Emory University supplemental essays
Emory University asks for two supplemental essays in 2026-27, chosen from five options. Common App. Personal statement required (250-650 words).
That is two supplements plus the Common App personal statement: three pieces of writing in all. Early Decision closes November 1, 2026, Early Decision II closes January 1, 2027 and Regular Decision closes January 1, 2027. The prompts carry this limit: 150 Words. Every Emory University prompt is printed on this page in full, with its word limit and who has to answer it, checked against the college’s own admissions page.
Deadlines
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 1, 2026 |
| Early Decision II | January 1, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | January 1, 2027 |
Checked against blog.emoryadmission.com/2026/08/emorys-short-answer-questions-2026-27. Confirm on the college’s own page before you submit.
The essays, 2026-27
Required · 200 Words Recommended Length
What academic areas are you interested in exploring at Emory University and why?
Emory labels this section "Academic Interests" and states "This question is required. (200 Words Recommended Length)". Note the limit is a RECOMMENDED length, not a hard cap.
Short answer. Paste it on the homepage and we will read it.
Required (choose 1 of 4) · 150 Words
Emory University has a strong commitment to building community. Tell us about a community that you have been part of where your personal participation helped to change or shape the community for the better.
"Getting to Know You" section. Emory's instruction: "In addition, answer one of the following questions. (150 Words)" - the word "one" is bolded on the page. Option 1 of 4.
Short answer. Paste it on the homepage and we will read it.
Required (choose 1 of 4) · 150 Words
Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
"Getting to Know You" section, option 2 of 4.
Short answer. Paste it on the homepage and we will read it.
Required (choose 1 of 4) · 150 Words
Emory University’s unique mission calls for service to humanity. Share how you might personally contribute to this mission of service to humanity.
"Getting to Know You" section, option 3 of 4.
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Required (choose 1 of 4) · 150 Words
In a scholarly community, differing ideas often collide before they converge. How do you personally navigate disagreement in a way that promotes progress and deepens meaningful dialogue?
"Getting to Know You" section, option 4 of 4.
Short answer. Paste it on the homepage and we will read it.
Your Emory University checklist
Two supplements, all required. The first deadline, Early Decision, is November 1, 2026.
- Common App personal statementRequired250-650 words
- Supplement 1Required200 Words Recommended Length
- Supplements 2 to 5Required150 Words each
It saves these rows to your essay manager, where each one carries a status you set yourself and the prompt stays attached to it. Add your other schools and they land on the same page, in deadline order. Nothing written yet? The topic quiz is free as well.
Free: this page, the checklist, the essay manager and the topic quiz. Paid: a written review of a finished draft, $49 an essay.
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Not sure what a review is? What an AI college essay review can and cannot do, and what a college essay grader leaves out. What the read checks against Emory University’s own prompts is on the Emory University essay review page.
Getting into Emory University
Emory University admits 10.7% of applicants. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1470-1550 on the SAT and 32-35 on the ACT.
About 1 in 9 applicants are admitted, at a college of 7,298 undergraduates.
| Enrolled students | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total | 1470 | 1520 | 1550 |
| SAT reading and writing | 720 | 740 | 760 |
| SAT math | 750 | 780 | 790 |
| ACT composite | 32 | 34 | 35 |
What SAT score do you need for Emory University?
A 1550 puts you in the top quarter of the students who enrolled, a 1520 at their midpoint, and a 1470 at the bottom quarter, meaning one in four enrolled students scored below it. The same three points on the ACT are 32, 34 and 35. A quarter of an enrolled class scoring under the 25th percentile is not a rounding error, so a score below the range is a reason to strengthen the rest of the application rather than a reason not to apply.
US Department of Education, College Scorecard (2026-09-17). Percentiles describe students who enrolled, not everyone admitted. SAT totals are the reading and math bands added together, which is how every source in this market reports them and is an approximation of about 10 to 20 points, because the two sections are correlated.
- What SAT score do you need for Emory University?
- Emory University sets no minimum. Among students who enrolled, the middle 50% scored 1470-1550 on the SAT: a 1470 sits at the 25th percentile, 1520 at the median and 1550 at the 75th. A score at or above 1550 is a clear strength in the application; below 1470 it is the part of the file the rest has to make up for. These are the figures Emory University reports to the US Department of Education, released in the College Scorecard of 2026-09-17.
- What ACT score do you need for Emory University?
- The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 32-35 on the ACT, with a composite of 34 at the median. There is no cutoff: a quarter of the enrolled class scored below 32. Reported by Emory University to the US Department of Education, College Scorecard release of 2026-09-17.
- What GPA do you need for Emory University?
- The honest answer is that the federal data behind this page does not contain one. Colleges report their admit rate and their enrolled students' test scores to the Department of Education; they do not report a GPA distribution, so any site quoting an exact average GPA for Emory University is either reading that college's own Common Data Set or estimating. What the reported data does say is that Emory University admits 10.7% of applicants, and the more selective a college is, the closer to the top of the class its admitted students sit and the more the strength of your course load counts alongside the number itself.
- How hard is it to get into Emory University?
- Emory University admits 10.7% of the people who apply, which is about 1 in 9 applicants. At that rate no set of numbers makes admission likely, a perfect one included, because the college turns away far more qualified applicants than it takes. Strong grades and scores get the application read; the essays, the recommendations and what you have actually done decide it from there.
What Emory University costs after grant aid, by family income, from the same federal data.
Sort your whole college list into reaches, targets and likelies, or find colleges that fit your GPA and test scores. Both are free and neither needs an account.
Emory University essay questions, answered
- Does Emory University have supplemental essays?
- Yes. Emory University asks for two supplemental essays in 2026-27, chosen from five options. Every prompt is printed in full on this page. Word limits: 150 Words.
- How many essays do you write for Emory University in 2026-27?
- Two supplements, plus the Common App personal statement.
Schools with similar admit rates
Emory University admits 10.7% of applicants. The colleges either side of it in our set by admit rate, most selective first, each with its own prompts and deadlines: New York University (9.2%), Claremont McKenna College (9.6%), University of Southern California (9.8%), Middlebury College (10.8%), Boston University (11.1%), University of Notre Dame (11.3%).