Santa Clara University is a private, mid-sized Jesuit university in, you guessed it, Santa Clara, CA, aka Silicon Valley. SCU is best known for its business and engineering programs. They have extended their test-optional policy through 2024, and in previous years, only around 41% of admitted students submitted test scores. Their acceptance rate has fallen to around 44%, with their business and engineering schools typically being more competitive than their school of arts and sciences.
We have written about Santa Clara before, but they have changed their supplement since then. With that in mind, we wanted to share our tips and tricks for approaching this year’s SCU supplement.
At Santa Clara, first-year students must remain in the division they are admitted to.
Please indicate which division you wish to apply to:*
Why are you interested in pursuing the [Division or Major] selected above? (50 words)
For this question, you have to select a school and major from a drop-down list and then write a sentence or two about that choice. For the writing part of this question, you should tell a short story about how you first became interested in the course of study or when you realized that you wanted to major in it. For example, if you're going to study economics, you could talk about reading the Financial Times every morning or taking a summer class at a local university. Show us a little bit of your passion for the subject, but quickly! Remember: it’s only 50 words.
At Santa Clara University, we value our diverse and inclusive community. Our campus learning environment is enriched by the lived experiences of people from different backgrounds. What people, places, events, or circumstances have shaped the individual you are today and how you could contribute to our community? (150- 300 words)*
Sometimes, we get annoyed by questions that mention “diversity.” Schools love talking about it even when their campus isn’t that diverse. However, Santa Clara puts their money where their mouth is with a freshman class that is around 55% students of color. That rocks.
This being said, sometimes students get nervous when they hear the word “diversity.” They think that means they have to write about being a part of a racial, ethnic, religious, or sexual minority. Those are all great things to write about, but you don’t need to for this question. Look again at this question; it’s really broad. You can write about any circumstances that have contributed to your background. The trick here is to tell a good story about a community that has influenced you in some way. The community can be a minority group, but it can also be a club, group of people, family unit, etc. The important thing is to show in that story how they influenced your word and then connect that influence to Santa Clara.
This essay should end with how you will use your skills or background on campus. This is a great time to mention specific opportunities on campus, such as clubs or organizations that may connect to your story, or you can take a more general approach. Just make sure it connects.
At Santa Clara University, we push our students to be creative, be challenged, and be the solution. Think about an ethical dilemma that you care about that our society is currently facing. This can be something happening in your local community or more globally. How can an SCU education help you prepare for and address this challenge? (150- 300 words)*
You don’t need to connect the issue to your major necessarily, but it will make this essay much more straightforward to write. Think about your major. What is an issue that connects to that course of study? You can then talk about the issue and how studying your major will help you gain the knowledge to fix it.
For example, if you are studying psychology, you could talk about the stigma around mental illness. If you are studying Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering, you could discuss global warming, etc. Then, use classes, programs, professors, and their research to paint a picture of how you would explore this issue at Santa Clara. How would working with a specific professor or taking a class help you learn more? What programs would you join? What research could you do using their resources? You want to get into how SCU is going to help you, and it should feel specific. Try to mention at least two higher-level classes and a professor.
This approach is more challenging if you can’t think of an issue that connects to your major (or even a minor) you want to do. We don’t think it’s impossible, but we understand this approach might be easier for an economics major than, let’s say, a classics major. If you are getting stumped, try to think outside of the box. But technically, this doesn’t have to be about your major. You can employ this approach with just an academic interest; however, it works better if it is connected to your major or later career goals. Give it your best shot.
SCU has a slightly difficult supplement. They want you to really think and connect with Santa Clara. Make sure you give yourself enough time!
Need help with SCU or any other supplement? We got you. Reach out here.