Type to search
Seattle, Washington

Seattle University

seattleu.edu
Ask a question
Add to my list
  • Overview
  • Cost & scholarships
  • Majors
  • Admission requirements
  • Essay prompts

Want to see your chances of admission at Seattle University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Seattle University's 2021-22 Essay Prompts

Read our essay guide

Select-A-Prompt Short Response

Required
250 Words

Please select one of the following essays:


Option 1

What is a community that you belong to and a positive change you would like to affect within that community?


Option 2

Seattle is one of the best music cities on earth and SU students love discovering new Seattle music. Please share one song that reflects who you are today and another that reflects who you want to be. Share the songs, artists and why you chose each one.


Option 3

Seattle has a dynamic, global food scene that has been shaped by the many communities that call Seattle home. Share a food dish that has helped to inform and shape your identity.

Read our essay guide to get started. Submit your essay for free peer review to refine and perfect it.
Submit or review an essay

Why This College Short Response

Required
250 Words

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 progressive, 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?

Read our essay guide to get started. Submit your essay for free peer review to refine and perfect it.
Submit or review an essay

Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Short Response

Required
500 Words

The Business and Law program at Seattle University is a competitive dual degree in which students can earn both a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Juris Doctor (law) degree in a six-year span (instead of the traditional seven). Why are you applying to the Business and Law program at Seattle University and what experiences have prepared you to be successful for the rigor and accelerated pace of the program? You may highlight prior influences or internship experience as well as future career goals and aspirations. Please limit your response to 500 words.

Read our essay guide to get started. Submit your essay for free peer review to refine and perfect it.
Submit or review an essay

Common App Personal Essay

Required
650 words

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.


Option 1

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.


Option 2

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?


Option 3

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?


Option 4

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?


Option 5

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.


Option 6

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?


Option 7

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Read our essay guide to get started. Submit your essay for free peer review to refine and perfect it.
Submit or review an essay

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Join thousands of students getting and giving peer feedback on college essays—all for free!
Submit or review an essay