2026–27 Common App cycle · Eugene, OR
University of Oregon supplemental essays
3 prompts, 1 required, 2 optional, about 1500 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
- Belonging essay option 1: social justice (optional)up to 500 words · Community
“What have you learned from a social justice issue that inspires you, and how will you apply these lessons to drive change?”
What it's really askingTwo things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Oregon because of it. The second half is where most drafts stop short.
Where drafts go wrongDescribing the community instead of your role in it, or choosing the one that sounds impressive rather than the one that changed you. "Diversity" as an abstraction, with no scene.
The shape of a strong answerPick a community you can describe with a scene, not a label. Show one moment where it taught you something or asked something of you. Spend the last third on what that means you'll do at Oregon: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."
- Belonging essay option 2: sharing with community (optional)up to 500 words · Community
“Please explain how you will share your experiences, values, and interests with our community. In what ways can you imagine offering your support to others?”
What it's really askingTwo things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Oregon because of it. The second half is where most drafts stop short.
Where drafts go wrongDescribing the community instead of your role in it, or choosing the one that sounds impressive rather than the one that changed you. "Diversity" as an abstraction, with no scene.
The shape of a strong answerPick a community you can describe with a scene, not a label. Show one moment where it taught you something or asked something of you. Spend the last third on what that means you'll do at Oregon: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."
- Clark Honors College essayup to 500 words · Disagreement
“What's something you believed in that you changed your mind about and what made you change it? Be thoughtful and provide concrete examples to support your response.”
What it's really askingWhether you can hold a disagreement without flattening the other person. Oregon 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.
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 Oregon) 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 Oregon's published application. Admission facts and requirements for Oregon are on its university page. Spotted a change? Tell us.