2026–27 application cycle
Colorado College supplemental essays
Every writing prompt on the Colorado College application, with word limits. All of it taken from the application itself. One prompt.
- Prompt 1Optional300 words max
A single focus
One of the benefits of Colorado College's Block Plan is the opportunity to immerse yourself fully in a single subject for 3.5 weeks. We see this as the luxury of focus—the joy and value of directing your full attention to one thing. Tell us about a time when you experienced this kind of deep focus in an academic or extracurricular setting. What were you doing, and how did it turn out?
How to approach it
This one works best zoomed all the way in. One meeting, one build, one shift, told in detail. The reader already saw your activities list. Show them what it felt like to do the work.
Common questions
What do students ask about these essays?
How many essays does Colorado College require?
Colorado College lists 1 writing supplement for the 2026–27 cycle, and 0 of them are required. That’s on top of the main personal statement.
How long are the Colorado College supplemental essays?
Word limits across the listed prompts add up to about 300 words. Budget real time for them. Supplements are where admissions sees your real interest in Colorado College.
Do the Colorado College supplemental essays matter?
Yes, and more so at the hardest schools to get into. Grades and scores put you in the pool. Supplements are one of the few places you control what the reader learns about you. A generic why-us essay is one of the most common mistakes students make.
What Spike does with this
Get help planning Colorado College essays.
Spike helps you tie each prompt to something you’ve actually lived. It helps you outline and revise, and it won’t write the essay for you.
The full counselor launches in November.