Prompt database · 2026-27 cycle
Washington and Lee University
Deadlines
source| Early Decision | November 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Early Decision II | January 5, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | January 5, 2027 |
Essay prompts (10)
1 required · 4 optional · 5 program-specific
The 4 optional prompts carry one instruction from Washington and Lee University: “Optional short-answer: applicants choose one of four options; may answer in 250 words or less or with a maximum 2-minute video”
- why us2026-27250 words
There are over 8,200 accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. alone. You have chosen to apply to Washington and Lee University. Please describe how you have familiarized yourself with W&L and what aspects of its community are most exciting to you.
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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.
- activityOptional short-answer2026-27250 words
Source details
Optional short-answer: applicants choose one of four options; may answer in 250 words or less or with a maximum 2-minute video
Please describe an aspect of your life outside of school that is important to you, such as an extracurricular activity, a job, or a family responsibility. How has your involvement shaped your personal qualities and growth, and how has it impacted those around you?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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.
- identityOptional short-answer2026-27250 words
Source details
Optional short-answer: applicants choose one of four options; may answer in 250 words or less or with a maximum 2-minute video
Recognizing that diversity takes many forms, what diverse aspect would you bring to W&L?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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 interestOptional short-answer2026-27250 words
Source details
Optional short-answer: applicants choose one of four options; may answer in 250 words or less or with a maximum 2-minute video
Reveal to us how your curious mind works by sharing something you spend considerable time thinking or learning about.
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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.
- identityOptional short-answer2026-27250 words
Source details
Optional short-answer: applicants choose one of four options; may answer in 250 words or less or with a maximum 2-minute video
Please share the story of any name you go by and what significance it holds for you.
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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.
- otherJohnson Scholarship applicants2026-27800 words
Source details
Johnson Scholarship applicants; choose one of five prompts
Describe a work of art that has influenced you, and discuss the impact it has had on you.
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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.
- otherJohnson Scholarship applicants2026-27800 words
Source details
Johnson Scholarship applicants; choose one of five prompts
Reflect on a time when your path was not as simple or direct as anticipated. How did you manage, and what did you learn?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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.
- identityJohnson Scholarship applicants2026-27800 words
Source details
Johnson Scholarship applicants; choose one of five prompts
What photo or other representation of yourself is authentically you? What does it say about your growth into the person you are today and the person you want to become? Please use only the words in your essay to address this question. Do not include photographs or other materials in your answer.
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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 interestJohnson Scholarship applicants2026-27800 words
Source details
Johnson Scholarship applicants; choose one of five prompts
If you could design a Spring Term course, what would you propose, and why would you choose to pursue that topic?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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.
- communityJohnson Scholarship applicants2026-27800 words
Source details
Johnson Scholarship applicants; choose one of five prompts
What norms of your home or community have you become conscious of during your time in high school, and how would you like to use that knowledge to make it a better place?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Washington and Lee 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
For your personal essay and the other parts of your W&L application, you're welcome to use AI the way you might work with a friend or teacher: for ideas and feedback, but not for writing the essay itself. It's okay to get help refining your work. But if you let AI choose your words, build your argument, or change your message, it stops being a tool and starts becoming a substitute. As a general rule: if the work doesn't sound like you or feel like something you could explain in conversation, it isn't yours—and shouldn't be submitted.
the school’s published policyChecked Sep 8, 2026
Our reading
W&L explicitly welcomes AI for ideas and feedback -- "the way you might work with a friend or teacher" -- and for brainstorming and organizing thoughts, but draws the line at authorship: AI may not choose your words, build your argument, or change your message.
How reviews use this page
When you request a review for a Washington and Lee 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.
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
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