How many essays do you actually have to write for college applications?

The number of essays you'll need to write for college applications can vary a lot depending on your school list. Almost every application will require one main essay, which is usually the Common App personal statement if you're applying through the Common Application. That's typically around 650 words long and goes to all the Common App schools you choose.

On top of that, many colleges—especially private universities and selective public universities—will also have their own supplemental essays. These can range from just one short paragraph to several additional essays per school. For example, some selective schools might ask for a "Why Us?" essay, a "community" or "diversity" prompt, and maybe a quirky question (like "What would you do with a free afternoon?").

If you apply to, say, 10 schools, and each asks for an average of 2 supplements, you could easily have 20 to 25 essays, especially if you include all the different lengths (some are only 100-150 words). However, public universities—particularly large state schools—sometimes only require the main essay or have their own straightforward prompts. For instance, the UC system has 4 short essays (Personal Insight Questions), while some state schools might not require any essay aside from the personal statement.

You can reuse essays to some extent, especially for similar prompts like "Why this major?" or "Tell us about a meaningful activity." Just make sure to personalize each response to the specific school so your essay doesn't sound generic. Swapping out a school name isn't enough—try to reference programs, values, or opportunities specific to that college. For example, if two schools ask about your intended major, you might be able to repurpose most of your answer, but you’ll want to tailor the last paragraph with details relevant to each institution.

One helpful tip is to organize your essays in a spreadsheet, listing the prompts and word counts for each school. You’ll often discover overlapping themes, and this makes it easier to track where you can reuse or adapt content.

Managing all these essays does take planning, but by starting early and keeping organized, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed. A lot of successful applicants end up with 12-20 essays total, depending on where they apply. The key is to draft strong core essays and then tweak them to fit each school’s prompt.