How to Write the American University Essays 2025-2026

American University has one optional prompt for all applicants about why you want to attend AU. Additionally, the school has prompts for each of its special programs.

 

There is one prompt for all applicants that is optional. There are also three prompts for Honors Program applicants, three prompts for Lincoln Scholars Program applicants, two prompts for Sakura Scholars Program applicants, five prompts for AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship (International Students) applicants, two prompts for Global Scholars Program applicants, three prompts for Politics, Policy and Law Scholars applicants, and two prompts for Public Health Scholars applicants—all of which are all required by their respective program.

 

Since AU receives thousands of applications from academically strong students, your essays are your chance to stand out. In this post, we’ll discuss how to craft an engaging response to each of these options.

 

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American University Supplemental Essay Prompts

 

 

 

First and foremost, although this prompt is optional, we strongly encourage you to respond. College applications are a limiting thing by nature, so you should take advantage of any extra opportunity you have to show admissions officers who you are. Especially at relatively selective schools like American, you never know what could make the difference!

 

In terms of brainstorming for this particular prompt, American’s admissions committee wants to see what drives you, whether that’s a belief, hobby, idea, issue, or topic. They also want to see how you might contribute to their campus community as a changemaker, or someone who can lead others to make a positive difference.

 

In short, this essay is an opportunity to showcase your enthusiasm for something particular, and to demonstrate how this passion reflects your overall character and values.

 

While brainstorming and thinking about your options, consider these questions to help you decide what to write about:

 

• Is there something you could talk about for hours? Is there something you’re more knowledgeable about than the average person? How did that come to be the case?
• When have you worked hard to change something, or realize a vision of yours? What drove you to work on this project?
• How is your ideal future different from the world we live in today? What are you doing to bring about that ideal future?

 

When considering potential topics, you’ll want to pick something you’re genuinely enthusiastic about, as that energy will come across tangibly. Connecting your passion to your future—particularly at American—is another great way to show how serious you are, both about the interest described in your essay and this specific institution.

 

Do be aware that, although you likely have many different subjects you could talk about, you’ll want to focus on just one thing. You want to provide detail, and illustrate what this passion says about you more broadly. With only 250 words to work with, if you try to jump from one idea to the next, you’ll quickly run out of room.

 

One last brainstorming tip: you want to avoid writing about a common topic, like sports or volunteering, unless you have a truly unique angle from which to consider these subjects. While picking something that absolutely nobody has ever done before is practically impossible, if you’re thinking of writing about something that the majority of high schoolers have also done, you’ll probably want to pivot.

 

Finally, make sure you’ll be able to connect with the “changemaker” theme. You might be able to write an excellent essay on how you believe Taylor Swift is the greatest songwriter of all time, but if that passion doesn’t inspire you to accomplish or work toward anything, it’s not really a good choice for this essay.

 

What do all of these points look like when working together? Consider the example below:

 

 

This example identifies a topic the student is clearly passionate about, explains how they’ve actively worked to learn more about it, and gives us a sense of how this passion will help shape their future—including by citing a resource that will allow them to do so at American University specifically. If your own essay also does these three things, you’ll be well on your way to showing American admissions officers what you have to offer that nobody else does!

 

 

This prompt is something of a cross between a diversity prompt and an academic interest prompt, depending on how you approach it. It’s really about how you see the world and how a work of art, music, literature, or film shaped your thinking, values, or worldview.

 

The admissions committee is fundamentally trying to understand: What inspires you intellectually and personally? How do you reflect critically? What values will you bring into the AU Honors community?

 

You’re asked to choose one creative work (art, music, literature, film, etc.). Show why it matters to you personally and how it shaped your worldview. Go beyond summarizing the work; instead, use storytelling and reflection to reveal your perspective, values, and personal growth.

 

When brainstorming your essay, ask yourself the following questions to help figure out which work you might want to write about:

 

• What creative work has stopped me in my tracks, made me question something, or expanded my empathy?
• Was there a moment when this work shifted how I think about identity, justice, art, history, science, relationships, or something else that’s important?
• Do I have a specific story about the first time I encountered this work? (e.g., hearing a protest song at a rally, reading a novel late at night, seeing a painting on a school trip)
• Why do I keep coming back to this work? What does it say about who I am now?
• How might this influence the way I engage in an Honors community focused on critical thinking, dialogue, and global perspectives?

 

A good response will do a few things. Primarily, a strong essay will be specific. Don’t just say “this book changed me”—show a vivid moment of encountering it. Make a personal connection. Explain why it matters to you, not just why it’s important in general.

 

Move beyond “I liked it” to “it changed how I think about…”. AU is known for global perspectives—essays that touch on empathy, justice, or cross-cultural understanding often land well. Show both intellectual depth (analysis of themes) and emotional resonance (personal impact).

 

Here are some hypothetical student examples to guide your thinking of how this essay might take shape:

 

Leila, future international relations major:

 

• Chooses: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.
• Connection: Grew up hearing family stories about migration; the graphic memoir helped her understand generational resilience and the complexities of identity in global politics.

 

James, aspiring filmmaker:

 

• Chooses: Jordan Peele’s Get Out.
• Connection: Inspired him to think about the power of film as social commentary and made him reflect on his own privilege and responsibility as a storyteller.

 

Anika, pre-med student:

 

• Chooses: The play Wit by Margaret Edson.
• Connection: Saw it at a community theater; the portrayal of illness reshaped her understanding of empathy in healthcare and sparked her interest in patient-centered medicine.

 

Let’s take a look at good and bad example response excerpts so that you can get an idea of what you should and shouldn’t do in your own essay.

 

 

Why this works: Vivid first encounter, personal transformation, connects to leadership and future goals.

 

 

Why this doesn’t work: Just restates the work’s obvious meaning, no personal connection, reads like a history class answer.

 

These are some common mistakes you should try to avoid.

 

• Summarizing the work: Admissions officers don’t need a book report or movie review.
• Choosing something too obvious or clichéd: Works like The Great Gatsby or To Kill a Mockingbird are common—if you choose them, make sure your angle is deeply personal and unique.
• Being superficial: Don’t just say “it inspired me”—explain how and why.
• Forgetting the “Why AU Honors” angle: Even indirectly, connect to how this shaped the way you learn, think, or engage in community.

 

You have 300 words, which should be enough for a short intro, one rich story, your reflection, and a connection to learning/values.

 

 

This is a really creative prompt that falls somewhat under the Academic Interest prompt archetype. It’s asking you to design your own class, but what admissions officers really want to see is what excites you intellectually, how you learn best, and how you’d contribute to the Honors environment.

 

This essay wants you to propose a course topic that reflects your passions and curiosity. Explain what you would want to learn and how you’d approach it. Show why this topic matters to you personally (not just “it’s trendy”). Tie your idea to your goals, interests, or worldview so admissions sees how you’d thrive in Honors.

 

Here are some questions to ask yourself that should help you brainstorm your essay topic:

 

• What subject or problem keeps me up at night researching or talking about with friends?
• What intersection of fields fascinates me? (e.g., psychology + technology, art + politics, biology + ethics, etc.)
• What big questions do I wish school gave me space to explore more deeply?
• What personal experience sparked this curiosity?
• How does this interest connect to the skills/values of an Honors education (e.g., critical thinking, interdisciplinary learning, creativity)?

 

A good response will do a few things. Primarily, strive to be specific with an original course idea. There are sure to be plenty of classes that interest you but that also exist already. Don’t just say “Environmental Science”—frame it as “Climate Storytelling: Using Film and Media to Inspire Change.”

 

Also, aim to make a clear personal connection. Explain why you would design this class, not just why it’s generally important. Can you come up with a unique interdisciplinary angle? Honors programs love when students think across fields.

 

Finally, show how this course connects to your college goals and future impact. Engage with the Honors ethos—highlight collaboration, dialogue, or global perspectives.

 

Here are some hypothetical student examples to give you an idea of the kinds of courses you might consider developing yourself:

 

Mateo, aspiring entrepreneur:

 

• Course: Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Global Business
• Connection: After building a chatbot for his family’s restaurant, he wondered about bias in algorithms and how tech shapes consumer trust.

 

Zara, environmental activist:

 

• Course: Food, Culture, and Climate
• Connection: Grew up gardening with her grandmother, now runs her school’s composting program; wants to explore how diets intersect with sustainability and equity.

 

Eleanor, theater lover and history buff:

 

• Course: Theater as Resistance: From Ancient Greece to Broadway
• Connection: Inspired after performing Les Misérables and researching its revolutionary roots; curious about performance as political activism.

 

Let’s take a look at some good and bad example response excerpts to see what you should do and what you should avoid doing in your own response:

 

 

Why this works: Personal topic, vivid connection, interdisciplinary, links to future learning.

 

 

Why this doesn’t work: Generic topic, no unique spin, no personal connection. Could apply to anyone.

 

These are some common mistakes you should avoid in your own response:

 

• Being too vague: “I’d design a course on history because it’s important to learn from the past.” This is not enough! Be specific—which era, what lens, why you care.
• Choosing something generic: Topics like “Leadership” or “Business Basics” feel flat unless you can spin them in a way that’s truly unique.
• Listing instead of reflecting: Don’t just outline the syllabus. Focus on why this course excites you and on what you’d take from it.
• Forgetting personal connection: If the course doesn’t connect to your background, interests, or goals, it’ll feel shallow.

 

 

This essay falls under the Academic Interest archetype, but with a focus on mindset rather than subject matter. The AU Honors Program wants students who are willing to take risks in learning—not just chasing easy wins but diving into new ideas, questioning assumptions, and embracing uncertainty.

 

The admissions committee is looking for your personal definition of intellectual risk. To you, this could mean asking an unpopular question, combining fields, admitting what you don’t know, or challenging your own worldview.

 

The committee also wants to see a story or example of when you’ve taken this kind of risk, as well as a reflection on why that experience excites you about future opportunities at AU Honors. Below, we’ll break down how you should plan for this essay and approach it.

 

Here are some questions to help you brainstorm your topic:

 

• When have I pushed myself to explore something I wasn’t sure I could succeed in?
• Did I ever take on a class, project, or research topic that intimidated me?
• Have I spoken up with a controversial or minority perspective?
• How do I respond to uncertainty or the possibility of failure?
• Why do I value curiosity over certainty?
• What excites me about pushing past what is “known” into what is unknown?

 

A strong essay will define intellectual risk personally. Don’t just parrot back the program description, make it yours. Be sure to tell a concrete story, showing yourself in action—a moment when you asked the hard question, started the ambitious project, or took a dive into unfamiliar territory.

 

Give the reader a sense of your vulnerability; risk implies potential failure and admitting uncertainty or mistakes shows authenticity. Also show your personal growth. Explain what you learned and how it shapes how you’ll approach college. Tie it to AU Honors by showing your excitement for the program as a place where you’ll thrive in taking these risks.

 

Here are hypothetical student examples to help show you ways that students writing this essay could find a unique voice:

 

• Maya, a robotics enthusiast: Maya once designed a robot using coding languages she barely knew, failing multiple times before creating a working prototype. For her, intellectual risk means stepping into challenges without a guarantee of success, and she’s excited about AU’s interdisciplinary Honors courses where she can merge engineering with ethics.

 

• Daniel, a writer: Daniel submitted a personal essay about racial identity to his school literary magazine despite fearing judgment. He defines intellectual risk as being vulnerable with ideas and experiences, and he looks forward to AU Honors seminars where diverse perspectives challenge him to refine his thinking.

 

• Leila, a budding political scientist: Leila volunteered to moderate a debate between students with clashing views on immigration, risking alienating both sides. For her, risk means engaging with perspectives that unsettle her, and she’s excited to continue this at AU by exploring courses that blend politics, history, and philosophy.

 

Here are some good and bad example response excerpts to show you what you should and shouldn’t do in your own response:

 

 

Why this works: Shows risk in action, vulnerability, growth, and ties to AU Honors.

 

 

Why this doesn’t work: Too generic, focuses only on difficulty not true risk, no vulnerability, doesn’t tie meaningfully to AU Honors.

 

This essay should feel personal, specific, and a little vulnerable—because intellectual risk is about showing how you stretch yourself, even when it’s uncomfortable.

 

These are some common mistakes to avoid making in your own response:

 

• Being too abstract: Saying “intellectual risk means trying new things” without an example makes your essay forgettable.
• Equating risk only with difficulty: It’s not just about taking AP Calculus, it’s about curiosity, vulnerability, and growth.
• Not connecting to AU Honors: Remember—they want to see why this risk-taking matters in their program.
• Making yourself the hero: Risk means humility, don’t frame your story as flawless triumph; instead, show the struggle and growth.

 

 

This might seem like a daunting prompt, but it can be easier than it seems. At its core, this prompt asks you to demonstrate your intellectual curiosity. Don’t worry about having some grandiose, impressive tome to talk about for this essay. If you think creatively, you should be able to identify moral complications in simpler texts. This is the kind of essay that really benefits from careful argumentation.

 

In your response, share your ability to grapple with gray areas and moral ambiguity. Explore how you would contribute to deep discussion in the Lincoln Scholars Program, which values moral, civic, and philosophical inquiry.

 

It’s not just about picking a book you like. It’s about showing you can recognize ethical tension or competing perspectives in a text. Explain how it could spark thoughtful debate among college students. Show that you’re ready for the rigors of honors-level dialogue on difficult issues.

 

Ask yourself these brainstorming questions to help you decide on a text and a topic for your essay:

 

• What books, plays, films, or philosophical texts have made me wrestle with tough moral questions?
• Did the text challenge something I previously believed to be true?
• Does the text have conflicting interpretations (e.g., is the “hero” also deeply flawed)?
• Could first-year college students connect with the themes and generate debate?

 

Here are some major literary categories to spark ideas:

 

• Classic novels: Frankenstein (scientific responsibility), The Scarlet Letter (morality, shame, gender).
• Philosophy/politics: Plato’s Republic (justice), The Prince by Machiavelli (ethics in leadership).
• Contemporary works: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (race, systemic injustice), The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (gender, power, freedom).
• Global perspectives: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (colonialism, cultural conflict).

 

To craft a good response, start by choosing a text with genuine moral complexity (avoid simplistic “good vs. evil” stories). Show your personal connection to why this text matters. Highlight how different perspectives could emerge in discussion and don’t just summarize the plot. Show that you value dialogue, nuance, and open-mindedness—core values of Lincoln Scholars.

 

As far as the text itself is concerned, you can write about nearly anything (just make sure it’s not too trivial, like a children’s book). Perhaps you have read a clearly morally complex text, such as Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables or Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. If you have, and you remember the details well enough to explain your choice, then by all means write about it!

 

However, if you haven’t read a text like that, that’s fine too. Think of things you’ve read recently that have moral dilemmas you might discuss. For some idea on how you might stretch the theme of morality, consider some examples:

 

• Lois Lowry’s The Giver, a young adult novel, discusses themes related to individuality and emotional depth and can be pitted against order and conformity. This moral conflict leaves a lot of room for debate, as the balance between individuality and societal conformity is one that is often hard for individuals to navigate.

 

• Marvel Comics’ Civil War, a seven-issue comic book storyline from 2007, has a plot centered around the U.S. government requiring super-powered individuals to reveal their identities to be superheroes under official regulation. While this may not be a traditional text, it has been acclaimed for its exploration of the conflicting desires of security and freedom that are still discussed in American politics today.

 

• Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs, the authorized biography of Apple’s co-founder, is a thorough look at the life of the controversial business magnate. It discusses not only his great achievements in the worlds of business and technology, but also his personality, which has been described as abrasive or difficult at times. This text allows students to examine the ways in which massive corporations, their employees, and their consumers can be directly affected by the very human individuals who lead them.

 

As you can see from the above examples, you can find and argue for moral complications almost anywhere you look. You might use a traditional example of a large, classic novel with clear and distinctive moral ambiguity, or you might explore some more creative options, such as biographies, YA novels, and even comic books or graphic novels!

 

A good response will answer every part of the prompt. You should strive to identify the text, explain how it’s morally complicated, and detail your reasons for recommending it. The first and last part shouldn’t be too hard once you’ve settled on your text—naming the text and talking about why you’re recommending it are tasks that you can probably do easily if you know your chosen text well. After all, you know why you like the book.

 

It’s the second part of the prompt that will require some more careful thought. Effectively explaining how the text is morally complicated is only something you can do if you’re familiar enough with the text and its themes. Oftentimes, the moral complications of a book aren’t directly relevant to the plot—they’re often a thematic consequence of a character’s actions or are intended to be seen behind the main narrative, but not the focal point of the text itself.

 

That said, it might actually be a good idea to consult online summaries, videos, and study guides of the text you chose. Of course, you should absolutely have read the text and have a decent grasp of its material, but this isn’t a test for school—you can (and should!) see how the moral themes are discussed by other readers. This will inform your argument that this text should be used in discussions among first year students.

 

Let’s look at good and bad example response excerpts to show you what you should do and what you should avoid doing in your essay.

 

 

Why this works: Connects text to contemporary issues, highlights multiple perspectives, shows personal engagement, and explains how it sparks real dialogue.

 

 

Why this doesn’t work: This is surface-level, sounds like a book report, and doesn’t show you as a thinker.

 

These are some common mistakes you’ll want to avoid making in your own response:

 

• Picking a text that’s too obvious (To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, etc.) without offering a unique angle.
• Summarizing the book instead of analyzing its moral questions.
• Writing like a book report instead of showing your intellectual curiosity.
• Forgetting to tie the text back to why it excites you and would benefit your peers.

 

 

This is something of a cross between the Impact on Community prompt archetype and the Political/Global Issues prompt archetype. It asks you to reflect on your understanding of intellectual and political diversity and why being part of a community that prioritizes these values excites you.

 

The admissions committee wants to see your perspective on intellectual and political diversity. What do these terms mean to you beyond a dictionary definition? How have you encountered them in your own life, and how do they shape your worldview?

 

Reflect on your engagement with differing viewpoints. Think of times you have sought them out, ways in which you have handled disagreements. Share why this matters to you personally. What experiences led you to care about this? How would your presence in the Lincoln Scholars Program enrich discussions and broaden the community?

 

This essay is not about proving you’re the most politically active person on campus—it’s about showing that you value open dialogue, understand the importance of multiple perspectives, and are eager to be part of a program that fosters that environment.

 

When brainstorming your essay, consider the following questions to guide your thinking:

 

• Have you ever been part of a group where people strongly disagreed but still respected each other? What did you learn?
• How do you define “intellectual diversity”? Is it exposure to different philosophies, ideologies, or even academic disciplines?
• When have you had your views challenged, and how did you respond?
• Why do you believe political and intellectual diversity are important for a college campus? For democracy? For your own growth?
• What specific issues, topics, or experiences have shaped your interest in diverse perspectives? (e.g., growing up in a politically divided family, attending a debate club, volunteering in a community with varying ideologies)
• How do you hope to grow from this program?

 

A strong essay will define the terms of the prompt personally. Don’t just say “intellectual diversity means hearing different perspectives.” Instead, show how you’ve seen this play out in your life. Tell a story! Share a concrete moment when you encountered intellectual or political diversity—maybe a classroom debate, a family discussion, or a community conflict and what you learned from it.

 

Show openness and humility by highlighting your willingness to listen, reconsider, or respectfully disagree. Also, connect personally to the program’s mission. Explain why you want to engage with peers who think differently and how you’ll contribute to that environment.

 

Finally, demonstrate growth and forward-thinking. Your essay should end with how this program will help you broaden your worldview and prepare you to be a more thoughtful leader, scholar, or citizen.

 

Here are some hypothetical student examples to show you how your essay might take shape:

 

• Maya, a debate team captain from Texas: Growing up in a politically conservative area, Maya often found herself in the minority viewpoint. She could write about learning to debate with respect by understanding where others are coming from, and about why she values an environment that doesn’t shy away from ideological differences.

 

• Jonah, a first-generation college student from a politically divided family: His mom is a union organizer and his dad is a small-business owner. Family dinners became heated but eye-opening, teaching Jonah that people’s political beliefs often stem from their lived experiences. He wants to explore these dynamics further through the Lincoln Scholars Program.

 

• Ananya, a STEM student interested in public policy: Coming from an international background, she noticed that U.S. politics often polarize people around issues that are approached differently abroad. She could write about how bringing in global perspectives enriches political diversity and why she wants to bridge her science interests with policy discussions.

 

Below are good and bad example response excerpts to give you an idea of what you should do and what you should avoid doing in your own writing.

 

 

Why this works: It tells a personal story, shows growth, and ties directly to the program’s mission without being preachy.

 

 

Why this falls flat: It’s generic, abstract, and could be written by anyone. It doesn’t give a personal story, nor does it show why the student specifically cares about this program.

 

These are common mistakes to avoid making in your own response.

 

• Being too abstract or generic: Don’t just say “diversity of thought is important because it broadens horizons.” Instead, show a vivid example.
• Preaching or moralizing: The goal is not to show that your political beliefs are superior. Instead, highlight curiosity and respect for others.
• Dodging the personal connection: This isn’t a political science essay. The committee wants to know what this goal means to you.
• Name-dropping generic program values: Don’t just repeat the prompt back at them (“The program interests me because it values diversity”). Show why those values resonate with your lived experiences.

 

 

This is a creative essay that doesn’t fit neatly into one archetype. It’s essentially an intellectual and personal identity prompt. The admissions committee is asking you to show your personality, interests, and intellectual curiosity through the media you consume.

 

The committee wants to learn your intellectual breadth and curiosity. Do you seek out different kinds of perspectives, genres, and mediums? What do your choices say about you as a thinker, creator, or community member? How do you engage with different types of media?

 

This prompt is not just about listing what you like; it’s more about why those works resonate with you. Since the prompt explicitly asks for a variety, don’t just pick five podcasts or five books—aim for a spread. This is a chance to show depth and surprise the reader with choices that reflect who you are.

 

Here are some questions to consider when brainstorming your essay:

 

• What book or text has had the deepest impact on how you think?
• What movie or piece of music do you return to when you need comfort, inspiration, or perspective?
• Do you follow a podcast, website, or magazine that connects with your academic or career interests?
• Do you enjoy a piece of art or media because it connects to your family, culture, or identity?
• Which piece of media would your friends say is “so you”?

 

A strong response will show good range. Choose a mix of genres (e.g., a novel, a film, a podcast, a magazine, a piece of music, etc.). Be personal. Don’t just say you like The New York Times because it keeps you “informed.” Instead, connect it to your habits, values, or growth.

 

Also, be sure to be specific. Explain why the pieces of media resonate with you, ideally tying it back to your interests or worldview. Avoid clichés—instead of overused examples (e.g., To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, or Hamilton, without a unique angle), pick something that genuinely reflects your identity, even if it’s unconventional.

 

Finally, a strong response will highlight intellectual engagement. At least a couple of your examples should show you grappling with ideas, not just enjoying entertainment.

 

One great way to think about this prompt is through the idea of a “capsule wardrobe.” In a capsule wardrobe, each piece of clothing is unique and works well on its own—you might have a graphic tee, a leather jacket, a button-up shirt, and a few pairs of jeans.

 

Even though each article of clothing has its own character, each also works toward your overall style—the entire wardrobe. Combining items into outfits can highlight different aspects of each item as well as similarities they share.

 

The same idea applies to the texts, movies, websites, and music in your list. Each item should be compelling on its own, but should also contribute to the wardrobe that is your intellectual style. A great list will have items that complement each other, like a belt that matches with a pair of shoes. Some more style tips:

 

1. ​​List items that build on each other. You want your list to have synergy. Just like wearing two matching items together can convey your sense of style, including two similar items in your list can display a sustained interest in a subject. For example, if you include both Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story in my list of films, you’re showing the admissions officer that you’re interested in exploring how the same story has been interpreted by different creatives from different times and places. Neither Romeo and Juliet nor West Side Story could demonstrate this idea alone—but when included together, the message is greater than just the sum of its parts!

 

2. Show multidimensionality. There’s something to be careful about. It’s possible to show sustained interest in a topic without indicating growth, and this is something you’ll want to avoid. For example, if your entire list consists of true-crime podcasts, it will look a bit one-dimensional and bland because each item effectively conveys the same message. Aim to list works that show your interest in the multiple angles of a topic. For example, listing the true-crime podcast Serial and Criminal Perspective as well as the journal Psychological Review and a blog on forensic psychology will add levels of intellectual nuance to your interest in the broad theme.

 

3. Don’t overdress. You might want to only include the most impressive, difficult, intellectual media you’ve consumed to show that you’re intelligent and academic, but too much of that will probably make you look like you’re exaggerating for the admissions committee. Instead of doing that, balance the weightier, deeper items with some more relaxed or jocular ones. Hawking’s A Brief History of Time and Einstein’s Relativity: The Special and General Theory are going to look less like you’re pandering if you include something like Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in your list. Balance the intellectual interests you wish to show off with some of your distinctive personality.

 

4. Don’t underdress. The opposite of the previous tip is also true. While throwing in some fun little books, movies, or music can add some dimension and personality to your list, they shouldn’t be the only things you include. You absolutely can (and should) include a sitcom or a non-academic novel on your media list, but make sure you don’t overfill the list with items of lesser substance. Also avoid including items that are too juvenile. Think smart casual clothing—you don’t need to wear a suit everywhere you go, but some places (like this supplemental essay) require a bit more than sweatpants and flip flops. Some nice jeans and a polo can be enough.

 

5. Recognizable brands can be effective. Mentioning a couple of notable pop culture items will increase your list’s relatability in the admissions officer’s eyes. And, psychologically speaking, similarities on paper can help you in non-personal interactions. Just make sure you pick something that is well received both critically and by the masses, like a Beatles album or the movie Parasite—something that you and your reader could have a robust intellectual debate about.

 

6. Moderation. If it’s not already clear by now, making a strong list is going to be a delicate task. You’re going to need to find the middle ground between casual and intellectual, specific and general, fiction and nonfiction, books and movies, etc. Don’t wait until the last minute to cobble together a list of random things just because this isn’t a fully fledged essay. Remember that you still need to explain and defend your choices. Devote as much time to this list as you do to your essays. The list reveals as much about you as an individual as a full essay does—be sure to treat it with the same respect.

 

Be honest! You may be asked about this list somewhere down the road during the admissions process. Don’t get caught off guard by what you’re passing off as your own list. Nothing is more embarrassing and detrimental during this process than not having a clue about something you purport to have read/seen.

 

These are some common mistakes that you’ll want to avoid making in your response.

 

• Listing without depth: Just naming titles without meaningful reasons won’t impress.
• Repetition of genre: Five novels, five movies, or five podcasts won’t show breadth.
• Trying too hard to look impressive: Don’t choose media you don’t actually consume. If you write about War and Peace but have only skimmed it, your reasoning will fall flat.
• Being too generic: “I like NPR because it’s informative” is not enough. Instead: “NPR’s Planet Money taught me to connect economic theory to everyday choices, like how my school cafeteria sets lunch prices.”

 

 

This is a “Why This College” / “Why This Program” essay archetype, but with a very specific twist: it’s about demonstrating a clear intellectual and personal commitment to global issues, Japan/East Asia, and international relations.

 

The admissions committee wants to see your motivation for this program. Why does this particular program appeal to you more than other IR or global studies programs? Reflect on your goals, both personal (cultural growth, worldview, identity exploration) and professional (career plans, skills you want to develop).

 

Reflect on your preparation steps. What experiences have already sparked your interest in Japan/East Asia and international relations? Your fit with the program. How will the structure (language study, dual-country experience, capstone) specifically help you achieve your goals? This isn’t just “Why IR?”—it’s “Why this program, in this format, at these two universities?”

 

Consider these questions when you brainstorm your essay:

 

• What first drew you to Japan, East Asia, or global issues? Was it a class, a trip, family background, history, anime, economics, or politics?
• How have you already engaged with these interests? Have you taken a Japanese language course, participated in Model UN, studied Asian history, read policy analysis, or connected with Japanese culture in your community?
• Why do you want a binational education rather than just studying abroad briefly?
• What are your long-term goals—diplomacy, NGOs, academia, trade, cultural exchange, policy-making, something else?
• How might the capstone project connect to a big question you care about? (e.g., security in the Pacific, U.S.-Japan climate cooperation, cultural diplomacy, economic ties)
• How will bilingual and bicultural training uniquely prepare you to contribute to international relations?

 

A strong essay will show authentic passion for Japan and East Asia. This shouldn’t sound like you picked the program at random. Tell a personal story. Instead of just saying “I want to be a diplomat,” explain how an experience (e.g., navigating cross-cultural differences, studying WWII history, or attending a Japanese cultural festival) ignited your curiosity.

 

Be sure to balance your personal and professional goals. Admissions wants to see both intellectual curiosity and concrete career direction. Highlight how the program is a good fit. Explicitly connect pieces of the Sakura Scholars Program (language requirement, U.S.-Japan dual study, capstone) to your goals.

 

Lastly, think long-term! Show how this degree is not just four years of college, but a launchpad for a bigger vision for your career and life.

 

Take a look at some hypothetical student examples to see ways in which this essay could take shape:

 

• Naomi, child of a U.S. Navy officer stationed in Okinawa: Growing up, she attended international schools and witnessed tensions and collaborations between American and Japanese communities. She wants to study cross-cultural diplomacy and eventually work in U.S.-Japan security policy. The Sakura Program’s binational structure mirrors her identity and career goals.

 

• Daniel, Model UN enthusiast and aspiring climate negotiator: After researching Japan’s role in the Paris Agreement, he became fascinated by how Pacific nations collaborate on climate change. He wants to use the Sakura Program to study Japanese energy policy, complete a capstone on renewable technologies, and prepare for a career in international environmental law.

 

• Aiko, Japanese-American student reconnecting with heritage: She grew up hearing her grandmother’s stories about postwar Japan but never learned the language. She hopes the program will help her gain fluency, study East Asian history from a Japanese perspective, and eventually work in cultural diplomacy.

 

Here are good and bad example response excerpts to show you what you should and shouldn’t do in your own response:

 

 

Why this works: It’s specific, personal, and ties concrete program features (dual study, capstone) to long-term goals.

 

 

Why this falls flat: It’s generic, vague, and could be copied into almost any IR program’s application. There’s no personal story or meaningful connection to Japan/East Asia.

 

These are common mistakes you should try to avoid making in your own response:

 

• Being too generic: “I’m interested in international relations and studying abroad sounds exciting” isn’t enough. Be specific about Japan and East Asia.
• Listing features without connection: Don’t just repeat “the program offers dual study and a capstone.” Show how those elements uniquely fit your ambitions.
• Making it only about career: Professional goals matter, but admissions also wants to see your personal curiosity and excitement.
• Clichés about cultural exchange: Saying “I want to build bridges between East and West” without concrete personal context makes your essay sound like everyone else’s.

 

 

This prompt is a very standard example of the Overcoming Challenges essay. You’re being asked about a challenge you faced as well as the lessons you learned from it. These questions are to give the admissions committee an idea of how you handle moments of adversity or surprise, and how you learn from adverse or unexpected experiences.

 

Before you begin writing, you should plan out your topic as thoroughly as you can so that the writing process can move smoothly. When trying to decide on a topic, think about any major challenges you’ve faced in life. Also consider any unexpected life events that may have turned out to be formative experiences. The prompt specifies that challenges and unexpected situations are both fair game, so don’t feel restricted to thinking only of negative experiences.

 

Once you’ve thought about possible experiences you could write about, create a list of the challenges that came to mind and a separate list of unexpected situations. For each list, ask yourself which experiences taught you the most important or influential lessons about yourself or the world.

 

Finally, after deciding on the best experience to talk about in this essay, ask yourself the following questions about it:

 

• What happened?
• In the moment, what was your reaction to the situation? How did it affect you, your thoughts, and your emotions? How have these emotions changed over time?
• Why was this experience so important to you? What is its personal significance?
• Consider the steps you took to manage the situation. Were they successful? Why or why not?
• Reflecting on the outcome of the event, how did the experience allow you to grow and mature as an individual? What did you learn from the success or failure of your approach? What lessons did you learn, both broadly and specifically?
• How did the experience prepare you to face occurrences like it in the future? How has it equipped you to adapt to different intercultural situations?

 

Once you’ve chosen a topic and answered these questions, writing the essay shouldn’t be so daunting.

 

Maybe you don’t have a clear answer for every question above. That’s fine, but be sure that you can do at least three things to effectively respond to the prompt:

 

• Describe the event/experience.
• Explain the most important lessons you learned from the experience.
• Detail the ways in which these lessons have improved your ability to adapt to different potential intercultural situations and your capacity to be a strong Sakura Scholar.

 

With regard to structuring your essay, you may find it helpful to frame it with a narrative format. After all, part of your response requires an explanation of the experience, which would benefit from an anecdote.

 

Here’s an outline to help you organize your writing:

 

• If you choose to use a narrative format, begin with an anecdote—a vivid and evocative retelling of the event to draw your reader in.
• After introducing the topic through an anecdote, describe yourself (your attitudes, beliefs, motivations, etc.) prior to the event that you learned from.
• State specifically how the experience was a turning point for you. How did your life change? What did you learn about yourself, others, and/or the world? The lesson should ideally reflect the way you now embrace challenges or unanticipated occurrences, and the ways in which you’re better equipped to tackle intercultural issues.
• If storytelling is one of your strong suits, you might choose to rearrange the order in which you describe events. For example, you might start with a summary of who you are now and how you’re able to approach intercultural situations, then transition to a discussion of who you were before the experience, then discuss the experience and how it affected you.

 

A hypothetical student might write about an experience related to his multiracial background. Perhaps the student felt like he had to deny both of his ethnic backgrounds to fit in with the American teens around him at school. He began to embrace his identity and eventually overcame his fear of being judged. He learned that innocent childhood ignorance was not a reason to detract from his own identity, a lesson that will help him later on because he has spent years confronting issues of identity in a multicultural context.

 

This example would be effective because it explicitly outlines the challenge the student had to confront, his response to adversity, what he learned about himself from overcoming the challenge, and how it has prepared him to undertake life as a Sakura Scholar in this multicultural program.

 

Here are some common mistakes you should try to avoid making in your own response:

 

• Picking a clichéd challenge without a fresh angle: For example, don’t just say “I broke my leg playing soccer, but I worked hard and came back stronger,” unless you can tie it uniquely to intercultural adaptability, this won’t stand out.
• Spending too much time on the problem and not enough on reflection: If 400 words describe the challenge and only 100 describe the lessons, the essay falls flat.
• Generic connections to Sakura Scholars: Avoid vague lines like “this will help me work through challenges at AU and Ritsumeikan.” Instead, specify: “When I couldn’t understand rapid-fire announcements in French, I learned to embrace humility and persistence—habits I know I’ll need when I encounter kanji-heavy texts at Ritsumeikan.”
• Sounding like you already know everything: Humility is key—the essay should show that you’re prepared to learn and grow.

 

A Note About the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship Prompts

 

The following five prompts are all required for applicants to the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship. This scholarship covers all billable AU expenses (full tuition, room, and board) for one international student who will need a non-immigrant visa (preferably an F-1 or J-1 student visa) to study in the United States.

 

Since the scholarship is only being offered to international student applicants, you can disregard the next five prompts if you’re a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, U.S. pending permanent resident, or dual citizen of the U.S. and another country.

 

You are also not eligible to apply if you’re enrolled in or have already begun any post-secondary studies at another university in your home country or the U.S., or if you graduated secondary school earlier than 2023.

 

 

This prompt is intended to help you reveal a few important things about yourself—your ability to find significant civic and social issues around you, the types of problems that are important and interesting to you, your critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and your plans for using your college education to its full potential after graduation.

 

This prompt is a bit like the common community service prompt, albeit in the future tense. It’s different in that rather than describing how you helped solve an issue in the past, you’re tasked with writing about how you foresee yourself in the future contributing to the solution to a problem.

 

Before you begin writing, think about the issues that truly bother you in your home country. Since you’re just brainstorming a list right now, these problems can be big or small. To have an essay that stands out, however, you should ultimately pick something substantial when you begin writing.

 

Your problem doesn’t have to be within any specific domain as long as you can envision civic and social change being integral to the problem’s resolution. As you think, consider social, economic, political, governmental, environmental, war-related, and public health issues.

 

The prompt isn’t asking you to write a whole textbook on the issue, but be sure that you research it well enough to describe its important points at the very least. You need to write a description of the problem, as well as some ways in which your American University education will help you tackle the problem back in your home country.

 

That being said, you should have a good understanding of what the problem entails. You might want to pick an issue in which you have some personal investment so you can add a nuanced perspective to your essay.

 

You only have 250 words to address every part of the prompt, so be succinct and direct in your explanation of the issue. Don’t only talk about the basic facts, though. Be sure to also touch on why the problem is important to you. Be careful not to let bias direct how you report the facts. Try to strike a balance between straightforward reportage and personal interest.

 

For example, consider a hypothetical student from Ethiopia, a country still facing the effects of a yearslong civil conflict. Perhaps he has noticed that the problem primarily stems from a lack of communication between the government and the rebelling military faction. He might write a response like this:

 

 

This is an effective response. First, it provides a fairly detailed outline of an issue in the student’s home country. Second, it describes why the issue is such an important problem and why it’s so hard to solve. And finally, it discusses how a degree from AU can help the student contribute to awareness of the issue and attempts to resolve it.

 

You will craft a strong essay if you can address three things:

 

1. What – Define the issue thoroughly but concisely.
2. Why – Describe why the issue is important to you and to the people it directly affects.
3. How – Detail how your AU education will prepare you to contribute to efforts to resolve the issue.

 

 

This is a prime example of the community service essay. Schools that use this prompt want to know about your level of engagement with the people and environment around you. The Emerging Global Leader Scholarship—a program that emphasizes “leadership development and global engagement”—is especially interested in your impact on your community.

 

Be sure to check out CollegeVine’s guide to writing the community service essay for some in-depth tips and examples!

 

Brainstorming Your Essay

 

Since you only have 250 words, you won’t be able to write about many activities. In fact, we recommend sticking to 1-2 really meaningful and long-term projects. These are the projects that tend to show a genuine commitment to community service. If you only have short-term projects to write about, then you can mention 2-3 in your response.

 

When picking a topic, try to think about any projects you do that might be less common. For example, painting murals on old buildings to brighten up the neighborhood is less common than volunteering at a food drive or soup kitchen. There’s nothing wrong with writing about a more common volunteering experience in this essay, but if you have a unique project to write about, it may make your essay more engaging.

 

If you deem all your volunteering activities and community service projects fairly commonplace, try to choose the ones that are more meaningful to you. If you feel more connected to one particular experience over the others, your writing about it will be more passionate and vivid.

 

Tips for Writing Your Essay

 

Once you’ve decided on an activity (or a few), think about these questions:

 

• What happened during the activity?
• What went through your mind and how did you feel as this was happening?
• How have your emotions regarding the activity changed over time?

 

With your activity and motivations in mind, think about how you want to structure your essay. If you’re writing about a singular experience, consider taking a narrative approach. An essay that simply lists facts lacks important emotion. Tell about your experience with vivid imagery—show, don’t tell. This is a good way to draw your reader into the experience.

 

For example, perhaps you speak Spanish and do volunteer work where you serve as a translator. Maybe you have seen firsthand the impact that speaking someone’s native language can have. Lessons this experience might have taught you about yourself can include the following:

 

• Your ability to switch between two languages is better than you thought.
• You can take on a leadership role even under the pressure of needing to speak a second language.
• You have more patience than you thought you did.
• You’re really good at working with the elderly, and you didn’t know that before.

 

As you can see, there are plenty of lessons you can glean from even one volunteering experience. These might include skills, abilities, personal attributes, or something else entirely.

 

Mistakes to Avoid

 

This shouldn’t be a difficult essay to write, but you should note that there are three particular things to avoid:

 

• Listing out everything that happened: You have 250 words to work with. While this is ample space, you should use it wisely. This isn’t a play-by-play, so stick to the most important details. Your essay should focus more on the lessons you learned.
• Using a privileged tone: You’ll want to maintain a balanced, humble tone. Looking entitled or pretentious is not going to help your application in the least. Show how the experience is important to you without painting yourself as some kind of savior.
• Clichés: You might think it’s a good idea to quote a famous person or to use a trite, old life lesson, but we actually recommend avoiding these strategies. Admissions officers have seen them hundreds of times, so they won’t contribute much to your application.

 

When you write your response, be genuine about your motivations, honest about your impact on the local community, and specific in your descriptions of activities. Doing all those things will ensure a strong essay.

 

 

This is a prime example of the classic Overcoming Challenges prompt archetype. While any college essay can be intimidating, the Overcoming Challenges prompt often worries students the most.

 

Those students who’ve been lucky enough not to experience trauma tend to assume they have nothing worth saying. On the other hand, students who’ve overcome larger obstacles may be hesitant to talk about them. Regardless of your particular circumstances, there are steps you can take to make the essay writing process simpler.

 

The goal of this essay is to show admissions officers that you have the intelligence and fortitude to handle any challenges that come your way. After all, college serves as an introduction to adult life, and schools want to know that the students they admit are up to the task.

 

When it comes to finding the best topic for your overcoming challenges essays, there’s no right answer. The word “challenge” is ambiguous and could be used to reference a wide range of situations—from prevailing over a bully to getting over your lifelong stage fright to appear in a school musical. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when selecting an essay subject.

 

Be sure to avoid trivial or common topics. While there aren’t many hard-and-fast rules for choosing an essay topic, students should avoid overdone topics. These include:

 

• Working hard in a challenging class
• Overcoming a sports injury
• Moving schools or immigrating to the U.S.
• Tragedy (divorce, death, abuse)

 

Admissions officers have read numerous essays on the subject, so it’s harder for you to stand out (see our full list of cliché college essay topics to avoid). If events like these were truly formative to you, you can still choose to write about them, but you’ll need to be as personal as possible.

 

It’s also ideal if you have a less traditional storyline for a clichéd topic; for example, if your sports injury led you to discover a new passion, that would be a more unique story than detailing how you overcame your injury and got back in the game.

 

Pick challenges that demonstrate qualities you want to highlight. Students often mistakenly assume they need to have experienced exceptional circumstances—like poverty, an abusive parent, or cancer—to write a good essay. The truth is that the best topics will allow you to highlight specific personal qualities and share more about who you are. The essay should be less about the challenge itself, and more about how you responded to it.

 

Ask yourself what personality traits you want to emphasize, and see what’s missing in your application. Maybe you want to highlight your adaptability, for example, but that isn’t clearly expressed in your application. In this case, you might write about a challenge that put your adaptability to the test, or shaped you to become more adaptable.

 

Here are some examples of good topics we’ve seen over the years:

 

• Not having a coach for a sports team and becoming one yourself
• Helping a parent through a serious health issue
• Trying to get the school track dedicated to a coach
• Having to switch your Model UN position last-minute

 

Once you’ve selected a topic for your essay, it’s time to sit down and write. For best results, make sure your essay focuses on your efforts to tackle an obstacle rather than the problem itself. Additionally, you could avoid essay writing pitfalls by doing the following:

 

If you want your overcoming challenges essay to attract attention, aim to break away from more traditional structures. Most of these essays start by describing an unsuccessful attempt at a goal and then explain the steps the writer took to master the challenge.

 

You can stand out by choosing a challenge you’re still working on overcoming, or focus on a mental or emotional challenge that spans multiple activities or events. For example, you might discuss your fear of public speaking and how that impacted your ability to coach your brother’s Little League team and run for Student Council. 

 

You can also choose a challenge that can be narrated in the moment, such as being put on the spot to teach a yoga class. These challenges can make particularly engaging essays, as you get to experience the writer’s thoughts and emotions as they unfold.

 

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to have succeeded in your goal for this essay. Maybe you ran for an election and lost, or maybe you proposed a measure to the school board that wasn’t passed. It’s still possible to write a strong essay about topics like these as long as you focus on your personal growth. In fact, these may make for even stronger essays since they are more unconventional topics.

 

An Overcoming Challenges essay should leave the reader with a clear understanding of what you learned on your journey, be it physical, mental, or emotional. There’s no need to explicitly say “this experience taught me X,” but your essay should at least implicitly share any lessons you learned. This can be done through your actions and in-the-moment reflections. Remember that the goal is to show admissions committees why your experiences make you a great candidate for admission.

 

 

This prompt tasks you with highlighting how you envision yourself connecting with new and prospective students who may also be international students. While it may seem daunting to have to think ahead to welcoming and guiding others to a University you yourself are currently applying to, the answer is really based more on your experience than you may think.

 

Think about how your application process has felt so far. Applying to a school in a country different from your own may have been an overwhelming process, and it’s perfectly all right to write about that feeling—in fact, it may even guide your answer.

 

Imagine you were in contact with an AU Diplomat or a current Emerging Global Leader scholar. What questions would you ask now or would you have asked in the past? Doing some role-reversal will help you imagine the kind of Emerging Global Leader Scholar you can be to help new and prospective students like yourself.

 

Additionally, reflect on what you wish you knew prior to the application process. How did you find American University? Did anything or anyone help you along the way? How did you engage with American University prior to applying? And eventually, what advice would you give to a younger student who will soon be in your shoes?

 

For example, perhaps you live halfway across the world, and had trouble attending virtual information events at many schools because of the time difference. Maybe American University offered some information sessions specific to your country or region of the world—how did that make you feel more connected to the school? Maybe you want to volunteer for these events to give more prospective students the opportunity to learn about the school, and maybe even reach areas that haven’t yet been reached.

 

Your strategies will come from your personal experiences, so be open and honest about your past and present—even though your own future may still be undetermined.

 

 

There are two main approaches you can use to navigate this prompt. You can certainly begin by brainstorming a list of leadership qualities you find most important and then find a leader you admire, but it may actually be wise to work backwards and reverse-engineer your answer—essentially, choose a leader you admire first and then identify the qualities that make them a great leader. Choosing someone you already admire may make your response more sincere and detailed.

 

There are no real wrong answers to this prompt, which also means that the more specific and unique you can get, the better. It is, however, best to avoid leaders who would be generally named immediately. For example, you would not want to pick a figure like the current President of the United States, other former Presidents, or other well-renowned world leaders, as they will likely be a common answer to this question.

 

Instead, think about whether your home country has any leaders—political, social, environmental, etc.—that would make for a strong response. Remember, this answer isn’t just about proving why your choice is a strong leader; it’s about showing the admissions committee your perception of what makes for great leadership.

 

After you’ve selected a leader, analyze the characteristics of that leader that resonate with people. Are they a great public speaker? Have they managed to unify a wide populace of differing perspectives? What is their public image? What impresses you most about their accomplishments?

 

These questions can help you identify how your chosen leader reflects your perspectives on great leadership as a whole, and will allow you to craft an answer around your thesis, rather than the other way around.

 

 

In this prompt, you’re asked to give your opinion on the greatest challenge facing humanity today. This sounds like a very tall order, but don’t worry; it’s an opinion question, so any reasonable challenge you choose will be fine.

 

Admissions committees want to see specifics, so we often recommend not identifying too broad a problem. In the brainstorming stage, however, you can think as broadly as you’d like. Global poverty, world hunger, illiteracy in developing countries, human rights abuses—each of these things can be an effective starting point.

 

Thinking about your identity and values might help you determine which issues are most important to you. Aspects of your identity include many factors—including your ethnicity, race, country of origin, language, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, hometown, income class, socioeconomic status, illnesses/disabilities, and even interests and activities!

 

Consider these different aspects of your background and list broad world issues that may have an impact on some part of your identity. For example, you might be Ukrainian and have family members directly affected by the current war. In this case, your ethnic background may compel you to write about geopolitical conflicts or human rights issues.

 

Be sure to narrow your topic to something specific once you begin writing. Even though the prompt asks what you think is “the greatest challenge facing humanity today,” you should be prepared to discuss concrete examples of that challenge.

 

For instance, if you want to write about world hunger, try to also describe particular situations and specific problems related to that broader issue—some things you might want to examine in such an essay can include widespread food and water shortages in Venezuela as a result of governmental policies, hunger in Haiti due to food insecurity and currency inflation, and the impending famine in Sudan as a result of internal conflicts.

 

The aforementioned examples can add a great deal of nuance to your essay for a couple of reasons. First, citing specific instances of your chosen challenge goes beyond simply stating that your challenge exists—it creates tangible reasons to be concerned about the issue. Second, having a few concrete examples demonstrates that you are informed and knowledgeable about the issue.

 

Once you have decided on a global challenge and have thought of a few examples to support your point, reflect on how you might be able to contribute to a solution to this problem. This program is offered by the School of International Service, so you will be pursuing a degree in International Studies.

 

You might already have some ideas about how you wish to help solve your chosen problem, but your essay will be even better if you can connect your goals to the school and degree. Read up on the BA in International Studies and the Global Scholars Program to inspire your writing!

 

There really is no wrong way to envision yourself as part of the solution. Consider the following hypothetical students to see how contributions can vary:

 

• A student who’s passionate about the environment might say that climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity, and might describe how it has devastated different communities around the world, including his small coastal town, which has experienced worsening floods. He might hope to major in International Studies to eventually work in the United Nations and be a part of climate change conferences and agreements.

 

• A student who wants to be a doctor might say that lack of access to good, inexpensive healthcare is the greatest global challenge. She could describe how the U.S. healthcare system fails many low-income people, and how poorer countries lack the infrastructure and resources to treat easily treatable illnesses. She hopes to go to medical school then join Doctors Without Borders to help those in conflict zones and those facing disasters get the treatment they need.

 

This prompt is meant to gauge which global issues you deem important and how you intend to use your college education and degree to contribute to ongoing efforts to solve these issues. You’ll have a strong essay as long as you’re sincere and write about a problem you’re personally invested in.

 

 

This prompt asks you to describe a time in your life when you faced a challenge that required you to put in an unprecedented amount of time and effort. What you choose to write about doesn’t have to be a singular experience; a situation in this context can be something much larger.

 

You can choose to describe any experience—academic, personal, extracurricular, and so forth—in your answer. Like most other prompts, the key will be in how you relate your chosen situation not only to your personality, but to the Global Scholars program at large.

 

Think first about your identity and your environment—are there any distinguishable experiences in which you have always felt that you’ve had an uphill battle or unfair disadvantage? Think about periods of your life in which you may have had to undergo a major transition or change.

 

Regardless of the situation you choose, remember that the best answers come out of asking yourself questions. This applies equally to a situation you may describe that does not involve your identity or environment—you can also approach this prompt by thinking about any life-altering events that forced you to pivot or make a change.

 

For example, maybe COVID-19 left one or both of your parents unemployed, and you had to pick up a job on top of your schoolwork. While you may have expected to be able to handle the part-time job, perhaps you saw your schoolwork and relationships begin to slip through the cracks and you were forced to really reevaluate your time management skills.

 

You may end up writing about an experience that is similar to that of other applicants, so it’s how you relate it to yourself and to your environment that will make you stand out from the crowd. Make sure you continue to emphasize your emotions and honesty throughout your answer, and try to relate your chosen experience back to the Global Scholars program at large.

 

You can conclude by writing about how you hope to apply what you learned from your life experiences to your participation in the Global Scholars program—how you hope to apply your newfound understanding of various financial or personal circumstances to learning about various cultural and global circumstances.

 

 

This is essentially a “Why This College?” prompt, but applied to a special program rather than AU as a whole. Moreover, in addition to describing how the program is a good fit for you, you’re tasked with describing how you’re a good fit for the program.

 

Brainstorming Your Essay

 

A recommended strategy for prompts like this is to establish a connection to the program. Two kinds of connection you might try to establish are a tangible connection and an intangible one.

 

A tangible connection can be made by identifying specific program offerings that resonate with you personally. To find such resources, you should do some in-depth research on the program. A good place to start is the PPL Scholars website. There you’ll find the course of study, the applicable majors, information about the living learning community, and more.

 

You might write about things like the campus culture, specific classes or academic opportunities, particular professors, etc. Given the rather low word limit, try to stick to academic features, as others might come off as less important.

 

An intangible connection can be made by discussing how your personal values align with those of the program. The PPL program emphasizes “the principles, practices, and institutions of politics and law from quantitative and qualitative, philosophical, and social science perspectives.”

 

If your personal values deeply resonate with the ideas of practicing law, government, public policy, criminal justice, or a similar field, you might wish to discuss how those values will be supported and informed by those of the program. Be sure to take a look at the PPL Scholars FAQ webpage to get a little more insight into the program.

 

Tips for Writing Your Essay

 

Since you only have 250 words to work with, it would be a good idea to choose either a tangible connection or intangible one to discuss, rather than both. Remember, you need to save some space to discuss how you’re a good fit for the program.

 

Also note that it’s okay if you can’t develop a really strong intangible connection to the program—that is usually the harder kind of connection to write about. A strong tangible connection and a good explanation of how you’re a good fit for the PPL Scholars Program will make for a good response.

 

For example, consider a hypothetical student whose mother is a lawyer and whose father is a police officer. She might feel deeply connected to issues of justice and reform through the stories her parents tell her. She might write a response that begins like this:

 

 

This excerpt is an excellent start to this prompt because it explains the unique features of the students past that equip her with the skills needed to succeed in the PPL Scholars Program. Note that this blurb is only half the word limit, which should give you some perspective on how much detail you might go into.

 

Mistakes to Avoid

 

With prompts like this one, there are three things you will want to avoid doing in your response. These include the following:

 

• Name-dropping: It looks superficial and insincere to simply name certain courses or professors without elaborating on the ways in which these resources are meaningful or useful to you.
• Empty flattery: Don’t waste your word count talking about the prestige of the program or the university. There’s nothing wrong with being nice, but overdoing that in a prompt with a word limit might lead to you writing an essay that doesn’t answer the question.
• Naming general resources that are applicable to many schools: Don’t base your essay on things like good class sizes, strong political science courses, a nice location, etc.—these things apply to many schools and programs, and don’t showcase a personal connection to this particular program.

 

 

This prompt asks you to elaborate on a team-based problem-solving experience that will give the admissions reader insight into how you will fit in with the PPL program at large. As an intensive program, PPL requires all students to be a part of their Living Learning Community, meaning that you’ll be working alongside fellow PPL students both in and outside of the classroom. As such, the admissions committee wants to ensure that you’re able to support a larger community of like-minded (or even sometimes diversely minded) students.

 

First, think back over your time in high school and try to identify any large-scale projects that you were involved in with a group. At the same time, keep in mind that this response should not just be more explanation of something that may already appear on your application. When selecting what to write about, try to fill in the gaps your application has.

 

For instance, perhaps you were on the Executive Board of Model UN, and hope to share an experience about how you organized a conference hosted at your high school. While that’s definitely a valid experience, this answer should be less about the what and more about the how.

 

How did that conference come together? How did you delegate responsibilities among your peers and which responsibilities did you take on? What challenges or obstacles did you face as a team and how did you overcome them together? Did you have to work through any conflicts when working with one another?

 

In order to brainstorm how you wish to close out your response, remember that the PPL program will require you to live and learn alongside your peers—make sure your answer emphasizes that you were able to come together as a group to tackle a complicated problem, and ultimately come out not just successful, but as a closer group overall.

 

Here’s an example response to show you how a student might approach this prompt:

 

This example works because it tells a vivid, specific story that shows the writer’s concrete actions—listening, reframing debate, and drafting a hybrid plan—rather than just claiming they value teamwork. It also ties the lesson directly to the PPL program, showing how the student’s consensus-building skills will translate into contributions to the cohort.

 

Ultimately, reflect not only on your accomplishments with whichever experience you choose, but also on the failures, conflicts, and honest strategies you chose to employ to keep the ship afloat. The next step will be highlighting the crucial lessons that the experience taught you, and how you hope to apply those lessons to your time in the PPL program.

 

 

This prompt is less of a by-the-books response and more of an exercise, asking you to not only identify a major issue facing the country but also persuading a hypothetical elected official to pay attention to it and also brainstorm a possible solution.

 

The purpose of this prompt is to get a sense of your level of political engagement, as well as to give you a chance to attempt your first case study, which will serve as a gateway to the PPL program at large. This essay will require thorough research and deliberation, but, at its core, it’s just an expanded version of a typical Political/Global Issues prompt.

 

First, decide the scale of your chosen issue. Trying to brainstorm a list of possible issues to focus on will end up generating a laundry list of options, and might exhaust your brain before you even begin writing your response. Something that may help guide you is remembering that you should have a unique perspective on your chosen issue.

 

For example, you wouldn’t want to write your response about something general like the dangers of climate change if you genuinely don’t have anything to add to the conversation—the point is not to reiterate discourse that is already out there, but rather to think creatively and critically about the world and the ways in which your unique perspective can be valuable in trying to solve your chosen issue.

 

Therefore, it may be more useful to start small and then expand outwards. Look at your environment—what issues impact your community, your state, or your region? Looking again at the issue of climate change, perhaps you come from a state where fracking is not only legal, but still actively occurs. Perhaps your own family or a family you know has ties to the fracking business, and you feel as though current legislation and efforts to outlaw fracking stall because of pushback from these communities.

 

Tie your belief to your perspective—you may believe that fracking should be illegal, and your perspective can guide you in persuading an elected official to provide various incentives to those who rely on fracking for their livelihoods. As such, starting small will make your answer more specific and unique while still tackling a national issue like climate change.

 

If you don’t feel as though your environment has given you a distinct perspective on a current event, do some research on what issues have most recently surfaced in the country. For example, recent months have called attention to a migrant crisis that the United States is facing and how resources for these migrants are quickly diminishing.

 

Regarding this example, perhaps you are very active in community service and volunteering—how can you use that interest to frame your answer? Your proposed solution can involve rallying young people to volunteer and provide support to these migrant communities, while also trying to work with the opposing party to reach a solution.

 

Remember, your answer still needs an official policy proposal, so perhaps your proposed solution can immediately provide temporary shelter and resources for migrants while also opening the door to a firmer long-term solution. Your proposed solution doesn’t have to completely close the door on an issue, but it should showcase your understanding of the political process.

 

 

Through this prompt, the admissions committee wants to see how you’ve developed your passion for public health, what your specific interests are within the field, and why you’re ready to succeed in this challenging, accelerated program. Your response should incorporate both past experiences and descriptions of your future plans, and explain why you’re prepared to put those plans into action at American.

 

For the qualifications side of things, note that the prompt specifically asks you to incorporate both academic and extracurricular experiences. Talking about a school project you did that was focused on public health is a good starting point, but describing how you’ve sought out additional knowledge within the field on your own time will take your response to the next level, by demonstrating your self-motivation.

 

At the same time, you don’t want to spread yourself too thin. 500 words is on the longer side for a supplement, but you still probably want to stick to 3-4 experiences—more than that, and the essay will start to feel cramped and rushed. You want to have enough space to use anecdotes to anchor your statements and paint a vivid picture of yourself as a public health fanatic.

 

One last thing to avoid is being overambitious. Aim high—but note that aiming too high can make you come across as naive, rather than realistic about what progress in this field is possible and about the role you see yourself having in advancing it.

 

For example, rather than saying you want to cure cancer, talk about how you want to spread awareness among young people of when you should have your first cancer screening, so that people get more proactive about scheduling their appointments.

 

Here are some additional examples of hypothetical topics:

 

• A student who has volunteered with Planned Parenthood in their rural community—specifically leading workshops designed to educate high school girls and prevent teen pregnancy—could write about their long-term goal of working with schools to incorporate more discussion of women’s health into history and science curricula, so that students get a more comprehensive understanding of the hardships women specifically face. This student can express that through this program, they hope to learn about how to develop such partnerships.

 

• A student who has been involved in initiatives to promote healthy eating in their neighborhood, including organizing food drives and creating a community garden could write about how they grew up gardening in the backyard, and missed this outlet when their family moved to a more urban area. This student hopes to use this program to develop additional strategies to address food deserts and malnutrition.

 

Your own experiences may be completely different, but hopefully these examples provide a jumping off point for brainstorming. Whatever your topic may be, make sure you clearly explain where your passion comes from, citing both academic and extracurricular involvements, and where you see yourself taking this passion at American, and maybe even beyond.

 

 

This is a version of the Diversity prompt archetype, which means that the admissions committee wants to know how your experiences, identity, and/or worldview will enrich the program. You’ll want to consider the distinct qualities, background, or insights you bring to the table, and how they fit with the program’s collaborative learning environment.

 

As you brainstorm, the first thing to remember is that diversity can mean a lot of different things. Features like race, gender, or sexuality probably come to mind first, but diversity can mean other things, too. Here are some other things diversity can look like:

 

• An unusual extracurricular, hobby, or activity that has had a meaningful impact on your life.
• A religious tradition, spiritual belief, code of values, or personal ethics that guide your life.
• A community that you’re a part of that centers on something besides identity, like a shared passion, life experience, or future goal.

 

Basically, diversity can be any aspect of your identity that is truly meaningful to you, and that will help admissions officers understand who you are and how you’d fit into this program.

 

One thing you do want to keep in mind is that the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in June 2023, which means that American University is unable to directly consider racial identity in their admissions decisions. However, the school can factor in race or ethnicity as part of the broader fabric of who a student is, namely through the essay. So, if your racial or ethnic identity is important to you, you may want to highlight that here, as admissions officers will otherwise have no way of acknowledging it.

 

In terms of actually writing the essay, first, as always, you’ll want your essay to be personal and specific–something only you could write. Vivid descriptions of actual experiences you’ve had will be much more effective than simply speaking generally about something. You’ll also want to show off your capacity for deep reflection, by connecting the diverse features of your identity to your interest in this program.

 

You’ll also want to avoid some common pitfalls. The main thing that distinguishes this prompt from other “diversity” prompts is the connection to public health, and this program in particular. Failing to explain how your background will benefit the group will make for an incomplete answer to this prompt.

 

Consider the following example:

 

 

This great essay starts with a clear description of a key aspect of the student’s background, then seamlessly connects that aspect to a friend they made who taught them about the importance of accessibility. Throughout, the writer uses a range of anecdotes to ground their points, and reflects on those experiences in depth, showcasing their maturity and thoughtfulness.

 

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