2026–27 Common App cycle · Atlanta, GA
Emory University supplemental essays
2 prompts, 2 required, about 350 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
- Academic interestsup to 200 words · Why this major
“What academic areas are you interested in exploring at Emory University and why?”
What it's really askingThe moment this subject stopped being a class and became a question you couldn't drop. Emory 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 Emory University's version of the major that match that question. Small and real beats big and vague.
- Getting to Know You (choose one)up to 150 words · Disagreement
“Respond to one of the following: 1. Emory University has a strong commitment to building community. Tell us about a community that you have been part of where your personal participation helped to change or shape the community for the better. 2. Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness. 3. Emory University's unique mission calls for service to humanity. Share how you might personally contribute to this mission of service to humanity. 4. In a scholarly community, differing ideas often collide before they converge. How do you personally navigate disagreement in a way that promotes progress and deepens meaningful dialogue?”
What it's really askingWhether you can hold a disagreement without flattening the other person. Emory University is checking for intellectual humility and the ability to keep talking, not for who won.
Where drafts go wrongChoosing a disagreement where you were obviously right and the other person obviously wrong. Or ending with "we agreed to disagree," which says nothing happened.
The shape of a strong answerA real disagreement with a real person, stated fairly from their side. What you did in the conversation (not what you felt). What shifted afterwards, in you, even if your view held. Specific lines of dialogue help. At 150 words there is room for exactly one example, explained properly.
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 Emory 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 Emory University's published application. Admission facts and requirements for Emory University are on its university page. Spotted a change? Tell us.