The supplemental essay is an additional, school-specific essay in the application that many schools, including Hopkins, consider when reviewing your materials. It’s different from the personal statement, which is more universal and includes a variety of prompts you can choose from.
The Supplemental Essay’s Role
Because the supplemental essay is school-specific, it helps an admissions committee determine if your values align with those of their institution. Just like you’re looking for a college that fits you, we’re building a class of students who will thrive at Hopkins and contribute to student life on our Homewood campus.
We’re not just building a group of strong students—we’re building a community of classmates, collaborators, roommates, and friends.
At Hopkins, learning happens through collaboration with people who bring different experiences and perspectives. The supplemental essay gives us a chance to learn how you approach new ideas and differing perspectives, what you’ve learned from those experiences, and how you might contribute to the Hopkins community.
A supplemental essay prompt can change year to year. This article will break down this year’s prompt, what we’re hoping to learn about you, and tips for getting started.
2026-2027 Hopkins Supplemental Essay Prompt
At Johns Hopkins, community is built through dialogue, collaboration, and a willingness to engage across differences.
Whether on campus or in the broader world, community depends on bridge builders who can listen to differing perspectives, challenge their own assumptions, or work together toward shared goals.
Drawing on your own experiences, what have you learned about engaging across differences and how has it shaped the way you think about building bridges, enhancing community, and working with others? (350-word limit)
Digging Into the Prompt
Before you start writing, take a close look at what the prompt is asking. While there are many ways you can approach your essay, understanding each part of the question—and taking time to reflect on your own experiences—can help you identify the examples and insights you want to share.
Identifying Meaningful Experiences
To respond to this prompt, you’ll need to think about times when you have engaged with people who think differently than you do. Some differences you might have encountered could come from:
- Unique approaches to problem solving
- Different communication styles or learning preferences
- Varying life experiences (urban/rural, family dynamics, economic backgrounds, generational or identity-based differences)
- Cultural or religious backgrounds
- Political or philosophical viewpoints
The moments you choose to highlight in the supplemental essay don’t have to be major breakthroughs or recurring instances. Small, one-time moments can be impactful too, like navigating a misunderstanding with your friend or participating in a classroom discussion that challenged your thinking.
What have you learned about engaging across differences?
Focus on your learning process and show us how your thinking has evolved. Ask yourself:
- What did this experience teach me about connecting with people who are different from me?
- How did I actually engage? (Listening? Asking questions?)
- What surprised me or changed my thinking?
How has it shaped the way you think about building bridges?
“Building bridges” is about reaching across divides to create understanding. We want to see reflections around:
- How do I approach differences now?
- What skills or insights did I gain?
- How has this changed my approach to similar situations?
How has it enhanced your community and how you work with others?
Connect your personal growth to how you engage with and strengthen the communities around you. Reflect on your experiences and consider:
- How has this experience affected how I show up in groups?
- What role do I play in bringing people together or helping them understand each other?
What We’re Looking For
Focus on the process, rather than the outcome, in your essay. We want to see how you’ve engaged across differences, not necessarily resolving them or changing someone’s mind.
We’re looking for thoughtfulness, genuine reflection, and authentic growth within your writing. You don’t need to be the hero of the story! There doesn’t need to be conflict or resolution, nor should your essay be about winning an argument.
We want to see authentic engagement, expanding on what this experience taught you, how your thinking shifted—even slightly—and insights into what you understand now that you didn’t before.
Growth can look like a lot of different things, such as noticing your own assumptions, learning to sit with discomfort, and changing the way you ask questions. Explaining how you’ve changed, whether this situation has shaped how you approach future situations or influenced the way you build community, can help us understand the ways you might show up as a Blue Jay.
Advice For Getting Started
- Brainstorm! Free write about times you worked with people different from you or times your thinking changed.
- Map out your essay. Describe the situation, your role, what you learned, and how you’ve grown.
- Be honest and specific. It can be frustrating to collaborate with people who don’t see eye-to-eye with you—be real about your experience and what you felt. Write about something that genuinely challenged you and try to avoid generic language or takeaways.
How This All Comes Together
With this year’s supplemental essay prompt, we’re hoping to discover a time where you connected across differences, how you grew, and how it affected your thinking moving forward.
Hopkins fosters a collaborative environment where students learn alongside people with different backgrounds and perspectives. Our community is stronger because of students who are willing to engage across divides, listen with curiosity, and build bridges of understanding.
Resources For You
If you’re looking for support, you can:
- Register for a virtual application workshop, where an admissions counselor will lead exercises to help you tell your story. In our holistic review, we consider all the experiences you share, so each part of the application matters.
- Review other application requirements & deadlines so you’re ready to submit your materials on time.
- Visit Essays That Worked to see successful essays and what made them effective to our admissions committee. We require two essays in the application—the supplemental and the personal statement.
We look forward to reading your supplemental essay!
