Supplemental essays are a unique piece of the application puzzle that ask for something different than the personal statement. Your personal statement is your story, broad enough to fit anywhere. A supplemental essay has to fit exactly one school, which means research, not just reflection. Admissions readers can spot a recycled "why us" essay instantly, and that's the most common way strong students blend into the pile.

Join Samuel Day, former Assistant Director of Admission at Purdue University, for a practical look at how to write supplements that land. Sam spent years reading applications and training other readers, so he knows what makes one memorable from the other side of the desk.

He'll cover how to decode what a prompt is really asking, how to research a school so your response to "why this school" rings true, and the mistakes that make strong applications forgettable. You'll leave with a repeatable approach for every supplement on your list, plus time for your questions.

With the Common App now open, bring the prompts you're wrestling with.