Emory is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. About 8,000 undergraduate students attend the school, and the academic programs are rigorous. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 17.5%.
We love Emory’s supplement! It is broken out into two categories, and you’ll respond to one question from each part. We’re breaking them down below:
REFLECTIONS: (150 Word Maximum)
Share about a time when you questioned something that you believed to be true.
If something doesn’t immediately come to mind for this one, you should probably move on. This is because your answer needs to be 1) true and 2) authentic. Anything short of that won’t work. You might have had a long-standing belief that was challenged by a conversation with someone who has a different set of values or beliefs as you. If this is the case, write about the experience in the form of a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Details are key! Keep in mind that the prompt says that you need to have questioned something, not changed your mind entirely. Focus on those experiences when you were able to hit pause, do some introspective thinking, and show empathy for someone whose views do not align with yours.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you offer yourself the beginning of high school?
There are two ways to go about this question. You can take the earnest approach and write about a time when you learned something from a failure or misstep. If you are going to take this route, remember that writing about failure can show not just vulnerability, but growth. Focus on the growth. No one is going to judge you for making a mistake. Think about what you wish you had known (pre-mistake) and write about how that hindsight could have helped you out. The second option is to go with humor, which is probably the route that we take with TKG clients. One of our writers once drove her parent’s car into a parked garage door. The advice she would offer her younger self? Always make sure the garage door is opening before putting a car into reverse and driving through it.
If nothing comes to mind after reading the above, make a list of twenty things you wish you knew at the start of the freshman year. Then, unpack your list and think of experiences that correlate to your list. Whatever option you choose, write a story that explains how your experience led to the realization.
Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
If you are going to answer this one, you need to think small. Do not write about a volunteer experience or trip that your parents paid for! If you try to tackle something huge, your answer will likely come off as gross and exploitative. You can successfully answer this question thinking about a genuine curiosity that you had about another culture, and then focusing your response on the small steps you took to learn more. Perhaps you learned about South African culture by making a traditional recipe and diving into the chef’s blog about their life, or read literature that was written by someone from another country. Go deep into the experience by writing a story, but do not claim to have mastered everything about the culture that you choose to write about.
TELL US ABOUT YOU: (150 Word Maximum)
Which book, character, song, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction) represents you, and why?
The only way to go about this prompt is to work backward. If you choose the book or character first, you’ll get tripped up trying to find commonalities between yourself and the arbitrary person you chose.
Make a list of adjectives that describe yourself. If you’re having trouble, ask your friends and family. Then, cross off anything that has been represented anywhere else in your application – specifically in your common app essay and list of activities. Let’s say that you’re left with three words: tenacious, understanding, and level-headed.
If there is a book, character, song, or piece of work that aligns with the personality trait that you’re trying to portray, there’s your answer. Just make sure that you’re not choosing a book that was assigned in school or someone who is polarizing. You’ll stand out, but it will be in a negative way.
If you could witness any event (past present or future) first-hand, what would it be and why?
You might have noticed that Emory does not ask “Why Us.” This means that Emory only knows what you want to major in based on your selection from the drop-down menu on the common app website. If this question speaks to you, choose an event that is in some way related to your intended academic path at Emory. With that being said, do not choose the most obvious thing. Go deeper into the field and brainstorm specific events that would have been awesome to see, then explain why you chose it. This is an opportunity for a subtle humble brag and a chance to prove that you’ve gone beyond surface level in pursuit of learning more about the academic discipline that you plan to pursue.
Introduce yourself to your first-year Emory University roommate.
We love a stolen supplement. Kudos to Emory for taking one of Stanford’s best!
Think about your ideal future roommate. What comes to mind? It’s not their accomplishments or academic interests. It’s the fact that they bring you your favorite sandwich when you’re busy studying and somehow make the best Ramen, even if it’s made in a microwave.
For this one, we suggest writing your future roommate a letter. Yes, with a salutation. Greetings! Shalom! Bonjour! From there, focus on what you’re bringing to the table. Are you excited, but nervous? That’s okay. What fun traditions or recipes are you bringing with you to college? What’s your vibe? Tell them what you do for fun, what it will be like to live with you, how you’ll impact their experience at college, and maybe even what you’re looking for in a roommate. You are human, so be human here. The person that you are writing to does not care that you were student body president, they want to know what their future roommate is like.
As we said earlier, Emory’s supplement is great but will challenge you to think outside of the box. Focus on flavor and have some fun.
Not sure where to start? Contact us here.