High Point University 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

High Point University 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: Three short answers of 50 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Diversity

At High Point University, we often describe our students as “doers.” Over 25% of your work as an HPU student will involve putting ideas and theory into practice. To help us understand your interest in this style of learning, please describe a hands-on project or experience that was meaningful to you. (50 Word Limit)

As a university that prides itself on offering skills-based education, it’s no surprise that High Point wants to hear about your hands-on projects and experiences. With only 50 words at your disposal, you’ll need to briefly describe a hands-on experience you’ve had and explain why it was meaningful. Maybe you went gleaning with your temple youth group and loved the sense of accomplishment after completing a row. Perhaps you struggled to understand geometry until you pulled out your old bag of wooden pattern blocks and could touch the shapes, raising your grade and prompting you to pursue other tactile methods of learning. Remember that you need to use your 50 words to both describe the experience and its meaning, so you have not a word to waste! 

Our research shows that employers and graduate programs seek students who demonstrate life skills such as motivation, coachability, strong communication, emotional intelligence, a growth mindset, and many others. Many of these skills are related to how we connect with other people. Please share a story of a meaningful travel experience where you connected with people from a different background than your own. (50 Word Limit)

Admissions wants to know how you connect with people from different backgrounds and they’re asking this through the lens of travel. You don’t have to have hiked Kilimanjaro or lived with a family in Peru to have a meaningful story to share. Maybe you went to a sleep-away camp several states away and met kids from all over the country, revealing to you both how different and how similar growing up is in different regions of the country. Perhaps on your choir trip to Montreal, you were amazed and humbled by the bilingual Canadian choristers you met and came away with a greater respect for bilingual members of your own community. Your story should mention your travel but focus more on who you met and how that encounter developed your perspective and ability to connect with others. 

Inspired by our Innovator in Residence, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, we define creativity as doing things differently and innovation as doing things better. From what you’ve learned during your college search, where have you seen innovation at HPU, and why does that make you want to attend? (50 Word Limit)

This is HPU’s take on the classic Why Essay, asking you to describe the HPU innovations that have inspired you to apply. To ace this response, you’ll need to devote a good chunk of time to research, so spend an hour noodling around HPU’s website, taking note of what they do better than other schools. If you can visit campus in person, all the better! Once you’ve generated a list of appealing courses, professors, majors, research opportunities, clubs, and other aspects of HPU’s innovative offerings and campus culture, pick a couple of the most important ones to highlight in your 50 words. These choices should reflect both your idea of HPU’s innovations and what attracts you to this community.