Read below to figure out how AcceptU’s team of former admissions officers would answer Columbia University’s writing supplement for 2022:

For the three list questions that follow, please refer to the below guidance when answering these questions:

• Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons.
• Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order.
• It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications.
• No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.

List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (75 words or fewer)

This cannot be a repetition of the list from the previous question. Columbia wants to learn more about you by seeing what you’re interested in reading outside of the classroom. Hopefully you’re an avid reader – that will reveal an intellectual curiosity about you.

We’re interested in learning about some of the ways that you explore your interests. List some resources and outlets that you enjoy, including but not limited to websites, publications, journals, podcasts, social media accounts, lectures, museums, movies, music, or other content with which you regularly engage. (125 words or fewer)

Again, be honest here (there are no wrong answers). You could list a newspaper, magazine, blog, cookbook or website. Try and show a connection between the particular publication and an interest or hobby you’ve discussed elsewhere in your application. A strong answer here can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, just as with the previous prompt. Stick to who you are and what you enjoy, whether it’s movies, music, theater or art, for example. The important thing is to continue to reinforce your unique interests and personality to the admissions officer.

Please respond to each of the three short answer questions in 200 words or fewer.

A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (200 words or fewer)

Columbia clearly prides itself on having a diverse, as well as collaborative, student body and faculty. In your response, be very specific and cite examples of how you have already benefited and learned from these types of experiences, if applicable. Describe the perspectives you’ve learned from others, or the results of a team effort; be sure to give the admissions committee an idea of what your role was in that team. 

And if you haven’t had experiences in diverse or collaborative communities, then you should explain what was missing or lacking. Explore this further – what do you think you will learn from others who are different from you? Why? How does that make you feel?

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (200 words or fewer)

Think about what draws you to Columbia – what specifically does the school offer that you see the most value in? What does it offer that no other school can? Additionally, how will you benefit from this? How will this add to your education as a student?

Columbia’s admissions officers are looking for students who will thrive as a result of the resources the school provides.

Please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you noted in the application. (200 words or fewer)

Some applications simply ask the question, What do you want to study and why? Even if you’ve written this essay for another university, don’t just copy and paste it from that other application. Instead, think about how Columbia teaches that subject, or why that major is interesting, unique and different at CU compared to that same major at other universities. And, of course, don’t forget the actual question asked; that is, make sure you speak about experiences that led to your interest in this field of study. Perhaps you can cite not just advanced courses, but also summer activities, a summer community college course or a university course, a research project, an internship, relevant school (or external) clubs, or even a company you founded!

In Columbia’s admissions process, we value who you are as a unique individual, distinct from your goals and achievements. In the last words of this writing supplement, we would like you to reflect on a source of happiness. Help us get to know you further by describing the first thing that comes to mind when you consider what simply brings you joy. (35 words or fewer)

This is a new question for Columbia! It’s very brief – only 35 words at most – so you should not stress too much about it. That said, make the most of this limited space. Don’t overthink it! As the prompt states, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you consider what brings you joy. The admissions committee simply wants to learn something more about you based on your answer. They’re looking for the real you. Do you write about an object? An experience? A daily occurrence? A memory?