2026–27 Common App cycle · Richmond, VA
University of Richmond supplemental essays
3 prompts, 3 required, about 1950 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
- Relentlessly Welcoming (choose one)350-650 words · Community
“Richmond is a community that strives to be relentlessly welcoming. Tell us about a time you made a space better for other people by helping them feel welcome, heard, included, or supported.”
What it's really askingTwo things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Richmond 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 Richmond: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."
- Ideas Into Actions (choose one)350-650 words · Leadership
“Richmond students turn ideas into actions. Tell us about a time you learned by doing, making, building, testing, helping, or leading and what that experience taught you about yourself, the world, or the kind of impact you want to have.”
What it's really askingNot your title but a moment where you changed what a group did. Richmond reads "leadership" broadly; the youngest sibling organising a family can answer this as well as a club president.
Where drafts go wrongDescribing the role instead of a decision. "As president, I led the team to success" contains no information. Taking credit for a group's work.
The shape of a strong answerOne situation, one decision you made that others didn't have to accept, how you got them to, and what happened. Include what it cost you or what you'd do differently.
- The Spider (choose one)350-650 words · Community
“Richmond's mascot is the Spider. Just as you are unique, this singular mascot represents over 52,680 unique species of spiders. Tell us about the communities, experiences, or ambitions that have shaped you into the unique person you are and how you will make your mark as part of a Spider community.”
What it's really askingTwo things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Richmond 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 Richmond: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."
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 Richmond) 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 Richmond's published application. Admission facts and requirements for Richmond are on its university page. Spotted a change? Tell us.