The Ultimate List of College Essay Prompts (and How to Write Each Essay)

Use this fail-proof way to create college essay prompt ideas

We know coming up with great college essay ideas can be like finding a needle in an intellectual haystack. There’s stuff everywhere, but nothing is exactly what you’re looking for.

This is why we’ve built some powerful tools to help you (1) figure out which essays you have to write based on your college list and (2) develop a list of perfect, personalized college essay ideas based on your unique experiences.

Create a free Prompt account and you’ll get instant access to to our essay brainstorming tools.

Save this big list of college essay prompt examples for reference

We’ve rounded up every article we’ve written on essay prompts for specific schools. Each article also tells you exactly what to do to write the essays. 

Hot tip: the best way to get through your college list is application-by-application. Don’t do an essay here and there. Start with the school you’re most excited to attend, and focus on their entire application. Then move on to second-most-excited to attend. 

You’re graded holistically over your entire application, not essay-by-essay. That’s why it’s so important to think about the picture of yourself you paint over the entire application; not just in any one essay. 

• How to write the Purdue Supplemental Essays
• How to write every RPI essay
• How to write the Case Western University Supplemental Essays for the Pre-Professional Scholars Program
• How to answer the Indiana University prompt
• Villanova Application Essays
• Writing the Supplemental University of Washington Essay
• Write the Pepperdine Supplemental Essay
• Writing the University of Richmond Supplement Essay  
• Write a great Why UW Madison essay
• How to write every TCU essay
• Writing the Why Tulane Essay
• Writing the Wake Forest application essays
• How to Write the Virginia Tech Essays
• How to write the optional William and Mary Essay
• How to answer the Loyola Marymount essay prompts
• How to write the Boston College Supplemental essays
• How to write the University of Pittsburgh essay
• How to write the Georgetown supplemental essays
• How to write the Cornell Supplemental essays
• How to write the SDSU Honors college essay

Explore our best resources on Texas college essay prompts

Applying to a college in Texas? These are your guides.

• How to write every TCU essay
• The Complete Guide to Writing the Apply Texas Application

Get help with UC college essay prompts

Applying to a college in California? These are your guides.

If you’ll be applying to a University of California college, we recommend starting with the UC PIQs because the questions are highly re-useable in other applications. Getting them written first will help you through the entire application process.

Read Everything You Need to Know About the UC PIQs

We also have guides to the essays for the University of Southern California.

• How to write the USC WBB essays
• How to write every USC engineering essay
• How to ace your town and gown USC scholarship essay
  

Related: Learn about the University of California’s “test blind” system

Everything you need for the essay supplements at Harvard, UCLA, and other top schools

• The Essay Topics that Get into Harvard
• How to Go Above and Beyond on Every Harvard Essay
• How to Write the Why Yale Essay
• How to Write Five Awesome MIT Essays
• Four Steps to a Compelling Why Princeton Engineering Essay
• How to Master the Princeton Supplement
• How to Write Outstanding Stanford Essays

More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:

• Work with a college essay coach
• Strong essays increase your chance of admission by up to 10x
• Don’t let influencers influence your college essays
• Should I apply test-optional?
• Early admissions: Everything you need to know
• College Essay Help Center