Scripps College 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Scripps College 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 200 words; 1 essay of 150-200 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Oddball

Why have you chosen to apply to Scripps College? (200 words)

Ah, the classic why essay. Scripps wants to know that you’ve thoughtfully chosen them from the long list of other options out there. Did you visit campus and fall in love with Claremont? Are you from SoCal and it’s not too far (but just far enough) from home? Maybe you’ve scoured their course offerings and already put together a plan for your first year. There are so many different reasons students choose Scripps, and admissions wants to know yours. Three things to keep in mind when writing this essay: details, details, details. (Did we mention details?) The more specific you can get when illustrating your passion for Scripps, the better admissions will be able to picture you on their campus, thriving in student life. 

Choose one of the following (150-300 words):

(1) If you could trade lives with someone (fictional or real) for a day, who would it be and why?

(2) You’ve invented a time machine! When and where is your first destination and why?

(3) You have just been invited to host your own podcast. What will you talk about and why did you select that topic?

Scripps poses these Oddball questions to get your creative juices flowing—so don’t hold back! This is a chance for you to be your truest, weirdest self and show them aspects of your personality that may not come through in the more formal essays. What have you always wondered, fantasized, or daydreamed about? What topics have sent you on Wikipedia deep-dives? Maybe your favorite book is Percy Jackson, which got you interested in the convoluted lineage of Greek mythology. Perhaps your fascination with AI makes you curious about what the world will look like in 50 years. Maybe you and your dad keep bees together, and you’ve become so obsessed, you’d love to host a podcast (Saturday Night Hive). Let your imagination run wild!