The prompt for this supplemental (400 words) is:
Pick a movie or novel where the protagonist makes a difficult choice. Do you agree or disagree with the decision he or she made? Please explain.
Should I answer the question briefly, then try and connect it to my life? Like show how maybe I’ve made a difficult choice similar to the protagonist, and how it has made me a better person?
Have you tried googling the college and supplemental essay? For example: NC State supplemental essays
My son did that when he had a hard time trying to decide how to approach them. There are sites that offer insight in to how to answer and you don’t need to pay for their services. Just a suggestion.
Think about the purpose of these supplemental essays - why is this school asking applicants to answer this prompt? They are hoping to get to know more about who you are as a person, how you think, what makes you who you are.
So to me, the most important part of your answer is the last two words of the prompt - not just who did what, and whether you agree or disagree with the decision. “Please explain.” So yes, the connecting the choice to something in your own life could certainly be one way to explain your answer, and let the college get to know you.
Of course, if you write about a movie or novel that is very obscure, and/or if you don’t pick the protagonist and instead you pick a minor supporting character, you’d be shooting yourself in the foot for failing to follow directions. You’d probably be amazed at how many kids fail supplemental essays this way.
I think that 400 words is plenty of space to include how it connects to your life.
For example, this is 200 words…you would have plenty of space to add more about how it connects to you.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry’s friend Ron Weasley gets jealous of Harry and leaves Harry and Hermione. Ron had been wearing a Horcux that intensified his feelings. Harry then had to make the choice of whether to continue to pursue the other Horcruxes in order to defeat Voldemort, or pursue Ron. On the one hand, Ron has been Harry’s longest and best friend and was his deepest connection to the wizarding world. Ron, Harry and Hermione had been a team that had been battling Voldemort for 6 years. On the other, Ron and the rest of the wizarding and muggle world would be in grave danger if Voldemort wasn’t defeated. Should Harry think of himself and his friend first? Should he track down Ron? Or should they move on and continue their quest without him? In this case, Harry decided to move on without him. He knew it was more important to think of the greater good and continue without Ron, devastating as that was for him. I agree with his decision. He had been giving the directive to destroy Voldemort by Dumbledore, and he knew he had to achieve this goal at all costs.