The College Counseling Department of SHBS was honored to welcome two admissions officers from top liberal arts colleges in the U.S. and members of California’s renowned 5C Consortium—Mr. Tray from Pomona College and Ms. Eleanor from Claremont McKenna College (CMC). They visited Hongrun Boyuan to deliver a lively and practical supplemental essay workshop for our students!

Even before the event officially began, students had already taken their seats. Many came prepared with preliminary ideas about their dream school essay prompts, eagerly engaging in discussion and asking questions. The atmosphere in the reading room quickly grew warm and energized.

Admissions officer Tray began with an introduction to the Southern California environment where the two colleges are located, then gradually transitioned to the core question—What makes you unique? He further illustrated this with concrete examples, building layer by layer. For instance, if you want to apply for a biology major, there are many applicants with excellent grades who also love biology and enjoy research. Therefore, beyond knowing clearly what you want to study, each applicant also needs to reflect on so what? and why? These are exactly the kinds of points admissions officers hope to see addressed in the “Why Major” portion of the supplemental essays.

Student Sean then asked: “What specific activities or strategies can make us more distinctive?” Tray responded: “Titles and positions certainly help, but what’s more important is how you influence others, impact your community, and even contribute to a global perspective. What admissions offices truly value is how you communicate your worth through real action.”

Eleanor focused on CMC’s supplemental essay prompts and evaluation philosophy. She explained that CMC pays close attention to the individual. Essays should clearly express three aspects: Why CMC? How do you hope CMC will support your goals? And how do you perceive CMC as a school? She emphasized that CMC values the courage to challenge authority, the expression of diverse perspectives, and the qualities of leadership each student embodies—because leadership, at its core, is the ability to communicate, organize, and drive change.

“Who are you? What makes you special? Who do you want to become?” These seemingly simple questions may accompany students not only through high school and college, but well into their lives. This workshop marked an important starting point for students to grapple with these fundamental questions.

The session was highly interactive and content-rich, providing students with actionable and practical essay-writing guidance. This semester, Hongrun Boyuan will continue to invite admissions officers from universities around the world to engage with our students—breaking down information barriers and enabling them to gain first-hand insights and confidence in the application process.