Do you have to write a college essay for every school you apply to?

You don't have to write a college essay for every single school, but most four-year colleges—especially selective ones—will require at least one essay as part of the application. The most common is the personal statement, especially if you're applying through the Common App. The Common App personal statement is a general essay (650 words) that gets sent to every school where you use that application.

On top of that, many colleges and universities ask for supplemental essays. These are additional short or long responses about specific topics, like why you're interested in that school, your intended major, or unique campus communities. For example, Stanford asks a few short-answer questions plus several essays, while a school like the University of Michigan might ask a 'Why Michigan?' prompt and a community essay.

However, not every college requires an essay. Many state universities (such as some in the California State University system or certain large public schools like the University of Alabama) might not require personal statements or supplemental essays at all. Community colleges almost never require essays—their application is often super straightforward.

If you’re applying only to schools in the University of California system (like UCLA or UC Berkeley), they don’t use the Common App but ask for four short, specific essays called "Personal Insight Questions."

Here’s an example: Some students want to minimize the essay load and prioritize schools based on this. If you don't love writing essays, you might focus more on schools with fewer or no required essays, like some public universities in Florida (e.g., Florida State University) or Texas, where several accept ApplyTexas without an essay for certain admissions categories.

Ultimately, it depends on your college list. It's a good idea to check each school's website or application portal to see exactly what they require. You can also search for 'colleges that don't require essays' to find lists online, but always double-check with the actual college.

If writing is a big stress for you or your friend, try to balance your college list with some essay-optional or no-essay schools. If you enjoy writing, you might see the essays as a great way to show off your personality beyond just grades and test scores.