Guide/04 School-by-School Supplements
Northwestern Supplemental Essays 2026–27
Northwestern's 2026–27 background essay and five optional 200-word prompts (The Rock, a dream class, communities, location, perspectives), and its new stance on the Common App essay.
Northwestern asks a 300-word essay about how your background has shaped how you'll engage in its community, and encourages you to answer one or two of five 200-word questions: what you'd paint on The Rock, a class or project you'd dream up, communities you'd connect with, what draws you to its location, and how your background would contribute to diverse perspectives. Northwestern also no longer requires the Common App personal essay.
That last change makes these essays matter more. This guide explains how to approach them...
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What’s in this chapter
- 1The prompts at a glance
- 2What the essay change means
- 3The background essay (300 words)
- 4The optional questions
- 5See it on the page