Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
Smith College supplemental essays.
The essay question Smith College asks this year, word for word, with the word limit and how to approach it.
Checked against smith.edu and the Common App application on October 17, 2026
What you write: One short essay, up to 250 words.
Living in a Smith house
What personal experiences, background or abilities would you bring to this residential environment to share with your neighbors and what would you hope your neighbors would share with you?
The prompt opens by describing Smith's house system: students of all class years live together in 41 houses.
How to approach it
- Say plainly what the community is.
- Show your place in it with one real scene.
- End with what you’d bring to campus.
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