Bentley University supplemental essays

The prompts, one by one

1. Core values essay (optional)up to 250 words · Community

   “Bentley's core values are Caring, Collaboration, Diversity, Honesty, Impact, Learning, and Respect. Select one or two of these core values and share how you currently embody them in your life. How will you continue to develop these values at Bentley?”

   What it's really asking

   Two things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Bentley University 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 Bentley University: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."

2. Race and ethnicity essay (optional)up to 250 words · Community

   “Our students bring to campus a variety of experiences, cultures, and intersecting identities including race and ethnicity –aspects that are important to a rich educational experience and our success in college and beyond. You may use this section to discuss how race and ethnicity affected your life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise.”

   What it's really asking

   Two things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Bentley University 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 Bentley University: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."

3. First day of high school (optional)up to 250 words · Open prompt

   “You wake up tomorrow morning and it's the first day of high school. What would you do differently over the next few years?”

   What it's really asking

   Whatever matters to you that the rest of the application hasn't shown. Bentley University 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.

4. Video: why Bentley (optional)no stated word limit · Video

   “After learning about Bentley, what influenced your decision to apply?”

   What it's really asking

   The same thing as a written essay, with your face: whether you can explain yourself clearly and specifically in a short time.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Reading a script to camera, or over-producing it. Running long. Speaking in generalities because the format feels casual.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One point, stated in the first ten seconds, one concrete example, one closing line. Film it in one take in a quiet room, phone at eye level. Clear beats polished.

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 Bentley University) 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.