How to Write the Agnes Scott College Essays 2024-2025
Agnes Scott College is a private women’s liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian church, located in downtown Decatur, Georgia. It is considered one of the Seven Sisters of the South, a group of prestigious liberal arts colleges in that region of the United States.
If you can’t wait to become a Scottie, read on to learn how to answer Agnes Scott’s supplemental essay prompts! Want to know your chances at Agnes Scott? Calculate your chances for free right now.
Agnes Scott College Supplemental Essays
Prompt 1: Please tell us why you chose to apply to Agnes Scott College? (50-100 words)
Prompt 2: Agnes Scott’s innovative SUMMIT experience teaches our students that leadership is more than a position. Describe a quality of leadership that you have learned in high school and how you wish to apply that quality in the future. (100 words)
Prompt 3: As part of Agnes Scott’s SUMMIT experience, our courses focus on seeing the world from a global perspective, and our students have the opportunity to do so first-hand during their SUMMIT Journeys trip in their first-year. What is a global issue that is important to you, and how can you imagine yourself addressing that issue during your time at Agnes Scott? (100 words)
Prompt 4: Tell us about a leader you admire. Who are they and how have they influenced you? (100 words)
Prompt 5: If you could visit anywhere, where would you go and why? (No word count provided)
Prompt 6: What’s your favorite book you have read outside the classroom (not assigned reading) and why? (No word count provided)
Prompt 1
Please tell us why you chose to apply to Agnes Scott College? (50-100 words)
This prompt is the quintessential “Why This College?” prompt. However, the word count is a lot shorter that the standard length of around 250 words; you’re only given 50-100 words to express the reasons behind your interest in Agnes Scott College. Therefore, you don’t have the room to respond to this prompt with generic sentiments lauding the breadth of curriculum offered by a liberal arts college. You need to focus in on why you specifically gravitated towards Agnes Scott. Before writing, we highly recommend you do some research, such as on the school’s website.
One approach is digging into your prospective major’s departmental offerings and available concentrations. On Agnes Scott’s website, there is a hyperlink to every major, minor and other areas of study. These links provide valuable information such as student learning objectives and course requirements. Zero in on the unique opportunities Agnes Scott offers to set yourself apart from other applicants.
Bad example: Agnes Scott’s astronomy program appeals to me because I have always been fascinated with the physics of outer space.
Good example: I am really intrigued by Agnes Scott’s astrophysics major, especially the hands-on component. I can see myself embarking on research projects within Bradley Observatory, watching my studies in real time at the observing plaza or the Delafield Planetarium.
While the former response may be true, it is vague and doesn’t mention a resource specific to the school. Alternately, the latter response illustrates an authentic interest Agnes’ unique offerings while giving specific details that makes their journey to Agnes more realistic in admissions officers’ minds.
Another potential inclusion in this type of essay is mentioning an extracurricular or social activity. College isn’t only about academics, but also what you do outside of the classroom. Find ways to tie Agnes’ offerings into your existing interests. By bridging your current self with your potential future self, you show genuine interest in Agnes’ specific programs. For instance, you could say: “I spend my free time watching Black Widow and Wonder Woman in action in one of my many comic books. However, it’s not often that I meet someone as invested in the world of comics as I am. Therefore, I look forward to joining Agnes’ Excelsior! Comic Book Club.”
Prompt 2
Agnes Scott’s innovative SUMMIT experience teaches our students that leadership is more than a position. Describe a quality of leadership that you have learned in high school and how you wish to apply that quality in the future. (100 words)
This prompt has a very small word count limit, so “show, not tell” is much harder to accomplish here. It says to describe at least one quality, but we recommend you stick to one, or two related, qualities in order to save room in your response for developing your thoughts fully. After you settle on a quality, draw from your own experience and show how you came to realize that it was integral to being a good leader. One approach is to talk about good or poor leadership you have witnessed:
Bad example: One quality of leadership that is really important is compassion. It is a good rule of thumb to be compassionate to others because you never know what they are going through. If you do not have compassion for others, you cannot lead them in good faith.
Good example: My teachers often dismissed those who did not bring basic school supplies as disorganized. I agreed with this leadership style until I noticed that some classmates were more worried about their next meal than pencils and highlighters. This made me realize compassion, not stringent rules, are key to leading effectively.
While the first example is generic, the second talks about a specific instance that changed your stance on a topic, demonstrating your personal growth as a result of observation. You can also talk about your direct experience with leading:
Bad: I led my Girl Scout troop on a difficult hike on some cliffs near our town. Although the hike pushed us to our mental and physical limits, the feeling of accomplishment we felt from showing courage made it a leadership quality that I will cherish forever.
Good: Staring at the steep incline before us, my Girl Scout sisters let out a collective sigh. The hike was difficult and morale was down, but I refused to quit. Leading with courage, I forged ahead, setting the example and giving words of encouragement until we reached the Sunset Cliffs’ peak.
Even small acts of leadership, like giving encouragement during a hike, can demonstrate leadership. When you adopt a narrative-like quality, it pulls readers into your response, making it more vivid and memorable.
Prompt 3
As part of Agnes Scott’s SUMMIT experience, our courses focus on seeing the world from a global perspective, and our students have the opportunity to do so first-hand during their SUMMIT Journeys trip in their first-year. What is a global issue that is important to you, and how can you imagine yourself addressing that issue during your time at Agnes Scott? (100 words)
This prompt is asking a lot, and giving you very little room to answer. You need to pick a topic that is fairly specific in order to set yourself apart from other applicants, yet general enough to be considered a global issue. However, you don’t necessarily have to flesh out the perfect plan to solve it. Rather than thinking about what global issue you want to solve and how, reflect on why you want to solve it. A good response will cater to the generality of “global issue” while maintaining the overall specificity of you as an individual. There are a couple of ways to structure your response this prompt: specific-to-general or general-to-specific.
For example, you can take an instance specific to yourself and then reference it on the global scale.
Example: With my curly hair, painted nails, and dark complexion, people never guess that my dream career is to be a civil engineer. After experiencing discrimination in my STEM classes, I will work to bridge the global gap so that everyone feels as though STEM is an option for them.
Or, you can take a global issue and then describe how it applies to you.
Example: While physical health is a universal priority to most, mental health often takes a backseat. Learning coping methods for my anxiety has inspired me to campaign for other’s mental health and wellness, and I plan to continue shedding light on this topic during college and beyond.
Prompt 4
Tell us about a leader you admire. Who are they and how have they influenced you? (100 words)
This prompt is asking you to describe a leader in your life, someone you look up to. This person can be someone you know personally, such as a family member or teacher – or, it can be someone you have never met, such as a famous historical or political figure, fictional character, or celebrity.
Since the word count is 5-100 here, we recommend you give more rather than less. Use up as much space as possible in order to craft a compelling story. Use imagery and specific details regarding how you came to know of this person, or how you came to realize that they were an important role model for you. Make sure to answer both parts of the question: (1) Who is this person to you? And (2) What tangible changes have you made as a result of learning about them?
Did learning about Susan B. Anthony encourage you to talk to the administration about sexism in your school’s dress code? Does seeing Mindy Kaling on-screen inspire you to join the entertainment industry, a space that Asians usually don’t occupy? Has Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation inspired you to start conversations around mental health in your family? Does your older brother inspire you every day by overcoming the challenges of being differently abled?
Start by talking about why this person, specifically, is important to you – consider how you identify with them and why you see them as a role model. Then, describe the concrete ways you have changed as a result of their existence and/or actions. Did you start a project or an activity? Did you embark on a new way of thinking? Showing rather than telling with vivid imagery will provide your essay with the authenticity needed to establish the connection between you and the person you choose.
Prompt 5
If you could visit anywhere, where would you go and why?
Since this prompt is only one line, you will need to be brief and direct. Your tone should be more straightforward here. Answer the place that comes most naturally to you, and try to ensure that it is specific enough to be somewhat unique to you.
Here are some examples:
“I’d visit my family’s village in Vadodara, India, to see my great-grandparents again.”
This response shows that you are family-oriented and in touch with your roots.
“I’d go to space so I could be the first astronaut on Mars.”
This response shows you are bold and adventurous.
“I would go to Powell’s Books and spend hours immersing myself in novel after novel.”
This response shows you have a passion for reading.
Prompt 6
What’s your favorite book you have read outside the classroom (not assigned reading) and why?
Like the previous prompt, this one is only one line, so you will need to be straightforward again. Retain specificity and try to maintain your individuality.
Here are some potential responses:
“As an avid sports fan, I found myself heavily invested in the tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”
“I read Matilda several times growing up as I identified with Matilda’s tenacity and her desire to learn.”
“1984 is my favorite book because the parallels between its dystopian world and our own fascinate me to no end.”
Where to Get Your Agnes Scott Essays Edited
Do you want feedback on your Agnes Scott essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool, where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.
Need feedback faster? Get a free, nearly-instantaneous essay review from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!
