Have you ever watched Shark Tank and thought, “Hey, I could be one of those people with cool ideas that change the world.” If so, Babson College might be the school for you. Located in a Boston suburb of Wellesley, Babson has a decades-long history of innovation and entrepreneurship. Babson’s supplemental essay prompt reflects this desire to think more expansively about what life can look like by giving applicants the option to film a video of its answer rather than write it. As you approach this application, think about how you can leverage either format to best display your unique interests and talents. Remember, like with any business idea, it’s not just about what you’re selling, but how you sell it. If you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help.
Before you start brainstorming, want to get an even better sense of what Babson is looking for? You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. For deep insights into how this private college envisions student success (and how it wants to grow and evolve), read through its most recent self-study report—a simple way to get a strong idea of what Babson values.
What is the Babson College supplemental essay prompt?
Babson College Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
If you have indicated interest in the January Enrollment option, please address why you would like to be a candidate for this option and what you might choose to do in the fall. Please note if you would prefer to enroll at Babson through January Enrollment over Fall Enrollment. (25 -200 words)
Babson College Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
The Babson education prepares students for all types of careers across business, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and more. Tell us about your interest in this area of study and in Babson specifically. (500 words maximum)
Babson College Supplemental Essay Prompt #3
A defining element of the Babson experience is learning and thriving in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives and interests. Please share something about your background, lived experiences, or viewpoint(s) that speaks to how you will contribute to and learn from Babson's collaborative community. (250 words maximum)
How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Babson College
how to write Babson Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
If you have indicated interest in the January Enrollment option, please address why you would like to be a candidate for this option and what you might choose to do in the fall. Please note if you would prefer to enroll at Babson through January Enrollment over Fall Enrollment. (25 -200 words)
Before responding, read the FAQ about January Enrollment at this link. Here’s your chance to be unconventional, to take a risk. What would you do with the extra time before starting classes? If your mind spins with possibilities, or if you already have a solid idea, you may be the perfect candidate for January Enrollment. Note that the rather large range of words allowed (25-200) means exactly what it seems to mean: You can answer more briefly, or if you have more to share, use the full word count. We’d recommend using as many words as it takes to show Babson you’ve carefully considered and researched January Enrollment as an option.
Tips for approaching this essay:
Be specific about your plan. If you already know what you plan to do, great! Go beyond what you envision, and get into the why. Explain, for example, that you want to hike the Appalachian Trail, following Emma Gatewood’s steps and her example of resilience. How would January Enrollment bring this dream to fruition? Take this to the next level by identifying skills you’ll develop.
Be specific about your goal. It’s okay if you don’t have a plan already in place, as long as you have a goal and an idea or two of how you can get there. Maybe public service is your goal and you want to volunteer for a political campaign or advocacy group. Propose ways to get involved, and connect your immediate goal to your long-term goal.
Be specific about the value. Whether you have a plan already in place or you have a set goal to pursue, pitch the value of the experience. Bring in your own values (see the Values Exercise) and connect your ideas to Babson’s values. What aspirations do you have for personal development, and what added value do you hope to bring to campus in January?
how to write Babson Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
The Babson education prepares students for all types of careers across business, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and more. Tell us about your interest in this area of study and in Babson specifically. (500 words maximum)
We invite you to submit your answer in either essay OR video format. If you choose to submit a video, please limit your response to a 1-minute video, which can be submitted via a shared link to YouTube or another video hosting website. Please ensure your video is set to public and is accessible to the Admission Committee.
This is basically a combined Why Major + Why Us essay with an added twist (more on that twist in a bit). It asks you to think about the major you’re applying to and how the specific resources at Babson would set you up for academic success. In this sense, the response is like two connected essays in on—where did your interests stem from, and how does Babson fit with your path forward?
Here’s a look in more detail at each part:
Part 1: “Why Major”
You’ll find a step-by-step guide to writing this essay at this link, which we recommend reading through, but here’s the short version:
Step #1: Imagine a mini-movie of the moments that led you to your interest and create a simple, bullet-point outline.
Step #2: Put your moments (aka the “scenes” of your mini-movie) in chronological order, as it’ll help you see how your interests developed. It also makes it easier to write transitions.
Step #3: Decide if you want to include a specific thesis that explicitly states your central argument—in this case, what you want to study and why. This thesis can be at the beginning, middle, or end of your essay!
As you’re writing, think about how your personal story connects to the resources at U of Rochester. Getting a sense of this will give you an easy segue into …
Part 2: “Why us?”
We recommend checking out our complete guide on how to write the “Why us?” essay—pay close attention to the “Why Cornell” and “Why Penn” examples, which are our favorites.
Here’s the short version of how to write the “Why us?” essay:
Spend 1 hr+ researching 10+ reasons why Babson might be a great fit for you (ideally 3-5 of the reasons will be unique to Babson 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 Babson'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 Babson is well-known for.
Mistake #6: Thinking of this as only a "Why them" essay.
Okay, now for the twist.
Notice that Babson is letting you decide whether to write or record your answer to this prompt. While you might be tempted to opt for the video option to save the time of writing, take some time to think carefully about which format would work best for the narrative you want to tell. Here are a couple questions to consider:
Am I a charismatic and confident speaker?
Do I have video editing skills or experience?
Can I effectively talk about or illustrate the moments/experiences of importance to me in just 1 minute?
What are my core values and strengths (check out our Values Exercise if you’re not completely sure)? Can these values be reflected better through a visual or a written lens?
Does the story I want to tell about myself have a visual/auditory component to it? Would using visuals/audio add nuance to my narrative?
These are just a couple questions to get you started. The goal is just to get you thinking more deeply about your topic and the platform through which you want to talk about it. There’s no right answer here—both formats can work well in different contexts.
Maybe you’re someone who gets stressed trying to act or read a script and prefers having more time to think through your word choice. In this case, going with the written format might make more sense. Or maybe you’re a singer and you want to use song as a way of expressing your identity. That might be a case in which having sound and visuals would add another dimension to your response.
If it helps you choose, try creating a mind map of your topic(s) of choice. Write your topic(s) in the middle of the sheet of paper and start connecting it to other words and phrases. What sensations come to mind when you think of it? What adjectives are evoked? Do you have any personal anecdotes that remind you of your topic? As you begin to flesh out your ideas, you may be able to start connecting the associations with a particular medium of expression.
If you go the written essay route, the example below helps illustrate what a strong response to this prompt might look like.
This is a new prompt for Babson, so we don’t have any examples specific to this school. But this essay, written for the University of Michigan, offers a nice example of how to approach this prompt.
Example:
A Snickers bar is worth less than a dollar to the average person, but in my AP Economics class it is a luxury item worth different amounts to different people. Earlier this semester in the middle of class, my teacher simulated a Dutch auction with us where the item up for auction was a Snickers bar. He started at an outrageous amount of $20 and then started decreasing the price dollar by dollar. When the price was lowered to under $10, everyone was on edge because nobody wanted to overpay for it, or lose out on not getting it. At $8, my friend in the back row of the class yelled, “I’ll take it!” I was shocked because why would someone pay $8 for a Snickers bar, eight times more than it’s worth? His response when asked about why he was willing to pay $8 was, “I was hungry.”
That single class period further piqued my interest in Economics, making me want to study and learn more about Economics in college. I want to major in Economics in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts because I want to know why certain people are willing to pay more than a product’s worth. In particular, I hope in my first year to build on what I learned in AP Economics in Principle of Economics I and Principle of Economics II, specifically on market trends and how markets are affected.
A particular class I look forward to taking is ECON 409 - Game Theory. My aunt started teaching my brother and me how to play poker when I was around twelve years old. In the beginning, she went really easy on us. After we started to learn and play more, she started bluffing. I always got frustrated when she won by bluffing even though I had the better hand, and when I tried to bluff, she always folded, which made me more frustrated. Looking back, I now realize that poker is game theory. If I had a good hand and I wanted to get the most amount of chips I could from my aunt, I needed to bet small so that I could bet more later on in the hand. If I had a bad hand and I wanted to win the pot, I would make a big bet, forcing her to risk a large amount of chips while not knowing whether I had a good hand or not. I want to learn more about game theory and its relation to decision making through this class.
I am excited to be applying to the University of Michigan as it has the attributes of a university where I will thrive. (447 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Chart your path. Something this essay does really well is illustrate for the reader a significant and distinct moment that set them on their path to their intended major. It’s not just that they’re into numbers—they’re also interested in human behavior as it relates to money. The inclusion of this specific example lets the reader know the nuances of their interests in Economics and how a Snickers bar showed them these nuances in action. From there, this student is able to explain how this one moment in time set them up for a clear and specific path in college. We always say you need to show AND tell when it comes to your application essays, and this one nails both in terms of explaining how the writer got to this point.
Show them you’ve done your research. In addition to asking why you’re interested in your particular major, this prompt also asks why you want to pursue this major at Babson College specifically. Paying attention to this part of the prompt can show your reader that you’ve done your homework when it comes to their school, and the sample essay does this well. The writer doesn’t just mention majoring in Econ—they also name three specific courses they’re interested in taking: Principles of Economics I and II and Game Theory (and the story about the reader playing cards with their grandma adds an additional personal touch). In order to craft this part of their response, the writer had to take the time to learn about the school’s course offerings, and this is what the readers want to see.
And note that the student could have gone even further in this regard—adding a few more classes or professors or programs. The right fit is as important to them as it is to you, so anything you can do to show them that you really know the program you’re applying to can help you make your case for acceptance. Colleges and universities are like people in this way… they want their unique qualities to be recognized and valued, and spending time learning about these unique qualities can help you craft a stronger and more educated response to this prompt.
Avoid generalizations and platitudes. Ok, so this is one area in which this sample essay could be stronger, but it’s still helpful to think about why and how. The limited word count makes it difficult to expound on all the virtues of a college or university, but this writer sums up a little too quickly about the virtues of the school they’re applying to. In addition to showing you’ve done your research about your specific major at a specific school, readers also want to get the sense that you know the wider school community, and this sample essay doesn’t quite achieve that (what ARE the qualities that would help this student thrive?) Are you excited to be surrounded by like-minded people at Babson? Tell them so, and show them through really specific Babson details! Do you hope to collaborate with other entrepreneurs? Let the folks at Babson know this is part of what appeals to you about their school. If you say something about school possessing all the qualities you need to thrive, let them know YOU know what those qualities are.
And here’s a bonus example, without analysis, to further illustrate how you can approach this prompt:
Example:
Knowing the board’s layout, what’s the fewest number of dice rolls required to win Snakes and Ladders? After hours of contemplating this Quora question, I solved it by integrating several graph theory algorithms and have been absorbed by computer science ever since. Fulfilling experiences like these power my drive for learning, compelling me to further Michigan pride by taking advantage of the university’s rigorous academics, interdisciplinary clubs, and groundbreaking research.
After studying back-end database querying at a local college, I’ve realized that programming is the tip of the computer science iceberg. Seeking to conceptualize the mathematical optimization underlying many famous languages, I’d love to enroll in Advanced Compilers where I’d thoroughly investigate over 10 distinct compilers rather than just three or four at most universities.
Additionally, in Microarchitecture—a specialized course unavailable elsewhere—I seek to expand my knowledge of multithreaded processors that I’ve gained from hours examining leaked iPhone blueprints.
In robotics, we recently wrote an image-processing and pathfinding algorithm, allowing the robot to self-maneuver within five centimeters of game objects. To achieve this precision, I implemented a four-variable matrix function using regression analysis software to calculate each wheel’s speed. Both Advanced Compilers and Microarchitecture will equip me with the software and hardware intuition to minimize this program's memory consumption.
Similarly, I’ll support the UMich student community by initiating studies and educational programs on cryptocurrency algorithms in Blockchain at Michigan: a club dedicated entirely to my favorite aspect of investing.
Motivated by my own heated arguments from Mock Trial and Model UN, I’d also be thrilled to apply graphical techniques from Information Visualization to start a computational law club, where we’d study methods of legal reasoning automation for today’s overcrowded court systems.
Outside of class, I see myself doing complexity research with Prof. Saranurak in the Theory of Computation Laboratory. Four of his papers detail the powerful applications of deterministic algorithms, which inspired me to skim graduate level textbooks for context. Opportunities like this will quench my thirst for revitalizing the underrated field of theoretical computer science.
Just as with Snakes and Ladders, I’m a fan of maximizing efficiency. Because large dataset compilation can take months or years, I want to become a computer chip optimization researcher. In the Computer Engineering Lab with Dr. Tang, I hope to develop cost-effective chip architecture using my mathematical modeling knowledge and her untraditional, but powerful, hybrid processing strategy. Specifically, I seek to explore ML optimized space-efficient chips that could be installed in traffic lights to decrease ambulance response times through data-driven modeling. This project would be my contribution to UMich’s ideological focus on societal inclusivity. (431 words)
how to write Babson Supplemental Essay Prompt #3
A defining element of the Babson experience is learning and thriving in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives and interests. Please share something about your background, lived experiences, or viewpoint(s) that speaks to how you will contribute to and learn from Babson's collaborative community. (250 words maximum)
The cool thing about this prompt is it tells you in the very first sentence something about Babson’s values. Equity, inclusion, community are at the forefront of their philosophy, and this prompt leaves no doubt about their importance to the school. What this prompt asks of you is to illustrate how these values show up in your own life. As you prepare to answer this prompt, think about the communities of which you are a part. It could be your family, a team, people with the same cultural identity, kids in your neighborhood, the people you see on the bus everyday. The possibilities are endless, so be creative about how you define community.
Additionally, don’t shy away from being honest if you once held a viewpoint or perspective that you don’t anymore. This shows growth, and the important piece is to let the reader know how your current views lend themselves to collaboration.
Finally, pay attention to the last part of the prompt … how will you CONTRIBUTE TO and LEARN FROM the community at Babson? What do you hope to bring to the Babson community? What do you hope to gain? How will you engage? Be as specific as you can (so don’t just say you’ll bring your enthusiasm … let them know what you’re enthusiastic about). Have you heard the saying, “the devil is in the details?” Well, ignore that when it comes to answering this part of the prompt. The more detailed, the better!
This is a new prompt for Babson, but this essay, written for the University of Michigan, offers a nice example of the direction to head, with Tips + Analysis on what it does well and how it could be even further improved.
Example
Unlike most seven year olds, who were probably learning Go Fish for the first time, I was an expert at Cribbage. Me, barely able to see over the dining room table, staring down my opponent, or mom as I call her, and calculating my next ten steps. Throughout my life I have played cards, whether it was with my family, friends, or even alone. I smile over the rim of my mug filled with hot chocolate and mini marshmallows for a late night bonding session with my mom, playing Crazy Eights for the Championship of the World.
At summer camp, I never could have known that an invitation to a card game with mostly unfamiliar faces would create some of my strongest friendships. It is not an exaggeration that we would play cards for more than 6 hours at a time. Even as a counselor, as I walk around the campground, I can still always find a friendly face who had a part in shaping who I am over games of President.
Sitting across from my grandmother, my partner in crime, I sip my decaf cappuccino adorned with a stick of rock candy for our nightly Bridge game. I laugh hysterically when my grandfather bids his hand completely wrong, and high-five my grandmother in celebration of a winning deal. My grandmother's wisdom has always taught me something new, whether it was a bidding pattern I hadn’t learned yet or how to finesse cards from an opponent. Now I teach my friends Bridge with her voice as my guide.
At Michigan I will join the Games and Cards Club and find my people. Playing cards is not just a community I belong to, it has helped me build mine. (289 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Paint the picture. Something we love about this essay is the story it tells. The opening sentences are engaging and humorous, and rather than addressing the prompt by simply repeating the language provided in the application, this writer offers a unique entryway into the idea of community. It can be really challenging to incorporate anecdotes with such limited word space, but if you have a story that sets the stage for the rest of your response, by all means include it! An opening like the one in this essay makes it stand out, and that’s the goal with these short responses.
Define your terms. “Community” is such a big and broad idea, but what’s nice about the wording of this prompt is that YOU get to tell your reader what it means to you. For this writer, community involves laughter, playfulness, friendly competition, and hot chocolate… all because of playing cards. Don’t be afraid to be unconventional when thinking about YOUR communities, but make sure the community you discuss is clear. In the final sentence of this essay, the writer directly states that their “people” are card players, so there’s no question as to who is part of their community. Be just as direct in your own response.
Make sure to address all parts of the prompt. This prompt isn’t just about community but also about collaboration, so don’t forget that part of the question. Once you’ve established your community/ies, the next step is to illustrate how your participation and inclusion in these communities showcases your ability to collaborate. While the author above does highlight specific instances of teamwork and togetherness (teaming up with Grandma to beat Grandpa, spending six hours straight in the company of others, sharing a smile over a cup of hot chocolate), this essay could be strengthened for the Babson prompt by pointing to really specific examples of the Babson community that they want to engage with, to more directly and fully address the “how will you contribute” aspect.
And again, here’s a bonus example, that nicely illustrates how to include some “how will you contribute” details:
It began with an article I read on Jacob Mathis, a convicted assaulter who’d increased his GPA from .77 to 3.27, solved his long-term anger issues, and later attended college. It seemed like a miracle. How did it happen? A program in restorative justice.
Intrigued, I researched restorative justice, a holistic form of therapy that helps victims and bullies understand their emotions. This led me to attending SABLE, the Student Advisory Board on Education in Legislation, where ten students and I flew to Sacramento to lobby our Senate representatives and draft a bill to trial restorative justice programs across California. I was elected to propose the legislation to senators and members of assembly and had the opportunity to stand up for kids lost in the cycle, as I saw value in restorative justice. Luckily, so did California—they endorsed our bill, and Senator Ben Allen took it under his wing.
Little did I know, these experiences would inspire me to bring elements of restorative justice to my personal community.
Whether through comforting patients at doctors’ offices where I interned, energizing my doubles partner during our matches, or even asking my parents for new shoes, I found that the process of evaluating and acknowledging one another’s emotions helped show care, build trust and strengthen relationships. After my interactions with friends and family, I came to see restorative justice techniques as more than just a simple way to respond to others in need—I realized it was actually a form of medicine.
At Vanderbilt, I’m eager to continue my passion for Social justice. Through social and political theory specialist Dr. Charles H. T. Lesch’s course, Justice, I’m eager to broaden my understanding of how equality, individualism, community, and representation play a factor in justice, while through Vanderbilt Students for Progress I hope to expand on my restorative justice techniques, and perhaps share what I’ve learned with others. I also hope to join Life’s a stitch, a “Fun Service Club” where my fellow peers and I can meet to stitch blankets and de-stress. Finally, through the Vanderbilt Prison Project, I look forward to working with students in the criminal justice system and holding restorative justice therapy practices to teaching them how to utilize it in their own lives for the better—just like Mathis.
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Special thanks to Jessica for contributing to this post.
