2026–27 application cycle
Swarthmore College supplemental essays
Every writing prompt on the Swarthmore College application, with word limits. All of it taken from the application itself. 2 prompts.
- Prompt 1Required250 words max
Identity and community
What aspects of your self-identity or personal background are most significant to you? Reflecting on the elements of your home, school, or other communities that have shaped your life, explain how you have grown in your ability to navigate differences when engaging with others, or demonstrated your ability to collaborate in communities other than your own.
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 2Required250 words max
A topic that fascinates
Tell us about a topic that has fascinated you recently – either inside or outside of the classroom. What made you curious about this? Has this topic connected across other areas of your interests? How has this experience shaped you and what encourages you to keep exploring?
Common questions
What do students ask about these essays?
How many essays does Swarthmore College require?
Swarthmore College lists 2 writing supplements for the 2026–27 cycle, all required. That’s on top of the main personal statement.
How long are the Swarthmore College supplemental essays?
Word limits across the listed prompts add up to about 500 words. Budget real time for them. Supplements are where admissions sees your real interest in Swarthmore College.
Do the Swarthmore 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 Swarthmore 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.