Smith College has released its supplemental essay prompts for the Class of 2031. Students applying to Smith must respond to one essay prompt in 250 words or less in addition to the Common App Personal Statement. We’ll unpack how best to respond to this prompt so you can help your daughter submit a competitive Smith College application. 

2026-2027 Smith College Required Essay Prompt

Smith has a unique housing system, where students of all class years live together in 41 different houses. With our Residential Curriculum, students will become critically aware global neighbors, exploring their self-identity by living in community, engaging in reflection and challenging their own beliefs.

What personal experiences, background or abilities would you bring to this residential environment to share with your neighbors and what would you hope your neighbors would share with you?

This two-part question begins with a question: how will you uniquely contribute to Smith’s Residential Curriculum? Your goal in responding to this first half of the prompt is twofold: articulate how your identity, including any differences or underrepresented backgrounds you hold, has shaped your education and personal trajectory. Yes, this means if you hold an underrepresented background covered by the Roberts Loophole, you should absolutely write about it here. For those who don’t know, the Roberts Loophole permits students to write about race and identity in any written components submitted in their college applications, circumventing the 2023 SCOTUS ruling outlawing the use of race-based affirmative action in this process. So a compellingly told anecdote that uses all the conventions of powerful storytelling (including characterization, setting, dialogue, etc.) is your friend here. 

And even if the Roberts Loophole isn’t applicable to your experience, you can and should still highlight an instance in which you challenged your own beliefs by engaging with someone who has a different perspective from your own. After all, Smith wants to admit team players who won’t shout down their opposition. They want to admit students with a critical capacity for empathy and self-reflection, and the anecdote you share in this first half of this essay should do just that.

For the second half of the essay, write about how this experience will inform your time in Smith’s close-knit residential community. And once again, dare to tell a story that will grip your application reader. Unlike many liberal arts colleges, Smith does not probe any “Why College” specifics in its supplemental essay prompt. With that being said, it wouldn’t hurt to imagine a day in the life with the peers you might meet in your residential community, one in which you participate in some Smith traditions, activities, celebrations, or affinity groups. And whatever you do, don’t mention the term “like-minded” peers. Smith will see that in your essay and run for the hills. Instead, wax rhapsodic about how you hope the women you meet at Smith will encourage you to grow and change as a person.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Your Smith Supplemental Essay

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