Prompt database · 2026-27 cycle
Vanderbilt University
Deadlines
source| Early Decision | November 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Early Decision II | January 1, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | January 1, 2027 |
Essay prompts (2)
- identityAll first-year and transfer applicants2026-27250 words
Vanderbilt University's motto, Crescere aude, is Latin for "dare to grow." In your response, reflect on how one or more aspects of your identity, culture, or background has played a role in your personal growth, and how it will contribute to our campus community as you dare to grow at Vanderbilt.
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Vanderbilt University 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.
- academic interestElementary Education2026-27
Source details
First-year applicants to the Elementary Education, Secondary Education, or Special Education majors at Peabody College
What prior experience with and enthusiasm for the field of education will you bring to Vanderbilt? In your response, reflect on why you want to be an educator.
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Vanderbilt University 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.
The school's published AI policy
We understand that many students will use various forms of assistance as they prepare their application; ChatGPT and other forms of AI may be viewed as one of these sources of assistance. For example, students may rely on an essay-writing class to help brainstorm topic ideas for their essay. Or they may use grammar tools available online to check grammar in their writing. Or students may ask a parent or guardian or peer to read their essay and offer feedback on clarity or offer advice regarding structure of the essay. However, students should understand that it would not be proper to ask a teacher or parent to come up with the essay topic or to re-write an essay for the student. Likewise, AI should never be used to replace independent thinking on the part of the applicant. As applicants complete the essay portions of the application, they should always use their own voice and write about their own life experiences.
the school’s published policyChecked Sep 8, 2026
Our reading
Vanderbilt counts ChatGPT and other AI among the acceptable "sources of assistance" alongside brainstorming help, online grammar tools, and a parent or peer reading a draft for feedback, while barring AI from replacing the applicant's independent thinking or own voice.
How reviews use this page
When you request a review for a Vanderbilt University 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.
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