Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
Hillsdale College supplemental essays.
All 3 essay questions Hillsdale College asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against hillsdale.edu and the Common App application on October 17, 2026
What you write: Three short answers, up to 250 words each.
No AI on this essay
Hillsdale says AI tools may not be used in your answers to these questions. That includes AI feedback, so our free review is turned off for these questions.
The classical core
Students at Hillsdale College enroll in a multidisciplinary classical liberal arts core curriculum which takes nearly half of their four years. Explain your interest in this educational approach.
How to approach it
- Name things you could only find at this college: a class, a professor, a program, a tradition.
- Tie every detail to something true about you.
- Swap test: if another college’s name fits your sentence, it’s too general.
Who you hope to become
As a result of your experiences at Hillsdale, who do you hope to become?
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.
Faith and learning
The pursuit of truth leads to eternal questions, including the question of God. What role do you see faith playing in your learning at Hillsdale?
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.
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