Swarthmore College
A liberal arts college with a distinctive honors program modeled on the Oxford tutorial system, strong Quaker-rooted values, and an unusually intellectual student culture just outside Philadelphia.
- Next deadline
- Not listedConfirm on the official admissions site
- Essays
- 2Prompts
- Supplement
- Required2025-2026 cycle
- Platform
- Common AppAccepted platform
- Selectivity
- 7%Highly selective
- Enrollment
- 1,640Small undergrad
Build your Swarthmore College application plan
Track the deadline, review every supplemental essay prompt, and shape each response around one clear admissions story.
Application deadlines
Supplemental essay prompts
- Supplement250 words2025-2026
What aspects of your self-identity or personal background are most significant to you? Reflecting on the elements of your home, school, or other communities that have shaped your life, explain how you have grown in your ability to navigate differences when engaging with others, or demonstrated your ability to collaborate in communities other than your own.
- Supplement250 words2025-2026
Tell us about a topic that has fascinated you recently – either inside or outside of the classroom. What made you curious about this? Has this topic connected across other areas of your interests? How has this experience shaped you and what encourages you to keep exploring?
How to approach Swarthmore College's supplemental essays
Choose a role before you draft
Decide what this essay should add to the application: evidence, range, bridge, or a new window into your life. Avoid repeating the Common App essay in miniature.
Choose a role before you draft
Decide what this essay should add to the application: evidence, range, bridge, or a new window into your life. Avoid repeating the Common App essay in miniature.
Use this as a blank structure for a Swarthmore College supplement response, then replace every bracket with your own specifics.
- Open on [specific scene, object, problem, or conversation].
- Show what [choice/action/constraint] reveals about how you think.
- Connect that trait to [school program, community, lab, class, or value].
- End with the contribution you want to make at Swarthmore College, not a compliment.
Need more help with this application?
Use our guides to plan your supplement, sharpen your Why Us research, and review your draft before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
How many supplemental essays does Swarthmore College require?
Swarthmore College has 2 supplemental essays listed for the 2025-2026 application cycle, in addition to the shared application essay.
Does Swarthmore College accept the Common Application?
Yes — Swarthmore College accepts the Common Application.
What is Swarthmore College's acceptance rate?
Swarthmore College's most recently reported acceptance rate is 7.0%.
What is Swarthmore College's "What aspects of your self-identity or…" prompt (#1, 250 words)?
What aspects of your self-identity or personal background are most significant to you? Reflecting on the elements of your home, school, or other communities that have shaped your life, explain how you have grown in your ability to navigate differences when engaging with others, or demonstrated your ability to collaborate in communities other than your own.
What is Swarthmore College's "Tell us about a topic that…" prompt (#2, 250 words)?
Tell us about a topic that has fascinated you recently – either inside or outside of the classroom. What made you curious about this? Has this topic connected across other areas of your interests? How has this experience shaped you and what encourages you to keep exploring?
Sources and verification
We prioritize Swarthmore College's official admissions pages for school-specific prompts and deadlines, then use application-platform and federal sources as cross-checks. This record was last verified on July 19, 2026 for the 2025-2026 cycle.
Review official source →