Ultimate Guide to Top 25 US Colleges Essay Requirements

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Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

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For AB degree applicants only or those undecided: 

As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/250 

For BSE degree applicants only: 

Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/250 

Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you?  

Required 

Long answer 

1/500 

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/250 

What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? 

Required 

Short answer 

1/50 

What brings you joy? 

Required 

Short answer 

1/50 

What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment? 

Required 

Short answer 

1/50 

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Type 

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What field of study appeals to you the most right now? (Note: Applicants select from a drop-down list.) Tell us more about why this field of study at MIT appeals to you. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/200 

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/200 

While some reach their goals following well-trodden paths, others blaze their own trails achieving the unexpected. In what ways have you done something different than what was expected in your educational journey? 

Required 

Long answer 

100/200 

MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds together to collaborate, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to lending a helping hand. Describe one way you have collaborated with others to learn from them, with them, or contribute to your community together. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/200 

How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn’t expect? What did you learn from it? 

Required 

Long answer 

100/200 

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Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

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Required/Optional 

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Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard? 

Required 

Long answer 

10/150 

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. 

Required 

Long answer 

10/150 

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? 

Required 

Long answer 

10/150 

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. 

Required 

Long answer 

10/150 

Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience? 

Required 

Long answer 

10/150 

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Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

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Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/250 

List five things that are important to you. 

Required 

Long answer 

3/50 

The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/250 

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. 

Required 

Long answer 

3/50 

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? 

Required 

Long answer 

3/50 

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate – and us – get to know you better. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/250 

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? 

Required 

Long answer 

3/50 

How did you spend your last two summers? 

Required 

Long answer 

3/50 

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Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

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Choose one of the following questions:  
 
1. Reflect on a time you discussed an issue important to you with someone holding an opposing view. Why did you find the experience meaningful? 
 
2. Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. Why is this community meaningful to you? You may define community however you like. 
 
3. Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/400 

Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected above. Why are you drawn to it?   

Required 

Long answer 

1/200 

What is it about Yale that has led you to apply?  

Required 

Long answer 

1/125 

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Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

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Caltech has a rigorous core curriculum and students don't declare a major until the end of their first year. However, some students arrive knowing which academic fields and areas already most excite them, or which novel fields and areas they most want to explore. 

If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose? 

*Note that you are under no obligation to follow this choice if admitted. 

Why did you choose your proposed area of interest? If you selected 'other', what topics are you interested in pursuing?  

Required 

Long asnwer 

100/200 

Regardless of your STEM interest listed above, take this opportunity to nerd out and talk to us about whatever STEM rabbit hole you have found yourself falling into. Be as specific or broad as you would like. 

Required 

Long answer 

50/150 

Tell us about a STEM-related experience from the last few years and share how and why it inspired your curiosity. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/200 

Tell us how you initially found your interest and passion for science or any STEM topic and how you have pursued or developed this interest or passion. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/200 

The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech's students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars. But Techers also imagine smaller-scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to how to 3D-print dorm decor to experimenting in the kitchen. How have you been a creator, inventor, or innovator in your own life? 

Required 

Long answer 

200/250 

Caltech's values include respect for a diversity of thoughts and ideas. How have you cultivated this value in your own life? 

Required 

Long answer 

50/200 

Have you had any extenuating circumstances (such as limited course selection, inconsistent grades, or disruptions), that have affected your coursework, but that are not described elsewhere in your application? If so, tell us about them here. 

Optional 

Short answer 

0/150 

What is a favorite interest or hobby, and why does it bring you joy? 

Optional 

Short answer 

0/200 

Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too. Tell us about another hobby or interest! 

Optional 

Short answer 

0/150 

If there are aspects of your life or social or personal identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please tell us about them below. 

Optional 

Short answer 

0/150 

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Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

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What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there's something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/250 

Applicants can answer up to two questions out of the following: 

1. We believe a wide range of viewpoints, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to maintaining Duke as a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community. 

2. Tell us about an experience in the past year or two that reflects your imagination, creativity, or intellect. 

3. We believe there is benefit in sharing or questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about? 

4. Duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community. 

5. We recognize that not fully “fitting in” a community or place can sometimes be difficult. Duke values the effort, resilience, and independence that may require. Feel free to share with us circumstances where something about you is different and how that’s influenced your experiences or identity. 

Optional 

Short answer 

/ 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

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How has your life experience contributed to your personal story—your character, values, perspectives or skills—and what you want to pursue at Hopkins? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

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We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background (your identity, your school setting, your community, your household, etc.) have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise?  

Required 

Long answer 

1/300 

Applicants are encouraged to answer at least one and no more than two of the following questions: 

1. Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why? 

2. Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators? 

3. Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus. 

4. Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why? 

5. Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus? 

Optional 

Long answer 

0/200 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!)  

Required 

Long answer 

150/200 

How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn.  

Required 

Long answer 

150/200 

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Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of a global, multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare through advancing science. How will you contribute to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare and how will Penn Nursing contribute to your future nursing goals?  

Required 

Short answer 

150/200 

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Required/Optional 

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The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? 

Required 

Short answer 

150/200 

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Required/Optional 

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The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues.  Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it. help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? 

Required 

Short answer 

150/200 

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Required/Optional

Type 

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Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics with depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you plan to pursue your engineering interests at Penn.  

Required 

Short answer 

150/200 

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Type 

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Discuss how your interests align with the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania?  

Required 

Long answer 

400/650 

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The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to contribute to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect?

Required 

Long answer 

400/650 

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The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing, and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay.

Required 

Long answer 

400/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

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Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. 

Required 

Long answer 

400/650

Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/250

Question 

Required/Optional 

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Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals?  

Required 

Long answer 

400/650

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Required/Optional 

Type 

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How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time.  

Required 

Long answer 

400/650

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

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We all contribute to, and are influenced by, the communities that are meaningful to us. Share how you’ve been shaped by one of the communities you belong to.  
 
Remember that this essay is about you and your lived experience. Define community in the way that is most meaningful to you. Some examples of community you might choose from are: family, school, shared interest, virtual, local, global, cultural.  

Required 

Long answer 

1/350

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Type 

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Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected and specifically, why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell CALS? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals influenced your choice. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/500 

At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are passionate about serving the public good. Please elaborate on an experience where you were able to have a meaningful impact on people, a community, and/or an environment of importance to you. 

Optional 

Short answer 

1/100 

Given our agricultural history and commitment to educating the next generation of agriculturalists, please share if you have a background or interest in agriculture, regardless of your intended major. An "agricultural entity" for the purpose of this question is defined as cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock (e.g., farm, ranch, greenhouse, vineyard, etc.) 

Select all that apply: 

• A primary source of income for my parent/guardian(s) comes from ownership of or employment by an agricultural entity. 

• My extended family owns or operates an agricultural entity. 

• I have experience working in an agricultural entity. 

• I have interest in pursuing a career in an agricultural entity. 

Please feel free to share additional details (optional). 

Optional 

Short answer 

1/100 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

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How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/650

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences. 

Required

Long answer 

1/650

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Required/Optional

Type 

Min/max word count 

Why are you drawn to studying public policy? Drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the Brooks School will help you achieve your life goals. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/650

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Required/Optional

Type 

Min/max word count 

What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration).  

Required 

Long answer 

1/650

Question 

Required/Optional

Type 

Min/max word count 

Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/200

Why do you think you would love to study at Cornell Engineering? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/200

What brings you joy? 

Required 

Short answer 

1/100

What do you believe you will contribute to the Cornell Engineering community beyond what you've already detailed in your application? What unique voice will you bring? 

Required 

Short answer 

1/100

What is one activity, club, team, organization, work/volunteer experience or family responsibility that is especially meaningful to you? Please briefly tell us about its significance for you. 

Required 

Short answer 

1/100

What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you. 

Required 

Short answer 

1/100

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How has your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology (CHE) been shaped and informed by your related experiences? How will what you learn through CHE and your chosen major impact your goals and plans for the future? Your response should demonstrate how your interests and aspirations align with CHE’s programs and mission. (Refer to Cornell’s essay application tips before you begin.) 

Required 

Long answer 

1/650

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Required/Optional

Type 

Min/max word count 

Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/650

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

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How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago. 

Required 

Upload 

1/2000 

Choose one out of six options below and upload a one or two-page response. 

Essay Option 1 

We’re all familiar with green-eyed envy or feeling blue, but what about being “caught purple-handed”? Or “tickled orange”? Give an old color-infused expression a new hue and tell us what it represents. 

Essay Option 2 

"Ah, but I was so much older then / I'm younger than that now” – Bob Dylan. In what ways do we become younger as we get older? 

Essay Option 3 

Pluto, the demoted planet. Ophiuchus, the thirteenth Zodiac. Andy Murray, the fourth to tennis's Big Three. Every grouping has something that doesn’t quite fit in. Tell us about a group and its unofficial member, why (or why not) should it be excluded? 
– Inspired by Veronica Chang, Class of 2022 

Essay Option 4 

"Daddy-o", "Far Out", "Gnarly": the list of slang terms goes on and on. Sadly, most of these aren’t so "fly" anymore – “as if!” Name an outdated slang from any decade or language that you'd bring back and explain why you totally “dig it.” 

Essay Option 5 

How many piano tuners are there in Chicago? What is the total length of chalk used by UChicago professors in a year? How many pages of books are in the Regenstein Library? These questions are among a class of estimation problems named after University of Chicago physicist Enrico Fermi. Create your own Fermi estimation problem, give it your best answer, and show us how you got there. 

Essay Option 6 

And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun! 

Required 

Upload 

1/2000 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

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What three words best describe you? 

Required 

Short answer 

3/3 

In one sentence, Why Brown?  

Required 

Short answer 

1/50 

If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be? 

Required 

Short answer 

1/100 

What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it? 

Required 

Short answer 

1/100 

Brown's Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about any academic interests that excite you, and how you might pursue them at Brown. 

Required 

Long answer 

200/250 

Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community. 

Required 

Long answer 

200/250 

Brown students care deeply about their work and the world around them. Students find contentment, satisfaction, and meaning in daily interactions and major discoveries. Whether big or small, mundane or spectacular, tell us about something that brings you joy.  

Required 

Long answer 

200/250 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

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List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/100 

A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's diverse and collaborative community. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/150 

In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant's ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/150 

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/150 

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/150 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

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Type 

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As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2029, what aspects of the college's academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you? 

Required 

Short answer 

1/100 

Choose one of the following: 

A. There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today. 

B. "Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself. 

Required 

Long answer 

1250 

Choose one of the following: 

A.  What excites you? 

B.  Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta recommended a life of purpose. "We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things," she said. "That is what we are put on the earth for." In what ways do you hope to make—or are you already making—an impact? Why? How? 

C.  In "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think," Dr. Seuss invites us to "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." Imagine your anticipated academic major: How does that course of study sync with Dr. Seuss's advice to you? 

D.  The social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees have been the focus of Dame Jane Goodall's research for decades. Her understanding of animal behavior prompted the English primatologist to see a lesson for human communities as well: "Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right." Channel Dame Goodall: Tell us about a moment when you engaged in a difficult conversation or encountered someone with an opinion or perspective that was different from your own. How did you find common ground? 

E.    Celebrate your nerdy side. 

F.    "It's not easy being green…" was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity, outlook, or sense of purpose? 

G.    Buddy Teevens '79 was a legendary and much-beloved coach at Dartmouth. He often told parents: "Your son will be a great football player when it's football time, a great student when it's academic time, and a great person all of the time." If Coach Teevens had said that to you, what would it mean to be "a great person"? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/250 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

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Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/350 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected. 

Required 

Long answer 

1/150 

Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/150 

Choose one of the following:  

1. The Residential College System is at the heart of Rice student life and is heavily influenced by the particular cultural traditions and unique life experiences each student brings. What life experiences and/or unique perspectives are you looking forward to sharing with fellow Owls in the residential college system? 

2. Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/500 

In keeping with Rice’s long-standing tradition (known as “The Box”), please share an image of something that appeals to you. 

Required 

Upload 

0 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home. 

Required 

Short answer 

1/150 

Choose three out of five questions below: 

1. How does faith influence the decisions you make? 

2. What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community, etc)? Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community? 

3. Notre Dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person. How do you foster service to others in your community? 

4. What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you? 

5. What would you fight for? 

Required 

Short answer 

50/100 (for each question) 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Vanderbilt University’s motto, Crescere aude, is Latin for “dare to grow.” In your response, reflect on how one or more aspects of your identity, culture, or background has played a role in your personal growth, and how it will contribute to our campus community as you dare to grow at Vanderbilt. 

Required 

Long answer 

Approx. 250 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/300 

Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience? 

Required 

Long answer 

1/300 

Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please). 

Required 

Long answer 

1/300 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong and describe that community and your place within it. 

Required 

Long answer 

100/300 

Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? 

Required 

Long answer 

100/300 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Required 

Long answer 

1/200 

Optional

Long answer

1/250

Question 

Required/Optional 

Min/max word count 

2024 – 25 Common App essay prompts 

Required 

250/650 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

What academic areas are you interested in exploring at Emory University and why? 

Required 

Short answer 

Approx. 200 

Choose one of the following questions: 

1. Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction) seems made for you? Why? 

2. Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness. 

3. Emory University’s unique mission calls for service to humanity. Share how you might personally contribute to this mission of service to humanity. 

4. Emory University has a strong commitment to building community. Tell us about a community that you have been part of where your participation helped to change or shape the community for the better. 

Required 

Short answer 

1/150 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight. 

Required 

Long answer 

Approx. 250 

Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. 

Required 

Long answer 

Approx. ½ page, single-spaced, or 300-400 words 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your personal background and individual experiences, skills, and talents. 

Required 

Long answer 

1 page, single-spaced 

Question 

Required/Optional 

Type 

Min/max word count 

Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences 

A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (Applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.) 

Required 

Long answer 

1 page, single-spaced 

McDonough School of Business 

The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown. 

Required 

Long answer 

1 page, single-spaced 

Walsh School of Foreign Service 

The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world? 

Required 

Long answer 

1 page, single-spaced 

School of Health 

Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science). 

Required 

Long answer 

1 page, single-spaced