Admissions Blog

Johns Hopkins Introduces New Supplemental Essay Prompt for 2023-2024

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Craig Meister Leave a Comment

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland has released a new supplemental essay prompt for students applying during the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

All first-year applicants to Johns Hopkins (JHU) will now have respond to a prompt that explicitly references race even after The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in June that colleges can no longer admit students on the on the basis of race.

2023-2024 JHU Supplemental Prompt

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (eg. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc…) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins. (This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular or social). 300 word limit (though currently the Common App provides 350 words for students to respond to this prompt).

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Last year’s Johns Hopkins’ first-year applicant essay prompt read as follows:

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. (300-400 words)

A new year, and new JHU! As most high school seniors applying to JHU do so through the Common Application, most JHU applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at JHU.

Good luck to all those students applying to join Johns Hopkins’ Class of 2028. Start drafting!

WashU unveils new supplemental essay prompts for 2023-2024 admissions cycle

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Craig Meister Leave a Comment

Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) has released new supplemental essay prompt options for students applying during the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

In addition being required to respond to the first prompt, which is a returns from last year, all first-year applicants to WashU will now have the opportunity to respond in 250 words or fewer to one of the additional three optional prompts.

2023-2024 WashU Supplemental Prompts

REQUIRED: 1. Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why. Undecided about your academic interest(s)? Don’t worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected. Remember that all of our first-year students enter officially “undeclared” and work closely with their team of academic advisors to discover their academic passions. You can explore all of our majors and programs on our website. (200 words max)

OPTIONAL: 2. WashU is a place that values diversity of perspectives. We believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. Respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “Who are you?”: Optional (250 words max)

Option 1: Discuss a fresh perspective or opinion you brought to a collaborative setting or project.

Option 2: Describe a community you are a part of and your place within it.

Option 3: Tell us how your identity has impacted the way you view or interact with your community.

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This is the first time that WashU has asked applicants about their identity in an essay prompt, which is ironic considering The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in June that colleges can no longer admit students on the on the basis of race.

WashU also gives students the chance to upload a short video on the WashU Pathway portal after they submit their application, and within its supplemental instructions WashU notes, “If you prefer, you may focus your optional 90-second video submitted through the WashU Pathway on addressing one of these three questions.” Students who choose to submit a written response to one of the optional prompts may still opt in to sharing an optional video.

As most high school seniors applying to WashU do so through the Common Application, most WashU applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at WashU.

Good luck to all those students applying to join Washington University in St. Louis’ Class of 2028. Start drafting engines!

Penn unveils new supplemental essay prompts for 2023-2024 admissions cycle

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Craig Meister

University of Pennsylvania has released its 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants.

All first-year applicants to Penn will complete several Penn-specific short essays; yet, for the first time, the exact prompts students respond to will depend on the school within the university that they are applying to.

2023-2024 Penn Supplemental Prompts

Required of All Applicants:

1. 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!) (150-200 words)

2. 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. (150-200 words)

Required of College Applicants Only:

3. 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? To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about academic offerings within the College of Arts and Sciences at college.upenn.edu/prospective. This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of how the study of the liberal arts aligns with your own goals and aspirations. (150-200 words)

Required of Engineering Applicants Only:

3. Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn. To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about Penn Engineering and its mission to prepare students for global leadership in technology here. This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of academic pathways within Penn Engineering and how they align with your goals and interests.

Required of Nursing Applicants Only:

3. Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about Penn Nursing’s mission and how we promote equity in healthcare here. This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of our values and how they align with your own goals and aspirations. (150-200 words)

Required of Wharton Applicants Only:

3. 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. To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about the foundations of a Wharton education here. This information will help you better understand what you could learn by studying at Wharton and what you could do afterward.

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Penn also has additional essay requirements for first-year applicants applying to its highly selective special programs, which include DMD: Digital Media Design Program, DMD: Digital Media Design Program, Huntsman: The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, LSM: The Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management, M&T: The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology, NETS: The Rajendra and Neera Singh Program in Networked and Social Systems Engineering, NHCM: Nursing and Healthcare Management, Seven-Year Bio-Dental Program, and VIPER: The Roy and Diana Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research.

As most high school seniors applying to Penn do so through the Common Application, most Penn applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at Penn.

Good luck to all those students applying to join Penn’s Class of 2028. Start drafting!

Meanwhile, the 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompts for students applying to be first-year students at fellow Ivy League institutions Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Yale have now also been released. Only Princeton has yet to release its supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

Brown University 2023-2024 Supplemental Essays: A Real Bear

Posted on July 31, 2023 by admissions.blog 1 Comment

Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Brown University’s 2023-2024 supplemental short essay prompts for first-year applicants have now been made public as a result of the Common Application’s launch for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

All first-year applicants to Brown will write responses to the following seven Brown-specific prompts. With these responses, applicants now have up to 1,003 additional words to further differentiate their applications for first-year admission. This compares to only three required supplemental essay prompts seeking up to 750 words from applicants on last year’s Brown supplement to its first year application. This makes the 2023-2024 Brown supplement a real bear (Brown’s mascot is Bruno the Bear, a brown bear). We kid – have a sense of humor!

2023-2024 Brown Supplemental Essay Prompts

1. 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. (200-250 words)

2. 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. (200-250 words)

3. 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. (200-250 words)

4. What three words best describe you? (3 words)

5. What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it? (100 words)

6. If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be? (100 words)

7. In one sentence, Why Brown? (50 words)

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As most high school seniors applying to Brown do so through the Common Application, most Brown applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at Brown.

Good luck to all those students applying to join Brown’s Class of 2028.

Meanwhile, the 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompts for students applying to be first-year students at fellow Ivy League institutions Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, and Yale have now also been released. Only Princeton has yet to release its supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

Harvard 2023-2024 supplemental short essay prompts revealed

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Craig Meister 1 Comment

Harvard University’s 2023-2024 supplemental short essay prompts for first-year applicants have now been revealed with the launch of the 2023-2024 Common Application. This news comes in the wake of Harvard’s past use of affirmative action being ruled unlawful by The Supreme Court of the United States earlier this summer.

Unlike last year, when Harvard allowed applicants to upload an essay on any topic of their choice to its supplement to the Common App or Coalition application, this year, Harvard is now requiring first-year applicants to respond to five supplemental short answer prompts in up to 200 words each. This is up to 1,000 additional words of supplemental writing applicants can use to further differentiate their applications for first-year admission.

While four of the five new prompts are relatively direct and innocuous, the first of the five new prompts, though not referring specifically to the affirmative action case Harvard just lost at The Supreme Court, does take advantage of the following paragraph of Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion in the case:

“At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise. See, e.g., 4 App. in No. 21–707, at 1725–1726, 1741; Tr. of Oral Arg. in No. 20–1199, at 10. But, despite the dissent’s assertion to the contrary, universities may not simply establish through application essays or other means the regime we hold unlawful today. (A dissenting opinion is generally not the best source of legal advice on how to comply with the majority opinion.) “[W]hat cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly. The Constitution deals with substance, not shadows,” and the prohibition against racial discrimination is “levelled at the thing, not the name.” Cummings v. Missouri, 4 Wall. 277, 325 (1867). A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student’s courage and determination. Or a benefit to a student whose heritage or culture motivated him or her to assume a leadership role or attain a particular goal must be tied to that student’s unique ability to contribute to the university. In other words, the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race. Many universities have for too long done just the opposite. And in doing so, they have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

2023-2024 Harvard University Supplemental Essay Prompts

1. 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?200 words)

2. Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you.200 words)

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

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

5. Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. (200 words)

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As most high school seniors applying to Harvard do so through the Common Application, most Harvard applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at Harvard. Good luck to all those students applying to join Harvard’s Class of 2028.

Meanwhile, the 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompts for students applying to be first-year students at fellow Ivy League institutions Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn, and Yale have now also been released. Only Princeton has yet to release its supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

NYU has all new supplemental essay prompt options for 2023-2024

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Craig Meister Leave a Comment

New York University has all new supplemental essay prompt options for first-year applicants to choose from as they decide whether or not to submit an optional 250-word essay as part of their Common Application when applying to the private university, which now has comprehensive campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai.

2023-2024 NYU Supplemental Essay Prompts

We are looking for peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators – Choose one quote from the following and let us know why it inspires you; or share a short quote and person not on our list who inspires you, and include why. (250 words maximum)

“We’re used to people telling us there are no solutions, and then creating our own. So we did what we do best. We reached out to each other, and to our allies, and we mobilized across communities to make change, to benefit and include everyone in society.” Judith Heuman, 2022 NYU Commencement Address
“I encourage your discomfort, that you must contribute, that you must make your voice heard. That is the essence of good citizenship.” Sherilynn Ifill, 2015 NYU Commencement Address
“If you know how to fly but you never knew how to walk, wouldn’t that be sad?” Lang Lang, 2015 NYU Honorary Degree Recipient
“You have the right to want things and to want things to change.” Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland, 2023 NYU Commencement Address
“It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair.” Taylor Swift, Change, Released 2008, 2022 NYU Commencement Speaker
Share a short quote and person not on this list, and why the quote inspires you.
Not answering this optional question.

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While having a variety of prompts from which to choose in order to write NYU’s optional 250-word short essay is new, last year’s prompt, like this year’s prompt-quotes, also demonstrated the institution’s emphasis on promoting social change:

NYU 2022-2023 Optional Short Essay Prompt (No Longer in Use)

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience. We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. Please respond in 250 words or less.

Though NYU does allow applicants to submit their applications without completing the optional 250-word short essay, the relative freedom the prompts give applicants should provide enough motivation for any applicant who really wants to differentiate himself or herself for the NYU admissions committee.

High school seniors applying to NYU do so through the Common Application; therefore, NYU applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at NYU.

NYU also requires each first-year applicant to complete and submit a time-consuming Self Reported Academic Record (SRAR) after submitting his or her Common Application. A first-year applicant is only able to access the SRAR through his or her NYU Applicant Portal, which the student will gain access to after applying to NYU on the Common App. Once the SRAR is submitted, it will take up to forty-eight hours for the SRAR to show as received in an applicant’s Applicant Portal. With that in mind, applicants will have a few days after their decision deadline to submit their SRAR to NYU; yet, around NYU’s application deadline periods, it can take longer than forty-eight hours for SRARs to show as received.

Good luck to all high school seniors about to embark on the application process to become a member of NYU’s Class of 2028.

Stanford University 2023-2024 Supplemental Essay Prompts Released

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Craig Meister Leave a Comment

Stanford University has released its 2023-2024 supplemental short essay prompts for first-year applicants.

All first-year applicants to Stanford will complete three Stanford-specific short essays, one of which is in response to a prompt that makes its debut this year.

2023-2024 Stanford Supplemental Essay Prompts

There is a 100-word minimum and a 250-word maximum for each essay.

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

Stanford also requires applicants to complete several short answer responses (50 words maximum). The prompts for those are as follows:

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?

How did you spend your last two summers?

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

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

List five things that are important to you.

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A prompt that Stanford retired from last year’s supplement is: “Tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why.

That prompt was replaced by: “Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.”

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in June 2023 that colleges can no longer admit students on the on the basis of race. As a result, many selective colleges like Stanford are attempting during the 2023-2024 admissions cycle to balance building racially diverse first-year classes on the one hand with not being able to admit students on the basis of race on the other hand.

Stanford is attempting to thread a very narrow needle with its new essay prompt; its admissions leadership is trying to inspire Stanford’s diverse applicants to write about their diverse experiences inclusive of how race may have shaped their perspectives, character, and overall value systems. By doing so, Stanford admissions leadership hopes to curate what it deems to be a sufficiently diverse first-year class based on diverse perspectives, experiences, and dispositions rather than by allowing an applicant’s skin color alone to play any role in any admissions decision. In short, Stanford must adhere to The Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, that included this critical paragraph:

Columbia University’s 2023-2024 Supplemental Essay Prompts Announced

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Craig Meister Leave a Comment

Columbia University in the City of New York has released its 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants.

All first-year applicants to Columbia will complete several Columbia-specific short answer questions, and this year’s Columbia supplemental prompts represent an intriguing mix of old, reworded, and new prompts with adjusted word-count limits.

One new Columbia short essay prompt for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle that is focused on adversity very much seems inspired by US President Joe Biden’s request for colleges to consider adversity and diversity in their admissions decisions after The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in June 2023 that colleges can no longer admit students on the on the basis of race:

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. (150 words or fewer)

Also new/reworded in 2023-2024 is the following prompt:

What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering? (150 words or fewer) *This prompt was reworded from last year and the maximum number of words a student can use to respond has also been lowered from 200 to 150.

Three prompts that did appear in last year’s Columbia supplement but which have now been retired include:

List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (75 words or fewer) *While this prompt has been retired, a new prompt exists that condenses this prompt and the one below into one new prompt with a 100-word limit.

We’re interested in learning about some of the ways that you explore your interests. List some resources and outlets that you enjoy, including but not limited to websites, publications, journals, podcasts, social media accounts, lectures, museums, movies, music, or other content with which you regularly engage. (125 words or fewer) *While this prompt has been retired, a new prompt exists that condenses this prompt and the one above into one new prompt with a 100-word limit.

In Columbia’s admissions process, we value who you are as a unique individual, distinct from your goals and achievements. In the last words of this writing supplement, we would like you to reflect on a source of happiness. Help us get to know you further by describing the first thing that comes to mind when you consider what simply brings you joy. (35 words or fewer)

It’s important to note that most high school seniors applying to Columbia do so through the Common Application; therefore, most Columbia applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at Columbia.

Fellow Ivy League institutions, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Yale released their supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants earlier in July.

2023-2024 Columbia University Supplemental Prompts

Instructions

For the list question that follows, there is a 100 word maximum. Please refer to the below guidance when answering this question:

Your response should be a list of items separated by commas or semicolons.
Items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order.
It is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications.
No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.

For the four short answer questions, please respond in 150 words or fewer.

Questions

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. (100 words or fewer)
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. (150 words or fewer)
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. (150 words or fewer)
Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (150 words or fewer)
What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering? (150 words or fewer)

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For my advice on how to write wonderful responses to these 2023-2024 Columbia supplemental prompts, watch my latest video here. For overall advice on how to get into Columbia University, watch my in-depth video here.

Cornell University Releases 2023-2024 Supplemental Essay Prompts

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Craig Meister 3 Comments

Cornell University in Ithaca, New York is the third Ivy League college to officially release its 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants. Dartmouth and Yale released their supplemental prompts earlier this month. As most high school seniors applying to Cornell do so through the Common Application, most Cornell applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at Cornell.

This year’s supplemental prompts are a mix of new and old; some of the university’s colleges have kept their supplemental prompts the same as last year, while others have introduced new prompts.

To watch my detailed advice from last year regarding how to get into Cornell, which includes advice on last year’s supplemental essay prompts, some of which are used again this year, click here or watch it at the bottom of this article.

The admissions offices at most highly selective universities have been slower than usual in releasing their supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle as a result of having to reassess their practices in a new post-affirmative action environment. University of Virginia earlier in July released a new supplemental essay prompt that seemed to be created specifically in response to affirmative action being ruled unlawful.

Without further ado, here are Cornell’s prompts for students applying for Fall 2024 entry.

Cornell University 2023-2024 Supplemental Essay Prompts

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Required: Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected? Please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. How will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University specifically serve to support your learning, growth, and the pursuit of your goals? (650-word limit)

Instructions: The optional short-answer questions invite you to share additional information about your background, interests, and experiences as they relate to aspects of the Cornell CALS mission. The content of any responses submitted will be included in the holistic review of your application (which is also the case for any optional additional information submitted as part of your Common Application or uploaded through your Cornell Application Portal once you’ve applied).

Optional: At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are not simply driven to master their discipline, but who are also passionate about doing so to serve the public good. Please elaborate on an experience where you had a meaningful impact on people, a community, and/or an environment of importance to you. (200-word limit)

Optional: Cornell CALS is dedicated to purpose-driven study of the agricultural, life, environmental, and social sciences and welcomes students with interests that span a wide variety of disciplines. 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 (ex. 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). (100-word limit)

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

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.

College of Arts & Sciences

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 majors or areas 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.

Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy

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.

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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 Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration).

College of Engineering

Instructions: All applicants are required to write two supplemental essays. Each has a limit of 250 words. Essay 1 is required of all applicants. For Essay 2, you must choose between Question A and Question B.

Essay 1: Required response. (250-word limit)

How do your interests directly connect with Cornell Engineering? If you have an intended major, what draws you to that department at Cornell Engineering? If you are unsure what specific engineering field you would like to study, describe how your general interest in engineering most directly connects with Cornell Engineering. It may be helpful to concentrate on one or two things that you are most excited about.

Essay 2: Choose either Question A and Question B. (250-word limit)

Question A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. Describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem.

Question B: Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?

College of Human Ecology

How have your related experiences influenced your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology (CHE)? How will your choice of major impact your goals and plans for the future? Your response should show us that your interests and aspirations align with CHE and your choice of major. (Refer to our essay application tips before you begin.)

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

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.

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My “How to get into Cornell” video from 2022:

UNC Chapel Hill Releases 2023-2024 Supplemental Essay Prompts

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Craig Meister Leave a Comment

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has officially released its 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants. All UNC applicants will also need to respond – and respond well – to one of the Common App’s main essay prompts in order to be considered for admission at UNC, which is North Carolina’s most selective public university.

The admissions offices at most highly selective universities have been slower than usual in releasing their supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle as a result of having to reassess their practices in a new post-affirmative action environment after UNC’s and Harvard’s past use of affirmative action was ruled unlawful by The Supreme Court of the United States in late June.

Whereas UNC’s new prompts make no mention of an applicant’s identity (last year UNC had a prompt that read, “Describe an aspect of your identity [for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc]. How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?), its selective neighbor to the north, University of Virginia, has released a new supplemental essay prompt that seems to be taking a different approach.

UNC’s 2023-2024 Short Answer Prompts

We’d like to know how you’d contribute to the Carolina community and ask that you respond to each prompt in up to 250 words.

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.
Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.