2026–27 application cycle · via institution_portal
University of Kentucky supplemental essays
Every writing prompt on the University of Kentucky application, with word limits. All of it taken from the application itself. 2 prompts, including program-specific ones.
These prompts are program-specific.
They apply only if you’re applying to the named program or school.
- Lewis Honors CollegeRequired500 words max
Common good, your way
Kentucky is one of four states that is a Commonwealth. The term means the state is for the common good. What do you consider to be for "the common good" and how do you hope to use your life experiences, challenges, uniqueness, and intellect to contribute to the common good in your community, as you define it?
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.
- Lewis Honors CollegeRequired500 words max
Commonwealth & Common Good
Kentucky is one of four states that is a Commonwealth. The term means the state is for the common good. What do you consider to be for 'the common good' and how do you hope to use your life experiences, challenges, uniqueness, and intellect to contribute to the common good in your community, as you define it?
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.
Common questions
What do students ask about these essays?
How many essays does University of Kentucky require?
University of Kentucky lists 2 writing supplements for the 2026–27 cycle, all required. That’s on top of the main personal statement.
How long are the University of Kentucky supplemental essays?
Word limits across the listed prompts add up to about 1,000 words. Budget real time for them. Supplements are where admissions sees your real interest in University of Kentucky.
Do the University of Kentucky 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 University of Kentucky 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.