College list

Colleges with Why Us essays

A school-by-school list of colleges whose supplement asks applicants to explain fit, academic interest, or why that college belongs on their list.

  1. Amherst College

    Amherst, MA · 4 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    word limit not listed · 2025-2026

  2. Barnard College

    New York, NY · 2 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  3. Bates College

    Lewiston, ME · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  4. Boston University

    Boston, MA · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  5. Brown University

    Providence, RI · 10 supplemental essays

    4 Why Us prompts
    1450 total listed words, up to 650 words · 2025-2026

  6. California Institute of Technology

    Pasadena, CA · 3 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    200 listed words · 2026-2027

  7. Carleton College

    Northfield, MN · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  8. Case Western Reserve University

    Cleveland, OH · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  9. Claremont McKenna College

    Claremont, CA · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    250 listed words · 2026-2027

  10. Colgate University

    Hamilton, NY · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    250 listed words · 2026-2027

  11. Columbia University

    New York, NY · 6 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    150 listed words · 2025-2026

  12. Common App — Personal Statement

    Universal · 7 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    650 listed words · Current cycle

  13. Cornell University

    Ithaca, NY · 13 supplemental essays

    8 Why Us prompts
    4150 total listed words, up to 650 words · 2026-2027

  14. Dartmouth College

    Hanover, NH · 10 supplemental essays

    2 Why Us prompts
    350 total listed words, up to 250 words · 2029-2030

  15. Davidson College

    Davidson, NC · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    250 listed words · 2026-2027

  16. Duke University

    Durham, NC · 7 supplemental essays

    2 Why Us prompts
    900 total listed words, up to 650 words · 2026-2027

  17. Emory University

    Atlanta, GA · 2 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    200 listed words · 2026-2027

  18. Georgetown University

    Washington, DC · 6 supplemental essays

    4 Why Us prompts
    2000 total listed words, up to 500 words · 2026-2027

  19. Georgia Institute of Technology

    Atlanta, GA · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  20. Hamilton College

    Clinton, NY · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  21. Kenyon College

    Gambier, OH · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  22. Lehigh University

    Bethlehem, PA · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  23. Macalester College

    Saint Paul, MN · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    150 listed words · 2026-2027

  24. Middlebury College

    Middlebury, VT · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  25. New York University

    New York, NY · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    400 listed words · 2026-2027

  26. Northwestern University

    Evanston, IL · 8 supplemental essays

    3 Why Us prompts
    700 total listed words, up to 300 words · 2025-2026

  27. Pomona College

    Claremont, CA · 4 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    150 listed words · 2025-2026

  28. Princeton University

    Princeton, NJ · 7 supplemental essays

    2 Why Us prompts
    500 total listed words, up to 250 words · 2025-2026

  29. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

    Troy, NY · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  30. Rice University

    Houston, TX · 6 supplemental essays

    3 Why Us prompts
    550 total listed words, up to 250 words · 2025-2026

  31. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

    Terre Haute, IN · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  32. Tufts University

    Medford, MA · 5 supplemental essays

    2 Why Us prompts
    350 total listed words, up to 200 words · 2026-2027

  33. Tulane University

    New Orleans, LA · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  34. University of Chicago

    Chicago, IL · 2 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    650 listed words · 2026-2027

  35. University of Florida

    Gainesville, FL · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    250 listed words · 2026-2027

  36. University of Michigan

    Ann Arbor, MI · 2 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    550 listed words · 2026-2027

  37. University of Notre Dame

    Notre Dame, IN · 2 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    200 listed words · 2026-2027

  38. University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia, PA · 3 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    200 listed words · 2025-2026

  39. University of Texas at Austin

    Austin, TX · 4 supplemental essays

    3 Why Us prompts
    800 total listed words, up to 300 words · 2026-2027

  40. University of Virginia

    Charlottesville, VA · 2 supplemental essays

    1 Why Us prompt
    250 listed words · 2026-2027

  41. University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Madison, WI · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    650 listed words · 2026-2027

  42. Washington and Lee University

    Lexington, VA · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    300 listed words · 2026-2027

  43. Washington University in St. Louis

    St. Louis, MO · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    250 listed words · 2026-2027

  44. Wellesley College

    Wellesley, MA · 1 supplemental essay

    1 Why Us prompt
    word limit not listed · 2026-2027

  45. Yale University

    New Haven, CT · 7 supplemental essays

    3 Why Us prompts
    1000 total listed words, up to 400 words · 2026-2027

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FAQ

What should a Why Us essay include?

A strong Why Us essay connects one real applicant trait or goal to specific academic, community, or campus evidence from the college.

What makes a Why Us essay sound generic?

Rankings, location praise, and brochure language are usually too thin. The essay should explain why the fit matters to your next step.