Supplemental essays, by school
The current prompts for the schools you’re applying to, what each one is really asking, the mistakes to avoid, and annotated examples. Pick your school.
Harvard University
Five 150 word essays, all required. Two annotated examples for each.
Stanford University
Three essays, five short answers, all required. Annotated examples for each.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Five short essays on its own application. No Common App. Annotated examples.
University of Chicago
Why UChicago plus one famously weird extended essay. Annotated guidance.
Johns Hopkins University
One 350-word essay about an important first. Annotated examples.
New York University
One optional 250-word bridge builders essay. Annotated example.
Vanderbilt University
One 250-word essay on identity and growth. Annotated example.
Yale University
Two short essays, four 35-word short takes, and one 400-word essay, all engineered to show Yale who you are in very little space.
Princeton University
Two longer essays, two short ones, three quick takes, plus a graded paper, all read together as one portrait.
Columbia University
Columbia asks for one list and five 150-word essays, and they read every word like a syllabus.
University of Pennsylvania
Penn asks for three short supplements: a thank-you note, a community essay, and one prompt tied to the exact school you apply to.
Brown University
Three 250-word essays plus three short answers, all built around Brown's Open Curriculum and what brings you joy.
Cornell University
Cornell asks for one shared community essay plus a separate essay written to the specific college you apply to.
Dartmouth College
Three short Dartmouth essays that reward warmth, specificity, and a clear sense of who you are.
Duke University
Duke asks one required 250-word "Why Duke" essay plus an optional 250-word prompt on identity, disagreement, excitement, or AI.
University of California, Berkeley
Four of eight Personal Insight Questions, 350 words each. Test-blind. Annotated examples.
University of California, Los Angeles
Four of eight Personal Insight Questions, 350 words each. Test-blind. Annotated examples.
University of Michigan
Two essays: a 300-word community essay and a 550-word Why Michigan. Annotated examples.
Northwestern University
One required 300-word community essay plus optional short takes. Annotated examples.
Georgetown University
Three essays on Georgetown's own application: activity, personal, and Why Georgetown. Annotated examples.
University of Southern California
A 250-word academic essay plus ten rapid short answers. Annotated examples.
California Institute of Technology
STEM-focused short essays for one of the most selective schools in the country. Annotated examples.
Rice University
Two 150-word essays, one 500-word essay, and the famous Box image. Annotated examples.
Carnegie Mellon University
Three 300-word essays: why your major, your vision of college, and what to emphasize. Annotated examples.
University of Notre Dame
One 150-word essay plus three short answers from a set of five. Annotated examples.
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