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With a combined essay word count of 750 words, you're competing against 42,000 other seniors vying for admission to one of the most competitive colleges in the US. To succeed, it's essential to understand Harvard's values, mission, and academic strategic plan. Again, a crucial aspect of this essay prompt is your connection to Harvard's community. The university encourages applicants to highlight the people, places, and experiences that have shaped their identity and made them stand out. This is your chance to showcase how your unique upbringing and background will enable you to make significant contributions to the Harvard community. While brainstorming ideas for this essay, it may be helpful to focus on various aspects of your life, such as your community, family, or extracurricular activities. Don't forget to include specific examples that demonstrate how these experiences have prepared you to contribute positively to Harvard. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you craft an effective \"community\" essay: 1 . Identify the communities and identities that are significant to you. 2. Use the BEABIES Exercise, which will be discussed in more detail on our website, to generate ideas for your essay content. 3. Research how you can contribute to Harvard's community by engaging with its resources and initiatives. 4. Choose a structure for your essay: either a narrative or montage approach. 5. Write a first draft and refine it based on your research and ideas. For example, consider the following essay: Aside from my love of bagels, my Jewish heritage has allowed me to become more involved in my community, including joining activist groups and creating a website about Holocaust education. My family's history during World War II has made this issue deeply personal for me. I've since become an educator on the Student Leadership Board of the Seattle-based Holocaust Center for Humanity. This experience connected me with like-minded individuals and helped us build a website sharing the story of a Holocaust survivor. I aspire to infuse my passion for cultural heritage into vibrant visual content that resonates with a broad audience. By joining Colgate, I hope to immerse myself in an environment that not only shares my affinity for Jewish culture but also celebrates diversity and fosters meaningful connections with individuals from diverse backgrounds. In this essay, the applicant skillfully weaves their Jewish identity throughout their narrative, showcasing its profound influence on their life choices and commitments. This approach is commendable, as it encourages applicants to highlight unique aspects of themselves that set them apart and enable them to contribute to the Harvard community. Similarly, for the Harvard prompt, it's essential to shed light on the facets of one's background that have shaped their identity. The applicant provides concrete examples of how their cultural heritage has impacted their decisions and pursuits. For instance, they vividly describe their journey in Jewish activism, illustrating the significance of their background in driving meaningful actions. To strengthen their essay, the writer could further explore how they intend to nurture their identity at Harvard, highlighting ways in which their background, values, and commitments align with the university's vision. In another example, an applicant shares a story about an American Asian Affinity Space that brought together students from diverse backgrounds, illustrating that diversity can be found even among those who appear similar. By exploring these differences, individuals can continue learning from each other, even when they share common experiences and values. At Harvard, the writer could build on this idea by joining or creating student clubs, volunteering at local museums, or finding innovative ways to connect with students who share a similar background, ultimate","cbCaioE9vUvP096H","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaioE9vUvP096H","pdf",334013,"English","# Community essay prompt strategy\n## Idea generation and community identification\n## Researching contributions to Harvard\n## Choosing narrative or montage structure\n## Drafting and refining with examples","[{\"question\":\"What is the key goal of the Harvard “community” supplemental essay?\",\"answer\":\"The essay should show how your identity has been shaped by people, places, and experiences and how you will contribute meaningfully to Harvard’s community.\"},{\"question\":\"What steps are recommended to craft an effective community essay?\",\"answer\":\"Identify significant communities and identities, use the BEABIES Exercise to generate ideas, research ways to contribute to Harvard, choose a narrative or montage structure, then draft and refine based on your research.\"},{\"question\":\"How can you strengthen your essay using evidence?\",\"answer\":\"Include specific examples that demonstrate how your experiences prepared you to contribute positively, such as activism, leadership roles, volunteering, or building spaces for shared understanding.\"}]","Harvard Community Supplemental Essay - Step-by-Step Guide and Examples | PDF",1790080656]