Mount Holyoke is a small, women’s college that’s part of the Seven Sisters along with Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Smith. (Vassar is now co-ed and Radcliffe joined Harvard). It’s located in suburban South Hadley, Massachusetts, within several miles of many, many Boston-area universities. The acceptance rate is about 40% and the undergraduate population is around 2,000 students. While Mount Holyoke says its supplement is option, we feel that no piece of a writing on an application is optional. So, here’s our advice on how to tackle it:
Please select one of the three prompts below. Your essay should be between 250-400 words.
What unique characteristic about Mount Holyoke makes you interested in attending?
This can be read as “Why Mount Holyoke?” It’s a classic. We advise all of our students to identify an academic niche they are going to pursue (or have been pursuing) throughout high school. This should be a highly specific academic area. So, history is too broad. Consider Ancient Roman history. Your extracurriculars, the classes you choose, your letters of recommendation, SAT IIs, etc. should be aligned with your academic niche. Your job in this essay to make the point that Mount Holyoke is the best place for you to continue to develop that academic area of expertise.
Start off with a two-sentence story about how you got interested in your niche. (Remember, you only have 250-400 words, so keep it concise!) This should be really simple. Like, maybe you did a project on aqueducts in seventh grade and became fascinated by Ancient Rome. Then, research the upper-level classes that Mount Holyoke offers that are relevant to your niche. Really do your homework. Talk about the professors who teach those courses and their research. Explain why those classes will help you expand your learning. Next, talk about the related extracurriculars Mount Holyoke offers and draw a connection to your area of study. Finally, end with one or two sentences about what interests you about MH’s location.
A word for peace of mind: don’t panic. Just because you’re writing about ancient Roman history does not mean that you need to declare or lock yourself into a History major. You can absolutely show up undecided or pivot to Creative Writing once you get there. But for the purpose of this essay, you should be very clear and specific about the area of study you want to pursue at Mount Holyoke.
Every day, our students cultivate the competence, confidence and courage to make an impact — whether on a personal, community or global level. Tell us about the context in which you have grown up, what forms your aspirations and how your community has shaped your outlook.
It’s quite telling that this prompt wasn’t on the application last year. In the midst of the Supreme Court’s decision to effectively overturn affirmative action, schools are still looking to recruit students from diverse backgrounds. This prompt is probably here because Mount Holyoke wants to know who you are and what kind of diversity their applicants might represent (racial, ethnic, religious, socio-economic, etc.)
If this doesn’t really apply to you, don’t choose this question. If you do plan to answer it, tell a story about your community and how its shaped you. Be specific and use rich detail. Perhaps there’s a particular religious holiday you grew up celebrating within your community. Talk about something you learned through that experience. Now, talk about how you’ve applied that lesson or principal to making an impact in your community or the broader world. Be specific. This shouldn’t be a theoretical exercise. Mount Holyoke is telling you they want students who are actively making an impact out in the real world.
Early bird or night owl? Sweet or savory? Go out or stay in? Or choose your own "this or that" scenario and make your case!
So fun! The thing about a school’s supplement is it’s a reflection of that school’s personality. And if you’re a great fit for the school to which you’re applying, you’ll probably enjoy writing it (or at least you won’t struggle too much. And if you are struggling, you might consider that this school isn’t the right vibe for you).
The first piece of advice we have for tackling this one is to have fun! The admissions counselors reading this want to have fun, too. Play with form. Use humor (if you’re funny). Make it a debate between two people. Make it a scene from a movie that you’re making up. Our second piece of advice is to choose something they do not list here. If you can tell a story by way of the two things you pick (a story with a beginning, middle, and end, that is) then do that.
Before starting any application, consider engaging in the following exercise: imagine who is reading your application. Imagine the room they’re sitting in and the stacks of applications they have before them of super-qualified students from around the country (and the world). Now, think about your goal here: it’s to stand out and show up as a real person with character traits. Your test scores, your grades and resume tell one part of the story. The essay is your opportunity to paint a full picture that stands out above those other stacks of paper.
Need help with a supplement? Call us. We’re experts at helping students with their college applications.