University of Kansas

No deadlines published for this cycle yet. Check the source link above — we'll add them as soon as the school posts them.

Essay prompts (6)

None required of a general applicant · all 6 below are honors only

1. otherKU University Honors Program only2026-27500 words
   Source details

   Applicants to the KU University Honors Program only; choose one of three essay options

   Tell us about something that you very much want to do and what motivates you. How will you go about pursuing this interest?

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Kansas has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

2. why usKU University Honors Program only2026-27500 words
   Source details

   Applicants to the KU University Honors Program only; choose one of three essay options

   Each year, KU's honors program hosts Common Cause, an interdisciplinary symposium that focuses on one of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Choose an SDG that you are passionate about, explain your personal connection to it, then describe the specific ways your time at KU will prepare you to make a meaningful difference in that area. (Goals and details can be found at sdgs.un.org.)

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Kansas has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

3. otherKU University Honors Program only2026-27500 words
   Source details

   Applicants to the KU University Honors Program only; choose one of three essay options

   What “magic” do you hope to create and why? What are your plans for developing the skills and experience you'll need to make it happen?

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Kansas has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

4. activityKU University Honors Program only2026-271200 words
   Source details

   Applicants to the KU University Honors Program only; all three short answers are required and share a combined 1,200-word limit

   List no more than five items — clubs and organizations, employment, community service, awards and recognition, extra-curricular interests, personal or family obligations — in descending order of significance, with the most significant item first. For each, explain your role, time commitment, length of involvement, and responsibilities.

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Kansas has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

5. identityKU University Honors Program only2026-271200 words
   Source details

   Applicants to the KU University Honors Program only; all three short answers are required and share a combined 1,200-word limit

   How have your experiences affected your sense of who you are and what you hope to accomplish in college? There are no wrong answers.

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Kansas has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

6. academic interestKU University Honors Program only2026-271200 words
   Source details

   Applicants to the KU University Honors Program only; all three short answers are required and share a combined 1,200-word limit

   Honors students make the most of available opportunities. Based on course availability at your school, how did you select the classes you took? Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your transcript?

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Kansas has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

The school's published AI policy

No published AI policy for applicants as of Aug 27, 2026.

How reviews use this page

When you request a review for a University of Kansas supplement, the feedback is grounded in exactly what you see here: the prompt itself, its word limit, and what the school publishes about its values and programs. That's the whole claim — calibrated to the prompt and the school's own published guidance, scored against a consistent rubric. Not insider knowledge, and never a rewrite: Second Read is a coach, not a ghostwriter. It flags weaknesses and tells you what to fix and why; it never writes a sentence of your essay.

Something wrong on this page?

A wrong deadline is worse than no deadline. If anything here doesn't match the school's official page, tell us — same-day fix is the goal.

Prompts move mid-season

Every Friday: what changed in this week’s prompts. Nothing else. See what changed.