随着加州理工学院、杜克大学、西北大学、康奈尔大学、圣母大学、佐治亚理工学院、波士顿学院、普渡大学和佐治亚大学正式发布2026届申请文书题目，新一年的美本申请已经开始了。在标化成绩日趋同质化的当下，文书正是突破重围的关键差异化武器。
2026 Fall 的文书题目已经发布，它们涵盖个人成长、社会洞察、学术探索等诸多领域，每一个题目都蕴含着无限可能。我们精心整理了这些题目，旨在帮助大家深入剖析其背后的意义与要求，助力大家在申请中脱颖而出。这不仅是一份文书题目的汇总，更是一份通往理想学府的指南。
California Institute of Technology
Duke University
Northwestern University
Cornell University
University of Notre Dame
Georgia Institute of Technology
Boston College
Purdue University
The University of Georgia
California Institute of Technology
👉Required STEM Academic Interest Question
-Your STEM Future - STEM Academic Interests
Caltech has a rigorous core curriculum and students don't declare a major until the end of their first year. However, some students arrive knowing which academic fields and areas already most excite them, or which novel fields and areas they most want to explore.
If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose?
*Note that you are under no obligation to follow this choice if admitted.
Why did you choose your proposed area of interest? If you selected 'other', what topics are you interested in pursuing? (Min: 100 / Max: 200 words)
👉Required Short Essay Questions
-Your STEM Present - STEM Curiosity
Regardless of your STEM interest listed above, take this opportunity to nerd out and talk to us about whatever STEM rabbit hole you have found yourself falling into. Be as specific or broad as you would like. (Min: 50 / Max: 150 words)
-Your STEM Past - STEM Experiences
At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We are interested in learning more about your engagement with STEM.
Select one of the following two STEM Experience prompts to respond to:
Tell us how you initially found your interest and passion for science or for a particular STEM topic, and how you have pursued or developed your interest or passion over the last few years. (Min: 100 / Max: 200 words)
Tell us about a meaningful STEM-related experience from the last few years and share how and why it inspired your curiosity. (Min: 100 / Max: 200 words)
-Creativity in Action Question
The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech's students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars. But Techers also innovate in smaller-scale ways everyday, from imagining new ways to design solar cells or how to 3D-print dorm decor, to cooking up new recipes in the kitchen. How have you been a creator, inventor, or innovator in your own life? (Min: 50 / Max: 150 words)
👉Required Short Answer Questions
Now it's time for a little fun! Choose two of the four questions below and answer both in 250 words or less.
It's up to you how you use your 250 words, whether that means you use exactly 125 words for each answer or you tell us about a niche interest in 30 words so you can spend 200 telling us about a core piece of your identity.
There is no ‘right' way to choose which question to answer. If you're all STEMmed out, feel free to tell us about a creative hobby. Or if you just can't get enough math, tell us about a concept you can barely wrap your head around. Just remember the Caltech Honor Code and stick to 250 words for both answers combined.
-What is an interest or hobby you do for fun, and why does it bring you joy?
-If you could teach a class on any topic or concept, what would it be and why?
-What is a core piece of your identity or being that shapes how you view and/or interact with the world?
-What is a concept that blew your mind or baffled you when you first encountered it?
(Two Essay Boxes, each with Min:1 Max: 249 words)
👉Optional Academic Short Answer Question
OPTIONAL: Have you had any extenuating circumstances (such as limited course selection or disruptions), that have affected your coursework, but that are not described elsewhere in your application? If so, tell us about them here.
Duke University
What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there's something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 word limit)
Northwestern University
The following question is required for all applicants. Please respond in 300 words or fewer:
We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background (your identity, your school setting, your community, your household, etc.) have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise? (fewer than 300 words)
We encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two of the following questions. Please respond in fewer than 200 words per question:
1) Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?
2) Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?
3) Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.
4) Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why?
5) Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?
Cornell University
We all contribute to, and are influenced by, the communities that are meaningful to us. Share how you’ve been shaped by one of the communities you belong to.
Remember that this essay is about you and your lived experience. Define community in the way that is most meaningful to you. Some examples of community you might choose from are: family, school, shared interest, virtual, local, global, cultural. (350 word limit)
👉College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Required: By applying to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), you are also applying for direct entry into one of our 20+ majors. From here, you would be part of a community dedicated to purpose-driven science; working within your major and across disciplines to tackle the complex challenges of our time.
Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected and specifically, why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell CALS? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals influenced your choice. (500 word limit)
Optional Short-Answer Responses:
The optional short-answer questions invite you to share additional information about your background, interests, and experiences as they relate to aspects of the Cornell CALS mission.
Optional Question #1:
At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are passionate about serving the public good. Please elaborate on an experience where you were able to have a meaningful impact on people, a community, and/or an environment of importance to you. (100 word limit)
Optional Question #2:
Given our agricultural history and commitment to educating the next generation of agriculturalists, please share if you have a background or interest in agriculture, regardless of your intended major. An "agricultural entity" for the purpose of this question is defined as cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock (e.g., farm, ranch, greenhouse, vineyard, etc.)
Select all that apply:
A primary source of income for my parent/guardian(s) comes from ownership of or employment by an agricultural entity.
My extended family owns or operates an agricultural entity.
I have experience working in an agricultural entity.
I have interest in pursuing a career in an agricultural entity.
Please feel free to share additional details (optional). (100 word limit)
👉College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (650 word limit)
👉College of Arts & Sciences
At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences. (650 word limit)
👉Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy
Why are you interested in studying policy, and why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals have influenced your choice of policy major.
👉Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration). (650 word limit)
👉College of Engineering
Instructions: All engineering applicants are required to write two long essays and four short essays.
Long Essay Responses (200 word limit)
Question 1: Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering?
Question 2: Why do you think you would love to study at Cornell Engineering?
Short Answer Responses (100 word limit)
Question 1: What brings you joy?
Question 2: What do you believe you will contribute to the Cornell Engineering community beyond what you've already detailed in your application? What unique voice will you bring?
Question 3: What is one activity, club, team, organization, work/volunteer experience or family responsibility that is especially meaningful to you? Please briefly tell us about its significance for you.
Question 4: What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you.
👉College of Human Ecology
Identify a challenge in your greater community or in the career/industry in which you are interested. Share how the CHE education, your CHE major of choice, as well as the breadth of CHE majors, will help you address that challenge. (Refer to our essay application tips before you begin.) (Max word count: 600)
👉School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School. (650 word limit)
University of Notre Dame
Please provide a response to the following question. The word count is a maximum of 150 words.
Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home.
Please choose three questions from the options below. Your response to each short-answer question should be between 50-100 words.
1. How does faith influence the decisions you make?
2. What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community)? Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?
3. Notre Dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person. How do you foster service to others in your community?
4. What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?
5. What would you fight for?
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Tech Short-Answer Question (max 300 words):Why do you want to study your chosen major, and why do you want to study that major at Georgia Tech?
Boston College
2025-26 Application Essay Question
👉The Requirements: 1 short essay of 400 words（四选一）
Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community
Strong communities are sustained by traditions. Boston College’s annual calendar is marked with both long-standing and newer traditions that help shape our community. Tell us about a meaningful tradition in your family or community. Why is it important to you, and how does it bring people together or strengthen the bonds of those who participate?
The late BC theology professor, Father Michael Himes, argued that a university is not a place to which you go, but instead, a “rigorous and sustained conversation about the great questions of human existence, among the widest possible circle of the best possible conversation partners.” Who has been your most meaningful conversation partner, and what profound questions have you considered together?
In her July 2009 Ted Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,”ChimamandaNgoziAdichie warned viewers against assigning people a “single story” through assumptions about their nationality, appearance, or background. Discuss a time when someone defined you by a single story. What challenges did this present and how did you overcome them?
Boston College’s Jesuit mission highlights “the three Be’s”: be attentive, be reflective, be loving – core to Jesuit education (see A Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education). If you could add a fourth “Be,” what would it be and why? How would this new value support your personal development and enrich the BC community?
Purdue University
Questions
Respond in 250 words or fewer.
How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom?
Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected.
The University of Georgia
For First Year students applying to UGA for Fall 2026, we will keep the same longer personal essay (250-650 words) as before, using the essay prompts from the Common App. The shorter UGA specific essay (200-300 words suggested) topic will also remain the same as last year, with the following essay prompt:
“The transition from middle to high school is a key time for students as they reach new levels of both academic and personal discovery. Please share a book (novel, non-fiction, etc.) that had a serious impact on you during this time. Please focus more on why this book made an impact on you and less on the plot/theme of the book itself (we are not looking for a book report).”
福利：美本申请文书案例合集
寻录留学重磅推出《美本申请文书案例合集》，共计近500页高质量内容，精心收录多个权威来源的优秀申请范文，涵盖 Common App 主文书、美国综合性大学补充文书，以及来自哈佛大学、约翰霍普金斯大学和《纽约时报》每年公开的真实录取文书。
合集中的文书均为成功录取学生的真实案例，风格多样、主题鲜明，展现申请者独特视角与个人魅力，具有极高参考价值。无论你正在打磨 Common App 主文书，还是在为补充文书的选题与表达而苦恼，这份资料都能为你提供丰富灵感与写作方向。所有内容均整理自官方发布或公开来源，由团队分类筛选，是规划美本申请文书写作过程中不可多得的高含金量参考资料。
《美本申请文书案例合集》部分内容展示
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扫描下方二维码，添加寻录申请顾问微信，发送关键词「美本文书」即可领取！如果同学们想了解TD全程申请/文书/转学申请服务，或期待TD在文书、选校和选专业、面试、科研项目等方面给予支持，也可向申请顾问咨询。如已有申请顾问好友无需重复添加~
