How to Write the Olin College of Engineering Essays 2025-2026
The Olin College of Engineering has two essays for the 2025-2026 application cycle. There is a required essay that asks about how you will use engineering to make an impact. There is also an optional essay where you can share any additional information with the admissions committee.
Keep reading to find out how to write Olin College of Eningeering’s essays.
Olin College of Engineering Supplemental Essay Prompts
Prompt 1: Olin is a community striving to change the world and positively impact people’s lives through engineering education. How does Olin’s mission align with your own values? How do you hope to use your engineering education to change the world? (250-500 words)
Prompt 2 (optional): Think about all the things we will learn about you throughout your application to Olin, from your application materials and recommendations, and through your own words in your other essays. Is there anything missing? If there is, you may share a specific story that tells us something about you that we don’t yet know. If not, don’t worry: this question is optional. (250 words)
Prompt 1
Olin is a community striving to change the world and positively impact people’s lives through engineering education. How does Olin’s mission align with your own values? How do you hope to use your engineering education to change the world? (250-500 words)
This prompt is a “Why This Major” and “Impact on Community” essay hybrid. You’re being asked to reflect on both your values and your goals. Olin wants to see how their mission and culture align with your vision for the future, both personally and professionally. You’ll need to connect your values and aspirations to Olin’s mission of using engineering to create positive change.
At its core, this essay is about synergy: How do your values, the goals you want to achieve, and Olin’s mission all fit together?
Start by considering your values. What drives you to make a difference? Perhaps you care about sustainability, accessibility, or ethical technology. Maybe you are passionate about innovation or community service. Olin’s mission centers on using engineering to improve lives, so your essay should clearly connect your values to that purpose. For example, a student who volunteers at a community health clinic and sees disparities in access to care could tie their value of equitable healthcare to Olin’s hands-on, interdisciplinary approach.
Next, think about the problems you hope to tackle with your engineering education. The best responses will be specific here. For example, a robotics enthusiast whose town was ravaged by a hurricane might focus on developing drones for disaster relief. Or maybe a student from a coastal town experiencing erosion could focus on renewable energy solutions for vulnerable communities. The key is to ground your goals in real experiences that show both curiosity and initiative.
When describing your experiences, avoid a simple résumé-like listing of achievements. Instead, show how these moments shaped your values and aspirations. The student building solar-powered water purification systems didn’t just list a project they worked on—they connected it to the environmental challenges in their hometown and explained how it sparked their interest in scalable clean energy solutions. That personal narrative demonstrates both motivation and insight.
Once it’s clear what your motivation is, you need to highlight how Olin will help you accomplish your goals. Again, specificity is key here. Don’t focus on Olin’s prestige or generic features a dozen other colleges share; show that Olin’s collaborative, project-based environment matches your goals. Explain how the school’s culture, resources, or mission will allow you to advance your projects and values. For instance, a student interested in healthcare technology might describe Olin’s interdisciplinary curriculum as the perfect environment to design affordable medical devices.
As you’re writing, avoid vague statements that don’t add anything unique to your essay. Phrases like “I want to make the world a better place” or “I dream about solving big problems” don’t show how you think or act. Strong essays name the field or type of impact and explain why it matters to you. Similarly, avoid simply listing accomplishments; focus on the growth, reflection, and real-world problem-solving behind them.
Finally, demonstrate authenticity and passion. Admissions officers respond to essays that reflect genuine curiosity and commitment, not generic platitudes. A strong essay combines personal values, concrete goals, and experiences, all tied to Olin’s mission. A weak essay might read like a template for any engineering school, offering no insight into what makes your path, your vision, or your connection to Olin unique.
By linking your values, past experiences, and future ambitions to Olin’s mission of using engineering to positively impact lives, you can craft a compelling essay that shows why you belong in a community striving to change the world.
Prompt 2 (optional)
Think about all the things we will learn about you throughout your application to Olin, from your application materials and recommendations and through your own words in your other essays. Is there anything missing? If there is, you may share a specific story that tells us something about you that we don’t yet know. If not, don’t worry: this question is optional. (250 words)
This prompt is an opportunity to share something unique about yourself that hasn’t appeared elsewhere in your application. If you’ve had any extenuating circumstances that impacted your high school career, this is the place to share it.
It’s important to note that in light of the Supreme Court striking down the use of affirmative action in college admissions, many colleges have added open-ended prompts that give students the opportunity to discuss their racial background. Because the ruling allows colleges to consider race on an individual basis, essays are the prime place for you to reveal your racial background and its effect on you. If you feel that your racial background has impacted you significantly, this is the place to discuss that.
However, you can also choose to respond to this prompt with something less weighty—think of it as a chance to reveal a quirk, passion, or experience that adds depth to your story. Remember, this question is optional, but sharing something additional about yourself can only help your application, not hurt it.
Admissions officers will already know about your academics, extracurriculars, recommendations, and essays about your goals. This means you shouldn’t repeat material already covered. Instead, focus on something new that shows a different side of your personality, interests, or background.
Consider hobbies or passions that haven’t yet come up. Maybe you love competitive Rubik’s Cube solving, you collect and rewire vintage radios, or you have a small Instagram business decorating birthday cakes. These activities can reveal creativity, patience, or curiosity in ways that academic achievements cannot. For example, a student who restores 1950s radios with their grandfather demonstrates not only technical skill but also a connection to family and history.
You can also discuss personal traits or life experiences you haven’t highlighted in your application yet. Perhaps you’re a member of a community choir, and singing is your way of decompressing and expressing yourself creatively. Including this story could show resilience, collaboration, or passion outside the classroom. Or maybe you are the eldest child of five siblings, which forced you to become more responsible and selfless to help your parents care for them.
Whatever you choose, follow the prompt’s instructions to “share a specific story”, and don’t simply state facts. Dive into a concrete anecdote that illustrates your point. Reflection is key: explain why this activity or trait matters, what it shows about you, and how it complements your other experiences.
Ultimately, this prompt is your chance to share a piece of yourself that completes the picture of who you are. A well-chosen story can give admissions officers insight into your personality, interests, and values in a way that other parts of your application cannot.
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