Colgate University supplemental essays

The prompts, one by one

1. Diverse community essay (optional)up to 250 words · Community

   “On Colgate's campus, students engage with individuals from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, and perspectives during the course of their educational and social experiences. In 250 words or less, please share the benefits you see in engaging with a diverse body of students, faculty, and staff as part of your Colgate experience.”

   What it's really asking

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

2. What inspires you essay (optional)up to 250 words · Intellectual curiosity

   “Colgate students immerse themselves in social and intellectual pursuits that inspire them. Tell us in 250 words or less what inspires you and why you want to pursue that at Colgate.”

   What it's really asking

   Whether you think about things when nobody is grading you. Colgate University wants a specific idea, question or project and the way your mind moved through it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Name-dropping a big topic (AI, climate, quantum) and describing it instead of your own thinking about it. Essays that could have been written from the Wikipedia page.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One specific question or thing you made. The wrong turns and what you tried next. What you still don't know. Curiosity reads as unfinished; that's the point.

3. Sentence completions (optional)up to 13 words · Short answer

   “Complete the following statements (each response should be no more than 13 words): I am fascinated by… / My favorite book, movie, or television show is… / The person I admire most is… / In the future, I hope to… / One historical figure I would like to meet is… / My favorite food is… / One thing I would change is… / My favorite place is… / I am the best version of myself when… / Something that has changed my perspective is… / I am seeking a community that… / My favorite family/community/cultural tradition is… / I am drawn to Colgate University because…”

   What it's really asking

   Personality in a sentence or two. These are read fast, often together, to see whether a real person wrote the application.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Trying to be impressive in 50 words, or trying to be quirky on purpose. Both read as effort. Repeating something already in your other essays.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Answer the literal question with one concrete, specific detail you'd actually say out loud. Short sentences. One thing, not three. If it makes a friend smile, it's right.

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 Colgate 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.