2026-27 College Supplemental Essay Prompts: 61 Schools, Verified
Last verified: October 22, 2026
Supplemental essay prompts for the 2026-27 cycle are posted at nearly every selective college. This page covers 61 of them. Where a school publishes its prompts, we checked them against its admissions site. Several schools show prompts only inside the Common App, and for those we relied on published 2026-27 guides.
If you're in the high school Class of 2027, these are your prompts. Colleges call you the Class of 2031, which is why Dartmouth and Tufts label their questions with that year.
The short version: the Common App personal essay prompts didn't change, but several big supplements did. Duke now requires two essays. Johns Hopkins replaced its prompt entirely, and Brown cut two short answers. Georgia Tech and UNC-Chapel Hill ask for no supplemental essays.
Colleges can edit prompts mid-cycle, so treat the version inside your application portal as final.
2026-27 Supplemental Essay Prompts by School
| School | What you write for 2026-2027 | Word limit | What changed from 2025-2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| American University | 1 short essay on a belief, hobby, idea, issue, or topic that excites you | Not stated | No change reported |
| Amherst College | Option A: respond to 1 of 3 quotation prompts. Option B: submit a graded junior- or senior-year paper. Option C: reuse your Access to Amherst essay (A2A applicants only) | Option A essay: 350 max | No change |
| Barnard College | Required essay on a woman whose approach differs from yours but who brings people together + a "bold question" short answer | Woman essay: 200–250. Bold question: 50 max | Imagined-conversation essay retired. Both prompts are new |
| Boston College | Choose 1 of 4 prompts. Human-Centered Engineering applicants answer a separate fifth prompt | 400 max | Posted for 2026-27 |
| Brown University | 4 required essays: Open Curriculum, where you grew up, a class you'd teach, and something that brings you joy. PLME applicants write additional essays | Open Curriculum: 150–250. Growing up: 250 max. Teach a class: 100–150. Joy: 100–150 | Restructured. "Three words" and one-sentence "Why Brown" cut. Open Curriculum prompt rewritten around President Paxson's 2025 Convocation address. Teach a Class is now a full essay |
| Bryn Mawr College | 1 essay on something you know to be true about yourself and where that truth came from | 250–500 | No change reported |
| Caltech | 5 essays: academic interests; 1 of 2 "scholarly character" prompts (collaboration or process); 2 of 3 "scientific drive" prompts (learning, pursuing, making); and a "just for fun" question on what you'd contribute to the community | Academic interests: 150–200. Scholarly character: 200 max. Scientific drive: 200 max each. Just for fun: 100–150 | Rebuilt for Fall 2027 applicants |
| Carnegie Mellon | 3 required short answers: why your area of study, how you'll define a successful college experience, and what you want to emphasize | 300 max each | No change reported |
| Clemson University | No supplement on the main application. Honors College applicants write 2 required essays + 1 optional | Main application: none. Honors essays: 650 max each | Posted for 2026-27 |
| Columbia University | 1 list question + 5 short answers (lived experience, disagreement, adversity, why Columbia, why your area of study) | List: 100 max. Short answers: 150 max each | List question now asks for "the titles of" texts. Preamble removed from the lived-experience prompt |
| Cornell University | No university-wide essay. One essay for the undergraduate college you apply to. Engineering asks for 2 longer and 4 short responses | Most colleges: 650 max. CALS: 500 max. Human Ecology: 600 max. Engineering: 200 max (2 essays) and 100 max (4 short answers) | No university-wide question for Fall 2027 applicants |
| Dartmouth College | Why Dartmouth + 1 of 2 prompts + 1 of 6 prompts | Why Dartmouth: 100 max. Choice prompts: 250 max each | Third prompt group cut from 7 options to 6 |
| Duke University | Why Duke + an essay on a community that shaped you, both required. Up to 1 of 3 optional prompts | 250 max each, required and optional | Community essay is now required. AI prompt retired after one cycle |
| Emory University | 1 academic-interest essay + 1 of 4 "get to know you" prompts | About 150 max each | Posted for 2026-27 |
| Fordham University | 1 required Fordham-specific question, answered inside the Common App | Not stated | Posted for 2026-27 |
| George Washington University | Optional: choose 1 of 2 prompts (changing the course of history, or civil discourse) | 500 max | No change |
| Georgetown University | 2 short essays (your most involved activity, a time you met a different viewpoint) + 1 personal essay + 1 essay specific to your undergraduate school | Short essays: 250 max each. Personal essay: 650 max. School essay: 500 max | Now accepts the Common App, as a three-year pilot, alongside the Georgetown Application. Same essays on both |
| Harvard University | 5 required short answers, including the "top 3 things your roommates might like to know" | 150 max each | No change |
| Haverford College | 2 short answers: values you want in your next community, and a topic that excites you intellectually | 150–200 each | No change reported |
| Johns Hopkins University | 1 essay on what you've learned from engaging across differences | 350 max | New prompt. The sesquicentennial "first steps" prompt is retired |
| Lehigh University | 2 required short answers: how you found Lehigh, and something great happening in your life right now. Some programs add a program-fit question | Required answers: 200 max each. Program question: 150 or 200 max, depending on program | Posted. Prompts appear only inside the application |
| MIT | 4 short essays + 4 short responses (fun, someone you admire, a topic you could talk about for hours, generalist vs. specialist) | Essays: about 100–200 each. Short responses: 40–50 each | Restructured. Pleasure Activity and Collaboration prompts removed. New prompt on problems you'd tackle and who you'd tackle them with |
| University of Michigan | 2 required essays: how you'll contribute as a leader and citizen, and why your specific school or college. An optional essay on challenges is also available | Leader and citizen essay: 100–300. School or college essay: 100–550 | No change |
| Northwestern University | 1 required background essay + 1 or 2 of 5 optional prompts | Required essay: 300 max. Optional prompts: under 200 each | Background prompt now says "individual background." Regular Decision moved to January 4, 2027 |
| Notre Dame | 1 essay on your "non-negotiable" college factor + 2 of 4 short answers | Non-negotiable essay: 150 max. Short answers: 50–100 each | Now 2 short answers from 4 options (was 3 from 5) |
| NYU | 1 optional "bridge builder" essay, answering one or more of three questions | 250 max | Minor wording edits |
| University of Pennsylvania | Thank-you note + how you'll explore community at Penn + 1 essay for your undergraduate school. Dual-degree programs add more | 150–200 each | No change reported |
| Pomona College | Academic interest statement + 1 of 3 short-response prompts (community values, an experience outside the classroom, how someone would describe you) | Academic interest: 150 max. Short response: 250 max | Posted for 2026-27 |
| Princeton University | A.B. or B.S.E. academic essay + lived-experience essay + service and civic engagement essay + 3 short answers (a new skill, what brings you joy, your current soundtrack song). Princeton also requires a graded written paper | Academic essay: 250 max. Lived experience: 500 max. Service: 250 max. Short answers: 50 max each | No change |
| Purdue University | 2 required short answers: how Purdue supports your interests, and why your major and campus | 250 max each | No change |
| Rice University | 2 short answers + 1 of 2 community essays + "The Box" image | Academic areas: 150 max. Why Rice: 150 max. Community essay: 500 max. The Box: image, no words | Posted for 2026-27 |
| University of Richmond | Choose 1 of 3 prompts (making a space welcoming, learning by doing, the Spider community) | 350–650 | Posted for 2026-27 |
| Stanford University | 5 short questions + 3 short essays, including the roommate note | Short questions: 3–50 each. Essays: 100–250 each | No change reported |
| Swarthmore College | 2 required short answers: your background and working across differences, and a topic that has fascinated you | 250 max each | No change reported |
| Syracuse University | 1 prompt: why Syracuse is a good match for your interests and goals | Not stated | Two-part prompt retired for a single question |
| Tufts University | How you've engaged with Tufts + 1 prompt for your school or program | Tufts engagement: 75–150. School prompt: 100–200 | Posted for 2026-27 |
| University of California (all 9 campuses) | Choose 4 of 8 Personal Insight Questions. See our UC application guide | 350 max each | No change |
| University of Chicago | Why UChicago + 1 extended essay from the new prompts or any past prompt | No stated limit | New extended-essay options, including the mixed-metaphor and "Mistaken Identity of Acronym" prompts |
| UIUC | 2 prompts on your first-choice major (Undeclared applicants get a separate pair) + 1 more if you list a second-choice major | About 150 each | "Illinois" changed to "UIUC" in the goals prompt. Second-choice prompt gained a lead-in sentence. Regular Decision moved to January 5, 2027 |
| University of Maryland | 6 short answers inside the Common App: five fill-in-the-blank prompts and one on diversity | 650 characters max each (roughly 100 words) | Fill-in changed from "last Monday" to "last Tuesday" |
| UT Austin | 2 required short answers (why your first-choice major, the activity you're proudest of) + 1 optional | About 250–300 each (40-line max) | No change |
| Vanderbilt University | 1 short answer on how your identity, culture, or background shaped your growth | About 250 | Posted for 2026-27 |
| Virginia Tech | 4 Ut Prosim Profile questions | 120 max each | "Principles of Community" preamble dropped from the second prompt |
| Wake Forest University | Required "Why Wake Forest?" + choose 1 of 4 optional prompts | Why Wake Forest: 100 max. Optional prompt: not stated publicly | New required essay |
| WashU | 1 essay on what you want to study and why | 250 max | No change reported |
| UW–Madison | 1 required essay on why UW–Madison and why your major(s) | 650 max (UW recommends 300–500) | No change reported |
| Yale University | Up to 3 academic interests + 1 essay on a related topic + 3 Short Takes + 1 of 3 longer essays | Topic essay: 200 max. Short Takes: 200 characters each (about 35 words). Longer essay: 400 max | "Why Yale?" question dropped. Short Takes cut from four to three |
2026-27 Supplemental College Essay Dropped
| School | What you submit | New to this cycle? |
|---|---|---|
| Carleton College | Common App essay only. One optional "anything missing?" box (250 words) | Yes. The required 300-word essay was dropped |
| Georgia Tech | Common App essay only | Yes. Short-answer question eliminated, announced July 29, 2026 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Common App essay. Applicants to five specialized programs write a program essay | Yes. Both all-applicant essays dropped |
| Santa Clara University | No required supplemental essay. One optional essay in Santa Clara's own portal | Yes. Both required essays dropped |
| Tulane University | Common App essay only | Yes. Essay cut |
| University of Georgia | Common App essay only | Yes. Book essay eliminated |
| University of Miami | Common App essay only | Yes. Announced June 2026 |
| UNC-Chapel Hill | Common App essay only | Yes. Both short-answer questions removed |
| University of Virginia | Common App essay only. Nursing applicants answer one question of about 250 words | No. UVA dropped its general supplement for 2025-26 |
| University of Washington | Common App personal essay | Yes. UW retired its own 650-word essay |
The Biggest Changes From 2025-26
Duke made the largest change among highly selective schools. Last cycle, only "Why Duke" was required. This year, applicants also need to submit a 250-word essay on a community that shaped them and set them apart. Anyone who drafted from a summer guide wrote one essay too few.
Johns Hopkins dropped the sesquicentennial "first steps" prompt for a single 350-word question about engaging across differences. A first-steps draft won't fit it.
Brown went from six pieces of writing to four essays. The "three words" answer and the one-sentence "Why Brown" are gone. Teach a Class grew from a 100-word answer into a 100–150-word essay, while Joy shrank to 100–150 words.
MIT removed its Pleasure Activity and Collaboration prompts and added four 40–50-word short responses. One of them asks whether you're a generalist or a specialist, which is a harder question in 50 words than it looks.
Dartmouth and Notre Dame both trimmed options. Dartmouth's third prompt group dropped from seven choices to six. Notre Dame now asks for two short answers from four options instead of three from five.
Wake Forest and Barnard added writing. Wake Forest now requires a 100-word "Why Wake Forest?" Barnard replaced its imagined-conversation essay with two new prompts, one of them capped at 50 words.
Caltech rebuilt its supplement around five essays. Two are choose-your-own prompts on collaboration and how you build, test, or chase a STEM question, and most responses cap at 200 words.
Georgia Tech, Georgia, Tulane, Miami, and Santa Clara all dropped required supplemental essays. Georgia Tech announced its change on July 29, 2026, three days before the application opened.
FAQ
When do 2026-27 supplemental essay prompts come out?
Most colleges publish 2026-27 supplemental prompts on or before August 1, 2026, when the Common App relaunches. A few post them later in August or September. Maryland and Lehigh show their questions only inside the Common App after you add the school.
Did the Common App essay prompts change for 2026-27?
No. Common App confirmed on February 27, 2026, that all seven personal essay prompts carry over unchanged. The limit is still 250–650 words.
Which colleges don't require supplemental essays for 2026-27?
Georgia Tech, UNC-Chapel Hill, Northeastern, Tulane, Georgia, Miami, Colgate, and WPI require no supplemental essays. UVA asks only Nursing applicants to write one, and RPI only applicants to five specialized programs. Carleton, Williams, and Santa Clara offer optional writing only, and Washington now uses the Common App personal essay.
How many supplemental essays does Duke require for 2026-27?
Two. Duke requires a 250-word "Why Duke" essay and a 250-word essay about a community that shaped you. It also offers three optional prompts and lets you answer one. Last cycle, only "Why Duke" was required.
What does "dripping supplementals" mean?
It's applicant slang for colleges releasing supplemental prompts one by one over the summer, before the Common App relaunches on August 1. By late October, nearly every selective school has posted its 2026-27 prompts.
How long are supplemental essays?
Lengths vary more than most students expect. MIT's short responses run 40–50 words, and Maryland caps its fill-ins at 650 characters. At the other end, Michigan allows 550 words for its college-specific essay and Richmond asks for 350–650.
Should I answer optional supplemental essays?
At selective schools, yes. NYU's bridge-builder essay is the only NYU-specific writing in the application, and skipping it leaves a reader with nothing to go on. Duke's optional prompts are a closer call now that its community essay is required.
Can I reuse supplemental essays across colleges?
Partly. Johns Hopkins and NYU both ask about bridging differences this year, so one strong story can anchor both drafts. "Why us" essays need a full rewrite for each school, because Duke and Michigan both reward specifics a recycled draft won't have.
Get Help With Your Supplemental Essays
Early Action and Early Decision deadlines for many schools on this list fall on November 1, 2026. That leaves little time if you're facing Caltech's five essays or Duke's newly required community essay.
Empowerly counselors work one-on-one with students on every part of the supplement, from deciding which optional prompts are worth answering to cutting a 300-word draft down to a 150-word limit. They also help students build a "why us" essay that names the right programs instead of the obvious ones.