Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
University of Richmond supplemental essays.
All 3 essay questions University of Richmond asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against admission.richmond.edu on October 17, 2026
What you write: Choose one prompt (the Richmond Question), 350–650 words.
Making a space better
Richmond is a community that strives to be relentlessly welcoming. Tell us about a time you made a space better for other people by helping them feel welcome, heard, included, or supported.
Pick one of the three.
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.
Learning by doing
Richmond students turn ideas into actions. Tell us about a time you learned by doing, making, building, testing, helping, or leading and what that experience taught you about yourself, the world, or the kind of impact you want to have.
Pick one of the three.
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.
Your mark as a Spider
Richmond’s mascot is the Spider. Just as you are unique, this singular mascot represents over 52,680 unique species of spiders. Tell us about the communities, experiences, or ambitions that have shaped you into the unique person you are and how you will make your mark as part of a Spider community.
Pick one of the three.
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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