Mastering Pomona College's 2024 Supplemental Essays

Pomona College, known for its small class sizes, interdisciplinary curriculums, and vibrant campus life, has released its new supplemental essay prompts for the 2024 application cycle. These essays are a golden opportunity to demonstrate your unique personality and passions beyond what's captured in your main application. Let's dive into these prompts and how you can effectively tackle them.

Essay Prompts Breakdown

Here are Pomona's supplemental essay prompts for this year along with their word counts:

1. What do you love about the subject(s) you selected? If Undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.*

2. Please choose one of the following three prompts to respond to with an essay of no more than 150 words*:

   1. At Pomona, we celebrate and identify with the number 47. Share with us one of your quirky personal, family or community traditions and why you hold on to it.

   2. What item are you excited to bring with you to college?

   3. Describe a time when you felt empowered or on top of the world.

3. Please choose one of the following three prompts to respond to with an essay of no more than 250 words*:

   1. In the past few years, is there something you have changed your mind about? Why?

   2. Reflecting on a community that you are part of, what values or perspectives from that community would you bring to Pomona?

   3. What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?

Approaching Pomona’s Supplemental Essays

Tackling these essay prompts may seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can craft responses that truly reflect who you are. Remember, Pomona values authenticity, creativity, and intellectual curiosity.

Essay Prompt 1: Academic Passions (No Word Limit Provided)

When reflecting on the subject(s) you love or one of your academic passions, be specific. Pomona wants to see what drives you intellectually. Illustrate your enthusiasm with anecdotes or projects you've worked on that highlight your curiosity. If you're undecided, talk about the breadth of your interests and how Pomona's flexible curriculum can help you explore these. To brainstorm effectively, consider using Sups AI, an AI college counseling platform that can help you visualize and refine your thoughts.

150-Word Essay Prompts

These shorter prompts require you to be concise and focused:

1. Quirky Traditions: Share an unique tradition and explain its significance to you. Highlight how it shapes your perspective and adds to your identity.

2. Item Excitement: The item can be anything, from a book to a musical instrument. Explain its relevance and what it says about you and your interests.

3. Moment of Empowerment: Recollect a time you felt on top of the world. This could be an academic achievement, a personal breakthrough, or an act of kindness. Focus on your emotions and the impact on your character.

Precision is key for these prompts. Ensure each word counts and conveys an aspect of your personality. Sups AI offers tailored feedback on your drafts to make sure you hit all the right notes.

250-Word Essay Prompts

1. Changing Perspectives: Here, Pomona is interested in your growth and ability to reconsider your views. Choose a change that is meaningful to you and delve into why it happened and its implications.

2. Community Contribution: Discuss a community you're part of and the values you bring from it. This can demonstrate your ability to enrich Pomona's inclusive environment.

3. Unique Strength or Quality: Identify a less obvious strength and provide examples. This is your chance to showcase your depth and potential to contribute uniquely to Pomona.

These prompts give you slightly more room to elaborate, but keep your answers targeted and personal. Sups AI can connect you with current students to gain insights on effectively tackling these topics.

Final Tips

Remember, Pomona's supplemental essays are an intertwining of who you are, your passions, and how you hope to engage with their community. Be genuine, reflective, and specific. And don’t hesitate to leverage resources like Sups AI, which has helped over 10,000 students secure placements at top institutions, including Pomona.

Good luck and happy writing!