how to write drexel supplemental essays

Drexel University Supplemental Essays 2022-23

Drexel supplemental essays 2022-23.

Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Drexel University is undeniably an excellent school for students to add to their college lists. The school has over 80 Drexel majors and minors, but the school is most known for its STEM majors, especially computer science and engineering. In this article, we will discuss the Drexel supplemental essays, their importance, and how to respond to the Drexel essay prompts with strong Drexel essays that will boost your acceptance odds.

History of Drexel University

Since 1919, Drexel University has been a  co-operative educational institution , which is an amazing type of educational program that students might not have heard about before. “Co-operative” means that all  Drexel undergraduate students work six months at a job in their chosen field as part of their education at Drexel. This work experience is unique and greatly helps strengthen job applications after graduation.

Drexel rankings

The Drexel University ranking is #105 in U.S. News for Best Colleges nationally. While Drexel doesn’t crack the top 100 colleges in the U.S. News list, a ranking of 105 is still high and quite impressive. This Drexel University ranking is proof that Drexel is a well-respected university in Philadelphia, therefore students should take care in answering the Drexel supplemental essays to help their application stand out. 

Drexel University is considered to be a good school due to many varying factors. It is important to remember that a “good school” is determined by so much more than ranking alone. Other factors to consider include program offerings, campus life, and career-placement opportunities after graduation. Furthermore, ultimately, a “good school” will depend on what an applicant is looking for in their own personal college experience.  

What is the Drexel acceptance rate like?

One factor that can be considered when thinking about if a school is a good school for you is acceptance rate. While the Drexel University acceptance rate is 83% , it is important to remember that acceptance is certainly not guaranteed. Not all students who apply gain admission. Because of this, one should not slack on any part of the application process, in particular, the Drexel essays.

Drexel University takes into consideration several things when determining admission. These variants include a student’s high school performance, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, and, of course, the Drexel supplemental essays. 

Drexel supplemental essay review

Now, you might be wondering why Drexel University supplemental essays are necessary for your application. Writing the Drexel essays are a chance for students to share with the Drexel admissions committee who they are beyond grades, test scores, and recommendations . This means that students should put the appropriate amount of thought and consideration into their answers to the Drexel essay prompts in order to highlight their positive attributes and unique qualities. 

If you are interested in applying to Drexel University, you might feel a bit overwhelmed by the Drexel supplemental essays. You may be wondering how to craft strong responses to the Drexel essay prompts. Luckily, you’re in the right place! Our comprehensive guide will expertly break down the requirements of the Drexel supplemental essays, while also highlighting some key information about Drexel University to help students have the highest chance of gaining admission with their Drexel supplemental essays. 

Drexel Essay Prompts: Quick Facts

• Drexel University Acceptance Rate:  83%– U.S. News’s Drexel University ranking makes Drexel a  more selective   school. 
• All applicants must submit a 250 to 650-word personal essay.
• Applicants to specific programs may be asked to complete additional Drexel University supplemental essays.
• Drexel University Application:  Students must submit their Drexel University application via the  Common Application  or the  Coalition Application . Make sure to have all of your Drexel supplemental essays and other  required application materials  ready when applying. 
• Early Decision: November 1st
• Early Action: November 1st
• Regular Decision: January 15th 
• Drexel University Essay Tip:  There is only one Drexel University essay that is required, and this is the personal essay. So, it is important to make your essay count. Make sure you take the time to answer thoughtfully and make the most impact within the 250 to 650-word limit.

Does Drexel University have supplemental essays?

Drexel University does, in fact, have specific Drexel University supplemental essays. Most undergraduate applicants will be required to submit a personal essay for all college applications via the Common App or Coalition App. Drexel is no exception. The personal essay topics will vary, but the primary purpose of these essays is to tell the Drexel admissions committee things about yourself that cannot be found in any other part of your application. So, we should note that the standard personal essay is different from the Drexel University supplemental essays, but is still a requirement.

More than just the personal essay

In addition to the personal essay, students who apply for certain majors or special programs within the university will be asked to submit additional Drexel essays that express their passion for their intended major. These Drexel supplemental essays provide applicants with the opportunity to help their application stand apart from the rest!

The Drexel essays are dependent upon the program a student applies for, which can be determined from the list of Drexel majors. Later on,  we’ll dive deeper into a few of these programs, as well as introduce the Drexel essay prompts later in this article. 

Use the essays to your advantage

It is important to make the absolute most of your Drexel supplemental essays! Do not make the critical mistake of waiting until the last minute to begin writing your Drexel supplemental essay draft. Allow yourself enough time for editing and proofreading, and you’ll beat that Drexel University acceptance rate.

Follow our guide for tips and recommendations on how to write the best Drexel supplemental essay before the application deadline to help strengthen your application. So, read on to dive into our tips and tricks for writing the Drexel University supplemental essays!

Drexel University Essay Requirements

Drexel University requires the submission of one personal essay between 250 and 650 words. There are also additional Drexel University supplemental essays that are specific to certain programs or majors. Like all supplemental college essays, any of the  Drexel essay prompts will have a suggested word count. Additionally, the Drexel website states that it is important for students to take any and all requirements into consideration while writing. Students can see all requirements, including the required (and optional) Drexel University supplemental essays, by visiting the Drexel University website here .

Complete program-specific essays

As we mentioned, additional Drexel essays will be required if a student is applying to certain programs within the university. Because of this, it is important for students to evaluate all of the potential majors in order to apply for the correct program. To do this, we recommend checking out our resources on how to choose a major as well as considering the specific Drexel majors offered.

Submit by the deadline

It is critical for students to ensure they submit their application, including any required Drexel supplemental essays, by the application deadline . Failure to submit all materials by this date will almost guarantee a rejection letter from the university. Time management, along with test scores, recommendations, and what you say about yourself in your Drexel supplemental essays, will all play an equally important role in the decision of the admissions committee. 

Now, let’s break down several of the programs within Drexel University. And, we’ll take a look at the Drexel University essay prompts required for admission to each of these programs. 

Westphal College of Media Arts and Design Writing Supplement

As previously mentioned, the Drexel supplemental essays vary from program to program. One such program is the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. This is the an arts and design school within Drexel University that houses many majors in the creative arts industry. From graphic design to dance, the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design has a wide range of majors to choose from. This program has its own specific supplemental essay required for admission.

Westphal College of Maria Arts and Design prides itself on teaching design, media, and performance in a different way. Being predominantly studio-based, the class sizes are small and hands-on, empowering students to excel in highly creative fields. 

Small class sizes mean fewer acceptances, which means that this program is more selective with acceptances. This is very important to keep in mind when writing the Drexel supplemental essays, either for the Westphal College of Maria Arts and Design or other Drexel programs. 

Breaking down the Westphal supplemental

The essay required for admission into this program differs from the personal undergrad essay that is required for all applicants to submit to Drexel University. This additional essay provides students the opportunity to express interest in their chosen major and provide background information on any previous experience within that field. 

Let’s take a look at the prompt:

Please write a short essay describing why you are interested in pursuing your major of choice at Drexel University’s Westphal College. What have you done that prepares you to study in your major of choice? (Maximum 500 words)

As you can see, this prompt can be categorized as a “why major” essay. This is a twist on the more classic “why school” essay. A “why school” essay is a common type of college application essay that  asks, “Why is this school a fit for you?” and a “why major” essay refers to an essay that asks, “Why is this major a fit for you?”

This specific Drexel essay prompts the student to cite reasons why they are interested in their major of choice. In this instance, it is necessary to know your chosen major at the time of application. It is important to follow the guidelines of the prompt. So, incorporating more than one major interest within this essay would not be advised. Students will have 500 words to respond to this essay. 

Drexel’s BA/BS + MD Writing Supplement

Drexel University offers an early acceptance program for biological sciences, chemistry, and biomedical engineering majors known as the BA/B + MD Early Assurance Program . This program is a 4 + 4 combined program. It offers students early acceptance into both their undergraduate program and their medical school simultaneously.

This unique opportunity is certainly more selective than a traditional undergrad acceptance. Because of this, any Drexel supplemental essays for the BA/B + MD Early Assurance Program will extremely important. It is advised to begin the essay writing process with plenty of time to brainstorm your Drexel supplemental essays, draft your Drexel supplemental essays, and have your Drexel supplemental essays reviewed by several sources prior to submission. We will explain this process in more detail later in this article.

In addition to many admissions requirements, Drexel’s BA/BS + MD program requires its own supplemental essay. This gives applicants the opportunity to share why they are interested in the program at Drexel University College of Medicine.

Let’s take a look at the prompt: 

Tell the Admission Committee why you are applying to the joint program with the Drexel University College of Medicine. Be sure to explain why you want to be a physician and, more specifically, why you want to obtain your medical education at the Drexel University College of Medicine. The essay should be approximately 500 words long.

As you can see, this prompt is also classified as a “why school” essay. Additionally, it could be considered a “why major” essay. So, students have the opportunity to express why they have chosen this program and want to pursue medicine. Utilize this opportunity to touch on your strongest why(s) and highlight your past experience to elevate your application.

Does Drexel University care about essays?

Having to worry about Drexel supplemental essays in addition to all other requirements for college application submission can feel overwhelming. But, it’s important to remember that Drexel University really does care about essays. Otherwise, they would not ask applicants to waste their time writing.

There is a lot more that goes into an admission decision than just numbers. Schools want to know who you are, how you are unique, and how diverse your background is. So, take any opportunity to showcase these elements to the Drexel admissions committee to help your application stand out .

Test-optional policy

Another important thing to note is that Drexel University has a test-optional admission policy. Students do not have to submit their ACT or SAT scores. If you feel your test scores are not indicative of your academic achievement, don’t stress! In other words, only submit test scores if you do well on the SAT or ACT.

Because of this, the Drexel University admissions committee most likely values the Drexel supplemental essays even more. Therefore, students should put a lot of effort into making their essay shine for the admissions committee. Think of this as the time to really allow your personality and experience to shine through. 

How to write the Drexel Supplemental Essays?

Next, let’s discuss how to approach writing the Drexel supplemental essays. 

Understand the prompt

The best way to begin is to review the prompt and get a full grasp of what it is asking. Break down the question into separate sections. Dissect every part of it fully so that you have a clear direction when writing.

Next, start by drafting a list of all the reasons why you want to attend Drexel University. The admissions committee wants to know your “why this school” logic to determine if you are a good fit. A solid brainstorming session is the foundation of a strong essay, so this is a super important step. 

While writing your list, it is best to be as specific and personal as possible. The more personalized your reasons, the easier it will be to decide which one to focus on. Because the essay is limited to 650 words, we recommend highlighting no more than three reasons for your “why this school”.   

Free writing & drafting

Once you have completed the above steps to set the foundation for your essay, it’s time to free write. Freewriting is a great way to get all of your ideas out and organize your thoughts. You can use the writing you do during this time as a reference point to begin your story.

With both your brainstorm and free write behind you, begin drafting your Drexel supplemental essay. Having already done the prep work, you can choose what you would like to utilize. Knowing the direction of your essay is important. And, remember that you do not have to focus on word count or grammar at this stage. The key is to allow your creativity to flow as you answer the prompt clearly and express yourself to the admissions committee. 

Proofread, proofread, proofread

After your Drexel supplemental essay draft is complete, you will want to proofread your draft for all grammar edits, as well as ensure your essay fits within the word count requirements. From there, your draft will be ready for review by external sources. We recommend that you have your essay reviewed by several people to gain different perspectives. 

It’s advisable to seek out sources who work within education, like teachers, advisors, or counselors, if possible. The goal is for these sources to revise for grammatical errors, as well as offer feedback on the overall structure of your Drexel supplemental essay.

You can utilize this workflow for any of the Drexel supplemental essays you will have to submit, including the essays for specific programs within the university. 

Drexel Supplemental Essays – 5 Takeaways

Completing the Drexel supplemental essays can feel overwhelming, so let’s simplify five key takeaways to take with you into your Drexel University application process:

Five Main Takeaways

#1- keep it personal.

Prompts for the Drexel supplemental essays will most likely ask personal questions. Personal essays give applicants the opportunity to express themselves and share who they are and why they want to attend the university or major in a specific field with the admissions team. The supplemental essay will be the only component of your application that allows for the admissions committee to see beyond grades and extracurriculars, so it is important to fully utilize the opportunity and answer the question clearly to help your application stand out. 

#2- Follow the word count

The Drexel supplemental essays will be no more than 650 words. However, the Drexel supplemental essays vary in length between 250-650 words. Whether your prompt states 250 words or 650 words, it is critical to follow the word count guidelines. Be sure to narrow down your thoughts dependent on the length of your essay. The shorter the word count, the fewer ideas you will want to include. If you are only including one idea in your essay, make sure it is your strongest. 

#3- Plan for a “Why Major” essay

Another thing to note is that the Drexel supplemental essays differ depending on which program a student applies to. While it is likely your essay prompts will be a “why major” essay, each question will be tailored to the program. That is why it is crucial to know your chosen major prior to applying to Drexel University to ensure acceptance into your desired program. It is also important to note that some programs may be more selective than others, in which case your Drexel supplemental essays will matter even more.

#4- Brainstorm!

Brainstorm a list to narrow down no more than three strong reasons to your “why this school”. That is the first step you should take prior to drafting your Drexel supplemental essay, and it will help to set you up for success. This list will allow you to visually see which ideas are the strongest to incorporate into your essay. Setting the foundation with one to three key ideas will really help visualize the overall structure and concept of your essay.

#5- Leave time to review your essays

Finally, choose several sources to review your Drexel supplemental essays before submitting them to the admissions committee. Prior to submitting your Drexel supplemental essays, it is advised to have several trusted sources review your essay for grammatical errors and structural edits. Having different perspectives and viewpoints can be super helpful for your final revision and might even spark some ideas for your essay that take it to new heights. 

Still need more support?

You’re in the right place! At CollegeAdvisor, we’re here to assist you every step of the way in your college application journey. From formulating your college list to helping with your supplemental essays, our team is ready to help you. And don’t forget to check out our list of the top colleges in Pennsylvania when crafting your college list. And, be sure to reference our essay guides and strong essay examples if you would like to dive deeper into the supplemental essay writing process.

This guide was written by Nora Eckler. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

Drexel University

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at Drexel University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Drexel University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Societal change short response.

Drexel is committed to preparing each new generation of students to become productive, professional and civic-minded members of the community while continuing to focus on how we can contribute to solving some of society’s greatest challenges. What do you view as a challenge facing society that you would like to contribute to solving? How would a Drexel education aid you in taking the first step toward a solution?

Westphal College Short Response

Please write a short essay describing why you are interested in pursuing your major of choice at Drexel University‘s Westphal College. What have you done that prepares you to study in your major of choice?

BA/BS+MD Early Assurance Program Essay

Tell the Admission Committee why you are applying to the joint program with the Drexel University College of Medicine. Be sure to explain why you want to be a physician and, more specifically, why you want to obtain your medical education at the Drexel University College of Medicine.

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Supplemental Essay Guide 2024-25

What do the 2024-25 supplemental essay prompts really mean, and how should you approach them? CEA's experts are here to break them all down.

Acceptance Rate

Undergrad population.

• Liberal Arts (52)

* Tuition filtering is based on out-of-state fees

Agnes Scott College 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Alvernia University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide  

American university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, amherst college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, babson college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, bard college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide  , barnard college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, baylor university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide  , bennington college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, bentley university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, berry college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, bethany college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, bishop’s university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, boston college (bc) 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, boston university (bu) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, bowdoin college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, brandeis university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide , brown university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, bryn mawr college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, bucknell university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, butler university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, california institute of technology (caltech) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, california lutheran university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, capitol technology university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, carleton college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, carnegie mellon university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide , catawba college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, centre college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, chapman university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, claremont mckenna college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide  , clark university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, college of mount saint vincent 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, college of william & mary 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, college of wooster 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, colorado college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, colorado school of mines 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, columbia university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, cornell university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, culver-stockton college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, d’youville university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, dartmouth college 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, davidson college 2024-25 supplemental essay guide, drexel university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, duke university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, earlham college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, elon university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, emerson college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, emory university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, flagler college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, fordham university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, george mason university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, georgetown university 2023-24 essay prompt guide, georgia state university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide  , georgia tech 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, gonzaga university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, harvard university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, harvey mudd college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, haverford college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, hillsdale college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide  , hofstra university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, illinois institute of technology 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, illinois wesleyan university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, indiana university bloomington 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, ithaca college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, johns hopkins university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, kalamazoo college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, lafayette college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, lehigh university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, lewis and clark college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, linfield university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, loyola marymount university (lmu) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide , lynn university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, macalester college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, malone university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, manchester university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, marist college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, mary baldwin university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, massachusetts institute of technology (mit) 2023-24 essay prompt guide, meredith college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, monmouth college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, moravian university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, morehouse college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, mount holyoke college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, new york university (nyu) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, north park university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, northwestern university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, occidental college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, oklahoma city university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, olin college of engineering 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, pepperdine university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, pitzer college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, pomona college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, princeton university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, providence college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, purdue university 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, rensselaer polytechnic institute 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, rice university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, saint elizabeth university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, santa clara university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, sarah lawrence college 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, scripps college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, seattle pacific university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, smith college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, soka university of america 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, southern methodist university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, st. john’s college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, stanford university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, stonehill college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide  , swarthmore college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, syracuse university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, texas a&m university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, texas christian university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, the college of idaho 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide  , the george washington university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, the new school 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, trinity college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, tufts university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, tulane university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of california 2024-25 essay prompt guide, university of central florida 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of chicago 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of cincinnati 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of colorado boulder 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of florida 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of georgia (uga) 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of illinois urbana-champaign 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, university of maryland 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of massachusetts amherst 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of miami 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide  , university of michigan 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of minnesota twin cities 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide , university of north carolina (unc) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of north carolina at charlotte 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of north carolina at greensboro 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of notre dame 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of oklahoma 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide , university of oregon 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of pennsylvania (upenn) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of pittsburgh 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide , university of richmond 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, university of san diego 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide , university of san francisco 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of southern california (usc) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of texas at austin 2024-25 essay prompt guide, university of tulsa 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of vermont 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of virginia (uva) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of washington (uw) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, university of wisconsin-madison 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, vanderbilt university 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, vassar college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, villanova university 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, virginia tech 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, wake forest university 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide, washington and lee university 2023-24 supplemental essay guide, washington university in st. louis 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, wellesley college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, williams college 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, worcester polytechnic institute (wpi) 2023-24 supplemental essay prompt guide, yale university 2024-25 supplemental essay prompt guide.

Contact us to learn more about our one-on-one advising services!

• I am a * Parent Potential Partner School Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which kind of private school application are you working on? * Preschool Primary School (K - 8) High School (9 - 12)
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guide
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• YouTube Tutorials
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Prompts & Tips

• Cracking Med School Admissions

Every medical school student and alumnus we have met from Drexel University College of Medicine has absolutely loved his or her experience there! Drexel is a very popular medical school students both from the east coast and California apply to. It is important to convey why you would be a great fit for the Drexel University community on your Drexel secondary application. Drexel is a community-oriented school, and it is important to talk about how you have been involved with your local community. Additionally, you should write how you want to contribute to Philadelphia, where Drexel is located, throughout your Drexel secondaries. We can also help you personalize your secondary  through our  secondary essay editing packages . 

Read our other Drexel School of Medicine secondary application tips below for advice on how to answer each question. While Drexel previously did not have any secondary questions, the admissions office now gives students an opportunity to share additional information. 

The Drexel Medical School changed its Drexel secondary application prompts last year (2023-2024 application cycle). We would advise students to NOT pre-write this in the 2024 medical school admissions cycle.

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a strong track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to Drexel Medical School for the past several years. Make sure to ask us any questions  you have about what to emphasize on your Drexel secondaries.  

• Personally Tailored Essays
• Edits by Stanford & Harvard-trained Doctors
• We study your application strengths to see what unique attributes we’ll bring to the medical school

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions: 2023 – 2024

Note: The Drexel Secondary Essay Prompts changed this year

• Please discuss all of your current and recent activities and engagements that have prepared you for medical school. Please be sure to include any traditional and/or non-traditional clinical exposures and volunteering experiences that you have done that are not already included in your application.  (2,000 characters)
• Why are you interested in Drexel? Please also explain how you meet various elements of our  mission  – compassionate care, diversity, spirited inquiry, collaboration, and opportunity.  (1,500 characters)
• (optional)  Please describe any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your medical or non-medical service experiences, including any circumstances that impacted your engagement in activities, academics, and MCAT that would have helped to prepare you for medical school.  (1,500 characters)

Tips to Answer Drexel Secondaries

  Drexel Pre-Writing Guidance:  Because Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary essays changed in the 2023-2024 cycle, we would not recommend applicants to start pre-writing the Drexel Med secondaries prior to the official release of the Drexel secondary essay prompts.

• Download our   Cracking Med Secondary Essay Workbook and Examples .

Drexel Secondary Application Tip #1: Take advantage of the essentially no word limit. No, that does not mean you  have to submit 2 page answers for each question. But, we hear of students who submit a few sentences for their responses, and  we think this is a wasted opportunity to stand out to the Admissions Committee!

Drexel Secondary Application Tip #2: For the Drexel secondary application question, “ Please discuss all of your current and recent activities and engagements that have prepared you for medical school. Please be sure to include any traditional and/or non-traditional clinical exposures and volunteering experiences that you have done that are not already included in your application. “

• Because of Drexel’s mission and based on the students our Cracking Med School Admissions team observes getting interview invites during the admissions process, it is important to highlight: 1) Patient care and 2) Community service or community engagement in this essay.
• Read Dr. Rachel Rizal’s article in U.S. News :  Link Premed Nonclinical Experiences to Medicine
• We typically recommend students to write at least 3 sentences about each activity.
• Highlight leadership and initiatives you have with each activity, if applicable.

Drexel Secondary Application Tip #3: Include stories. For example, you can discuss a memorable patient story from one of your activities in the last year. Or, if you helped somebody build a home through Habitat for Humanity in one of your community service activities, then talk about how you impacted a specific family. Or, if you are a science teacher in elementary schools, you can talk about one of your favorite classes to teach! The goal is to paint a story and allow the reader to visualize you in action making a difference in your community.  

Drexel Secondary Application Tip #4:  For the Drexel Med School secondary application prompt, “ Why are you interested in Drexel? Please also explain how you meet various elements of our  mission – compassionate care, diversity, spirited inquiry, collaboration, and opportunity ” …. students often get confused about what makes each medical school’s mission unique. Yes, every medical school states that it cares about the community, intellectual curiosity, teamwork, patient centered care, and diversity. 

From our experience, successful applicants discuss these aspects on the “Why Drexel Med School” secondary application essay:

• Interest in urban health and patient care in urban settings. If you have worked in Philadelphia, that is a plus!
• Community service experience and desire to serve the community surrounding Drexel College of Medicine.
• Creative or innovative ideas to improve healthcare, especially community health.

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team knows the nuances of each medical school and what admissions committees tend to look for. Work with us on your Drexel secondaries and all other secondary application packages so that you can stand out  through our secondary essay packages . 

• Read our HIGH YIELD blog post:  Why this Medical School? Secondary Essay Example

Drexel Secondary Application Tip #5:  Emphasize and highlight any life experiences, clinical care experiences, or commitment to community service in Philadelphia. We have heard from students at Drexel Med School that the Drexel University Admissions Committee wants to attract a student body who has  had experiences in urban health so that they can contribute to the greater Philadelphia during medical school. 

What if you don’t have experiences in Philadelphia? Then highlight any urban health experiences . Have questions? Contact us below.

Drexel Secondary Application Tip #6: Connect your Drexel secondaries to what you want to do as a medical student at Drexel. Remember, accepted students and matriculants often do community health, community health research, or community service projects throughout their time at Drexel University College of Medicine.

[ Read more secondary essay tips from other medical colleges: New York Medical College , University of Pennsylvania (UPenn Perelman School of Medicine) , George Washington , Lewis Katz Temple  ]

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions: 2022 – 2023

• If you are a recent graduate, please tell us what you have been doing since graduation. If you have not yet graduated, please discuss your current activities and engagements. We understand that it may have been difficult to obtain clinical or volunteer service experiences during the pandemic; therefore, be sure to discuss any traditional and /or nontraditional clinical exposures and volunteering experiences that you have done during this time. (no word limit)
• What else do you feel is important for us to know about you? You can use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application . You can also talk about how COVID -19 impacted you. For example, it may have caused disruptions or changes in your plans. If there is something you would like to share regarding how this event impacted you, share that information here. (1,000 words max)

Your medical school application Coaches, Mentors, & Cheerleaders

We Personally Advise Every Student We Work With.

Rachel Rizal, M.D.

Changing the trajectory of people’s lives.

Undergraduate Princeton University, cum laude

Medical School Stanford School of Medicine

Residency Harvard, Emergency Medicine

Awards & Scholarships Fulbright Scholar USA Today Academic First Team Tylenol Scholarship

Rishi Mediratta, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.

Advising students to attend their dream schools.

Undergraduate Johns Hopkins University, Phi Beta Kappa

Residency Stanford, Pediatrics

Awards & Scholarships Marshall Scholar Tylenol Scholarship Global Health Scholar

stand out from other applicants with our secondary essay edit packages

Download your secondary essay guide.

Use this essay guide and workbook to write standout secondaries.

• First Name *
• Best Email *
• Year Applying to Medical School *
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions: 2021 – 2022

• What else do you feel is important for us (Drexel Medical School Admissions Committee) to know about you? You can use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application (primary application). You can also talk about how COVID -19 impacted you. For example, it may have caused disruptions or changes in your plans. If there is something you would like to share regarding how this event impacted you, share that information here. (1,000 words max)

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions: 2020 - 2021

• If you are a recent graduate, please tell us what you have been doing since graduation. You may answer “Not applicable”. (No word limit)
• What else do you feel is important for us (Drexel Medical School Admissions Committee) to know about you? You can use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application (primary application). You can also talk about how COVID -19 impacted you. For example, it may have caused disruptions or changes in your plans. If there is something you would like to share regarding how this event impacted you, share that information here. (500 words max)

Our students successfully receive interviews at their reach schools.

Stand Out From Other Applicants

School Secondary Editing Packages

Why choose us.

Your acceptance can be just one essay away…

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions: 2019 – 2020

• If you are a recent graduate, please tell us what you have been doing since graduation. You may answer “Not applicable” . (No word limit)
• (Optional) What else do you feel is important for us (Drexel Medical School Admissions Committee) to know about you? Please use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application (primary application). (200 words max)

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions: 2018 – 2019

• We at Drexel University College of Medicine have a rich history and a valued mission. Each individual contributes to, supports and enriches our community. Please share with us how you plan on contributing to our College. (200 words max)

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions 2017 – 2018

• (Optional) What else do you feel is important for us (Drexel Medical School Admissions Committee) to know about you? Please use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application. (200 words max)

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions 2016 – 2017

• We at Drexel University College of Medicine have a rich history and a valued mission. Each individual contributes to, supports and enriches our community. Please share with us how you plan on contributing to our College. (200 word character limit)
• (Optional) What else do you feel is important for us (Drexel Medical School Admissions Committee) to know about you? Please use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application. (200 word character limit)

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Questions 2015 – 2016

There were no essay prompts in the Drexel Medical School secondary application for the 2015-2016 cycle.

Contact Us With Questions

We'll answer any and all your questions about medical school we typically respond within 1 business day..

• Your Name *
• Your Email *
• Phone (optional)
• Leave us a Message or Question! We will email and call you back. *

Start typing and press enter to search

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the Most Common Supplemental College Essays: A Complete Guide

Note: This post focuses on supplemental essays. If you want advice on the Common App prompts, check out our guide to the Common App essays .

Your grades are in, your test scores have been sent, and recommendation letters have been uploaded…but there’s one last component of your college applications left: the essays. For many students, essays are the final and most daunting hurdle to clear before hitting submit.

Your essays, however, are your opportunity to tell admissions officers how you want them to remember you. Maybe you didn’t do so well on the SAT, or maybe you got a lower grade than you hoped for in Honors Chemistry, but you can’t change your grades or scores.

The essays, however, are entirely in your control. There is so much freedom to tell your story and what makes you unique. Our mission at CollegeVine is to make the essay-writing as stress-free as possible. Read on for our tips and tricks on writing a college essay that will give you the best chance at getting that thick envelope!

Content overview:

• Why this college?
• Why this major?
• Elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience.
• Discuss a community you belong to that has impacted who you are today.
• Crafting the essay
• Avoiding pitfalls

Want to learn more about Supplemental Essays? Check out one of our popular recorded live streams on this topic.

Common Types of College Essays

Colleges will find a hundred different ways to ask a question, but most of the time, the prompt boils down to one of the following common essay themes.

Common Essay #1: Why this college?

Students’ most common mistake on a “Why this college?” essay is lack of specificity; in particular, some students will list attributes that can apply to multiple schools, which is what you want to avoid at all costs.

When it comes to a “Why this college?” essay, you need to discuss qualities and programs specific to that school. It is not enough to merely list or name-drop, however. Instead, talk about why this item is important to you. Here’s how this plays out:

What not to do:

I want to go to the University of Southern California because it is a highly ranked school in Los Angeles. In addition, I like its Cosmic Writers Club, as well as the Incubate USC program. I am especially excited about the abundant film resources.

Why the previous response doesn’t work:

There are many reasons you want to avoid a response like this. Let’s start with the first sentence: replace the school’s name with UCLA and the accuracy doesn’t suffer. What this means is that the sentence is not specific enough to USC. In addition, you never want to state, or even imply, that you’re applying to a school due to prestige or ranking.

The exception for the previous rule is if a school is ranked highly for a specific program of interest. For example, if you want to pursue creative writing and a school has the number one creative writing program in the country, you can mention this because it is a quality specific to that school. A school’s overall prestige, however, should not be mentioned in your essay.

Why else doesn’t this response work? Let’s look at the second sentence. The writer does well to mention specific programs within USC. However, the response fails to discuss why they liked these programs or how they would benefit from having access to them.

What to write instead:

As someone with a lasting love for writing and a blossoming passion for entrepreneurship, I was so excited to find a large urban school like the University of Southern California that would give me the resources to pursue both. From classes with award-winning authors—amongst them Professor T. Boyle, whose environmental fiction works are similar to those I hope to someday publish—to clubs like the Cosmic Writers Club, which unites author hopefuls, USC offers more resources than I could ever exhaust in my journey to publish my first book.

On the business side, USC is known for fostering the type of creativity and innovation needed in pursuing start-ups. In particular, I was so excited to learn of the Incubate USC program, a unique mothership of ideas that nurtures the creativity of students. With the help of this program, I would be able to pursue my growing interest in the world of start-up ventures.

Why the previous response works:

This response not only mentions programs and resources specific to USC, but it shows how the student would take advantage of these opportunities. In addition, this response portrays passion and ambition, infusing elements of the student’s personality while still staying focused on answering the prompt.

Other things to keep in mind:

• The first time you say the school’s name, you should write it out. After that, you can abbreviate.
• Avoid writing what every other applicant is going to write. For example, every NYU applicant is going to mention NYU’s location in New York City. Unless you have a unique twist on this, you should skip it.
• Don’t mention frivolous things like dorms or dining halls. Your reasons for liking a school should be more substantial.
• Do your research. For example, don’t say you’ve always wanted to go to a city if you’re writing an essay for a rural school.
• Do not copy and paste your “Why this college?” essay and simply change the school name. Many non-Harvard admissions officers have received essays from students about why they want to go to Harvard. If your “Why this college?” essay is so general that you can copy and paste it, your reasoning will not impress admissions officers.

For more tips on writing this essay, see our complete guide to the “Why this college?” essay , including a real sample essay.

Common Essay #2: Why this major? 

One of the most important things to remember is that admissions officers are not looking for a résumé. This is not to say you can’t discuss your activities and how they culminated a passion for a specific major. The challenge, however, is to use these activities to tell a story rather than a mere list of achievements.

How do you do this? Share your thought processes. Many times it is the thoughts surrounding an activity more than the activity itself that will show the reader your journey to choosing a major.

Other tips:

• Don’t ever say that your reason for choosing a major is money-making potential. If you want to mention life beyond college, then talk about how this major will help you achieve your dreams. If your dream is to produce a feature-length film and a film major will help you get there, say that. But don’t say your dream is to be a rich film producer.
• Undeclared? That’s totally okay. Just be sure to list a couple potential majors, and explain your interest in those. Under no circumstances should you say you have absolutely no idea, as that will make you look like you don’t care. For more tips, see our post on how to write the “Why this major?” essay if you’re undecided .

For more tips on writing this essay, see our complete guide to the “Why this major?” essay , including a real sample essay.

Common Essay 3: Elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience.

Is there an activity or work experience in your application that you have more to say about? Maybe there’s a story behind it that you want to tell. Some questions to consider are:

• How did you become interested in this extracurricular?
• What is your role in the activity or work experience?
• Why do you do it?
• Have you experienced growth within the activity over time?

There are endless angles you can pursue here, but your essay should, in short, show your motivation behind participating in a certain activity or job.

What you don’t want to do, however, is simply restate something that’s been said elsewhere. If you have already spotlighted an activity in another essay for a given college, don’t write about the same activity. Your goal here is to share new information and your breadth of experiences.

As with the “Why Major?” prompt, it is more powerful to share a story with the reader rather than to detail the activity itself.

For more tips on writing this essay, see our complete guide to the Extracurricular Activity essay , including a real sample essay.

Common Essay 4: Discuss a community you belong to that has impacted who you are today.

“Community” can mean many things, so there are many possible approaches to this prompt. Some applicants respond with a community they’re linked to through culture, and others through sports or a club.

One thing you can emphasize is personal growth—or other aspects of who you are as a person—that has come from belonging to this community. The majority of the essay should, in fact, center around how being part of this group has changed or impacted who you are as a person.

What to avoid:

• Do not discriminate against other communities in your response.
• Try not to talk about your community in broad terms, but instead focus on your place within this community.
• Avoid using the essay as a chance to complain. If you choose to talk about challenges in a certain community, find a way to give your essay a sense of resolution. This can consist even of talking about how you’ve grown as a person or learned how to confront these obstacles in a productive way.

Writing the Essay

Phase 1: ideation.

Highlights of this section:

• Thinking of an idea
• Portraying individuality
• Staying true to yourself
• General tips and tricks

Now that you’re familiar with some of the most common types of essay prompts, let’s dive into the ideation process. Here are some questions that it’s good to ask yourself when you’re just starting out, particularly when the prompt deviates from the more straightforward archetypes above:

• What makes you unique?
• What is your story?
• Is there something you weren’t able to say in your application that you think admissions officers should know?
• Did you mention something earlier in your application that you want to elaborate on?

Remember that your essays, and application in general, should read like a portfolio in which all components are complementary without being redundant. If the application is like a drawing, then the essays should contribute to creating one coherent image without sketching the same line more than once or leaving gaps in the drawing.

Don’t shy away from being quirky! The more you present yourself as your own unique person, the more likely the admissions officer is to remember you. Take the following cases, for instance:

• A football player who scores a winning touchdown in the last five seconds of the game.
• A football player who knits scarves for residents of a retirement home in his free time.

In the first case, telling this story doesn’t do anything to differentiate this football player from others. However, the second story portrays a unique student with two interests the reader might not otherwise have paired together. Individuality is the goal here.

Of course, don’t exaggerate , lie, or pretend to be someone you’re not. In particular, don’t write something just because you think the admissions officer wants to hear it. They have read enough applications to separate the genuine voices from the insincere. As such, your only job is to put your true self on the page!

Here are some other things to keep in mind while brainstorming college essay topics:

• Narratives will always be more successful because they engage the reader emotionally. They are also an easy way to demonstrate how you’ve changed and grown over time.
• If you have already emphasized something in your application, don’t dedicate an essay to it unless can share an entirely new perspective. When in doubt, choose a new topic.
• Your essay doesn’t have to be about something rare and incredible. You don’t have to have started a company or traveled the world to write a solid essay. In fact, some of the strongest essays have taken a simple, perhaps even everyday occurrence, and portrayed it in a beautiful way that shows a unique way of thinking.
• Be sure to answer all aspects of the prompt while still giving the reader insight into who you are. It’s very easy to speak about some topics in third-person or broad terms (example: “What is your idea of success?”). Don’t do this. Instead, find a way to link the prompt to your own life.

Overall, think of the essays as a way to let the admissions officer get to know you on a personal level. Humanize yourself.

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

Phase 2: Crafting the Essay

• Show, don’t tell.
• Perfecting the first and last sentence
• What does the essay say about me?

You have likely heard this next tip a hundred times throughout high school, but it’s vital to writing a strong essay: show, don’t tell . The whole point of essays is to give insight into who you are and how you think. Can you effectively do that if you’re merely listing off things that happened? Nope. Let’s take a lot at two examples:

• An example of telling: The cat ran out the door, and I got scared.
• An example of showing: The doorbell rang, accompanied by the creak of the mailbox as the mailman slipped the day’s envelopes inside. I ran downstairs and threw the door open, knowing today was the day I was going to hear back. My excitement made me oblivious, though, and it wasn’t until I saw a blur of dark fur dash through the open door that I realized my mistake.

The second example takes the facts and turns it into a story. It gives the reader a sense of anticipation as well as a character to identify with and root for. That’s what “show, don’t tell” does for your essay.

Now let’s talk about the two most important parts of your essay: the first sentence and the last sentence.

Your first sentence’s job is to hook the reader. Aim for a first sentence that surprises, even slightly jars, the reader to wake them up and get their full focus on your essay. Here are some examples:

• It wasn’t supposed to be blue.
• Was the car meant to sound like that?

In both cases, the writer has intentionally withheld information, providing just enough to leave the reader wanting to know the rest of the story. What isn’t supposed to be blue? What happens next?

As for the last sentence, its job is to resolve the essay, leaving the reader with a sense of peace and finality. Give the reader one last great impression to remember you by. Here’s an example:

“I’ve learned to hold my failures close; not so close that they burden me, per say, but just

close enough that they can guide me as I journey onward.”

This sentence works because it gives the reader a sense that, though the story continues on in the form of the narrator’s ongoing journey, the story on the page has been resolved. It feels peaceful.

Now then, after you’ve completed your first draft, the next thing you want to do is ask yourself the following question : What three things about me can the reader get from reading this essay? If you’re having trouble answering this question, then the essay needs to share more about you. Otherwise, you’re ready for revision!

Phase 3: Revision

• Careless errors
• Staying under the word limit
• Getting a second opinion

You’ve done the hard work. You came up with a brilliant idea and poured your heart and soul into the writing. Now comes the tedious part: revision.

Most importantly, college essays need to be absolutely devoid of grammatical or spelling mistakes . You don’t want to give your admissions officer the impression that you didn’t care enough to proofread, especially after all of your hard work.

Another aspect that tends to frustrate students is the word limit. If you’ve made it under the word limit, great! If not, here are some methods of cutting down.

• Example: In visiting your campus, it occurred to me that the method with which you schedule your classes is ideal because…
• This can be cut down to: The way you schedule your classes is ideal because…
• Most times phrases such as “I think,” “I believe,” “it seems,” and other similar wording is not necessary and simply takes up extra space. Use your judgement, but generally, these phrases get the boot.
• Keep an eye out for the word “that.” This can almost always be cut.
• If you use a long hyphen (—), no space is needed between words. This will bring your word count down. Don’t get too hyphen happy, though!

If the above tips are not enough to get you below the word limit,  you may need to remove entire paragraphs. If a paragraph does not drive the story forward, or is unnecessary in understanding the progression of the story, you may want to remove it.

Once your essay is mistake-free and below the word limit, your next task is to send it to at least three trusted individuals. Ask them the following questions to guide their suggestions:

• Does it make sense?
• Does it sound like me?
• What does it say about me? (Check that this aligns with what you want it to say about you).

Take note of their responses and decide what changes you want to implement. Be receptive, but remember to stay true to yourself and your vision.

Avoiding Pitfalls:

• Avoid discussion of taboo subjects or things that can be perceived as controversial. Everyone is entitled to their own views, but you don’t want to chance saying something controversial that your reader might disagree with.
• Never appear discriminatory in any way. Colleges tend to be vastly left-wing and progressive.
• Don’t turn in work that isn’t your own. When does accepting another person’s edits become plagiarism? If they are rewriting entire sentences in their own words, it is no longer your own work.
• Avoid clichés! It is okay to write about a common experience (like a sports injury or service trip), but only if you have a unique take on them. Don’t write on a popular topic if you will simply describe the same lesson that everyone else learned.
• Don’t write your essay directly into the application text box or it may not save your work. Write it in a separate document and copy and paste it later. Then, double check that the format is correct.

At the end of the day, your essays should just leave the reader thinking: I want to have a conversation with this student. You want to show that you’re an multifaceted, mature person with an interesting story to tell. At CollegeVine, we’re rooting for you all the way—go get writing!

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Get the Reddit app

Join the A2C Discord!

r/ApplyingToCollege is the premier forum for college admissions questions, advice, and discussions, from college essays and scholarships to college list help and application advice, career guidance, and more.

Making Your Peace with the Supplemental Essays: It's Easier... and More Complicated…. than You Might Think (2022 Updates)

As if writing the personal essay for college apps wasn't enough, many colleges also like to see supplemental essays! They're not trying to torture you though, it's more a way for them to get to know you even better, so be sure to write these supplements -- and take your time and do your research for each one. Even though these essays can be short, they are really important! This is your opportunity to explore all that awesomeness that you do and want to be or to explain the context of your life, so they can have a greater understanding of your application.

What does Optional mean in college admissions?

Sometimes, colleges will say an essay is optional, but I encourage you to write every essay unless it doesn’t apply to you at all.

What’s the point of all these supplemental essays?

The point is to paint a picture of you on their college campus. They want to see who you are and what you’ve done and how you are going to bring that to their specific campus. Each of these essays involves digging in and learning more about yourself and what’s important to you and then how that you who you are fits in with what they offer on their campus. Each of these essays requires research about what they offer and elements of you.

Often, these essays are more important than the Personal Essay. Colleges ask these questions for a reason -- and it’s usually to make sure they learn more about you and the HUMAN you are (not a test-taking, grade-making, EC-doing machine) and how you will bring that human (you) to THEIR specific campus. They also want you to show them some love and show them you’ve done the work -- the research -- to know why you want to be there.

Here’s something you might not know...colleges sometimes like to hide their supplements. These essays can be sneaky little devils and they aren’t always found in the writing section. Sometimes they call them questions --- with 250-word answers:) Be sure to check the different sections of the Common App for where they might be hiding, like in Activities, Family, and Academics. As you’re organizing your essays, make sure you go through the entire common app, step by step to find the hidden essays -- it’s like a treasure hunt!

THE WHY COLLEGE ESSAY

The most important thing to remember about a “Why College” essay is that it’s really a “Why You on our College Campus Essay.”

This essay is just as much about you as the college.

Why do they need you on their campus?

What will you bring?

So, in essence, this should be an essay that ONLY YOU could write about ONLY THIS SCHOOL. If any sentence could apply to any other school or applicant, scratch it. Here’s an idea from College Essay Guy: take a sheet of paper and divide it down the middle. On one side list all the awesome stuff about you. On the other side list all the amazing stuff about the college. Where do you see overlaps? That’s the substance of your essay. Make sure you include SPECIFICS in your essay. Do your research, and let them know you’ve done your research:

If you’ve visited (or virtually visited in pandemic times), say so. And talk about what you saw and liked and why it was specifically appealing to you.

Read the student newspaper online. Find events and articles that appeal to you.

Follow the admissions department on social media, and learn what interests you about their campus. Mention something they’ve profiled recently and why it’s specifically interesting to you.

Read the website, especially the admissions website, carefully. Most college websites tell you exactly what they’re looking for. Are you that person? If so, demonstrate to them why. If not, well, maybe this school isn’t a great fit for you.

Read the college’s mission statement. Does their mission mesh with your personal mission?

Check out classes that look interesting to you. Look at course lists on the website. Do you find classes that you can see yourself attending? Tell them why this would be a great class for you. What will you get out of it? What can you contribute?

Find professors that appeal to you. Maybe even reach out to them and learn about their programs.

Again, devour their website. Check out clubs and activities on campus. What can you bring to the campus and how do you see yourself being involved?

Here’s some info from me about the Why College Essay with some tables that can help you plan your Why College Essay .

Also, Tulane has a great How-To for the Why College Essay on their admissions blog . Read it.

More Info about the Why College Essay:

u/4suka shared what they learned at a JHU workshop and I think it’s great info to share with y’all here: “I went to a supplemental essay workshop with JHU and … they (AOs at the workshop) essentially exemplified that we didn't even have to mention specific programs about the school so much as use the supplement as an opportunity to write another mini-personal statement that connects our values and motivations to Hopkins'. "You don't have to mention any classes or anything, we already know what we have, you're just wasting words unless that specific class you mention is essential to your description/expression of values," basically.” link to JHU workshops

Here’s some great advice on Instagram from Todd Denning, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Tufts: “The Why Tufts supplemental essay question, may seem pretty straightforward, but be sure to put plenty of thought into it. A “good” answer to this question will, of course, depend on you and what draws you to Tufts. A quick piece of advice: avoid the “features” trap. Yes, it’s ok and perfectly normal to be drawn to the amenities of a college or university, but we (The Admissions Committee) want to better understand why you think Tufts is a good fit for you. Rather than focusing on the features (residence halls, bucolic campus, professors), point to some of the “feels” (an eye-opening conversation you had with a current student, the university’s Liberal Arts identity, the deep civic and political engagement on campus, and so on.) A university is more than just a collection of buildings, clubs, and classes, so get creative and be thoughtful with our Why Tufts!” Also here’s a link to an Instagram post with more great advice from Tufts Admissions .

THE LEADERSHIP ESSAY

I want you to think about leadership a little differently. I don’t know if you know or follow Mark Manson, but he posted this last fall on social media and I was struck by it: “Leadership is doing the sh!t nobody else wanted to do in a way nobody else thought possible.”

So, you see, leadership is about way more than being Captain High School or President Every Club. Think about all the different kinds of leadership there are. You don’t have to be a specific leader at your school like a president or captain or prefect.

Are you a leader in your own life? Do you make decisions for yourself?

Are you a leader in your family? Older sibling? Care for grandparents? Oldest cousin who everyone goes to for advice?

Are you a leader among your friend groups? Do you make plans? Are you the “parent” of the group? Do you control the social calendar?

Are you a leader in the classroom? Do you like to be the coordinator and organizer for group projects? Do you lead class discussions? Do teachers rely on you to be an active participant?

Are you a leader in your school? Do you hold leadership roles? Or do you organize without needing some kind of title? Do you help underclassmen? Do you encourage others?

Are you a leader in your community? Do you help in your religious community? Do you volunteer as a tutor? Do you organize drives for causes?

And finally, do you have a job? A job demonstrates leadership and willingness to learn and work with others and to contribute to your own financial stability or that of your family.

Leadership is more than a title, it’s about what you do. And how will you demonstrate that leadership specifically on their campus? Do your research.

THE EXTRACURRICULAR ESSAY

Choose your activity: Pick the one with the most hours, blood, sweat, and tears, and that’s the most important to you (could be school club, sport, summer activity, job, family responsibilities, personal hobby or interest)

Discuss your history with the activity, any challenges or obstacles you’ve come across, failures you’ve learned from it, and successes. Be sure to describe in detail what you’ve learned and experienced.

Go into the why -- why is this activity important to you.

Then the how -- how will you use what you’ve learned and experienced with this activity and bring it to their campus -- be specific. Are there clubs or activities on their campus you can be part of?

THE WHY MAJOR ESSAY

First, I suggest you apply with a major -- even if you’re not certain. Many students change their minds. Admissions offices know that, but they like to know that you have some sense of direction. It’s important that you give them a clear idea of WHY you’ve chosen this major. So, once again, details are important. I see this is more of a why me in this major at this school essay than just a why major essay. Your job is to create a picture of you on their campus based on what you’ve already done and what you hope to do. Mention and Describe WHY these were meaningful to you and how they relate to the major:

Courses you’ve taken in high school (or on Edx, Coursera, Khan Academy, etc)

Activities you’ve participated in that have related

Independent or personal research or hobbies that relate

Research and discuss the following within your potential major:

Classes you are excited by on their campus (look at course offerings)

Potential professors who you’d like to take classes with

Potential research projects you’d like to be involved in

Clubs and activities the college offers that are related to your major

Discuss how you see your major playing into your future --- even if you’re not completely sure what you want that future to be.

THE COMMUNITY/IDENTITY/BACKGROUND/PERSPECTIVE ESSAY

Many colleges want to know more about your community, your background, or your identity, and how you play a part in it -- and what they really want to know is how you will play a part in the community on their campus and in their community and what you might bring to their campus with your special perspective.

Decide which community you want to describe. Communities can be super small or large: country, state, city, religion, ethnicity, neighborhood, school, club, activity, online, family, siblings, friends, social groups, and more.

If you’re stuck I encourage you to think like an ant and look at your world from the tiniest being around -- what communities do you see? Where do you fit into that setting? Or look at the world from a giant lens and see where you fit. You don’t have to be a certain ethnicity or religion or be a team player or a club member to be part of a community. Even if you’re kind of a loner, there is some community you’re part of somewhere.

Once you’ve decided, discuss and explain:

How the community has molded you

Challenges and obstacles you’ve faced because of it (if any)

Lessons learned from the community

How you have impacted your community

How you plan to continue being part of this community on their campus

Give details -- do your research about what they offer on your campus that might allow you to continue to be involved

If you’re discussing a community that might be hard to continue involvement (your family) on their campus, talk about how you will use what you’ve learned from your involvement in your community on their campus.

THE ADDITIONAL INFO ESSAY

The Additional Info Essay is there for you for just that -- adding info to your application that they won’t otherwise be able to learn about. Basically, this space is available for you to provide whatever information you feel the admissions team needs to know in order to understand the context of your application. This is an important space and it can be used for lots of different aspects of your application. You could:

Expand on an EC: when you’re not given the opportunity to do so in the application and you have an activity that is particularly meaningful and time-consuming to you -- and your application wouldn’t be complete without the admissions officers understanding more about this activity, you can add it here. You can bullet point here or write it like a Why EC essay.

Why College: If you have a particularly compelling reason why this is the right college for you, and you aren’t given the opportunity to present it in the application, you might want to let them know here. See the Why College Section.

Life Isn’t Always Fair -- Share your Story

Sometimes you need to be able to explain the circumstances in your life -- and colleges want to know about any hardships you’ve had.

They want to understand the context of your application, so don’t worry about thinking you’re asking the colleges to feel sorry for you. I hear kids say that all the time.

This is your real life. Let them know. They can’t know about your challenges and obstacles unless you tell them.

Be proud of yourself for making it through your challenges and moving on to pursue college -- that’s an accomplishment on its own!

I feel like the Additional Info section is the place to talk about them; that way you can use your Personal Essay to get into details about other aspects of who you are beyond whatever challenges life has presented you.

Some Aspects of Your Life Might Require More Context: adversity and hardship, sexual orientation, gender issues, family income and background, family obligations, mental health issues, deaths, divorce, drug-related incidents, illness, and even legal problems. If any of these have affected your school performance, you need to make sure to explain these events or issues.

For more information and my thoughts and u/McNeilAdmissions ’ thoughts about writing about Trauma in Your Applications, be sure to check out this post.

More Phoenix, Fewer Ashes (I wish I could take credit for that metaphor -- I think it’s also from a story u/Ninotchka shared on a2c)

Address your issue or circumstance BRIEFLY and be straightforward. Don’t dwell on it.

Next, focus on what you did to take care of yourself and how you handled the situation. Describe how you’ve moved forward and what you learned from the experience.

Then, write about how you will apply those lessons to your future college career and how you plan to help others with your self-knowledge as you continue to help yourself as you learn more and grow.

Show them that, while you can’t control what happened in the past, you’ve taken steps to gain control over your life and you’re prepared to be the college student you can be.

Remember to keep the focus on the positives and what you learned from your experiences.

Make sure your essay is at least 90% phoenix, the rest ashes.

DISCIPLINARY ISSUES ESSAY (See More Phoenix, Fewer Ashes Above)

First, briefly tell the story. Step up and take responsibility for whatever your issue is. Do NOT blame anyone else.

Spend most of the essay talking about what you’ve learned, what positive impact the lesson had on you, and how you’ve grown from the experience. Be specific about steps you’ve taken to learn more.

End by explaining how the experience will make you a better college student.

Demonstrate that you are taking ownership and taking steps to change your life. You won’t hide from this event, and you’ve worked hard to move past it.

THE COVID-19 QUESTION

From over 300 College Admissions Deans: …”we encourage students to communicate any factors specific to their circumstances that impeded their academic performance. Those factors might include:

lack of access to the internet

no quiet place to study

or the various family responsibilities described above.

We encourage students to describe concretely how any of these circumstances have negatively affected their academic performance or ability to engage in activities that matter to them. It is helpful to know, for example, how much time students spent per week taking on a family responsibility, such as taking care of a sick relative. “ My summary of the “Collective Statement from over 300 College Deans” is here .

Question on Common App: Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.

♻️ REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Many colleges will ask similar questions. It’s ok to rework an essay to make it work for one school and then another.

Do make sure you do specific research for that college to include like:

School Traditions

School Values, Culture, and Mission

Classes that interest you

Profs that fit what you’re looking for

Research Opportunities that fit in with what you want to learn more about

Clubs and Activities that help you explore more about who you are and what interests you

Where you learned your research (website, tour, virtual visit, info session, social media, school paper, etc)

Write a one size fits all essay

Use the WRONG name of the college!

SUGGESTION!

Organize your supplemental essays. I suggest organizing your supplemental essay by colleges and common supplemental essays on a spreadsheet. Then, I suggest making google doc folders for each college and copying and pasting the topic and word count at the top of a google sheet as you’re organizing. In addition to the spreadsheet, write the Why College, Why EC, Why Major, and so on at the top so that when you’re searching for that Why EC essay you’ve already written, you can easily find it.

ONE LAST TIP -- When you’re submitting your apps, sometimes you have to submit the supplemental essay after you’ve submitted everything else, so be sure to go back and make sure all your supplements have been submitted. This is especially true in my experience with Rice -- but I’ve also heard of it with other schools.

LIVE STREAM SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY WORKSHOP

💜And finally, for those of you who made it all the way to the end of this post, I’m inviting you to a FREE One-Hour Supplementary Essay Workshop (Livestreamed & Recorded on YouTube and Twitch ) – Sunday, September 11 at ELEVEN AM Central Standard Time. Here's what it is: I will walk you through all the different kinds of Supplemental Essays you might find and the steps to take to write them demonstrating the best you on your best day, with plenty of time for questions at the end. NOTE: This work session won’t include essay review or editing (stay tuned for the Editing Workshop set for October 16), so it’s more for those of you who either aren’t completely happy or comfortable with your current supplemental essays or those of you who are ready to get started.

Details Again:

BadAss College Apps LiveStream: Supplemental Essay Workshop

Sunday, September 18, 2022

11 AM Central Standard Time

Recorded on YouTube

Links: YouTube , Twitch

Even though these Supplemental Essays can often be short, they are super important and must show that you’ve taken your time, given thought, highlighted yourself, and done your research on the college. Your job is to make them see you as an active member of their campus. Every word counts.

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

July 25, 2022

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 – 2023]

Drexel University ’s main campus is located in Philadelphia, PA and, overall, the school has about 1,000 medical students. The school emphasizes the intersection between research and clinical care and has research centers for nanomedicine and neuroengineering. Drexel’s clinical education provides a “patient-focused practice emphasizing quality, innovation and community service.”

Drexel’s mission statement emphasizes diversity alongside a spirit of collaboration within research and clinical sciences. They are known for their dedicated faculty and commitment to students who are experiencing hardship.

Drexel University College of Medicine 2022-23 secondary application essay questions

Drexel medical school essay #1.

If you are a recent graduate, please tell us what you have been doing since graduation. If you have not yet graduated, please discuss your current activities and engagements. We understand that it may have been difficult to obtain clinical or volunteer service experiences during the pandemic; therefore, be sure to discuss any traditional and /or nontraditional clinical exposures and volunteering experiences that you have done during this time. (no limit)

This essay should explain what you have been doing since graduation as well as your planned activities for the gap year before matriculation into medical school. You should include work, education, personal experience (e.g. caring for family, travel), and volunteer work. Consider activities for the gap year that correct what might be lacking in your application – not enough clinical experience? Then, yes, you should engage in clinical experience during the gap year. If you have work experience, you can also give some insight into major accomplishments.

Drexel Medical School essay #2 

What else do you feel is important for us to know about you? Are there any challenges over the last year that impacted your medical or non-medical service experiences? You can use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application. (1000 word limit)

Drexel has eliminated their secondary about diversity. I recommend using this space to highlight anything about you that is a distinctive characteristic or is of distinguishing value that doesn’t fit elsewhere in the application. This can include identity, gender, race, culture, family history, SES, personal loss or achievement, or a particularly meaningful experience . Do not repeat an activity that you discussed fully in another section of your primary application. 

If you have diverse characteristics in your pedigree, explore them. How will these personal attributes improve the scope of medicine for all? How does your identity and experience assist the mission of Drexel University College of Physicians and Surgeons? Speak to their mission as your diversity relates to it, and how this is an asset to patient care.

Alternatively, this could be where you explain how your education, volunteer work, employment, MCAT, shadowing, employment were affected by the pandemic and COVID-19 crisis. Most applicants will have had some disruption. Stay clear and factual here. Don’t over embellish your answer. Close with an unforeseen opportunity that arose, or what you learned from your pandemic experiences. Stay positive in conclusion.

Stay organized and pay attention to how your story sequences from A, to B, to C. (Do not use this writing space to provide a narrative resumé or repeat all the volunteer work you’ve done.)

Applying to Drexel Medical School? Here are some stats:

Drexel median MCAT score: 511

Drexel median GPA: 3.74

Drexel acceptance rate: 6.1%

Check out the Med School Selectivity Index for more stats.

You’ve worked so hard to get to this place in your life. Now that you’re ready for your next achievement, make sure you know how to present yourself to maximum advantage in your Drexel Med School applications. In a hotly competitive season, you’ll want a member of Team Accepted in your corner, guiding you with expertise tailored specifically for you. Check out our flexible consulting packages today!

Drexel University Medical School 2022-23 application timeline

Source: Drexel Medical School website

Related Resources:

• School-Specific Secondary Application Essay Tips
• What NOT to Write in Your Medical School Secondary Application Essays
• Different Dimensions of Diversity , a podcast episode

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553 © 2022 Accepted

Question on Drexel Supplement

<p>Hi, I’m applying for Drexel with the Common App currently. So they have the one essay on the CA in the “Writing” section, and I wrote an essay there and the essay is related to film, which is what I want to study at Drexel.</p>

<p>On the supplement section for Drexel though, it says this:</p>

<p>"Essay Information</p>

<p>All applicants must submit a 250- to 500-word essay. The essay submitted on the Common Application fulfills this requirement unless you are applying to one of the programs below.</p>

<p>Applicants to the following programs should review these specific instructions regarding submission of the essay.</p>

<pre><code>-Westphal College of Media Arts and Design applicants: Relate your essay topic to your interest in your intended major." </code></pre>

<p>So, as I am intending to study film at Westphal College, does that mean I have to write another essay? In addition, if I do, I get that it should then be about film but what is the topic?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Yes, you need to write another one.</p>

<p>The essay topic is why you are interested in the Film major at Drexel.</p>

<p>Okay, thanks very much for your reply.</p>

Essays and Short Answer Prompts

The Penn application process includes a personal essay —which is sent to most schools you apply to—as well as a few short answer prompts . We read your words carefully, as they are yet another window into how you think, what you value, and how you see the world. Through your writing, we get a glimpse of what you might bring to our community—including your voice and creativity. 

Remember, you are the expert on your story. This is an opportunity for you to reflect and understand who you are now, and who you want to be in the future. You have the agency to choose the information you want to share. This is your story: your experiences, your ideas, your perspective.   

A Few Writing Tips

• Review the prompts thoroughly.  Be sure you’re answering the question or prompt being asked. Topics are chosen because the Admissions Committee wants to know specific things about you. If you don’t address them directly, we are left to make decisions regarding your application with incomplete information. 
• Consider your response carefully.  We understand that you may be writing responses for different schools and you may want to reuse material, but be sure to read through your response to make sure it is relevant to the prompt. 
• Double-check your writing.  Give yourself time to revisit your response. Try to avoid rushing your writing process so you have time to revise your work. Ultimately, it is up to you to polish and proofread your writing before you submit. 
• Do your research. Are there classes you’re eager to take? Research opportunities you’d love to pursue? A group or club you want to be a part of? This kind of specificity shows us you’re serious about Penn and have thought about how you’d spend your time here. 

2023-24 Short Answer and Essay Prompts

When answering these prompts, be precise when explaining both why you are applying to Penn and why you have chosen to apply to that specific undergraduate school. Some of our specialized programs will have additional essays to complete, but the  Penn short answer prompts should address your single-degree or single-school choice.  

• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words, not required for transfer applicants) 
• How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words) 
• The school-specific prompt is unique to the school to which you are applying. (For example, all applicants applying to the College of Arts and Sciences will respond to the prompt under the “College of Arts and Sciences” section). Considering the undergraduate school you have selected for your single-degree option, please respond to your school-specific prompt below.  

Transfer Essay (required for all transfer applicants): Please explain your reasons for transferring from your current institution and what you hope to gain by transferring to another institution. (4150 characters) 

Undergraduate School-Specific Short Answer Prompts

For students applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer this question about your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.  

Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  Penn Nursing’s mission and how we promote equity in healthcare . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of our values and how they align with your own goals and aspirations. 

The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about the  academic offerings within the College of Arts and Sciences .  This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of how the study of the liberal arts aligns with your own goals and aspirations. 

Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues.  Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it.  (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  the foundations of a Wharton education . This information will help you better understand what you could learn by studying at Wharton and what you could do afterward. 

Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn. (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  Penn Engineering and its mission to prepare students for global leadership in technology . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of academic pathways within Penn Engineering and how they align with your goals and interests. 

Coordinated Dual Degree and Specialized Program Essay Prompts

For students applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer the program-specific essay below. 

** Numbers marked with double asterisks indicate a character count that only applies to transfer students applying through Common App.  

Why are you interested in the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania? (400-650 words / 3575 characters**) 

We encourage you to learn more about the DMD: Digital Media Design Program . 

The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to contribute to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words) 

The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing, and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words) 

• Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words) 
• Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words) 

Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words / 3575 characters**) 

Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words) 

How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words)