DePauw / Essays
DePauw supplemental essays
All 1 required prompt for 2025-2026, each with its own deep guide: what it is really asking, annotated examples, and what to avoid.
The single most useful move is to flip the verb tense. The prompt is built on the word "enhance," meaning future growth, yet most applicants instinctively write about leadership they have already done. Spend at most one short clause grounding yourself in something real (a club, a job, a sibling you helped raise), then pivot hard to the future: a specific skill you want to sharpen and the specific DePauw resource that will help you sharpen it. The ratio should be roughly 20% past, 80% future.
Then do five minutes of homework so the DePauw piece is not interchangeable. Mention something only DePauw offers: the Honor Scholar Program, the Tenzer Technology Center, a Winter Term project, the Bonner Scholars community-service track, or a specific living-learning community. One precise, accurate detail beats three vague gestures at "your wonderful community." The whole essay can be three or four sentences. Resist padding it.
Mistakes that sink DePauw essays
The prompt explicitly asks how you will enhance your leadership going forward. A story about the time you ran a fundraiser answers a different question. Keep the past to a single grounding clause and spend your words on growth.
If you could swap in another college's name and the essay still works, it is too generic. Name a concrete DePauw program, course, or community by its actual name.
This is your one direct line to an admissions reader. Leaving it blank in a 50-50 pool quietly hurts you. Treat optional as strongly recommended.
There is no minimum. A crisp 75 words beats a bloated 100. Cut adverbs, cut 'I believe,' cut throat-clearing, and let the specifics do the work.
DePauw essay FAQ
How many essays does DePauw require for 2025-26?
One optional supplemental essay of 100 words, plus the Common App personal statement (650 words). DePauw 'strongly encourages' you to write the supplement even though it is technically optional.
What is the DePauw supplemental essay prompt for 2025-26?
"DePauw's mission is to prepare the leaders the world needs; in what ways do you intend to enhance your leadership strengths during your time at DePauw?" The limit is 100 words.
Is DePauw test-optional?
Yes. SAT and ACT scores are optional for first-year applicants, and students who apply without scores are still considered for merit-based scholarships. There is also no application fee.
What are DePauw's application deadlines for 2025-26?
Early Decision I and Early Action I are due November 1, 2025. Early Decision II and Early Action II are due December 15, 2025. Regular Decision is due February 1, 2026.
Is there a separate essay for the Honor Scholar Program?
Yes. The Honor Scholar Program is a distinct application with its own essay of about 500 words, choosing one of four prompts (on artificial intelligence, public health and community, the writer's task, or a New Orleans photograph). It is separate from the standard first-year supplement and only applies if you are pursuing that program.
Should I write the optional DePauw essay?
Yes. In a pool where DePauw admits roughly half of applicants, 100 well-chosen words are a low-cost way to speak directly to an admissions reader and stand out. Skipping it is a quiet disadvantage.
Prompts and facts verified against DePauw Admission: Apply (deadlines, test-optional, no fee), DePauw Honor Scholar Program Essay Prompts and CollegeVine: How to Write the DePauw Essay 2025-2026 (DePauw University, 2025-2026 cycle). Supplements change yearly, re-verify each cycle.
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