There’s an art to writing the college supplement and writing the Carleton supplement is no different. Carleton College is a small, liberal arts school located in Northfield, Minnesota. There are about 2,000 students. The 2022-2023 acceptance rate was about 18%. Here are some tips for tackling the supplement:
Before You Begin
One thing to keep in mind when browsing various supplements for the schools on your list is that these essays should actually be somewhat fun. Every school has a personality and you can usually get a sense for the school’s vibe by the supplement. They want to attract students who are a good personality fit. So, if you’re having fun and interested in the research, it’s a good indication that this is a good fit for you. If you’re not, consider knocking it off your list. What Carleton is telling you is that they want you to get to know the school before applying. This is a really good practice for all schools. Do your research. Really spend a lot of time exploring and getting to know the school.
We'd like to know you better.
Please share your thoughts on one (1) of the following prompts, in no more than 300 words.
1. Carleton’s community plan for inclusion, diversity, and equity aims to nurture and develop an even stronger community where students, faculty, and staff belong and thrive. How might you contribute to a sense of belonging at Carleton?
If you choose prompt number one, obviously, start by reading the community plan. Then, read it again. If you choose this prompt, tackle it by telling a story about a community that’s important to you. There are lots of options for community. Your neighborhood is a community, for example. The people you see at the community pool every Sunday can be considered a community. There are ethnic, racial, and religious communities. Identify a time when you gave something back to your community. Now, connect it all to the school. This is where your research will come in handy. Identify a club, group, or space within the Carleton community. Talk about how you would continue what you did for your community within that community at Carleton. Be as specific as possible.
2. Before graduation, every Carleton student completes a senior project, known as “comps.” Comps projects take many different forms: a few recent examples are formal research papers, public presentations, and even a live staging of a theater production. Based on your current academic interests, what type of comps project or topic would you explore, and why? (No pressure, we won’t hold you to this!)
Make sure you read the Comps page thoroughly before you put pen to paper. With this prompt, Carleton is telling you that they want students who have forethought in a particular area and are eager to keep that area going. What do we mean by this? We advise all of our students to develop an expertise in a particular academic area. Think of this as your academic niche or brand. This should be a very specific topic. So, instead of just Politics we would encourage a sophomore in high school to position themselves as an expert in American Government over the course of the next three years of high school. Your extracurriculars, electives, and writing should reflect this niche.
Begin with a story about how you got into that niche. You only have 300 words, so this should be very concise—just a sentence or two. This can be really simple. Maybe you did a report on the American presidents in sixth grade and became fascinated. Next, in another sentence or two, briefly talk about how you intend to continue that field of study at Carleton. Then, spend the bulk of the essay talking about what you would present or research within this academic niche. If you really want to level up, write an excerpt from the play or chunk of your presentation as though you are a senior doing Comps. Alternatively, write a story as though you were a senior preparing to do your Comps presentation. You should also let your personality shine. If you’re funny, be funny! If you’re a little neurotic and detail-oriented, write a sentence about all of the steps you’re taking to over-prepare.
3. Traditions at Carleton center around building and appreciating community. Some examples include the new student frisbee toss, Friday flowers, and baking cookies at Dacie Moses House. If you were tasked with creating a new Carleton tradition, what would you propose and how would you emphasize community within your idea?*
Ok. This school is fun (and kinda silly!) and they want people who are, too. Vibe and school spirit are really important to Carleton and they’re telling you that in this supplement. The best answer to this question is connected to something you already do. Use this as an opportunity to showcase your personality and your accomplishments. Ideally, this is something that’s not already visible on your resume. (Every part of the application is an opportunity to tell something new about yourself). Maybe you host a Sunday night dinner club with friends every week and you want to bring that into a dorm as a way for freshmen to meet each other). Everyone takes turns making a main dish and picking a free spot on campus to host). Perhaps you wrote and performed a play with a group of friends at a retirement community and you want to write and perform one with some students. Start off by telling a story about why the tradition you engage in means something to you.
Keep in mind that the purpose of the supplement is to show a university who you are and why you’re a great fit for the school. Don’t regurgitate things that are already present elsewhere in your application. Be creative and above all, try to have fun with it.
Need help crafting a standout supplement? Call us. We’re experts at helping students match with their perfect schools.