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2026–27 application cycle

Swarthmore College supplemental essays

Every writing prompt on the Swarthmore College application, with word limits, taken from the application itself. 2 prompts.

  • Prompt 1Required250 words max

    Identity and community

    What aspects of your self-identity or personal background are most significant to you? Reflecting on the elements of your home, school, or other communities that have shaped your life, explain how you have grown in your ability to navigate differences when engaging with others, or demonstrated your ability to collaborate in communities other than your own.

    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 2Required250 words max

    A topic that fascinates

    Tell us about a topic that has fascinated you recently – either inside or outside of the classroom. What made you curious about this? Has this topic connected across other areas of your interests? How has this experience shaped you and what encourages you to keep exploring?
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Common questions

Swarthmore College essays, answered

How many essays does Swarthmore College require?

Swarthmore College lists 2 writing supplements for the 2026–27 cycle, all required. That is on top of the main personal statement.

How long are the Swarthmore College supplemental essays?

Word limits across the listed prompts add up to roughly 500 words. Budget real time for them: supplements are where admissions sees your specific interest in Swarthmore College.

Do the Swarthmore College 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 Swarthmore College essays.

Spike helps students connect each prompt to their own experiences, outline a response, and revise without ghostwriting.