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The Requirements: 7 short responses of varying lengths
Supplemental Essay Type: Why, Oddball
In order to win over admissions at Agnes Scott, you’re going to have to master the art of brevity, or else you’ll run out of room!
This is one of the most straightforward and common supplemental essay prompts out there. In order to impress admissions, do your research. Explore Agnes Scott’s offerings and be able to point to specific programs, departments, and/or organizations that are spurring you to apply. If you can connect your interests to past pursuits, even better!
Admissions wants to know that you’re paying attention and actively striving to show up. Start by jotting down whatever comes to mind when you read this prompt. Did you immediately think of a prominent activist or leader who has effectively created change in your community? How do they lead? Which of their qualities would you like to emulate? You want to write about an observation or an experience here, so we recommend brainstorming a few options for your response. Regardless of what you pick, make sure to relay what the experience or person meant to you. And as with all college essays, you want to make sure your response always ends up telling them something new about you.
Agnes Scott wants to welcome students to campus who not only know how to lead, but also feel passionate about making the world a better place. The issue you choose to discuss can really run the gamut. Which world problems are close to your heart and why? Maybe you would love to address the infant mortality rate in developing nations (or even here at home). Perhaps, you’re inspired by the effort to preserve heirloom seeds for sustainable agriculture. Just make sure to never use two words where you could use one!
Community service is a broad term, so feel free to think creatively about the ways in which you serve your community. Since you only have 50 words maximum, we recommend summarizing your favorite project in just a few sentences. Try to use your words purposefully to convey its impact on you and why it has reciprocal meaning.
Where have you always wanted to go? Maybe you’ve grown up regaled with stories about your grandparents’ homeland and have always wanted to see, smell, and hear it for yourself! Or, perhaps, if you could go anywhere, it would be space, since you’re a major astronomy buff. Would you go somewhere fictional from your favorite book series? (I mean, Rivendell would be at the top of our list.) This question is open-ended, so feel free to take it any direction you choose. Just make sure you’re revealing something new about yourself in the process!
With this prompt, Agnes Scott is looking for more than just a summary of your favorite book. Admissions wants to know why a certain book or novel is meaningful to you and how it connects to your interests, identity, history, or values. Does Kurt Vonnegut’s dark humor alleviate your anxiety about death? Did the fantasy kingdom of a YA novel help you unwind after a stressful week? Be careful to avoid self-aggrandizing or pandering choices and, instead, write about a work that truly speaks to you. If you’re able to reveal something new about yourself in your response to this prompt, you’re on the right track.
You don’t have many words at your disposal here, so our advice is to select a leader and explain the impact they have had on you as concisely as possible. Remember that the person you choose is going to say a lot about what you value and respect in others. If no one comes to mind immediately, try looking up leaders in your field or community and remember that leaders come in all forms (scientists, athletes, historical heroines, etc). You’ll likely come across someone whose work you’re already familiar with, and then the only thing left to do is summarize their accomplishments and influence on you, particularly.
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