Many colleges have chosen to eliminate the extra essay of their college application, aka the supplemental essay. University of Georgia, University of Miami, UNC Chapel Hill, Tulane, Washington at St. Louis, and others have already announced that they will no longer have an extra essay for freshman applicants.
Hooray! Right?
Not so fast.
We need to ask two questions. Why are colleges doing this, and what does this mean for college admissions?
As for the why – well, some colleges have stated they are trying to reduce the stress of college applications by reducing the writing requirement. Other colleges have noted that the use of AI in essays, especially the “why” essays, has become very prevalent and made those essays less useful for admissions purposes.
My take – it is incredibly expensive to hire readers to evaluate essays. And yes – expensive, as many, if not most, colleges hire seasonal readers that need to be trained. Just imagine trying to read 80,000 extra essays and doing a good job for the applicants. That’s time consuming and expensive.
One reality – colleges without an extra supplemental essay have a bump in the number of applications they receive. Expect UGA, Tulane, UMiami, WashU and Chapel Hill to have more applications in this cycle than last (for UGA and Chapel Hill, it will probably be comprised of out-of-state students). And as we know, the higher the number of applicants, the lower the admission chances.
No matter the true reason for these essays being eliminated, the implication is clear: colleges that are now only relying on the Common Application essay are putting a huge weight on that essay, as well as alignment of coursework, resume and recommendation letters on admissions.
While students may celebrate the disappearance of supplemental essays, they should recognize that this change is not necessarily making college admissions easier, it’s just different. Without supplemental essays,colleges will place even greater emphasis on the pieces of the application that remain. The students who will benefit most are those who can clearly articulate their story, demonstrate genuine engagement, and present a cohesive application that shows not only what they have accomplished, but also what they will bring to a college community.
As always, we are here to help make your applications shine.
Marjorie Licht
Director College Advising
