---
title: Online SAT / ACT Prep Blog by PrepScholar | College Essays (2)
description: College Essays | PrepScholar helps you prep for the SAT / ACT by answering the most important questions online! (2)
---
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## [3 Tips for Writing Your Williams College Supplement](https://blog.prepscholar.com/williams-college-supplement)
Posted by [Hayley Milliman](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/hayley-milliman) | December 10, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/williams-college-supplement)
[Williams](https://www.prepscholar.com/act/s/colleges/Williams-College-ACT-scores-GPA) is among the most selective colleges in the country. [In 2022](https://williamsrecord.com/460462/news/college-admits-8-5-percent-of-applicants-to-class-of-2026/#:~:text=College%20admits%208.5%20percent%20of,Join%20the%20Record!), its acceptance rate was only 8.5%. **As part of your Williams application, you’ll need to respond to the Williams writing supplement.**
In this article, we’ll cover the question that makes up the Williams writing supplement, offer suggestions for what to write about in your essay, and give you tips for crafting the best essay possible.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/williams-college-supplement)
---
## [How to Write Amazing Caltech Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/caltech-essays-supplement)
Posted by [Melissa Brinks](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/melissa-brinks) | November 12, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/caltech-essays-supplement)
The California Institute of Technology—or Caltech, as it's more commonly known—is a highly exclusive college. If you want to join the Beavers, you'll need not just top grades and standardized test scores, but strong writing supplements to support them as well.
Caltech accepts around 6% of students who apply, making it an [extremely competitive school](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Caltech-admission-requirements). The more you know about the Caltech essay prompts before you start, the better prepared you are to answer them.
**Read on to learn about 2021's essay prompts, as well as some tips and tricks for maximizing their potential to impress!**
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/caltech-essays-supplement)
---
## [5 Tips for Writing a Stellar Vanderbilt Supplement Essay](https://blog.prepscholar.com/vanderbilt-supplement-essay)
Posted by [Melissa Brinks](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/melissa-brinks) | November 3, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/vanderbilt-supplement-essay)
Vanderbilt is one of the United States' highest-ranked colleges. **With an acceptance rate of just 7 percent, it's [ranked as extremely competitive](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Vanderbilt-admission-requirements).** It's no surprise—Vanderbilt is known for having a wealth of appealing programs, including its school of medicine, the Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and Blair School of Music.
**Because it's extremely competitive, you'll need to set yourself apart as a prospective student**. That doesn't mean just your grades and impressive extracurriculars; it also means writing a killer essay to go along with your application.
In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know about Vanderbilt's supplemental essay, including some ideal topics, some pitfalls to avoid, and even some analysis of past Vanderbilt essays that have worked.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/vanderbilt-supplement-essay)
---
## [College Essay Prompts: Complete List, Analysis, and Advice](https://blog.prepscholar.com/college-essay-prompts)
Posted by [Alex Heimbach](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/alex-heimbach) | November 3, 2022
[College Admissions](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-admissions), [College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/college-essay-prompts)
When talking about college essays, we tend to focus on the [Common Application prompts](https://blog.prepscholar.com/common-app-essay-prompts), and it's true that many students will need to write a Common App essay. However, there are actually quite a few schools, including both public and private universities, that don't use the Common App and instead ask applicants to respond to their own college essay prompts.
Luckily, college essay prompts tend to be pretty similar to each other. In this guide, **I'll list all the college essay questions for popular schools in the US** (and a few abroad) and then break down the patterns to help you brainstorm topics and plan how to approach multiple essays efficiently. After reading this guide, you'll be able to strategize which essays you'll write for which colleges.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/college-essay-prompts)
---
## [The Best College Essay Length: How Long Should It Be?](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-long-should-a-college-essay-be)
Posted by [Ellen McCammon](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/ellen-mccammon) | November 1, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-long-should-a-college-essay-be)
Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you've read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? **How long should a college essay be?**
Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-long-should-a-college-essay-be)
---
## [The Expert Guide to the Columbia Supplement](https://blog.prepscholar.com/columbia-supplemental-essays)
Posted by [Hayley Milliman](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/hayley-milliman) | October 17, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/columbia-supplemental-essays)
Less than 5% of applicants are admitted to Columbia every year. Do you want to be one of them? If so, you'll need to write amazing Columbia essays as part of your application.
**In this article, we'll outline the different types of essays you need to write for your Columbia Supplement** and teach you how to write an essay that will help you stand out from the thousands of other applicants.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/columbia-supplemental-essays)
---
## [3 Writing Tips for the University of Florida Essay Prompts](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uf-essay-prompts)
Posted by [Christine Sarikas](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/christine-sarikas) | October 9, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uf-essay-prompts)
Are you applying to the University of Florida? You'll need to answer some essay prompts as part of your application. Read this guide to learn what the University of Florida essay prompts are, what admissions officers are looking for in your response, what you should include and avoid in your answers, and what strong UF college essay examples look like.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uf-essay-prompts)
---
## [5 Tips for Writing a Great UPenn Essay](https://blog.prepscholar.com/upenn-essay-supplement)
Posted by [Hayley Milliman](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/hayley-milliman) | October 9, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/upenn-essay-supplement)
[The University of Pennsylvania](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/University-of-Pennsylvania-admission-requirements) requires all first year applicants to submit a personal essay as well as a Penn-specific essay. **If you're hoping to be one of the 6% of students admitted to Penn every year, your UPenn essay is an important part of your application.** You'll need to make sure your essays are strong to increase your chances of admission.
In this article, we'll go over the UPenn essay logistics—covering exactly what you need to write for each college you're applying to at UPenn. Then, we'll break down each prompt, offering suggestions for what to write about. Finally, we'll give tips on how to write an amazing UPenn essay that'll help you get into your dream school.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/upenn-essay-supplement)
---
## [4 Tips for Writing a Stellar Boston College Essay](https://blog.prepscholar.com/boston-college-essay-prompts-examples)
Posted by [Hannah Muniz](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/hannah-muniz) | October 9, 2022
[College Admissions](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-admissions), [College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/boston-college-essay-prompts-examples)
[Ranked among the top 40 colleges nationwide](https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/boston-college-2128), Boston College is an excellent college choice, especially if you're hoping to attend a Jesuit institution. As part of the application process, **you'll need to submit a Boston College essay.** So what should you write about in your essay to raise your chances of getting admitted here?
In this guide, we closely analyze all Boston College essay prompts, providing you with our best tips and advice. We'll also take a look at real Boston College essay examples to give you an idea of what a successful Boston College essay can look like.
So let's get started!
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/boston-college-essay-prompts-examples)
---
## [The 7 UChicago 2024-2025 Essay Prompts: How to Write Stellar Responses](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uchicago-essay-prompts-supplement)
Posted by [Christine Sarikas](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/christine-sarikas) | October 9, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uchicago-essay-prompts-supplement)
[The University of Chicago](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/University-of-Chicago-SAT-scores-GPA) is famous for its unique essay topics. They're some of the most creative and off-the-wall essay prompts you'll see when applying to colleges, and it can sometimes be confusing to know how to tackle them.
**What should you write about in your UChicago essays?** How can you show that you're intelligent, creative, and worthy of a place at their school? As someone who spent a long time on my UChicago essays (and who got accepted into the school), I've figured out exactly what UChicago is looking for in these essays.
Read on to learn all about the UChicago essays, what the admissions team expects to see in your responses, what topics you should write about, and which topics you should avoid. In this guide, we also suggest sample essay ideas for each of the 2024/2025 UChicago supplement essay prompts and analyze past University of Chicago essay samples so you can see what a great UChicago essay looks like.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uchicago-essay-prompts-supplement)
---
## [How to Write a Great College Essay, Step-by-Step](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-write-a-college-essay)
Posted by [Alex Heimbach](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/alex-heimbach) | October 9, 2022
[College Admissions](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-admissions), [College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-write-a-college-essay)
Writing your personal statement for your college application is an undeniably overwhelming project. Your essay is your big shot to show colleges who you are—it's totally reasonable to get stressed out. But don't let that stress paralyze you.
This guide will **walk you through each step of the essay writing process to help you understand exactly what you need to do to write the best possible personal statement**. I'm also going to follow an imaginary student named Eva as she plans and writes her college essay, from her initial organization and brainstorming to her final edits. By the end of this article, you'll have all the tools you need to create a fantastic, effective college essay.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-write-a-college-essay)
---
## [Which Coalition Essay Prompt Should You Choose? 2024-2025](https://blog.prepscholar.com/coalition-application-essay-prompts)
Posted by [Hannah Muniz](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/hannah-muniz) | October 4, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/coalition-application-essay-prompts)
If you're submitting a college application through the Coalition Application, you likely already know that you'll have to write a personal essay. The purpose of the Coalition Application essay is for you to showcase a side of yourself that colleges don't get to see through your transcripts and test scores alone. **There are six Coalition essay prompts to choose from. So which one should *you* pick?**
In this article, we go over what the Coalition Application essay is and take a look at all six Coalition essay prompts. For each prompt, we give you potential topics you can write about and key tips for answering it effectively.
Keep reading to learn which Coalition essay prompt might be the best fit for you!
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/coalition-application-essay-prompts)
---
## [4 Top Tips for Writing Stellar MIT Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/mit-essays-prompts)
Posted by [Hayley Milliman](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/hayley-milliman) | October 1, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/mit-essays-prompts)
For the 2021-2022 admissions cycle, MIT admitted about 4% of applicants. **If you want to be one of these lucky few, you'll need to write some killer MIT essays as part of your own Massachusetts Institute of Technology application.**
In this article, we'll outline the MIT essay prompts and teach you how to write MIT supplemental essays that will help you stand out from the thousands of other applicants.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/mit-essays-prompts)
---
## [4 Tips for Writing a Great UIUC Essay](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uiuc-essay-prompts-examples)
Posted by [Hannah Muniz](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/hannah-muniz) | October 1, 2022
[College Info](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-info), [College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uiuc-essay-prompts-examples)
Thinking of attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign? Then you've come to the right place. For this highly-ranked public school, you'll need to submit a personal statement with your application. **But what should you include in your UIUC essay to make you stand out?**
Read on to learn what the current UIUC essay prompt is and how to write a great UIUC essay. We also show you a real UIUC essay example to give you an idea of what a great statement looks like.
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/uiuc-essay-prompts-examples)
---
## [4 Tips for Writing Perfect USC Essays for 2024-2025](https://blog.prepscholar.com/usc-essays-supplement)
Posted by [Ashley Robinson](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/ashley-robinson) | October 1, 2022
[College Essays](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-essays)
[](https://blog.prepscholar.com/usc-essays-supplement)
So you have your heart set on going to the [University of Southern California](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/USC-admission-requirements). That's great—it's one of the best schools in the country! **Unfortunately, that makes it tough to get into: [only 10% of applicants](https://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/2024/03/25/usc-admissions-rate-lowest-in-history-for-class-of-2028/) are admitted each year**.
But don't worry. This guide will teach you **everything you need to know to write an outstanding USC Writing Supplement**.
We'll answer all of your questions, including the following:
- What is the USC supplement?
- What are the questions, and how do I answer them?
- Are there tips and tricks for knocking your USC essays out of the park?
- What steps do I take to finish my USC application?
Let's get started!
[Read More](https://blog.prepscholar.com/usc-essays-supplement)
---
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