»Tips for Completing Your Undergraduate Application

You've worked hard, and you want to put your best self forward. These tips help Admission teams get to know you — what you'll bring to the classroom and to campus life.

The advice below covers the general sections of the Common App. Most of the advice below covers the general sections of the Common App, and can help with applications to any school on your Common App list. 

Apply via Common App 

 

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Your activities

• Tell us how you spend your time. Describe each activity so we understand your role. Did you lead a club or hold a formal position? Focus on your impact, not just your tasks.
• Substance beats volume. A short list you're committed to says more than a long one you're not. What matters is that you showed up, not that you filled every line.
• Don't leave out jobs or family responsibilities. Caring for a sibling or working a shift tells us who you are and how you spend your time. So list them — that work is important, too, and we want to see it.

 

Your essay

The essay is where you share how you think, what you value and who you are beneath the surface. Your grades and activities can't show that. Your essay can.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Use your words wisely. Your accomplishments already show up elsewhere. Save this space for what they can't show.
• Don't hand it over to the adults. We can tell when a parent or coach wrote it. The real you is who we want to meet.
• Don't overthink it. One honest, specific story beats a polished one that sounds like everyone else.

Chapman doesn't require a supplemental essay. If another college does, give it real time. Those essays usually carry serious weight in the decision.

 

Your letter(s) of recommendation

Why is a letter of recommendation important? A recommendation letter lets us hear from someone who knows you well. It's outside validation — so who you choose, and how you prepare them, both matter. Be strategic — this is your one outside voice.

• Pick a teacher or counselor who can speak to the story you're telling across your application. Aspiring pre-med? Choose someone who can speak to that goal. 
• Choose someone who can speak to your most recent work, most likely an 11th- or 12th-grade teacher.
• Don’t just pick the teacher who likes you, or the one you like the most. 
• Don't ask a family member. A letter needs a voice from outside your home.
• Ask them formally, and ask early. They need at least a few weeks, so don't wait until the deadline.
• Once they say yes, talk with them. Tell them why you chose them, and give them a few talking points, so they can write something specific to you and your ambitions.

Chapman requires just one letter of recommendation. If your major requires a Creative Supplement, we encourage a second one from someone who can speak to your creative work.

 

Creative Talent Applicants

Many arts and performance programs let you submit a portfolio, audition or reel alongside your application. At Chapman, several programs require a Creative Supplement, each with its own prompts and deadlines.

• Show range, but keep it tight. A focused selection beats a full archive.
• Follow each program's format and deadline exactly. If it asks for a two-minute video, don't go over. Those limits are intentional, and following them is part of the evaluation.
• If your major requires a Creative Supplement, we also encourage a second recommendation from someone who can speak to your creative work.

 

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Have any questions? Reach out to the Admission Office at admission@chapman.edu 

When you're ready, apply via Common App