Emerson College 2026-27 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Emerson College 2026-27 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 100-200 words; 1 honors program essay of 400-600 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Community, Oddball

How to Write Compelling Emerson College Supplemental Essays

With its focus on communication and the arts, Emerson might appeal to you if you’re “ready to turn your obsessions into your profession.” There’s only one required supplemental essay, so you’ll have to save your creative metaphors for the optional honors program essay and keep your response concise, persuasive, and personal! Read on to learn more about how to answer Emerson’s supplemental essay prompts. 

As you know, the academic programs at Emerson College are focused on communication and the arts. Please tell us what influenced you to select your major. If you’re undecided about your major, what attracted you to Emerson’s programs? Please be brief (100-200 words).

This is a pretty standard Why Essay focused on academics, so stay the course. You could have a million other reasons for applying to Emerson that have nothing to do with your intended major, but for now, all admissions wants to know is what you intend to study and why. So save their time (and yours) by cutting to the chase. Of course, brevity isn’t the same as generality. As with any other Why essay, take some time to do your research. Scour your program’s website for information about classes, professors, unique opportunities, and notable alumni. What catches your eye? What inspires you? How does it connect to an interest you have? How does Emerson’s unique curriculum satisfy your needs in a way no other school could? Take a page out of alum Bobbi Brown’s book! Her lifelong love of makeup led her to wonder, can you major in this stuff? Instead of going to cosmetology school, Brown took advantage of Emerson’s combined emphasis on communication and the arts. She refined her skills as a makeup artist and gained the business acumen to build a renowned makeup brand. What’s your story? 

Optional Essay for Emerson College Honors Program Applicants

Admission to the Emerson College Honors Program is competitive and only first-year students applying for September Admission are eligible (excluding Global BFA in Film Art applicants). Each fall, approximately 50 outstanding first-year applicants enroll in the Honors Program. Each Honors Program Scholar is also awarded a $30,000 per year Trustees Scholarship, which is renewable for four years at the College.

Your Honors Program application decision has no bearing, however, on your admission decision to the College. Students can be accepted to the College without being invited to the Honors Program.

To apply, you must complete the 400–600 word essay below in addition to all materials required by Undergraduate Admission.

Please respond to the following in 400-600 words: We often use metaphors to help us understand our world and persuade others. Write about a metaphor that you think is powerful, and explore its potential to be helpful and/or harmful in your thinking. 

Love is a rose! All the world’s a stage! So many great metaphors to choose from, and admissions wants to know which one has affected you and opened your eyes to see the world in a new light. This essay should include a bit of literary analysis—show them that you can break down a metaphor and explore why the comparison is effective or moving in some way. Things might get a little poetic, but that’s the idea; poetry reflects life as not only a mirror, but also a window to something new. (OMG, we just came up with that one… are… are we poets?) Don’t forget the last part of this prompt: metaphors can also be harmful. Maybe think of harsh stereotypes or bad faith generalizations: People are sheep. Men are dogs. Cash is king. Metaphors are powerful rhetorical devices that get a message across in a unique way—be it positive or negative. Let admissions know you’re listening to the world around you, but thinking for yourself.