How to Write the Seattle University Essays 2025-2026
Seattle University is a Jesuit institution located in the heart of Seattle that is known for its strong programs in business, nursing, law, and the liberal arts. This year, Seattle University has two optional prompts for all applicants to respond to. Although these essays are optional, we encourage students to respond to them as they’re great opportunities to provide extra detail to your application. You never know, your essay might just be the deciding factor between your application and a student with similar grades and test scores!
Additionally, applicants to the Nursing program or the Diagnostic Ultrasound program are required to submit an essay about their interest in their respective program.
Keep reading to find out how to respond to Seattle University’s prompts.
Seattle University Supplemental Essay Prompts
All Applicants
Prompt 1 (optional): Located in one of the world’s top cities for technology and innovation and deeply rooted in 500 years of Jesuit tradition, a Seattle University education is innovative, rigorous, global and holistic. We encourage students to challenge preconceived notions, reflect before they react, and strive for the greater good. What is it that drew you to apply to Seattle University? Where do you hope a Seattle University education will take you? (250 words)
Prompt 2 (optional): At Seattle University we are inspired by the diversity of our campus community and are committed to a culture where equity, inclusion, and belonging are hallmarks of who we are. Tell us about an experience you have had involving equity, inclusion, or belonging—whether through celebration, inspiration, challenge, or adversity—and why it was meaningful to you and how it would demonstrate your unique ability to contribute to the University. (250 words)
Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound Applicants
Prompt: The Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound program at Seattle University is a competitive program that admits students directly to the four-year Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound cohort. The College of Nursing’s mission is to educate and inspire leaders to transform healthcare for a just and humane world. Why are you applying to the Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound program at Seattle University and what aspects of the profession uniquely excite you? (250 words)
All Applicants Prompt 1 (optional)
Located in one of the world’s top cities for technology and innovation and deeply rooted in 500 years of Jesuit tradition, a Seattle University education is innovative, rigorous, global and holistic. We encourage students to challenge preconceived notions, reflect before they react, and strive for the greater good. What is it that drew you to apply to Seattle University? Where do you hope a Seattle University education will take you? (250 words)
This is your classic “Why This College?” essay where you have the opportunity to share what excites you about attending Seattle University with the admissions committee. The key to a successful response is to tailor your essay to Seattle specifically. Ultimately, your essay should only be applicable to Seattle University as a school, and you as an applicant.
The first step in writing this essay is brainstorming your reasons for wanting to attend the school. You likely already have a few that drove you to apply in the first place, but you want to do extra research now to find specific and unique aspects of the school that excite you. We recommend looking into the following:
- Unique classes that are offered
- Specific professors and their specialities/focus areas
- Interesting programs (i.e., dual-degree, unique majors/minors, study abroad, co-ops, etc.)
- Extracurricular offerings
- Resources like labs, living-learning communities, mentorship programs, etc.
- Seattle University’s values or mission statement
Finding specific opportunities that Seattle University has to offer allows you to personalize your essay to the school and demonstrate that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in the school. You should avoid highlighting basic facts of the school you could find in a brochure or on a tour—details like the student-to-faculty ratio or the school’s ranking are not compelling enough to include in this essay.
Your goal should be to identify specific resources/offerings that speak directly to you. For example, if you plan to study Electrical Engineering, it wouldn’t make sense to highlight the Center for Business Ethics. If you started your own business in high school and have the goal of becoming an entrepreneur one day, you could highlight the Center and how you hope engaging with local Seattle businesses as part of the Center’s outreach will teach you about designing businesses that balance profit with the public good.
Don’t go overboard with how many offerings you include though! This is a common mistake students will make in this essay. Rather than name-dropping a dozen different aspects of the school that relate to you, you should only focus on a couple (two to four for an essay with this word length) and elaborate on why you’re drawn to them.
So, instead of saying “I look forward to working taking International Environmental Law, becoming a program coordinator for the Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability, joining Engineers for a Sustainable World, and working with Professor Hughes,” you should aim for something that reveals more about your goals and motivations, like this:
“I’ll bring my passion for achieving global environmental accountability to the Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability when I become a student program coordinator and can organize talks for my fellow students on the topic of achieving equity in sustainability policy.”
We learn much more about what this student is interested in when they just zoom in on the one resource and they elaborate on what they will do with it. Every school offering you include in your essay should be backed up by an explanation that either connects the resource to your existing experiences/interests or your future goals.
Speaking of your future goals, the second part of this prompt is describing what you hope to get out of your Seattle University education. The admissions officers are looking to admit students who will achieve great things after graduation, and while you don’t have to have your whole career planned out right now, you do want to include your general goals in your essay.
Using the student from above, they might incorporate this into their essay with something like this:
“My time at Seattle will equip me with the scientific knowledge and diplomatic skills to one day develop international sustainability policies that are effective and fair. I’ll turn my passion for environmental justice into solutions that enable countries to move forward together as one, ensuring that the responsibility to save the planet is in every nations’ hands.”
You might also want to begin your essay by sharing your future goals and then move into the specific resources at Seattle University that will help you achieve your dreams. The order of your essay doesn’t matter, so long as you answer all the parts of the prompt.
All Applicants Prompt 2 (optional)
At Seattle University we are inspired by the diversity of our campus community and are committed to a culture where equity, inclusion, and belonging are hallmarks of who we are. Tell us about an experience you have had involving equity, inclusion, or belonging—whether through celebration, inspiration, challenge, or adversity—and why it was meaningful to you and how it would demonstrate your unique ability to contribute to the University. (250 words)
This prompt is what we refer to as a Diversity essay that allows you to share more about your experiences with diversity. Seattle kept the prompt fairly open-ended, giving you the choice to approach this essay through the lens of talking about an aspect of your identity that makes you diverse, discussing experiences related to celebrating diversity, sharing moments of adversity or challenges you’ve overcome in the name of diversity, and more.
One thing to note before we jump into writing this essay: After the Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action in college applications in 2023, colleges are not allowed to explicitly ask about a student’s race. You can, however, use essays like this one to discuss your racial background and share your experiences with the admissions officers if you would like to do so.
If you don’t want to write about your race, don’t worry—you can still respond to this prompt if you would like! Diversity comes in all shapes and sizes so you could talk about more common topics like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion, but you could also talk about socioeconomic status, mental or physical disabilities, diversity of interests, and more. This is your chance to discuss your unique perspective that you will bring to the Seattle University campus, so you can write about anything that has been significant in shaping your worldview.
In terms of actually writing your essay, you should begin by sharing your experience. This is where a detailed anecdote will come in handy to show your reader what the experience was. For example, a student who translates for her parents who don’t speak English could start her essay by saying “As a daughter of Colombian immigrants, I’m always translating for my parents,” but that doesn’t draw the reader in as much as an anecdote like this does:
“The nurse’s questions came fast, and my mom’s eyes flicked toward me, waiting. I took a breath and translated, careful to get every word right. I could feel the pressure in my chest—not from fear, but from wanting to make sure she was understood. When the nurse smiled at my mom after I finished, I saw relief cross her face. It was a small moment, but to me, it meant everything: her voice had been heard, even if it came through mine.”
Don’t feel like your anecdote should just be the hook of your essay—in this case, it should be a decent portion of your response so you can fully explain the situation and your actions. However, as you are telling your story, you also need to show why this experience is meaningful to you. A great way to accomplish this is to include your internal monologue or your thoughts and feelings in the moment. This allows you to incorporate your self-reflection without having to remove your reader from your story.
After you’ve shared your experience and its significance to you, you need to look to the future and how you will bring your diverse perspective to Seattle University. You should strive to go beyond saying something vague like “I will continue to embrace my heritage” or “I will include others from different backgrounds” and instead provide detailed ways you will contribute to the campus community.
Think back to the first prompt and our advice for writing a “Why This College” essay; similar advice applies here! You should discuss specific resources that you will engage with that will either allow you to bring your perspective or broaden/build upon it.
For example, a student who wrote about an experience coloring with a student with autism during her volunteer shift at the community center could discuss how she hopes to learn more about creative approaches to teaching as a Humanities in Teaching major and how she will connect with other neurodiverse students as part of the community-learning opportunities offered through the major.
Another student might write about writing and presenting a bill to his school board to add ramps and elevators to make the school more accessible for wheelchair users like himself and his friend. He loved speaking up for matters that improved the lives of others, which is why he wants to join the Seattle University Student Government and create a new Senator position to represent students with disabilities on campus.
See how in these examples the students identify specific and actionable ways they will get involved on campus that relate to their experience? That is what you should aim for in your essay.
Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound Prompt
The Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound program at Seattle University is a competitive program that admits students directly to the four-year Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound cohort. The College of Nursing’s mission is to educate and inspire leaders to transform healthcare for a just and humane world. Why are you applying to the Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound program at Seattle University and what aspects of the profession uniquely excite you? (250 words)
If you are applying to either the Nursing program or the Diagnostic Ultrasound program, you will have to respond to this prompt about your interest in your respective program. Since the prompts are identical, we will discuss them both here, but please keep in mind your essay should be tailored to your chosen program.
This is essentially a “Why This Major” essay, and since these majors are pre-professional, in a way it’s also a “Why This Career” essay. Much of the same advice for a typical “Why This Major” essay still applies here though. You need to express your genuine passion for Nursing/Diagnostic Ultrasound and touch on experiences that drew you to this field.
The best way to demonstrate your interest is to share a few key experiences that influenced your decision to pursue healthcare. Maybe that looks like your initial experience and then one or two ways you’ve continued to build on your interest. Less is more here—picking fewer experiences allows you to dive deep into them and provide more detail and reflection.
As you choose what experience to highlight, consider what’s most important to you. A personal connection sometimes stands out more than a slightly more impressive one, so weigh these carefully when choosing. If you have something especially unique to talk about, that should also be a consideration, as something that makes you stand out from the crowd may be the most meaningful.
If this sounds like a lot to consider, it’s okay to take some time to think about it, and try a few different angles. Consider the following students as examples of how to balance several different considerations.
- Elena cared for her diabetic dad, administering insulin shots and helping manage his diet. This experience sparked her interest in nursing, particularly the holistic care nurses provide. After volunteering at a nursing home, where she assisted with daily activities and observed nurses in action, Elena became committed to pursuing a career in nursing, drawn to the emotional and physical support nurses offer to patients.
- Sophie’s younger sister was born prematurely and she was amazed at how detailed ultrasound images of her sister’s heart and lungs guided life-saving decisions. Her fascination continued in her high school science research class, where Sophie designed a project studying fetal heart rate patterns using publicly available ultrasound datasets. She wants to pursue a career in obstetric ultrasound, to help families during pregnancy.
- Carlos has volunteered at a local hospital for three years, where he assists in patient care, observing nurses manage multiple patients in fast-paced environments. He’s inspired by their calm under pressure and the hands-on nature of the work, especially in critical care situations. After seeing how nurses advocate for their patients, Carlos is excited to pursue a nursing career, hoping to eventually work in emergency medicine.
- Drew spent weekends accompanying his grandfather to medical appointments, fascinated by the ultrasound scans used to monitor his health. Watching the technician translate images into meaningful information for the doctor, Drew became captivated by the combination of technology, anatomy, and patient interaction. He began volunteering at a local imaging center, where he shadowed sonographers conducting ultrasounds. These experiences solidified his interest in pursuing diagnostic ultrasound, drawn to the way sonographers blend technical skill with empathetic patient care.
- Anjali was fascinated by her experience in a high school anatomy class, where she was particularly drawn to learning about the circulatory system and patient care. She shadowed a pediatric nurse and loved seeing how the nurse balanced medical knowledge with comforting anxious patients. This combination of science and human connection solidified her interest in pursuing nursing.
Finally, remember that while you aren’t specifically asked to include resources, a way to go above and beyond is to mention unique aspects of Seattle University’s Nursing and Diagnostic Ultrasound programs that you hope to engage with. Just remember, if you do include school resources, you want to weave them into your interests naturally and not just name-drop them for the sake of it.
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