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College Essay Prompts 2026-27

Harvard Supplemental Essay Prompts 2026-27

Harvard University's published supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants in the 2026-27 application year, quoted from the college's own website, with the limit for each and whether it is required.

Application
Common App
Status
2026-27 prompts published
What to write
Every first-year applicant answers 5 prompts.
Last checked
September 26, 2026
Official source
Harvard College: Application Requirements

The 2026-27 prompts

Quoted word for word from Harvard University. Limits are as the college states them. These are the first-year prompts the college publishes; transfer essays and questions that appear only inside the application portal are not listed.

Complete the Harvard Questions with the Common Application. This includes the following five required short-answer questions, each with a 150 word limit.

Required of all applicants

Each question has a 150 word limit.

  1. 01

    Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a student body with a diversity of perspectives and experiences. How will the life experiences that shaped who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?

    150 wordsCommunity

  2. 02

    Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?

    150 wordsBackground and identity

  3. 03

    Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.

    150 wordsActivity

  4. 04

    How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?

    150 wordsOther

  5. 05

    Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

    150 wordsShort answers

What these prompts are really asking

One line per prompt type, from our supplemental essay guide.

Community
How do you define community, and how will you behave in ours?
Activity
What values, problems or responsibilities sit behind the activity list?
Short answers
Can you be precise, human and specific without trying to sound profound?
Background and identity
What lived detail shapes your perspective, choices or contribution?

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Common Questions

How many supplemental essays does Harvard University require for 2026-27?

Every first-year applicant answers 5 prompts. This page lists 5 prompts in all, including choices and optional prompts.

What are the word limits for Harvard's supplemental essays?

150 words. Each prompt above shows its own limit as the college states it.

Which application does Harvard University use?

Common App.

Where are these prompts from?

We copied them word for word from Harvard College: Application Requirements and last checked on September 26, 2026. The prompts inside your application portal are the final word.

Sources, last checked September 26, 2026

Prompts for other colleges

Search every prompt by type