Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
Bryn Athyn College supplemental essays.
All 2 essay questions Bryn Athyn College asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against brynathyn.edu and the Common App application on October 17, 2026
What you write: One response of about 250 words (box allows 400), plus an optional activity answer.
Bryn Athyn is a college of the New Church (Swedenborgian).
Who you want to become
Reflecting on one or more of these quotations, write a response of about 250 words in which you talk about who you would like to become and how Bryn Athyn College of the New Church can help you achieve your goals.
The quotations are three short passages from Emanuel Swedenborg about moral life, befriending what is good, and conscience; read them in your Common App.
How to approach it
- Pick one moment and stay there. Readers remember a scene, not a summary.
- Spend at least a third of the essay on what you thought and how you changed.
- Read it out loud. If a line doesn’t sound like you, it isn’t done yet.
Optional: an activity or job
Please briefly discuss an extracurricular activity or work experience of yours.
How to approach it
- Pick one activity, not your whole resume.
- Show one moment of what you actually did.
- Say why it matters to you, not only what it is.
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