2026–27 application cycle
Howard University supplemental essays
Every writing prompt on the Howard University application, with word limits, taken from the application itself. 3 prompts, including program-specific ones.
- Prompt 1Optional500 words max
Your Perspective
Diversity of all kinds is important to enriching the educational experience at Howard University. Please share with us anything in your background or lived experience that has shaped your perspectives and how that would contribute to the classroom and community at Howard.
How to approach it
Community and identity prompts reward specificity over significance. A small, true community described from the inside beats a broad label described from the outside. End on what you carry from it into a campus, not on a moral.
- Prompt 2Optional500 words max
Major & Goals
Please describe the major you intend to study and how you hope to use your Howard education to support you in achieving your passions and goals. Please address your first-choice and second-choice major selections.
How to approach it
An academic-interest prompt wants the origin story and the evidence, not the resume. Pick the moment the interest became yours, show one or two things you did about it on your own, and let the school see how you think when nobody assigns the work.
Program-specific prompts
These apply only if you are applying to the named program or school.
- BS/MD and BS/DDS Accelerated Degree ProgramsRequired
Why medicine or dentistry
An essay demonstrating your interest in Medicine or Dentistry, highlighting your dedication to serve those who may be less privileged than yourself
Common questions
Howard University essays, answered
How many essays does Howard University require?
Howard University lists 3 writing supplements for the 2026–27 cycle, of which 1 is required. That is on top of the main personal statement.
How long are the Howard University supplemental essays?
Word limits across the listed prompts add up to roughly 1,000 words. Budget real time for them: supplements are where admissions sees your specific interest in Howard University.
Do the Howard University supplemental essays matter?
Yes, and more as selectivity rises. Grades and scores put you in the pool; supplements are one of the few places you control what the reader learns about you, and a generic why-us essay is one of the most common self-inflicted wounds in admissions.
What Spike does with this
Get help planning Howard University essays.
Spike helps students connect each prompt to their own experiences, outline a response, and revise without ghostwriting.
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