2026–27 application cycle · via common_app

Johns Hopkins University supplemental essays

Every writing prompt on the Johns Hopkins University application, with word limits. All of it taken from the application itself. One prompt.

  • Prompt 1Required350 words max

    Building bridges

    At Johns Hopkins, community is built through dialogue, collaboration, and a willingness to engage across differences. Whether on campus or in the broader world, community depends on bridge builders who can listen to differing perspectives, challenge their own assumptions, or work together toward shared goals. Drawing on your own experiences, what have you learned about engaging across differences and how has it shaped the way you think about building bridges, enhancing community, and working with others?

    How to approach it

    Here, specific beats important. A small, true community described from the inside beats a broad label. Write it as someone who was there, not as an observer. End on what you carry into a campus, not on a moral.

Your chances at Johns Hopkins UniversityFull Johns Hopkins University profileAll free tools

Common questions

What do students ask about these essays?

How many essays does Johns Hopkins University require?

Johns Hopkins University lists 1 writing supplement for the 2026–27 cycle, all required. That’s on top of the main personal statement.

How long are the Johns Hopkins University supplemental essays?

Word limits across the listed prompts add up to about 350 words. Budget real time for them. Supplements are where admissions sees your real interest in Johns Hopkins University.

Do the Johns Hopkins University 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 Johns Hopkins University 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.