United States · 2026–27 first-year application
American University supplemental short answer
American's first-year checklist lists an optional supplemental short answer about a belief, hobby, idea, issue, or topic that excites the applicant. It is separate from the Common Application essay and from optional applications to AU's special academic programs. The public checklist does not give a word limit for this short answer.
Writing format
One optional supplemental short answer; check the application for its length limit
What to prepare
- 1Choose one subject you can discuss with genuine energy and explain what first drew you to it.
- 2Show how you have explored or acted on the interest, using one concrete moment rather than a list of activities.
- 3Let the reader see how you think or what you would bring to conversation at AU without turning the answer into a generic school pitch.
How to approach the writing
- Keep this answer distinct from the main Common Application essay; use it to reveal an interest that the rest of your file only names.
- Check the exact wording and length in your 2026–27 application before drafting your final response.
Before you submit
AU labels this prompt for the 2026–27 cycle but gives no public word limit. Confirm the prompt and character or word cap in the Common Application. Separate Honors, Sakura, and other special-program forms live in the Future Eagle portal after the main application.
Read American University 2026–27 first-year application checklist ↗Official source checked 2026-09-26.