how to write university of rochester supplemental essays

Building Your Own Rochester Supplement

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The New Year is almost here, with many of your college application deadlines following close behind (remember — Rochester’s is January 5)! After hammering out your final drafts of your personal statement, some of you might notice when you arrive at the Rochester specific writing supplement that it is a bit different from past years. We are excited this year to give you the option to build your own supplement and express yourself the way you would like, similar to how each Rochester student shapes their curriculum and experience based on individual interests.

However, as with every change, we have been getting a lot of questions regarding how you should submit your supplement materials and what you are and are not allowed to submit. Here are some quick pointers and suggestions based on questions we have encountered so far:

• Understand the three options. No matter which one you pick, do not be afraid to be creative and let your personality shine through! We do not have a preference for any one option over the others. Some students are comfortable with the more traditional short essay response. Other students have done research they would like to share with us or have an idea of research they would like to start or continue at Rochester – the research abstract option is a great option for these students. Finally, for the musicians, poets, artists, performers, film directors, and all the other creative souls out there, show us what you love to do with the creative supplement.
• Do not forget the instructions. The directions ask you to choose the option which “best illustrates your interest in attending the University of Rochester and will best highlight your individual talents and interests.” Remember to briefly tie your ideas and materials back to your interest in Rochester. If your attached material is, for example, purely an art sample or research abstract, then take advantage of the space on the Common Application or Universal College Application to address this part of the directions. Of course, you are also welcome to address your interest in Rochester in the creative/research supplement itself.
• Submitting supplementary materials is easy! If you have additional material for your supplement, then quickly mention it in your writing supplement section of the application. Then, if your supplement is mainly text based, such as a research abstract or piece of creative writing, you may simply upload it as a PDF via your MyROC as “Additional Information.” The same thing can be done for art supplements or graphics — after converting them to PDF format, upload them via MyROC. For recordings, videos, or larger art portfolios or similar collections of material, the best way to have your admissions counselor see it is to include the link(s) in the writing supplement section, or upload a list of links if necessary as additional information.
• Are there length/time limits for supplementary materials? We want to give you the chance to fully express yourself, but we may not be able to watch a full hour-long video or read through a 50-page research paper. For creative supplements, pick highlights that are most illustrative if you have a lot of material or recording. For research supplements, we ask for an abstract, which simply means a summary of a research project you have done or might like to do. Abstracts highlight a question or problem to be addressed, how to address or explore the question, and what type of outcomes were obtained or are expected.

Hopefully this helps as you begin your Rochester supplement or finalize the details on it. Regardless of which option you choose, remember to be yourself and to be creative! There is no perfect supplement response and no two will be exactly alike. Good luck and have fun!

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University of Rochester’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Meliora short response.

The University of Rochester motto of Meliora – or “ever better” - deeply integrates critical core values into all that we do. These core values of equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect and accountability define not only who we are, but also who we hope to become. Please use the space below to highlight a time, creative idea or research experience when you put into action one or more of these characteristics in order to make yourself, your community or the world ever better.

Select-A-Prompt Short Response

Please select one of the following prompts to respond to in 200 words or less.

American social reformer, abolitionist, writer and statesman Frederick Douglass said, “Some know the value of education by having it. I knew its value by not having it.” Explain ways in which your background, educational experience, and opportunities have directly influenced you and your ability to do good in the world. What specific moments of growth, lessons learned and resilience in your life have prepared you to promote positive change for your community and the world?

Dr. Donna Strickland, University of Rochester alum and 2018 Nobel Prize winner in Physics said, “There’s no point in me being anything other than me.” The University of Rochester encourages each student to embrace the intersectionality of their identity and create their own individual curricular path and experience. What qualities and experiences make you the best version of yourself? What unique elements of your background, perspectives, and experiences will you bring to our community?

Susan B. Anthony, champion of abolition and women’s rights, once said “Organize, agitate, educate must be our war cry.” As you look to join our community of doers and disruptors, in what ways do you envision using both the curricular flexibility and co-curricular opportunities to invoke change for marginalized groups? How has your unique lived experience shaped you and prepared you to be a changemaker here?

The University of Rochester benefactor, entrepreneur, photography pioneer and philanthropist George Eastman said, “What we do during our working hours determines what we have; what we do in our leisure hours determines what we are.” How have the ways you‘ve spent your time enabled you to grow as a person? What challenges have helped define you and your role within your many communities?

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.

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 University of Rochester Supplemental Essay Prompts

Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

The University of Rochester is located in upstate New York and is the home of “Rocky the Yellowjacket.” So, we bet you are buzzing to get into the University of Rochester, and that will require knowing how to respond to the University of Rochester supplemental essay prompts.

So, how can you make your responses stand out? Read more in our guide for how to respond to the University of Rochester supplemental essay prompts! 

Breaking down the University of Rochester supplemental essay prompts

The University of Rochester offers applicants two mandatory University of Rochester supplemental essay questions they will have to respond to. However, there are a few options under each supplemental essay question that applicants can choose from. 

The first essay is one question that offers the following options to respond to: 

• Essay response
• Creative response
• Research response

The first essay needs to be completed in 200 words or less. This is not a lot of words! So, plan out your responses thoughtfully. You want to make sure that you are not repeating yourself, but instead, are revealing your interests and personality throughout your response.

Adding on to that, be sure you are selecting an option for essay 1 that stands out to you. You want to be as authentic as possible when responding to these questions. 

The second essay is a choice of three prompts. Essay 2 will need to be completed in 200 words or less as well. So, be sure both of your answers to Essay 1 and 2 reveal different pieces of information about yourself. 

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Sharing is Caring Scholarship

The University of Rochester motto of Meliora – or “ever better” – deeply integrates critical core values into all that we do. These core values of equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect and accountability define not only who we are, but also who we hope to become. Please use the space below to highlight a time, creative idea or research experience when you put into action one or more of these characteristics in order to make yourself, your community or the world ever better. (200-word limit).

You may answer this question in one of three ways: 

• Essay response : Write an analytical or creative response of 200 words or less
• Creative response : Upload up to three works of your own art (e.g. pictures, video, performances, literary) and use the space below to provide a brief explanation as to how the art is tied to making the world, your community and those around you “ever better.”
• Research Response : Upload an abstract describing your own related research and use the space below to provide a brief explanation as to how the research is tied to making the world, your community and those around you “ever better.”

Essay response option

Write an analytical or creative response of 200 words or less

If you choose to select the essay response option, make sure that you are brainstorming and outlining your response from the start. 

The core values of the University of Rochester are blatantly laid out in this question. Therefore, make sure you understand them! Figure out which characteristics best represent yourself. 

To make this essay response very easy for you, write down a list of all of University of Rochester’s core values and then write down a time in which you possessed these values. For example, you can write about how becoming the captain of your varsity basketball team in high school helped you learn responsibility  and reap the benefits of being a leader. 

Completing this brainstorming method for each core value will help you narrow down the best narratives and examples of the traits that you possess. 

Once you create this list, select one core value from it that best represents “you.” Remember, there are only 200 words allowed for this response so selecting one will allow you plenty of room to add necessary details. 

After choosing this one core value, describe the narrative that best shows a time in which you displayed this core value. Be creative in your storytelling while also highlighting what you have learned from this experience. 

You do not want to just hype yourself up, but rather, detail how you learned an important lesson. In addition, you want to describe how this characteristic makes yourself, the community, and even the world a better place. 

Creative response option

Upload up to three works of your own art (e.g. pictures, video, performances, literary) and use the space below to provide a brief explanation as to how the art is tied to making the world, your community and those around you “ever better.”

This response quite literally provides you with a lot of creativity. The University of Rochester is allowing you the freedom to show off your artistic and creative talents. Therefore, select a piece of work that is meaningful to you. 

Remember, although this response allows a lot of creative freedom, it is still a part of Essay 1. Therefore, be sure you are connecting your piece of art back to the essay at hand. Be sure to link your work to one of University of Rochester’s core values. 

Remember, do not upload something that you are not proud of or haven’t created completely by yourself–you want your authentic self to shine through! 

Research response option

Upload an abstract describing your own related research and use the space below to provide a brief explanation as to how the research is tied to making the world, your community and those around you “ever better.”

U of R is known for partaking in world-class research. Therefore, it is understandable why they would offer a research option for one of their responses to their supplemental essay question. 

If you completed any research in high school or have any published research, now would be the time to share it! This will definitely give you a leg up on the competition and show the University of Rochester that you will fit in amazingly at their institution. 

If you have not completed any research, do not worry (most high school students have not!). Therefore, it may make more sense to complete one of the other options. 

For the second University of Rochester supplemental essay, you’ll choose between one of three prompts to respond to.

American social reformer, abolitionist, writer and statesman, Frederick Douglass said, “Some know the value of education, by having it. I knew its value by not having it.” Explain ways in which education has directly influenced you and your ability to do good in the world. How will you use the curricular flexibility and co-curricular opportunities of the University of Rochester experience to grow and to promote positive change for yourself, your community and your world.

The University of Rochester is unique in the fact that it offers “curricular flexibility.” This means that U of R gives students the opportunity to double major, study abroad, take fun electives, and much more without falling behind. Be sure you are doing your research on the University of Rochester prior to applying and answering their supplemental essay questions. 

After researching the University of Rochester, you should begin writing your response to this essay question. The first thing you should highlight is what education means to you. 

Think about the following questions to help spark some ideas: 

• Why do you want to go to college? 
• What does higher education mean to you? 
• How has education helped your life so far? 

Detail how important and thankful you are for your educational opportunities. You should then highlight how U of R’s flexible curriculum will continue to help you achieve your goals. 

You could even describe a narrative detailing when you realized how important public programs for the needy are after volunteering at a soup kitchen. This can reveal how you learned from your experiences and want to continue to pursue your education at the University of Rochester to help others. 

Dr. Donna Strickland, University of Rochester alum and 2018 Nobel Prize winner in Physics said, “There’s no point in me being anything other than me.” The University of Rochester encourages each student to embrace who they are and create their own individual curricular path and experience. How will you use the opportunities here to fully be who you are? What unique experiences will you bring to our community?

Everyone is different. So, how do you differ from everyone else? What makes you special? How can you continue to thrive while at the University of Rochester? This is the core of this question. 

To begin this prompt, you should reveal a quirk of yours. What makes you stand out from others? You should narrate a concise story that reveals this passion or interest of yours that makes you – you ! 

After, this is a perfect opportunity to reveal how well you did your research on the University of Rochester’s clubs and organizations. You should connect your quirk to an extracurricular offered at the University of Rochester! 

For example, maybe what makes you unique is that you love to go for runs because it helps calm you down and gives you the chance to see new scenery. Therefore, you are so excited to join the University of Rochester running club to meet like-minded running friends. 

It is important to connect what makes you unique to aspects of the University of Rochester that will allow you to thrive!

The University of Rochester benefactor entrepreneur, photography pioneer and philanthropist, George Eastman said, “What we do during our working hours determines what we have, what we do in our leisure hours determines what we are.” Looking forward toward your college experience, what do you hope to do outside of the classroom at the University of Rochester? What will enhance who you are as a person? How will specific academic and social opportunities here help you grow?

This question is very similar to option 2. The University of Rochester wants to get to know applicants by understanding what they will take part in while at their university. 

So, write what makes you excited about attending the University of Rochester! Detail specific examples of things that you want to participate in. For example, share about specific courses, clubs, or even something nearby such as a nature walk you want to go on!

The most important thing is that you are writing about something you are genuinely excited about and makes you want to attend the University of Rochester over other schools. 

Remember, take the time to find the specific names of clubs and explain why that particular organization at U of R will help you grow as a person. 

Final thoughts on the University of Rochester supplemental essays 

The University of Rochester’s supplemental essays can be quite overwhelming. However, when it really comes down to it there are just 2 essays you need to write! Therefore, do not get caught up on all of the options presented.

Rather, take it slow! Read each question and its options carefully and select the option that most closely aligns with your interests. If you do not immediately connect with a prompt do not select it! 

Once you have narrowed down your options to just your Essay 1 and 2 questions, begin to brainstorm and plan out what you want to write about! 

The most important thing is that you have done your research prior to answering the questions. This will ensure that you are prepared to name drop any organizations you are excited to participate in. 

Once you have done your research and selected your options, you are ready to respond to the questions! Best of luck during the writing process! 

Next steps after applying to the University of Rochester

Once you have completed the University of Rochester supplemental essay questions, have a trusted person read over your responses to check: 

• For any spelling or grammar errors
• Repetition throughout your responses
• That your responses answer the questions

Now it is officially time to submit your University of Rochester application. Good job! Be sure check for any updates to your application status by looking at your: 

• University of Rochester portal
• Social media accounts run by University of Rochester

Additional resources

Before submitting your University of Rochester application, make sure that your Coalition Application and Common Application essays are perfect also! 

Have you taken the ACT or SAT ? If you are curious about whether or not to send your SAT/ACT scores to test optional schools, check out our guide!

Check out our free scholarship search tool to help you afford your education. Scholarships360 is here to help you! 

Additional supplemental essay guides

• Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
• University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)

Frequently asked questions about responding to the university of Rochester essay prompts

How many supplemental essay prompts does the university of rochester have, when are the application deadlines for the university of rochester, are there any helpful tips for making my essay stand out from other applicants, is there a right option to select for the university of rochester essays, scholarships360 recommended.

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• Undergraduate

Primary Writing Requirement

The primary writing requirement (PWR) at Rochester is the first step in drawing students into our community of researchers and writers. We aim to help you become an effective academic communicator.

All University of Rochester students are expected to satisfy the PWR. We recommend that you satisfy the PWR by the end of your first year of study at Rochester. That way, you will be prepared for the upper-level writing requirement in your major(s).

• Learning Objectives for Primary Writing Requirement Courses

Fulfilling the PWR

There are three ways to fulfill the University’s PWR:

• Take a first-year writing course
• Substitute a course
• Transfer a course

Note: Meliora Seminars only satisfy the PWR for those students who have successfully petitioned to use a course other than WRTG 105 for the PWR.

Take one of the following first-year writing courses

Most entering students fulfill the PWR by earning a “C” or higher in:

• WRTG 105E , an extended version of WRTG 105, which includes an additional recitation period, for those students who want more support to meet the demands of college-level writing
• WRTG 105A and WRTG 105B , which distribute the work of WRTG 105 across two semesters (at two credits each), allowing students more time to develop as academic research writers
• WRTG 103 and WRTG 104 , a sequence for students admitted into the English for Academic Purposes Program (EAPP)

All sections of WRTG 105, WRTG 105E, and WRTG 105A&B aim to help you become an effective academic writer. Sections are taught by instructors from across the disciplines and offer diverse topics for students to pursue well-established or new interests.

See WRTG course offerings .

WRTG Extension

The WRTG Extension is a weekly workshop and tutorial offered through the Writing and Speaking Center for all WRTG 104, WRTG 105E, and WRTG 105B students who have worked diligently but have received a grade of C+ or lower. These students can continue to work on their writing for the semester following their 104/105E/105B course, after which they are assigned a final grade that accounts both for their final grade from their 104/105E/105B  instructor and their work in the following semester’s Extension.

During the Extension,  students participate in a weekly workshop/tutorial that offers intensive work on writing in small group and individual settings. In weekly sessions, students continue to revise writing from their WRTG courses. Students may also choose to work on forms of academic writing relevant to their spring coursework – forms which may include summary, critical response, the argumentative essay, the lab report, and others. Guided by their instructor and by Writing Center consultants, students plan, draft and revise their writing, critique each other's work, assess their own writing, and participate in small group sessions on writing issues that the group faces. The semester's work will culminate in a final portfolio that features polished essays and an overall self-reflection.

The Extension is designed for WRTG 104, WRTG 105E, and WRTG 105B students but, if space is available, may be made available to WRTG 105 students who have worked diligently and completed the course but have received a grade of C- or lower.

Grading: Students do not receive an independent grade for the Extension because it is not a credit-bearing course, but rather a continuation of WRTG 104, WRTG 105B, or WRTG 105/E that allows students who have worked diligently to continue improving their writing skills for a second semester, with the ultimate goal of satisfying the Primary Writing Requirement and/or improving their WRTG Grade.

Permission of program required.

Not sure which course is right for you?

Take the Writing Self-Placement Survey.* Complete parts one and two of the survey. If you are an international student or are still unsure what course is right for you, you should continue on to part three. After completing part three, you will have an opportunity to speak with a writing placement advisor.

Log in to  Blackboard . On the right-hand side of the screen, find your class year link under "My Organizations.” Click that link, then under the left side panel click on "Writing Self-Placement Survey" to take the survey.

*Note: Students entering through the Early Connection Opportunity (ECO) program or EAPP do not need to take the Writing Self-Placement Survey. ECO students work with ECO summer writing instructors and the Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA) counselors to select their writing course, while EAPP students are enrolled in their courses through EAPP itself.

Repeating the First-Year Writing Course

If you pass WRTG 105, WRTG 105E, or the WRTG 105A/B sequence, but earn a grade lower than the minimum “C” required for the PWR, you may choose to take the course a second time for four additional credit hours.

Both grades are counted in your GPA as long as you submit the appropriate form to the College Center for Advising Services (CCAS) by the end of the fourth week of the semester. Alternatively, you may apply the standard repeat policy .

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3 University of Rochester Essay Examples

What’s covered:.

• Essay Example #1 – Community Impact
• Essay Example #2 – Personal Qualities

Essay Example #3 – Activism at Rochester

Where to get your university of rochester essays edited.

The University of Rochester is a selective school, so it’s important to write strong essays to help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share an essay a real student has submitted to the University of Rochester. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our University of Rochester es say breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Essay Example #1 – Community Impact 

Prompt: The University of Rochester motto of Meliora – or “ever better” – deeply integrates critical core values into all that we do. These core values of equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect, and accountability define not only who we are, but also who we hope to become. Please use the space below to highlight a time, creative idea, or research experience when you put into action one or more of these characteristics in order to make yourself, your community, or the world even better. (250 words)

My interest in dance wouldn’t be as pronounced as it is today if not for the mentors I met along the way. From my senior peers to my dance instructor, their leadership put me on the right path to success. Recently, I got the chance to make the same impact on the next generation of Dancers.

For my community’s cultural day, a few students were putting together a dance performance, albeit with no prior dance experience. They were looking for an instructor and choreographer for their group and asked me to lead. Although excited, I soon realized this would require more from me. When I started teaching the group, their movements were offbeat and messy. With the performance only a few weeks away, I had to take charge to ensure a great performance. I increased the number of practices, sacrificed more time from my week, and used incentives to lead them to do their best at every practice.

On the day of their performance, I sat at the front of the auditorium, nervous but also excited to see the final product. But when they started the routine, I knew I was proud regardless.

These kids have done 5 performances after this one. While they received a new appreciation for dance from my leadership, I have grown as a person and a dance teacher, further understanding the importance of mentorship. In the future, I hope to continue teaching others about dance and helping expand its prevalence in our community.

What the Essay Did Well

This is a version of the Community Service essay, where you’re asked to discuss the positive impact you’ve had on others. Through discussion of their past, present, and future in the dance community, this applicant has helped us understand the depth of their passion for dance, and the dance community. This story about helping the next generation of dancers choreograph a performance gives readers a positive impression of the author’s commitment both to the discipline of dance, and to their younger peers. The demonstration of these positive qualities, like commitment, generosity, and service to the community, are undoubtedly one of the strengths of this essay. 

Along with the demonstration of positive qualities, this is a particularly clear and effective essay. The word count is tight, but the author manages to cover a good amount of information about themselves and their involvement with dancing, from their own mentors, to the mentorship they extend to these younger dancers. This helps give the essay breadth as well as depth, which is key in a successful essay. 

What Could Be Improved

While this essay is well-written, we would’ve loved to see more vivid language and sophisticated sentence structure, to help it stand out from the crowd. Consider the first paragraph. 

My interest in dance wouldn’t be as pronounced as it is today if not for the mentors I met

along the way. From my senior peers to my dance instructor, their leadership put me on the right

path to success. Recently, I got the chance to make the same impact on the next generation of Dancers.

Now, what if it were rewritten like this:

From the time I slipped into my first leotard, I have loved dance and the community that surrounds it. Older dancers and instructors have always helped to guide me on the path to success. Because of all of this support, I was overjoyed when I recently had the chance to mentor the next generation of dancers.

These introductions have the exact same number of words, but one makes use of more dynamic sentence structure and stronger language choices. Remember, your essays aren’t just a place to show off your most compelling stories, but they’re also where you demonstrate your storytelling skills. Making strong language choices, and making use of interesting essay structures can really help your essay stand out from other applicants. 

Another thing we would’ve loved to see from this essay is some imagery. Vivid descriptions stick in an admissions officer’s mind more so than broader, more vague statements. In the example above, just referencing that first leotard puts an image in the reader’s mind, whereas the other example gives vague impressions of older dancer figures without further detail. This essay is anchored in a narrative, but that narrative has very little detail attached to it. Even with only 250 words, it’s a good idea to include detail wherever possible. 

Finally, detail goes hand-in-hand with another important principle of storytelling: specificity. The more specific your story, the easier it is to imagine it, connect with it, and envision your part in it. Though we have learned a lot about this student’s value for mentorship and giving back to the community, we still don’t know basic details, like what kind of dance was being performed. Ballet, tap, and the Argentine tango all have very different associations. Just using the name of the dance would convey images of what kinds of movement, choreography, and costume the dancers might have been working with, all of which would’ve strengthened this essay’s uniqueness and detail. In writing your own essays, remember to make your essay specific so admissions teams remember you along with it. 

Essay Example #2 – Personal Qualities 

Prompt: Dr. Donna Strickland, University of Rochester alum and 2018 Nobel Prize winner in Physics said, “There’s no point in me being anything other than me.” The University of Rochester encourages each student to embrace who they are and create their own individual curricular path and experience. How will you use the opportunities here to fully be who you are? What unique perspectives will you bring to our community? 200 words

I look in the mirror as I put on my jhumka earrings and fix my lehenga skirt. This traditional Indian costume has become an important part of my identity and every one of my dance performances. As a Bollywood dancer, my life isn’t complete without monthly performances or dance practices. At Rochester, I hope to continue my exploration of this passion. Rochester Raas is a competitive Indian dance team, focused on traditional folk dance. By joining Raas, I will be able to continue the activity I love, while also learning more about my traditional roots and heritage.

I am also well known for my vast collection of books and my tendency to read during any free moment. At Rochester, I hope to start a unique book club focused on sharing our passions for reading. Rather than everyone reading the same book, members of this club will recommend books they have liked in the past to their peers, allowing for discussion and the joining of like minds. This practice started with my small group of friends, and I hope to expand it to the Rochester community in order to find others with similar interests as mine.

This prompt is a version of what we call a Diversity essay , which focuses on applicants’ unique identities and the communities they are a part of. This essay responds perfectly to the prompt, by describing communities this student already inhabits and expanding that to the University of Rochester. Instead of just talking about future ideas or plans, the student makes their existing commitment to these passions clear, so it’s easy to imagine them participating the same way in Rochester. 

Along with very concrete examples of communities, we get an idea of the author’s hobbies – dancing and reading – as well as their value for cultural engagement and generating community. Their readiness to start a book club, if one doesn’t exist, demonstrates their readiness and ability to be a positive presence on campus. Overall, this essay paints a clear picture of who this student is, in a few concrete, community-focused ways. This answers the unique perspective component of the essay, and gives an idea of the kind of diversity this student will bring to campus. 

Finally, the vivid imagery of donning the jhumpka earrings and lehenga skirt are a powerful way to bring us into the essay, and help readers picture the author as a dancer and a reader. This makes the essay personal and specific, and brings us closer to the applicant. 

One thing we would’ve liked to see in this essay is a bit more focus on the flow of the writing. While this essay accomplishes a lot in terms of content, the two sections are pretty disconnected, which makes the essay feel choppy and a bit underdeveloped. While there is a transition sentence, we would’ve liked to see a transition that linked the two ideas, rather than just bringing in the next one. Something like “When I’m not on the dance floor, I’m known for having my nose buried in a book,” is a smoother segue from one subject to the next. 

Another thing we would’ve loved to see in this essay is more imagery and vivid details. The essay is just 200 words, so extensive description isn’t really possible, but even something like the common phrase of burying one’s nose in a book has an image inherent in it. Talking about stacks of books or passionate discussions could help readers picture the atmosphere of the book club. 

Prompt: Susan B. Anthony, champion of abolition and women’s rights, once said, “Organize, agitate, educate must be our warcry.” As you look to join our community of doers and disruptors, in what ways do you envision using both the curricular flexibility and co-curricular opportunities to invoke change for marginalized groups? (200 words)

To Nigerians,

It’s been eight years since we’ve been subjected to the tyranny of bad governance. Our medical systems have been destroyed, economy devaluated, and freedom of speech banished. But we need not worry for long. Just 5 years left!

By 2027, I will have explored the strategies behind successful revolutions in Prof. Meguid’s Introduction to Comparative Politics Class ( PSCI101) in my world politics cluster, equipping me to successfully lead us through the revolution we’ve eagerly awaited and install a political system that will ensure our happiness. With the help of the Greene Center, I will have gained practical experience of the biomedical engineering career field by interning at Corning’s biochemical department, enabling me to contribute to the rebuilding of our medical system. I will have developed a Parkinson-stabilizing device from my experience analyzing human motion with MATLAB in Professor Buckley’s BME 201-P class. I hope to later extend this device to cater for poliomyelitis, a disease that has plagued us since 1982. I will have strengthened my ability to put corruption under check through music by developing my soprano voice at Vocal point.

But even more importantly, I will have been Meliorad- made ever better and equipped to make you ever better.

I will be made all these at University of Rochester.

This is a version of the “Why This College” prompt , which asks the writer to discuss their reasons for choosing the University of Rochester. This response really delivers, with great specificity both about the author, and about Rochester. The classes, departments, and club mentioned make it clear that this student has done their research, and knows not just where they will fit in, but how. 

Another particularly strong element of this essay is the personal connection that the author has to all of the points mentioned. In tying their ideas and goals to their country and its struggles, the author has chosen not just any marginalized group, but a group that they are a part of and that is truly important to them. This creates connection, not just between the student and the topic they’re discussing, but the admissions committee reading the essay, as well. 

Lastly, the unique letter format is attention-grabbing and unique. It’s effective because the author is able to easily introduce the issue at hand and explain how to solve it without coming across as literal or pedantic. This essay stands out, and it accomplishes the author’s goals efficiently. 

One thing that stands out in this essay as an easily fixable potential improvement is the language fluency. Some of the writing and phrasing is a bit awkward and some of the word choices may be incorrect. These kinds of edits can be easily made with the help of a friend or peer as a reviewer. 

The ending is also a bit abrupt. “I will be made all of these at University of Rochester” is both awkward, and fails to recap some of the most important parts of the essay. While the discussion of becoming ever better and making others ever better is compelling, explaining how the applicant plans to do this would make this conclusion stronger. 

Finally, the context of this essay is not very clear. While admissions officers can certainly do a bit of research to understand the situation in Nigeria that this student is describing, the mentions of five more years, and a change occurring in 2027, are a bit more obscure. Is the student taking action to make change in 2027? This is a powerful statement, so making it clear what exactly they are saying would be a great step to making this essay even more effective.

Do you want feedback on your University of Rochester  essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Office of the University Registrar

Undergraduate Bulletin

The college, degree requirements.

To ensure that students acquire a broad base of general knowledge, as well as extensive familiarity with at least one area of specialization, the College has established general degree requirements. These requirements are identical for the BA and BS degrees.

Completion of Eight Semesters of Approved Coursework Link to section

Students are required to complete 128 credit hours (e.g., 32 4-credit courses), with an average grade of “C’’ or better. No more than 20 courses from a single department may be counted toward the degree.

For students not majoring in music or a simultaneously completing a BM degree at the Eastman School of Music, no more than 16 credit hours of applied music instruction and eight credit hours of River Campus ensemble may be counted toward the degree.

The following Hajim School majors require additional credit hours for degree completion:

• Audio and music engineering (132 credit hours)
• Biomedical engineering (131 credit hours)
• Chemical engineering (132 credit hours)
• Electrical and computer engineering (130 credit hours)
• Optics and optical engineering (129 credit hours)

Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement Link to section

All students, whether incoming freshmen or transfers, must satisfy the primary writing requirement . The majority of students fulfill the requirement by earning a "C" or better in WRT 105: Reasoning and Writing in the College, or WRT 105E or WRT 105A&B, versions of 105 chosen by students who need more support to meet the demands of college-level writing.

Students who believe that they are already proficient college writers may petition to substitute a University of Rochester writing-intensive course for WRT 105. The substitute course may not also be used to fulfill the upper-level writing requirement (see below). Transfer students who have completed a WRT 105 equivalent at another institution and received a “B” or better may petition to use this course to satisfy the primary writing requirement.

Students admitted to the College through the English for Academic Purposes Program fulfill the requirement by earning a grade of “C” or higher in WRT 103: EAPP Critical Reading, Reasoning, and Writing, and WRT 104: EAPP Research, Reading, and Writing. Ten of the 16 credits earned in EAPP will be applied toward degree requirements.

Completion of the Rochester Curriculum Link to section

Satisfactory completion of a major with an average grade of “C” or better. Each major contains an upper-level writing requirement which explicitly incorporates student writing into its curriculum and/or requirements. Students are expected to formally declare their major program after getting it approved by the appropriate faculty advisor in the department or program by the time noted below. The divisional classification of all interdepartmental majors, as noted in the following paragraph, is determined by the students and the faculty committee responsible for the major.

Satisfactory completion, with an average grade of "C" or better, of an approved divisional cluster composed of at least three courses in each of the two divisions outside the area of the major. For students pursuing a degree within the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied sciences, each set of courses for the divisional clusters will be in one of the two divisions: humanities or social sciences Students may also construct a program from existing majors and minors, as long as the principle of distribution over the three divisions is maintained.

Students who complete degree programs in audio and music engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, optical engineering, or optics need to complete only one divisional cluster outside the area of their major.

Students formally declare their Rochester Curriculum, i.e., their major and two divisional clusters, no later than the beginning of their junior year (by the time 64 credit hours have been taken). Students may alter their program until the final semester of the senior year. The College transcript will reflect the students' three areas of focus. All students accepted into the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences become responsible for two full years of equipment fees. These are normally assessed during each semester of the junior and senior years.

Departments of the College discourage students from registering for the next course in a continuing science sequence if an appropriate grade level (“C–’’ or above) has not been achieved in the preceding course. It has been shown that students' success in such a sequence is directly related to performance in the preceding course. Students so advised are asked to seek assistance in their future program planning from the College Center for Advising Service and from their College advisors.

Community Essay Examples

When crafting your college applications, writing strong essays is essential. Through your essays, you demonstrate who you are–from your values and passions to your lived experiences. Indeed the personal statement is the most common college essay. However, you will also likely have to write some supplemental essays as part of your college application requirements. One of the most common supplemental essay types is the community essay. This essay type is also known as a describe the community you live in essay, cultural diversity essay, or community service essay.

In this article, we will introduce several community essay examples. Most importantly, we’ll describe why they are considered college essays that worked. Specifically, we will share community essay examples from the two schools:

• Princeton University
• Columbia University

By studying these admissions essay samples, you can see what makes these college community essay examples strong and apply those same principles to your writing.

Reviewing Types of College Essays

Each school has different supplemental essay prompts for their college application requirements. However, there are a few types of essays that are most common. By becoming familiar with these essay types, you can begin to brainstorm and strategize what you will write about early on. You might start as early as sophomore or junior year in high school. 

Now, let’s take a look at the most common supplementary essay questions.

Common Supplementary Essay Questions

1. why school.

A Why School essay is, as it sounds, about why you wish to attend a specific institution. The key to answering this prompt well is to be specific. You should identify examples of what you like about a school. Avoid general comments such as “it is a top school” or “it is diverse.” Share specific programs, professors, teaching approaches, cultural elements, or unique opportunities such as research or study abroad.

2. Why Major

The Why Major essay asks you to share specific reasons behind your choice of major and how it relates to your future goals. A strong response to a Why Major essay will highlight your specific motivations. But it will also connect those motivations to a school’s unique opportunities. For example, perhaps you wish to be a pre-law history major, and the school you are applying to offers law-related internships. By highlighting these specific connections, you draw a compelling connection between yourself and the school.

3. Extracurricular Activity

Many schools ask you to describe an extracurricular activity that is particularly meaningful for you. When responding to this question, do not feel limited to only talk about the most popular extracurricular activities for college applications, like clubs or sports. Consider all of the activities you do outside of school. Then choose the one that is most meaningful to you. Also, give specific examples of how you grew or made an impact within your extracurricular activities for college.

4. Community Essay

The Community Essay can have slightly different angles to it. But, the uniting factor is that the school wants to know how you engage with others around you. Some types of community essays are a describe the community you live in essay or a cultural diversity essay. In recent years, the cultural diversity essay has been a more common college application requirement.

Coming up, we will share a bit more about how to break down community essay prompts. We’ll also take a look at college essays that worked. By reading these examples, you’ll know how to approach these common prompts.

How to identify a community essay?

While community essays can have slightly different focuses, they all share the goal of learning about where you come from. A supplemental essay prompt might ask you to share more about your background via a group you are part of. This is likely a community essay. Indeed, a community essay can also be called a describe the community you live in essay, or a cultural diversity essay. Other college community essay examples focus on how you will contribute to a college campus. Finally, in a describe a community you belong to essay example, you will see that students highlight any community that is meaningful to them.

You may be wondering why so many colleges have community essays as a college application requirement. For one, many colleges use a holistic admissions process. This means they care about all aspects of who you are, not simply your grades and test scores. How you engage with your communities shows them your character and values. For example, a describe the community you live in essay example about visiting church every Sunday demonstrates your commitment to religion. Similarly, a cultural diversity essay helps colleges learn more about your cultural background. 

Additionally, colleges want to learn more about how you will engage with their on-campus community. You’ll notice this important factor in the college community essay examples we will share. To some degree, how you have engaged with previous communities can be an indicator of how you will show up on their campus.

How is a community essay different?

As we mentioned, community essays can have slightly different focuses. Some prompts ask you to write a describe the community you live in essay. These types of community essays are more like cultural diversity essays. 

Keep in mind that the word “community” can have many different meanings. A community can be your school, church, or neighborhood. It could also stem from your interests. For example, your dance or robotics team can form your community.

Some community essay prompts want to know specifically how you help strengthen your communities. These types of essays are considered a community service essay. Another term for community service is “civic engagement.” An example of civic engagement might be getting people in your cultural community to sign up to vote. Or, another could be helping with church fundraisers to ensure that your local community has the resources it needs to thrive. 

In sum, the keywords you might see in a community essay prompt are “civic engagement,” “community service,” “serve your community,” “contribute to your community,” or “diversity.” No matter how it’s phrased, your essay should demonstrate the impact you’ve had on your community–whichever one you choose to highlight. 

What are some examples of community essays?

In this article, we will share several community essay examples. Specifically, we will highlight Princeton essay examples and Columbia essays examples. Let’s look at these two colleges’ essay prompts. 

The first Princeton supplemental essay prompt is a part of our college community essay examples and our cultural diversity essay examples. Here is the prompt:

Princeton Community Essay Prompt #1: Cultural Diversity Essay and College Community Essay Examples

Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. as a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. what lessons have you learned in life thus far what will your classmates learn from you in short, how has your lived experience shaped you  (please respond in 500 words or fewer.).

In this cultural diversity essay prompt, Princeton wants to know about your lived experiences. By this, they refer to any experiences that have shaped you profoundly. A lived experience can be a specific event, such as experiencing a car crash or winning an award. Or, it could be a set of experiences that resulted from life circumstances, such as being a first-generation college student or having taken a gap year .

This essay prompt will also lead to college community essay examples. Indeed Princeton wants to read about your lived experiences and how they impacted you. But, they also want to know how you will bring those lessons to the Princeton community, should you enroll . Also, note that this prompt mentions challenging ideas and beliefs via conversation. As you respond, look for ways to highlight how you have engaged in fruitful dialogue and how you would do so at Princeton.

To answer this prompt effectively, share specific examples. Additionally, be sure to answer all parts of the prompt. 

Princeton has a second supplemental essay prompt that focuses on how you engage with your community outside of the classroom. The prompt is as follows: 

Princeton Community Essay Prompt #2: Civic Engagement

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. how does your own story intersect with these ideals (250 words or fewer) .

To answer this prompt well, you must highlight specific examples of how you have positively impacted your community. As a starting point, consider which of your communities you have most engaged with. How have you done so and what results did you have?

The Columbia Community Essay Prompt is another of our college community essay examples. It is a cultural diversity essay, as well. Here is the prompt: 

Columbia Community Essay Prompt: A Cultural Diversity Essay

A hallmark of the columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer).

While this prompt is similar to Princeton’s, it also references perspectives and viewpoints. In doing so, the prompt opens you up to share opinions or values that are important to you. You might consider highlighting values in your family or community that you either hold close or disagree with. 

Note that Columbia also highlights the word “collaborative” in this prompt. This indicates that your cultural diversity essay should also show how you collaborate with others.

Which schools require a community essay?

In addition to Princeton and Columbia, many other schools have community essays as part of their college application requirements. Here are some other examples of community essay prompts:

In this UNC-Chapel Hill prompt , you must describe a specific example of how you made an impact on a community. The prompt reads:

The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill: A Community Service Essay Prompt

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. this could be your current community or another community you have engaged. (250-word limit).

In responding, be sure to highlight what community you are referencing, the specific impact you made, and what personal quality helped you do so.

This prompt from UMichigan is a describe a community you belong to essay example, as well as a cultural diversity essay:

The University of Michigan: Describe a Community You Belong to Essay Example

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (required for all applicants. 1,500 character limit.).

In addition to describing the community, make sure to share how you engage with it and what it has taught you. Remember that community is a broad term. So, for this prompt you can respond with any type of community in mind, whether physical or cultural. In contrast to the describe the community you live in essay, you do not have to be geographically close to the community you describe here.

Duke University: Cultural Diversity Essay Prompts

Duke offers students five supplemental prompts to choose from, of which they can reply to two. Of these supplemental prompts, four are examples of cultural diversity essays:

1. We believe a wide range of viewpoints, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to maintaining Duke as a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.

2. we believe there is benefit in sharing or questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with what are you agreeing or disagreeing about, 3. duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community., 4. we recognize that not fully “fitting in” a community or place can sometimes be difficult. duke values the effort, resilience, and independence that may require. feel free to share with us circumstances where something about you is different and how that’s influenced your experiences or identity..

Each of these prompts is a slightly different type of cultural diversity essay, from sharing a range of opinions to not fitting in within a community. Choose the essay prompts that most resonate with you. And share specific examples that bring your cultural diversity essay to life.

In this Yale University supplemental prompt , you must choose a community that you feel connected to and describe why it is meaningful. Here’s the prompt:

Yale University: Describe a Community You Belong to Essay Example

Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. why is this community meaningful to you you may define community however you like. (400-word limit).

When responding, be sure to highlight what you have learned or how you have grown from this community. In contrast to a describe the community you live in essay, this essay can be about any community, near or far, that resonates with you. Indeed, the prompt gives you plenty of leeway in what you consider community. 

When responding to the UC system prompts , you must choose four of the eight available personal insight questions. One of the PIQs is a community service essay prompt:

The University of California Personal Insight Question: A Community Service Prompt

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place, things to consider: think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place like your high school, hometown or home. you can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community, why were you inspired to act what did you learn from your effort how did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community.

Similar to many of the other prompts, when answering this question, be sure to identify the specific impact you made on your community.

Now that we have looked at various examples of community essay prompts, we can explore community essay examples. Reading essay examples is a great way to get inspired to write your own college essays. 

In each of the highlighted college essays that worked, note what the author did expertly. Rather than trying to copy their responses, topics, or ideas, consider how you can apply those same skills to your writing. 

Princeton Community Essay Examples

In this section, we will highlight Princeton essay examples that respond to their two community essay prompts: a cultural diversity essay and a community service essay. 

The first of our Princeton essay examples responds to the following Princeton prompt: 

Princeton Essay Examples #1: Cultural Diversity Essay

Now, let’s take a look at a student’s response to this prompt focusing on lived experiences. 

Princeton Essay Examples #1 Student Response

I have spent most of my life living in a 41% minority town of 1.8 square miles called Highland Park, NJ. This typically overlooked town has introduced me to a diverse array of people, and it has been the main influence on my life experiences and core values.

In the face of distinct cultures and customs, we forge a single identity as Highland Parkers and come together to organize large community events. The most prevalent example is our highly touted annual Memorial Day parade, where we join together with neighboring New Brunswick to invite military service members, family members of our fallen war heroes, our legislative and congressional representatives, and our townspeople. Moreover, as our high school band’s vice president, I help organize and lead our ensemble into these performances with a positive and uplifting spirit. We communicate with the town government and arrange the performances every year to perform at the parade. The parade is an example of many of our large community events that serve as a unifying force for our diverse community, reminding us that we are fundamentally connected as one cohesive group, despite our differences. 

As someone deeply interested in historical and political matters, I am well aware of the consequences that arise from dictatorial protocols that limit the freedom of speech and diversity of voices. From my experiences debating in Model UN conferences, I have grown accustomed to being able to present viewpoints from both sides of the argument, and I have learned to incorporate and respect the viewpoints of all sides of an issue before making up my own mind. For example, in a Model Congress debate, I found myself advocating for the interests of a state heavily reliant on traditional fossil fuels. While researching and articulating that perspective, I gained insights into the economic challenges faced by the states that are reliant on these resources. This experience not only broadened my understanding of the complexities surrounding environmental policies but also highlighted the necessity of considering diverse viewpoints for comprehensive decision-making. 

My background and experiences have fostered in me a profound appreciation for the value of diversity, inclusivity, and the pursuit of knowledge. At Princeton University, I will seek to contribute as an active participant in the community, actively provide unique perspectives and insights, and respect and learn from others’ perspectives even if there are disagreements. I wish to partake in student government, which has like-minded peers who want to make a substantive impact, and also participate in service programs like the Civic Leadership Council. Also, I hope to increase my impact from the leadership positions I currently hold on the Red Cross club and teen mayoral advisory council using the platforms in Princeton. I look forward to making a positive impact on both the campus and the broader community. 

Why This Cultural Diversity Essay Worked

In the first of our Princeton essay examples, the student successfully responds to all parts of the Princeton prompt. They begin by describing their community and sharing some details about its makeup. Indeed, the first sentence hooks the reader–it is unique and compelling. 

Then, the student illustrates how they specifically contribute to their community each year by leading the high school band in the Memorial Day parade. They also highlight how their experience in Model UN shaped their appreciation for diverse perspectives. In sharing these two examples, the student demonstrates their leadership and open-minded thinking. Finally, the student ends by highlighting how they would use these values to contribute to Princeton’s community– by partaking in student government and Civic Leadership Council, among other activities.

In the second of our Princeton essay examples, the student responds to the second Princeton prompt which is: 

Princeton Essay Examples #2: A Community Service Essay

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. how does your own story intersect with these ideals (250 words or fewer).

And, here is a student’s response:

Princeton Essay Examples #2 Student Response

My first experience with the Red Cross was when my older sister was desperately trying to recruit people to join the club during the harsh COVID year. Things were so bad for the club that I, as a freshman, ran for the position of treasurer unopposed. My first blood drive experience was marked by masks, social distancing, and low turnout among blood donors. Even many donors who showed up ended up being turned away due to health-related issues. Needless to say, it was not the greatest first high school service experience, and I admittedly started to doubt if the time I spent on this front was worth it. 

However, as we returned in person, things quickly turned around. As the vice president of the club, I helped recruit more than twice the club membership compared to the previous year, and our blood drives started to regain momentum; our blood targets have been exceeded every time since. Organizing and participating in blood drives has become a passion. It’s fulfilling, especially when I personally donate, to know that I’m actively serving the community and saving lives. I have realized that, despite my relatively young age, I am capable of making an impact through public service. I plan to continue my commitment to the Red Cross’s adult program and participate in service programs like Community Action at Princeton to serve the Princeton community and abroad.

Why This Essay Worked

In this admissions essay sample, we learn about a student’s volunteerism with the Red Cross as an example of civic engagement. This essay works for several reasons. First, it provides a specific example of the student’s civic engagement and demonstrates their impact by becoming vice president and increasing membership. Secondly, the essay provides an honest take on the struggles of this service experience, which lends credibility and authenticity to the story. 

The student also demonstrates an important lesson learned. This aligns with Princeton’s values– that students can have a positive impact on society. 

Columbia University Essay Examples

In this section, we will highlight Columbia essays examples that landed students admission to the prestigious Ivy League university. The first of our Columbia essays examples is written by the same student who responded to the first Princeton prompt above. Here’s a reminder of the Columbia prompt: 

As you read the example below, notice how the student edited their Princeton cultural diversity essay to meet the prompt and lower word count for Columbia:

I have spent most of my life living in a 41% minority town called Highland Park, NJ. This typically overlooked town has introduced me to a diverse array of people, and it has been the main influence on my life experiences and core values. 

HP has convinced me that we can build institutions that are strong and united while embracing a wide variety of voices and perspectives. It has shaped my core values of diversity and inclusion. An English teacher used to encourage me to talk in front of the class by saying even if I believed my thoughts were “dumb,” I could only enrich the conversation.

At Columbia University, I will seek to continue my contributions as an active participant in the community and look to actively provide unique perspectives and insights. Actively engaging in student groups such as ColumbiaVotes will be a big part of my experience. 

The Columbia essay prompt only allows for a 150-word response. This could pose a challenge for many students. What makes this essay among the Columbia essays examples that worked is how succinctly it completely answers the prompt. 

The response begins by hooking the reader with a relevant detail of the student’s community. Then, the student shares how this community shaped them by influencing their values of diversity and inclusion. Finally, the student shares how they would engage with a Columbia organization that also supports diverse viewpoints. Though short and sweet, this response clearly answers all parts of the Columbia prompt. 

More Community Essay Examples

The final of our community essay examples is a community service essay. Let’s look at how student framed their service experience:

“I don’t believe that’s the best way to do this.” 

The moment I thought this the first time I volunteered at my local soup kitchen was one that resulted in a drastic change. When I was informed of the way the food was being served to the public, the initial excitement that I had felt diminished. We were told that the plates would be served before anyone arrived and would remain in an area where people could pick it up and seat themselves. I felt that this method was impersonal and inconsiderate, and disappointment washed over me. 

I turned to the people that were around me and discovered that they shared the same disapproval I felt. When we agreed that a change must be made, we exchanged ideas on how to present this to the woman in charge of the program. I suggested that we should serve each person one-by-one, and only give them the food if they wanted to/could eat it. They suggested multiple ideas, including that we should offer to seat them, hold their plates for them, continue to check in on them, and dispose of their plates once they finish their meal. We believed that this way would genuinely make them feel better and would allow us to get to know some of them personally. A simple smile and conversation could be enough to improve their day. 

From this day on, the way in which the local soup kitchen serves our community has changed dramatically. This experience taught me the importance of speaking up for what you believe in. In a group setting, it is likely that there will be others who share the same end goal and are willing to contribute different ideas to achieve the goal. These different perspectives can allow you to see situations in ways that you previously hadn’t, and can result in better outcomes. It also showed me the importance of leadership.

If I had never spoken up about the way the food was being served, a change might have never happened. When you work in the group, the end goal may not be for the benefit of anyone in the group, but for others who are in need. This experience also showed me the beauty in doing good for others and making others happy, even through small things such as serving them food to their liking.

In this community service essay, the student shares their experience volunteering at a soup kitchen. Volunteering at a soup kitchen is not necessarily unique in the list of extracurricular activities for college applications. However, the student highlights several aspects of the experience that make it meaningful to them. 

To start, the student shares their experience challenging the way that food was served. The student suggested that food be served directly to attendees in order to better connect with community members. Through this experience, the student learns about leadership and working with others to achieve a common goal. This specific example demonstrates the student’s collaborative values and compassionate way of thinking, both of which are great attributes to highlight in college applications.

How To Write A Community Essay

As we saw in the community essay examples, there are several hallmarks of college essays that worked. To write a good community essay, whether it be a community service essay, a cultural diversity essay, or a describe the community you live in essay, you must start by understanding the prompt. Once you have carefully read through the prompt, brainstorm examples from your own life that relate to it. Sharing specific details and examples will make your response stronger and more unique. 

Additionally, showcase how you grew throughout your response. In each of the community essay examples we shared, the student discussed a skill or perspective they developed through their experiences. Finally, connect your response to the school you are applying to. If you are writing a cultural diversity essay, for example, demonstrate how you would contribute to the cultural diversity at that school, both inside the classroom and in your extracurricular activities for college.  

Topics To Avoid In Your Community Essay

When writing community essays, there is technically no topic that you cannot discuss. However, how you discuss certain topics is important. 

For example, in a community service essay, it is important to not come off as a savior of a community with less privilege than yourself. Similarly, if you are writing a describe the community you live in essay or a cultural diversity essay, you will want to avoid stereotyping any community. Speaking from your own personal experience as a member of a community is fine. However, generalizing your experience to the community at large can come across as insensitive to that community’s diversity. To avoid these pitfalls, have a variety of people read your community essay examples and look for these dynamics.

Additional Tips for Community Essays

We’ve highlighted the strengths in the community essay examples above. Now we will now share some more tips for making your community essays a strong part of your college applications:

Tips for Writing Community Essays

1. research the college.

When reviewing our college community essay examples, you will notice that students highlight specific clubs, programs, or groups on campus to which they will contribute. If you are specific, you demonstrate real interest in the school which adds strength to your college applications.

2. Tell a story

In each of the college essays that worked, students gave details that told a full story . This story incorporated where they come from and what they learned through their experiences. Rather than telling us who they were, the students used this particular story to show us.

As the college admissions landscape gets ever more competitive, students are sometimes tempted to read other students’ essays and copy ideas. Or, more recently, they may even want to use artificial intelligence to write their essays. However, AI and other students’ experiences won’t show admissions who you really are. Don’t worry about whether you have the best extracurricular activities for college or the most unique cultural diversity essay. Instead, talk about the experiences that truly matter to you. By being honest, you are more likely to come across as convincing and interesting. In each of our college community essay examples, students presented a true and well-thought-out response to the prompts.

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore 

As you work on your college applications, you might be in search of additional resources. CollegeAdvisor has a wealth of webinars and articles that can help you navigate writing your essays. Here are a few:

More CollegeAdvisor Resources for Essays

1. short essay examples.

Some of the cultural diversity essays you may write will be short, meaning that they are 150 words or less. This article with short essay examples can help you understand how to write short and sweet cultural diversity essays.

2. Cultural Diversity Essay Examples

In this article , you will find additional examples of cultural diversity essays. Many community essays are also cultural diversity essays. As such, becoming familiar with how students write about their cultures is useful.

3. The Ultimate Guide to Supplemental Essays

In this webinar , CollegeAdvisor experts provide a rundown of how to write strong supplemental essays for your college applications. In particular, this webinar will help you decode essay prompts and make sure you answer each prompt fully.

4. Editing Your Supplemental Essays

Once you have read up on college community essay examples and written your cultural diversity essays, you might need help editing them. This webinar will provide tips for how to edit your supplemental essays effectively.

Community Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Completing your college applications can be a daunting task, especially when you must write multiple essays. For some students, writing cultural diversity essays is challenging. These prompts ask you to dig deep and reflect upon your life influences.

In this guide to community essays, we provided an overview of what a community essay is and how to respond to the different types of community essay prompts. We shared cultural diversity essay examples and describe the community you live in essay examples. We also described what makes these essays strong and how they meet college application requirements. 

In short, the key to writing stand-out essays is to be authentic and thorough in your responses. If you need additional help writing your cultural diversity essay, seek out the support of a trusted resource like CollegeAdvisor. We are here to help you craft the best college applications that could gain you admissions to the school of your dreams!

This article was written by Courtney Ng. 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.

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How to Write the UVA Supplemental Essays 2024–2025

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The University of Virginia (UVA), located in the city of Charlottesville, was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. With a 19% acceptance rate , UVA remains a selective research institution with a preference for in-state applicants . UVA’s accomplished alumni include Tina Fey, Ted Kennedy, Robert Mueller, and Steve Huffman. Hoping to join their ranks? First, you’ll need to nail your UVA supplemental essays. Let’s dive in.

UVA’s 2024-2025 Prompts

There are two UVA supplemental essays. The first prompt is required for all applicants. The second prompt is optional and only applicable to students with “a personal or historic connection with UVA.”

Required UVA Short Essay Question

What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at uva feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you. (300 words or fewer), optional uva short essay question.

• If you have a personal or historic connection with UVA, and if you’d like to share how your experience of this connection has prepared you to contribute to the University, please share your thoughts here.  Such relationships might include, but are not limited to, being a child of someone who graduated from or works for UVA, a descendant of ancestors who labored at UVA, or a participant in UVA programs. (100 words or fewer)

General Tips

The UVA supplemental essays focus exclusively on who you are as a person. More specifically, you need to write about your background, identity, and/or life experiences in your UVA supplemental essays. In the case of the first prompt, you’re expected to discuss your background and life experiences more generally. Or, at least, you can focus on any aspect(s) of your background and life experiences that you wish to share. In the case of the second prompt, you’re expected to discuss your background in the context of UVA, if such a connection exists. Thus, these general tips will focus on ways you can effectively discuss your background and personal experiences in a college essay.

Get vulnerable, if you can.

It’s not easy to write a vulnerable story. It’s not easy to share with an anonymous reader the times you’ve struggled or faced obstacles. However, if you can write a story about one or more of these experiences, followed by a description of the resilience you developed and the lessons you learned, you will make a strong case for why you deserve to be accepted into UVA.

Universities like UVA seek students who can face challenges head-on. Universities like UVA seek students who are self-aware and mature enough to look back on who they once were with a thoughtful, objective eye. In other words, writing a vulnerable essay is a sign of strength, courage, and maturity. All of these are qualities universities value.

Be authentic.

Vulnerability is a start, but whether you write a vulnerable essay or not, you should write an authentic one. Authentic essays stand out for their personal touches, unique details, and specific experiences. Your story is yours, no one else’s. Thus, the only way to guarantee you’ll write UVA supplemental essays that look like no one else’s is to be authentic.

In addition, remember that admissions officers read college essays for a living. They are well-trained individuals who can sniff out inauthenticity quickly and easily. It’s in your best interest to share your authentic story for many reasons, one of which is that inauthenticity won’t help you or your application’s chances of success in the long run.

Telling a vulnerable story authentically is challenging, but reflecting isn’t quite as challenging for most applicants. However, many applicants forget to leave room for reflection in their college essays. In addition, many students don’t provide sufficient reflection.

Although there is no precise minimum or maximum for how much of an essay should be reflection, students should strive to address each of the main lessons they learned. In other words, if the story you tell in your essay led to two main takeaways that shaped your perspective, then you should make space in your essay to recap these takeaways and how they continue to impact you.

This supplemental essay prompt is all about you. Consider the aspects of your background and personal experience that are not otherwise communicated in your college application. Then, take the time to determine which of these aspects are most important to the person you are today and serves as a source of strength for you. This is what your essay should focus on.

Note how the prompt refers to “any past experience or part of your background that… will be a source of strength.” UVA is looking for your experiences of resilience and learning. Past experiences that help you find strength today likely involved lessons you had to learn about yourself or others. Aspects of your identity or background that have helped you overcome challenges in your life could fit into this prompt.

Whatever parts of yourself you choose to focus on in this essay, feel encouraged to tell your unique story. This might mean employing typical “story” devices, like dialogue, scene, and descriptive language. Alternatively, you may feel that your story is better suited to a montage-like structure. Instead of telling one narrative, you share multiple anecdotes or weave together numerous details. As long as you’re specific and concise, you’ll do great.

If you have a personal or historic connection with UVA, and if you’d like to share how your experience of this connection has prepared you to contribute to the University, please share your thoughts here.  Such relationships might include, but are not limited to, being a child of someone who graduated from or works for UVA, a descendant of ancestors who labored at UVA, or a participant in UVA programs. (100 words or fewer)

This prompt is optional, but if you do have a personal or historic connection to UVA, you should feel encouraged to answer it. This prompt has a maximum of 100 words, which is the length of a brief paragraph. Still, even this brief paragraph gives you one more chance to share who you are with UVA.

In addition, UVA does not have a “Why UVA?” essay. Perhaps you have a compelling set of reasons for choosing to apply to UVA that are grounded in your personal or historic connection to the University. If so, then sharing that set of reasons can only help your application. Furthermore, if your connection to UVA is more complicated than a legacy connection (which UVA will be able to see regardless of whether you choose to respond to this essay), then your time may be well-spent exploring that connection here.

In this response, you should describe the nature of your connection to UVA. Then, indicate how this connection has indicated that UVA will be a good fit for you. You can also illustrate the ways you’ve fostered this connection and found community at UVA. Once again, being specific and concise will go a long way toward strengthening your response.

If you need help polishing up your UVA supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.

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Students Also Read

Johns Hopkins University 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 2

Johns Hopkins University 2024-25  Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 350 words.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why

How has your life experience contributed to your personal story—your character, values, perspectives or skills—and what you want to pursue at Hopkins? (350 word limit)

JHU is purposefully leaving this question super open-ended, so you can write about any facet of your background, interests, or personal values that has been most integral in shaping who you are. Admissions also wants to know how this aspect of your life experience has impacted what you want to gain from attending Hopkins. Start by thinking about what makes you you . You can write down some words that you would use to describe yourself or work backward by thinking about what you hope to pursue at Hopkins, then consider how that relates to your character, perspectives, or skills. Maybe you dream of becoming a surgeon specializing in gender-affirming operations, combining your interest in science and medicine with your passion for helping members of the trans community. Perhaps you don’t know what you want to major in yet but hope to expand your horizons at JHU as a first-generation student, bringing what you learn back home to share with your family and community. As long as you put aside time to brainstorm freely and edit meticulously, we’re confident you’ll impress admissions with your response!

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The School of Education (SOE) Research and Writing Support Center is dedicated to empowering SOE graduate and undergraduate (ESHD) students by providing personalized writing and research assistance tailored to their unique academic and professional goals. We believe that strong writing and research skills are essential for success and offer one-on-one tutoring, workshops, and resources to help students at all levels. Our mission is to foster a supportive environment where students can develop their writing and research abilities, gain confidence, and use these skills as tools for self-expression and change. We are committed to inclusivity, recognizing the diverse backgrounds of our students and helping them navigate their academic journeys. We believe in the power of research and writing for change—to raise marginalized voices, bring awareness to social issues, and participate in civic engagement.

Meet Our Team

Research and writing support center director.

Bryan Asdel is the Research and Writing Support Center Director for the School of Education at UC Riverside. Previously, he was Associate Dean of Academic Support Services at Barstow Community College. Bryan holds an MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in poetry from Arizona State University. He has taught at community colleges, universities, and the Arizona State Prison Complex. He serves as a poetry editor for  Iron City Magazine , a literary journal dedicated to creative expressions by and for the incarcerated. Passionate about making writing education engaging, accessible, and equitable, Bryan is committed to helping students of all backgrounds realize their potential and make meaningful contributions to their communities through the transformative power of language. 

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Eric Davidson is the Graduate Writing Mentor at the SOE Research and Writing Support Center. He is a Ph.D. candidate at UCR studying Higher Education Administration and Policy, and earned his M.A. in Higher Education and B.A. in Political Science - International Relations from the University of Arizona. His scholarship examines the philosophy and political economy of higher education through the lenses of sport, alternative culture, internationalization, and postcolonial thought. He is also an Instructor for SOE courses and a Research Associate at the UCR Center for Athletes' Rights and Equity. In his work with the Writing Center, he aims to foster each student’s intellectual growth by providing them with a collaborative space to advance their agency and voice through writing.