2026–27 application cycle
Pomona College supplemental essays
Every writing prompt on the Pomona College application, with word limits. All of it taken from the application itself. 4 prompts.
- Prompt 1Required150 words max
Why this major
What draws you to the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions or interests.
How to approach it
This is a why-us prompt. The trap is describing the school back to itself. Rankings and a pretty campus read as filler. Name two or three things you’d actually use. A program, a professor’s work, an open curriculum. Then tie each one to something you’ve already done.
- Prompt 2Required250 words max
What your community gave
Reflecting on a community that you are a part of, what values or perspectives from that community would you bring to Pomona?
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.
- Prompt 3Required250 words max
An experience that changed
Describe an experience you had outside the classroom that changed the way you think and/or how you engage with your peers. What was that experience and what did you learn from it?
- Prompt 4Required250 words max
How others see you
Choose any person or group of people in your life and share how they would describe you.
Common questions
What do students ask about these essays?
How many essays does Pomona College require?
Pomona College lists 4 writing supplements for the 2026–27 cycle, all required. That’s on top of the main personal statement.
How long are the Pomona College supplemental essays?
Word limits across the listed prompts add up to about 900 words. Budget real time for them. Supplements are where admissions sees your real interest in Pomona College.
Do the Pomona 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 Pomona 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.