Last Updated on 09/08/2026 by Ethan Sawyer
What This Post Covers + Key Takeaways
- MIT’s prompts focus on understanding who applicants are beyond their academic achievements, exploring their interests, experiences, challenges, and the impact they hope to make.
- MIT wants to see how students think and what drives their interests. The new prompts give students opportunities to discuss their intellectual curiosity, unconventional paths, and the problems they hope to tackle with an MIT education.
- The short-answer questions offer a chance to reveal personality and individuality. Specific, genuine answers about what students enjoy, admire, and care about can help admissions officers get a fuller picture of who they are.
If you’re applying to MIT, odds are high that you’re a pretty exceptional student (and human). Your GPA sparkles, your test scores soar, and your activity list practically sings with meaningful accomplishments. This is great for you, and great for the 20,000+ other people applying annually.
In a sea of highly successful seniors, your responses to MIT’s essay prompts will help distinguish you from the pack (or pod if we’re sticking with our aquatic metaphor). The best news: MIT gives you many chances to make an impression.
To this end, we’ve put together the following set of examples, tips, and ideas for each of MIT’s supplemental essays.
What are MIT’s supplemental essay prompts?
A note from MIT’s website: “Depending on the question, we’re looking for responses of approximately 100-200 words each.”
Prompt #1- What do you do just for fun?
- Who is someone you admire, whether you know them personally or look up to them from afar? Tell us why.
- What’s a topic, academic or non-academic, that you could talk about for hours?
- MIT values both “generalists” with varied interests and “specialists” who focus deeply on one or a few passions. Which do you think best describes you, and why?
How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for MIT
How to Write MIT Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
What field of study appeals to you the most right now? (Note: Applicants select from a drop-down list.) Reflect on what has led you to this interest. (100 words or fewer)
This is a super short “Why major?” essay, with an option for some “Why us” detail. Because it’s so short, the key will be to briefly share the origin story for the major you’re considering. Here’s a guide to the “Why major” essay.
Example:
Why Electrical Engineering?
My decision to major in Electrical Engineering was inspired by my desire to improve security through technology. When I lived in Mexico, my father’s restaurant security system lacked the ability to protect our property from robbers, who would break in multiple times a year. Thanks to the influence of my cousin, who now studies Autonomous Systems, I developed an interest in electrical engineering. I am inspired to not only improve my father’s security system, but contributing to security innovations for larger companies and perhaps, one day, national security. (89 words)
Here’s a simple outline for this essay:
Why Electrical Engineering?
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Thesis: I want to improve security through technology
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Robbers broke into dad’s restaurant
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Cousin taught me about Autonomous Systems
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In the future: work with large companies or on national security
Note that your thesis statement should probably be clear and it could come either at the beginning, middle, or end.
How to Write MIT Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
While some reach their goals following well-trodden paths, others blaze their own trails achieving the unexpected. In what ways have you done something different than what was expected in your educational journey? (225 words or fewer)
You can define “educational journey”
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more narrowly here, focusing purely on academic opportunities (though likely those outside of the classroom)
or potentially
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more broadly, focusing on experiences that, while not traditionally academic, have shaped your values and understanding in profound ways (so long as you justify them as part of your “educational journey.”)
One important factor in choosing a topic will be to make sure that you’re showing a different side of who you are, what you value, and how you’ve developed your character than you’re showing in the other MIT prompts.
One option is to approach this prompt similarly to how you would write the UC PIQ 4 or PIQ6 (and if you’re applying to the UCs in addition to MIT, it’s a great idea to try to reuse some content between one of those prompts and this MIT prompt, to save yourself some writing time).
You can use the BEABIES Exercise to brainstorm your content.
You can structure this as either a brief montage, or a narrative. If taking the narrative approach, try devoting about ⅓ of your essay to each of the following:
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Challenge (the Problem You Solved column)
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What I Did About It (What I Did and Impact I Had columns)
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What I Learned (Lessons Learned/Skills I Gained, and How I Applied What I Learned columns)
We don’t have an MIT example for this prompt yet, but here are some example UC PIQs that can show you possible directions to head in. (Though note that these would need cuts for MIT.)
Here’s one that frames “educational journey” more broadly:
UC Prompt 4 example essay: Construction
Five years ago I took up a job in construction from a couple of neighbors who needed help doing a demolition job on an old house. I saw this as an opportunity to help pay bills around the house as well as cover my own personal expenses. I did a good enough job that my neighbors told me that, if I wanted, I could continue working with them.
It has been a demanding job and I made numerous mistakes at first, like using the wrong tools for different tasks or the wrong size screw. On occasion, I was scolded for my mistakes and I felt incompetent, as I wasn’t able to complete tasks as fast as my co-workers. There were even days that I considered quitting, but I stuck with it.
Since then, I’ve built, repaired, and remodeled numerous homes for family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers. I’ve removed and replaced carpets; broken down walls as well as driveways; installed cabinets, lights, both wood and tile flooring; and painted room after room.
Working in construction has made me feel like a bigger part of society, because I’m shaping the buildings and offices my community uses. Although I don’t make the choices in design, my workmanship is reflected in every job I’ve done. Because of this, my most memorable projects are those that I’ve taken on by myself.
It has been a personally fulfilling experience-there’s just something about peeling away the last strip of tape off a new floor that’s indescribable-and getting to see hours of planning, preparation, and work come together is such a rewarding experience. The best part? Knowing that some family will get to enjoy my work.
But this is not what I will do the rest of my life.
There are other ways I can help cover my family’s expenses, and getting a degree is the next step. In fact, I have a feeling that would be an even more fulfilling journey.
Tips & Analysis:
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For this prompt, many students will choose to write about a course taken outside of school, or an internship-which are totally valid topics-but this author defines “educational opportunity” in an unconventional way. Working in construction has, in fact, taught him a lot. If you’ve worked a job, perhaps to take care of your family, you could write about it here as well.
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The author uses active verbs to describe what he actually did. we’ve highlighted them in bold above.
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He also shares the personal significance of his work: “Working in construction has made me feel like a bigger part of society, because I’m shaping the buildings and offices my community uses.”
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I also appreciate that this author reveals a wide range of values in this PIQ, including: family, perseverance, hard work, community, pride, independence, ambition.
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The author provides great insight into his main takeaway from his work experiences: “But this is not what I will do the rest of my life.” This demonstrates his ambition and helps us understand why he wants to attend college: Although he’s found value in his construction work, he hopes to one day do work that might lead to “an even more fulfilling journey.”
Here’s another example.
Example essay:
Freshman year, I fell in love with the smell of formaldehyde for its promise of an especially exciting day in Biology. Although my school’s STEM education excelled in theory and concepts, career-focused hands-on experience was lacking and I grew nostalgic for dissections. By junior year, I still had almost no idea what I would do in the future. When asked, I’d mumble a response about biochemistry or technology without daring to specify a job.
Then, I discovered MIT’s Women’s Technology Program and its mission to allow high school girls with little experience in engineering and CS to explore the fields. Naturally, I applied in a blink, and somehow even got accepted.
When I started the program, I never expected to become so enamored with computer science. Every day, I took pages of notes during the class lecture, then enthusiastically attacked the homework problems during the evening. In fact, most nights I stayed late in the computer lab trying to finish just one more (optional) challenge problem or add more features to already completed programs. The assignments themselves ranged from simply printing “hello world” to completing a functional version of Tetris. One of my favorite programs was a Hangman game that made sarcastic remarks at invalid inputs.
However, some programs were notoriously difficult, sparking countless frustrated jokes among the candidates: a version of the card game War overly prone to infinite loops, a queue class apparently comprised entirely of index errors. The sign-up list for TA help overflowed with increasing frequency as the curriculum grew more difficult. So, after I finished a program, I often helped my peers with debugging by pointing out syntax errors and logical missteps. In the final week, I was chosen to be a presenter for CS at the Final Dinner, speaking about the subject I loved to program donors and peers alike.
In that amazing month, I discovered a field that blends creativity with logic and a renewed passion for learning and exploration. Now, imagining my no-longer-nebulous future brings excitement.
And somehow, that excitement always smells faintly of formaldehyde.
And here’s one more.
Example essay:
If given an eye test with the standard Snellen Eye chart (y’know, the one with all the letters on it) you will be asked to stand 20 ft away, cover one eye and read off the letters from the chart as they get increasingly smaller. If you can read up to the lines marked “20” at 20 feet away, you have normal 20/20 vision and your eyes can separate contours that are 1.75 mm apart. Knowing visual acuity is important because it helps diagnose vision problems.
But the challenge? Usually people have to go into eye doctors and get an eye test to determine their acuity. However, since more than 40% of Americans don’t go to an eye doctor on a regular basis and access to eye care is extremely rare and usually unavailable in third world countries, many people who need glasses don’t know it and live with blurred vision.
To tackle this problem, I’ve spent the last four months at the Wyss Institute at Yale University working on an individual project supervised by Yale Medical School professor Maureen Shore. I’m coding a program that measures visual acuity and can determine what glasses prescription someone would need. My goal is to configure this into a mobile app so that it’s easy for someone to determine if he or she needs glasses. I hope to continue using my programming skills to make the benefits of research more accessible.
If this technology isn’t accessible to society, we’re doing a disservice to humanity. The skills, experience, and network I will build at the computer science department will help me devise solutions to problems and bring the benefits of research to the public.
How to Write MIT Supplemental Essay Prompt #3
How have your personal and academic experiences influenced the types of problems you would want to tackle with an MIT education and the impact you aim to make on your community? (225 words or fewer)
You can treat this as part issue/problem, part background/experience, and part Why Us.
Spend some time considering the practical application of your MIT education. This is actually a big thing for MIT—it’s important/helpful for them to see a student’s hoped-for impact. So this prompt provides an opportunity to showcase your forward-thinking, goals, and aspirations, and how an MIT education helps you get there.
Here are a few tips to get your creative juices flowing before you start writing:
- Reflect on your curiosities and passions. We’re actually wary of the word “passion,” since it’s so over-used in college essays, but if you have one, great; if not, you’re fine (not having a “passion” is pretty standard), but explore your curiosities, interests, and aspirations. Consider what drives you, what you find intellectually stimulating, what questions and problems push you forward, and what areas you hope to make a meaningful impact in.
- Consider your field of study. Think about your intended field of study or major at Harvard. How does your intended major relate to your broader goals? What are specific problems within the field that you are intrigued by.
- Look at MIT’s offerings. You’ve got the option for some “Why Us” detail here. Research specific programs, courses, professors, and opportunities that resonate with your goals. How can you leverage these offerings to work toward your plans?
Head here for a complete guide on how to write the “Why us?” essay.
Here’s an essay written for a similar UT-Austin prompt that demonstrates the approach here:
European politics and the limits of multiparty democracies, the future of the European Union, refugee policies, and the power of community engagement and social media… my interest in these issues led me to seek UT’s International Relations and Global Studies program with a regional concentration in European Studies. As the granddaughter of Italian immigrants, and an active member of community and school groups, I am interested in studying the factors that weaken or strengthen public engagement in national and local politics, and opportunities for a global agreement on issues relating to the environment and human rights.
My favorite classes in high school have been Human Geography and Comparative Government/Politics. When I started learning about the UK, I was intrigued by the UK’s parliamentary system and its ramifications for economic and social issues, all of which play out differently in the US. Outside of class, I continued doing my own research on the Unitary System and the way it impacts the Irish question, Brexit and European monetary policy. This is why I plan on following the footsteps of Dr. Michael W. Mosser and his work on the European Union and security. Even if there was no mandatory study abroad requirement, I would still have jumped at the opportunity to study at the University College London.
Also, majoring in IRG will prepare me to address different issues affecting my community. We can gain valuable insights on immigration or climate change, by studying how other countries address social problems. When I joined V3ssel, I realized the importance of engaging with local officials on issues such as education, immigration, public health, and environmental policy. As an IRG major, I can continue becoming a world citizen and build a career focused on global issues and community engagement. (293 words)
Tips + Analysis
- Showcase personal relevance. Just as the writer’s background as the granddaughter of Italian immigrants influenced their choice to study International Relations and Global Studies, share personal experiences or influences that have shaped your interest. These details will help readers better understand the personal connection you have with your chosen field of study and your motivations for pursuing it at Harvard.
- Emphasize real-world application. Much like the writer in the example essay, emphasize, through specific detail + “so whats,” how your education at Harvard will equip you with the knowledge and skills to tackle real-world challenges related to your field. Whether it’s addressing issues in European politics, engaging with local communities through art, or finding the next breakthrough in computer engineering, convey your conviction to make a tangible impact.
- Tie Harvard resources to your goals. Just like in a typical “Why Us?” essay, you can directly mention how Harvard’s resources align with your goals. Talk about potential research opportunities, classes, professors, or student activities that match your ambitions.
Here’s another sample essay:
Imagine all the stars in the universe. The brain has a thousand times the number of synapses, making neurological errors a near certainty. I learned this fact firsthand as a 14 year-old, when I suffered from sleepless nights because of an uncomfortable, indescribable feeling in my leg. It took months of appointments and tests to be told it was a condition called cortical dysplasia. Even after the diagnosis, there is no cure.
I am lucky. My condition does not severely affect my quality of life. However, I know this is not the case for everyone. After this experience, I took AP Biology and attended a neuroscience program, which reinforced the subject as my future calling. One of the most impactful lectures discussed the plight of healthcare in developing nations. Newborns with extreme neurological deficits are common, but finding treatments is not. Without prenatal care, this is becoming a growing epidemic, leaving millions of children helpless.
With a degree in neuroscience, I will gain a strong understanding of neural tube development and neuronal migration in infants. I will then become a neurologist, specializing in pediatric care. I hope to work for humanitarian organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders, in Africa, where HIV and polio are rampant, as are numerous other diseases.
Imagine the stars once more. From across the world, I will look at the same stars in the future, as I help children secure the ability to not only look at the stars, but do much more. (247 words)
How to Write MIT Supplemental Essay Prompt #4
How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn’t expect? What did you learn from it? (225 word or fewer)
Picking a Topic:
Essentially, MIT wants to see how you solve problems. Brainstorm a list of challenges you’ve overcome and times things didn’t go according to plan.
Consider the following:
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The “Shark Tank Exercise” can work really well for this essay, since you don’t have to have solved the problem in order to write about it.
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This is a chance to show a side of yourself the admissions counselors haven’t seen yet. Read through the rest of your application and see if any activity or experience is missing. In most cases, something went wrong at some point, and that can be your topic.
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Finally: Most students write about something going wrong in a robotics competition (“Our robot broke!”), so we recommend thinking of other options.
Now, create a basic outline that answers:
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What was the problem?
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Why was it a big deal?
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What did you do about it?
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How were you crucial to helping solve it or what gifts or talents were you able to bring to the situation?
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How did it turn out? Were there any larger impacts or lessons learned?
Let’s check out an example of this structure coming to life (though, since MIT dropped its word count slightly this year from 250 to 225 words, you’d have a bit less room to work with).
Example:
Off the crack of the bat I tracked the first two hops, but when I looked down, all I saw was a crooked finger.
It was the game before CIF, our year to take the championship that had eluded us the year prior. I had received Honorable Mention All-League and Rookie of the Year awards my sophomore year, and this year was my time to help break school history.
But a misplaced pebble guaranteed I wouldn’t have the opportunity to live my decade long goal of winning CIF. During the first playoff game, I simply watched from the dugout, restricted by my cast. I felt useless.
In the next game, I completely altered my gameplan; I talked to our coach about my helping to manage the team. I traded my glove and bat for a clipboard and pencil, keeping score and tracking pitch counts; I used the data to alter defensive formations based on opponents’ batting tendencies and advise on pitching strategy, allowing us to conserve our ace for the championship. I applied my problem solving skills and led my team from the dugout.
Our team broke school history for the second year in a row, making it to the CIF championship, but fell two runs short of victory. While I could think “What if I had been playing?”I don’t have to, because I know I played a valuable role and was just as much of a threat at left bench as I was making diving stops at second.
Tips + Analysis
Let’s take a look at how this student used the structure outlined above.
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What was the problem? Although the crooked- finger image is a bit graphic, it makes it easy to see this student’s problem. Using a quick descriptive anecdote like this student did can be an effective way to set the scene and get to the juicier parts of this prompt: your actions. Right before you get there, though, let us know:
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Why was it a big deal? Raise the stakes. In the example above, the author mentioned a championship and school history. Providing context for your challenge (what you had done to build up to this moment, the investments other people made in getting to this moment, etc.) will help the reader care.
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What did you do about it? Specifics, specifics, specifics. This student shares high-impact actions (tracking pitch counts, using data to alter defensive formations) and does the work for the reader, naming the higher-level skills required (problem solving and leadership).
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How were you crucial to helping solve it? This student doesn’t answer the question directly, but it’s clear that his unique circumstance-a player thrust into a different role-gave him the opportunity to leverage his skills (analyzing data on baseball strategy). If your prior experience (maybe taking a summer course on using Excel) helped you adapt on the fly or overcome a challenge (maybe by creating a spreadsheet to analyze how time of day impacted student conflict during class change time), share it!
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How did it turn out? Were there any larger impacts or lessons learned? Leave the reader with a satisfying conclusion, even if you haven’t fully resolved the challenge. If you’re still working to overcome that challenge, tell us how. And if you learned something valuable along the way, like this student’s new comfort with having a positive impact regardless of his role, don’t hesitate to share it explicitly.
How to Write MIT Supplemental Essay Prompt #5
In addition to our main essays, we have short response questions that are designed to get to know you better. There is only space for 40-50 words each.
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What do you do just for fun?
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Who is someone you admire, whether you know them personally or look up to them from afar? Tell us why.
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What’s a topic, academic or non-academic, that you could talk about for hours?
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MIT values both “generalists” with varied interests and “specialists” who focus deeply on one or a few passions. Which do you think best describes you, and why?
These short answer questions can present a nice opportunity to show your personality, and allow for some juxtaposition against one another to demonstrate depth and complexity.
Here’s some advice on how to approach short answer questions like these.
A bit of guidance on these specific questions:
For prompt 1, don’t feel like you need to sneak in something intellectual, like “I love doing Calculus problem sets.” MIT is genuinely interested in seeing other sides of who you are and what you bring to campus.
For prompt 2, think about people who embody virtues you admire and aspire to, like wisdom, or courage. Then, help us understand something about you by what you admire in them.
For 3, scan your other MIT topics—if, for example, a bunch of them are about math, then maybe pick something non-academic here, and help us see other sides and interests. Use this prompt to add and balance.
For prompt 4, get specific—they truly value both, so dig into why you’re one over the other.
And here are some general tips to get you started on the short-answer portion of the MIT application:
#1: Think of your short answers as an advent calendar. Consider that each of your short answers, no matter how short, is a tiny window into your soul. Make sure the reader finds something inside that’s awesome and different from the window before.
#2: Use all or most of the space allotted to explain your answer. You’re given space for 50 words for an answer that could easily be one or two words. So use it up! In other words, you can answer “why,” even if the prompt doesn’t ask you to. Do this because your core values may be hard to express in 1-2 words.
#3: Get specific. Don’t just give a generic answer followed by a generic reason for your generic answer. Be creative and use details that give you a distinctive/memorable voice.
#4: Feel free to take (calculated) risks on these. Get creative. Push boundaries (a little). To clarify, we don’t mean shock for the sake of shock value; make sure you’re still revealing core values (one of which might be humor, for instance). Speaking of which …
#5: Don’t check your humor at the door. If you’re funny in life, feel free to be funny in your short answers. If you’re not funny, no need to start now. 😉
#6: Offer a variety of things you’re interested in. If you love science and wrote a supplemental essay about science, don’t answer prompt #2 with 20 journals, websites, or publications you’ve read on … science. Show how you find joy in astrophysics but also literature, philosophy, Star Trek, programming, and Godfather 1 and 2 (but not 3.)
#7: Note that there isn’t, like, some magical key/code with these where, if you answer the right thing for your favorite website, then the door to MIT will be magically opened to you (although imagine that). These are just a chance (well, three chances) for the school to get to know you better. So make the most of them by sharing values and insights, but don’t over-obsess as though your life depends on them. ‘Cuz it doesn’t.
The examples below, pulled from various short answers from a few different colleges, each do a nice job of showing values, intellect, and personality, and often contain a touch of humor.
Here’s a nice example written for Princeton’s “Joy” prompt:
Six-word stories; poems by Jorge Luis Borges; the state of peace from doing yoga; immersing myself in history fictions before bed; Friends; holding my mom’s hand on our walks; the breathtaking sunset of Mount Hermon; talking and laughing across from a dear friend selfishly wishing the moment could last forever.
And here are some examples from Yale’s short answers:
Short answer: What inspires you? (200 characters; 35 words max)
Example:
Podcasts. Ira Glass and This American Life. Stories that hook you with the small moments, but leave you with the big lessons. Listening to voices and feeling connected to a radio network of humanity. (199 Characters)
Tips + Analysis
Think about the things people tend to be inspired by. Sunsets. Popular quotes. Songs. Then don’t write about those things.
Instead, find something that is as specific to you as possible, and that allows you to share a new side of yourself. And get really specific with the “why.” Plenty of people are inspired by podcasts, but the reflection and focus are what helps us feel like we know this student.
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Short answer: If you could teach any college course, write a book, or create an original piece of art of any kind, what would it be?
Example:
Tweeting on the Golden Toilet: A Historical Look at the Social, Political, and Cultural Implications of Fake News in America (20 words)
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Tips + Analysis
We like that, in just a few words, we get a feel for the author’s sense of humor, her intellect, and her political and social values.
The structure here—an interesting, amusing course name, followed by a description that shows us values and intelligence—works nicely.
Short answer: What is one aspect of yourself that you hope to grow or develop during college?
Late nights working on the Katana ZERO fan game I started; coding, writing, drawing. The best part is posting in #daily-progress at 2am about what I accomplished. Logging in the next morning and seeing updates from my team members, I’m encouraged to keep working on our collective passion project. (49 words)
Short answer: Other than a family member, who is someone who has had a significant influence on you? What has been the impact of their influence?
Michael Wildes, my mentor, who humbly carries the big flashy name, has inspired me to become an immigration lawyer who sees the human in each person rather than the money they can pay.
How to Write MIT Supplemental Essay Prompt #6
Please list up to four activities-if you have more than four, choose the ones that are most important to you. (40 words or less per activity description)
Simple.
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Pick your top four activities (from your Common App list).
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Write 40-word descriptions. Our tips for the Activities List live here, and apply them to this writing as well.
Examples:
Citizen Scientist Marine Protected Area Watch
Monitor local Marine Protected beaches for illegal activity; coordinate with Park Rangers and fellow Citizen Scientists to deter visitors from abusing the beach habitats and creatures; complete surveys on activity at the beaches: published data 15 times for academic studies (40 words)
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2019 Captain; starter MHS Varsity Baseball
Starter at 2nd or 3rd base; bat 2nd in lineup; made school history by making 2017 CIF semi-finals, 2018 CIF finals; 2017 Rookie of the Year Award, 2017 All-Frontier League Honorable Mention; to be Captain in 2019 Season (38 words)
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Educator Heal the Bay’s Pier Aquarium
Teach and engage in discussion with guests at touch tanks, shark tanks, and whale exhibit; coordinate whale watching events, encourage ocean respect and environmentalism; received Dolphin Pin for 150 hours of service (32 words)
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Starting Driver MHS Water Polo
Starter, sprinter; 2018 Conejo Classic Tournament Champions, 2018 Oxnard Tournament Champions; 2nd Team All-Frontier League 2017 Award, 2016 MVP of JV team, Frontier League Champions 2015-2018; club season: start for S&S Bruin Water Polo – driver, compete in local tournaments (40 words)
Tips + Analysis
For a comprehensive list of tips and ideas, head over to our full activities list writing guide.
Most importantly:
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Emphasize tangible, measurable impact.
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Use active verbs.
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Use lists and incomplete sentences
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Cut extra words by using more specific words (i.e., “told people about” → advertised, “came up with” → brainstormed).
How to Write MIT Supplemental Essay Prompt #7
Optional: No application can meet the needs of every individual. If there is significant information that you were not able to include elsewhere in the application, you may include it here. (Many students will leave this section blank-and that’s okay.)
Please note, we may not be able to access all links you share. If you have supplemental materials you would like to submit, please refer to our optional creative portfolios. (150 words or fewer)
This is basically the Additional Info section of your Common App. You can find a complete guide for the Additional Info section here.
How to Write MIT Supplemental Essay Prompt #8
Optional: If you have additional information about your family that you think is important for us to know, please include it here. (100 words or fewer)
Picking a Topic:
This prompt is optional, but can be a useful way to help MIT understand more about who you are and what perspective/s you bring to the campus community.
One way to approach this prompt is as a form of a “diversity” essay-for a full guide to “diversity” prompts, head here.
Here are a few questions to get you thinking:
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Does your family have strong values that span generations? Are you from a family of creators? Educators? Doers? Risk takers? Write a list of traits and values you see in your grandparents. Underline any that you also see in your immediate caregivers. Put a star next to any you embody yourself. Those might just be worth writing about.
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Are there two or three values of yours that you learned from specific people? You might be able to answer this prompt with a montage of “inherited values.” Make a(nother) list of some core values that aren’t a focus of your personal statement. For those values, underline any that make you think of a specific person in your life. Choose three, think of how those values show up in your life today, and get started writing a draft.
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Give your grandparents a call! Not only will Nana appreciate it, but your elders might just have a sense of cultural heritage you weren’t aware of. Hearing a family member’s take on this question might make you realize you have more of a cultural background than you initially thought.
Here’s an example essay written for an older version of this prompt
Example:
4 eggs. 2 cups milk. 1 cup flour. 1 tablespoon sugar. 1 teaspoon salt.
Swedish Pancakes have connected my family for generations. Learning the recipe with my aunt during Christmas brought us together and unlocked the secrets of the most delicious food on earth. Serving them to my Farmor and playing “Let it Be” on the piano was my way to say goodbye before she passed.
While their taste is divine, it’s what Swedish Pancakes represent that really matters to me. They’ve been a portal to understanding my heritage and connecting to the people in my life who matter most.
Tips + Analysis
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Set the scene with a clear image. This student doesn’t use a traditional description, but he manages to set a clear scene, baking in the kitchen, with a short list of five ingredients. Descriptions can lend a warm and fuzzy feeling to this short essay and give your application depth and humanity.
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Connect culture to values. What? We love urging students to ground their writing in values? We know you’ve heard this one before, but this prompt is an open invitation to explicitly share your values, specifically those you’ve inherited from your family or community. This student names his values in the final sentence: heritage and connection to loved ones. But even before that, he shared his values of service (in this case, literally serving food) and music.
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Use Tip 1 for paragraph 1 and Tip 2 for paragraph 2–and there’s your outline! Showing your cultural heritage in action using a descriptive anecdote, then unpacking what those cultural elements mean to you, is just about all you need to (and perhaps can) do in a 100-word supplement. This strategy of “show and then tell” will be valuable in many of these MIT supplements.
You may notice you’re describing a community here, if briefly. For more on this type of essay, check out our comprehensive guide on how to write the community essay here.
And here’s a bonus example that we love:
My last name: Pritamani, Mother’s maiden name: Kalvani, Grandmother’s maiden name: Kewalramani. Almost every Sindhi, along with enjoying shiny clothes, can be identified by the -ani. Though the Sindhi language may be dying, pre-partition Sindhi culture is truly alive with daal pakwan and sale mani being dishes I have learned to make.
Though my roots are Sindh, post-partition most of my family moved to Mumbai, which has now become my “home” in India. I can vividly remember the off-and-on monsoon rains and drinking from fresh nariyal (coconuts) when coming out of Jogger’s Park.
I celebrate Diwali, use my Hindi written and spoken skills to read the shudh (pure) Hindi from the prayer books, recount lessons from the Ramayan and Mahabharat, and fast from eggs every Monday as prayer for my parents’ long life.
Growing up watching Sunday football, learning and exploring American history.
I am Sindhi, Indian, Hindu, and American.
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Special thanks to Ameer for his contributions to this blog post.
Ameer is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about college admissions and career development. Prior to freelancing, Ameer worked for three years as a college admissions consultant at a Hong Kong-based education center, helping local high school students prepare and apply for top colleges and universities in the US. He has a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from UCLA. When he’s not working, Ameer loves traveling, weight lifting, writing, reading, and learning foreign languages. He currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
Top values: Growth / Diversity / Empathy
