Harvard University application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Restrictive Early Action - 11/01/2014
Regular Decision - 01/01/2015

You may wish to include an additional essay if you feel that the college application forms do not provide sufficient opportunity to convey important information about yourself or your accomplishments. You may write on a topic of your choice, or you may choose from one of the following topics:
- Unusual circumstances in your life
- Travel or living experiences in other countries
- What you would want your future college roommate to know about you
- An intellectual experience (course, project, book, discussion, paper, poetry, or research topic in engineering, mathematics, science or other modes of inquiry) that has meant the most to you
- How you hope to use your college education
- A list of books you have read during the past twelve months

Harvey Mudd College application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Early Decision - 11/15/2014
Regular Decision - 01/01/2015
Early Decision II - 01/01/2015
What influenced you to apply to Harvey Mudd? What about the HMC curriculum and community appeals to you? Please limit your response to 500 words.
Please select one of the three prompts to answer. Please limit your response to 500 words

Choice 1- " Scientific research i human endeavor" The choices if topics that we research are based on our biases, and beliefs and what we bring: our culture and our families. The kind of problems that people put their talents to solving depends on their values.- Dr. Clifton Poodry- How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve ?
Choice 2- I a world where technology continually adapts and progresses, Harvey Mudd college expects that our students will be aware of the impact of their work on society. How would you use new advances to improve your life and / or the lives of those around you ? Describe your ideas and its potential impact ? Feel free to be as creative or as practical as you like.
Choice 3- What is one thing we won't know about you after reading your application that you haven't already reported in the Common Application.
Optional: You may include examples of mathematical or scientific endeavors or research abstracts if relevant. Please limit your submission to two pages. Hint: A .pdf file under 500 KB in size will be accepted.

Georgia Institute of Technology application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Early Action - 10/21/2014
Regular Decision - 01/10/2015
Early Admission (juniors only) - 01/10/2015
Summer 2015

First Year
Regular Decision - 01/10/2015
Early Action - 10/21/2014
Early Admission (juniors only) - 01/10/2015

Beyond rankings, location, and athletics, why are you interested in attending Georgia Tech?

Georgia Tech's motto is: "Progress and Service." What does that mean to you?

Emory University application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Early Decision - 11/01/2014
Early Decision II - 01/01/2015
Regular Decision - 01/01/2015
Early Admission (juniors only) - 01/01/2015

In addition to the Common Application’s Personal Statement, please choose one (1) of the essays below (500 word limit). This supplemental essay should give us insight on your character as well as your potential fit with Emory University. Please consider your essay thoughtfully, as our Admission Committee and Faculty have special interest in this portion of your application. 

Essay Option 1
Emory University welcomes first-year students with two distinct options to begin their liberal arts education: the research-infused Emory College or the smaller, experiential learning Oxford College. If you could create an academic course that is in the Emory University spirit of collaboration, creativity, entrepreneurship and inquiry, what would it be? What impact would the course have on you and your classmates’ educational experience? (500 word limit) 

Essay Option 2
What is something you have taught yourself in the last year? How did you teach yourself this new skill or concept and what was the result? (500 word limit) 
Option 1- Design and academic course

Option 2- Something you have taught yourself

Duke University application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Early Decision - 11/01/2014
Regular Decision - 01/01/2015
Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background-we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 word limit)

Duke will learn about your extracurricular involvement through the Activities section of the Common Application. If you wish to include a brief resume you may include it here.

Vassar College application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Early Decision - 11/15/2014
Regular Decision - 01/01/2015
Early Decision II - 01/01/2015
        
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below. Limit 350 words

How did you learn about Vassar and what aspect of our college do you find appealing? Limit 350 words

University of Pennsylvania application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Early Decision - 11/01/2014
Regular Decision - 01/01/2015

The Admissions Committee would like to learn why you are a good fit for your undergraduate school choice (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, The Wharton School, or Penn Engineering). Please tell us about specific academic, service, and/or research opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania that resonate with your background, interests, and goals. (400-650 words)
    

University of Southern California application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Regular Decision - 01/15/2015
USC students are known to be involved. 

Briefly describe a non-academic pursuit (such as service to community or family, a club or sport, or work, etc.,) that best illustrates who you are, and why it is important to you. (250 word limit)
Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections (250 word limit).
Describe yourself in three words. First Word: Second Word Third Word:

Short takes - 
Favorite food: Favorite fictional character Greatest invention of all time: What do you like to do for fun? Role model: Favorite book: Best movie of all time: Favorite musical performer/band or composer Dream job:

University of Virginia application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Early Action - 11/01/2014
Regular Decision - 01/01/2015
        
To what school or program are you applying?
Required of ALL applicants, regardless of school or program. Answer one of the following questions in a half page or roughly 250 words (Please select the prompt you are responding to): Please complete this required question.
1. What's your favorite word and why? 
2. We are a community with quirks, both in language (we’ll welcome you to Grounds, not campus) and in traditions. 
3. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are. 
4. Student self-governance, which encourages student investment and initiative, is a hallmark of the U.Va. culture. In her fourth year at U.Va., Laura Nelson was inspired to create Flash Seminars, one-time classes which facilitate high-energy discussion about thought-provoking topics outside of traditional coursework. If you created a Flash Seminar, what idea would you explore and why? 
5. While a student at U.Va., Fulbright Scholar Rowan Sprague conducted groundbreaking research aimed at protecting the complex structure of honeybee hives. We know that colonies include bees acting in a diverse range of roles, all equally important to the success of the hive. What role will you play in the U.Va. hive? 
6. To tweet or not to tweet?  Select

University of Michigan application deadlines and supplementary essay prompts

Early Action - 11/01/2014
Regular Decision - 02/01/2015

If you could only do one of the activities you have listed in the Activities section of your Common Application, which one would you keep doing? Why? (Required for all applicants. Approximately 100 words)
        
Essay #1 (Required for all applicants. Approximately 250 words) Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

Essay #2 (Required for all applicants. 500 words maximum) Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?