Wake Forest University

Essay prompts (5)

1. why us2026-27100 words

   Applies to: Required of all first-year applicants. Wake Forest: "We still require the 'Why Wake?' prompt (up to 100 words), which is now located in the supplemental questions section of the application." The university publishes this only under the short name "Why Wake?" — the full question wording is not published outside the application itself.

   Why Wake?

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2. academic interest2026-27

   Applies to: Optional written supplement. Wake Forest: "For students who opt for the written supplement, you will choose and respond to just one of the following four prompts (a change from past years where students could answer multiple prompts)." Applicants may instead, or additionally, submit a video, and may request an interview: "None of these options is required, expected, or give an applicant an advantage in the admission process."

   List five books you've read that have intrigued you. (150 character limit per book title)

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3. academic interest2026-27150 words

   Applies to: Optional written supplement. Wake Forest: "For students who opt for the written supplement, you will choose and respond to just one of the following four prompts (a change from past years where students could answer multiple prompts)." Applicants may instead, or additionally, submit a video, and may request an interview: "None of these options is required, expected, or give an applicant an advantage in the admission process."

   Tell us what piques your intellectual curiosity or has helped you understand the world's complexity. This can include a work you've read, a project you've completed for a class, and even co-curricular activities in which you have been involved. (150 word limit)

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4. identity2026-27300 words

   Applies to: Optional written supplement. Wake Forest: "For students who opt for the written supplement, you will choose and respond to just one of the following four prompts (a change from past years where students could answer multiple prompts)." Applicants may instead, or additionally, submit a video, and may request an interview: "None of these options is required, expected, or give an applicant an advantage in the admission process."

   Dr. Maya Angelou, renowned author, poet, civil-rights activist, and former Wake Forest University Reynolds Professor of American Studies, inspired others to celebrate their identities and to honor each person's dignity. Choose one of Dr. Angelou's powerful quotes. How does this quote relate to your lived experience or reflect how you plan to contribute to the Wake Forest community? (300 word limit)

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5. weird2026-27

   Applies to: Optional written supplement. Wake Forest: "For students who opt for the written supplement, you will choose and respond to just one of the following four prompts (a change from past years where students could answer multiple prompts)." Applicants may instead, or additionally, submit a video, and may request an interview: "None of these options is required, expected, or give an applicant an advantage in the admission process."

   Give us your Top Ten List. (The choice of theme is yours.) (100 character limit per line)

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How reviews use this page

When you request a review for a Wake Forest 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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