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NOV 17, 2019 • 10 min read
It’s important that when applying to Princeton, you exemplify these accomplishments in your application essays. The answers to your supplemental essays are what give you the opportunity to stand out, get noticed and ultimately gain admission to the #1 ranked university in the nation, according to US News.
Keep an eye out for our next blog of the series featuring Harvard’s supplemental essay prompts!
If you would like your essay reviewed by an expert so you can feel confident when submitting your college application, get your essay reviewed by Crimson.
Crimson Students are 4x more likely to gain admission to Ivy League schools such as Princeton University.
For this first short answer question, the key word is meaningful. This isn't merely an opportunity to brag about an additional accomplishment (although if this essay ultimately includes an accomplishment, that's ok!). It's really an opportunity to discuss an experience you've had outside of school that you feel gets buried by the rest of your application. Since it specifies an "extracurricular activity," it likely wants you to write about something that appears on your Common App list of extracurriculars but does not appear elsewhere in your app. Writing an anecdote, rather than a mere summary, is advised.
Pro tip: It could be a good idea to choose an activity that contrasts with your intended major. This shows your diverse interests and gives your application more texture overall.
To find a great extracurricular opportunity search through our online database.
For the summers prompt, the best approach is to briefly explain your summer activity and then spend two sentences or so highlighting takeaways and insights from those activities. The committee will want to see that you really learned something from your experiences during this time.
Once again, be concise and clear.
Potential topics can be:
This prompt is straightforward. Answer the questions honestly while also ensuring you cover a diversity of interest areas. There is no need for the answers here to be over-serious or too academic; make it personal, make it you, and make sure to keep it appropriate.
Possible prompts include:
As the prompt says, this essay should be about a person or experience that helped define one of your values. During the brain-storming process, try writing a list of values you think you have, then next to each one, note the experiences from your life that helped you learn that value. Or inversely, think of profound moments in your life and assess what those experiences showed you about your own value system. It is likely that the experiences that come to mind for you will be able to fit the theme of at least one of the above prompts.
Notice that 3 of the 4 prompts include a quotation. This does not mean you have to reference these quotations word for word in your essay. Rather, use them as a jumping off point. Remember, every applicant has the same prompts; how can you make yours stand out? How can you creatively spin the meaning of these quotations? How can you take that meaning and apply it to your own value system?
This prompt is asking for deep reflection; the committee wants to know how you see yourself and what kinds of values you hold as a person.
As a refresher, feel free to reference our Common App criteria.
For more help with the application process see our Application Support service.