bryn mawr college supplemental essays

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How to Write the Bryn Mawr Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Bryn Mawr has two supplemental essays. One is optional, and asks you to describe why you want to attend Bryn Mawr, and the other is required, and asks you to discuss a social inequity that is particularly important to you.

As one of the most academically rigorous women’s colleges in the country, Bryn Mawr is drawing from a competitive pool of applicants every year. So, you want to make sure your essays will help your application stand out, and in this post, we’ll give you some tips on how to do exactly that.

Read this Bryn Mawr essay example written by a real accepted student to inspire your writing.

Bryn Mawr College Supplemental Essay Prompts 

Prompt 1: Why are you interested in Bryn Mawr? (Optional, 250 words)

Prompt 2: The desire to make a positive impact in the world is among the qualities that unite Bryn Mawr students. If you were granted a superpower that allowed you to eradicate one social inequity overnight, what would your cause be and why? (No word count provided)

Why are you interested in Bryn Mawr? (Optional, 250 words)

Although this prompt is optional, we strongly encourage you to respond to it. In college applications, your opportunities to share your personality are already limited, so you don’t want to voluntarily limit yourself even further by letting this prompt pass you by. Take advantage of the chance to tell Bryn Mawr admissions officers why you’re applying to their school!

Before you begin brainstorming for your response, we recommend taking a look at our general post on “Why School?” supplements , if you haven’t already.  Remember, however, that even if you have already responded to a “Why School?” supplement, you shouldn’t just copy and paste Bryn Mawr into that template. While you will likely end up using some elements from that other essay, each school has different values and opportunities, so you should approach each “Why School?” prompt as a different essay.

As you begin drafting your response, there are two things you want to keep in mind. First, the reasons you want to go to Bryn Mawr should be specific, and truly unique to Bryn Mawr. Second, those reasons should clearly connect to you and your goals for college.

To identify opportunities that are unique to Bryn Mawr, you’ll have to do some research. Clubs , course offerings , and study abroad programs are some good starting points. Once you have identified some things you’re interested in, make sure you explain to your reader why . This will paint a clearer picture of how you would fit into the Bryn Mawr community. If you just list the opportunities without connecting them to you, your response may end up sounding more like a brochure than a personal statement.

Say, for example, that you’re interested in pursuing a career in the arts, and you have found some opportunities at Bryn Mawr that would help you do so. Here are some good and bad examples of how to describe those opportunities in your essay.

Good example: “At Bryn Mawr, I would be able to fuel my creativity by exploring a wide range of artistic fields. On campus, courses from “Museum Studies: History, Theory, Practice” to “History of Modern Architecture” would encourage me to consider applications of the arts I am not familiar with. Bryn Mawr would also allow me to take the skills I learn from these courses to a new environment, such as the study abroad program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. I envision this program showing me the uniting power of art, even across continents or oceans.”

Bad example: “Bryn Mawr offers lots of classes that would also teach me a lot about art, like those offered in the Art History department. I’m also super excited about the possibility of studying abroad at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, because I’ve always wanted to go to London and visit all the free museums there.”

The discrepancy between these particular examples may seem extreme, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of speaking generally about why you want to attend a school. Nearly every school has an Art History department, and many schools have study abroad programs in London, so being excited about those things doesn’t say anything about why you’re excited to go to Bryn Mawr. 

The good example, on the other hand, connects Bryn Mawr’s opportunities to the specific skills and lessons you hope to learn in college, and tells the admissions officer a little bit about how you envision yourself fitting into their community. Basically, you want to show your reader you’ve done more than a quick Google search, and actually thought about how you specifically would take advantage of Bryn Mawr’s opportunities.

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Finally, there are some things you should avoid in this essay. First, don’t say you want to attend an all-women’s college, as that could apply to Scripps or Barnard just as well as Bryn Mawr. Second, don’t write about Bryn Mawr’s partnerships with Haverford, Swarthmore, and UPenn. While those partnerships are an awesome feature, focusing on them in this essay will probably make your reader wonder why you aren’t just applying to those schools instead.

Lastly, as you do your research, you’ll likely come across dozens of things you hope to do at Bryn Mawr, but you only have 250 words. If you try to cram in as many opportunities as possible, your essay will end up sounding like a list of bullet points. Instead, select two or three things to focus on and describe in more detail. That will give your personality space to shine, which is, after all, the whole point of the college essay.

The desire to make a positive impact in the world is among the qualities that unite Bryn Mawr students. If you were granted a superpower that allowed you to eradicate one social inequity overnight, what would your cause be and why? (No word count provided)

Brainstorming Your Topic

Fortunately, Bryn Mawr tells you exactly what they want you to write about: the social inequity that’s most important to you. Unfortunately, “social inequity” is a broad category, and, although you likely have a few causes that are important to you, you may not have ever sat down to think about which one is the most important.

Perhaps you’re lucky, and something does immediately come to mind. You might find yourself in this position if you’ve dedicated a lot of time to a particular volunteering organization, or are just passionate about some particular issue. If that’s you, great! Trust your gut. 

However, if you’re feeling some writer’s block, don’t worry. To grease the gears a little, think about the news headlines that immediately grab your attention, or about the problems in your own community that particularly bother you. You can also just ask yourself the same question in a simpler way, with less admissions jargon: If you could fix one thing about the world, what would it be?

In terms of what you ultimately end up focusing on, there is no one right answer, but you do want to make sure you have a genuine personal connection to your topic. If you try to write about something that you think will impress admissions offices, but that you don’t actually know much about, your essay will likely come across as dry and generic. Don’t worry about what they “want to see,” because what they want is to see who you authentically are!

Additionally, you want to make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew. For example, “war” is an incredibly broad topic—so broad that satisfactorily answering the prompt’s “why” will likely prove impossible. Instead, zoom in to something more specific, like “refugees fleeing war being unable to find sanctuary.” That narrower lens will be much more manageable.

To help give you a sense of what you should be shooting for, here is a list of other example topics that you could write a strong essay about:

• Unequal access to basic supplies across different school districts (rather than the impossibly broad “education”)
• The lack of large, public green spaces in most major city centers (rather than “pollution”)
• The cost of high-quality daycare (rather than “raising children”)

Tips for Writing Your Essay

Once you’ve identified a topic, your goal for your actual essay should be to flesh out your response to two specific parts of the prompt: your “desire to make a positive impact,” and “why” you selected your particular social inequity. These two things are related, as, in answering why you chose your issue, you should make it clear to your reader how fixing it would make the world better.

Keep in mind that college essays should be primarily reflective, not academic. In other words, you’re not writing a paper for your history class, nor are you writing an article for your local newspaper. So, your discussion of the issue shouldn’t be based around listing a million statistics, but around your own, personal experiences connected to that issue.

To illustrate the difference, compare the following two example excerpts from hypothetical essays:

Example 1: “Daycare is a necessity for working parents, and yet the cost is becoming prohibitive for many. In New York City, an average family will spend over $1,300 a month just on daycare for a child under two. This creates a vicious cycle, where some parents need to take on extra hours just to afford daycare, which makes them even more reliant on it.”

Example 2: “My whole life, I’ve loved the idea of looking after a child of my own one day. Unlike my friends, my Barbies were never strewn around the floor or mutilated into a “weird Barbie,” but always lined up neatly on their shelf, with their clothes sorted in the drawer below. So, when I became an aunt at 14, I was overjoyed when my brother asked me if I wouldn’t mind coming over to his house a few times a week to watch my new niece. 

At the time, I didn’t understand why he was so appreciative, as in reality, I felt like he was the one doing me a favor. Only years later did I realize that, if I hadn’t been available to babysit, he may have had to quit his job, as he and his wife wouldn’t have been able to afford daycare five days a week.”

The difference in tone between these two examples should be immediately apparent. While the first one takes a factual, data-driven approach to the issue at hand, in the second one the author draws on her personal experience to show why this issue is so important to her. 

As a result, although she is talking about daycare prices, we’re also getting to know her as a person: she is compassionate, eager to help, and family-oriented. In contrast, the first example, while informative about the issue, doesn’t tell us anything about the person who wrote it. Remember, the whole point of the college essay is to teach your readers about who you are, so make sure you’re using anecdotes and examples from your own life to ground your discussion.

Mistakes to Avoid

There are a few things you want to make sure to avoid in responding to this prompt. First, as mentioned briefly in the “brainstorming” section above, make sure your topic isn’t too broad, or too generic. 

For example, say you decide to write about the lack of affordable housing, but only because it’s a big topic in the news rather than because you have a personal connection to it. Not only will you find writing about it difficult, but admissions officers will also be able to see you aren’t genuinely invested, which will in turn make them feel disinterested while reading your essay.

Second, although this prompt doesn’t have a word limit, that doesn’t mean you should feel free to write a book. Ideally, your essay shouldn’t be any longer than your Common App essay—650  words, or about a page single-spaced. One of the strange realities of college essays is that, although you spend many hours writing and revising them, admissions officers read them extremely quickly, because they have so many to get through. So, be mindful of their time—if they see a 10-page response, the most they’re going to be able to do is skim it.

Finally, when selecting your topic, you ideally want to avoid getting too political. While Bryn Mawr is known as a liberal college, and higher education in general leans much further left than society as a whole, you still have no way of knowing who exactly will be reading your essay, nor  what their political beliefs are. So, although discussing any social issue is inherently somewhat political, it is less risky to steer clear of particularly contentious topics, such as gun control or abortion (though of course, if you have personal experiences related to these issues and feel strongly about them, it may be worth writing about them and taking the risk anyways).

Where to Get Your Bryn Mawr Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Byrn Mawr 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!

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Bryn Mawr College Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Bryn Mawr College Supplemental Essays 

As one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation, Bryn Mawr College is looking for intellectually curious applicants—with some writing chops. Therefore, knowing how to write the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays is a critical part of every student’s application process, and “how to get into Bryn Mawr” plan. The Bryn Mawr essays are an opportunity for applicants to share more of their unique qualifications, personality, and writing style. However, most importantly, successful Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays show admissions just what applicants would bring to campus.  

While the Bryn Mawr writing supplement isn’t extensive, it is important when it comes to gaining acceptance to this small, liberal arts institution . Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, this college draws the attention of many students looking for an intimate learning environment on a close-knit campus. The Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays are your chance to show your love for Bryn Mawr! 

Not sure how to write the Bryn Mawr supplemental essays that will stand out ? Well, you’re in the right place! In this guide, we’ll go over the Bryn Mawr essay prompts and explain how to write the best Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays.

But first, let’s take a quick glance at some facts on Bryn Mawr College. 

Bryn Mawr College: Quick Facts

Bryn mawr college admission quick facts.

• Bryn Mawr College Acceptance Rate: 31%— U.S. News ranks Bryn Mawr College as #30 on its National Liberal Arts Colleges list. 
• 1 optional (~250 word) Bryn Mawr supplemental essay
• 1 required (~250-500 word) Bryn Mawr supplemental essay
• Bryn Mawr Application: Students must submit their application via the Common App . As such, your Bryn Mawr essays will include the Common App personal statement. 
• Early Decision I: November 15
• Early Decision II: January 1
• Regular Decision: January 15
• Bryn Mawr College Essay Tip : Successful Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays will show not only your personality and writing style, but also why you would be a valuable addition to the school. Be sure to be authentic when writing the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays. But, most importantly, show the unique perspective you’d bring to campus when responding to the Bryn Mawr essay prompts. 

Does Bryn Mawr have supplemental essays?

Yes, there is a Bryn Mawr writing supplement. However, only one of the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays is a required part of the Bryn Mawr writing supplement. The Bryn Mawr essays are an important part of your application. Bryn Mawr Admissions has a holistic review process which means they evaluate each part of your application and how they complement one another. They want to see a well-rounded student, critical thinker, and active community member. 

The Bryn Mawr essays are an excellent way to fill in any gaps in your application or expand upon the information there. While there is no one way to write the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays, there are certainly best practices. But don’t stress now—we’ll get into those shortly! However, one thing is certain: these essays will play a crucial role in your “how to get into Bryn Mawr” strategy. 

How many essays does Bryn Mawr require?

There are multiple Bryn Mawr essays you will need to write when completing your application. Students must complete the personal statement on the Common App. Additionally, there is one required essay on the Bryn Mawr writing supplement. However, there is also an optional why this college essay that we recommend completing. This is your opportunity to show what specifically about Bryn Mawr grabs your attention as well as why you’re a perfect fit for Bryn Mawr. 

Remember that when applying to college, finding the right fit goes two ways: is the school good for you and are you a good fit for them? The Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays are a great way to research the school and truly get excited about the prospect of attending. That way, the passion you have for the school can come through when writing your Bryn Mawr essays. 

We’ll list them next, but you can also check out the Bryn Mawr essay prompts on the Common App writing requirements . You might also look at the Coalition App essays for inspiration on your Common App essay. However, Bryn Mawr requires applicants to apply using the Common Application, so make sure your personal statement is as strong as it can be. 

Why Bryn Mawr essay prompt

The Bryn Mawr writing supplement doesn’t consist of multiple required Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays. However, there is an optional why school essay to which students should respond. 

Let’s check out the why this college essay prompt for Bryn Mawr.

Bryn Mawr College Essay Prompt #1

Why are you interested in Bryn Mawr? (250 words)

This is a pretty standard why this college essay prompt. It’s straightforward and to the point. You’ll likely encounter various why this college essay prompts in your college application journey, so it’s important to know how to write this type of essay. Additionally, if you want to know how to get into Bryn Mawr, you should start by unpacking why you want to attend Bryn Mawr College specifically. That way you can explicitly demonstrate your interest in attending Bryn Mawr in your application . 

Firstly, you’ll want to do ample research on the school and hone in on what specifically about Bryn Mawr has caught your attention. What programs , clubs , or classes would you take advantage of? Generic Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays won’t impress admissions, so be sure to get specific!

Now let’s check out the second of the Bryn Mawr essays. 

Bryn Mawr College Essay Prompt #2

The desire to make a positive impact in the world is among the qualities that unite bryn mawr students.  if you were granted a superpower that allowed you to eradicate one social inequity overnight, what would your cause be and why (250-500 words).

While applicants should write both Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays, this is technically the only required school-specific essay. This prompt is unique—quite the opposite of the why Bryn Mawr essay prompt, which is a standard why school essay. This means that Admissions wants applicants to get creative with their responses. 

We’ll get into how to respond to this prompt later, but the most important part is showing how you care about your community (whether global or local). In that sense, the prompt is quite similar to other college essays that focus on community or social impact. Likewise, you’ll need to get specific with the cause you take on as well as the superpower that will allow you to eradicate it. 

Bryn Mawr writing supplement length

When completing your application, you’ll end up writing three Bryn Mawr essays: a personal statement, a why school essay, and the required Bryn Mawr supplemental essay. Each of the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays has a different word length, as does the personal statement. Meeting the requirements is of utmost importance when it comes to submitting the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays. 

So, let’s check out the Bryn Mawr essays and their unique word limits: 

• Common App personal statement: 250-650 words
• Why Bryn Mawr optional essay: 250 words maximum
• Bryn Mawr required supplemental essay: 250-500 words

When it comes to meeting the word count of the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays, you’ll want to stay organized. Follow this process when writing to meet the word counts for your Bryn Mawr essays, or any college essays for that matter.

Tips for Writing Your Bryn Mawr Essays

1. brainstorm.

Choosing your topic is the most important part of your essay. Of course, you need to answer the Bryn Mawr essay prompts, however, there are many routes in which you can take to do so. Brainstorm possible college essay topics and choose the one that excites you most to write about. 

2. Freewrite

Once you’ve more or less decided what anecdotes or experiences you want to share in your Bryn Mawr essays, forget about the word count—well, just for ten minutes. Write without stopping for ten minutes straight. You’ll be able to see what works and doesn’t when you reread, and it will likely give you a clearer path to a cohesive essay. 

Now think about the word count and plan accordingly. To start, you’ll want to have a hook. And, you’ll need to be detailed. No generic responses will make for impressive Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays. If you go over the word count, that’s okay! You can always edit down extraneous information later on, which brings us to…

4. Revise, rewrite, and final edit

By this point, you’ll need to make sure your essay is close to the word count and that it effectively answers the prompt. You may need to make some minor tweaks, but for the most part, you’re applying useful feedback and making your last edits.

With short answer essays, you’ll want to be concise. This doesn’t mean writing bland Bryn Mawr essays. Rather, it means making every word count! The why Bryn Mawr essay is the only short response essay. The other Bryn Mawr essays give you more words to play with. Don’t try to use all the words if you don’t need to, however, your essays should be robust and utilize the space you have wisely. 

How to write a Bryn Mawr supplemental essay

There are plenty of ways to write each of the Bryn Mawr essays. Let’s first look at the prompt for the required Bryn Mawr writing supplement.

Responding to the Required Bryn Mawr Essay Prompt

The desire to make a positive impact in the world is among the qualities that unite Bryn Mawr students.  If you were granted a superpower that allowed you to eradicate one social inequity overnight, what would your cause be and why? (250-500 words)

This is an interesting prompt because it allows students to do a couple of things: get creative and share what they care about. When approaching this essay, think about a social inequity that is important to you. Try to steer clear of clichés that hold no meaning to you. Think about things that impact your local community or anything else that you can relate to personally. 

Even if you choose to write about something that isn’t necessarily personal, make it so. Of course, you should always be genuine and authentic when writing college essays. Simply show why you care about this issue. Is it related to your intended career path? Have you had a personal experience with it? Or does it simply pull at your heartstrings? As long as you show through your writing why you would aim to eradicate this social inequity, with a superpower, then you’re in good shape! You might even consider touching on women’s rights or feminist issues. As an all-women’s institution , these issues are at the forefront of the school’s values. But, keep it genuine, not generic!

Answer all parts of the prompt

As with all of the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays, be sure to answer all parts of the prompt. In this case, that means explaining the social inequity, why you’ve chosen to eradicate this cause, and how you’d do so (with a superpower of your choice). If you’re ever stuck, simply make sure you are capturing the “why” – why this issue, why this superpower, and why the two are related.

Don’t shy away from creativity here! The Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays are an opportunity to show off your writing abilities. Feel free to respond creatively and engagingly! You’ve got a decent amount of words to use so don’t feel limited by the word count. With a maximum of 500 words, you have plenty of room to create an engaging narrative that comprehensively answers the prompt. 

As we’ve mentioned, there are multiple Bryn Mawr essays, however, they aren’t all required. Let’s take another look at the optional prompt.

Responding to the Optional Bryn Mawr Essay Prompt

This is a why school essay, meaning students have the opportunity to demonstrate their interest in Bryn Mawr. To do this effectively, you will need to discuss Bryn Mawr in specifics. If your essay could be about any school, it isn’t specific enough and won’t be compelling to the admissions team. Be sure to not only list qualities of Bryn Mawr that attract you but again, “why” they are important to you. If you’re interested in a specific tradition or program, be clear about why this is crucial to your personal development or reaching your desired goals.

Additionally, you’ll want to show how you would fit into Bryn Mawr’s campus. Look into the school’s values and demonstrate that they align with your own. Keep in mind that college fit goes both ways. So, show Bryn Mawr you want them, but also that they should want you!

Does Bryn Mawr care about essays?

To put it simply, yes! The admissions officers at Bryn Mawr absolutely care about your Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays. The Bryn Mawr essays are a way for you to share valuable information about yourselves directly with admissions officers—information that they wouldn’t otherwise have. And, as a leading liberal arts institution in the nation, Bryn Mawr values writing abilities. 

Bryn Mawr Admissions uses a holistic review process when evaluating applicants which means they care about much more than just grades. They want to know what you’ll bring to the campus community as an individual and a peer. And, the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays are an excellent way to show what perspectives, beliefs, passions, interests, and skills you might bring to the school.

Colleges also want to see applicants who are passionate about learning. They want their students to succeed well beyond their undergraduate years at school. Additionally, Bryn Mawr wants to admit students who are actively engaged in their communities. They want students who “live with a purpose”. If you remember the Bryn Mawr essay prompts, they allow you to show just how much you care about engaging with societal issues. 

In summary, the Bryn Mawr essays are an important part of the Bryn Mawr admissions holistic evaluation process. Therefore, take them seriously and give them the attention they deserve. 

Other Bryn Mawr College application requirements

The Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays aren’t the only application requirements you’ll need to submit when applying . While the application will be submitted via the Common App by the deadline of your choice, you’ll need to make sure that you have all of the Bryn Mawr requirements, in addition to the Bryn Mawr essays. 

Here are the Bryn Mawr requirements: 

• Common Application
• Byrn Mawr writing supplement
• Official transcripts
• Two teacher recommendations
• School counselor recommendation
• Mid-year report

Additionally, there are some optional materials that you may choose to include to bolster your Bryn Mawr application: 

• Standardized test results
• Art supplement
• Financial aid application

Remember that writing the most amazing Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays won’t matter if you don’t submit all of the required materials by the deadline of your choice. So, be sure to start early! You can start working on your Bryn Mawr application via the Common Application as early as August 1 st !

Bryn Mawr Supplemental Essays: 5 Essay Tips

Stand-out Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays could be the difference between an acceptance or a rejection letter. However, that doesn’t mean you should panic about writing the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays. On the contrary, get excited about the opportunity you have with the Bryn Mawr essays to share more about yourself with Admissions. 

Use these 5 tips to write your best Bryn Mawr essays: 

Five Tips for Writing Bryn Mawr Essays

1. start early.

You’ll want to have plenty of time to make sure that you can write the best essays possible. This means brainstorming, drafting, revising, rewriting, and doing it all over again! The writing process takes time. So, plan to start writing the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays way ahead of the deadline!

2. Be authentic

Admissions officers can tell when an essay reads with the sole intention of impressing them. Of course, all college essays aim to impress admissions officers. However, that doesn’t mean that you are simply writing things you think they want to read. Truly be genuine with your responses to the Bryn Mawr essay prompts. Remember that essays are a unique insight into who you are, what you value, and what you want to gain from your college education. So, dig deep and get real with your writing!

3. Answer every part of the prompt

This may seem obvious but it can be easy to get caught up in your essay and forget to fully answer all parts of the prompt. To avoid doing this, read the prompt before reading your essay draft. Make sure you tick all of the boxes when it comes to answering the prompt comprehensively. 

4. Get feedback

It can be easy to get absorbed in the college essay writing process. You may be overwhelmed and feel like you can no longer objectively evaluate your writing. This is when you can (and should!) call in reinforcements to help you with the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays. Look to your guidance counselors, English teachers, family members, or college advisors to give you some feedback on your writing. Revise your essay accordingly, but be sure to maintain your unique voice!

5. Show off your writing abilities

Bryn Mawr is a small liberal arts school that values students’ abilities to explain themselves through writing. Likely, many of your courses will be essay-heavy and require plenty of writing. Therefore, take the Bryn Mawr College supplemental essays as an opportunity to show your ease with the written word. Get creative and have some fun with your responses—as long as you comprehensively answer the prompt, anything goes!

The Bryn Mawr writing supplement is an important part of the Bryn Mawr requirements. Be sure to follow these tips when responding to the Bryn Mawr essay prompts. Even though there aren’t multiple required Bryn Mawr supplemental essays, you should respond to each of the Bryn Mawr essay prompts as though they are required. 

The Bryn Mawr essay prompts allow students to share another part of themselves with the admissions team. Think carefully about what experiences, values, beliefs, or skills you’d like to share. Consider how they will add to your application as a whole. Remember that each of the Bryn Mawr supplemental essays should complement each other, creating a complete picture of who you are and what you’d bring to campus.

If you think you need extra guidance with the Bryn Mawr writing supplement, feel free to reach out for help. Talk to counselors, teachers, parents, or a trusted advisor . The experts at CollegeAdvisor.com are happy to help you along your college application whether it’s writing the Bryn Mawr supplemental essays or completing any of the other Bryn Mawr requirements. And, don’t forget to use the free resources available on our website. There are plenty of college essay writing guides that will give helpful tips and advice that you can apply to the Bryn Mawr writing supplement. Good luck and happy writing!

This essay guide was written by Sarah Kaminski. 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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Bryn Mawr College

First year supplemental essay anonymous, why bryn mawr.

“Where did you go to college, Ms. Jennifer?” is a question I get often at lunch mentoring. The kids I work with are less focused at times with why I’m there and instead want to know everything about me. Instead of giving them a long spiel about deferring enrollment and reapplying to colleges during this gap year, I say, “I am going to an all-women’s College in Philadelphia.”

Attending Bryn Mawr would create an extension of the community I’ve found in City Year. Every college has a unique community, but it is hard to find one that is reciprocal in nature and focused on philanthropic pursuits. Visiting campus, hearing students' experiences and learning about the myriad clubs and internships available confirmed this thought. Getting direct feedback from students on Praxis and 360 courses proves to me that Bryn Mawr has the experiential learning I require to be a well-rounded and knowledgeable adult.

Reciprocity is important to me in more than one aspect. At Bryn Mawr women are homogenous in gender, but that’s really where our commonalities end; beyond it, the women are diverse. Coming to Bryn Mawr as a first generation Dominican and college attendee would broaden the perspectives of both me and my peers. Bryn Mawr creates a...

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Welcome to bryn mawr college.

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Celebrating President Kim Cassidy

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• Twitter: @brynmawrcollege Turning data into art! Come check out the data visualizations from the Energy Afterlives 360° Program at this Friday's "Exhibition Crawl" from 2:30-4:30 pm! For more about this 360° and tomorrow's Exhibition Crawl, visit mawr.life/no1X

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Bryn Mawr College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the College. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other College-administered programs.

University of Massachusetts Amherst 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 5

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

You Have: 

University of Massachusetts Amherst 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 3 essays of 100 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Community

UMass Amherst’s supplement asks one question with two prompts: why here? It’s the most classic question around, and the 100 word limit really lightens the load. The key to this simple supplement is budgeting your information wisely to ensure that each essay you write is not only distinct, but reveals something totally new to admissions. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: a straightforward supplement is an indication that your answers should be impeccable!

Please tell us why you want to attend UMass Amherst? (100 words)

It doesn’t get simpler than this: why here? Although the word limit is tight, the key to any successful Why essay is good old fashioned research. So set aside a little time to pore over the UMass website and figure out exactly what aspects of the school excite you most. You’ll want to keep your explanation top line, but personalize it with specific details about the clubs, departments, and other opportunities you hope to take advantage of. Consider the physical as well as social and scholarly aspects of the school. Maybe you like that it’s close to home. Or maybe you’re all about moving to a remote location very far away from where you currently live. If you’re a language buff, maybe that linguistics department is calling your name with a side of study abroad. But don’t go too crazy on the academics, you’ll have time to go deep on your scholarly interests in the next essay, and as we said, space is tight. What do your particular choices and interests say about you as a person? What do they say about UMass Amherst? How do you and UMass fit together?

At UMass Amherst, no two students are alike. Our communities and groups often define us and shape our individual worlds. Community can refer to various aspects, including shared geography, religion, race/ethnicity, income, ideology, and more. Please choose one of your communities or groups and describe its significance. Explain how, as a product of this community or group, you would enrich our campus. (100 words)

This is a classic Community Essay, through and through. Where do you come from? What has shaped you as a person and how has that made your perspective unique? What traditions or aspects of your community would you like to share at UMass Amherst? What you address can be a larger cultural community or as specific as your community theater troupe. Address the role that your community plays in your life, then consider why your particular background or experience within this community will enrich UMass Amherst’s campus. How will it help inspire and/or inform others? What is important to you and how will your experiences in communities bring something of value to the community at UMass Amherst?

Please tell us why you chose the Majors you did? (100 words)

We told you to save the academics for later! Now you can get into it about why you love a certain subject. Most importantly, though, you will want to explain why you want to study it at UMass Amherst in particular. Where do your interests link up with the work of a particular professor or program? Maybe you still covet the rock collection you started in 5th grade and have your eye on UMass Amherst’s geology program. And maaaaybe you’ve been looking for a way to share your passion for mineral formations with the world, which is what makes the earth science teaching track absolutely ideal for you. Drill down to the details that sync up with your passions and interests. And if you’re undecided, that’s okay too! Immerse yourself in the course catalog and rejoice in your many options. Can you describe how you would explore different subject areas? What makes UMass Amherst the perfect place to discover your passion?

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