Colorado College Supplemental Essays
The CC admissions team reads thousands of Colorado College supplemental essays each year. The key to standing out? Using your essay to demonstrate your strongest qualities and why Colorado College is the best school for you.
Colorado College is a private liberal arts college located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Approximately 2,000 undergraduates call CC home. Now, you might be wondering, what makes this small, liberal arts school so unique? The answer is: the Colorado College Block Plan. With 80+ Colorado College majors, minors, and specializations to dig into, students are guaranteed a unique experience unlike any other school.
Another major aspect that sets Colorado College apart is its setting, nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Many student organizations and extracurriculars center on skiing and rock climbing. In fact, Colorado Springs is considered one of the best college towns for students with a love for the outdoors and activities like hiking, biking, and fishing.
Before jumping into your essays, consider what initially drew you to CC and how you might fit into the Colorado College community. While great Colorado College supplemental essays should focus on you, it’s important to have a clear sense of why you’re applying.
Colorado College Admissions: Quick Facts
Colorado College Quick Facts
- Colorado College Acceptance Rate: 18%
- Colorado College Supplemental Essay Requirements:
- 1 (~300 word) essay
- Colorado College Application: Students must submit their Colorado College application through the Common Application, Coalition Application, or QuestBridge. Make sure to have all of your Colorado College supplemental essays and other required application materials ready when applying.
- Colorado College Application Deadlines:
- Early Decision I: November 1
- Early Action: November 1
- Early Decision II: January 15
- Regular Action: January 15
- Colorado College Essay Tip: Writing strong Colorado College supplemental essays comes down to sharing a compelling story. Instead of worrying too much about what your story should be about, focus on how you’ll tell it. The more specific details and introspection you can include, the better.
Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.
What is the Colorado College Block Plan?
Before we get into how to write Colorado College supplemental essays, let’s understand the inspiration behind the prompt: the Colorado College Block Plan. The Colorado College Block Plan is the unique curriculum structure at Colorado College. Under the Block Plan, instead of taking multiple classes at a time, students study one class at a time. Each block lasts three and a half weeks.
The Colorado College Block Plan is designed to allow students at Colorado College to focus on things that they really want to do. By taking one class at a time, which generally meets every weekday from 9 a.m. to noon, students learn the curriculum deeply and are not distracted by other classes and assignments. One block at Colorado College is the equivalent of taking one semester’s worth of a class at another college.
The idea of the Colorado College Block Plan is that having one class allows students to have the time to pursue their passions and interests outside of the classroom.
Block Plan Basics:
- Each block spans three and a half weeks, beginning on a Monday and ending on a Wednesday.
- One block is equal to one semester of a class.
- There are four blocks per semester and eight blocks per year. Students can also take classes during an optional Half Block in the winter and Summer Session during the summer.
- Class typically meets 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Monday through Friday, with labs in the afternoon where applicable. However, professors can choose to schedule classes in whatever format best suits their classes’ needs.
Students beginning their education at Colorado College will start with the First-Year Program (FYP). The FYP includes the first two blocks of the Colorado College Block Plan, critical inquiry seminar, and the first-year writing seminar. These blocks prepare students for the rest of their academic journey at Colorado College. They also gives students the chance to explore and consider different Colorado College majors.
Be sure to consider how the FYP and Block Plan will serve you and your education goals when writing your Colorado College supplemental essays.
Does Colorado College have supplemental essays?
Yes — however, you won’t have to worry about writing multiple Colorado College supplemental essays. The school only requires one 300-word supplemental essay. The prompt asks you to reflect on an academic or extracurricular experience inspired by the philosophy behind the Block Plan. We’ll get into the specific prompt shortly.
Colorado College supplemental essays aren’t very long. Unlike a personal statement essay, where you have 600+ words to tell a compelling story, the CC essay prompt gives you half as much space. Because the required essay is relatively short, it is important to be concise. Despite the word limit, great Colorado College supplemental essays still manage to grab their reader’s attention and show depth.
Colorado College Essay Requirements
In addition to the personal statement on the Common Application, QuestBridge, or Coalition Application, you will need to complete one brief required supplemental essay.
Here is the Colorado College essay prompt:
One of the benefits of Colorado College’s Block Plan is the opportunity to immerse yourself fully in a single subject for 3.5 weeks. We see this as the luxury of focus — the joy and value of directing your full attention to one thing.
Tell us about a time when you experienced this kind of deep focus in an academic or extracurricular setting. What were you doing and how did it turn out? (300 words)
Essentially, admissions is looking to learn more about your values and approach to learning to see how they align with the school’s.
Why Colorado College supplemental essays matter
The Colorado College acceptance rate is considered selective; on average, only one in every five students is admitted. So, when two students have similar test-scores and grades, how does admissions decide who to admit?
In many cases, the Colorado College admissions team looks to your essays to really understand what you’d bring to the campus community. A thoughtful supplemental essay, in particular, helps demonstrate your genuine interest in attending.
Your Colorado College essays complement each other, but they have distinct differences. While your personal statement helps showcase who you are and what you care about, it isn’t school-specific. Colorado College supplemental essays, on the other hand, are. While not a classic “Why School” essay, this prompt invites you to reflect on and connect to CC’s core values.
Approaching the Colorado College supplemental essay
Check out these four tips from CC admissions on writing great Colorado College supplemental essays:
Think broadly
Colorado College asks students to write an essay about immersive learning, but that doesn’t mean you have to write about a homework assignment or class project. The prompt allows you to reflect on an academic or extracurricular experience, so don’t feel pressured to choose a topic related to a class you took or your future major. It’s more important to choose a topic you feel passionately about.
Describe how it felt
Reflecting on your thoughts and emotions helps make your story more personal. It also helps the reader identify with your experience. For instance, according to Colorado College, you might feel “a sense of control or spontaneity…depleted and needing to rest…a profound sense of wonder or enjoyment.” Getting your emotions down on paper requires vulnerability, but all great Colorado College supplemental essays do it.
Share the outcome, if there was one
This tip is optional; if you don’t have a notable outcome to share, don’t worry about creating one. However, if you did, you might mention it in your essay. Additionally, you can share your outcome (a project, performance, paper, etc.) as part of your application.
The story is the most important part
If you’ve heard the phrase, “It’s the journey, not the destination,” you know what this tip is talking about. Again, the outcome is not the most important thing. What counts is how you got involved, what the experience felt like, and what you took away from it.
Telling a compelling story
Writing a college application isn’t like writing an essay for class. Instead of analyzing an idea or text, you’re being asked to share a story about yourself.
Great narrative writing does more than simply tell the facts of the story. It helps the writer experience it with you. Some of the tips you’ll always hear about narrative writing is “use descriptive language” or “show don’t tell.” But what does that actually mean?
Here’s an example: instead of saying “I was so tired, I never thought I’d make it to the top of the mountain” you could say “With burning lungs and legs that could give out at any time, reaching the peak was the farthest thing from my mind.”
However, don’t feel pressured to write the next great American novel. If your writing style is more direct, that’s fine, but being specific will help give life and color to your essay.
More guidance on the Colorado College supplemental essays
Your Colorado College essays should showcase you in the best possible light. Why do you belong at Colorado College? What do you bring to the table? What should the admissions committee know about you that isn’t clear from the rest of your application?
For your Colorado College supplemental essays, keep the following writing tips in mind:
Be clear and concise
Clarity counts for more than creativity of vocabulary. Also, focus on quality over quantity — Colorado College supplemental essays have a 300-word limit, so you’ll need to make every word count.
Draft, revise, repeat
Never turn in a first draft. Expect to revise multiple times. Top applicants often revise their essays a dozen times to make sure they’re packed with ideas but still clear and enjoyable to read.
Step away and come back
Your essay will improve with each reading. Fresh eyes are always a beneficial addition to proofreading. Pro tip: try to have a ‘final’ draft ready a couple of weeks before submission. After taking a week or two away from it, give it one last read to catch any lingering errors.
Does Colorado College care about essays?
In a word, yes — the Colorado College admissions team considers Colorado College supplemental essays a key part of their application process.
The Colorado College essays allow applicants to speak directly to the admissions team. Colorado College supplemental essays, in particular, serve as a way for students to show admissions that they are a good fit for the Colorado College community.
Overall, the Colorado College admissions team considers the Colorado College supplemental essays a vital part of their review process. Online, you can find more information from CC admissions about how to approach the Colorado College essays. For starters, check out this video on supplemental essays!
How can I make my Colorado College essays stand out?
To best prepare for the Colorado College supplemental essays, start early. You should be thinking about your Colorado College supplemental essays way before the application deadline. That way, you’ll have adequate time to write standout Colorado College essays and answer all parts of the Colorado College essay prompt.
Organization can also make a huge difference as you approach the Colorado College supplemental essays. Make sure you plan out a timeline for the application process. Additionally, create an application checklist in order to manage your application’s components and deadlines.
As you write your Colorado College supplemental essays, remember that your application is a persuasive document. Overall, your Colorado College essays should convince the admissions team why you are a highly qualified applicant who deserves admission to Colorado College.
Your qualifications cannot simply speak for themselves. Instead, you have to make an argument about why you are the perfect fit for the Colorado College community.
Colorado College Essays – 5 Takeaways
5 Takeaways for Writing Colorado College Essays
1. Brainstorm
Do some research on Colorado College and its programs. Hone in on the school’s mission and values, experiential learning opportunities, and specific majors, classes, or clubs you’re most excited about. No need to mention every detail — just let what you love about CC guide your Colorado College supplemental essays.
2. Get personal and be specific
Admissions officers agree that the most crucial aspect of a successful essay is authenticity. The Colorado College supplemental essays give applicants the opportunity to express themselves. Remember, the Colorado College supplemental essays are the only component of your application that allows the admissions committee to see beyond your grades and extracurriculars. So, use the Colorado College essay prompts to highlight what makes you unique.
3. Tell a story
The best Colorado College essays will have a solid introduction that grabs the reader’s attention. If appropriate, consider using a personal anecdote to begin your essay. However, make sure you choose a story that is relevant to your values and/or goals and answers the prompt.
4. Follow the word count
Colorado College essays are 300 words max. While it’s important to write within the guidelines, it’s also important to write enough to fully answer the prompt. The best Colorado College supplemental essays are generally between 200-300 words long. However, make sure each sentence adds genuine value to your essay. “Filler” sentences won’t make a positive impression.
5. Leave time to review your essays
When you think you have finished, be sure to proofread and edit. You will want to make sure you have answered and addressed all parts of the Colorado College essay prompts. Additionally, be sure to get input from others. An outside eye is always helpful, so ask several trusted sources to review your essay for grammatical errors and structural edits.
Want more guidance on the Colorado College essays? Colorado College offers a series of ten short videos with quick tips and advice from their admissions team on writing stellar Colorado College supplemental essays. Watch them all here.
For one-on-one essay guidance, our experts at CollegeAdvisor can help you write the very best Colorado College essays and make your Colorado College application stand out. Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists.
This article was written by Bailey Bennett. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.
