各個學校自己的Common Application Supplement (補充申請表)里通常要求一篇Second Essay，題目各不相同。例如：

Second Essay (一般都是不超過500詞的作文)

Yale U要求的Second Essay

Second Essay (required)

You have already told us about yourself in the Common Application, with its list of activities, the Short Answer, and the Personal Essay. While we leave the topic of the second essay entirely up to you, try telling us something about yourself that you believe we cannot learn elsewhere in your application. Please limit yourself to fewer than 500 words. Print your essay on a separate sheet of paper marked “Second Essay,” with your full legal name and date of birth at the top, and enclose it with your completed Supplement.

（在Common Application中你已經通過課外活動、Short Answer 、Personal Essay向我們展示了你自己。這篇作文的主動權將全部交給你，你可以自主決定寫任何東西，告訴我們一些從申請文件的其它部分無法了解的你。文章篇幅不多于500單詞。）

Cornell U要求的Second Essay

Cornell U要求的Second Essay更復雜一些，不同院系要求不同的College Interest Essay。如果同時申請了2個學院，那2個學院要求的Essays都要寫。作文篇幅不超過500詞。

College Interest Essay: Please respond to the essay question below (maximum of 500 words) that corresponds to the undergraduate college(s) to which you are applying.

✪College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) develops leaders committed to the improvement of life. Describe how your interest and related experiences have influenced your selection of major and how CALS will prepare you to be a leader in your chosen field.

✪College of Architecture, Art, and Planning:

How does the major you would like to study in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning match your intellectual, academic, and career interests? Discuss any activities you have engaged in that are relevant to your chosen major.

✪College of Arts and Sciences:

Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.

✪College of Engineering:

Engineers turn ideas (technical, scientific, mathematical) into reality. Tell us about an engineering idea you have or your interest in engineering. Explain how Cornell Engineering can help you further explore this idea or interest.

✪School of Hotel Administration:

What work and non-work experiences, academic interests, and career goals influenced your decision to study hospitality management? How will these contribute to your success at the School of Hotel Administration?

✪College of Human Ecology:

What do you value about the Human Ecology perspective and mission as you consider your goals and dreams? Reflect on our majors as you respond.

✪School of Industrial and Labor Relations:

Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. In your essay please address how the ILR curriculum will help you fulfill these interests and your long-term goals.

除以上三個Essays外，Common Application里還有一個備選的Additional Information，如果還有需要補充的信息，可以在這里補充。所以可以在這里提交一個Additional Essay。

4  Additional Information (備選。字數沒有明確限制，但是一般控制在一頁以內，也就是不超過500詞。)

If there is any additional information you’d like to provide regarding special circumstances, additional qualifications, etc., please do so in the space below or on an attached sheet.

需要特別注意的是，在整套申請材料里沒有體現出來的非常有價值的信息，可以通過Additional Information提供。但是一定不要提供重復信息。否則會有副作用。

整套申請材料里的Essays大概就是這些。也有些學校不使用the Common Application，但他們要求的Essays一般都類似于上述題目。例如，University of California(Berkeley and Los Angeles)要求兩篇250-500詞的Essays:

兩篇250-500詞essay:

1 Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. 250-500 words. (描述一下你所處的環境，如你的家庭、社區或學校，告訴我們你的環境是如何影響你的夢想和抱負的。)

2 Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are? *250-500 words. (告訴我們對你來說很重要的一項個人品質、個人能力、個人成就、個人貢獻或個人經歷，并說明這些品質或成就是如何讓你感到自豪的？這些品質和成就對你的影響有哪些？)