Discover the big questions you’ll explore this year—and how innovation can supercharge your answers.

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PSU Supplemental Essays
— The Class of 2026 Guide —

  • Start your Supplemental Essay Success below by previewing this guide’s three sections:

    Information ⋄ Inspiration ⋄ Innovation

    Discover strategies designed by an Ivy Alum and over three hundred success stories!

  • — Penn State University —

    Explore The Three Sections
    Inside This Upgraded Guide

    — Preview The Guide —

  • — Information —

    In this section, explore this college’s supplemental essay prompts for Class of 2026 applicants—along with this college’s Supplemental Styles to streamline your essay-building process!

    — 1 of 3 —

  • — Inspiration —

    In this section, read successful supplemental essays from our own Accepted Alumni! See the ideas, values, and missions that stand out to admissions at even the most selective colleges.

    — 2 of 3 —

  • — Innovation —

    In this section, learn success-proven methods to streamline your application and essay-building process. Discover methods designed by an Ivy alum with over 300 student success stories!

    — 3 of 3 —

  • — The PSU Guide —

    Find aligned inspiration,
    discover time-saving innovation,
    and build inspiring supplemental essays.
    Ready to start your success story?

    — Scroll Down To Explore —

  • — Supplemental Essay Prompts —

    Through Guide Section 1 of 3—Information—explore this college’s supplemental essay prompts for Class of 2026 applicants, along with this college’s Supplemental Styles to streamline your essay-building process!

Supplemental Prompts


10 Required Essays

Supplemental Style


Unique & Uncommon

Schreyer Honors College


— Penn State University —

  • — Schreyer Honors College —

    — Honors Prompt One —

    Prompt 1: If you had 20 minutes to pitch a transformational idea (an idea that affects or would influence a significant percentage of the populace), what would you pitch and why? Explain your thought process. Are there similar solutions already established and how might your idea enhance those solutions? How would this idea change the current state of things? How would you leverage your personal experiences and professional goals to make this idea a reality? (800 words)

    — Honors Prompt Two —

    Prompt 2: One of the Schreyer Honors College values is Empowered Growth. What values, beliefs or experiences have empowered you to grow intellectually and/or personally? (200 words)

    — Honors Prompt Three —

    Prompt 3: If you were able to go anywhere in the world, outside of the country you currently reside, where would you go and why? (200 words)

    — Honors Prompt Four —

    Prompt 4: List your extracurricular activities over the last four years. This can include school and non-school activities. Please include any leadership roles you have had. (200 words)

    — Honors Prompt Five —

    Prompt 5: Tell us about your most significant leadership experience and why leadership is important to you. This could include community roles, family contributions, research, clubs and organizations, etc. Describe challenges you’ve faced and successes you’ve had in these roles. (200 words)

    — Honors Prompt Six —

    Prompt 6: List awards or other recognitions (if any) you have received in or outside of school over the last four years.

    — Honors Prompt Seven —

    Prompt 7: Reflecting on the recognitions listed above, which one stands out as having an impact on your outlook and why?

    — Honors Prompt Eight —

    Prompt 8: Tell us about a book or other media that has made you think about something in a new way. (200 words)

    — Honors Prompt Nine —

    Prompt 9: Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups, including: shared geography, faith, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities or groups to which you belong and describe how it has influenced your life over the last four years. (200 words)

    — Honors Prompt Ten —

    Prompt 10: Please use this space to share information you would like us to consider that has not been discussed elsewhere in your application (this is optional). (200 words)

    — 10 Supplemental Essays —

Supplemental Prompts


5 Required Essays

Supplemental Style


Unique & Uncommon

Accelerated BS/MD Program


— Penn State University —

  • — Accelerated BS/MD Program —

    — Program Prompt One —

    Prompt 1: Describe one non-academic activity during your high school years that has been the most meaningful to you. (250 words)

    — Program Prompt Two —

    Prompt 2: Write a personal statement indicating why you want to be a physician, why you want an accelerated program and why you’ve selected this Penn State/Kimmel program. (500 words)

    — Program Prompt Three —

    Prompt 3: Describe what you think your strongest qualities are as well as weaknesses that you would like to improve upon. (250 words)

    — Program Prompt Four —

    Prompt 4: Tell us about a time you were unsuccessful and how you grew from this experience. (500 words)

    — Program Prompt Five —

    Prompt 5: Sidney Kimmel Medical College defines diversity as the richness in human differences. How will your own experiences allow you to contribute to the diversity of the student body and to provide equitable and inclusive care to your future patients? (500 words)

    — 5 Supplemental Essays —

Supplemental Prompts


4 Required Essays

Supplemental Style


Unique & Uncommon

Millennium Scholars Program


— Penn State University —

  • — Millennium Scholars Program —

    — Program Prompt One —

    Prompt 1: The world faces many challenges; food insecurity, access to clean water, climate change, and health care disparities are some examples. Tell us your intended major and also how will you apply your major to address any global challenge? (500 words)

    — Program Prompt Two —

    Prompt 2: The Millennium Scholars Program provides a supportive, structured, and collaborative learning community. What strengths will you bring to the community and how will you contribute to and benefit from this collaborative environment? (500 words)

    — Program Prompt Three —

    Prompt 3: How has resilience played a role in your life and how do you see it affecting your college career? (500 words)

    — Program Prompt Four —

    Prompt 4: Reflect on how your unique background, experiences, and cultural perspectives have influenced your interactions with others and shaped your understanding of diversity and inclusion. (500 words)

    — 4 Supplemental Essays —

Supplemental Essay Information


— Penn State University —

Supplemental Strategy


Class of 2026 Applicants

Supplemental Essay


Insider Information

  • — Supplemental Essay Strategy —

    Streamline your supplemental essay process with our Supplemental Strategy—and bring Penn State within your reach!

    Throughout our Supplemental Essay Guides, we provide clarity through our Supplemental Essay Styles. The Styles streamline the entire supplemental essay-building process—and create more success stories.

    Streamline your application process with the Supplemental Style Strategy—upgraded for Class of 2026 Students who dream of studying at Penn State!

    — Upgraded Class of 2026 Essentials —

  • — Supplemental Essay Examples —

    Through Guide Section 2 of 3—Inspiration—read Successful Supplemental Essays from our Accepted Alumni! Discover ideas that stand out to admissions at PSU, and find inspiration for your own success story.

Accepted Alumni


Essay Example

Supplemental Style


Major & Missions

Supplemental Essay Example


— Penn State University —

  • Featured Supplemental Essay Prompt For Schreyer Honors College Applicants:

    5. How do you see yourself improving society and the lives of others in the future, and what do you hope to get at Penn State as a Schreyer Scholar to help you accomplish your goals? 200 Word Maximum.

    Successful Supplemental Essay Example From Our Accepted Alumni Student:

    From navigating my stutter since I was young, along with exploring new frontiers in biomedical innovation, I hope to utilize my education and career to ultimately create AI-based tools to assist students with communication disabilities.

    From recent specialized projects—in [NPO Name] discussion workshops, my [Summer Program] computational biology group presentation, and with my [STEM Program] research mentors—I realized that not only do I have a passion for AI-based problem-solving, but also for collaboration toward common goals and addressing pressing societal needs.

    I look forward to exploring interdisciplinary innovation—computational biology, AI, sustainable computing, and more—and collaborating directly with my fellow Schreyer Scholars to create novel solutions. In The Role of Knowledge in Society, I can explore societal implications of STEM developments through lively discussions. With Honors Service Learning, I hope to work directly with an organization to assist local K-12 students who struggle with communication disabilities. I also can’t wait to explore in-depth during my Honors Thesis, hopefully integrating diverse fields—computer science, education, sociology, and more—through interdisciplinary research on communication disorders, genomic research, and solutions.

    With the integrative and collaborative education I will embrace as a Schreyer Scholar, I hope to create AI-enhanced tools to foster inspiration, empowerment, and true confidence for all.

  • — Supplemental Essay Strategy —

    Through Guide Section 3 of 3—Innovation—learn success-proven methods to streamline your entire supplemental essay process. Our methods are designed by an Ivy Alum and 300+ student success stories!

Penn State.
The
upgraded way.