How to Write the Emory University Supplemental Essays

This prompt requires students to identify their intended area of study and, perhaps more importantly, explain the reasons for their interest in the subject. While identifying an area of study may feel straightforward, the “why” is the trickier element of this prompt. Students should approach the “why” from two different angles: first, they should demonstrate their hands-on experience with their area of interest. What experiences first ignited your interest? How have you pursued further learning outside of the classroom—through online courses, self-study, research, internships or summer programs? What qualifies you to study this subject at a high level at a top college? Your answer to “why this major?” should not simply be an intellectual interest; it should demonstrate your tangible exploration of the topic throughout your high school career.

Second, the “why” should address why you want to study this major at Emory specifically. While the first angle addresses your past experiences with the topic, this approach to the “why” looks toward the future. Why is Emory the ideal place for you to foster your interest in this topic? Share details about the professors, courses, research opportunities, clubs, or study abroad opportunities that would allow you to deepen your knowledge and reach your professional and academic goals.

I was fourteen years old when I got my first babysitting job. After only thirty minutes, I found myself in a mound of toys with three children asking what game we would play next. In my desperation, I suggested we play a memory game. I became fascinated by how effortlessly I could recall sequences, while the children struggled to repeat them back to me. That simple game sparked an interest in human cognition, which led me to study psychology and neuroscience. From taking AP Linguistics to founding the Minority Psychologist Network for high school students from underrepresented backgrounds to participating in the prestigious Lumiere Research Scholar Program, what started as a babysitter’s game has become the defining interest of my last three years of study.

At Emory, I’m eager to participate in the Cognition and Development program because of its interdisciplinary approach and ample opportunities for research, which will enable me to study the brain’s complexities in depth. I’m particularly drawn to the Emory Neuroethics Program, where I can examine the ethical questions surrounding neuroscience. Dr. Patricia Bauer’s research on memory development aligns perfectly with my interests, offering me the opportunity to explore how memory evolves across our lifespans.

With all of these prompts, admissions officers are looking for answers that highlight your unique attributes and values. What are your special interests? What makes your approach to the world unique to you? Be sure to use this opportunity to tell a story about yourself and share aspects of your identity that are not reflected elsewhere in your application. Ask yourself: which of these prompts allows me to add depth and dynamism to my application? Pick a prompt that allows you to be specific enough that admissions officers feel like they really know you.

When answering this prompt, don’t spend too much time writing about the creative work you choose. In addition, avoid getting caught up in choosing a creative work that is particularly niche or that you think will impress admissions officers. Instead, put your energy into ensuring that you are describing its significance for you in a unique and meaningful way. How did this creative work impact your life? How can you use this creative work to put an aspect of your personality or life experience into context? Think outside of the box about how you can use this creative work to illuminate another dimension of your personality in your application.

“What matters isn’t if people are good or bad. What matters is if they’re trying to be better today than they were yesterday. You asked me where my hope comes from? That’s my answer.”

Episode after episode, I watched as Michael helped Eleanor make sense of the world around her and the repercussions of her actions in her community. In the midst of The Good Place’s humor, the writers wove in profound lessons and theories from philosophers throughout history, teaching the audience through laughter.

As someone deeply interested in philosophy and psychology, I am endlessly amused both by the accidental truths that are woven into the show’s banter and by the way in which it demonstrates the absurdity of topics we deem serious. While the show itself is witty and entertaining, it inspires me as a person and student to maintain levity and embrace absurdity.

The most important word in this prompt is “intentionally”—in asking this question, the admissions officers not only want to see your ability to participate in a diverse community, but your willing and active role in seeking such experiences. Was there a point in your life when something made you realize your cultural shortcomings and then take active steps to fix them? How did this experience impact who you are today? This is an opportunity to talk about how a specific experience inspired you to grow and develop into the person you are now. Consider stories that have a “before” and “after,” or a turning point that made a significant impact on you.

On National Hijab Day, my friend Saman encouraged members of her new club, the Muslim Student Association, to don hijab to see the world through her eyes. As the only Filipino person in our school, I could relate to how my friend must have felt as the only South Asian muslim student, and I wanted to support her as she worked to dispel misconceptions about her religion.

The experience opened up the space for conversations about others’ perceptions of our identities. Saman shared her feelings of isolation, while our friend Samuel, one of the only people of color attending our school, shared instances of microaggressions he had faced in and out of the classroom.

Although we had not previously spoken so openly about our experiences as minority students, I learned a great deal about my friends’ experiences. I look forward to further expanding my cultural understanding at Emory and beyond.

While this prompt invites you to share how you “might contribute” to Emory’s mission of service as a student, the best way to do so is to point to your demonstrable commitment to service in the past. With this prompt as with others, specificity is key. Be sure to write about a service activity you participated in, how you specifically contributed to the activity, and how the experience of service impacted you, your values, and your perspective. Then, research the service activities and outreach opportunities at Emory that are of interest to you. Focus particularly on the opportunities that may connect to your core passions or area of study and tie those into your personal service goals.

In order to make the most of this prompt, pick a community that showcases a part of you that you have yet to talk about in your application. Why was this community important to you? How did you identify things you wanted to change? What did it take to change them? How is your community better now than it was before? Did you give back in one big way or did you give back in small ways that always worked toward a goal? This is your opportunity to showcase your active role in affecting change, giving the admissions committee a glimpse into the kind of community member you will be at Emory as well.

500 Saturdays go by so fast.

Every Saturday since I was 6 years old, I sang with the Imagination Players, a performing group that fundraises and brings joy to children’s hospitals, nursing homes, and veterans’ groups.

Kids Runway for Research is one of my favorite annual events. Children with cancer get makeovers and get to be stars for a day. After the event, I dress up as Moana to go visit the kids who were too sick to participate, some of them younger than I was when I first joined the Imagination Players.

Twelve years with this group taught me that changing and improving the community for the better doesn’t necessarily have to involve wide structural change. It can simply look like many small acts of kindness that improve the lives of community members who are most in need of support.