Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
Purdue University supplemental essays.
All 7 essay questions Purdue University asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against admissions.purdue.edu on October 17, 2026
What you write: Write the Common App essay and answer both required questions. The alternate-major question and the Honors College essays apply only if they apply to you.
Opportunities at Purdue
How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom?
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.
Your major and campus
Briefly discuss your reasons for choosing your major and your interest in studying at this campus location (Indianapolis or West Lafayette).
How to approach it
- Start with the moment the interest began.
- Show what you’ve already done about it: a class, a project, a book, a job.
- Say where you want to take it, even if you’re not sure yet.
Your alternate major and campus
Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the alternate major and campus location (Indianapolis or West Lafayette) you have selected.
Only if you select an alternate major.
How to approach it
- Start with the moment the interest began.
- Show what you’ve already done about it: a class, a project, a book, a job.
- Say where you want to take it, even if you’re not sure yet.
Honors: ideas across subjects
Tell us about an experience you had which connected ideas from more than one discipline or subject. How did it impact you?
John Martinson Honors College applicants answer all four honors prompts.
How to approach it
- Start with the moment the interest began.
- Show what you’ve already done about it: a class, a project, a book, a job.
- Say where you want to take it, even if you’re not sure yet.
Honors: a topic you're passionate about
Tell us about a time you were able to get involved with or explore a topic you are passionate about. What did you take away from that experience?
John Martinson Honors College applicants.
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.
Honors: a place you'd travel
Share about a destination you would like to travel to, why it interests you, and how you would engage with the culture while there.
John Martinson Honors College applicants.
How to approach it
- Take the question seriously enough to play with it.
- Let your answer show how you think.
- Keep it honest under the fun.
Honors: leadership
Describe a leadership experience you have had in your school or community. How did this shape your approach to leadership?
John Martinson Honors College applicants.
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.
Want a mentor on your essays?
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