Babson College supplemental essays

The prompts, one by one

1. Why Babson and area of study essayup to 500 words · Why this major

   “The Babson education prepares students for all types of careers across business, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and more. Tell us about your interest in this area of study and in Babson specifically.”

   What it's really asking

   The moment this subject stopped being a class and became a question you couldn't drop. Babson College wants evidence you've chosen on purpose, not by default.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Turning it into a résumé: grades, awards and "I have always been passionate about." A list of achievements is not a reason to study something. Grand missions ("to cure cancer") read as borrowed.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One specific experience, one specific confusion or question it left you with, and what you did about it on your own. Then one or two things in Babson College's version of the major that match that question. Small and real beats big and vague.

2. Collaborative community short essayup to 250 words · Community

   “A defining element of the Babson experience is learning and thriving in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives and interests. Please share something about your background, lived experiences, or viewpoint(s) that speaks to how you will contribute to and learn from Babson's collaborative community.”

   What it's really asking

   Two things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Babson College because of it. The second half is where most drafts stop short.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Describing the community instead of your role in it, or choosing the one that sounds impressive rather than the one that changed you. "Diversity" as an abstraction, with no scene.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Pick a community you can describe with a scene, not a label. Show one moment where it taught you something or asked something of you. Spend the last third on what that means you'll do at Babson College: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."

3. January Enrollment short answer (optional)25-200 words · Open prompt

   “If you have indicated interest in the January Enrollment option, please address why you would like to be a candidate for this option and what you might choose to do in the fall.”

   What it's really asking

   Whatever matters to you that the rest of the application hasn't shown. Babson College is giving you the floor; the question is what you choose to put on it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Using the space to summarise achievements, apologise for a weakness, or restate the personal statement. Choosing a topic because it sounds like what colleges want.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One subject the reader couldn't guess from your file, told through a specific scene. Keep it in your own voice; if it sounds like a brochure, cut it. End on something still unresolved.

Every US applicant also writes the Common App personal statement: 650 words, seven prompts. Don't repeat it here; the supplements are for what the statement didn't show.

A self-check before you submit

Cover the school name and read the essay. Then cover your name and read it again. It should fail the first test (it only makes sense for Babson College) and pass the second (only you could have written it). If it passes the first test, it's a brochure. If it fails the second, it's a template.