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Essays Prompts

  • Below is the complete set of essay prompts for 2024-2025. (650 words)​

    1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.

    2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

    3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

    4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

    5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

    6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

    7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

  • While there is no perfect length for an essay, we recommend that you aim for 500 to 650 words.

    1. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

    2. What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?

    3. Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?

    4. Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?

    5. What success have you achieved or obstacles have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

    6. Submit an essay on a topic of your choice

  • American University Supplement Essay

    American University students identify as changemakers and describe themselves as passionate. Describe a belief, hobby, idea, issue, or topic about which you’re excited. (250 words max)

  • Babson College Supplement Essay

    - The Babson education prepares students for all types of careers across business, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and more. Tell us about your interest in this area of study and in Babson specifically. (500 words max)

    We invite you to submit your answer in either essay OR video format. If you choose to submit a video, please limit your response to a 1-minute video, which can be submitted via a shared link to YouTube or another video hosting website. Please ensure your video is set to public and is accessible to the Admission Committee.

    - A defining element of the Babson experience is learning and thriving in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives and interests. Please share something about your background, lived experiences, or viewpoint(s) that speaks to how you will contribute to and learn from Babson's collaborative community. (250 words max)

  • Boston College Supplement Essay

    We would like to get a better sense of you. Please respond to one of the following prompts (400-word limit). Applicants to the Human-Centered Engineering major will select the fifth prompt.

    1. Each year at University Convocation, our incoming class engages in reflective dialogue with the author of a common text. What book by a living author would you recommend for your incoming class to read and why would this be an important shared text?

    2. At Boston College, we draw upon the Jesuit tradition of finding worthwhile conversation partners. Some support our viewpoints while others challenge them. Who fulfills this role in your life? Please cite a specific conversation you had where this conversation partner challenged your perspective or you challenged theirs.

    3. In her November 2019 Ted Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warned viewers against assigning people a “single story” through assumptions about their nationality, appearance, or background. Discuss a time when someone defined you by a single story. What challenges did this present and how did you overcome them?

    4. Boston College’s founding in 1863 was in response to society’s call. That call came from an immigrant community in Boston seeking a Jesuit education to foster social mobility. Still today, the University empowers its students to use their education to address society’s greatest needs. Which of today’s local or global issues is of particular concern to you and how might you use your Boston College education to address it?

    5. Human-Centered Engineering (HCE) Applicants only: One goal of a Jesuit education is to prepare students to serve the Common Good. Human-Centered Engineering at Boston College integrates technical knowledge, creativity, and a humanistic perspective to address societal challenges and opportunities. What societal problems are important to you and how will you use your HCE education to solve them?

  • Boston University Supplement Essay

    Boston University is dedicated to our founding principles: “that higher education should be accessible to all and that research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice should be conducted in the service of the wider community—local and international. These principles endure in the University’s insistence on the value of diversity in its tradition and standards of excellence and its dynamic engagement with the City of Boston and the world.”  With this mission in mind, please respond to one of the following two questions (300 words or less)
    1. Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it?
    or
    2. What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community?

  • Brandeis University Supplement Essays

    Brandeis was established 75 years ago to address antisemitism, racism, and gender discrimination in higher education, and today, the university remains dedicated to its founding values of inclusivity and justice. How has your educational experience shaped your perspective on these values? (250 words max.)

    For International Students Only 
    What excites you the most about being an international student at Brandeis University? (250 words max.)

  • Brown University Supplement Essay

    - Brown's Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about any academic interests that excite you, and how you might pursue them at Brown. (200-250 words)

    - Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community. (200-250 words)

    - Brown students care deeply about their work and the world around them. Students find contentment, satisfaction, and meaning in daily interactions and major discoveries. Whether big or small, mundane or spectacular, tell us about something that brings you joy. (200-250 words)

    Help us get to know you better by reflecting briefly on each of the questions below. We expect that answers will range from a few words to a few sentences at most.

    What three words best describe you? (3 words)

    - What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it? (100 words)

    - If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be? (100 words)

    - In one sentence, Why Brown? (50 words)

  • Carnegie Mellon University Supplement Essays

    - Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 word maximum)

    - Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience? (300 word maximum)

    - Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please). (300 word maximum)

  • Columbia University Supplement Essays

    Applicants are asked to respond to Columbia-specific questions to tell the Admissions Committee more about their academic, extracurricular and intellectual interests. These questions provide insight to your intellectual curiosity, habits of mind, love of learning and sense of self. They also allow the Admissions Committee to learn more about you in your current community and why you feel Columbia’s distinctive experiences in and out of the classroom would be a good fit for your undergraduate education. We review your responses to these questions as an essential part of our holistic and contextual review, in order to get a fuller sense of you as a unique individual beyond the standard parts of the application.

    For the list question that follows, there is a 100-word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:
     
    - Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons.
    - Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order.
    - It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications.
    - No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.
     

    - List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy. (100 words or fewer)

    ​

    - A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer)

     

    - In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant's ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words or fewer)

    ​

    - Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (150 words or fewer)

    ​

    - What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College? (150 words or fewer)

  • Cornell University Question 

    We all contribute to, and are influenced by, the communities that are meaningful to us. Share how you’ve been shaped by one of the communities you belong to. 
    Remember that this essay is about you and your lived experience. Define community in the way that is most meaningful to you. Some examples of community you might choose from are: family, school, shared interest, virtual, local, global, cultural. (350 words max)

  • Dartmouth College Supplement Essays

    Required of all applicants, please respond in 100 words or fewer:
    - As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s Class of 2029, what aspects of the college’s academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you?

    ​

    Required of all applicants, please respond to one of the following prompts in 250 words or fewer:*

    - There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today.

    - “Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised. “Everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself.

    ​

    Required of all applicants, please respond to one of the following prompts in 250 words or fewer:

    - What excites you?

    - Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta recommended a life of purpose. “We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things,” she said. “That is what we are put on the earth for.” In what ways do you hope to make—or are you already making—an impact? Why? How?

    - In “Oh, The Places You’ll Go,” Dr. Seuss invites us to “Think and wonder. Wonder and think.” Imagine your anticipated academic major: How does that course of study sync with Dr. Seuss’s advice to you?

    - The social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees have been the focus of Dame Jane Goodall’s research for decades. Her understanding of animal behavior prompted the English primatologist to see a lesson for human communities as well: “Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right.” Channel Dame Goodall: Tell us about a moment when you engaged in a difficult conversation or encountered someone with an opinion or perspective that was different from your own. How did you find common ground?

    - Celebrate your nerdy side.

    - It’s not easy being green…” was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity, outlook or sense of purpose?

    - Buddy Teevens ’79 was a legendary and much beloved coach at Dartmouth. He often told parents: “Your son will be a great football player when it’s football time, a great student when it’s academic time, and a great person all of the time.” If Coach Teevens had said that to you, what would it mean to be “a great person”?

  • Davidson College Supplement Essays

    - There are just under 4,000 4-year colleges and universities in the United States. Being as specific as possible, what interests you most about Davidson College (250-300 words)

    - Davidson encourages students to explore curiosities in and out of the classroom. What is a topic, activity or idea that excites you? Tell us why. Examples may include hobbies, books, interactions, music, podcasts, movies, etc. (250-300 words)

  • Duke University Short Essays

    What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you?  If there's something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 word limit)

    We want to emphasize that the following questions are optional. Feel free to answer one or two if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application. Five optional questions are available - a maximum of 2 can be selected.

    Please select 0 - 2 optional essay topics. 

    1. Perspective response
    We believe a wide range of viewpoints, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.

    2. Intellectual experience
    Tell us about an experience in the past year or two that reflects your imagination, creativity, or intellect.

    3. Beliefs & values
    We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?

    4. Orientation, identity, expression
    Duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community.

    5. Being different
    We recognize that not fully “fitting in” a community or place can sometimes be difficult. Duke values the effort, resilience, and independence that may require. Feel free to share with us circumstances where something about you is different and how that’s influenced your experiences or identity.

    ​

  • Emerson College Supplement Essay

    - As you know, the academic programs at Emerson College are focused on communication and the arts. Please tell us what influenced you to select your major. If you're undecided about your major, what attracted you to Emerson's programs? Please be brief (100-200 words).

    - Please respond, briefly in 100-200 words, to one of the following:
    "Much of the work that students do at Emerson College is a form of storytelling. If you were to write the story of your life until now, what would you title it and why?"  OR  “At its best, how does community benefit the individual, the whole, or both?”

  • Emory University Short Essays

    - What academic areas are you interested in exploring at Emory University and why? (200 words Max)

    Please answer one of the following questions: (150 words max)

    - Which book, character, song, monologue, or other creative work (fiction or non-fiction) seems made for you? Why?

    - Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.

    - Emory University's core mission calls for service to humanity. Share how you might personally contribute to this mission.

    - Emory University has a strong commitment to building community. Tell us about a community you have been part of where your participation helped to change or shape the community for the better.

  • Fordham University Short Essays

    You may choose to answer one (1) of the optional questions below.  Keep in mind that your response is a maximum of 300 words.  Choose the question that you think will help the admission committee get a better understanding of your unique perspective and potential contributions to our community.

    - At Fordham, we expect students to care for and engage with their communities and be active citizens for positive change. Please share an experience you had that caused you to develop a new perspective, change your point of view, and/or empower you to take an action or be courageous. Your response should include examples of your personal growth (e.g., what did you learn, did your point of view change, did you develop new skills or strengths?).

    - Fordham, as a Jesuit university, recognizes the dignity, uniqueness and potential of each person. A Fordham education is student-centered and rooted in close collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. Describe how you would contribute to our campus community as an actively engaged learner and leader. Specifically draw on your personal story, identity, experiences, strengths, and perspectives.

    - Our motto is “New York is my campus, Fordham is my school.” New York City is a diverse and global city that provides Fordham students with a special kind of educational experience, full of both challenge and opportunity. What has prepared you to embrace the unique opportunity of living and learning in New York City?

    - Is there something that you are proud of that you would like to share with the Admission Committee?

  • The George Washington University Supplement Optional Essays

    Every applicant can choose from one of the following two essay prompts to submit. (500 words)
    Essay Prompt 1
    At the George Washington University, our students frequently interact with policymakers and world leaders. These experiences and those of our alumni can shape the future of global affairs. If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why? 
    Essay Prompt 2
    The George Washington University encourages students to think critically and to challenge the status quo. Thus, civil discourse is a key characteristic of our community. Describe a time when you engaged others in meaningful dialogue around an issue that was important to you. Did this exchange create change, new perspectives, or deeper relationships?

  • ALL APPLICANTS: Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight.
     

    Short Essay (Approximately one-half page, single-spaced)
    ALL APPLICANTS: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
     

    Essay One (Approximately one page, single-spaced)
    ALL APPLICANTS:  Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents.
     

    Essay Two (Approximately one page, single-spaced)
     

    APPLICANTS TO THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES: Founded in 1789, the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and productive research in the natural science, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Describe your interest in studying at the College of Art & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or language are encouraged to make specific references to their choice of major.
     

    APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING: Georgetown University's School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown University.
     

    APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF HEALTH: Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at  Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science.

    ​

    APPLICANTS TO THE WALSH SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service.

    ​

    APPLICANTS TO THE MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS:  Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University.

  • Georgia Tech Essay

    Georgia Tech’s guidance on how to approach or utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application is here.  We also provide further advice and recommendations specifically about AI use for our Personal Essay.

    Why do you want to study your chosen major and why do you want to study your major at Georgia Tech? (300 words)

  • Harvard University Short Answers

    The following required five short answer questions invite you to reflect on and share how your life experiences and academic and extracurricular activities shaped you, how you will engage with others at Harvard, and your aspirations for the future. Each question can be answered in about 100 words.

    1. Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?(150 words max)

    2. Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience? (150 words max)

    3. Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (150 words max)

    4. How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? (150 words max)

    5. Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. (150 words max)

  • High Point University Short Questions

    1. At High Point University, we often describe our students as “doers.” Over 25% of your work as an HPU student will involve putting ideas and theory into practice. To help us understand your interest in this style of learning, please describe a hands-on project or experience that was meaningful to you. (50 Word Limit)

    2. Our research shows that employers and graduate programs seek students who demonstrate life skills such as motivation, coachability, strong communication, emotional intelligence, a growth mindset, and many others. Many of these skills are related to how we connect with other people. Please share a story of a meaningful travel experience where you connected with people from a different background than your own.. (50 Word Limit)

    3. Inspired by our Innovator in Residence, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, we define creativity as doing things differently and innovation as doing things better. From what you’ve learned during your college search, where have you seen innovation at HPU, and why does that make you want to attend? (50 Word Limit)

  • New York University Optional Essay

    In a world where disconnection seems to often prevail, we are looking for students who embody the qualities of bridge builders—students who can connect people, groups, and ideas to span divides, foster understanding, and promote collaboration within a dynamic, interconnected, and vibrant global academic community. We are eager to understand how your experiences have prepared you to build the bridges of the future. Please consider one or more of the following questions in your essay:
    ·      What personal experiences or challenges have shaped you as a bridge builder?
    ·      How have you been a bridge builder in your school, community, or personal life?
    ·      What specific actions have you taken to build bridges between diverse groups, ideas, or cultures?
    ·      How do you envision being a bridge builder during your time at our university and beyond? (250 words)

  • North Carolina State University Supplement Essay

    Discuss any other obstacles and/or hardships that you have encountered that have affected you personally or academically and how you dealt with them. (250 words max)

  • Northwestern University Supplements Essay

    We have designed these writing supplements to help us understand your experiences in high school and imagine what kind of Northwestern student you may become. The supplemental questions below touch on areas we see as important for building Northwestern’s Class of 2029, but you should feel free to repurpose essays you've written for other applications (including the Common Application personal essay, which we no longer require) if they tell the story you'd most like to share.

    We also know there may be information or qualities not covered in our supplemental questions that you see as important to your application. To that end, we welcome-but by no means expect-your submission of a personal essay or additional information in the Common Application.

    The following question is required for all applicants. Please respond in 300 words or fewer:

    We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background (your identity, your school setting, your community, your household, etc.) have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricular, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise? (fewer than 300 words)

    ​

    We encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two of the following questions. Please respond in fewer than 200 words per question:

    1)  Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?

    2)  Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?

    3) Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.

    4)  Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why?

    5)  Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?

  • Penn State University Optional Personal Statement

    This is your opportunity to share something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records. Tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at Penn State.
    While the Personal Statement is not required, it is highly encouraged. (650Words Max)

  • Princeton University Essays

    1. Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you? (500 words or fewer)

    2. Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals? (250 words or fewer)

    More About You
    Please respond to each question in     50 words or fewer. There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!

    • What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?

    • What brings you joy?

    • What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

  • Respond in 250 words or fewer.

    1. How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom?

    2. Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected.

  • Rice University Supplement Essays

    1. The Admission Committee is interested in getting to know each student as well as possible through the application process. Please respond to each of the following prompts.

    Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected above. (150 words max)

    2. Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you? (150 Words max)

    3. The Rice Box: In keeping with Rice’s long-standing tradition, please share an image of something that appeals to you.

    4. If you would like to upload a resume, you may do so now or at a later time.

  • Stanford University Short Questions

    1. What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 words max)

    2. How did you spend your last two summers? (50 words max)

    3. What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 words max)

    4. Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 words max)

    5. List five things that are important to you. (50 words max)

    6. The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. (250 words max)

    7. Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate – and us – get to know you better. (250 words max)

    8. Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University. (250 words max)

  • Syracuse University Short Essay

    Syracuse University is a place that seeks to be welcoming to all – and has been since our founding. Explain why you are interested in Syracuse University and describe a personal experience in which you persevered through adversity, rejected discrimination, learned a lesson, or were inspired by the courageous actions of others and how you will apply what you learned to our community in a positive way. (250 words max)

  • Tulane University Short Essay

    Describe why you are interested in joining the Tulane community. Consider your experiences, talents, and values to illustrate what you would contribute to the Tulane community if admitted.
    This statement should be 250 words at most; however, it is neither necessary nor expected that you reach this maximum length. We strongly encourage you to focus on content and efficiency rather than word count. While submitting this prompt is optional, we recommend that all applicants do so.

  • University of Central Florida Supplement Essay Prompt (optional)

    Why did you choose to apply to UCF? (250 words max)

    What qualities or unique characteristics do you possess that will allow you to contribute to the UCF community? ( 250 words max)

  • University of Chicago Supplement Essays

    Choose one of the six extended essay options below and upload a one- or two-page response. Please include the prompt at the top of the page. Past extended essay prompts can be found on our website.

    1. We’re all familiar with green-eyed envy or feeling blue, but what about being “caught purple-handed”? Or “tickled orange”? Give an old color-infused expression a new hue and tell us what it represents. – Inspired by Ramsey Bottorff, Class of 2026

    2. “Ah, but I was so much older then / I'm younger than that now” – Bob Dylan. In what ways do we become younger as we get older? – Inspired by Joshua Harris, Class of 2016

    3. Pluto, the demoted planet. Ophiuchus, the thirteenth Zodiac. Andy Murray, the fourth to tennis's Big Three. Every grouping has something that doesn’t quite fit in. Tell us about a group and its unofficial member, why (or why not) should it be excluded? – Inspired by Veronica Chang, Class of 2022

    4. "Daddy-o", "Far Out", "Gnarly": the list of slang terms goes on and on. Sadly, most of these aren’t so "fly" anymore – “as if!” Name an outdated slang from any decade or language that you'd bring back and explain why you totally “dig it.” – Inspired by Napat Sakdibhornssup, Class of 2028

    5. How many piano tuners are there in Chicago? What is the total length of chalk used by UChicago professors in a year? How many pages of books are in the Regenstein Library? These questions are among a class of estimation problems named after University of Chicago physicist Enrico Fermi. Create your own Fermi estimation problem, give it your best answer, and show us how you got there. – Inspired by Malhar Manek, Class of 2028

    6. And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun!

  • University of  Florida Additional Question

    Please provide more details on your most meaningful commitment outside of the classroom while in high school and explain why it was meaningful. This could be related to an extracurricular activity, work, volunteering, academic activity, family responsibility, or any other non-classroom activity. (Min 100/250 mas words)

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    Innovation Academy

    Discuss why you are interested in becoming a UF Innovation Academy student and how it will influence your professional career path. 
    Please use a maximum of 300 words in your essay for full consideration.

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    Honors Program

    As Albert Einstein once said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Reflecting on this, what academic subjects, learning opportunities, or extracurricular activities are you most excited to engage in during your college experience? How do you imagine or hope the UF Honors Program will help feed your curiosity and help you achieve your aspirations?
    Please use a maximum of 400 words in your essay for full consideration.*

  • University of Georgia Short Questions

    1. The transition from middle to high school is a key time for students as they reach new levels of both academic and personal discovery. Please share a book (novel, non-fiction, etc.) that had a serious impact on you during this time. Please focus more on why this book made an impact on you and less on the plot/theme of the book itself (we are not looking for a book report).

    We are not restricting you to the exact years of 8th-9th grades, but rather the general timeframe of the middle to high school transition, which can extend somewhat further than one year on each end. Feel free to use your discretion in your choice of the timeline focused on the shift to your high school years. (350 words max)

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  • University of Miami Supplement Essay

    Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the University of Miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. The University of Miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute.
    Please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive University community. (250 words max).

  • University of Michigan Essays

    1. Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (Required for all applicants; minimum 100 words/maximum 300 words)

    2. Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (Required for all applicants; minimum 100 words /maximum 550 words)

  • University of Pennsylvania Supplement Essays

    1. Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words)

    2. How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)

  • University of Richmond Supplement Essay

    We want to hear your voice and your story, as well as provide space for you to share more about your interests, passions and experiences. Please select one of the following prompts to address: (650 words)
    Prompt 1 
    You have a platform to create change. What is an action or policy you might propose to address an issue of social injustice in your school or local community, or on a national or global scale?
    Prompt 2 
    Tell us about a time you learned something unexpected. What did you learn, and what happened next?
    Prompt 3 
    Richmond welcomes students from various backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. What is at least one way you will contribute to our community that is not already mentioned in your application?

  • University of Virginia Optional Essay

    Optional: If you have a personal or historic connection with UVA, and if you’d like to share how your experience of this connection has prepared you to contribute to the University, please share your thoughts here.  Such relationships might include, but are not limited to, being a child of someone who graduated from or works for UVA, a descendant of ancestors who labored at UVA, or a participant in UVA programs. (100 worrds)

  • Wake Forest University Short Essays

    We welcome the opportunity to get to know you beyond the numbers. You are invited to answer any, all, or none of the following optional short-response questions.

    In Brief:

    1. List five books you've read that intrigued you. ​

    • Title

    • Author

    2. Tell us what piques your intellectual curiosity or has helped you understand the world's complexity. This can include a work you've read, a project you've completed for a class, and even co-curricular activities in which you have been involved. ( 150 words)

    3. Dr. Maya Angelou, renowned author, poet, civil-rights activist, and former Wake Forest University Reynolds Professor of American Studies, inspired others to celebrate their identities and to honor each person’s dignity. Choose one of Dr. Angelou’s powerful quotes. How does this quote relate to your lived experience or reflect how you plan to contribute to the Wake Forest community? (300 words)

    4. Give us your Top Ten list. (The choice of theme is yours.)
    ​

  • Yale University Short Essays

    Why Yale?
    What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

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    Please respond in no more than 200 characters (approximately 35 words or fewer), to each of the following questions: 

    1. What inspires you?

    2. If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be?

    3. Other than a family member, who is someone who has had a significant influence on you? What has been the impact of their influence?

    4. What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application?

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    Yale Essays: Please respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer. Please indicate the number of the prompt you choose. 
    1. Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful?
    2. Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. Why is this community meaningful to you? You may define community however you like.
    3. Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?

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