The supplemental essays are an essential part of your college application as they help the Admission Committee get to know you better as a person. Although Santa Clara University takes a holistic approach to assessing applications (we look at GPA, extracurriculars, essays, etc.), we want to provide you with a better understanding of how to answer these questions in particular to strengthen your overall application.

Congratulations on taking the first step to being a Bronco! As you begin your journey as a Bronco here at Santa Clara University, we are current students and want to share our recommendations, traditions, and go-to, that we hope you get to enjoy when you step foot on campus. We wish you all a great rest of senior year, a fun-filled summer, and cannot wait to see you on campus in the Fall!

With just around 100 days of summer vacation *cue the Phineas and Ferb theme song*, there is plenty of time to be productive while also enjoying your time away from school. Here are a couple of ways Santa Clara students spend their summers, and how you can spend yours over the next four years:

As a high school senior, I heavily relied on Bronco Exchange in order to meet new people, attend informational events, and ask questions. Whether you’re still unsure about where you want to spend the next four years, or are sure that SCU is your new home, Bronco Exchange can provide you with the resources you need!

There are some things in life that are more challenging for some than others, and for first-generation college students, that is college- and everything in-between. However, college doesn’t have to be a stressful experience for those who are the first in their family to attend. Keep reading for some tips from a first-generation college student and now, alumni, on how to make the best of your college experience!

Less than a year ago, I was a high school senior hunched over my laptop, churning out college essay after college essay. Looking back at my process, there are many decisions I’m glad I made, but many more that I wish I had made. Here’s a breakdown of the top three things I wish I knew as a senior so that you don’t have to make the mistakes I did:

Using the Eight Dimensions of Wellness as a framework, take a moment to recognize yourself as an integrated being in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis (care for the whole person). It is so important to recognize that we cannot show up well in our work, including applications if we are not operating from a place of wellness. While applications are important and will help you achieve your intellectual and financial wellness goals, there are other areas of wellness that can easily take a backseat. Losing sight of these factors can be detrimental to health, quality of life, and even academic performance. So let's look at simple ways we can improve our wellness and show up well in everything we do, even applications! Well: adverb in a good or satisfactory way. adjective in good health; free or recovered from illness.

Don’t be that student! Don’t be the student who submits their application at 11:59 pm the night before it’s due. Why? Highlighted in this article, are two reasons why you should not wait until the last minute to submit your application. Also provided is a helpful deadline reminder guide.

We all agree that a campus visit is the best opportunity to get a firsthand view of a university and what it’s like to be a student. If you’re planning a visit to campus, learn more about what you can do before, during, and even after your visit to ensure you’ve taken advantage of every opportunity!

Do you feel committed to social justice and community engagement? Do you want to be attuned to the world with its human incompleteness and failures? Do you enjoy accompanying people in challenges and opportunities? If so, a Jesuit education is for you!

Does the college application process overwhelm you? Check out this handy checklist that we have put together to help! It even includes a handy Excel template to organize the schools you are applying to.

Are you beginning the college application process? As you browse through college websites, you’ve probably come across a lot of new terms. It can be a bit confusing, especially since universities often have their own vocabulary to explain what they offer. To clear up any confusion, we want to walk you through some terms that we use at Santa Clara University.