University of San Diego 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide 

University of San Diego 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 2 short essays of 350 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Community

In this section, you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts in response to two essay prompts – one which all students will respond to and a second one where you will choose from among three essay options. Please note that there are a few hyperlinks embedded within the questions which link out to USD web pages which describe initiatives and programs unique to USD. You may find some of these links helpful as you consider your responses to the prompts. Essays should be approximately 200 words in length.

At the University of San Diego, we believe education should spark curiosity, foster connection, and prepare students to make a meaningful impact in the world. Tell us about an idea or experience that has shaped your worldview or inspired you to learn more. Why is this important to you, and how do you see it connecting with your future at USD? (350 words)

Admissions wants to understand what factors or experiences have inspired you and changed the way you view the world around you. They want to know not only why this matters to you, but also how you see it influencing your future. Start by brainstorming about the ideas, events, people, or experiences that really piqued your curiosity. What captured you? How did you continue to explore it? Select the one that most directly affected your worldview, and discuss how it came to have such an important role in your life. Maybe you stumbled upon a drum circle in the park while walking the family dog, which sparked a deep dive into African drumming and dance and a deeper connection with your African heritage through a new extra-curricular as a djembe drummer. Perhaps your English teacher briefly mentioned stoicism, which led you down an internet rabbit hole into philosophy, making you question the world around you and how you react (or don’t react) to it. Make sure that you can connect your chosen topic to your future at USD: Will this influence your choice of major? The extra-curriculars you take part in? Your volunteer or study abroad experiences? Show USD admissions that you are a curious, thoughtful person with a vision of how you will carry your values to USD and beyond. 

Now choose one of the three prompts below to write about. (350 words)

Option #1) USD is committed to fostering a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging and purpose. Reflecting on your own experiences, what does community mean to you? How have you helped create inclusive, welcoming spaces for others, and what have you learned from those efforts?

USD’s take on the Community Essay comes with a focus on inclusivity. First of all, let us remind you that your community can be just about anything, from your neighborhood to your family to your dojo. Pick a community that means something to you and think about how you have contributed to that group. Maybe your progressive church welcomes people of many different faiths, and you developed a special language for discussing religion with your childhood friends. Or perhaps your school is incredibly homogenous and isolated, and you helped your Spanish class organize Skype chats with a student body in Guatemala to learn more about the world while improving your language skills. No matter your starting point, be sure to tell a clear story with a beginning, middle, and end that demonstrates your commitment to creating inclusive environments. What have you learned from your experiences? It may be tempting to pen a treatise on what community means to you and leave it at that, but the point of an essay like this is to tell a story about you, your contributions, and your personal growth.

Option #2) As a proud Changemaker Campus, the USD experience emphasizes changemaking through care for our common home, social justice efforts, civic engagement, social innovation, creativity and a global perspective. Write about one of the challenges facing humanity today. Why does it matter to you? What experiences or insights have you had that speak to the urgency of this issue?

You’ll notice some striking similarities between USD option #2 and Common App prompt #4, which asks you to “Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve.” In other words, if you wrote your Common App personal statement on #4, you’ll want to skip USD’s #2 to avoid repeating yourself. (If not, here are some extra tips in our Common App Essay Prompt Guide!) 

This is your opportunity to not only show admissions how you face challenges, but also demonstrate your creativity and vision. If you choose this prompt, take a little time to brainstorm a few “challenges facing humanity” that bother you or affect your life. This can range from rising ocean temperatures to racial profiling. Although the scope and scale of your problem can vary, remember that USD emphasizes “social justice efforts, civic engagement, social innovation, creativity, and a global perspective.” 

Option #3) As a contemporary Catholic university, we welcome and celebrate students from every background and faith tradition, including those who do not identify with a faith tradition. We’re committed to helping every student feel connected and supported by offering space to grow in faith, reflect on their values and explore who they are called to be. Share how faith or spirituality—your own or someone else’s—has shaped a perspective, experience, or decision.

Given the faith-forward nature of this question and of the university website, we imagine that most of you folks reading this guide probably already have a few thoughts on this question. We’d be surprised if the religious affiliation didn’t factor into your decision to apply, but if you haven’t thought about it, now is your chance to reflect on your relationship with faith or spirituality, if you so choose. Writing about spiritual and religious beliefs is just as personal (if not more!) as any other topic you might cover on your college application, so don’t be afraid to dive deep. If you grew up in a traditional religious household, you probably have a treasure trove of experiences and stories to share with admissions, but sometimes it’s hard to write about faith when it’s always been a given in your life. Whether your background is Christian, Hindu, or atheist, can you think about the role faith plays in your life? How has it influenced your perspective or more specifically, a certain decision you had to make? Or, if religion and spirituality weren’t a huge part of your upbringing, do you know someone else whose faith has been a guiding force? Perhaps your grandparents refused to give up their Jewish faith in Nazi Germany and immigrated to America. Maybe your dance teacher was once in a devastating car accident and leaned on her New Age spirituality to motivate her through her recovery. How do you feel about this person’s faith journey? Did it affect your point of view? Whether you consider yourself a religious person or not, faith/spirituality is a central component of the USD experience, and now is your chance to invite admissions into your own relationship with it.