University of Miami 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide  

University of Miami 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 short essay of 250 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Community

The University of Miami is situated in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, fostering a community filled with varied backgrounds. Our students come from an array of cultures, traditions, languages, and experiences. We value the unique perspectives each student brings and the meaningful contributions they can make.

Reflect on a community that has influenced you—be it your school, neighborhood, club, team, ethnic group, or any other group that has played a role in shaping who you are. What significance did that community hold for you, and in what ways did you contribute to it? How will you bring those experiences, values, and insights to enrich our campus community at the University of Miami?

This is a classic Community Essay, asking you to reflect on one of your communities and how it has shaped you into the person you are today. Think about the most significant groups in your life, whether that’s your ethnic group, your Model UN club, your fellow summer camp counselors, or the collection of families who live in your apartment building. Why is this community important to you? How has it guided, supported, changed, or challenged you? What have you done for that community? Maybe you spend every Saturday morning at the skatepark and have inspired your group of skaters to end each session by cleaning up trash in the park. Perhaps you go to your grandparents’ ranch in Argentina every summer, where you and your cousins spend the mornings teaching each other the different subjects you learned in school that year. Next, consider how the experiences, insights, and values you’ve gleaned from your community will help you contribute to UMiami’s campus community. What would you want to share with your new friends? What clubs would you join or found? What research would you undertake? This is a short essay, so make sure you maximize your space with clear, succinct writing!