Pitzer College 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Pitzer College 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanation

The Requirements: One essay of 650 words; one essay of 250 words

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

At Pitzer College, five core values distinguish our approach to education: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student engagement, and environmental sustainability. As agents of change, our students utilize these values to create solutions to our world’s challenges. Learn more about our core values here. Please choose from the following prompts and answer below (650-word limit):

Describe what you are looking for from your college experience and why Pitzer would be a good fit for you. 

Pitzer wants to make sure you are psyched for the full college experience at their school. So, we’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: DO. YOUR. RESEARCH. Locate specific opportunities within your department, related programs, and clubs that really make your heart sing with excitement. And then connect those offerings to your hopes for a successful college experience (however you may define it). Talk about your academic and professional goals and how Pitzer will help you achieve them. What unexpected classes might you want to take to stoke your curiosity? Don’t forget to connect your past/present to your future. What experience do you have already that you can build on? What about the Pitzer experience will enrich your life overall? Finally, don’t forget that the prompt asks you to research Pitzer’s five core values, so make sure you reference the values that speak to you in your response. How do these values relate to your past experiences, excite you for your college career, or drive your dreams of the future?

Reflecting on your involvement throughout high school or within the community, how have you engaged with one of Pitzer’s core values? 

If you choose to respond to this prompt, odds are you have something to say about social responsibility (what do we owe to our fellow humans?), intercultural understanding (how do we form connections and appreciation across cultures?), interdisciplinary learning (much like yoga, it’s all related, isn’t it?), student engagement (how can we help each other to grow, expand, and deepen our knowledge?), or environmental sustainability (Mars is cold, y’all!). Hone in on the Pitzer value that resonates the most with you and share the steps you have taken to connect, address, or engage with it over the past four years.  

As a mission-driven institution, we value and celebrate the synergy created by our differences and similarities. We welcome you to write about distinctive aspects of your background, identity, or personal interests that you would bring to Pitzer, and how you plan to engage in our community. (250 words)

Pitzer wants to accept students from a range of backgrounds who will contribute to their community, so tell admissions about what makes you you and how that will inform your engagement with your peers. Think about times when people have been intrigued by or curious about your identity, skillset, or background. Maybe you film and edit music videos featuring your pets and plan to expand that by collaborating with other creative classmates and peers on campus. Perhaps you learned to play cricket while visiting your grandparents in India every summer and can’t wait to teach your floormates a sport that’s less common in the US. What do you hope to share with others about your lived experience? How will you incorporate this element of your identity to enrich the world around you? Finally, make sure to reference Pitzer’s mission. Show admissions that you’re eager to make your mark in their community through the lens of those values.