2026-27 Cycle • 2 prompts

Northwestern University supplemental essays.

Every Northwestern University supplemental prompt for the 2026-27 cycle, with the word limit, what they're looking for, and the most common pitfalls.

1. Prompt 1: We want to be sure we're considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background, your identity, or your school, community, and/or family have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern's community?

   300 wordsrequired

   What they really want

   • 'Most shaped' = pick ONE. Northwestern wants a specific shaping force.
   • Tie to a concrete way you'd engage at NU — a dorm, a club, a specific class dynamic.

   Avoid

   • Listing every identity instead of going deep.
   • Vague 'I want to be involved' without specific NU touchpoints.

2. Prompt 2: Painting 'The Rock' is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all students to access this 1,400-pound symbol of Northwestern by painting it to express ideas, causes, and interests. Describe a tradition, value, or practice that is important to your life. How would you bring that with you to Northwestern?

   200 wordsrequired

   What they really want

   • Concrete tradition (Friday game night, weekly call with grandma) > abstract value.
   • Show the practice in action, then translate to NU campus life.

   Avoid

   • Picking 'family dinner' without a specific scene.
   • Listing values without practices.