Washington and Lee supplemental essays 2026-27
Every Washington and Lee supplemental prompt for this cycle, quoted with its limit and who has to answer it, then what to write and in what order. Checked against Washington and Lee’s own page on November 5, 2026.
The Washington and Lee supplement at a glance
- Prompts listed
- 5
- Words to write
- None required
- Admitted posters
- GPA 3.90 to 4.00
SAT 1,460 to 1,550
The GPA and SAT are the middle half of what admitted applicants posted publicly, not a requirement. The full tables, activities and majors are on how to get into Washington and Lee.
What changed this year
Washington and Lee keeps an optional why W&L statement and one of four short answers, written or as a video, with no reported change.
The Washington and Lee prompts, quoted
Optional (up to 500 words)
“Optional "Why W&L?" Written Statement: Please describe how you have familiarized yourself with W&L and what aspects of its community are most exciting to you.”
Limit: 250 words or less · Who: All first-year applicants; submitted in the Applicant Portal after applying · Optional
Washington and Lee's readers see this answer more than any other, and most versions would survive a find-and-replace with another college's name. Try it on your draft: every sentence that still works with a rival's name in it has to go. What is left should be things you would actually use at Washington and Lee, each tied to something you have already done.
Answer up to one of these four, if you like
“Option 1: Please describe an aspect of your life outside of school that is important to you, such as an extracurricular activity, a job, or a family responsibility. How has your involvement shaped your personal qualities and growth, and how has it impacted those around you?”
Limit: 250 words or less, or a video of 2 minutes maximum · Who: All first-year applicants; choose one of four short-answer options · One of a choice
Choose the commitment where your own part is clearest, even if it is not the biggest line on your list, and spend the words on what you did that someone else in your seat would not have.
“Option 2: W&L's mission statement focuses on preparing graduates for lifelong learning in a global and diverse society. Recognizing that diversity takes many forms, what diverse aspect would you bring to W&L?”
Limit: 250 words or less, or a video of 2 minutes maximum · Who: All first-year applicants; choose one of four short-answer options · One of a choice
Pick one part of your background and one moment where it mattered, then show what it changed in how you act now. A survey of your whole life in 250 words reads as a list, and readers have the rest of the file for that.
“Option 3: Reveal to us how your curious mind works by sharing something you spend considerable time thinking or learning about.”
Limit: 250 words or less, or a video of 2 minutes maximum · Who: All first-year applicants; choose one of four short-answer options · One of a choice
Readers check this answer against your transcript and activities, so it has to match them. Name the specific question, course or project that pulls you, show where the interest started, and point to what you would use at Washington and Lee by its real name.
“Option 4: On a residential college campus with a Speaking Tradition that encourages connections between individuals, using each other's names matters. Please share the story of any name you go by and what significance it holds for you.”
Limit: 250 words or less, or a video of 2 minutes maximum · Who: All first-year applicants; choose one of four short-answer options · One of a choice
This is the kind of question readers look forward to, because it is where a file starts to sound like a person. Answer it literally and specifically: a real, slightly odd detail does more than a profound one, and 250 words is enough for one image followed all the way through.
How many words the Washington and Lee supplement takes
Washington and Lee asks every applicant for no supplemental writing of its own; the prompts above are optional or belong to a program.
A plan for writing the Washington and Lee set
Everything at Washington and Lee is optional. If you write the why W&L statement, say how you learned about the school. For the short answer, the name prompt is the most personal; W&L says it has no preference between written and video formats.
Washington and Lee on AI and your essays
We found no AI statement on Washington and Lee's admissions pages on November 5, 2026. Submitting the application still certifies the writing is your own.
How Washington and Lee reads a file
Washington and Lee supplement questions
- What are the Washington and Lee supplemental essays for 2026-27?
- Washington and Lee lists 5 supplemental prompts for 2026-27, all of them quoted in full on this page from Washington and Lee's own admissions page as it read on November 5, 2026. Which ones you answer depends on the school or program you apply to and the choices you make; each prompt on the page says who answers it.
- How many words are the Washington and Lee supplements?
- Washington and Lee requires no supplemental writing of every applicant. The prompts on this page are optional or belong to a specific program or honors college.
- What changed in the Washington and Lee supplement this year?
- Washington and Lee keeps an optional why W&L statement and one of four short answers, written or as a video, with no reported change.
- Does Washington and Lee allow AI on application essays?
- We found no AI statement on Washington and Lee's admissions pages on November 5, 2026. Submitting the application still certifies the writing is your own.
Writing the Washington and Lee supplement?
A Specialist who went through a school like Washington and Lee can read your drafts against these prompts and tell you which answers sound like you and which could belong to anyone.
Checked against Washington and Lee’s own admissions page on November 5, 2026. Prompts are quoted word for word, with the college’s dashes set in our house style. Prompts can change during a cycle; confirm the wording in your application before you submit. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Washington and Lee. Every college’s supplement