Essay guide · 2026–27 cycle
The video essay
A video prompt is a written essay with your face attached. The question is the same: can you explain yourself clearly and specifically in a short time. The format feels casual, which is why most submissions drift into generalities. The ones that work make one point, give one example and stop.
No card. Paste a draft and Admitify reads it line by line against the question it has to answer. It never writes for you.
What the question is really asking
The same thing as a written essay, with your face: whether you can explain yourself clearly and specifically in a short time.
Reading a script to camera, or over-producing it. Running long. Speaking in generalities because the format feels casual.
One point, stated in the first ten seconds, one concrete example, one closing line. Film it in one take in a quiet room, phone at eye level. Clear beats polished.
How to write it, in order
Write the point in one sentence before you record anything. Say it in the first ten seconds.
Pick one concrete example that proves it. One, not three.
Record in one take in a quiet room, phone at eye level, window in front of you rather than behind.
Do not read a script. Notes on a card are fine; eyes on a screen are not.
Keep it short of the limit. A clear ninety seconds beats a rambling two minutes.
Before you submit
- The main point is stated within ten seconds.
- There is exactly one example.
- No background music, titles or cuts.
- You can hear every word on a laptop speaker.
- It ends on a sentence, not a trailing “so, yeah.”
Every school that asks it
2 schools, 5 prompts. Click a school for all of its supplements, word counts and a prompt-by-prompt guide. Schools marked with a cycle year show last year's wording; the 2026–27 version was not yet published when verified.
- Claremont McKenna Collegeno stated word limit
“An important part of Claremont McKenna College's mission is preparing students for responsible leadership. How do you define 'responsible leadership,' and how have you demonstrated responsible leadership in your family, community, or school?”
- Claremont McKenna Collegeno stated word limit
“At CMC, we promote the understanding of public policy issues as it makes our students and alumni more effective leaders in their respective career fields. What is a public policy issue (whether locally, nationally, or globally) that you feel passionately about, and how do you hope to address it either in the present or the future? How can CMC assist you with addressing the issue?”
- Claremont McKenna Collegeno stated word limit
“The Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum is the heart of intellectual and social engagement at Claremont McKenna College, bringing students, faculty, and staff closer together through active discussion on a daily basis. If you could invite someone to speak at the Athenaeum, who would they be, what questions would you ask them, or what topic would you want to discuss with them at the Athenaeum dinner?”
- Claremont McKenna Collegeno stated word limit
“Collaboration involves working with people towards a common goal or project. It is a challenging skill that develops with time and experience. We want to learn more about the challenges you have encountered with collaboration. Tell us about when a collaborative effort you were involved in was challenging or even failed. What did your experience teach you about collaboration, and share how it has informed your leadership style?”
- Bentley Universityno stated word limit
“After learning about Bentley, what influenced your decision to apply?”
Common questions
- Does production quality matter?
- Only enough that you can be seen and heard. Anything beyond that draws attention to the production instead of you.
- Should I memorise it?
- Memorise the first and last sentences. Know the middle well enough to say it differently each take. Full memorisation sounds like reading.
- What should I wear or where should I film?
- What you would wear to meet a teacher; somewhere quiet with a plain background. The reader is listening, not judging the room.
Prompts verified September 2026 against each school's published application. Browse all schools A–Z. Spotted a change? Tell us.