Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
St. Olaf College supplemental essays.
All 3 essay questions St. Olaf College asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against wp.stolaf.edu and the Common App application on October 17, 2026
What you write: One short answer (150 words) and a 10-word sentence. A third question is optional, up to 200 words.
What excites you about St. Olaf
What excites you about St. Olaf?
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.
St. Olaf should know that I…
St Olaf should know that I...
Finish the sentence in 10 words.
How to approach it
- Every word counts. Cut warm-up phrases like “I believe that”.
- Specific beats impressive: a real song, a real food, a real place.
- It’s fine to be funny if that’s you.
Optional: a year on one issue
If you could spend a year tackling any issue in your community before starting college, what would it be? Why is that issue important to you and what would you do to address it?
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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