15+ Colleges That Don’t Require Supplemental Essays

Colleges with no supplemental essays: It takes a lot of time to apply to so many colleges, especially because many want additional essays. Ten to twenty additional essays may be required if you apply to ten institutions.

There are many institutions that don’t demand additional writings beyond the Common App essay or personal statement if you don’t want to write them.

Even if it isn’t comprehensive, the article does contain a wide spectrum of colleges that don’t require Supplemental Essays. Schools that need optional essays are also included in our list, and we always encourage applicants to submit them.

Do Supplementary Essays Matter?

Remember that each institution has an application fee, so you may want to limit your applications. Also, keep in mind that you should only apply to universities that you can see yourself attending.

Not all college applications require extra essays. Except for a few significant outliers, many of the universities on this list are good safety or match schools.

If a supplemental essay is optional, we strongly advise writing one. This is especially true for overseas students who face greater competition. It’s true that some institutions have “hidden” additional essays for international students.

Top Colleges that don’t require Supplemental Essays:

Case Western Reserve University:

Case Western Reserve University is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve University has an admittance rate of 29.3%. For every 100 people that apply, only 29 of them will be accepted.

This hints at the school’s high standard of admissions. Because Case Western Reserve University requires a high GPA as well as strong SAT/ACT scores, you have a good chance of being accepted if you match their admission standards with an acceptance rate of 30.3%.

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Middlebury College:

Middlebury College is an undergraduate institution; a graduate school of international studies; a center for immersive language study; a graduate school of literature, literacy, and pedagogy; a global leader in school abroad sites; and the home of the world’s oldest and most prestigious writers’ conference.

As one of the colleges that don’t require supplemental essays, they have an acceptance rate of 22% (for every 100 people that apply, only 22 of them will be accepted).

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Skidmore College:

Skidmore is a highly ranked residential liberal arts institution located in Saratoga Springs, New York on 1,000 acres of natural splendor.

It offers a vibrant college experience with 2,500 students from 40 states and 70 countries, 43 majors, more than 100 student clubs, supported research and internship opportunities, and 118 study abroad programs.

As one of the colleges that don’t require supplemental essays, it has an acceptance rate of 32.2% (for every 100 people that apply, only 32 of them will be accepted).

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Connecticut College:

Connecticut College is a thriving private, coeducational liberal arts college noted for generating exceptional students who are drawn to the college by its demanding, interdisciplinary curriculum and integrative residential life program.

With a 37.7% acceptance rate, 38 applications out of every 100 are admitted. This indicates that the school is extremely selective.

As one of the colleges that don’t require supplemental essays, if you meet Connecticut College’s GPA, SAT/ACT score, and other applicable standards, you have a good chance of admission.

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Spelman College:

Spelman College was founded in 1881 and is largely regarded as the global leader in the education of women of African origin. The College’s lovely campus, located in Atlanta, is home to 2,100 students.

Spelman is the biggest producer of Black women who get doctorates in the country. The school has an acceptance rate of 52.6%; for every 100 people that apply, only 56 of them will be accepted.

Spelman College is one of the colleges that don’t require supplemental essays.

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Franklin & Marshall College:

Franklin & Marshall’s admissions process is highly selective, with a 30% acceptance rate (for every 100 people that apply, only 30 of them will be accepted).

For students admitted to Franklin and Marshall, an average SAT score of 1200-1420 or an average ACT score of 28-31 is required for admission.

It is one of the colleges with no supplemental essays.

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Wesleyan University:

Wesleyan University is a Middletown, Connecticut-based private liberal arts university.

With an acceptance rate of 20.9% (for every 100 people that apply, only 21 of them will be accepted) for the 2020–2021 admissions cycle, students who enrolled had a median SAT score of 1340-1510, with 49% submitting data, and an ACT score of 31-34, with 37% submitting scores.

More so, supplemental essays are required from international students for admission.

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Hamilton College:

Hamilton College, located in Clinton, New York, is a private liberal arts college. Hamilton-Oneida Academy was established in 1793 and renamed Hamilton College in 1812 in honor of first trustee Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton is dedicated to students’ intellectual and personal development.

As one of the colleges with no supplemental essays, they foster a love of study, a creative spirit, and an informed and responsible engagement with our ever-changing world, with an admission rate of 18.4% (for every 100 people that apply, only 19 of them will be accepted).

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Colgate University:

Colgate is a unique, leading American university noted for its intellectual rigor, world-class faculty, magnificent campus, and famously devoted alumni.

The world has repeatedly demonstrated an essential need for citizens capable of creating, exploring, examining, and connecting human knowledge.

Colgate University has responded to that demand for decades through academic rigor grounded in the liberal arts tradition. The school has an acceptance rate of 27.5%, for every 100 people that apply, only 28 of them will be accepted.

Colgate University is one of the colleges with no supplemental essays.

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Colby College:

Colby is unique in that it offers an intimate, undergraduate-focused learning environment with a breadth of programs that gives students and faculty unmatched opportunities.

A varied and supportive community sustains a vibrant and fully integrated academic, residential, and co-curricular experience.

Colby College, located in Waterville, Maine, is a worldwide college with students from virtually every state in the United States and about 70 countries and an acceptance rate of 10.3%, for every 100 people that apply, only 10 of them will be accepted.

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Northeastern University:

Northeastern offers over 200 online, in-class, and hybrid graduate degree and certificate programs in 20 distinct fields of study, which means that prospective students have an abundance of options for pursuing their personal and professional goals.

As one of the colleges that don’t require supplemental essays, the school has an acceptance rate of 20.5%, for every 100 people that apply, only 21 of them will be accepted.

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University of Miami:

The University of Miami is a well-regarded institution that provides its students with an excellent education. To guarantee that academics remain a top focus at the University of Miami, competition is fierce.

It is widely regarded as Florida’s best and one of the world’s best research institutions with an acceptance rate of 33.1%, for every 100 people that apply, only 33 of them will be accepted.

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Read more: Top 10 Preppy Colleges in the US | 2022

Grinnell College:

Grinnell is renowned for its academic rigor, innovative teaching methods, and commitment to social justice.

Grinnell’s acceptance rate of 19.2% (for every 100 people that apply, only 19 of them will be accepted) places it seventh among liberal arts colleges in terms of endowment-to-student ratio, enabling need-blind admissions and large academic merit scholarships to increase socioeconomic diversity.

Grinnell College is one of the colleges that don’t require supplemental essays.

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Kenyon College:

With a 36.9% admission rate (for every 100 people that apply, only 37 of them will be accepted), Kenyon College is reasonably priced for the high-quality education it provides, earning a fair value designation from College Factual’s study.

Kenyon’s undergraduate curriculum is ranked among the best in the world. The unmatched combination of intellectual students, outstanding professors, and a gorgeous campus is unmatched.

This is a demanding institution that will put you to the test on every level, yet it is similar to other renownedly demanding schools.

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Williams College:

Williams College is a Williamstown, Massachusetts-based private liberal arts college. Williams College expects students to have a minimum GPA of 4.07 and to be at the top of their class.

To compete with other applicants, you’ll need practically straight A’s in all of your classes.

Additionally, you should have taken a sufficient number of AP or IB subjects to demonstrate your ability to achieve academically.

As one of the colleges with no supplemental essays, they have an acceptance rate of 15.1% (For every 100 people that apply, only 15 of them will be accepted) and students can submit an optional academic paper.

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University of Iowa:

The University of Iowa is renowned for its excellence in the arts and sciences, offering world-class undergraduate, graduate, and professional academic programs in a broad range of fields.

Iowa’s admissions process is rather selective, with an acceptance rate of 83% (For every 100 people that apply, only 83 of them will be accepted). For admission, supplemental essays for specific programs of study.

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Read more: Top Jesuit Colleges in the US | 2022

Colleges with optional Supplemental Essays:

Numerous institutions waive the requirement for extra essays from prospective students, owing to a lack of time and resources, as there are frequently thousands of essays submitted for critical study and assessment by admission officers.

The costs of reading and evaluating each prospective applicant’s essay may outweigh the benefits of obtaining further information about candidates, hence necessitating the waiver of the supplemental essays.

Bowdoin College:

Bowdoin’s applications process is exceptionally selective, with a 9% acceptance rate. Bowdoin accepts students with an average SAT score of 1360-1510 or an average ACT score of 31-33.

It is one of the colleges with optional supplemental essays.

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​​Northwestern University:

Northwestern is one of the most competitive private colleges or institutions in the United States, with an acceptance rate of 10.70%, an average SAT score of 1480, an average ACT score of 33, and an approximate average unweighted GPA of 4. 

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Sarah Lawrence College:

Sarah Lawrence College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Yonkers, approximately 25 kilometers north of central Manhattan.

Its innovative approach to education allows students to design their own course of study, a feature that distinguishes it as one of the state’s most prestigious liberal arts institutions.

As one of the colleges with optional supplemental essays, they have an acceptance rate of 54.6%. 

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Washington and Lee University:

Washington and Lee University’s admissions process is extremely selective, with a 24% acceptance rate.

As one of the colleges with optional supplemental essays, half of Washington and Lee’s admitted students have a SAT score of between 1350 and 1500 or an ACT score of between 32 and 34.

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Conclusion:

By limiting your application to schools that do not require a supplement, you significantly reduce your alternatives. Supplements, on the other hand, can demonstrate your commitment to a college.

After all, you can convince a college why they should accept you. Writing a supplemental essay may dissuade you from applying to a school if you are not as enthusiastic about it as you anticipated.

Awesome one; I hope this article answers your question.

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Paschal Uchechukwu
Paschal Uchechukwu

Paschal Uchechukwu Christain is a professional and passionate SEO writer on Education, including homeschool, college tips, high school, and travel tips.

He has been writing articles for over 5 years. He is the Chief Content Officer at School & Travel.

Paschal Uchechukwu Christain holds a degree in Computer Science from a reputable institution. Also, he is passionate about helping people get access to online money-making opportunities.

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