2026–27 Common App cycle · Pittsburgh, PA
Duquesne University supplemental essays
1 prompt, 0 required, 1 optional, about 0 words in total. Below: each prompt, what it is really asking, where drafts go wrong, and the shape of an answer that works.
Free, no card. Paste a draft and Admitify reads it line by line against the prompt. It never writes for you.
The prompts, one by one
- Health professions essay (optional for other majors)no stated word limit · Why this major
“Tell us something unique about you, why you chose your particular health field major, and how you expect Duquesne University to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional goals. Please include any examples of your research, shadowing or volunteer experiences.”
What it's really askingThe moment this subject stopped being a class and became a question you couldn't drop. Duquesne University wants evidence you've chosen on purpose, not by default.
Where drafts go wrongTurning it into a résumé: grades, awards and "I have always been passionate about." A list of achievements is not a reason to study something. Grand missions ("to cure cancer") read as borrowed.
The shape of a strong answerOne specific experience, one specific confusion or question it left you with, and what you did about it on your own. Then one or two things in Duquesne University's version of the major that match that question. Small and real beats big and vague.
Every US applicant also writes the Common App personal statement: 650 words, seven prompts. Don't repeat it here; the supplements are for what the statement didn't show.
A self-check before you submit
Cover the school name and read the essay. Then cover your name and read it again. It should fail the first test (it only makes sense for Duquesne University) and pass the second (only you could have written it). If it passes the first test, it's a brochure. If it fails the second, it's a template.
Run your draft through Admitify, free →Prompts verified September 2026 against Duquesne University's published application. Admission facts and requirements for Duquesne University are on its university page. Spotted a change? Tell us.