What a why us essay has to prove.

    A why us essay is not a compliment to the school. It has to prove two things at once: that you know something about the place a brochure would not tell you, and that you have already done the kind of work that thing rewards. The readers look for a named professor, lab, course sequence, or tradition, and then for the sentence that connects it to your record. A draft that could be sent to a different school with the name swapped fails the first test. A draft that lists five programs and touches none of them fails the second.

    Short answers are scored as writing, not trivia.

    A 50-word answer about a societal challenge or a favorite book is still an essay. The committee reads it for the same six things it reads a personal statement for: hook, theme, detail, authenticity, reflection, and writing, weighted for the length. The winning move in a short answer is almost always one specific noun instead of three abstract ones, and a last sentence that says something the first one did not. The floor here is 50 words so the shortest prompts fit.

    Prompts for 189 schools, current cycle.

    Pick a school and its current supplemental prompts load into the picker with the published word limits, so the prompt the readers see is the prompt the school asked. Every list comes from the school's own published supplement and is browsable at Kolly's essay prompts index. If a school has changed its wording since, edit the text in place; the read scores against what you paste.

    How the percentile is placed.

    Supplements are placed against accepted supplemental essays from top US schools as one pool. Kolly does not yet split that pool by prompt type, so a why us essay and a community essay are measured against the same accepted set. The readers still weigh the prompt in their deliberation; the percentile is the part that is pooled.

    Questions students ask before pasting a supplement.

    Is there a free why us essay checker?
    Yes. Pick the school, pick or paste the prompt, paste 50 to 1,500 words, and four AI admissions readers argue over the draft right on the page. No account is needed for the quick read. A free Kolly account adds the full review with paragraph notes and a fix-it plan.
    How do I get feedback on a why this college essay?
    Paste the draft with the school selected. The readers check whether it names specific programs, people, or opportunities at that school and ties them to something you have already done, or whether it could go to any college with the name swapped. The verdict points at the weakest moment and the line that lands.
    Where can I find why this college essay examples?
    Kolly publishes the current prompts for 189 schools at kolly.ai/essay-prompts rather than sample student essays. Your supplement is scored against accepted supplemental essays from top US schools, so you get the comparison without anyone's private essay being posted.
    What word count do supplemental essays need?
    Most supplements run 100 to 300 words, short answers are often 50 words or fewer, and a handful of schools allow 500 to 650. Pick the school and prompt and the reviewer shows the published limit and flags when you are over it. The committee itself reads 50 to 1,500 words.
    Does the reviewer know my school's actual prompts?
    Yes, for 189 schools in the current application cycle. Each list comes from the school's published supplement. If a school changed its wording after the list was last checked, edit the preset text in place: the readers score against exactly what you paste.
    How is a supplement scored differently from the personal statement?
    The same six dimensions apply, but the readers weigh the prompt. A why us essay is judged on how specific it is to the school and how much evidence of fit it carries, a community essay on the concrete role you played, a short answer on whether every sentence earns its place. The percentile is placed against accepted supplemental essays rather than personal statements.
    Is this the full Kolly review?
    No. This is the quick read: a percentile, the committee's deliberation, and one verdict. The full review inside Kolly uses a stronger scoring model, leaves paragraph-level notes, and builds a fix-it plan for the paragraph hurting the essay most. The first full review is free with an account.

    Free AI essay reviewer by school.

    The personal statement version of this tool, with landing pages for the schools students review essays for most. After signup Kolly benchmarks your essays against accepted essays at the specific schools on your list.