How to strengthen your Temple application

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Best application round for you

EA gives you an early decision without a binding commitment. Same or slightly better odds than RD.

What Temple weights most

Temple favors applicants with strong ties to Philadelphia and demonstrated civic or practical engagement, such as sustained community service, local internships, or work experience. They weigh upward grade trends and course rigor in context of public high school curricula more than top-tier test scores; applicants from under-resourced schools or with clear professional focus in business, media, or education have an advantage. Admissions is relatively forgiving on lower test scores if the applicant shows concrete, relevant experience and clear vocational purpose.

Supplemental essay strategy

For the "why Temple" or program-specific prompts, name specific Temple resources and explain how you will use them, for example Fox School programs or labs, the Klein College media production facilities, or partnerships with Philadelphia hospitals and schools. Cite local Philadelphia opportunities you plan to leverage, such as internships with Temple Health, on-campus media outlets like The Temple News or TUTV, or community projects in North Philadelphia, and connect them to past experience and a concrete first-year plan.

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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 Temple (search official admissions site or Reddit r/temple). 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.