Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado College is a tiny lil’ liberal arts college with a unique scheduling system. They’re on the Block Plan, and they’re super proud of it. You take one class at a time. Yep, just one. They say this helps you manage your schedule better, stay flexible, and still have lots of time left over for activities outside of school. CC had an 11.6% acceptance rate last cycle, but note that in regular decision, we see an acceptance rate in the 2-3% range. Basically, people who know they want to go to Colorado College typically apply early.
The culture at Colorado College is crunchy, with tons of students being involved in club or D3 sports, outside hiking and climbing activities, and generally enjoying the nature around the school. They have a fairly simple supplement, so let’s dive in:
In the following prompt, we are hoping to learn more about your discovery of and affinity for Colorado College. It’s an opportunity to reflect on what the distinctive academic experience of the Block Plan could mean for you.
We advise you to take your time, do your research, and give us some specifics about how the college would impact you and how you would impact the college. It’s a good idea to participate in an information session, browse our website, and carefully edit before submitting — after all, this is another opportunity for you share your writing skills. Please see this short video for additional insight.
Why do you wish to attend Colorado College and how would the Block Plan serve your educational goals? (no more than 200 words)*
It’s not just a Why Colorado College essay, but a Why Block Plan essay too. You need to address both parts.
Start with your origin story – why do you want to study what you want to study? If you’re thinking about geology, talk about that trip to the Natural History Museum, or your impressive rock collection as a kid. Then, declare your major.
Next, pick an upper-level class in your major and talk about how it works with your goals. Explain how taking this class through the Block Plan is more beneficial than the standard semester schedule. How does being immersed in one topic for three weeks help you learn better? Be specific.
Select a professor in your field who is conducting research that interests you. Maybe you’re super into igneous rocks and want to work with a professor who’s like, the top igneous rock guy. Whatever, just lean into it.
Finally, top it off by mentioning some extracurriculars you want to do at CC. These shouldn’t be totally out of the blue, so try and choose things that are at least semi-related to whatever you’re doing now in school. They’re not gonna hold you to it.
Top it off with a little conclusion sentence, edit it down to 200 words, and you’re good.
Optional: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (250 words)
Don’t overthink this one too much. It’s okay if you pick something you have on your activities list. We find that our clients often wish they had 10x the space to talk about the activity that means the most to them, and this is a great place to do it.
Don’t just reiterate what it is, instead tell a story about whatever you chose. Tell them about the first time you volunteered at the animal shelter and how playing with the senior pups made you decide to come back forever. Tell them about how you mastered a super busy dinner shift, even after almost all your coworkers called out. Pick a story that really captures your time or involvement in the activity and give it a ton of detail.
Once you’ve finished your essays, make sure to look them over and edit them for grammar, clarity, and flow. You’ve got this.
If you need help with your Colorado College supplements and application, reach out to us today.