Supplemental Essay Prompts (2021-22)

Seniors: time to flex those writing muscles! Many schools have already released their supplemental essay questions, so take advantage of the summer and don’t leave your essays for the last minute. Ivy Link is here to help you brainstorm, draft and revise these essays now, ahead of the upcoming school year.

In general, the purpose of supplemental essays is to help the school understand your talents, and your ability to contribute on campus, i.e. who you are not only as a student but as a person. While the Common App essay (also known as the Personal Statement) is applicable to all of the schools on your application list, supplemental essays are released by individual schools and target specific information they deem important. If you are applying to multiple selective colleges, you should expect to write at least 10 (closer to 20) supplemental essays during the application process. Yes, even if you apply EA/ED. There is no guarantee that you’ll be accepted in the Early round, so use the extra time to complete the essays for your back-up schools. With an average word count of 300-500 words, you’ll have a much harder time writing them once school starts.

Some common supplemental essay questions include: What are you passionate about? How will you contribute to our community? Why do you want to attend this school/program? Visit The Common App and Coalition for College for a comprehensive list of 2021-22 essay prompts.

Here are a few examples of supplemental essay questions specifically for the Class of 2022:

• Tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why  — Stanford University

• What’s so easy about pie? — University of Chicago

• Tell us the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? — Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are  — University of Virginia

Note: Many schools, such as Georgetown and the entire University of California system, use their own applications and essays. 

Schools that have already released 2021-2022 prompts:

• BOSTON COLLEGE 

• BROWN UNIVERSITY 

• CORNELL UNIVERSITY

• DUKE UNIVERSITY 

• EMORY UNIVERSITY

• GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY 

• JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY 

• MIT

• STANFORD UNIVERSITY 

• TUFTS UNIVERSITY 

• TULANE UNIVERSITY 

• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 

• UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 

• UMASS AMHERST 

• UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 

• UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA 

• UW – MADISON 

• YALE UNIVERSITY

Maximize your admissions chances with an early start paired with Ivy Link’s expert guidance. To get started on essay advising and application assistance, schedule a consultation with an Ivy Link advisor.