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How to Respond to the Wake Forest University Supplemental Essays
Wake Forest University is a private, non-profit university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Wake Forest supplemental essays are a great opportunity for you to showcase who you are in a way that your resume can never do.
Unlike a lot of other college essays, Wake Forest’s prompts are primarily academic focused. They want to know about you academically and intellectually, which can feel a bit overwhelming at first. But not to worry– we are going to break down each prompt to make them easier to understand. Let’s get started!
Related: College supplemental essay database
Prompt #1
“List five books you have read that intrigued you. (Spaces have been left for you to include each book’s title and author and mark whether the selection was required or not required.)”
This is a great question as it is simple, easy, and straight to the point. To start, think about all of the books you have read and why you liked each of them. From there, you want to try and choose five books that are different from one another. This will show depth of thought, along with the fact that you are able to read different genres and authors, and have a wide variety of intellectual information.
Questions to consider
- What about each of the books have intrigued you?
- Is it the genre that intrigues you, or each book individually that draws you in?
- What made you pick up the book in the first place?
Prompt #2
“Explain how a book you’ve read has helped you to understand the world’s complexity. (150 words)”
This kind of prompt is one that allows admissions professionals to see a bit more into your mind if you let them. Books like the one mentioned in the prompt might be books that you would read and analyze in a high school curriculum, which would be a great place to start if you are racking your brain trying to think of something. Whether you read The Great Gatsby in a high school English class, or 1984, the classics are a great place to look when it comes to learning about society and the complexity of the world around us. Whether a classic or not, consider whatever book allows you to share your most authentic self.
An example of this might be in the novel The Alchemist, which reminds readers that they are ultimately in charge of their own destiny.
Prompt #3
“Tell us more about the topic that most engages your intellectual curiosity. (150 words)”
This question is nice because it is extremely open ended like the rest of Wake Forest’s supplemental essay prompts. To help inspire you with what to write about, you can think about a class that you took in high school that you really enjoyed. If there was a topic that stood out to you in one of those classes, do some more research about it to figure out why you are passionate about it. This question applies to more than formal academic subjects, so if there are certain art, music, or philosophical ideas that engage you outside of school, do share. This could be analyzing movies, music, or discussing the meaning of life with your grandfather. 150 words go by pretty quickly, so try to be concise with your words.
Also see: How to write an essay about yourself
Prompt #4
“Give us your top ten list. Theme: _____________________________”
The fourth and final prompt in the series of Wake Forest supplemental essay prompts is one of the most interesting prompts that we have seen among the college supplemental essay prompts. You have so much creative freedom with this prompt that it almost makes it more difficult to think of what to write. To start, don’t overthink it. Let this prompt be a way for the admissions professionals to get a glimpse of your personality.
Don’t be afraid to think out of the box here. Picking the theme is the easy part, but actually thinking of a list of things that represents you well is tricky. You want to be creative so that your personality shines to the people who are reading the essay. Do you have a Top 10 favorite musicians list? Maybe you want to take the food route and write about the best types of bread, or side dishes. Want to dig deeper? Write about your top 10 most influential people to have ever existed. Things like these will make you stand out and get the reader thinking.
Don’t miss: Tips for a successful college application
Final thoughts for students
The Wake Forest supplemental essays are open-ended, which can seem daunting at first glance. But as long as you stay true to yourself in your writing and write what you know, you cannot say the wrong thing. This is a chance for Wake Forest to see your sense of humor, your intellect, and what kind of student you are. In the end, these responses will show them what makes you unique. Have some fun with it!
Don’t miss: How to write a 250 word essay
Additional resources
Once you’ve completed your Wake Forest supplemental essays, give yourself a pat on the back. But remember, the journey is not over! As a student working through your college applications, we understand that you have a lot on your plate. Luckily, we can alleviate some of that stress by walking you through some of your next steps. Whether you are confused about how to fill out the FAFSA, or possibly the cost of college applications, we have you covered with tons of resources right at your fingertips. Good luck on the rest of your college application journey!
Additional supplemental essay guides
- Duke University (Durham, NC)
- Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)
- Tulane University (New Orleans, LA)
