St. John’s College 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

St. John’s College 2023-24 Application Essay Explanations

The Requirements: One essay of 400 words minimum

Supplemental Essay Type: Oddball

Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” We want to learn both about the ideas in the book and about you. What makes the book great in your view? What effect has it had on what you think or how you think? (Minimum 400 word)

With this prompt, St. John’s 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, worldview, and/or values. Does Kurt Vonnegut’s dark humor entertain while alleviating anxiety about death? (So it goes.) Do Maya Angelou’s words transcend cultural boundaries and offer a new way to look at the world? Be careful to avoid self-aggrandizing or pandering choices and, instead, write about a work that truly speaks to you. Just remember that this prompt aims to reveal new information about you to admissions, so skip the intricate plot explanations and dive right into your takeaways and the book’s impact on what you think and/or how you think. Since you have to write a minimum of 400 words here, we recommend selecting a book that you know very well.