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Purdue University

Three short Purdue essays at 250 words each, where your reason for a specific major matters as much as your love of the school.

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Required essays

3 short answers

Word limit

250 words each

Common App

Personal statement required

Honors College

2 extra essays, 500 words

What Purdue rewards

Purdue asks for three short supplemental answers, each capped at 250 words, on top of your Common App personal statement. The first is a classic "why Purdue" question about opportunities in and out of the classroom. The second asks why you chose your specific major and campus, and the third asks the same about your alternate major. The Honors College adds two more essays of up to 500 words for applicants who want in.

Two things make Purdue different. First, it is not test-optional for 2025-26: you must submit SAT or ACT scores. Second, you apply directly to a major and name a backup, so the major essays carry real weight in a system where engineering and CS seats are scarce. The core challenge is being genuinely specific in 250 words about both the field and the place, without burning half your space on flattery.

01Concrete reasons for a concrete major. Purdue is a direct-admit school. The readers want to see that you understand what your major actually involves and why it fits you, not just that the field sounds prestigious or pays well. Name courses, labs, sequences, or problems.
02Hands-on and applied over abstract. Purdue's identity is builders, makers, and doers. Essays that show you tinkering, prototyping, fixing, testing, or working with your hands land better than essays that stay purely theoretical or aspirational.
03Specificity about the institution. With only 250 words, vague praise reads as filler. The strongest answers point to a named program, research center, learning community, club, or campus resource and connect it to something you already do.
04Follow-through, not just passion. Purdue rewards evidence that you act on your interests. A robotics team you led, a coding project you shipped, a lab you volunteered in. Show the pattern, then show how Purdue extends it.

Essay prompts for 2026-2027

2 prompts for Purdue, each broken down with annotated examples.

Opportunities at Purdue250 words

How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom?

Why this major and campus250 words

Briefly discuss your reasons for choosing your major and your interest in studying at this campus location (Indianapolis or West Lafayette).

See all 2 prompts and get a read

Your chance

See your chance

Add your GPA, test scores, and profile to estimate your odds at Purdue and build a balanced list.

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Deadlines

Early Action deadlineNovember 1
Regular Decision deadlineFebruary 1
Honors College priorityNovember 1 (apply Early Action)

Cost

Sticker price$22,566
Avg net after aid$13,700
Meets full needPartial
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Explore Purdue
How to get inAcceptance rate, the GPA and SAT profile, and what Purdue weighs most Supplemental essays2 prompts, each broken down with annotated examples Cost & financial aidAverage $13,700/yr after aid · net price by income + calculator InterviewDoes Purdue interview? Format, tips, and practice The Purdue Reader ProScore your draft against Purdue's exact prompts
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Purdue FAQ

What is Purdue's acceptance rate?

Purdue admits roughly half of applicants overall, but that number hides enormous variation by college. Engineering, computer science, and the data science and AI programs draw far more applicants than seats, so admission to those majors is meaningfully harder than the campus-wide rate implies. Because you apply directly to a major (and name an alternate), the essays asking why that major are doing real admissions work, not just rapport-building. At Purdue, a strong application essay and a well-balanced school list matter alongside your grades and test scores.

What supplemental essays does Purdue require?

Purdue requires 2 supplemental essays on its application. On EssayLens each prompt is broken down with annotated examples, and you can get a free admissions-style read of your draft against the exact prompt.

How much does Purdue cost?

Purdue's published sticker price is about $22,566 per year, but the average family pays $13,700 after financial aid. Your net price depends on your family income; use the calculator to estimate yours.

Does Purdue require SAT or ACT scores?

Purdue requires SAT or ACT scores as part of the application.

When are Purdue's application deadlines?

Purdue's application deadlines are Early Action deadline November 1; Regular Decision deadline February 1; Honors College priority November 1 (apply Early Action). Add Purdue to your plan on EssayLens to track its deadlines automatically.

Campus photo via Wikipedia.

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