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How to Respond to the Tulane University Supplemental Essays
Tulane University is a private research university located in the birthplace of jazz: New Orleans, Louisiana. The overall acceptance rate is only 11%, so Tulane supplemental essays are a vital part of the application process. Use this guide for tips and tricks for your Tulane supplemental essays!
The Tulane prompts
Tulane requires all applicants to respond to their first prompt, but there are also two others that are optional. Completing more than one Tulane supplemental essay is a way to demonstrate your interest and desire to attend.. Tulane is an institution that considers demonstrated interest in their admission review process so it is in your best interest to answer prompt optional questions.
Prompt #1
“Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (250 words).”
By requiring their applicants to respond to this first supplemental essay, Tulane hopes to evaluate what activities or experiences you might pursue while attending their university. They also want to know how you’ll fit in and what you’ll possibly be involved in on campus.
Try to connect what you’ve gained or learned from your experiences to what you hope to learn or do at Tulane. Consider using half of your word count to describe your activity or work experience and the rest to describe what that means for your future. Think about why you want Tulane to know about this skill or job.
Questions to consider
- What extracurricular activities have I been involved in?
- What did I learn from any of my work experiences?
- How did this activity impact me?
Prompt #2
“Optional: Please describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University. (50-800 words).”
While this prompt appears general in nature, this is your chance to get specific and tell a story that is genuine to you . You could be a legacy status applicant, but what makes you want to follow in your parent’s footsteps? Have they achieved something notable or wished they did more and have now passed the torch on to you? Or maybe you’re a first generation college student, how might your Tulane degree change things in your family?
There are plenty of options available to you, especially since the prompt is so broad. However, don’t think that your essay has to be long and exactly 800 words in order to be a success, Tulane gives you a liberal word limit for a reason. Everyone’s story is different, and when you feel you’ve reached an appropriate conclusion, be confident and end it there.
Questions to consider
- What is something that stands out to me about Tulane?
- How does it fit my needs and interests for my whole college experience?
- How is Tulane different from any other school?
- What is my personal connection to Tulane?
Prompt #3
“Optional: Tulane values the lessons gained from pursuing an education alongside a student body that represents a wide range of experiences and perspectives and is reflective of our multicultural world. If you would like to share a perspective related to your family, cultural group, sexual or gender identity, religious group, or some other aspect that has shaped your identity, please do so here. (50-800 words).”
This is a true prompt for creativity, so Tulane will be expecting your supplemental essay to be a fresh representation of you. Start by figuring out what you want Tulane to know about yourself.
Since Tulane uses this prompt to show that they value diversity on campus, emphasize the importance of your individual perspective. Begin by asking yourself:
- What does Tulane stand to gain from having your unique experiences at their university?
- When did you first embrace learning about the diverse experiences of others?
- How might you shake up their campus in a positive way?
Consider the lessons that you could teach at Tulane, but also the ones you stand to learn. There are tons of different perspectives on college campuses, and yours matters!
Questions to consider
- Why do I want to share my perspective with Tulane?
- How does my perspective impact how I see the world?
- What do I hope for other people to understand about my experiences?
- How has my family, cultural group, sexual or gender identity, religious group, etc. shaped how I interact with others, my environment, etc.?
Final thoughts for students
It might be easy to rush into making decisions for college, so take your time choosing the right optional supplemental essay prompt for you. But before you start picking your second essay, check out this guide to extracurriculars for the first prompt. It should help you figure out why your extracurriculars matter and how colleges value them.
When you start your essays, keep an open mind about different ways of writing. The usual formal writing you might’ve used in high school essays shouldn’t be used to answer these prompts. Instead, take on a conversational tone or become the narrator to your own story. The possibilities are endless and luckily, the word limit is on your side.
Additional resources
After you’ve completed your Tulane supplemental essays, no doubt there are more steps in the college application process to complete. Luckily, Scholarships360 has the answers to your college questions. Remember, you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself!
Wondering when you should take the SAT or ACT? Read our guide for tips and recommendations for choosing the best time for you. If you are trying to decide between the ACT or SAT, or whether or not to send your SAT/ACT scores to test optional schools, we have you covered.
Tulane University accepts the Common Application as well as their own Tulane specific application. Remember to fill out the FAFSA, and if you need some help, our “How to Complete the FAFSA” guide is free!
Keep reading..
- How to fill out the Common App activities section
- Having trouble figuring out your major?
- What are some scholarships you can apply to?
