The college application process is daunting and time-consuming. Most students will apply to anywhere from five to 15 colleges, with some applying to more than 20 schools if their colleges of interest are high-ranking or competitive like direct admit medical programs and Ivy League schools. While applications like the Common App or Scoir aim to streamline the process by allowing students to write one universal personal statement that gets sent to all the schools they’re applying to, many schools also require applicants to write school-specific supplemental essays. These essay topics range from "Why do you want to attend our school?" to "Tell us about a challenge you’ve overcome." Most students commit months of effort to complete all their supplemental essays. But luckily, not all schools require them, which could help you bulk up your submitted applications without adding much more effort. Here are a few benefits of applying to schools with no supplemental essays.
1. Less stress
Applying to colleges that don't require supplemental essays means you’ll have less pressure on you to complete and keep track of as many materials. Instead of spending hours each week on multiple essays, you can focus on a few of your top schools that do require supplemental essays and really put your all into them. And with less to do during the application process, you can also concentrate on keeping your grades up instead.
2. A broader range of options
Despite not requiring supplemental essays, many of these colleges and universities are high-ranking institutions with a lot to offer. By not having to write additional essays, you can apply to a wider range of schools, giving you a higher chance of acceptance and likely more options to choose from come decision day. The more options you have, the easier it will be to find what type of school fits your career goals and learning abilities best—whether it’s a public research institution, a private liberal arts school, or something else.
3. It helps even out the admission field
Students who don't think their talents are in writing but have solid grades and test scores can benefit greatly from applying to more schools that don't require supplemental essays. Without these essays, you’ll primarily be judged based on your personal statement, GPA, extracurricular activities, standardized test scores, and letters of recommendation. Students who don't have the resources or guidance to craft compelling supplemental essays should take advantage of those universities.
Related: How Are Application Elements Weighed by Admission Counselors?
85+ schools with no supplemental essays
The schools on the following list don't require supplemental essays to apply for the 2023–2024 academic year. However, they might have additional essay requirements if you apply for a specific program. Some of these schools will also have optional essays if you want to write one. For example, Drexel University offers the following optional prompt:
“Drexel is committed to preparing each new generation of students to become productive, professional, and civic-minded members of the community while continuing to focus on how we can contribute to solving some of society’s greatest challenges. What do you view as a challenge facing society that you would like to contribute to solving? How would a Drexel education aid you in taking the first step toward a solution? (250 words or less).”
Optional prompts may give students a competitive edge because they can help demonstrate interest in the school, but they are not required to apply to the following colleges and universities:
- Albion College
- Allegheny College
Connect me with Allegheny! - Augusta University
- Bates College
- Case Western Reserve University
Connect me with CWRU! - Clemson University
- Coe College
Connect me with Coe! - Colby College
- Colgate University
- College of the Holy Cross
Connect me with Holy Cross! - Denison University
- DePaul University
- Dillard University
- Drew University
Connect me with Drew! - Drexel University
- Fairleigh Dickinson University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida State University
- Fordham University
Connect me with Fordham! - Franklin & Marshall College
- Furman University
- Gannon University
Connect me with Gannon! - Gettysburg College
Connect me with Gettysburg! - Grinnell College
- Hamilton College
- Hampshire College
- Hanover College
- Hollins University
Connect me with Hollins! - Howard University
- Indiana University Bloomington
- Kent State University
- Kenyon College
- Louisiana State University
- Mercer University
- Miami University—Oxford
Connect me with Miami! - Michigan State University
Connect me with MSU! - Middlebury College
- Muhlenberg College
- New College of Florida
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
- New York Institute of Technology
Connect me with NYIT! - Northeastern University
- Nova Southeastern University
- Oberlin College
- The Ohio State University
Connect me with Ohio State! - Ripon College
- Rhodes College
- Rowan University
Connect me with Rowan! - St. Lawrence University
- St. Mary’s University
- Seton Hall University
Connect me with Seton Hall! - Siena College
- Skidmore College
- Stony Brook University
- Susquehanna University
- Temple University
- Union College (Schenectady, NY)
- Union College (Lincoln, NE)
- Union College (Barbourville, KY)
- University at Albany
Connect me with Albany! - University of Alabama
- University of Arkansas
- University of Arizona
- University of Cincinnati
Connect me with Cincinnati! - University of Colorado Denver
Connect me with CU Denver! - University of Connecticut
Connect me with UConn! - University of Dayton
- University of Delaware
Connect me with UD! - University of Denver
Connect me with DU! - University of Houston
- University of Iowa
Connect me with Iowa! - University of Kansas
- University of Kentucky
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- University of New Hampshire
Connect me with UNH! - University of the Pacific
- University of Pittsburgh
Connect me with Pitt! - University of the South
- University of South Alabama
- University of South Florida
- University of Toledo
- University of Vermont
Connect me with UVM! - Wesleyan University
- Whitman College
Connect me with Whitman! - Williams College
Related: A Look at College Admission From a Top Official
When adding these schools to your list, be sure to review all the requirements for each one before you apply. And be extra cautious to keep your materials organized so you aren’t sending the wrong things to the wrong school. Good luck! You’ve got this.
Since many of these schools utilize the platform, simplify your college application process with An Easy Guide to Filling Out the Common Application!
