Scripps College 2026-27 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Scripps College 2026-27 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) Tell us about a time you had to compromise. What did that experience teach you?

(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. For the first option, there are many ways to approach it: Who do you admire (e.g. athletes, authors, activists)? Whose life is hidden behind a “gate” that you’d love to see more of (e.g., Senators, Real Housewives, fashion moguls)? Who is living in a way you may not see as feasible for you but looks fun to try (e.g. Scottish Highland farmers, Yosemite park rangers, nuns in a convent)? If you have a person who jumps out at you, write it down, and maybe option 1 is for you! Just be sure to relate it back to something about you rather than focusing on the chosen person. If you’d rather write about something closer to home, pick option 2 and tell admissions what you’ve learned from compromising. Maybe you and your brother had to share a room on a family trip, which led to many conflicts and ultimately a stronger appreciation of both your differences and your similarities. For option 3: 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 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! As long as you’re honest and thoughtful, you’ll ace this response!