Spelman Supplemental Essays 2025-26

Spelman Supplemental Essays

Are you wondering how to write the Spelman essays? Like other highly-ranked colleges, the application process at Spelman is competitive. However, understanding how to write strong Spelman supplemental essays can help you put your best foot forward.  

Spelman College is a women’s liberal arts HBCU located in Atlanta, Georgia. Ranked the #1 HBCU for 19 consecutive years, Spelman is known for its strong academics and empowering campus community. Over 2,100 students live and learn on Spelman’s campus each year.

In this Spelman supplemental essays guide, we will provide tips on:

• How to get into Spelman
• Tackling the Spelman essay prompts
• Writing strong Spelman supplemental essays

But, before we discuss the Spelman essay prompts, let’s cover some quick facts about the Spelman admissions process. 

Spelman Admissions: Quick Facts

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

Does Spelman require supplemental essays?

Yes! The Spelman College requirements tells us that Spelman admissions review both Common App personal statements and Spelman supplemental essays. These essays are extremely important when it comes to crafting a competitive Spelman application. 

The Spelman essays allow applicants to share important insights into their personality, values, skills, and future goals. Essentially, they’re an opportunity to properly introduce yourself to the admissions committee. 

The Common App personal statement is an important part of the Spelman application and likely a requirement for other colleges you’re applying to. Similar to the Spelman supplemental essays, choosing a topic that you can comprehensively and passionately write about is key.

We’ll get into the details of writing stellar Spelman essays and learn more about the Spelman essay prompts later in this guide. If you haven’t written your Common App personal statement essay yet, we’ve got plenty of resources to help you get started. Check out some of our top Common App essay examples and this writing webinar!

How many essays does Spelman require?

Spelman College requires two Spelman essays as part of the first-year admissions application. However, the first of the two Spelman essays is the Common App personal statement. The second of the Spelman supplemental essays is school-specific and unique to Spelman. 

Like most college essays, the Spelman essays each have a specific word limit. The Common App personal essay must be at least 250 words and no more than 650 words. Your Spelman supplemental essay must be between 150-300 words.

Based on the word count, Spelman supplemental essays are more like short answer essays. But don’t underestimate their importance! Later in the article, we will discuss how the Spelman admissions committee views Spelman supplemental essays and provide some tips to make sure your Spelman supplemental essays are competitive. 

Spelman College Essay Prompts

As you start brainstorming your response to the Spelman essay prompt, think about how your essay works into your overall Spelman application. Before you sit down to write your Spelman essay, ask yourself:

• What stories have you already told, and which can be expanded upon through your Spelman supplemental essay?
• What other aspects of your personhood would you like to include in your Spelman essay?
• Are there any ideas, values, or experiences that you need to expand on in your Spelman supplemental essay?

Now let’s look at this year’s Spelman essay prompts. As previously stated, the first of your Spelman essays is the Common App personal statement. Students should choose just one of the Common App prompts to answer. 

The Common App essay prompts are as follows: 

Next is the Spelman supplemental essay. Unlike the Common App personal statement, there are not multiple Spelman essay prompts to choose from.

All Spelman supplemental essays will respond to the following prompt: 

The second of the Spelman essay prompts may not look like a standard “Why School” essay prompt. However, you can still think of it that way. With this essay, Spelman admissions wants to understand how you embody Spelman’s own values and their “commitment to positive social change through service.”

Answering the Spelman essay prompt

The best Spelman supplemental essays aren’t about creating world peace or offering an action plan for how to change the world. It’s about showcasing what you care about, why it matters to you, and how you think about creating change.

First, you’ll need to come up with an issue you want to address. Focus on a problem you’ve noticed firsthand or feel personally connected to. Smaller, specific issues often make for stronger essays because they’re easier to explain and reflect on. For instance, instead of writing broadly about “education inequality,” you might focus on the lack of academic support for first-generation students at your high school, or how limited access to guidance counselors made it harder for students to navigate college applications.

Then, you need to identify why this issue matters to you. Share what drew your attention to the problem and why it stuck with you. Admissions officers want to understand your motivation — not just what the issue is, but why you care about it.

Finally, focus on how you would address the issue. You don’t need a perfect or fully developed solution. Instead, describe the steps you would take to start creating change, who you might work with, and how you would listen to those affected. This part is about showing your willingness to learn, collaborate, and take initiative.

Now that you have a sense of how to approach the prompt, let’s discuss how you might go about writing your Spelman essay. 

How to write a Spelman supplemental essay

Answering this prompt may be intimidating, but with enough preparation and insight, you can craft great Spelman supplemental essays! However, you only have 300 words to work with. So, it is important to be intentional in your word choice and sentence structure when writing your Spelman essay.

Here are five tips to keep in mind as you begin working on your essay:

Be specific

Avoid vague statements about “making the world better” or “creating change.” Instead, ground your essay in concrete examples, clear observations, and specific details. The more clearly you describe the issue and your role in addressing it, the easier it is for the reader to understand your perspective and remember your story.

Show reflection, not just ambition

Spelman values students who think deeply about their experiences. Go beyond what you want to do and reflect on what you’ve learned so far. You can share how your perspective has changed, what challenges surprised you, or what questions you’re still grappling with. Growth and self-awareness matter more than sounding confident or polished.

Focus on process over perfection

Admissions officers are not expecting a flawless plan or a guaranteed outcome. They’re far more interested in how you think through problems and how you respond to uncertainty. Show your curiosity, empathy, and willingness to learn from others. It’s okay to acknowledge limits or mistakes — doing so can actually strengthen your essay.

Connect to Spelman’s values

You don’t need to overdo it, but a brief connection to Spelman’s mission can help tie your essay together. Spelman emphasizes intellectual, creative, ethical, and leadership development, so consider how your approach to change reflects one or more of these qualities. Let the connection feel natural, not tacked on.

Use your authentic voice

Write in a way that sounds like you. This essay should feel personal, honest, and grounded in real experience — not like a resume, policy proposal, or speech. Admissions officers want to get to know how you think and what matters to you, so don’t be afraid to let your personality and perspective come through.

Is Spelman College prestigious?

Prestige is often in the eyes of the beholder. However, if we simply look at rankings and acceptance rates, we can see that Spelman College is indeed a prestigious institution. In fact, Spelman College has been ranked by U.S. News as the #1 Historically Black College and University for the past 19 years. Additionally, Spelman College is ranked #37 among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. 

Rankings can be useful during the initial research of colleges But remember, rankings alone do not give you the full picture. Students should talk to their counselors, peers, and other networks to learn about colleges. Spelman’s prestige is well noted, but there are so many other things that make Spelman special. 

Doing research for your Spelman supplemental essays will allow you to discover Spelman College beyond the rankings. Your Spelman essays should show that you went beyond just reviewing the website and scanning the Spelman essay prompts. 

Does Spelman care about essays?

Spelman College supplemental essays are a critical part of Spelman’s holistic review process. Holistic review means that applicants are more than just their grade point average and standardized test scores. Admissions officers who use holistic review take several factors into consideration in order to select applicants who have the potential to succeed at their institution. Of course, your Spelman essays are one of these factors! 

The Spelman admissions committee is interested in service, leadership, and connection to the mission of the college. They are also interested in understanding your interests, background, motivations, and future aspirations through your Spelman essays. Spelman supplemental essays are a great place to show who you really are as a person and how you might fit into the Spelman College ecosystem. 

Additionally, successful responses to the Spelman essay prompts will provide information that the admissions committee may not be able to gather from your high school transcript, activities list, or a letter of recommendation. Since Spelman does not offer admissions interviews, the Spelman essays are one of the few places where the admissions committee gets to hear your voice and understand your unique perspective.

Now that you understand how important Spelman essays are to your overall application, it is critical that you allot the proper time and research to your Spelman essays. The more you know about Spelman College, the better chance you have at writing strong Spelman College supplemental essays. 

Next, let’s learn a little bit more about Spelman College! This information will help you write informed Spelman College supplemental essays. 

Additional information about Spelman College

Spelman College is a global leader in the education of women of African descent. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that historically black colleges like Spelman lack diversity. The Spelman campus includes students of different races and ethnicities from across the country and the world. Spelman College offers over 30 majors and minors. As a liberal arts institution, there is a program of study for every interest at Spelman. 

Spelman College is one of 107 HBCU colleges. HBCUs are historically black colleges and universities. HBCU colleges were founded during a time when African Americans were unable to seek higher education in the United States. Because of this history, many HBCUs have missions and values dedicated to furthering the education and empowerment of historically underrepresented groups.

Spelman College is one of the most prestigious HBCU colleges in the nation. Spelman is also a top women’s college. Central to the mission of women’s colleges, Spelman College produces alumnae who are world leaders and change agents. 

Impactful alumnae

Two of the most notable contemporary Spelman alumnae include Stacey Abrams and Rosalind Brewer. 

After graduating from Spelman in 1995, Stacey Abrams went on to law school at Yale. Stacey is the first African American Georgia House Minority Leader, the first black woman to run for governor of Georgia, the author of 8 best-selling books, and an accomplished lawyer and entrepreneur. More recently, in the 2020 election, Stacey’s organization Fair Fight was credited for protecting voters’ rights, turning Georgia blue, and shaping the outcome of the presidential election. Stacey Abrams was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for this work.

Rosalind Brewer is from Detroit, Michigan, and majored in Chemistry at Spelman.  Most recently Rosalind served as the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance and was the only Black woman leading a Fortune 500 company at the time. Prior to joining Walgreens, Roz held the positions of COO at Starbucks, President of Walmart East division, and President and CEO of Sam’s Club.  

Spelman women are shining examples of leadership and service. Before you submit your Spelman supplemental essays, think of the ways that you too can show evidence of leadership and service in your Spelman essays and your Spelman application more broadly. The Spelman essay prompts are designed to gather this information, so take full advantage of the Spelman essay prompts. 

Spelman Supplemental Essays – Final Takeaways

We’ve covered a lot of information when it comes to the Spelman essays and responding to the Spelman essay prompts. While writing strong Spelman essays may seem overwhelming, there are ways to make the process more manageable. Let’s review some final takeaways on how to best respond to the Spelman essay prompts. 

1. Read the prompts carefully. Determine how you can best use the Spelman essay prompts to share your story. Choosing your essay topic is the most important part of writing strong Spelman essays. 
2. Do your research before you begin writing your Spelman supplemental essays. Understanding the Spelman mission, academic offerings, and historical context can help you write the most impactful Spelman supplemental essays. 
3. In your essay, connect your interests and passions to those of Spelman College. Your Spelman essay can of course be creative, but it should also be comprehensive. Be sure you have a clear message. 

Spelman essay prompts can change each year. Be sure to check the Common App for any changes to the Spelman College supplemental essays. The university’s website should also have the most updated information on the application process and essay prompts. 

Getting help can be crucial when it comes to gaining acceptance to top universities such as Spelman College. CollegeAdvisor has expert admissions counselors who can help you to write the best Spelman essays. Reach out for personalized guidance or check out our expansive library of free resources when applying to schools. 

Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.