Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essay Prompts 2026-27 + How to Answer Them
Every applicant answers one 350-word prompt. Direct Matriculation Program applicants answer up to three more, submitted in the applicant portal. Every prompt below is quoted from Johns Hopkins Admissions and verified against it on September 26, 2026.
Application: Common App or Coalition (JHU supplemental essay). Requirements can change during the cycle; Johns Hopkins's application portal is the final word on what to submit.
Required of all applicants
1 prompt
Drawing on your own experiences, what have you learned about engaging across differences and how has it shaped the way you think about building bridges, enhancing community, and working with others?
How to answer
Draw from your own experience of difference, then land on what you learned about working with others. Reflection weighs more than the size of the anecdote.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →Direct Matriculation Program applicants only (submitted in the applicant portal)
3 prompts
Describe a time when you took initiative or led others toward a shared goal. What did you learn about your leadership style, and how might that experience influence how you explore the business field?
How to answer
Carey Business School DMP only. Name your leadership style from a real example and connect it to the business field.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →Identify a global health issue and outline a solution to a key underlying problem.
How to answer
Public Health Studies DMP only. Pick an issue you know and outline one solution to one underlying problem. Narrow and specific wins over sweeping.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →Describe your reasons for applying to the Direct Matriculation Program. What experiences have prepared you for participating in this accelerated consecutive degree program that combines undergraduate and graduate study in international affairs?
How to answer
International Studies DMP only. Show the experiences that prepared you for an accelerated path into international affairs, and why the acceleration suits you.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →Draft your Johns Hopkins supplement with feedback on every essay.
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