Emory is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. While it was founded by Methodist Episcopal Church in the 1800s, they are not very religious today. You don’t need to be methodist to go and the school has a wide range of religious communities on campus including Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and interfaith. Emory’s acceptance rate is around 13%. Emory has two distinct academic pathways for freshmen, Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Oxford College.
Most students will be looking at the College of Arts and Sciences. It is on the main campus and houses about 5,400 students whereas Oxford is about 38 miles outside of the ATL and has only about 950 students. As juniors, the schools combine in Atlanta, and students can choose to complete their studies at Emory College of Arts and Sciences or the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, or apply to join the Goizueta Business School. TLDR whichever route you choose to take, you will end up altogether as juniors and have an opportunity to pursue business or nursing as well. You can apply to one or both schools. Last year 59% of applicants applied to both colleges. If you choose both, there is a chance you get into both programs and then have to decide your favorite. The paths have the same supplement and the supplement is pretty short. Let’s break down how we tell students how to approach this supplement.
What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college?* 200
This question boils down to “what do you want to study here?” The first step in this essay is choosing a major. If you aren’t sure what you want to study, that’s fine. No one is going to make you study what you write about in this essay, just choose a major that you think you would like to study.
You then want to introduce your major with a story about how you fell in love with that area of study. Let’s say you want to be a “Classics and English” major. You could write about trying to teach yourself Middle English to read Beowolf or going to a museum exhibition that spoke to you. Then it’s time to show the next steps of how that spark grew to wanting to study it at Emory. This prompt does say areas, so if you want to mention a minor, that’s great, but keep this essay focused.
Next, it’s time to back up your choice with specifics. You should mention 2 specific higher-level classes in your intended major. Look for anything in the 300s or 400s level. For example, ENG 336: The English Victorian Novel or ENG 317: Milton. Say why you want to take these classes.
You should also mention a professor in the department that you want to do research with and any specific opportunities that you would be excited about. This could be internship classes, thesis options, or any other unique opportunity that you are drawn to and why.
This essay is pretty short, so you probably won’t have much time for a conclusion, but try to wrap it up with the idea that you are perfect for Emory and Emory is perfect for you.
Please answer one of the following questions:* 150
The next question lets you choose from 4 prompts. We like some more than others, but if you are immediately drawn to one more than others, we always think that is a good sign.
Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
We don’t hate this question but in 150 words, it's a challenge. Especially because this prompt should be a story. This should have a beginning, middle, and end. Try to stay away from travel stories. They tend to come off as over-privileged especially to overworked, underpaid essay readers. Instead, try for a local story. This can be a small moment. Maybe a friend took you to an event. Maybe you learned how to cook a new dish. Maybe you went to a neighborhood festival or took a class in a traditional art. Keep it personal and keep it local.
When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
This is a good question, but again, in 150 words… it’s not easy. This doesn’t need to be leaving Mormonism. It can be a lot smaller. It honestly maybe should be. What you questioned is less important here than how you dealt with that questioning. How did you respond is the real question here. (Have we said question too many times yet?) This can come from a conversation with your mom or a piece of trivia you heard in class, but what did you say at the moment? What did you do next? This is where the story comes in. Questioning something on the smaller side or at least a more specific side is probably good here since it’s so short. 150 words isn’t really enough time to unlearn hundreds of years worth of entrenched bias. Break it down into a smaller realization.
If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) first-hand, what would it be, and why?
We don’t love this one and we don’t recommend this one if you aren’t a history person. If you aren’t a history person, but really want to do this question, relate the event to a passion of yours. The big trick here is not choosing something obvious. What is obvious in history? It’s hard to define, but if Bill and Ted went there, it’s too obvious. The event you choose should say something specific about you. The signing of the declaration because you live in America doesn’t work. 1775’s Olive Branch Petition, ok, now we are talking. While you should take some time to think about the event, the why is the most important part of this question. The why should be nuanced and personal.
Share a time when you were awestruck.
We like this question because everyone has probably experienced awe before. The moment you choose to talk about, should feel specific to you and say something about you. For example, the grand canyon is probably not a good choice for 90% of people. It’s not specific and everyone who goes there usually has the same reaction. However, if you are a part of the Hopi or Navajo nations and you grew up in California and the first time seeing the Grand Canyon made you feel connected to your ancestors, that’s fine. It’s because you related to something specific in that experience. That’s how personal your moment of awe should feel.
Awe can come from small moments too. Your baby sister’s first words. Seeing a painting. Finishing a project and the product exceeded your expectations. In general, we do not love travel stories. So if you can keep it local, do so!
Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction) seems made for you? Why?
For this question, you should work backward. What do we mean by that? Well before you choose a piece, you should think about what you want to say about yourself. Think of a list of adjectives that describe you. You can ask family or friends if you aren’t sure what adjectives work for you.
Cross off any adjectives that you feel like you have already showcased elsewhere in your application, especially your Common App essay. Let’s say you end up with a list like, brave, adventurous, and idealistic. Try to think of a character or a book etc that fits with those traits. Or at least some of them. The “why” of this essay is just talking about how the character or piece shares the traits that you have already brainstormed.
Try not to choose anything that would be on a high school English reading list. No Great Gatbsy. No Catcher in the Rye. Honestly, stay away from anything you read as an assignment. Also, it should go without saying, don’t choose anything inappropriate or polarizing. We want them to like you, not question your choices.
Emory’s supplement used to be a lot longer, but they have recently paired it down. It’s far more manageable now. The essays however all have very low word counts. You will have to get in, make your points, and get out. Most students will start with longer drafts and then will have to edit them down. This is fine but can take a little time, so make sure you don’t have to rush with this supplement.
If you still are struggling, drop us a line! We’re here to help.