the time you graduate from college, there will be jobs that don’t exist today. Describe one of them and how Richmond might prepare you for it.
While this prompt is future-oriented, it’s distinct from the first in that it has an opportunity for your to tie-in your academic interests. Throughout high school, you should have been cultivating an academic niche, an area of expertise reflected in your class choices, extracurriculars, and interests. The more specific the better. Science is too broad but demonstrating an interest and expertise in environmental biology will make you stand out as a unique candidate. If you choose this prompt, accentuate your academic niche.
Write to your focus and write to what you know. Pick a corner of your academic interest you can talk about intelligently. You will ultimately extrapolate upon it, but before you flesh out the future job idea you have, take note of the portion where they ask you to explain how Richmond might prepare you.
The whole purpose of the application is for the university to get to know you and to see whether or not you and that school will be a good fit. As mentioned, each component, from your resume to your class selection, should tell them something about your personality they don’t already know. This essay is all about showing Richmond that you’re a match. Take a deep dive into the academic offerings at Richmond in your niche. Don’t just identify the major you would take, identify 200-level classes, professors, and areas of research being conducted at the school. Start off by talking about a job that could exist in your specific academic area. Then, talk about the exact classes and academic opportunities you would take advantage of therein.
Prompt 3: You are required to spend the next year in either the past or the future. To what year would you travel and why?
Pick something from the past that is related to your academic interest. Don’t make it too obvious. If you’re an American history buff, don’t say you’d go to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Remember that you’re choosing an entire year, not just one event. Please don’t say 1969.
Need some help fleshing out an essay that isn’t cliché or boring? Reach out to us here. We’re experts at helping students find their unique voice.