Howard University 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Howard University 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanation

The Requirements: 2 essays of 500 words max

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Diversity

Diversity of all kinds is important to enriching the educational experience at Howard University. Please share with us anything in your background or lived experience that has shaped your perspectives and how that would contribute to the classroom and community at Howard.  (500 max)

Odds are that this isn’t the first “diversity” essay prompt you’ve come across this year. If it is, however, please read on. Howard wants to accept students from a range of backgrounds who will contribute to their community, so tell admissions about what makes you you and how you will engage with their campus community. What has shaped you as a person and how has that made your perspective unique? Think about times when people have been intrigued by or curious about your identity, skillset, or background. Maybe you learned to speak Jamaican Patois from your grandparents and you look forward to sharing your culture with your roommates through this unique language. Perhaps you spent your summers working on an organic farm in Northern California and can’t wait to work on The Farm when you arrive in DC. What do you hope to share with others about your lived experience? How will you incorporate this element of your identity to enrich the world around you? Howard wants to know how your personal perspectives, beliefs, and/or lived experiences will affect the conversations you have and the ways in which you engage with the community, so tell them a story that helps them to imagine the kind of student you’ll be on campus next fall.

Please describe the major you intend to study and how you hope to use your Howard education to support you in achieving your passions and goals. Please address your first-choice and second-choice major selections. (500 words max)

Howard University is assuming that you have done your homework on their academic offerings and you’re prepared to prove it. So if you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with Howard’s website. We’re talking courses, clubs, professors, you name it! In order to ace this essay response, you’ll need to not only articulate why your first-choice major is the obvious next step for you in accomplishing your goals, but also explain why you are a great fit for Howard. So why does your intended major pique your interest? What related experiences have you had? When did you start exploring this field? Why do you want to study this subject at Howard specifically? And how do you hope to use this education in the future? Don’t forget to discuss your second-choice major, too, if you have one.