Let’s start with an analogy. Imagine you’re an artist. Picasso, O’Keefe, Van Gogh—you pick.
There are many different ways of painting a work of art, but here are two:
You can paint in broad strokes, using a big brush, a single tool, to fill your canvas as much as possible. It’s abstract. Not quite a picture of reality but an approximation of it.
You can get more detailed, using a bunch of small brushes. It might take more time, but you also end up with a painting that maybe shows off a little more artistic skill. It’s less of an abstraction. More like reality.
A lot of colleges have essay prompts that fall into category #1. They offer one or two prompts with a huge word count and ask you to paint a picture of yourself in broad strokes.
If you’re writing the Wake Forest supplements, you may want to put on your painter #2 beret. The Wake Forest essay prompts revel in details, details, details. With a variety of specific prompts and smaller word counts, this is a school that’s interested in understanding you at a more minute level.
Not quite ready for a reality check? We’re here to help you get your painting started.
Want to get a better sense of what Wake Forest is looking for before starting to write? You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. For deep insights into how this private research university envisions student success (and how it wants to grow and evolve), read its strategic priorities. Reading through this will give you a strong idea of Wake Forest’s values.
What are the Wake Forest University supplemental essay prompts?
Wake Forest Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
Why have you decided to apply to Wake Forest? Share with us anything that has made you interested in our institution. (150 words)
Wake Forest Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
We welcome the opportunity to get to know you beyond the numbers. You are invited to answer any, all, or none of the following optional short-response questions.
- List five books you've read that intrigued you. (150 characters)
- Tell us what piques your intellectual curiosity or has helped you understand the world's complexity. This can include a work you've read, a project you've completed for a class, and even co-curricular activities in which you have been involved. (150 words)
- Dr. Maya Angelou, renowned author, poet, civil-rights activist, and former Wake Forest University Reynolds Professor of American Studies, inspired others to celebrate their identities and to honor each person’s dignity. Choose one of Dr. Angelou’s powerful quotes. How does this quote relate to your lived experience or reflect how you plan to contribute to the Wake Forest community? (300 words)
- Give us your Top Ten list. (The choice of theme is yours.) (100 characters)
How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Wake Froest University
How to Write the Wake Forest Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
General Tips:
For this one, rather than general tips, check out our complete guide on the “Why us?” essay. Want the TL;DR version? Here it is …
Don’t talk about things Wake Forest already knows about itself and hears from tons of other applicants. These are things, like weather, location, ranking, or reputation. Also try to avoid taking language directly from the website or brochures. Articulate things in your own words.
Talk about yourself too. Don’t just talk about why you like Wake Forest. Also explain why you are a great fit for the school—that’s the whole point of this essay.
Do your research. Find specific resources, programs, or classes that appeal to you. This includes reading student reviews and doing tours (online, in-person, or both). You might even want to talk to a local representative in your area.
Connect back to your core values. For each part of Wake Forest that you like and want to explore, explain how that relates to one of your guiding principles.
We do want to note that this “Why us?” essay is much shorter than most. You only get 150 words, so you should prioritize information. A lot of our tips in the complete guide are intended to help people who are writing with a larger word count. That said, many of the suggestions are still useful. The key here is to avoid trying to cram in too many things. Just choose 3-4 aspects of Wake Forest you’re really excited about and explain how they connect to your interests and values.
Example:
I am a storyteller, and at Wake Forest I intend to explore the many ways we tell stories through Communications and Classical Studies.
As a prospective Communications major, I look forward to classes such as Classic Rhetoric where I can examine the origins of story structure. I hope to learn from some of the greatest orators in Roman history while examining the influence of ancient stories on modern day society.
As a Film Studies minor, I look forward to telling compelling stories through unconventional cinematography in classes like Foundations in Digital Media.
Wake Forest will give me countless opportunities to thrive and grow not just as a student, but also as a storyteller and a Demon Deacon. (117 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Get right to it. You have very little space to work with here, so it’s best to get right into the meat of why you think Wake is a good fit. This author still finds a way to sneak in a powerful little hook (“I am a storyteller”), but right after that, she’s all business. This is a great model of how you can start with something interesting without digging into your available word count.
Connect your interests to opportunities If you look at this essay, it essentially follows a predictable formula: thing that the author is interested in + resource at Wake that she could use to pursue that interest further. When your word budget is small, this is a simple way to structure your piece.
Include a summary sentence. At the end of your essay, try to tie it all together. In this case, the throughline is that the author is a storyteller and she believes Wake can help her grow in that capacity. It’s nice that she revisits that theme in her final sentence, reminding us of how all her interests are related.
How to Write the Wake Forest Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
We welcome the opportunity to get to know you beyond the numbers. You are invited to answer any, all, or none of the following optional short-response questions.
- List five books you've read that intrigued you.
- Title (150 characters):
- Author (150 characters):
- Required reading? Yes/No:
- Tell us what piques your intellectual curiosity or has helped you understand the world's complexity. This can include a work you've read, a project you've completed for a class, and even co-curricular activities in which you have been involved. (150 words)
- Dr. Maya Angelou, renowned author, poet, civil-rights activist, and former Wake Forest University Reynolds Professor of American Studies, inspired others to celebrate their identities and to honor each person’s dignity. Choose one of Dr. Angelou’s powerful quotes. How does this quote relate to your lived experience or reflect how you plan to contribute to the Wake Forest community? (300 words)
- Give us your Top Ten list. (100 Characters)
- Theme:
We’d recommend thinking of these short answer prompts as being like a (tiny) smorgasbord—a way to offer brief tastes of your interests and personality. To that end, for the first question, for example, it can be nice to pick a range of titles here—five books all on business probably don’t do much for you. Then with the second, show us a side we haven’t seen yet. With the third … yeah, you get the idea. See below for more tips, examples, and analysis.
Title (150 characters):
Author(150 characters):
Required reading? Yes/No:
General Tips:
Use most of the space allotted to explain your answer. You’re often given space for 13 words for an answer that could easily be 1-2 words. So use it up! In other words, answer "Why," even if the prompt doesn't ask you to. Do this because your core values may be hard to express in 1-2 words.
Get specific. Don’t just give a generic answer followed by a generic reason for your generic answer. Be creative and use details that give you a distinctive/memorable voice.
Offer a variety of things you're interested in through the books you choose. You get to list five different books, so don’t list five novels by the same author or five books you read for the same class on similar topics. Show your reader that you have lots of different, intersecting interests through the books you choose.
Don’t overthink it. There isn’t some magical key/code with these prompts where, if you choose a certain book, the door to Wake Forest will magically open, to you (although imagine that). This is just a chance (well, five chances) for the school to get to know you better. So make the most of them, but don’t over-obsess as though your life depends on them. ‘Cuz it doesn’t.
Example:
Beloved by Toni Morrison, required
Gone by Michael Grant, not required
The Metamorphoses by Ovid, not required
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, not required
Maze Runner by James Dashner, not required
— — —
Tips + Analysis
If possible, choose more not-required readings than required readings. Think about highlighting books that you’ve taken the initiative to read yourself. We all know that people have to read books for school, but it shows that you’re curious and motivated to take learning into your own hands when you read on your own time. If you read a really great book for class that you want to highlight, by all means go for it. But definitely include a couple that were not required.
Showcase a variety of different genres and styles. Look again at this student’s list. This diversity of books is great because it shows that the author has found value in lots of different outlets. In seeing what kind of books she’s drawn to, we get the sense she has a diverse range of interests and values.
General Tips:
Have fun with this prompt. Nerd out. Enjoy yourself. It shouldn’t feel like work to talk about something that genuinely interests you.
This prompt is wide open. If it helps narrow things down, try to think about a specific idea. You can find a whole bunch of them on this spreadsheet full of TED talks. But be sure to credit the source (i.e., name the person whose idea you reference).
Get to the point quickly. Despite the fact that the prompt asks a huge, wide-open question, it only gives you 150 words to answer it. That means you need to be really specific. So try limiting the scope and choosing a topic you can say something (reasonably) meaningful about within the tight word count.
Example:
I was eerily enthusiastic when I stood on Omaha and Utah beaches, where American troops had landed just seventy-five years earlier.
D-Day, one of history’s greatest war-time phenomenons, has fascinated me since I first studied it. I am intrigued by the small details I’ve learned about in countless books and documentaries. On June 5th, a severe storm threatened to hit, so many of Germany’s most adept commanders were on leave, including General Rommel. Thousands of German troops were disarrayed, contributing to the chaos of organizing their forces. The storm may have made the Allies successful.
My curiosity is piqued by the coincidences and intricacies of how nations and leaders strategize against one another and how that contributes to current events. When my history teacher chose to organize our class not by chronology, but by recurring historical themes and attitudes, I found a perfect outlet for my curious mind. (148 words)
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Draw connections. This author tells us she has a love of the small details that influence the course of history. She talks about how she found a perfect outlet for that love in her high school history class. It’s great to draw connections between your topic and other activities, classes, or interests you have. If you do, you’ll have two answers for one prompt.
Find unique details. Who knew that a severe storm may have set the Allies up for a victory? Certainly not us. We love that the author used a specific example of how small details influence the course of history. Not only is that just a cool, interesting story to tell, it also shows that the author knows her stuff.
Write in a way that shows you care. The way this author writes conveys excitement. She uses words like “fascinated” and “intrigued.” She makes an active effort to emphasize her curiosity by choosing stories and facts that she had to research. When you read this, you care about what she’s talking about because you know she cares about it. The amount of enthusiasm you put into your work will impact the amount of enthusiasm your reader has for what you write.
You can treat this prompt as a variation of a community/identity or a “how will you contribute” prompt, with a thematic connection to a quote you’ll find.
You may be able to find a quote and then link to those things, but it may be easier to work backwards here: brainstorm what aspects of identity or community you will share, and how those things influence what you will contribute to the Wake Forest community, and then find a Maya Angelou quote that connects to those things.
For a fuller “How will you contribute” guide + examples with analysis, check out that link, but here’s the short version.
Essentially, a way to think of this type of prompt is that it’s a combo of “community / identity / background” and “why us” prompts: use some of your response to show how you’ve become who you are, and then show how those experiences shape what you will bring to the college through linking to specific opportunities / groups / details. Connect your unique upbringing, in a very broad sense of the word, with what the school offers and how you will make a great team.
STEP 1: BRAINSTORM (ALL ABOUT YOU).
Do the “If You Really, Really Knew Me” Exercise. Yup, the same one mentioned above.
STEP 2: RESEARCH THE COLLEGE (LEARN ALL ABOUT THEM).
Make a copy of the “Why us” Essay Chart 2.0, research the school you’re writing your essay for, and fill in the first two columns. (This is the same chart mentioned above.)
Once you’ve done these exercises, you’ll have a better sense of:
YOU: A bunch of different talents/skills/identities/qualities that you’ll bring to a college campus, and
THEM: A variety of programs/courses/clubs/affinity groups that your college offers.
STEP 3: CONNECT YOU… TO THEM (I.E., THE COLLEGE YOU’RE APPLYING TO).
Make connections between what the school offers and what you’re interested in.
Because this is a new prompt for Wake Forest, we don’t have an example written for it. But here’s an example, written for a different school, that illustrates the direction to head in.
Example:
“Creating an environment that allows students to build lasting friendships, including those that cut across seemingly entrenched societal and political boundaries...requires candor about the inevitable tensions, as well as about the wonderful opportunities, that diversity and inclusiveness create."
The buzz spread across campus like a California wildfire. My waterpolo teammate, an international student, had been ostracized by the community in an instant. An exaggerated rumor destroyed his reputation at school, cost him his friendships, and led to his suspension. Was this fair? Was it the truth? How could I help?
For the past two years, as a member of SLAC, a student life advisory committee focusing on restorative justice, I have partnered with my school administration to build an inclusive community to prevent conflict, de-escalate disputes, and reintegrate students. To solve my teammate’s conflict, we were tasked with the responsibility of bringing resolution both on the micro and macro levels.
First, we had to solve the issues between the immediate students at harm. I applied my training in active listening and tailored my questions so that the students could communicate more honestly, share their concerns, and help resolve their own conflict. Then, we had to address the grade-wide friction and show our community the harmful effects of spreading rumors. To do so, we hosted interactive ice breaker games, team building activities, and conversations about non-inclusive behavior. Conflict is bound to take place in communities -- cliques are natural -- but so long as we are willing to be vulnerable and learn how to communicate better, we can be a stronger community and build new relationships.
My experience in SLAC has made me a more empathetic listener and an active participant in creating a positive community -- one where the students can feel safe, engaged, and supported. At Amherst, I am excited to participate in the First Year Experience and get involved with the Center for Restorative Practices to help build a strong 2025 class culture where we encourage reflection, mindfulness, and student engagement.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Draw your reader in. This essay starts with campus buzz spreading like California wildfire. Both the descriptive language and the mystery evoked prompt the reader to lean in to find out what the author has to say. Although you can’t go too big with your intro in this 250-word essay, a short hook can help you start off strong.
Consider a problem/solution approach. This student leads with a problem: a rumor destroyed a reputation, cost friendships and ended in suspension, implicating truth and fairness. Then in the essay, they set out how they solved the problem. You can read at the link about this powerful structural tool, which we call the Powerwall approach.
Show and name your values. At the start of the second paragraph, we understand that this individual is committed to restorative justice. In this prompt about your inspiration, lean heavy into the values that underlie your efforts. Peep this Values List to identify what’s most important to you—one of the best ways you can tell Wake Forest about yourself.
Delineate your specific role and actions. This student describes their role on the student life advisory committee and how they used active listening and created a community-building event at their school to resolve the conflict. Detail about what you actually did highlights the skills you’ve gained and will bring to Wake Forest. Yes, it’s ok to brag.
Relate back to Wake Forest. In the conclusion, the writer says how they’ll extend their restorative justice work in college, by participating in the First Year experience and getting involved with the Center for Restorative Practices. How will you be a peacemaker, changemaker, global citizen, boundary breaker, creative or innovator at Wake Forest? Don’t talk in generalities. Research the school and hone in on specific opportunities that illuminate your inspiration—academic, research opps, programs, extracurriculars, etc.—and that you plan to engage with at Wake Forest. The research tips in our Why Us? Guide will help you dig deep for offerings that align with your values and interests.
And here are two more example essays that were written for other schools but whose authors wrote about taking inspiration from something someone else said.
Example:
Every season, my high school volleyball coaches pick an inspiring quote to label on the back of our practice shirts. My favorite? “Be a voice, not an echo.”
After wearing braces for several years to correct a persistent jaw pain, I was elated when they were removed. However, after just a few months, my orthodontist noticed my teeth shifting to their previous position and recommended tongue therapy.
Though reluctant at first, I gained a newfound confidence through tongue therapy. In the classroom, no longer the last to speak. On the volleyball court, effectively communicating plays and rotations. Tongue therapy allowed me to freely speak my mind.
As my confidence soared, so did my desire to help others. Through Lion’s Heart, I once provided baby supplies to needy families in Santa Ana and noticed a long line forming for the provisions. Realizing many immigrant families were struggling with filling out the forms, I offered to translate for them. Through Chinese and Spanish translation, I not only reduced wait times, but became the voice for those who could not speak, literally.
As a selected participant for Girls Who Code, I found even more voices. Introduced to coding for the first time, I now know more languages, including HTML and JavaScript. I now plan to help others discover their voice. Using technology-based solutions, I will develop innovations for society’s problems. Perhaps, a device that can both translate multiple languages and teach correct pronunciations.
After all, I am a voice, not an echo.
— — —
Example:
“Maybe you haven’t thought about it this way, but shade is an equity issue.” Mayor Eric Garcetti’s quote in the New York Times article “‘Turn Off the Sunshine’: Why Shade is a Mark of Privilege in Los Angeles” changed the way I see the world. The article discusses how socioeconomic and class disparities in LA intersect with climate change in a starkly obvious way: where there’s shade. The local slogan “72 degrees and sunny” describes higher-class suburbs with the luxury of tree-lined streets and parks, but ignores how summer heat suffocates tightly-packed urban neighborhoods, forcing people to search for shade against the sides of buildings.
This article helped me “see the light”—how sunlight defines the Angeleno existence. In my beach-adjacent suburb, small parks dot the town, awnings are abundant, and one street’s tree canopy renders the sky nearly invisible. Neighborhoods that were historically redlined and deemed undesirable still feel the effects—far less shade.
As I now move through LA, I recognize the importance of every tree, courtyard, and bus stop. Lacking shade forces people to change their lifestyles and go out of their way to find (and often create) this basic human necessity.
Shade and equity is an issue I care about, but it’s also an example of how I approach everything—with attention to detail, a hunger for understanding, and deep empathy. Even something as seemingly insignificant as a street-cart umbrella has a deep significance behind it, and recognizing that is key to bettering society and achieving understanding.
— — —
General Tips:
Choose a theme that you know you can generate 10 items for. You may come up with a clever, niche theme (Ex.: Best Sci-Fi Board Games that Start with the Letter X and End in the Letter Z—okay maybe that’s too niche).
Think of each item on your list as a little window into your soul. Each one should reveal a new bit of information about who you are. By the end, the reader should be able to look back at the list and specifically pinpoint some of your interests, values, or experiences.
Be clever and funny, but don’t push it. Short-answer questions like these are a great time to show your creativity, but don’t try to make something work if it’s not coming naturally to you.
Example:
Top 10 Reasons Science Fascinates Me
1. Peristalsis: a weird bodily function allowing us to swallow when upside down.
2. Injecting oneself with a virus in order to build antibodies… and it works!
3. DIY sparklers: lighting different metals on fire and watching them burn a rainbow.
4. A mere 0.01 percent difference in genes is what makes each human unique.
5. Evolution shows how valuable 0.1% of genetic material is in differentiating humans and chimpanzees.
6. Babies have 100 more bones than adults, now 208 bones allow movement and blood cell production.
7. At 4 weeks old, embryos still grow tails that later get dissolved by white blood cells.
8. The idea of taking someone else’s healthy organs and putting them in your body might just save your life one day.
9. Cancer: mutations and cell growth, damaging tissue and weakening the immune system.
10. Cognitive abilities: What neurological functions allow certain memories stick in our heads rather than others?
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Aim for variety. On this author’s list, she’s includes some scientific phenomena, a few quirky science facts, and some random objects that remind her of science. Not all of these are the same “type” of thing (like they’re not all people or places). That’s okay. In fact, it’s cool. She’s thinking about science in terms of objects and ideas. For her, science is a multifaceted discipline that operates on many different levels. That’s something you can communicate through the types of items you put on your list.
Get nerdy. The best part about this is that the author is totally geeking out. She has a deep love for biology and neuroscience, which she highlights through the details she chooses. However, she doesn’t use too much scientific jargon. The key to success here is to temper that nerdiness with language that’s accessible.
End strong. The last item on your list is your last impression on your reader, so make sure it’s a good one. The end of this piece is a question. In theory, that might not seem like a powerful ending, but it actually works really well for this author. She’s a curious person, someone who’s drawn to possibilities and ideas. By ending with a question, she emphasizes that she has a curious spirit and wants to keep grappling with interesting ideas in the future. It serves her piece well. Concluding with a question may not make sense for you, but keep in mind that an ending doesn’t have to be conclusive to be powerful.
Now you’ve got all the brushes and tips you need to paint a beautiful, detailed picture of yourself in your Wake Forest supplementals.
Special thanks to Luci for writing this blog post.
Luci is an audiophile and storyteller with a love of all things radio and writing. In the wild, you might catch her struggling through a NY Times crossword puzzle, snuggling her abnormally fluffy dog Oreo, or saying her favorite expression “cool beans.” Crosswords, cute dogs, cool beans. What more could you ask for?
Top values: Interpersonal connections | humor | openness to new experience
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