What type of student is Spelman looking for?
Spelman's core values
Spelman is a private historically Black women’s college that empowers women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, GA, Spelman offers a holistic education founded on academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and on the intellectual, creative, ethical, and leadership development of its students.
A great way to determine whether you’re a good fit (for any school) is to compare its core values with yours. First, do this quick Values Exercise to identify your core values.
Done?
Now, here are what Spelman lists as its values: “Integrity, Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, Community.” See any that resonate with you and align with Spelman’s? Those are the values you’ll especially want to demonstrate in your application.
How? Keep reading.
Before jumping into it, though, check out Spelman’s website to get a better idea of what kinds of students it’s seeking. You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, in its Common Data Set. For insights into Spelman College’s values, read its mission statement and strategic plan to learn more about how the school envisions its role and how it wants to grow and evolve.
What are the admission requirements for Spelman College?
Transcript requirements
| Units Required | Units Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Academic Units | 16 | 19 |
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Mathematics | 2 | 4 |
| Science | 3 | 6 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 |
| Social studies | 2 | 3 |
| History | 2 | |
| Academic electives | 1 |
Average test scores for Spelman
Here are the statistics for the Fall 2020 Admitted Student Profile:
Average GPA: 3.77 (weighted)
Average SAT: 1182 (ERW + M)
Average ACT: 24 composite
Number of Applicants: 9136
Number Admitted: 4799
It’s important to note that Spelman has suspended the standardized testing requirement for students applying for the class of 2025. Students who choose to apply to Spelman without test scores will not be disadvantaged in the review process. However, Spelman will continue to accept SAT and ACT scores. Spelman super scores both the SAT and ACT to provide students who choose to submit test scores with the most favorable composite score.
The personal statement
A personal statement is an essay in which you demonstrate aspects of who you are by sharing some of the qualities, skills, interests, and values you’ll bring to college. To understand what the personal statement is, it’s helpful to imagine your entire college application as a human body. The personal statement is the metaphorical “heart”—it captures the essence of who you are as a person and what motivates you, both academically and personally. See more on the personal statement below.
Letters of recommendation
Spelman considers letters of recommendation of the highest importance, right up there with your GPA, personal essay, and character. Because of that, you’ll want to make sure this component of your application is as thoughtful and compelling as the rest. We share more information below on how to ask for letters of rec, and when.
Financial aid
Financial aid is a key consideration when applying to college, and we go into more detail below on what to keep in mind when applying to Spelman. Applying for financial aid at Spelman begins (as it does for most universities) with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA® , which opens on October 1 each fall. Aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, and since October 1 is earlier than many Early Decision or Early Application deadlines, this will probably be the first official college application document you submit!
Online Application
A completed application for new first-time applicants includes:
Completed Common Application
Personal statement
Two letters of recommendations (one letter must come from your current school)
Official high school transcript
Official college transcript (if applicable)
Spelman offers three plans for new first-time applicants:
Early Decision
Application Deadline: Nov. 1
Decision Notification: Dec. 15
Confirm Decision: Jan. 31
This plan is binding and, therefore, best suited for the applicant who’s decided early in the college search process that Spelman College is clearly her first choice.
Early Action
Application Deadline: Nov. 15
Decision Notification: Dec. 31
Confirm Decision: May 1
This plan is non-binding. If admitted, these applicants are not required to withdraw applications at other institutions.
Regular Decision
Application Deadline: Feb. 1
Decision Notification: April 1
Confirm Decision: May 1
All required application materials must be submitted by Feb. 1.
Applications received after the deadline are considered on a space-available basis.
Application Fee
$40 online application fee or valid application fee waiver
How to apply to Spelman College
Using the Common App + Writing the personal statement
Essentially, college admission officers are looking for three things in your essay:
Who is this person?
Will this person contribute something of value to our campus?
Can this person write?”
Ideally, your essay will communicate these answers to the above questions:
An interesting, versatile, dynamic student (and human) with much to offer the Spelman community, as evidenced by this fabulous essay.
An enthusiastic yes—check out all the ways.
Ta-da!
Personal statements differ from a typical five-paragraph, argumentative English class or research essay in a few ways. While class essays are meant to showcase how a student thinks, personal statements should illustrate how students think, feel, work, play, and live. This means that, unlike most English class essay assignments, personal statements are great spaces to confidently use “I” statements, get a little vulnerable, and show the reader who you really are.
A great personal statement contains all these qualities and helps the reader:
Feel closer to and empathize with you
Identify your insights on your past experiences and growth
Recognize your values
See the time, process, and craft that went into your final draft
How best to structure your statement depends on your topic and the answers to the following questions: 1) Do you feel like you’ve faced significant challenges in your life … or not so much? And 2) do you want to write about them? (Because, to clarify, you don’t have to write about a challenge you’ve faced. That is a common misconception. But it is definitely a misconception.)
If you said no to either or both parts, then the Montage Structure is what you’ll probably want to try. (Here’s a guide to the Montage Structure, and here’s a guide to brainstorming a montage topic.) If you said yes to both parts, then a Narrative Structure is most likely to work for you. (Here’s a guide to the Narrative Structure, and here’s a guide to brainstorming a narrative topic.)
Regardless of which structural approach you choose, you’ll want to do some thorough brainstorming, and these exercises are a great place to start.
For more on the differences between narrative and montage and on the whole personal statement writing process—including links to great example essays that worked—check out our recent blog post here.
Now, let’s take a look at some differences between narrative and montage by analyzing a sample of each.
Example 1: Narrative
“Salasha!” My parents called from upstairs. My grandfather named me: ‘Sa’ for Saraswathi, ‘La’ for Lakshmi, and ‘Sha’ for Shakthi, the Hindu goddesses of knowledge, prosperity, and power respectively. This meaning behind my name created the central mantra of my life: knowledge provides the power to become prosperous. Little did I know that answering my parents’ call to come upstairs would lead me to discover that the father I admired and loved was not my biological father. This knowledge rendered an indomitable feeling of powerlessness in me.
It didn’t make any sense. But it did, all the same. All those vague memories of being present at my parents’ wedding, those times where I was denied access to the old photo albums--the pieces seemed to now come together. My first barrier of defense was to falsely claim that I somehow knew it all along. I was determined to be strong in front of my parents, to nonchalantly brush this off as a part of the past.
I may have tried to fool my parents, but I wasn’t fooling myself. My brother was now my half-brother, my grandmother was suddenly my step-grandmother, and so on for my “father’s” entire family. I was devastated and no longer recognized myself. Who was I? Where did I come from? Why do I deserve this? These questions plagued me for the next few years.
So, I immersed myself in fictional tales. I found synergy in the estranged child genius Artemis Fowl and the passionate fight for minor emancipation in My Sister’s Keeper. I discovered a quiet, strong power in books that empowered me with all the knowledge I thought I needed to take care of myself. Nevertheless, a part of me knew that closing myself off from real human connection was only a coping mechanism to ‘protect’ myself from insecurity and distrust.
While I was creating my own fictional solitary version of a family, I was also beginning life in a brand new school. Looking up from books one day I found myself in an assembly run by an overly energetic yet welcoming group of people known as Leadership. With cheers reverberating in my ears that night, I accepted what I had been brushing under the carpet for so long--I genuinely missed being a part of something larger than myself. Leadership showed me a model of family that I wanted to participate in: honesty and assertive communication.
Leadership has taught me confidence, but also how to find power in vulnerability. I slowly regained my ability to trust other people, which in turn lead to bursting out of my self-imposed bubble, including my current position as Senior Class Vice President.
Though I still engage in solitary acts, I now discern a clear line between being alone and being lonely. I go to concerts alone, but I see it as a connective experience. In a room full of strangers, we are all bonded by sharing the same joy. Learning to share my solitude with others felt like inhaling petrichor: the smell of the earth after rain, when everything is completely cleansed. I learned also, to connect with my family again. Intentionally distancing myself didn’t do anyone any good, including me. Ironically, a whole journey that started with a betrayal of trust has made me more trusting.
And so I carry my name sometimes as a blessing and sometimes as a burden. I take strength from those goddesses, and have been able to gain an inkling of their wisdom. I may not have the power to rewrite my past, but I do have the power to control how I navigate the future and the ability to feel connections with people that I have yet to meet. This to me is the very essence of prosperity.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Succinctly describe compelling challenges + effects. In the first three paragraphs, this student shares a personal challenge and its external consequences. She shows some of her feelings in that section, but more directly shifts to her internal journey. If you know you’ve experienced some significant change but you’re not sure how to describe it, or how much it’s affected your decision-making and growth, use our Feelings and Needs Exercise to get started.
Focus on both showing and telling what you did and learned. The temptation (and pitfall) with narrative essays is to make the story of the challenge itself the main focus of your personal statement, squeezing in your reflections at the very end. It’s more difficult (and effective) to condense that story to an appropriate contextual length (probably about one-third of the word count) so you can spend more words highlighting what you did in response to the challenge and the ways it changed or reframed your behavior and thinking—which is what admission officers want to read. To answer the questions that plagued her, this author “ immersed [herself] in fictional tales” while acknowledging that she “genuinely missed being a part of something larger than [herself].” As a result, she joined Leadership and “regained [her] ability to trust other people, which in turn led to bursting out of [her] self-imposed bubble.” Remember that you’ll want around two thirds of the essay to focus on what you did and what you learned.
Show insight by answering the question, “so what?” The final paragraph really brings this essay home by highlighting the bigger picture. It answers the “so what” question because it shows that she took the lessons she learned during a difficult part of her life and applied them more broadly—i.e., a story that began with a betrayal of trust made her more trusting and empowered her “to control how I navigate the future and the ability to feel connections with people that I have yet to meet.” After writing your first draft, go back through it and make sure you’ve clearly shown what you’ve done to act on your reflections and exercise your values.
Example 2: Montage
Apparently, I have a natural “mom vibe.”
On my volleyball team, I am team mom in every way. As a natural worrier, I like to make sure that everyone has all of their necessities: knee pads, water bottle, hair elastic, uniform. Did everyone go to the bathroom before leaving on the bus? Did we count to make sure that all fourteen of us are here? Does anyone want an apple slice? Over my many years of playing volleyball, I have learned how to play every position well enough to fill in for any member of my team, whether that’s front, back, libero, setter, or hitter, so that I can always be there for my team in a pinch.
A few years ago, I transitioned from looking after only my teammates to also helping actual children. I started volunteering at my former elementary school as a teacher’s assistant. I guide third graders through difficult word problems or sentence structures, sometimes translating the lesson to Mandarin for the Chinese students who are struggling with English. I live for that moment when the impossible suddenly becomes possible and I see a student use what they just learned correctly without any assistance.
I love helping kids ask big questions, and think about how to solve them, because it reminds me of how my parents guided me. Ever since I can remember, every time my father and I are alone on a long trip, we ask each other questions and the other has to answer with scientific evidence. Do birds have eyelids? Why is gelatin gelatinous? What does schizophrenia look like in a brain? I love thinking about how things work from the molecular level all the way up to the mechanical level.
During a recent internship, I had the opportunity to ask big questions through research, a step beyond the guesstimating I was used to doing in my dad’s CRV. The team I was working with was conducting studies focused on treating alcoholism. My job was to “clean up” the data, or make it more readable. I sifted through spreadsheets, digging for the important data and piecing everything together logically. Knowing that my contribution would have a positive impact on people’s lives was incredibly meaningful.
I’ve always enjoyed putting things together like a puzzle. As Chief Layout Editor of my school newspaper, I help my designers compile every edition. Like a real-life game of Tetris, every article must fit perfectly with the other articles around it, lined up into evenly lengthed columns. No matter how much experience a graphic designer has, no one gets all of their articles laid out nicely on the first try. We solve every edition by trial and error, which often results in lots of frustration, but no amount of frustration can surpass the pride and satisfaction once we have all the pages compiled and printed.
As a pediatrician, I will be able to strengthen and use all these parts of me. I will have the chance to treat a multitude of illnesses and injuries and problem solve my way through each one. Each day, I will be able to think critically and scientifically to give families possible solutions and peace of mind about their child’s health. I hope to continually expand my knowledge as medicine advances and ask big questions by frequently participating in research. Hopefully I’ll be able to work with a great group of peers in a clinic and in public health. I want to find new solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, and finally, use all of my skills and qualities to help better the lives of others.
Plus, as a pediatrician, I will be able to take care of children who cannot always advocate for themselves, so my mom instinct will be one of my greatest assets.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Convey your values throughout your personal statement. Note how the author infuses each paragraph (whether directly or indirectly) with a mix of values: responsibility, a desire to help others, curiosity, connection, expertise, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, to name a few. That Values Exercise we linked earlier can help you find the ones that resonate with you (and with Spelman). You can reflect your values in several ways—by establishing the values as they relate to the core of who you are, the values around a certain theme or topic, and/or even the values you aspire to embody someday.
Reveal insight and growth about your experiences. Remember that admission readers need to be reassured throughout your essay that you’re going to be a great asset to their campus, and showing your awareness of your own growth and development is a great way to do that. Note how almost every paragraph of this sample essay answers the question, "so what," in a compelling way. Like this: “I live for that moment when the impossible suddenly becomes possible.” And this: “I love thinking about how things work from the molecular level all the way up to the mechanical level.”
Commit to craft. Because this student chooses aspects of her life that mostly relate to children and young people, it makes her intro and conclusion language choices that much more suitable and engaging. “Apparently, I have a natural “mom vibe” becomes “Plus, as a pediatrician, I will be able to take care of children who cannot always advocate for themselves, so my mom instinct will be one of my greatest assets.” That’s a good way to show craft, but there are almost infinite ways to do so. Ultimately, you’ll want to be sure it’s clear to your reader that you’ve spent time revising and refining, and that your phrasing choices are well-considered. Don’t know if your essay is crafted well once you’re on draft 3 (or 10)? Take this Great College Essay Test.
Writing the Spelman Supplemental Essay
Why are you interested in attending Spelman College? We encourage you to consider the academic, historical, and social aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Spelman. (125-200 words)
This is a super short “Why us?” essay.
Because it’s so short, the key will be finding 2-3 reasons that set the college apart from all the other schools you’re applying to.
Here’s the “Why us?” essay guide—the Cornell and UPenn examples are especially strong.
Here’s the short version of how to write the “Why us?” essay:
Spend 1 hr+ researching reasons why this college might be a great fit for you (ideally 3-5 of the reasons will be unique to Spelman and connect back to you).
Make a copy of this chart to map out your college research.
Create an outline for your essays based on either Approach 1, 2 (recommended), or 3 in the full guide above.
Write a first draft!
As you write, try to avoid these common mistakes:
Six Common Mistakes Students Make on “Why Us?” Essays
Mistake #1: Writing about the school's size, location, reputation, weather, or ranking
Mistake #2: Simply using emotional language to demonstrate fit
Mistake #3: Screwing up the mascot, stadium, team colors, or names of any important people or places on campus
Mistake #4: Parroting the brochures or website language
Mistake #5: Describing traditions the school is well-known for
Mistake #6: Thinking of this as only a "why them" essay
We don’t have an essay written for Spelman, but here’s a great sample essay for this kind of prompt:
Example:
Columbia cultivates a focus on diversity of intellect, research, art, and tradition that brings me home.
At North Carolina Governor’s School, the My Lai Massacre, determinism vs. free will, and epistemology were just a few of the topics we discussed in seminars. During the 5.5 week program, I asked myself countless questions: How should we define truth and knowledge? What principles would rule the ideal society? How does Plato’s Allegory of the Cave apply to my experiences? Similar to that found at Governor’s School, the discourse surrounding the Core forges a sense of community and curiosity that will allow me to delve further into these inquiries. In fact, the Contemporary Civilization course closely resembles the GS focus on the investigation of relevant political, moral, and social issues. Further, the flexibility to take unique courses such as Cognitive Mechanics and Economic Behavior and Research Ethics & Philosophy will allow me to gain a clearer understanding of the connections between my chemistry research and impactful societal, religious, and technological decisions and realities.
The research opportunities at Columbia are unparalleled. The SURF program will allow me to further my knowledge of the applications of chemistry by delving into research in a laboratory at Columbia. I hope to build upon my research in catalysis through work in Dr. Robert Farrauto’s lab, which places a refreshing focus on environmental sustainability through catalysis engineering.
Outside of the classroom and the lab, whether it be through CU China Dance or Raw Elementz, I hope there is a stage in NYC that will embrace my dancing. Further, the tree-lighting, hot-chocolate drinking, and acapella singing that occur each year are just a few of the many traditions that strengthen the Columbia community–ones that I want to be a part of.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Identify unique opportunities at Spelman. The prompt is asking you kindly not to write about its location, or its friendly students, or any other quality you could ascribe to hundreds of other schools. You can tell this student spent a good deal of time doing her research. The great thing about a “Why Us?” essay is that once you’ve compiled your research, it almost writes itself.
Follow the formula. This essay answers the question using a template that’s very basic, and we don’t mean that pejoratively. The writer gives us “example + personal connection” over and over again. Her examples include most of the “Why us?” greatest hits: In the author’s own words, “intellect, research, art, and tradition.” So, find specific coursework and research opportunities and faculty that align with your (hopefully specific) interests, extracurriculars that nourish your creative side, and campus culture-y things you identify with. Then put these in an order that makes sense to you. And don’t forget:
Make it personal. Even though she packs a lot of research into these 291 words, this is not a merely expository essay. We learn a lot about what matters to her and what stokes her curiosity—the intellectual vitality leaps off the page. That string of questions she asks herself do a lot of the legwork early on.
Remember, “Why us?” = Why Spelman + Why Me. Another great thing about this essay is the way the writer matches her own values with Spelman’s. As important as identifying your own values is identifying those of the schools you’re applying to, and connecting the two in ways that show the two of you are compatible.
Getting letters of recommendation
Besides getting an early start on brainstorming possible personal statement topics, you’ll want to request the two required letters of recommendation as early as possible.
Like, REALLY early. Spring of your junior year is an option. Three weeks before the due date is the minimum. The earlier you ask, the more your teachers or counselors will love you for it (and the better equipped they’ll be to write recommendations that sing and meet the deadline).
We recommend you use this step-by-step guide to ask for a letter of recommendation (complete with scripts and email templates). Prefer the SparkNotes version? Here you go:
Choose recommenders who know you well (and who like you), including someone who teaches a core subject and who taught you recently.
Ask for letters early and (if at all possible) in person.
On the same day you ask, send a follow-up email with your resumé, helpful reminders, and abundant gratitude.
Do whatever additional work your recommenders ask you to do in a timely manner so they can write the best letter possible.
Applying for financial aid
Here are a few tips to consider when applying for financial aid.
Tip #1: Fill out the FAFSA. The federal government uses the FAFSA to see whether you qualify for some of the over $150 billion in aid available. But many state governments, private institutions, and colleges use it to see whether you qualify for state and institutional scholarships too. So do.
Tip #2: Apply early. Yes, we know. This is the same advice everyone gives you about everything. But with financial aid, it’s especially important. Some reasons:
A. FAFSA now opens October 1 instead of January 1, allowing you to get your Student Aid Report (SAR) in time for early-action or early-decision notifications.
B. While FAFSA money doesn’t “run out” as many people believe, money sometimes does run out for scholarships and colleges that use the FAFSA for granting financial aid packages. The early bird gets the $$$.
Tip #3: Apply for institutional scholarships. Many schools, including Spelman, automatically consider you for merit and institutional scholarships. But many schools offer scholarships that must be applied for separately and often require earlier application dates, additional essays, and separate interviews. For example, Spelman offers the Bonner Scholars Program to qualified applicants. Be sure to look for these opportunities by contacting the financial aid offices of schools you're applying to.
Tip #4: Apply for outside scholarships. You’d be surprised how few students actually put in the time and effort to apply for these and how easy it is to actually get them. With smaller scholarships that are less than $2,000, sometimes the quantity (or the number of scholarships) that you apply for is more important than the quality (or in this case, the size) of the scholarship. USA Today explains the 11 best websites for finding outside scholarships here.
Conclusion:
With a storied history tracing back to 1881, Spelman College continues to make a name for itself in the realm of higher education. In the 21st century, women’s colleges have collectively become some of the most inclusive institutions in the United States, and unsurprisingly, Spelman and others have recently experienced something of a renaissance, establishing their growing role as an essential force in the world of higher education. If you’re looking for a school that fosters unity and empowers its students to become global leaders of social change, Spelman could be a great match for your college plans.
Special thanks to Jon for writing this post
Jon (he/him) knows the value of writing from a place of personal truth. As a classically trained theater artist, he is committed to crafting authentic stories that reflect the range of human experience.
Top Values: Mindfulness | Adaptability | Self-Expression
