Colgate University is a small private liberal arts college nestled in Hamilton, New York. It's often referred to as a "Hidden Ivy" and a "Little Ivy" because of their size, academic programs, and campus culture. In 2020, their acceptance rate was 27%. In 2023, it was 12%. Colgate is both test and supplement optional, which is probably why they had a huge increase in the number of applicants over the last three years. Before you start thinking, “Gee, time to send off my app with little to no work!” let us burst your bubble. There's no such thing as "optional" when it comes to admissions. With a 12% acceptance rate, you’re gonna have to write an essay or three.

Colgate does this weird thing where their supplements aren’t located in the Common App. You'll find them waiting for you in the applicant portal once you've submitted your application. According to Colgate, you can answer none, one, or all. They might say “optional,” but not for you, dear reader. Thankfully, they’re pretty standard. Let’s dive in

Prompt 1: On Colgate’s campus, students engage with individuals from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, and perspectives during the course of their educational and social experiences. In 200-250 words, please share the benefits you see in engaging with a diverse body of students, faculty, and staff as part of your Colgate experience.

Remember that diversity can include things like race, gender, faith, class, or opinions. You’ve only got 200-250 words, so don’t tell a broad, sweeping tale of how diversity has impacted your life. Instead, focus on smaller moments in time. We recommend steering away from any white-savior stuff, mission trips, volunteer experiences, etc. They want to see genuine discussions of diversity.

Maybe you tagged along with a friend of a different faith to their religious service or your family hosted an exchange student. Maybe you and your best friend have very different politics but always manage to keep debate respectful. Once you’ve told this story, you want to connect it back to Colgate. If they have any events, seminars, classes, lecture series, etc. that tie into your story, connect it. You want to show how you’ll keep engaging with diversity during your time at Colgate.

Prompt 2: Colgate students immerse themselves in social and intellectual pursuits that inspire them. Tell us in 200-250 words what inspires you and why you want to pursue that at Colgate.

Ah, yes, the classic Why Us essay. We could write one of these in our sleep. Start with your origin story, a.k.a. why do you want to study what you want to study. Oh yeah, you’re gonna have to pick a major for the sake of this essay. Basically, what experience made you go, “oh yeah, I think I want to study bio and become a doctor!” Then go look up some upper-level classes (typically in the 300s) (every college has Intro to Bio) and select a few that fit into your stated goals. If you wanted to study bio because you had a family member with cancer, pick a biology class that relates to that topic. Then pick a professor doing research in the field you want to be in and talk about how you just cannot wait to do research with them. Next, you want to pick an extracurricular. This should be consistent with what you’ve already done, so if you were president of the Girls in STEM club, maybe you want to join an organization geared towards women in the STEM field at Colgate. Space permitting, add in a sentence or two about how you can’t wait to participate in one of their many or watch one of their many sporting events.

Prompt 3: Please complete the following so we can learn a bit more about you. Each response should be no more than 13 words.

This is one of those “we’re not a regular school, we’re a cool school” prompts that like, way too many schools are doing these days. Don’t overthink your answers, it’s 13 words, and you’re like, 17, so they’re not expecting Dostoevsky here.

I am fascinated by…

You should either be a mile deep and an inch wide on this one, or an inch deep and a mile wide. You either gotta be hyperspecific about a thing only you would care about, or you gotta go with some widely pondered-upon enigma, like space.

My favorite book, movie, or television show is…

Don’t pick anything cliche or controversial (Harry Potter being out on both counts here), and don’t pick something you had to read for school.

My role model is…

We think your mom is really great too, but that answer is cliche (sorry, moms). Connect it back to your stated interests.

In the future, I hope to …

A great place to put an attainable goal. Think about your five or ten-year plans and choose one of those things. Or maybe start by actually making a five and ten-year plan.

One historical figure I would like to meet is…

Broken record but: don’t go cliche. Albert Einstein and Abraham Lincoln have already been taken, by like everyone. Choose someone who fits into your niche interest or stated major.

My favorite food is…

You can just say your favorite food. It doesn’t have to connect to anything special, but it can if you want it to.

One thing I would change is…

Like the first one, this is one of those mile deep/inch wide or inch deep/mile wide questions. Corruption on your city water commission vs. Gerrymandering.

I am most challenged by…

Pick something fun for this one, because everyone is challenged by the big, bad, dark stuff looming all around us. We’re all going to be underwater in 30 years anyways, so why not say something like “the all-white puzzle that’s been sitting, unfinished, on my table for eight months.” You can also use this to talk about a cool new hobby or skill you’re trying to pick up. If this were us, we’d say “one of our many abandoned craft projects.”

My favorite place is…

Pick your happy place! And get specific! Well, as specific as you can be in 13 words.

I am drawn to Colgate University because…

Try to avoid something like “because of the academic programs and amazing campus!” because that is, you guessed it, cliche. Pick something niche, or if you’re having a hard time you can peruse their for some ideas.

And there you have it, your non-optional ‘optional’ supplements. They weren’t that bad. Make sure to proofread the heck out of ‘em before sending them off. They’re all very short, so make sure you’re getting right to the point and leaving out all the flowery prose.

If you need help with your Colgate supplements, Common App essay, or college apps in general, reach out to us here.