hamline university essay prompts

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Essay: Sources

• The Natural World
• Literary Magazines @ Hamline

Search HamCAT - Book/eBook

Search h amcat.

• To browse for essays, try this search: essays, then tweak my results , by limiting to subject: essays
• Do an advanced search and limit to Subject > essays
• T o find essays on a particular subject, enter the term essays  and add a subject.   For  example:  essays food, essays forest, essays art,  essays  hemingway , essays minnesota . ..
• To limit your results to books, filter by  Resource Type >  Books   
• To limit the books to those shelved at Hamline, add the filter Show Only  >  Available at Hamline
• To limit the books to eBooks, add the filter  Any > Full Text Online

Literature Resource Center

Essay and General Literature Index

Location:   Indexes (2nd Floor, following the Literary Magazines)

Hamline has:  1900 - 1999

This index has been around a while and, before online library catalogs, was the only reliable way to identify essays that are published as part of a larger work.  Each year, starting in 1900, the editors selected specific collections of essays to be indexed, for example  Ornament and Silence: Essays on Women's Lives  and  Green Culture: Environmental Rhetoric in Contemporary America .  Search by author or by subject.  Subjects include the arts, history, linguistics, literature, philosophy, religion, economics, education, law, political science, psychology, sociology, and science. However, now that the titles of essays in most edited collections are included in library catalogs--including HamCAT --this series is of limited use for materials published since the late 1990s.  The number of books it indexes is very limited.  Both the books and journals it indexes are highly specialized.  My recommendation is to use HamCAT , the  Encyclopedia of the Essay , and our online databases for essays published since the 1990s.  Use this index for materials earlier than that.

Encyclopedia of the Essay

Anthologies

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•  : Apr 17, 2024 12:37 PM
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Hamline University Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are Hamline University's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Hamline University and build a strong application.

School location: St. Paul, MN

Admissions Rate: 68.9%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at Hamline University is 68.9% . For every 100 applicants, 69 are admitted.

This means the school is moderately selective . The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they're more flexible than other schools. If you exceed their requirements, you have an excellent chance of getting in. But if you don't, you might be one of the unlucky minority that gets a rejection letter.

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies . We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools , from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

Hamline University GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.48

The average GPA at Hamline University is 3.48 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.48, Hamline University requires you to be around average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, and very few C's. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes. This will help boost your weighted GPA and show your ability to take college classes.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.48, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate . This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

Hamline University hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Hamline University will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

Hamline University SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1142

The average SAT score composite at Hamline University is a 1142 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes Hamline University Competitive for SAT test scores.

Hamline University SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1005, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1170. In other words, a 1005 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1170 will move you up to above average .

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

Hamline University ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, Hamline University likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 23

The average ACT score at Hamline University is 23. This score makes Hamline University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 20, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 26.

Even though Hamline University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 20 or below, you'll have a harder time getting in, unless you have something else impressive in your application.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 23 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Hamline University, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 23.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

Hamline University hasn't reported their stance on SAT Essay/ACT Writing, but most likely they consider it to be optional. Thus you don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is moderately selective, strong academic performance will almost guarantee you admission . Scoring a 1170 SAT or a 26 ACT or above will nearly guarantee you admission. Because the school admits 68.9% of all applicants, being far above average raises the admission rate for you to nearly 100%.

If you can achieve a high SAT/ACT score, the rest of your application essentially doesn't matter. You still need to meet the rest of the application requirements, and your GPA shouldn't be too far off from the school average of 3.48. But you won't need dazzling extracurriculars and breathtaking letters of recommendation to get in. You can get in based on the merits of your score alone.

But if your score is a 1005 SAT or a 20 ACT and below, you have a good chance of being one of the unlucky few to be rejected.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program . We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:

• PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses . You don't waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
• We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you're never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts . PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers . You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
• We've gotten tremendous results with thousands of students across the country. Read about our score results and reviews from our happy customers .

There's a lot more to PrepScholar that makes it the best SAT/ACT prep program. Click to learn more about our program , or sign up for our 5-day free trial to check out PrepScholar for yourself:

Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Hamline University here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Accepted
• Electronic Application Available
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for all freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation 1
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee No fee required for domestic applicants
• Fee Waiver Available? None
• Other Notes

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Recommended for some
• SAT Subject Tests
• Scores Due in Office June 30

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language
• Social Studies

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes January 15 October 1
• Yes December 1 Rolling
• Yes November 1 November 15

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 1536 St. Paul, MN 55104-1284
• Phone: (651) 523-2800
• Fax: (651) 523-2458
• Email: [email protected]

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Hamline University, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Hamline University.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Hamline University. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Hamline University, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Hamline University, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Hamline University is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

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Office of Academic Excellence

Themis Resources

Themis resources at mitchell hamline  .

Mitchell Hamline has partnered with Themis to offer our students resources to help them with their law school classes, the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), and the bar exam. The cost for these Themis resources is billed as part of the Integrated Bar Readiness Fee for a total of six semesters.        

The Integrated Bar Readiness Program Fee pays for providing students with a wealth of tools, resources, and services to learn the skills and substance we teach as part of the J.D. program.

• Law School Essentials First-Year .  This includes concise black letter law outlines, on-demand substantive lectures with handouts, and mini-assessments in the following subjects: Civil Procedure, Contracts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Real Property, and Torts.  There is also the capability to create electronic flashcards.    
•   Law School Essentials Upper-Level .  This includes concise black letter law outlines, on-demand substantive lectures with handouts, and mini-assessments in the following subjects: Corporations, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, and Wills and Trusts.  There is also the capability to create electronic flashcards.    
•   The UWorld Learning Platform .  This includes over 1,900 practice multiple-choice questions. The vast majority of the questions are licensed MBE questions from the National Conference of Bar Examiners® (NCBE®) released for previous exams. The remaining questions are UWorld-drafted and designed to fill the topical gaps in the NCBE-released questions. Each question is accompanied by an innovative, content-rich rationale, paired with images, charts, hyperlinks, and/or definitions. These rationales are unmatched in the industry and thoroughly guide students through the legal reasoning for the correct and incorrect answer choices.  There are various questions banks for students and professors.  There is also the capability to create electronic flashcards.    
•  Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) Review course .  This includes a concise black letter law outline for the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, online expert lecture with assessment questions and accompanying interactive and printed lecture handout, hundreds of practice MPRE questions with detailed answer explanations; and two 60-question practice MPREs with answer explanations.  There is also the capability to create electronic flashcards.    
•  Integration of Themis Materials into Courses .  Professors teaching bar-tested subjects will be able to integrate Themis materials into their courses if they would like.  Also, Themis materials will be integrated into the Legal Methods course and the Bar Prep Strategies: MBE & MEE course delivered from Academic Excellence.  
•   Themis Commercial Bar Review course with dedicated counselor . This is Themis’ post-graduation bar review course.  This includes the following:  
•  Engaging and short substantive lectures along with assessment questions for each lecture
• Adaptive Calendar™ which keeps students on track with a daily, sequential learning path that adjusts based on progress to ensure complete coverage from day 1 to the bar exam.  Students also have access to Themis’s Flexible Study mode
• Study Pacer™ which provides a visual representation of student progress and works with Adaptive Calendar™
• Over 3,600 MBE practice questions that closely resemble what is on the actual bar exam, including close to 1,375 licensed NCBE questions.  All questions include full explanations and answers
• Four simulated exams, including two mini-MBE practice exams and one full simulated MBE practice exam
• UWorld Qbank which allows students to create personalized practice quizzes and flashcards
• Electronic flashcards
• MBE Performance Analytics
• Licensed Multistate/State-specific essay exam questions
• Eight assigned graded essays and unlimited essay grading beyond that
•  MBE Skills Workshops
•  MEE Writing Skills Workshops
•  MPT Workshop
•  Dedicated state director, attorney advisor, and essay grader – three-person team dedicated to providing individualized guidance and support throughout the course
•  Printed books (online books available at no additional cost, printed books cost $30 for shipping) containing comprehensive outlines, final review outlines, and practice questions and simulated exams

How to get started

• You will receive an email from Themis to set up your account login and password.   
• If you do not receive this email, please reach out to our Themis team, at [email protected] .
• Step 1 – Go to  www.themisbar.com  
• Step 2 – Sign In   
• Step 3 – Go to Law School  
• Step 4 – Launch Law School Essentials First Year Review  
• Step 6 – Click on “Outlines” and select the subject you’re looking for.  
• Step 7 – For questions or issues, reach out to our Themis team, at [email protected] .

How to make the most of your Themis resources

• Law School Essentials First-Year  
• Law School Essentials Upper-Level  
• Utilize black letter law outlines, on-demand substantive lectures with handouts, digital flashcards, and mini-assessments available at www.themisbar.com  AFTER  class to help you understand things that still aren’t clear and to help organize and prepare your written outline of your course.  
• Utilize courses for the MPRE and bar exam when the time comes to take these exams.  

Frequently Asked Questions

What if i take eight semesters to graduate, will i have to pay the fee for eight semesters       , i already bought a themis course.  now what  , i have been tabling for themis in exchange for a free course.  now what  , i heard that themis does not have a commercial bar review course in every jurisdiction.  what if i am taking the bar in a jurisdiction where themis does not have a commercial bar review course  .

Themis offers a commercial bar review course in all US jurisdictions and US Territories except Wisconsin, South Dakota, Louisiana, Delaware, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico.  Themis will begin offering a commercial bar review course in Wisconsin and South Dakota for the July 2022 bar exam.  Per our contract, any student who will be taking the bar in a jurisdiction where Themis does not offer a commercial bar review course is entitled to a full refund of all Integrated Bar Readiness fees paid after July 1, 2021.  

My friend who already graduated from Mitchell Hamline really wants Themis, but they had to get Kaplan.  What can you do?  

• If you have any questions about Themis – Email [email protected]  

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the Haverford College Essays 2023-2024

Haverford College has two, short supplemental essays: one about your intellectual interests, and one about Haverford’s Honor Code. As a small, academically rigorous school just a short train ride from Philadelphia, Haverford attracts a competitive pool of applicants, so you want to make sure your essays stand out. In this post, we’ll break down both prompts, and explain how to write strong responses to each one.

Haverford College Honor Code

Before we dive into the essays, we want to provide some background on the Haverford Honor code. Here’s what you need to know.

Haverford College has one of the oldest and one of the very few student-run Honor Codes in the U.S. Our Honor Code is not a set of rules, but rather a statement of shared values centered on the concepts of trust, concern, and respect.

Our Honor Code serves as an educational tool in and of itself and provides a powerful framework for our community, emphasizing and supporting qualities we see as essential to a Haverford education. Among other things, the Honor Code at Haverford shapes:

Academic Freedom: The Honor Code fosters an atmosphere emphasizing academic integrity, collaboration over competition, and the cultivation of intellectual curiosity. Differences and disagreement are respected, valued, and embraced, and open discourse is seen as fundamental to the academic endeavor.

Student Agency: The Honor Code upholds a culture in which students are deeply trusted to take substantial ownership of their education and to profoundly shape and define the Haverford community. Student ownership is reflected in self-scheduled exams, in the fact that every student completes a Senior Thesis, in shared responsibility for the residential experience, and of course in oversight of the Honor Code itself.

Community: The Honor Code establishes a supportive environment for living and learning, where the community experience plays a central role in one’s education. The inherent value of every community member is recognized, and diversity in all respects — including diversity of background, experience, and perspective — is nurtured, celebrated, and embraced.

Leadership and Engagement: The Honor Code allows every student to find and develop their own voice, to practice ways of improving community and acting on issues of importance, to learn methods of problem solving and conflict resolution, and to examine the ways they can and will impact the world beyond Haverford.

Before delving into Haverford’s supplementary essays, it is extremely important to have a solid understanding of Haverford’s Honor Code and its role in Haverford’s community. At first glance, Haverford’s Honor Code may appear to be an explicit set of rules that are designed to govern the lives of students, forcing them to comply with specific guidelines and standards. However, the goal of the Honor Code is not to restrict students, but rather to allow for more freedom.

The Honor Code fosters a community grounded in honesty, fairness, and respect. These values create an environment where students feel not only comfortable, but confident sharing their own ideas, opinions, and beliefs. Diversity in thought, belief, culture, and perspective are not only recognized, but accepted and celebrated.

The values of the Honor Code afford students an unprecedented level of control over their education and community. Since it is expected that students adhere to a high degree of honesty and integrity, students are trusted by the administration as well as their professors and peers. For instance, Haverford students don’t have RAs in their dorms, are allowed to take tests without proctors, and are able to schedule their own final exams. These freedoms and privileges can exist because of the values of the Honor Code. 

Haverford’s Honor Code also presents an opportunity for self-governance. At Plenary, an all-student “governing” session, students can debate and vote to revise the Honor Code. In this way, students have the autonomy to change and improve Haverford’s campus. 

While Haverford’s Honor Code is taken seriously, consequences for infractions are not seen as punishments, rather as opportunities to instill lifelong lessons. Consequences are decided upon by the Honor Council, composed of students, not members of the school administration. It is the hope of the Haverford community that through this process, students will take ownership for their bad decisions, learn from them, grow as community members, and realize that they have the power to control their circumstances both inside and outside the classroom.

As you write your supplemental essays, keep Haverford’s values in mind. Incorporating their values into your essays not only shows that you did your research, but also creates connections between yourself and the Haverford community. For instance, Haverford’s collaborative environment could enable you to work with your peers to understand complicated mathematical theorems. Or, Haverford’s respectful and accepting community could empower you to debate the best policies to solve climate change. Regardless of the interests you choose to express in your essays, it is always a good idea to connect your thoughts to Haverford’s Honor Code and core values. 

Haverford College Supplemental Essay Prompts

Prompt 1: Tell us about a topic or issue that sparks your curiosity and gets you intellectually excited. How do you hope to engage with this topic or issue at Haverford? (150-200 words)

Prompt 2: We have highlighted for you some of the values that shape the Haverford community. What are some of the values you seek in your next community? How do Haverford’s values, as demonstrated through our Honor Code, resonate with you? 

As you think about how to answer this question, you might draw from how you have been influenced by other communities you have been a part of, experiences you may have had within your communities, or opportunities you have had to shape or even change your communities. (150-200 words)

Tell us about a topic or issue that sparks your curiosity and gets you intellectually excited. how do you hope to engage with this topic or issue at haverford (150-200 words).

This prompt is an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your interest in a specific subject or topic. Although it is not a “Why Major?” prompt, as you have the freedom to write about any of your intellectual interests, not just your intended major, the overall structure of the essay will be similar: you want to select one of your interests, which could be as obscure as Victorian fashion or as common as math, and explain why and how your topic excites your intellectual curiosity, as well as how you’ll be able to continue learning about it at Haverford.

Starting your essay with an anecdote is a great way to show your interest in your topic to readers, rather than simply telling them about it. For example, you could begin by telling the story of how you became interested in art after your first visit to an art museum. Or, you could describe what thoughts and emotions you experience when creating art. Since you’re dealing with a low word count, your story should be pretty simple, as you don’t have the space to flesh out something complicated.

The next part of your essay should focus on the deeper reason why you are so interested in your topic or subject. In other words, what specifically about your topic makes you excited to learn more? Maybe you love science because it explains how everything in the world works, from plants growing to playing tennis. Or, maybe you’re passionate about music because it has the power to inspire and connect people.

While this essay is a short one, you ideally also want to explain, at least briefly, what you do to satisfy your curiosity about this topic. Do you read every available book on Egyptian pyramids? Do you debate the most successful political campaign strategies with your family at dinner? This extra detail will give your reader a clearer sense of how your interest in your topic manifests on a daily basis, which will make your interest feel more tangible and genuine.

Finally, you want to connect your interest in your topic to your potential future as a Haverford student. Hop onto Haverford’s website, and do some research on classes, clubs, or other opportunities at Haverford that will allow you to keep learning about it. Since you probably won’t have much room left by this point, you want to pick just one or two things, as otherwise the end of your essay will feel cramped and rushed.

For example, you could talk about how the College Year in Athens study abroad program would deepen your understanding of Greek mythology, by allowing you to see firsthand many of the sites that were most important to the Ancient Greeks. 

Alternatively, you could write about how the clubs Charcuterie Union and Food for Thought would expand upon your interest in cooking, and help you develop a more comprehensive understanding of the role food can play in different people’s lives.

We have highlighted for you some of the values that shape the Haverford community. What are some of the values you seek in your next community? How do Haverford’s values, as demonstrated through our Honor Code, resonate with you?

Brainstorming Your Topic

This prompt tells you pretty much exactly what it wants to know: the values you’re looking for in a college community, and how those values align with Haverford’s. However, while the questions are clear, answering them thoughtfully may take some time, as you’ll need to reflect on what your values truly are.

With a question as open-ended as “What do you value in your communities?” sometimes asking yourself related, slightly more focused questions can help you brainstorm more efficiently. Here are some examples of those kinds of questions:

• What are some of your favorite communities you’re a part of? What makes you love them so much?
• When you think about your friends, what qualities do many of them share?
• Look at your complete college list—why are you applying to this particular set of schools, out of all the colleges in the United States and across the world?

The actual values you choose are much less important than those values being genuinely important to you. One applicant might write an excellent essay about trust, while someone else might write an equally strong one about open-mindedness. But if you try to force a connection to something that isn’t really one of your primary values, your reader will be able to tell you aren’t being fully authentic.

Finally, as you’re brainstorming you’ll likely come up with a list of several different values. But because this essay is so short, you’ll want to focus on just one, or two at the most, once you start writing. Otherwise, you won’t be able to give each value the attention it needs, and your essay will end up feeling all over the place.

Tips for Writing Your Essay

In your actual essay, the most important thing to do is connect the value or two you’re focusing on to Haverford’s values, specifically those laid out in the Honor Code. If you’re having a hard time doing that, you may want to go back to the drawing board. For example, valuing a good sense of humor is a wonderful thing, but doesn’t connect super well to anything in the Honor Code.

A better thing to focus on would be, say, speaking up about what’s important to you. You could easily connect that value to the following two lines of the Honor Code:

• “The Honor Code allows every student to find and develop their own voice, to practice ways of improving community and acting on issues of importance.”
• “The Honor Code upholds a culture in which students are deeply trusted to take substantial ownership of their education and to profoundly shape and define the Haverford community.”

Once you feel confident that you’ve linked your own values to Haverford’s, you want to think about how to clearly explain that link to admissions officers. Here, Haverford is once again being considerate, and telling you pretty much exactly how they want you to do that, in the second paragraph of the prompt.

To summarize, that paragraph is telling you to use concrete examples and anecdotes to explain how you came to have this particular value. In other words, show, don’t tell, because otherwise, your reader won’t really understand what you having this value says about your personality as a whole. Plenty of people value outspokenness, but the point of the college essay is to distinguish yourself from other applicants. So, you want to show what the value you have chosen means in the context of your life specifically, and why that value’s importance in your life has inspired you to apply to Haverford. 

For example, you could talk about how you hated attention as a kid, and preferred to just spend time with your family’s pets. But during the pandemic, seeing people adopt pets for company without knowing how to take care of them frustrated you to the point that you started your own YouTube channel, to explain how to avoid making common first-time pet owner mistakes. To your surprise, the channel became extremely popular, and many people wrote comments thanking you for your help. Speaking up is still hard for you, though, and being on Haverford’s campus, where outspokenness is encouraged, will help you continue to get better at it.

Mistakes to Avoid

Because this prompt is so explicit about what it wants, it’s pretty hard to get totally off-track. The only thing you really want to be wary of is using your space in an inefficient way. 200 words will disappear quickly, so you want to make sure you’re being thoughtful about how long you spend addressing each part of the prompt.

Otherwise, you may end up accidentally using 160 words explaining how you came to have the value you’re focusing on, and then have to cram in the connection to Haverford at the very end. There’s no one correct breakdown of how long you should spend on each point of your essay, as ideally one thing flows naturally into the next. Just make sure the connection to Haverford gets enough room to breathe, as, since that part is likely going to come at the end, it’s at the most risk of getting cut short.

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Do you want feedback on your Haverford essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

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Harvard University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1

You Have: 

Harvard University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: Five essays of 200 words or fewer

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Diversity , Activity , Oddball

Harvard is asking 2023-24 applicants to pen five short essays in response to the following prompts:

Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. how will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to harvard* (200 words).

Admissions wants to know what has made you into the person you are today and how those experiences will affect the way you engage with and contribute to the Harvard community. So, tell a story about an experience that has shaped you and connect the lessons you learned to the ways in which you will contribute to diversity on campus next fall. Start by thinking about the kinds of experiences you’ve had in the communities you’ve been a part of thus far. Then, once you’ve identified the life experience(s) that have shaped you, think ahead to how those will impact your time at Harvard. Admissions wants to know what your area of influence will look like on campus—whether that be applying the leadership skills you developed in your community theater troupe to the drama productions at Farkas Hall, celebrating intersectional identities with other members of the queer Jewish community with BAGELS , or connecting and networking with your peers through Harvard Black Students Association . Whatever you write about, make sure your response to this prompt shows that you have put some serious thought into the things that have shaped you and how you will apply those lessons and experiences to your time at Harvard next fall. 

Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you.* (200 words)

It’s no surprise that Harvard is hoping to invite students to campus who are excited about learning, so take this opportunity to geek out about an awesome learning experience you had recently. Maybe you find marine life to be absolutely fascinating, so you’ve been reading up on the most dangerous creatures in the deep dark sea (and their preferred prey, of course). Perhaps you had the opportunity to take a class or seminar with a thought leader you really admire or you went on a reading retreat that expanded your horizons. Whatever it may be, this is the perfect opportunity to show admissions your passion for pursuing knowledge and reflect on the impact it had on you.

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.* (200 words)

Next up is a fun twist on the classic activity essay, which asks you to expand on an extracurricular endeavor that has shaped who you are. Our advice is to focus on one or two activities that have made the biggest impact on you. Although we usually urge students to write about items that haven’t appeared elsewhere on their application, the activity essay is an exception since it specifically asks you to address an item on your resume. The trick here is to  pick something with meat! Maybe your trip to visit your extended family members in Thailand opened your eyes to how limited your world had been in your small Midwestern town. Perhaps four years of debate club have nurtured your communication skills and ability to speak up for yourself. Whatever activity you choose to write about, be sure to pick one that has been fundamental to your understanding of who you are.

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?* (200 words)

Admissions already knows a bit about what makes you you; now they want to know why Harvard is the obvious next step in the trajectory of your life. Take some time to meditate on what you hope your life will look like after Harvard—we’re talking ten, twenty years in the future. Once you have an idea of what you hope for that person to be like or do on an average day, invite admissions into your vision and show them how a Harvard education is a pivotal step (or three) on the ladder of success to get there. Regardless of your vision, your response should cite programs, activities, and organizations that Harvard offers. Anyone can say they hope to become a renowned doctor or an attorney for the people, but not everyone is going to do their homework to show admissions that they’ve thought through exactly how they want to get there. Of course, admissions isn’t going to hold you to your blueprint, but they do want to see that you’ve given not only your decision to apply to Harvard some serious thought, but your life post-graduation as well.

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.* (200 words)

With this prompt, admissions is hoping to see a different side of you, perhaps one that is less intellectual (unless that’s just who you are, in which case, rock on with your nerdy self) and a little more casual. Start by making a list. Write down everything that comes to mind. You can edit and revise later—no idea is too silly to jot down! Maybe you think your roommates should know that you just can’t not sing while in the shower (we’re talking Celine Dion, Adele, Whitney Houston) or that you make the meanest plate of rice and beans in your pressure cooker (and you love to share). Once you’ve narrowed your list down to three (3) things, see if you can weave together a narrative that gives admissions a little taste of what it would be like to hang out in the dorms with you. How do you connect with your peers? What most excites you about residential life? What are the quirks that make you you ? By the time admissions puts down your application, they should feel like your personality is jumping off the page.

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Four Present at ASPA Annual Meeting

Written by Staff

April 22, 2024

Four students from the Doctorate in Management and Public Service Program (DMPS) presented their dissertation research at the American Society for Public Administration Annual Meeting in Minneapolis April 14th.

The panel "Building Equitable and Resilient Public Service" was moderated by DMPS faculty and program director, Prof. Kristen Norman. The students presenting and their topics were:

• Sadiq Abdirahman, PhD.  The quest for political incorporation of Hmong and Somali American candidates
• Nic Abney, ABD,  Zoning affordable housing out of Minnesota
• Roxy Traxler, PhD,  Resource management competencies for community college leaders
• Jennifer Yang, PhD,  Achieving educational equity in Minnesota's K-12 public school districts

All four of these students, along with several others in the DMPS program will graduate this May.

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