Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
Paul Smith's College supplemental essays.
All 3 essay questions Paul Smith's College asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against paulsmiths.edu and the Common App application on October 17, 2026
What you write: One essay, up to 800 words, plus a short space for anything else and an optional activities list.
Place, learning and the Adirondacks
Reflect on how your experiences, interests, or values have shaped your relationship to place, learning, or the environment. What draws you to a college rooted in hands-on work experience and learning, and how do you see yourself growing and contributing within this Adirondack community?
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.
Anything else
Please share any additional information you'd like our Admissions Committee to consider that isn't reflected elsewhere in your application.
How to approach it
- Answer the exact question asked, in the first few lines.
- Use one real example instead of three general ones.
- Read it out loud before you submit.
Optional: your organizations and activities
Please provide information on any organizations you belong to (clubs, student government, etc.) and activities you have participated in (sports, yearbook, tutoring, etc.) that have helped mold you into the person you are today.
How to approach it
- Each item should say something about you that the rest of the application doesn’t.
- Mix serious and small. A list of only big ideals reads like a poster.
- Use the exact format asked for. Don’t write sentences if it wants a list.
Want a mentor on your essays?
Clarity Prep members get a mentor who reads every draft with them, knows their whole application and checks in every week until it’s done.