A private liberal arts school in Hartford, Connecticut, Trinity College is proud of its small, independent student body pursuing higher education in the state capital. With just over 2,000 undergraduates and a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Trinity places a lot of emphasis on its location, identifying itself as the “preeminent liberal arts college in an urban setting.” Trinity has an acceptance rate of 38%.
It’s important that your application shows your sincere interest because, even with the right grades, acceptance isn’t a sure thing… Which brings us to Trinity’s “optional” supplement. Yes, we’re using scare quotes, and no, there’s nothing you can do about it, because it’s about as optional as when your girlfriend says you don’t have to get her anything for her birthday. Sure, it’s not mandatory, but then you’re the type of person who doesn’t show you care unless it’s required.
Anyway, we digress. The point is you need to write the Trinity supplement if you want to go to Trinity. Luckily, it’s short and straightforward. We’ll break it down so that you can do something else productive today, like buying an apology bouquet from Trader Joe’s or calling your mom just because.
You have 300 words or less to answer the following prompt:
The Trinity College community is characterized by engagement, inclusion, and collaborative partnerships. Based on the different communities that you are a member of, how will you engage with and leave an impact on the Trinity College community?
This question boils down to two important prongs: what is a community that’s important to you, and how does your involvement in that community show that you’ll have a positive influence on Trinity’s student body? This supplement combines two prompts we see a lot — “why us” and “tell us about your community” essays. This is also subtly a mission-based supplement — you’ll want to give Trinity greater insight into who you are by telling them a story about your community while showing that you share their value of developing connections across groups (much in the way, ahem, the crossover between Trinity College and the town of Hartford empowers “students as global citizens in the wider world”).
Ultimately, your essay, while brief, should illustrate where you come from, how you prioritize relationship building, and how your experience has prepared you to succeed at Trinity as an individual and as part of a whole.
Your Community
First, choose a community that’s important to you, one that feels like it’s a part of who you are. Community happens at all levels — it could be organized around demographics, geography, family, or activities and interests. If your parents joined a social club after immigrating to Texas, the DFW Indian Cultural Society might be a community that’s impacted you throughout your education even as you attended different schools. Your community might be a church group, a book club, your one dozen cousins, your neighborhood cycling squad, the seniors you see weekly at your grandparents’ retirement home — anything.
Remember, a community doesn’t have to be a gigantic group or a formal organization, but it does have to be a network that you interact with regularly and have an emotional connection to. Tell Trinity the story of how you became a part of that community, how you engaged with it, and what partnerships developed because of it.
The Trinity Community
Next, you’ll want to connect the role you had in your community of choice to the impact you’ll have on campus. This is where the “why Trinity” element of the question comes into play. Make a case for why you will thrive at Trinity specifically — which unique opportunities does it offer that will help you achieve your goals? What part will you play in its pre-existing communities based on your past collaborations?
You’ll have to do some research to find the link between your background and Trinity’s academics and social life, but demonstrating your enthusiasm and shared values will do a lot to work in your favor here. As they like to say, “Trinity College is where the liberal arts meet the real world.” That’s a pretty exciting intersection, and all you have to do is show your place in it.
Need help writing about the communities most important to you? Contact us for individualized support.