College Supplemental Essay Prompts: What 25 Top Schools Actually Ask

1. 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.

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

2. 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.

   Community and identity250 words

3. 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.

   Other250 words

4. What three words best describe you?

   Short answers3 words

5. If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be?

   Creative and quirky100 words

6. In one sentence, Why Brown?

   Why this school50 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against the live official page: Brown's How to Apply page (admission.brown.edu/apply/how-apply) still explicitly labels its essay questions as for the "2025-2026 application cycle," so 2026-27 prompts are NOT yet released; new-cycle prompts are expected around August 1 (per PrepMaven). Third-party guides titled "2026-27" merely recycle these identical prompts and are not official releases. All six prompts confirmed verbatim from the official page. The three main essays each have a 200-250 word range; wordLimit recorded as the 250 max. The three "very short answer" questions are part of the required first-year supplement (limits 3/100/50 words as stated on the official page). Excluded per instructions: Common App personal statement, program-specific extras (PLME essays, Brown|RISD Dual Degree essay), and Brown's optional 2-minute video introduction (not a writing prompt).

Source: admission.brown.edu

1. Caltech has a rigorous core curriculum and students don't declare a major until the end of their first year. However, some students arrive knowing which academic fields and areas already most excite them, or which novel fields and areas they most want to explore. If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose? Why did you choose your proposed area of interest? If you

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

2. Regardless of your STEM interest listed above, take this opportunity to nerd out and talk to us about whatever STEM rabbit hole you have found yourself falling into. Be as specific or broad as you would like.

   Academic interest / why this major150 words

3. [STEM Experiences, select one of two] Tell us how you initially found your interest and passion for science or for a particular STEM topic, and how you have pursued or developed your interest or passion over the last few years.

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

4. [STEM Experiences, select one of two] Tell us about a meaningful STEM-related experience from the last few years and share how and why it inspired your curiosity.

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

5. The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech's students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars. But Techers also innovate in smaller-scale ways everyday, from imagining new ways to design solar cells or how to 3D-print dorm decor, to cooking up new recipes in the kitchen. How have you been a creator, inventor, or innovator in your own life?

   Other200 words

6. [Short answer, choose two of four] What is an interest or hobby you do for fun, and why does it bring you joy?

   Activities and experience250 words

7. [Short answer, choose two of four] If you could teach a class on any topic or concept, what would it be and why?

   Creative and quirky250 words

8. [Short answer, choose two of four] What is a core piece of your identity or being that shapes how you view and/or interact with the world?

   Community and identity250 words

9. [Short answer, choose two of four] What is a concept that blew your mind or baffled you when you first encountered it?

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

10. OPTIONAL: Have you had any extenuating circumstances (such as limited course selection or disruptions), that have affected your coursework, but that are not described elsewhere in your application? If so, tell us about them here.

    Otheroptional

VERIFIED against the official Caltech page (raw HTML fetched live 2026-07-04). RECENCY: the official page is still headed "Fall 2026 Supplemental Application Essays" (fall 2026 entry = 2025-26 cycle); the page states questions "change annually, are updated, and published in the summer," and the Fall 2027 / 2026-27 set is NOT yet posted, so 2025-26 is the newest published cycle (aggregators labeled "2026-27" show identical carried-over prompts). All prompt texts, limits, and flags matched verbatim. CHOOSE RULES: STEM Experiences = answer exactly ONE of the two bracketed options; Short answers = answer exactly TWO of the four bracketed options, and the 250-word limit is the COMBINED total for both chosen answers ("Choose two of the four questions below and answer both in 250 words or less"; form gives "Two Essay Boxes, each with Min:1 Max: 249 words"). Stated minimums: prompt 1 min 100, prompt 2 min 50, each STEM Experience option min 100, Creativity min 100; short-answer boxes min 1. Prompt 1 trimmed at 400 chars (verified exact); full ending reads "...If you selected 'other', what topics are you interested in pursuing?" and the page embeds a note within it: "*Note that you are under no obligation to follow this choice if admitted." Optional extenuating-circumstances prompt has no stated word limit. All Fall 2026 applicants must review Caltech's guidelines on the ethical use of AI before submitting essays. Excluded: Common App personal statement; no other first-year program-specific extras.

Source: www.admissions.caltech.edu

1. 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?

   Academic interest / why this major300 words

2. 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?

   Other300 words

3. 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).

   Other300 words

Verified 2026-07-04. CMU's official undergraduate admission requirements page confirms the Common App Writing Supplement consists of three short-answer questions but does not publish the wording. Verbatim text cross-confirmed against GradGPT (explicitly labeled 2026-27 cycle) and AdmissionSight (updated March 2026), and matches College Essay Guy and Ivy Coach 2025-26 listings word-for-word, i.e., 2026-27 prompts are unchanged from 2025-26. All three required, 300-word max each. Excluded: Common App personal statement and program-specific extras (College of Fine Arts/BXA portfolio, audition, pre-screen requirements).

Source: www.cmu.edu

1. 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.

   Creative and quirky100 words

2. Tell us about an aspect of your life so far or your lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's multidimensional and collaborative environment.

   Community and identity150 words

3. At Columbia, students representing a wide range of perspectives are invited to live and learn together. In such a community, questions and debates naturally arise. Please describe a time when you did not agree with someone and discuss how you engaged with them and what you took away from the interaction.

   Challenge and growth150 words

4. In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not anticipate. Please describe a situation in which you have navigated through adversity and discuss how you changed as a result.

   Challenge and growth150 words

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

   Why this school150 words

6. What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering?

   Academic interest / why this major150 words

Fact-checked 2026-07-04 by fetching the official Columbia admissions page directly: it still displays "2025-2026 Columbia-Specific Questions" (page footer: "Updated Thursday, July 31, 2025"), so no 2026-27 official release exists yet and the 2025-26 cycle label is correct per the recency rule. All 6 prompts verified verbatim against the official page; word limits (100-word list + five 150-word short answers) and required flags confirmed; no missing or extra prompts. Aggregators labeling these "2026-27" (GradGPT, AdmissionSight, PrepMaven) show identical wording, so no cycle mixing. Excluded: Common App personal statement and program-specific materials (Combined Plan, supplementary portfolios). List question categorized as creative per the favorites-list rule. No corrections were needed to the collected data.

Source: undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu

1. Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected and specifically, why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell CALS? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals influenced your choice. (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)

   Academic interest / why this major500 words

2. How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program.

   Academic interest / why this major650 words

3. At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences.

   Academic interest / why this major650 words

4. Why are you interested in studying policy, and why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell's Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals have influenced your choice of policy major.

   Academic interest / why this major650 words

5. What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

   Academic interest / why this major650 words

6. Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering? (Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering, long essay 1)

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

7. Why do you think you would love to study at Cornell Engineering? (Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering, long essay 2)

   Why this school200 words

8. What brings you joy? (Cornell Engineering short answer 1)

   Creative and quirky100 words

9. What do you believe you will contribute to the Cornell Engineering community beyond what you've already detailed in your application? What unique voice will you bring? (Cornell Engineering short answer 2)

   What you will contribute100 words

10. What is one activity, club, team, organization, work/volunteer experience or family responsibility that is especially meaningful to you? Please briefly tell us about its significance for you. (Cornell Engineering short answer 3)

    Activities and experience100 words

11. What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you. (Cornell Engineering short answer 4)

    Other100 words

12. Identify a challenge in your greater community or in the career/industry in which you are interested. Share how the CHE education, your CHE major of choice, as well as the breadth of CHE majors, will help you address that challenge. (College of Human Ecology)

    Academic interest / why this major600 words

13. Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School. (School of Industrial and Labor Relations)

    Academic interest / why this major650 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against the live official Cornell admissions page (fetched raw HTML). Page is headed for Fall 2027 entry, i.e., the 2026-27 cycle; this is the newest published cycle. Cornell states verbatim: "There will be no university essay question for Fall 2027 applicants." The supplement consists solely of the essay(s) for the one undergraduate college/school the student applies to; required=true means required conditionally for applicants to that college/school. Engineering page instruction verified: "All engineering applicants are required to write two long essays and four short essays" (2 x 200 words, 4 x 100 words); all six texts verbatim. All word limits verified: CALS 500, AAP 650, A&S 650, Brooks 650, SC Johnson 650, CHE 600, ILR 650. Trims (all at clean sentence boundaries, remainder verified verbatim): CALS contextual intro about direct entry into one of 20 majors; AAP's BFA/URS applicant guidance sentences ("BFA applicants, you may want to consider how you could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students you may want to emphasize your enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues."); Business prompt's final parenthetical naming the Dyson School and the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration; CHE's "(Refer to our essay application tips before you begin.)". Parenthetical college labels in prompt texts are editorial annotations for disambiguation, not part of the official wording. Excluded: Common App personal statement, AAP portfolio, Hotel optional interview, and other program-specific non-essay requirements. No optional essay prompts exist on the official page.

Source: admissions.cornell.edu

1. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2030, what aspects of the college's academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you?

   Why this school100 words

2. 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.

   Community and identity250 words

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

   Community and identity250 words

4. What excites you?

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

5. 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?

   What you will contribute250 words

6. In an Instagram post, best-selling British author Matt Haig cheered the impact of reading. “A good novel is the best invention humans have ever created for imagining other lives,” he wrote. How have you experienced such insight from reading? What did you read and how did it alter the way you understand yourself and others?

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

7. 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 abou

   Challenge and growth250 words

8. Celebrate your nerdy side.

   Creative and quirky250 words

9. “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?

   Community and identity250 words

10. The Mindy Kaling Theater Lab will be an exciting new addition to Dartmouth's Hopkins Center for the Arts. “It's a place where you can fail,” the actor/producer and Dartmouth alumna said when her gift was announced. “You can try things out, fail, and then revamp and rework things… A thing can be bad on its journey to becoming good.” Share a story of failure, trial runs, revamping, reworking, or jou

    Challenge and growth250 words

FACT-CHECKED 2026-07-04 against the official page (admissions.dartmouth.edu/glossary-term/writing-supplement): all prompt texts verified verbatim, word limits and structure confirmed; no corrections needed. 2026-27 (Class of 2031) prompts NOT yet published as of 2026-07-04: the official writing-supplement page still shows the Class of 2030 prompts and is stamped 'Updated July 29, 2025' (the page historically rolls over in late July), so the 2025-26 cycle prompts are recorded here. Structure: 3 essays total. Prompt 1 (why_us, 100 words) is required of all. Prompts 2-3 (Quaker saying / Oscar Wilde) are a required CHOOSE-ONE pair at 250 words. Prompts 4-10 (What excites you / Huerta / Haig / Goodall / nerdy side / Kermit / Kaling) are a required CHOOSE-ONE-OF-SEVEN set at 250 words; all options are listed and marked required=true per the choose-N convention, but an applicant writes only 3 essays total. Two option texts (Goodall, Kaling) were trimmed at exactly 400 chars per spec (trims verified character-exact against the official full text); the Goodall option ends '...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?' and the Kaling option ends '...or journeying from bad to good.' Excluded: Common App personal statement, optional peer recommendation, and optional arts/other supplemental materials (not essay prompts). A GradGPT page labeled '2026-27' merely relabels the Class of 2030 prompts and is not an official rollover; a fresh web search on 2026-07-04 found no official 2026-27 release.

Source: admissions.dartmouth.edu

1. What is your impression of Duke as a university and community, and why do you believe it is a good match for your goals, values, and interests? If there is something specific that attracts you to our academic offerings in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering, or to our co-curricular opportunities, feel free to include that, too.

   Why this school250 words

2. We believe a wide range of viewpoints and experiences is essential to maintaining Duke's vibrant living and learning community. Please share anything in this context that might help us better understand you and your potential contributions to Duke.

   Community and identity250 wordsoptional

3. Meaningful dialogue often involves respectful disagreement. Provide an example of a difference of opinion you've had with someone you care about. What did you learn from it?

   Challenge and growth250 wordsoptional

4. What's the last thing that you've been really excited about?

   Creative and quirky250 wordsoptional

5. Duke recently launched an initiative 'to bring together Duke experts across all disciplines who are advancing artificial intelligence (AI) research, addressing the most pressing ethical challenges posed by AI, and shaping the future of AI in the classroom' (ai.duke.edu). Tell us about a situation when you would or would not choose to use AI (when possible and permitted). What shapes your thinking?

   Other250 wordsoptional

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against the official Duke apply page (raw page text extracted, not just a summary). The page states verbatim: "The following question was required of all first-year applicants during the 2025-26 application cycle (250-word limit). Short-answer questions for the 2026-27 application cycle have not yet been finalized." So 2025-26 is the newest published cycle; third-party guides labeled "2026-27" (GradGPT, Cosmic, AdmissionSight) simply re-label these same prompts and are not official. All five prompts match the official page word-for-word. Structure: one required 250-word Why Duke question plus four optional 250-word questions; official instruction: "We want to emphasize that the following questions are optional. We invite you to answer one of the four if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already addressed elsewhere in your application." (i.e., answer at most ONE optional prompt). Excluded: Common App personal statement, transfer essays; no program-specific extras listed for first-year applicants. Original collected data confirmed accurate with no changes needed.

Source: admissions.duke.edu

1. What academic areas are you interested in exploring at Emory University and why?

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

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

   Community and identity150 words

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

   Community and identity150 words

4. Emory University's unique mission calls for service to humanity. Share how you might personally contribute to this mission of service to humanity.

   What you will contribute150 words

5. In a scholarly community, differing ideas often collide before they converge. How do you personally navigate disagreement in a way that promotes progress and deepens meaningful dialogue?

   Challenge and growth150 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against official sources. 2026-27 prompts NOT yet released: Emory's official admission blog (which announces short answer questions each July; 2025-26 post went up July 10, 2025) has no 2026-27 post yet (latest post is a June 12, 2026 waitlist update) and the predictable 2026-27 URL returns 404; the official apply page lists no prompts and still references 2025-26. All five prompt texts confirmed VERBATIM against the official July 10, 2025 blog post, including word limits (Prompt 1: 200 words recommended; options: 150 words). Structure: Prompt 1 (Academic Interests) is required of all applicants; Prompts 2-5 are the four 'Getting to Know You' options and applicants CHOOSE EXACTLY ONE to answer (all four recorded, marked required since one must be answered). Aggregators (GradGPT, AdmissionSight) label these same prompts '2026-27' without citing an official source; treated as unverified. Excluded: Common App personal statement and program-specific extras (e.g., Emory Scholars). The Emory College vs Oxford College choice is a preference selection, not an essay.

Source: blog.emoryadmission.com

1. Why do you want to study your chosen major, and why do you want to study that major at Georgia Tech?

   Academic interest / why this major300 words

Verified 2026-07-04 directly against the official admissions page (admission.gatech.edu/first-year/personal-essays): Georgia Tech has exactly one school-specific supplemental short-answer question, verbatim as listed, max 300 words, required of all first-year applicants. Recency caveat: the official page header still says "essay questions for 2026 applications" (Georgia Tech has not relabeled the page for the new cycle), but the prompt wording is unchanged year over year and dedicated 2026-27 cycle guides (Cosmic College Consulting 2026-2027 guide, GradGPT 2026-27 guide) confirm the identical prompt and 300-word limit for 2026-27, so no cycle mixing is possible. Categorized as why_major: it is a hybrid why-major/why-us question with academic interest as the primary frame. Excluded as non-school-specific: the required Common App personal statement (choose 1 of 7) and optional Common App-wide fields (Additional Information / Responsibilities and Circumstances). No program-specific or scholarship extras found on the official page.

Source: admission.gatech.edu

1. Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a student body with a diversity of perspectives and experiences. How will the life experiences that shaped who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?

   What you will contribute150 words

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?

   Challenge and growth150 words

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

   Activities and experience150 words

4. How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?

   Other150 words

5. Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

   Creative and quirky150 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against Harvard's official Application Tips page: all five prompt texts match verbatim, each capped at 150 words, all five required. Harvard's official FAQ ("What is included in the Harvard supplement?") independently confirms five required 150-word short answers. RECENCY: 2026-27 prompts are NOT yet officially released; Harvard typically rolls prompts over around August 1, and PrepMaven's guide (updated 2026-06-17) explicitly confirms Harvard has not yet updated for the new cycle. Aggregator pages titled "2026-2027" (AdmissionSight, GradGPT, Rostrumedu) are speculatively recycling the 2025-26 prompts, not reporting an official release, so cycle remains 2025-26. Excludes the Common App personal statement and Harvard's optional additional-information section; no program-specific/honors supplements. Prompt 1 blends diversity-of-experience with contribution; categorized as contribution since the direct ask is how you will contribute to Harvard. Prompt 4 (future use of education) has no exact taxonomy match, so categorized as other.

Source: college.harvard.edu

1. Over the past 150 years, every monumental discovery at Hopkins has started with a first step: The first draft by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. A prototype that led to a life-changing medical invention. The first pitch that launched a new startup venture. As we commemorate the university's sesquicentennial, 150 years since its founding, we continue to celebrate first steps just as much as final ac

   Challenge and growth350 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against the official page (apply.jhu.edu/how-to-apply/application-deadlines-requirements/), which still explicitly labels this the "2025-2026 Supplemental Essay Prompt" and says "Updated dates are made public in August each year," so 2026-27 prompts are NOT yet officially published; cycle correctly recorded as 2025-26. Aggregators labeled "2026-27" (GradGPT, AdmissionSight) show this same sesquicentennial prompt but are not official confirmation. JHU has ONE supplemental essay (350-word limit, required). Prompt text trimmed to exactly the first 400 chars (full text is 508 chars); the trimmed tail reads: "...we continue to celebrate first steps just as much as final achievements. Tell us about an important first in your life, big or small, that has shaped you (350-word limit)." Excluded: Common App personal statement. Also excluded: BME applicants must mark Biomedical Engineering as first-choice major, but there is no separate essay. Category: personal-growth/reflection frame dominates, so challenge_growth.

Source: apply.jhu.edu

1. What field of study appeals to you the most right now? (Note: Applicants select from a drop-down list.) Tell us more about why this field of study at MIT appeals to you.

   Academic interest / why this major100 words

2. We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.

   Activities and experience150 words

3. While some reach their goals following well-trodden paths, others blaze their own trails achieving the unexpected. In what ways have you done something different than what was expected in your educational journey?

   Challenge and growth225 words

4. MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds together to collaborate, from tackling the world's biggest challenges to lending a helping hand. Describe one way you have collaborated with others to learn from them, with them, or contribute to your community together.

   What you will contribute225 words

5. How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn't expect? What did you learn from it?

   Challenge and growth225 words

6. No application can meet the needs of every individual. If there is significant information that you were not able to include elsewhere in the application, you may include it here. (Open-ended additional-information text box.)

   Other350 wordsoptional

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against the official MIT Admissions essays page, which still explicitly says "For the 2025-2026 application", the 2026-27 prompts are NOT yet officially published (MIT's own MyMIT application typically opens in August), so the 2025-26 cycle is correctly recorded. Aggregator pages titled "2026-2027" (collegeessay.org, admissionsight, rostrumedu) show wording identical to the official 2025-26 set, i.e., relabeled carryovers, not a new release. All five prompt texts confirmed verbatim against the official page (including the drop-down parenthetical in prompt 1). MIT does not use the Common App or Coalition App (own MyMIT portal), so there is no Common App personal statement; these 5 short essays plus the optional additional-info box are the full writing supplement. Word limits: the official page states only "approximately 100-200 words each"; the per-prompt maximums recorded (100/150/225/225/225, and 350 for the optional additional-info box) are the actual application text-box limits, cross-checked against College Essay Guy's 2025-26 guide ("100 words or fewer" / "150 words or fewer" / "225 words or fewer" x3 / "350 words or fewer"). Excluded as non-essay form fields: the activities list (up to 4 activities, ~40 words each), the optional 100-word family-information box, and the Self-Reported Coursework Form; also excluded: creative portfolios (program-specific optional extra).

Source: mitadmissions.org

1. 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, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise?

   Community and identity300 words

2. 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?

   Creative and quirky200 wordsoptional

3. 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?

   Academic interest / why this major200 wordsoptional

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

   What you will contribute200 wordsoptional

5. 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?

   Why this school200 wordsoptional

6. 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?

   Community and identity200 wordsoptional

Re-verified against the official requirements page on 2026-07-04: heading still reads "Northwestern 2025-26 First-Year Writing Supplements"; no official 2026-27 rollover found (aggregators such as GradGPT/AdmissionSight relabel the identical prompts "2026-27" but are not official), so 2025-26 stands per the recency rule. All six prompts confirmed verbatim. Structure: 1 required prompt ("required for all Common Application and Coalition with Scoir applicants (optional for QuestBridge applicants)", 300 words or fewer) plus 5 optional prompts. Official instruction for the optional set (verbatim): "We encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two of the following questions" with "fewer than 200 words per question", so answering an optional prompt is encouraged, not strictly mandatory; each optional prompt is marked required=false (wordLimit recorded as 200 for "fewer than 200 words"). Northwestern's writing-supplements FAQ page still references the 2024-25 cycle and adds that answering more optional questions carries no extra weight. Excluded: Common App personal statement, transfer supplement, and program-specific extras (e.g., Bienen auditions, dual-degree materials).

Source: admissions.northwestern.edu

1. As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests? (For A.B. degree or undecided applicants)

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

2. Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. (For B.S.E. degree applicants)

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

3. 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?

   Community and identity500 words

4. 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?

   What you will contribute250 words

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

   Short answers50 words

6. What brings you joy?

   Short answers50 words

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

   Short answers50 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against Princeton's official Princeton-specific Questions page, which explicitly states: "Below you will find the questions for the 2025-26 application cycle." Princeton has NOT released 2026-27 prompts yet (they typically drop around August 1), so 2025-26 is the newest published cycle; re-check after ~Aug 1, 2026. All prompt wording, word limits, and required flags match the official page verbatim (the '(For A.B. ...)' / '(For B.S.E. ...)' parentheticals are applicant-track labels from the page, not part of the prompt sentence). The two academic-interest prompts are alternatives: each applicant answers exactly ONE based on degree track (A.B./undecided vs B.S.E.); both are listed and marked required. All other prompts (one 500-word, one 250-word, three 50-word short answers) are required of all first-year applicants. Excluded: Common App personal statement, and Princeton's required Graded Written Paper (a previously graded academic paper submission, not an essay prompt). Note: the princeton-supplement URL 301-redirects to the princeton-specific-questions page (valid alias). Prompts have been stable across recent cycles, so the 2026-27 set is expected to be identical or near-identical.

Source: admission.princeton.edu

1. Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected.

   Academic interest / why this major150 words

2. Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you?

   Why this school150 words

3. The Residential College System is at the heart of Rice student life and is heavily influenced by the particular cultural traditions and unique life experiences each student brings. What life experiences and/or unique perspectives are you looking forward to sharing with fellow Owls in the residential college system?

   What you will contribute500 words

4. Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or cultural identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice?

   Community and identity500 words

5. The Box: One of Rice's long-standing traditions is "The Box," a question on our application where we ask all of our applicants to share an image of something that appeals to them. The Box gives you the opportunity to present us with an image that shares something about yourself, your interests or what is meaningful to you.

   Creative and quirky

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against the raw HTML of Rice's official first-year applicants page, which is still headed "Essay Prompts (2025-2026)"; no official 2026-27 rollover exists yet, so 2025-26 prompts are recorded. A third-party blog (GradGPT) labeled "2026-27" simply recycles these same 2025-26 prompts with no official citation, so it does not establish a new cycle. All prompt wording confirmed verbatim, including "and/or cultural identity" in the change-agents prompt (some third-party guides show outdated "racial identity" wording; the official page says cultural). CHOOSE-ONE RULE: the two 500-word prompts (residential college / community of change agents) are a pick-one pair under the official stem "Please respond to one of the following prompts to explore how you will contribute to the Rice community"; both options are listed and marked required, but applicants answer only ONE. "The Box" is a required two-dimensional image upload (not a written essay, hence null word limit), uploaded via Common App or the Rice Admission Student Portal; text shown is the verbatim opening of the official description. EXCLUDED: Common App personal statement; Rice School of Architecture program-specific extras (creative portfolio plus two required 250-word architecture essays); Shepherd School of Music supplemental materials. QuestBridge applicants use the same prompts except the choose-one 500-word essay is optional for them.

Source: admission.rice.edu

1. 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.

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

2. 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.

   Creative and quirky250 words

3. Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

   What you will contribute250 words

4. What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?

   Short answers50 words

5. How did you spend your last two summers?

   Activities and experience50 words

6. What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?

   Short answers50 words

7. Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.

   Activities and experience50 words

8. List five things that are important to you.

   Creative and quirky50 words

Fact-checked 2026-07-04 against the official Stanford page. RECENCY: 2026-27 prompts are NOT yet published; the official essays page is still the Oct 1, 2025 version (2025-26 cycle) and states the application and Stanford Questions become available in early August each year, so the 2026-27 supplement should appear around Aug 1, 2026. Cycle correctly labeled 2025-26. ACCURACY: the three long essays are verbatim from the official page (each has a 100-word minimum and 250-word maximum; wordLimit records the max). The official page says applicants answer "several short questions (limit 50 words each)" but does not enumerate them; the five 50-word questions were confirmed identically by College Essay Guy, Ivy Coach, and AdmissionSight (whose 2026-2027 guide lists the same five, including "List five things that are important to you"). One aggregator (collegeessaygrader.com) swapped in "Name one thing you are looking forward to experiencing at Stanford" for its "2026-2027" list; this conflicts with all other sources and appears to be an unofficial projection, so it was excluded. Excluded: Common App personal statement; optional arts portfolio (not a writing prompt); no honors/scholarship extras. No changes to the collected prompt data were needed.

Source: admission.stanford.edu

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.

   Activities and experience350 words

2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

   Creative and quirky350 words

3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

   Other350 words

4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

   Challenge and growth350 words

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

   Challenge and growth350 words

6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

   Academic interest / why this major350 words

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

   What you will contribute350 words

8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

   Other350 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against the official UC admissions PIQ page: all 8 prompts match verbatim, 350-word max each, all weighted equally. UC Berkeley uses the systemwide UC application (not Common App/Coalition), so its "supplement" = the 8 UC Personal Insight Questions. CHOOSE-4 RULE: applicants answer exactly 4 of the 8 (no single prompt is individually mandatory); all 8 are recorded and marked required=true per collection instructions, but only 4 responses are submitted. The 2026-27 (fall 2027 entry) PIQs are unchanged from 2025-26, confirmed by the live official page and multiple 2026-27 guides. Timing correction: the UC app opens for preparation Aug 1, 2026, and the filing period for fall 2027 is Oct 1 - Nov 30, 2026. These are the first-year PIQs; transfer applicants have a different set (1 required transfer prompt + choose 3 of 7). Excluded: Common App personal statement (N/A for UC) and program-specific extras (scholarship/major-specific questions).

Source: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.

   Activities and experience350 words

2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

   Creative and quirky350 words

3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

   Activities and experience350 words

4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

   Challenge and growth350 words

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

   Challenge and growth350 words

6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

   Academic interest / why this major350 words

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

   What you will contribute350 words

8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

   Other350 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against the raw HTML of the official UC PIQ page: all 8 prompts match verbatim, 350-word max per response confirmed. UCLA does not use the Common App; its supplement is the UC application's 8 Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). First-year applicants must answer exactly 4 of the 8 (choose-4 rule); all 8 are recorded and marked required per pipeline convention, but no single prompt is individually mandatory. RECENCY: the official UC/UCLA PIQ pages are evergreen; PIQs are unchanged for the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry; app opens Aug 1, 2026, filing Oct 1-Nov 30, 2026), confirmed by multiple 2026-2027 guides. CORRECTION: the previously recorded UC URL (.../applying-as-a-freshman/...) now 301-redirects; canonical is .../applying-as-a-first-year/personal-insight-questions.html (updated in sourceUrls). UCLA's own PIQ page confirms the 4-of-8 rule and 350-word limit and defers to the UC site for question text; no UCLA-specific essay prompts. Excluded: transfer-applicant PIQ set (1 required transfer prompt + 3 of 7) and program-specific extras (arts supplements/portfolios for certain UCLA majors).

Source: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu

No school-specific writing supplement this cycle. The main application essay and activities list carry the writing for this school.

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against UNC's official admissions site. The prompts page (legacy URL slug says 2025-2026 but the live page is titled "Application Prompts for 2026-2027") states verbatim: "We are removing the two short answer questions from our application supplement." A dedicated official announcement page ("Short essays removed from Carolina's 2026-2027 application") confirms: "The required Common Application essay, extracurricular activities, and additional information sections will continue to be spaces where students share their voice and passions." So for the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry) UNC has NO school-specific supplemental prompts; the only essay is the Common App personal statement (250-650 words), excluded per instructions. This is a change from 2025-26, when UNC required two 250-word short answers. Program-specific extras (Honors Carolina, scholarships) are excluded per instructions. Cycle is correctly the newest published (2026-27 pages are live).

Source: admissions.unc.edu

1. Briefly share what draws you to the area(s) of study you listed.

   Academic interest / why this major100 words

2. Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your "non-negotiable" factor(s) when searching for your future college home.

   Why this school150 words

3. How does faith influence the decisions you make?

   Community and identity100 words

4. What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community, etc)? Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?

   Community and identity100 words

5. Notre Dame's undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person. How do you foster service to others in your community?

   What you will contribute100 words

6. What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

   Creative and quirky100 words

7. What would you fight for?

   Creative and quirky100 words

Adversarially verified 2026-07-04. RECENCY: 2026-27 prompts NOT yet published; the official ND application-overview page (undated, new-cycle apps open Aug 1) currently shows prompts identical to the documented 2025-26 cycle, and all major guides (CollegeVine, College Essay Guy, College Essay Advisors, Ivy Coach) are still labeled 2025-2026, so cycle stays 2025-26. ACCURACY: all wording re-verified verbatim against admissions.nd.edu and CollegeVine. Structure: (1) required 100-word academics question ("what draws you to the area(s) of study you listed") asked in the Common App Academics section, not the writing supplement, hence not shown on the ND overview page; (2) one required 150-word short essay ("non-negotiable" factors); (3) short answers where applicants CHOOSE EXACTLY 3 OF THE 5 listed options, 50-100 words each (wordLimit=100 = max; all 5 marked required=true per the choose-from-list convention, but only 3 are answered). Excluded: Common App personal statement; no program-specific extras. Caution: an admissions.nd.edu blog post ("The Notre Dame Writing Section...") surfaces in search but dates to Aug 2023 and lists obsolete 2023-24 prompts; do not use it.

Source: admissions.nd.edu

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!)

   Creative and quirky200 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.

   What you will contribute200 words

3. The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences' curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences?

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

4. Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues. Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it.

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

5. Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics with depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you plan to pursue your engineering interests at Penn, particularly within the intended major you selected.

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

6. Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science. Why have you decided to apply to Nursing? Where do you see yourself professionally in the future and how will you contribute to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare?

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

Fact-checked 2026-07-04 against the official Penn admissions writing page (raw HTML fetched directly): the page is still headed "2025-26 Short Answer and Essay Prompts", so 2026-27 prompts are NOT yet officially published; aggregators labeled 2026-27 reuse identical wording. All six prompt texts verified verbatim against the official page; no corrections needed. Structure: every first-year applicant writes 3 essays, the 2 university-wide prompts (thank-you note is first-year only; community prompt is required for all applicants, including transfers) plus exactly ONE school-specific prompt matching the undergraduate school selected (College of Arts and Sciences, Wharton, Engineering, or Nursing); all 4 school variants are listed and each is required for applicants to that school. All listed prompts have a 150-200 word range; wordLimit records the 200-word maximum. Excluded: Common App personal statement; coordinated dual-degree/specialized-program extras (Huntsman 50-125 + 400-600 words, LSM, M&T, NHCM, VIPER, VIC, mostly 250-650 words); transfer-applicant essay ("Please explain your reasons for transferring...", 4,150 characters).

Source: admissions.upenn.edu

1. Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections.

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

2. Starting with the beginning of high school/secondary school, if you have had a gap where you were not enrolled in school during a fall or spring term, please address this gap in your educational history. You do not need to address a summer break.

   Other250 wordsoptional

3. Describe yourself in three words. (25 characters per word)

   Short answers

4. What is your favorite snack? (100 characters)

   Short answers

5. Best movie of all time (100 characters)

   Short answers

6. Dream job (100 characters)

   Short answers

7. If your life had a theme song, what would it be? (100 characters)

   Short answers

8. Dream trip (100 characters)

   Short answers

9. What TV show will you binge watch next? (100 characters)

   Short answers

10. Which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate? (100 characters)

    Short answers

11. Favorite book (100 characters)

    Short answers

12. If you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be? (100 characters)

    Short answers

2025-26 cycle independently verified: three aggregators (College Essay Guy, CollegeVine, College Transitions) match verbatim, including the "first- and second-choice major selections" sentence in the main prompt. USC's official essay page (admission.usc.edu/apply/first-year-students/essay-short-answer-questions/) currently 404s (re-confirmed) and the official first-year how-to-apply page does not list prompts, since USC publishes them only inside the Common App writing supplement. Main essay is ~250 words; gap-year essay is required only for applicants with a fall/spring enrollment gap (marked optional here). Short answers are character-limited: Q1 three words at 25 characters each, Q2-10 at 100 characters each. EXCLUDED program-specific extras: Viterbi School of Engineering (2 prompts, 250 words each, incl. NAE Grand Challenge) and Dornsife College ("ten minutes and the attention of a million people", 250 words). Common App personal statement excluded per instructions.

Source: www.collegeessayguy.com

1. Vanderbilt University's motto, Crescere aude, is Latin for 'dare to grow.' In your response, reflect on how one or more aspects of your identity, culture, or background has played a role in your personal growth, and how it will contribute to our campus community as you dare to grow at Vanderbilt.

   Community and identity250 words

Verified July 2026 against Vanderbilt's official admissions prompts page: prompt wording matches verbatim, ~250 words ("approximately 250 words"; the Common App text box reportedly allows 200-400), required, and it is the single school-specific short answer. Cycle confirmed as 2026-27: PrepMaven's guide (updated June 23, 2026) and GradGPT/AdmissionSight all label this identical prompt as the 2026-27 supplement; it is unchanged from 2025-26. Correction to prior notes: the official page states this short answer is required for BOTH first-year and transfer applicants (not first-year only). Excluded: the Common App/Coalition personal statement (Vanderbilt defers to those platforms' prompts), the transfer-specific personal essay ("reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve"), and program-specific extras such as Blair School of Music portfolio/audition materials. Categorized community_identity: identity/culture/background is the core ask, with campus contribution as a secondary element.

Source: admissions.vanderbilt.edu

1. Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why.

   Academic interest / why this major250 words

VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against WashU's official admissions pages, which have rolled over to the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry). The "What's New at WashU" page confirms the optional writing supplement has been removed, eliminating the 2025-26 choose-one "Who are you?" prompts ("In St. Louis, For St. Louis" and "By Name & Story"); the former optional-writing-supplement page now describes only the 90-second video supplement. The sole remaining school-specific writing is the required 250-word academic interest response, quoted verbatim on both the What's New and first-year applicant pages. Note: on the 2025-26 Common App this prompt carried an extra sentence ("Undecided about your academic interest(s)? Don't worry, tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected."), which may reappear when the 2026-27 Common App opens Aug 1; official site wording is used here. Excluded per rules: Common App/Coalition personal statement, the optional 90-second video supplement (non-writing, explicitly "optional (and we mean optional)"), program-specific essays (Beyond Boundaries, joint Business+CS), and the optional Scholarship Writing Supplement (Danforth/Ervin/Rodriguez/Nemerov; priority scholarship deadline Dec 16, 2026). Other verified 2026-27 changes: new nonbinding Early Action round, demonstrated interest now considered (visits, virtual sessions, Bear Chats, ZeeMee, fairs), deadlines Nov 2 (EA/EDI) and Jan 4 (EDII/RD), test-optional continues.

Source: admissions.washu.edu

1. Students at Yale have time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Please indicate up to three from the list provided.

   Academic interest / why this major

2. Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected above. Why are you drawn to it?

   Academic interest / why this major200 words

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

   Creative and quirky35 words

4. What is one aspect of yourself that you hope to grow or develop during college?

   Challenge and growth35 words

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

   Short answers35 words

6. Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful?

   Challenge and growth400 words

7. 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.

   Community and identity400 words

8. Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?

   Community and identity400 words

ADVERSARIALLY VERIFIED 2026-07-04 against Yale's official Essay Topics page (raw HTML fetched and diffed verbatim). Page is explicitly labeled '2026-2027 essay topics for all applications', newest cycle confirmed, no re-collection needed; all prompt wording matched character-for-character. Structure: (a) Two academic short-answer questions for ALL applicants (Common App, Coalition, QuestBridge), first is a select-up-to-3 academic-areas list (no word limit), second is '200 words or fewer'; QuestBridge applicants answer these via the Yale QuestBridge Questionnaire on the Yale Admissions Status Portal. (b) Three 'Short Takes' for Common App/Coalition only, each 'no more than 200 characters (approximately 35 words)', wordLimit recorded as 35. (c) One 400-word essay for Common App/Coalition only, CHOOSE ONE of the three listed prompts (all three recorded, all marked required per choose-one convention). Confirmed change: the long-standing 125-word 'What is it about Yale that has led you to apply?' (why_us) question is absent from the 2026-27 page, dropped this cycle. Excluded: Common App/Coalition personal statement and optional arts/STEM supplementary materials.

Source: admissions.yale.edu