Franklin and Marshall College 2017-18 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Franklin and Marshall College 2017-18 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 150 words; 1 essay of 100 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Oddball, Why

Don’t let this sneaky supplement get away from you! Since these questions are technically optional* they are located under “Other Information” on the Common Application Member Page. As the applicant, you must specify on the Common Application whether or not you will submit responses.

*Hint: so-called optional essays are, in our opinion, never optional. Take every opportunity you can to speak to admissions in your own voice and demonstrate your commitment to the school.

In addition to the Common Application Essay, Franklin and Marshall also offers applicants the opportunity to respond to two prompts and provide the admission committee with further insight into the students’ goals, character, and potential to contribute to the F&M community.

Be creative and have fun. Use your responses as an opportunity for us to get to know you.

Let’s dive in!

Prompt 1: On September 27, 1777 Lancaster served as the nation’s capital for a single day. If you could do anything or be anyone for one single day, what would you do? (150 word limit)

This is an opportunity for the Admissions Officers at Franklin and Marshall to get a peek into your brain and see what fascinates, bothers, or excites you. When approaching this prompt, think about what kind of impact you want to have on the world, then get creative. If you’re very passionate about climate change, maybe you’d write about how you would want to implement more carbon neutral public transportation in major cities. If you want to bring happiness to people’s lives, maybe you want to be Ellen Degeneres for a single day and feel the gratitude and joy that comes from a chuckling audience. Although it might be your instinct, our advice is to skip saying that you’d be Jay Z so you could experience being married to Beyonce for a day.

Prompt 2: Why F&M? (100 word limit)

Why Franklin and Marshall College? You only have 100 words to convince Admissions Officers that you have done your homework and know Franklin and Marshall would be the perfect fit for you! Thus, you have to be concise and specific. Your answer can refer to academics: majors, classes, professors, or the community: clubs, events, student body, or anything that makes you want to be a Franklin and Marshall student. Our advice would be to write down every reason why you are applying and use those notes to craft your response. You don’t have a lot of space to write, so make sure to focus on the most important reasons: What excites you most about an F&M education? What personal qualities or interests can you highlight for admissions to demonstrate your fit? Remember, although this essay should focus on details of the F&M experience, it is still an essay about you, your goals, and your passions.