Williams College does not require any supplemental essay responses on its application, except for an optional written paper on a topic of the applicant’s choice. Read on to find out more about this unorthodox supplemental essay option, and how applicants to Williams College in 2026-2027 should best navigate it.

2026-2027 Williams College Supplement: Optional Written Paper

Williams doesn’t ask its applicants to respond to any supplemental essays. Instead, it gives the option (although optional never truly means optional in the case of elite college admissions, as any Williams applicant worth their salt will jump at the opportunity to show Williams the strength of their argumentative skills) to submit a written paper, whether one that was graded in a classroom or not, in lieu of supplemental material.

The Optional Writing Supplement reads as follows:

Williams does not require a writing supplement. However, some students feel they do their best writing in an academic context rather than through narrative pieces like admission applications. If you are interested in submitting an example of your academic writing, please submit a paper on any topic of your choice. It need not be graded, and may be an in-class handwritten assignment.  We ask that you include a description of the assignment or prompt. Please do not submit lab reports.

So, what academic paper should you plan on submitting to Williams? One that tackles a subject related to your singular hook, of course! For those of you who don’t follow Ivy Coach’s admissions blog, your singular hook is the topic that forms the narrative throughline of your entire college application. It is typically the discipline, passion, cause, art form, or interest that you’ve devoted the most time to during your high school career. So, if your singular hook is history, you might consider submitting an essay from your APUSH class that earned you a resounding A. 

However, if your singular hook is not something you were ever able to address in a classroom setting, simply pick a paper you submitted that earned top marks and demonstrates your ability to write an argumentative essay with clarity, conviction, and a firm grasp on the English language. As for sharing the grade you received on this essay, you need only do so if it was an A (or the academic equivalent for your high school)!

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Your Williams College Application

If you’re interested in optimizing your odds of admission to Williams College, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch with an outline of our college counseling services for seniors, which include helping you pick and revise a written paper for the Williams’ Optional Writing Supplement.