Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
The University of Oklahoma supplemental essays.
All 2 essay questions The University of Oklahoma asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against ou.edu and the Common App application on October 17, 2026
What you write: No required essay. Two optional scholarship essays, up to 650 words each.
The essays count only for supplemental scholarships (leadership, community involvement, some departments). Submit by December 15 to be considered.
Optional: your leadership
The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in educating leaders of communities in Oklahoma, as well as across the country and the world. Please share your leadership experiences and why they are important to you.
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.
Optional: cultural and community service
The University of Oklahoma is home to a vibrant, diverse and compassionate University community that is often referred to as “the OU family.” Please describe your cultural and community service activities and why you chose to participate in them.
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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