How to strengthen your Hobart and William Smith Colleges application

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What Hobart and William Smith Colleges weights most

Hobart and William Smith prioritize students who demonstrate engaged, collaborative learning and a clear fit with a small liberal arts environment tied to the Finger Lakes, particularly those with interests in environmental science, sustainability, or experiential education. They weigh demonstrated interest in campus culture and extracurricular depth heavily, so applicants who show sustained leadership in niche programs (outdoor education, interdisciplinary research on water systems, theater at the Colleges' CoEE) and clear ability to contribute to close-knit residential life do well; academic credentials are moderately important, but contextualized upward for students from smaller schools or nonselective backgrounds.

Supplemental essay strategy

For the why-us or supplemental essays, reference concrete Hobart and William Smith offerings: mention specific faculty, the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Studies, the Geneva internship network, or the Colleges' unique coordinate system (two colleges with shared campus governance) and explain how you will use those resources in a particular project or major. Avoid vague praise of "small classes" - instead cite a professor, a course number or recent student research, and a campus program you plan to join, showing you understand the Colleges' interdisciplinary and lake-focused opportunities.

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Where to focus next

If you only have time for one thing this month, do this:

1. Read 2 admitted-student essays from Hobart and William Smith Colleges (search official admissions site or Reddit r/hobartwilliamsmith). Notice the level of specificity — that's the bar.
2. Write the ‘why this school’ supplement first, before anything else. If you can't fill 250 words with school-specific reasons, pick a different school.
3. Find one current student to ask about their experience — admissions offices often connect prospective applicants with current students. The follow-up email becomes specific essay material.