2026–27 Common App cycle · Boulder, CO

University of Colorado Boulder supplemental essays

1 prompt, 1 required, about 250 words in total. Below: each prompt, what it is really asking, where drafts go wrong, and the shape of an answer that works.

1prompt · 1 required
250words, all prompts at max
81%admit rate · Less selective
2026–27current cycle
Check your Colorado Boulder drafts against these prompts →

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The prompts, one by one

  1. What do you hope to study at CU Boulder?up to 250 words · Activity

    “What do you hope to study, and why, at CU Boulder? Or if you don't know quite yet, think about your studies so far, extracurricular/after-school activities, jobs, volunteering, future goals, or anything else that has shaped your interests.”

    What it's really asking

    Depth on one activity: what you actually did, what was hard about it, and why it mattered to you beyond the title. Colorado Boulder already has your activities list; this is the story behind one line of it.

    Where drafts go wrong

    Re-listing the activities list in prose, or choosing the most prestigious activity rather than the one you can say something true about. Starting with "I joined X in ninth grade."

    The shape of a strong answer

    Start inside a specific moment of the activity. Explain one problem you solved or one thing you built, with detail only a participant would know. Close on what it changed in how you think or work.

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 Colorado Boulder) 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.

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Other schools' prompts

Prompts verified September 2026 against Colorado Boulder's published application. Admission facts and requirements for Colorado Boulder are on its university page. Spotted a change? Tell us.