In the past few weeks, colleges across the county have been announcing changes for the 2026-2027 application cycle. The College Sage has compiled all of these updates to give rising seniors and families an easy way to be notified.
The largest changes in the application cycle regard colleges adding new cycles for admissions. Colleges accept applications in various cycles including Early Decision I and II, Restrictive Early Action, Early Action, Regular Decision and Rolling Decision.
Washington University in St. Louis has added an early action cycle, which is predicted to increase the number of applications to the school. The application is due on November 2nd, and decisions will be released on December 23rd. The university has also dropped their supplemental essay, but still requires applicants to share what they would like to study in college in 250 words or less. Demonstrated interest is now heavily considered, and Washington University recommends that students should visit campus for a tour, attend virtual sessions, schedule an in-person or virtual “Bear Chat” with a current student, engage with the ZeeMee online community, and attend college fairs or high school visits with admissions officers from the university.
Source: https://admissions.washu.edu/whats-new-at-washu/
Syracuse University has also added Early Action, since so many colleges have implemented this cycle. The application is due on November 1st and applicants will be notified in early February.
University of Florida has added an Early Decision cycle, to allow students who know University of Florida is their first choice to secure their spot early. The application is due on October 15th and students will be notified with their decision on December 11th.
Source: https://news.ufl.edu/2026/05/early-decision/
For the first time, Georgetown University will be on the Common Application, allowing for applications to be more accessible. Georgetown will continue to require a SAT or ACT score, but allows applicants to send one score of their choosing. Previously, Georgetown required scores from every test the student had taken. Although Georgetown does not accept superscores, applicants can submit multiple tests, and the admissions office will consider the highest scores submitted.
Source: https://www.carnegieprep.com/test-prep/georgetown-admissions-changes-2026/
Test score requirements have been a big change in the admissions environment over the past few years due to the pandemic. Most schools went test optional in 2020, and some have - and some are continuing to return - to requirement policies. All Ivy League schools will require SAT or ACT scores by the 2027-2028 cycle. Since 2024, Yale has been test flexible, meaning they accept AP, IB, SAT, or ACT scores for admissions. For the 2026-2027 cycle, they are now requiring all applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. Columbia will continue to be test optional for the 2026-2027 cycle, but have announced they will require test scores for the following cycle.
Sources: https://news.yale.edu/2026/05/27/undergraduate-admissions-updates-testing-policy
https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/process/testing
There are essay changes to note as well
University of Georgia, University of North Carolina, Tulane University, and University of Miami removed their supplemental essay. This may cause an increase in applicants these schools receive for the 2026-2027 cycle.
However, many schools still have supplemental essays and have announced new questions for this year. New supplements are provided below.
University of Richmond:
The following essay prompts will appear on the 2026-27 application.
One essay response is required. Choose from the following prompts:
Richmond is a community that strives to be relentlessly welcoming. Tell us about a time you made a space better for other people by helping them feel welcome, heard, included, or supported.
Richmond students turn ideas into actions. Tell us about a time you learned by doing, making, building, testing, helping, or leading and what that experience taught you about yourself, the world, or the kind of impact you want to have.
Richmond’s mascot is the Spider. Just as you are unique, this singular mascot represents over 52,680 unique species of spiders. Tell us about the communities, experiences, or ambitions that have shaped you into the unique person you are and how you will make your mark as part of a Spider community.
Word Limit: Minimum 350. Maximum 650 words.
Source: https://admission.richmond.edu//process/materials/index.html#richmondquestion
Cornell:
There is no university essay question for fall 2027 applicants, however, there are supplemental essays for each college.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (500 Word Limit)
By applying to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), you are also applying for direct entry into one of our 20 majors. From here, you would be part of a community dedicated to purpose-driven science; working within your major and across disciplines to tackle the complex challenges of our time.
Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected and specifically, why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell CALS? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals influenced your choice.
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (650 Word Limit)
How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants, you may want to consider how you could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students you may want to emphasize your enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues.
College of Arts & Sciences (650 Word Limit)
At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences.
Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy (650 Word Limit)
Why are you interested in studying policy, and why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals have influenced your choice of policy major.
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (650 Word Limit)
What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration).
Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering
Instructions: All engineering applicants are required to write two long essays and four short essays.
Long Essay Responses (200 Word Limit)
Question 1: Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering?
Question 2: Why do you think you would love to study at Cornell Engineering?
Short Answer Responses (100 Word Limit)
Question 1: What brings you joy?
Question 2: What do you believe you will contribute to the Cornell Engineering community beyond what you've already detailed in your application? What unique voice will you bring?
Question 3: What is one activity, club, team, organization, work/volunteer experience or family responsibility that is especially meaningful to you? Please briefly tell us about its significance for you.
Question 4: What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you.
College of Human Ecology (650 Word Limit)
Identify a challenge in your greater community or in the career/industry in which you are interested. Share how the CHE education, your CHE major of choice, as well as the breadth of CHE majors, will help you address that challenge. (Refer to our essay application tips before you begin.)
School of Industrial and Labor Relations (650 Word Limit)
Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School.
Boston College:
We would like to get a better sense of you. Please respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or less. Applicants to the Human-Centered Engineering major will select the fifth prompt.
1. Strong communities are sustained by traditions. Boston College's annual calendar is marked with both long-standing and newer traditions that help shape our community. Tell us about a meaningful tradition in your family or community. Why is it important to you, and how does it bring people together or strengthen the bonds of those who participate?
2. The late BC theology professor, Father Michael Himes, argued that a university is not a place to which you go, but instead, a "rigorous and sustained conversation about the great questions of human existence, among the widest possible circle of the best possible conversation partners.” Who has been your most meaningful conversation partner, and what profound questions have you considered together?
3. In her July 2009 Ted Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warned viewers against assigning people a “single story” through assumptions about their nationality, appearance, or background. Discuss a time when someone defined you by a single story. What challenges did this present and how did you overcome them?
4. Boston College’s Jesuit mission highlights “the three Be’s”: be attentive, be reflective, be loving – core to Jesuit education (see A Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education). If you could add a fourth “Be,” what would it be and why? How would this new value support your personal development and enrich the BC community?
5. Human-Centered Engineering (HCE) Applicants only: One goal of a Jesuit education is to prepare students to serve the Common Good. Human-Centered Engineering at Boston College integrates technical knowledge, creativity, and a humanistic perspective to address societal challenges and opportunities. What societal problems are important to you and how will you use your HCE education to solve them?
Source: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/admission/apply.html#appid=info-item-1
Yale University:
All first-year applicants will respond to the following short answer questions:
Students at Yale have time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Please indicate up to three from the list provided.
Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected above. Why are you drawn to it? (200 words or fewer)
Common Application and Coalition Application only: respond to the following short answer questions, in no more than 200 characters (approximately 35 words):
If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be?
What is one aspect of yourself that you hope to grow or develop during college?
What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application?
Source: https://admissions.yale.edu/essay-topics
University of Chicago:
Question 1 (Required)
How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.
Question 2: Extended Essay (Required; Choose one)
Food for thought: How do thoughts eat?
Inspired by Ernest Leong, Class of 2026.
The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, utilized origami-inspired techniques to compactly store and deploy its sunshield in space. Choose an artistic practice and use its principles to propose an elegant solution to a problem.
Inspired by Akhil Korra, Class of 2028
Sometimes metaphors get mixed up. For one reason or another, one could say, “we'll burn that bridge when we get there” or “the world is your china shop”. Make up your own mixed metaphor. Explain how it could make sense, be understood, or even applied.
Inspired by Julia Nieberg, Class of 2029
The Olympics have long celebrated the pinnacle of human athletic achievement. But what if they expanded to honor the mundane? Imagine a new Olympic event built around an everyday activity like speed dishwashing or competitive grocery bagging. How is it scored, officiated, and judged? Why is it a worthy addition?
Inspired by Ewan Smith, Class of 2028.
AI: Allen Iverson. NASA, or the North American Saxophone Alliance. Share a potentially confounding, comedic, or captivating example of MIA (Mistaken Identity of Acronym) and tell us its backstory.
Inspired by Jeeho Byun, Class of 2030
And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun!
Source: https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/essay/
Providence College:
While completing this statement is optional, we encourage all students to take advantage of the opportunity to explain why they see Providence College as an appropriate match and fit. Should a student choose to complete an optional essay, they select one of the following prompts and limit their response to 250-500 words.
The prompts for the Class of 2031 are:
Providence College values each student’s willingness to embrace and learn from those with different viewpoints. How will your unique background positively impact others at Providence College?
ORProvidence College thrives on the energy of those who seek. How will you contribute to our vibrant campus life and intellectual culture in the years ahead?
Nursing Supplemental Essay
As part of our application review process for prospective nursing students, the Office of Admission invites all applicants to the nursing program to submit an additional supplemental essay. This essay is optional but provides an opportunity for students to elaborate on their interest in a career in nursing and in the Providence College School of Nursing and Health Sciences.
The prompt for the Class of 2031 is:
Please share more about the experiences, skills, or talents that have led you to want to become a nurse, and how these will contribute to the community at Providence College and to your career as a nurse.
Source: https://admission.providence.edu/apply/review-process/#essay
James Madison University Honors College:
What does your ideal college experience look like? In what ways do you hope the JMU Honors College will help you achieve that vision? (200 words)
Of the qualities listed below, which one matters most to you? Why? (200 words)
Balance, Bravery, Confidence, Creativity, Curiosity, Diligence, Fairness, Faith, Flexibility, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Honesty, Hope, Humility, Humor, Independence, Integrity, Kindness, Love, Loyalty, Openness, Optimism, Patience, Perseverance, Prudence, Respect, Stability
Source: https://www.jmu.edu/honors/prospective-students/apply.shtml#essays
Texas A&M:
Required Essay (750 words max):
Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
Required Short Answer Question (250 words max):
Describe a life event which you feel has prepared you to be successful in college.
Required Short Answer Questions (100 words max):
In a few words, what are some of your life goals and objectives?
In a few words, why have you chosen your academic major(s)?
We know you have a lot of options. In a few words, why did you choose to apply to Texas A&M?
Briefly describe any educational plans you have beyond earning your bachelor’s degree.
Optional Short Answer Question (250 words max):
Are there experiences or opportunities that have shaped or influenced your abilities or academic record, which you have not already written about?
Source: https://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/freshman/index.html
Auburn Honors College:
(completed by all applicants, 600-word limit)
Describe your academic and/or professional goals and the experiences that have shaped them. How will your participation in the Honors College at Auburn University further your education, help you pursue these goals, and prepare you for your next steps? In your response, explain how you plan to engage with the academic opportunities and challenges offered by the Honors College and what you hope to contribute to the Honors community.
(applicants will select one prompt, 600-word limit)
Prompt A: Tell us who you are, and who you want to become, by describing in detail a material object that holds personal significance to you or someone close to you. What stories, memories, or meanings does this object carry? How have those influenced the person you are becoming?
Prompt B: The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi used the word “flow” to describe a state of deep immersion in an activity. Describe an activity that can put you into this flow state, when your attention, energy, and sense of self align. What draws you to this experience? What does it reveal about who you are, how you think, or how you engage with the world?
Prompt C: Each year, the Honors College selects a quote to exhort the incoming cohort to aspire to the ideals of the college. Select a quote that deeply resonates with you and explain why it matters to you. How does this quote reflect your self-understanding, values, or way of thinking? How has it shaped your perspective, decisions, or sense of purpose?
Source: https://honors.auburn.edu/admissions/first-year/
Tufts University:
Short Answer Prompts for the Class of 2031
Short Answer Prompt #1: Please describe how you have learned about and engaged with Tufts during your college search process (75-150 words).
Short Answer Prompt #2 is specific to your intended school/program at Tufts:
Applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:
Tell us about one of your favorite school assignments in the past two years. What was the assignment and why did you enjoy it?
Applicants to the School of Engineering are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:
Tell us about an engineering-related project that you have helped build, design, create, or iterate in the past two years. What was the project and what was your role?
Applicants to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:
Tell us more about a specific piece in your portfolio. What were the ideas you intended to explore, and how did those ideas inform the process of making the piece?
Applicants to the Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) program are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:
Tell us more about a specific piece in your portfolio. How did an academic course, project, or interest inspire the ideas that you explored in this piece? Or, how did making this piece influence your academic interests?
Source: https://admissions.tufts.edu/apply/short-answer-questions/
Villanova University:
For the Villanova-specific essay, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of your thoughts, experiences, and opinions. Choose one of the five topics below and submit a written response in about 250 words.
Prompt One:
As Pope Leo XIV (Villanova Class of 1977) has said, “no one can single-handedly bear the weight of the challenges the world is facing, just as no one is so weak that they cannot play their part.” What have you done to play your part in advancing equity and justice in your community?
Prompt Two:
What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others at Villanova?
Prompt Three:
"Villanova" means "new home." Why do you want to call Villanova your new home?
Prompt Four:
Villanova embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a commitment to thoughtful, ethical use rooted in our Augustinian mission and values. How do you see technology helping you to lead, serve, and contribute to the common good?
Prompt Five:
At Villanova, we often say "each of us strengthens all of us." Please detail a time when someone has borrowed some of your strength in their time of need.
