2026–27 application
University of Maine supplemental essays
Every prompt and word limit, from the application itself.
Only for some programs.
These apply if you’re applying to the program named on the prompt.
Empathy and compassion
Share an experience in which you demonstrated empathy and compassion towards others. How did this experience influence your decision to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing? How will you continue cultivating empathy and compassion throughout your nursing education and future career?
How to approach it. Goals prompts fail when they stay noble and vague. Pick one real problem you care about. Connect it to something you’ve already touched in real life. Make the goal clear enough that a reader could disagree with it. Specific beats impressive.
Integrity and excellence
Describe a situation where you faced a moral or ethical dilemma and how you approached it with integrity. Additionally, discuss your commitment to achieving excellence in nursing education and practice. How do you plan to uphold ethical standards and strive for excellence as a future nurse?
How to approach it. Goals prompts fail when they stay noble and vague. Pick one real problem you care about. Connect it to something you’ve already touched in real life. Make the goal clear enough that a reader could disagree with it. Specific beats impressive.
Creativity in care
Share an example of how you used creativity and innovation to improve or address an issue. How do you envision incorporating creativity and innovation in your nursing career to contribute to advancements in healthcare delivery and patient care?
Owning your actions
Describe a situation where you demonstrated accountability and took responsibility for your actions or decisions. How do you plan to uphold accountability as a future nurse? Discuss the significance of personal and professional accountability in nursing and its impact on patient outcomes.
How to approach it. Goals prompts fail when they stay noble and vague. Pick one real problem you care about. Connect it to something you’ve already touched in real life. Make the goal clear enough that a reader could disagree with it. Specific beats impressive.
Belonging in healthcare
Share an experience where you actively contributed to building a supportive environment within a healthcare setting or a community. How do you plan to promote a sense of belonging and establish meaningful connections with patients, colleagues, and the broader healthcare community as a nurse?
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.
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