Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
Principia College supplemental essays.
All 2 essay questions Principia College asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against principiacollege.edu and the Common App application on October 17, 2026
What you write: Two essays, 250–500 words each.
Values that guide you
What are the values and beliefs that have guided your life so far? Looking ahead, how do you see these values and beliefs influencing your future?
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.
Service or leadership
Give an example or two of when you exhibited service or leadership and how it showed your character. This can be from home, school, a community organization, or otherwise.
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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