Supplemental Essay Prompts 2026-27
Verified prompts for 36 colleges, quoted from each admissions office with word limits and a short answer on how to write each one. Some schools have dropped their supplements for this cycle; those pages say so plainly.
218 prompts in total, each with a source link and the date it was last verified.
Ivy League
Harvard University
Every applicant answers all five prompts, 150 words each: about 750 words total.
Yale University
Every applicant writes one 200-word essay plus three 200-character short takes, then chooses one of three 400-word prompts: about seven pieces total.
Princeton University
A typical applicant writes six prompts: the two Voice essays, three 50-word More About You answers, and one academic why-us essay set by degree.
Columbia University
Every applicant answers all six: one 100-word list question and five 150-word responses.
University of Pennsylvania
A typical applicant writes three prompts of 50 to 200 words: two required of everyone plus one set by the undergraduate school. Specialized dual-degree programs add their own essays.
Brown University
Every applicant answers four essays of 100 to 250 words. PLME applicants add three program essays; Brown | RISD Dual Degree applicants add one 650-word essay.
Dartmouth College
Every applicant writes three prompts: a 100-word why-Dartmouth, then one of two 250-word identity prompts, then one of six 250-word prompts.
Cornell University
No prompt is shared by every applicant: you write only the essay(s) for the undergraduate college or school you apply to, from 100-word shorts to 650-word long essays.
Top Private Universities
Stanford University
Every applicant answers all eight: five short questions (3 to 50 words) and three short essays (100 to 250 words).
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Every applicant answers all eight: four essays of roughly 100 to 200 words and four short responses of 40 to 50 words.
Duke University
Two required 250-word prompts, plus three optional 250-word prompts you may answer if one has something meaningful to say.
Northwestern University
One required 300-word essay, then at least one and no more than two of five optional 200-word questions.
University of Chicago
Every applicant answers two questions: the required why-UChicago essay and the extended essay, choosing one of six options. Neither has a strict word limit (650 words is the practical norm).
Johns Hopkins University
Every applicant answers one 350-word prompt. Direct Matriculation Program applicants answer up to three more, submitted in the applicant portal.
Rice University
Common App applicants write three prompts: two 150-word answers and one of two 500-word essays. Architecture applicants add two 250-word essays.
University of Notre Dame
Every applicant writes one 150-word essay, then chooses two of four short-answer responses of 50 to 100 words each.
Georgetown University
Every applicant writes two short essays and two long essays: three common prompts plus one 500-word essay for the school or program you apply to.
Emory University
Every applicant answers two prompts: a required 200-word academic-interest question and one 150-word question chosen from four options.
New York University
NYU requires no supplemental essay for 2026-27. One optional 250-word essay exists for applicants who want to add a bridge-building story.
Tufts University
Every applicant answers two required short answers: a common 75 to 150-word prompt plus one 100 to 200-word prompt set by your program.
Washington University in St. Louis
One required 250-word response. The optional writing supplement that existed in prior cycles has been removed.
California Institute of Technology
A rebuilt supplement for 2026-27: a required STEM-interest essay, one of two "scholarly character" options, two of three "scientific drive" options, a required fun question, and one optional context answer.
Boston University
One required supplemental essay of 300 words or less. BU does not publish prompt text publicly; this text is verified against the Common App portal.
Carnegie Mellon University
Every applicant answers three short-answer questions of 300 words each. CMU’s page caps each at 300 words.
Vanderbilt University
One required short-answer essay of approximately 250 words (the Common App portal enforces 200 minimum, 400 maximum).
University of Southern California
Every applicant answers a 250-word academic essay and ten short "Quick Takes" questions. Two optional prompts exist: a 250-word disagreement essay and an enrollment-gap explanation.
Public Universities
University of Texas at Austin
One essay of 500 to 650 words (the Common App personal essay completes this requirement) plus two required short answers of about 250 to 300 words and one optional short answer.
University of Michigan
Every applicant answers two essays: a 100 to 300-word community essay (new for 2026-27) and a 100 to 550-word essay on the school you are applying to.
University of Virginia
UVA has no general supplemental essay for 2026-27. The only supplemental writing is a 250-word essay for School of Nursing applicants.
UC Berkeley
All UC campuses use the same Personal Insight Questions: answer 4 of the 8 questions, 350 words max each. No individual question is required.
UCLA
All UC campuses use the same Personal Insight Questions: answer 4 of the 8 questions, 350 words max each. No individual question is required.
UC San Diego
All UC campuses use the same Personal Insight Questions: answer 4 of the 8 questions, 350 words max each. No individual question is required.
UC Davis
All UC campuses use the same Personal Insight Questions: answer 4 of the 8 questions, 350 words max each. No individual question is required.
UC Irvine
All UC campuses use the same Personal Insight Questions: answer 4 of the 8 questions, 350 words max each. No individual question is required.
Georgia Institute of Technology
No supplemental essays for 2026-27
UNC Chapel Hill
No supplemental essays for 2026-27
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