Prompt database · 2026-27 cycle
Essay prompts & deadlines
Supplemental prompts, word limits, and deadlines — free to browse, no account needed. Every entry links to its official source and shows the date we last verified it. Spot something wrong? Every page has a report button, and same-day fix is the goal.
Two tiers: Verified schools are cross-checked against official sources by two independent passes, then reviewed. Auto-updated schools are collected automatically, with source links on everything — and a report-an-error button on every page.
150 schools
- American UniversityAuto-updated1 prompt
- Amherst CollegeVerified4 required · 1 program-specificED Nov 9RD Jan 5
- Arizona State UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay required
- Auburn UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay required · 5 not required of allEA Dec 1RD Feb 1
- Babson CollegeVerified2 promptsEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 4
- Barnard CollegeAuto-updated2 prompts
- Bates CollegeAuto-updatedNo essay required
- Baylor UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt textEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Feb 1
- Bentley UniversityAuto-updated4 optionalED Nov 15RD Jan 15
- Binghamton University, State University of New YorkAuto-updatedNo prompt textEA Nov 1RD Jan 15
- Boston CollegeVerified4 required · 1 for specific applicants
- Boston UniversityVerified2 promptsED Nov 2RD Jan 5
- Bowdoin CollegeVerified2 optionalED Nov 15RD Jan 5
- Brandeis UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Brigham Young UniversityAuto-updated6 required · 1 transfer onlyPriority Nov 2Final Dec 15
- Brown UniversityVerified4 required · 4 program-specificED Nov 1RD Jan 5
- Bryn Mawr CollegeAuto-updated1 promptED Nov 15RD Jan 15
- Bucknell UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay requiredED Nov 1RD Jan 10
- California Institute of TechnologyVerified7 required · 1 optional
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoAuto-updatedNo essay requiredRD Nov 30
- Carleton CollegeAuto-updatedNo prompt textED Nov 15RD Jan 15
- Carnegie Mellon UniversityVerified3 promptsED Nov 2RD Jan 4
- Case Western Reserve UniversityVerifiedNo essay requiredEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 15
- Claremont McKenna CollegeVerified2 promptsED Nov 1RD Jan 10
- Clemson UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay required · 2 program-specific
- Colby CollegeAuto-updatedNo essay required
- Colgate UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Columbia University in the City of New YorkVerified6 promptsED Nov 1RD Jan 1
- Cornell UniversityVerified16 required · 1 program-specificED Nov 1RD Jan 2
- Dartmouth CollegeVerified9 promptsED Nov 1RD Jan 1
- Davidson CollegeAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Drexel UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay required · 1 program-specific
- Duke UniversityVerified2 required · 3 optionalED Nov 2RD Jan 4
- Elon UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Emory UniversityVerified5 prompts
- Florida State UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay requiredEA Oct 15ED Oct 15
- Fordham UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Georgetown UniversityVerified12 promptsEA Nov 1RD Jan 1
- Georgia Institute of TechnologyVerifiedNo essay requiredEA Nov 2RD Jan 6
- Grinnell CollegeAuto-updated1 optionalED Nov 15RD Jan 15
- Hamilton CollegeAuto-updatedNo prompt textED Nov 15RD Jan 4
- Harvard CollegeVerified5 promptsEA Nov 1RD Jan 1
- Harvey Mudd CollegeAuto-updated2 prompts
- Haverford CollegeAuto-updated2 promptsED Nov 15RD Jan 10
- Howard UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt textEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Feb 1
- Illinois Institute of TechnologyAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Indiana University BloomingtonAuto-updated1 prompt
- Johns Hopkins UniversityVerified1 promptED Nov 1RD Jan 2
- Kenyon CollegeAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Lafayette CollegeAuto-updated1 prompt
- Lehigh UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Louisiana State UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay required · 1 program-specificRD Feb 1
- Loyola University ChicagoAuto-updatedNo essay required
- Macalester CollegeAuto-updated2 promptsEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 15
- Marquette UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay required
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyVerified8 promptsEA Nov 1RD Jan 4
- Michigan State UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay requiredEA Nov 1RD Feb 1
- Middlebury CollegeVerifiedNo essay requiredED Nov 2RD Jan 4
- Mount Holyoke CollegeAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- New York UniversityVerified1 optionalED Nov 1RD Jan 5
- North Carolina State UniversityAuto-updated1 promptEA Nov 1
- Northeastern UniversityVerifiedNo essay required · 1 for specific applicantsEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 1
- Northwestern UniversityVerified1 required · 5 optional · 2 transfer onlyED Nov 1RD Jan 4
- Oberlin College and ConservatoryAuto-updatedNo essay required · 3 program-specific
- Occidental CollegeAuto-updated1 promptEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 10
- Pepperdine UniversityAuto-updated1 prompt
- Pitzer CollegeAuto-updated2 prompts
- Pomona CollegeVerified2 required · 1 transfer onlyED Nov 8RD Jan 8
- Princeton UniversityVerified7 promptsEA Nov 1RD Jan 1
- Purdue UniversityVerified2 required · 5 program-specificEA Nov 1RD Jan 15
- Reed CollegeAuto-updated1 prompt
- Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteAuto-updatedNo essay required · 5 program-specificEA Dec 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 15
- Rice UniversityVerified5 required · 2 for specific applicantsED Nov 1RD Jan 4
- Rutgers University–New BrunswickAuto-updatedNo essay required · 1 honors onlyEA Nov 1RD Dec 1
- Santa Clara UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Scripps CollegeAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Smith CollegeAuto-updatedNo essay required
- Southern Methodist UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt textEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 15
- Stanford UniversityVerified8 promptsEA Nov 1RD Jan 5
- Stevens Institute of TechnologyAuto-updatedNo essay required
- Stony Brook UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay required · 2 program-specificEA Nov 1RD Jan 15
- Swarthmore CollegeVerified2 promptsED Nov 15RD Jan 4
- Syracuse UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt textEA Nov 1
- Temple UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay requiredEA Nov 1RD Feb 1
- Texas A&M UniversityAuto-updated6 required · 1 optionalRD Dec 1
- Texas Christian UniversityAuto-updatedNo essay required · 9 program-specific
- The George Washington UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- The Ohio State UniversityVerifiedNo essay requiredEA Nov 1RD Jan 15
- The Pennsylvania State UniversityVerifiedNo essay required · 10 honors onlyEA Nov 1
- The University of AlabamaAuto-updatedNo essay required · 1 program-specific
- The University of ChicagoVerified7 promptsEA Nov 2ED Nov 2RD Jan 4
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillVerifiedNo essay requiredEA Oct 15RD Jan 15
- The University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleAuto-updatedNo essay requiredEA Nov 1RD Jan 5
- The University of Texas at AustinVerified3 required · 1 optionalEA Oct 15RD Dec 1
- The University of UtahAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Tufts UniversityVerified3 required · 2 for specific applicantsED Nov 2RD Jan 4
- Tulane UniversityVerifiedNo prompt textEA Nov 10ED Nov 1RD Jan 15
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkAuto-updatedNo essay required · 2 program-specific
- University of ArizonaAuto-updated3 promptsEA Nov 1RD Apr 15
- University of California San DiegoVerified8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of California, BerkeleyVerified8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of California, DavisVerified8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of California, IrvineVerified8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of California, Los AngelesVerified8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of California, MercedAuto-updated8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of California, RiversideAuto-updated8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of California, Santa BarbaraVerified8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of California, Santa CruzAuto-updated8 promptsRD Nov 30
- University of Central FloridaAuto-updatedNo essay required · 2 optional promptsEA Oct 15RD May 1
- University of CincinnatiAuto-updated1 prompt
- University of Colorado BoulderAuto-updated1 promptEA Nov 15RD Jan 15
- University of ConnecticutAuto-updated1 prompt
- University of DelawareAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- University of FloridaAuto-updatedNo prompt textEA Nov 1ED Oct 15RD Jan 15
- University of GeorgiaAuto-updatedNo essay required
- University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignVerified5 required · 3 transfer onlyEA Nov 1RD Jan 5
- University of IowaAuto-updatedNo essay requiredEA Nov 2RD Feb 1
- University of KansasAuto-updatedNo essay required · 6 honors only
- University of Maryland, College ParkVerifiedNo essay required · 1 transfer onlyEA Nov 1RD Jan 20
- University of Massachusetts AmherstAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- University of MiamiAuto-updatedNo essay requiredEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 5
- University of MichiganVerified2 promptsEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Feb 1
- University of Minnesota Twin CitiesAuto-updatedNo essay requiredEA Nov 1RD Jan 1
- University of MissouriAuto-updatedNo essay required · 2 honors only
- University of Notre DameVerified6 promptsEA Nov 1RD Jan 4
- University of OklahomaAuto-updated3 promptsEA Nov 1
- University of OregonAuto-updated2 required · 1 honors only
- University of PennsylvaniaVerified6 required · 10 program-specificED Nov 1RD Jan 5
- University of PittsburghAuto-updatedNo essay required · 1 program-specific
- University of RichmondAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- University of RochesterVerified1 promptED Nov 1RD Jan 5
- University of South CarolinaAuto-updatedNo essay required
- University of South FloridaAuto-updatedNo essay requiredEA Nov 2RD Dec 16
- University of Southern CaliforniaVerified14 promptsEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 10
- University of VirginiaVerified1 promptEA Nov 1ED Nov 1RD Jan 5
- University of WashingtonVerifiedNo essay required · 1 honors onlyRD Nov 15
- University of Wisconsin–MadisonVerified2 promptsEA Nov 1RD Jan 15
- Vanderbilt UniversityVerified2 promptsED Nov 1RD Jan 1
- Vassar CollegeAuto-updated1 prompt
- Villanova UniversityAuto-updated5 prompts
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityAuto-updated4 prompts
- Wake Forest UniversityVerified1 required · 4 optionalEA Nov 15ED Nov 15RD Jan 1
- Washington and Lee UniversityAuto-updated1 required · 4 optional · 5 program-specificED Nov 1RD Jan 5
- Washington University in St. LouisVerified1 promptEA Nov 2ED Nov 2RD Jan 4
- Wellesley CollegeVerified1 promptED Nov 1RD Jan 8
- Wesleyan UniversityAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- William & MaryVerifiedNo prompt textED Nov 1RD Jan 5
- Williams CollegeVerified1 optionalED Nov 15RD Jan 4
- Worcester Polytechnic InstituteAuto-updatedNo prompt text
- Yale UniversityVerified8 promptsEA Nov 1RD Jan 2
Deadlines and prompts change; schools sometimes revise them mid-season. We re-check the data weekly during the season, but the official admissions page is always the final word — that's why we link it everywhere.