26Fall必看！加州理工/康奈爾/西北/杜克等都已公佈小文書題目！

棕櫚說| 距離8月1日Common App美本申請系統開放僅剩22天，同學們文書寫的怎麼樣了？

眾所周知，美本申請除了主文書外，還有一個既能反映申請人與學校的匹配度，又能作為補充材料凸顯學生個人特質和熱情的重要材料——小文書。

但每所學校小文書的題目和要求各不相同，這也就意味著學生申請的學校越多，文書的任務量越大！

繼芝大打響2026 Fall小文書第一槍後，最近，又有多所藤校&Top 30陸續公佈了小文書題目。比如：

加州理工學院

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Prompt 1 (required)

Why did you choose your proposed area of interest? If you selected ‘other’, what topics are you interested in pursuing? (100-200 words)

(Note: you’ll select 1-2 areas of interest from a provided drop-down box on the application)

Prompt 2 (required)

Regardless of your STEM interest listed above, take this opportunity to nerd out and talk to us about whatever STEM rabbit hole you have found yourself falling into. Be as specific or broad as you would like. (50-150 words)

Prompt 3 (required)

At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We are interested in learning more about your engagement with STEM.

Select one of the following two STEM Experience prompts to respond to (100-200 words):

(1) Tell us how you initially found your interest and passion for science or for a particular STEM topic, and how you have pursued or developed your interest or passion over the last few years.

(2) Tell us about a meaningful STEM-related experience from the last few years and share how and why it inspired your curiosity.

Prompt 4 (required)

The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech’s students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars. But Techers also innovate in smaller-scale ways everyday, from imagining new ways to design solar cells or how to 3D-print dorm decor, to cooking up new recipes in the kitchen. How have you been a creator, inventor, or innovator in your own life? (50-150 words)

Prompt 5 (required)

Now it’s time for a little fun! Choose two of the four questions below and answer both in 250 words or less.

It’s up to you how you use your 250 words, whether that means you use exactly 125 words for each answer or you tell us about a niche interest in 30 words so you can spend 200 telling us about a core piece of your identity.

There is no ‘right’ way to choose which question to answer. If you’re all STEMmed out, feel free to tell us about a creative hobby. Or if you just can’t get enough math, tell us about a concept you can barely wrap your head around. Just remember the Caltech Honor Code and stick to 250 words for both answers combined.

1，What is an interest or hobby you do for fun, and why does it bring you joy?

2，If you could teach a class on any topic or concept, what would it be and why?

3，What is a core piece of your identity or being that shapes how you view and/or interact with the world?

4，What is a concept that blew your mind or baffled you when you first encountered it?

但需要注意，Caltech招生官明確指出，今年小文書前三個問題都是圍繞STEM領域展開，更希望看到申請人的過去的STEM經歷、對理想研究領域真正的熱情和深入挖掘。

比如，用STEM解決過哪些問題？是否將兩種興趣結合起來並激發新的激情？有哪些特別的時刻或事件能凸顯你對某種活動的愛好？是否具有創造力和創造精神？

西北大學

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Prompt 1 (Required for all applicants)

We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background (your identity, your school setting, your community, your household, etc.) have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise? (300 words)

Prompt 2 (Optional but Recommended)

The following questions are optional, but we encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two. Please respond in fewer than 200 words per question.

1) Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?

2) Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?

3) Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.

4) Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why?

5) Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?

自2023年西北大學官宣不在強制要求申請人遞交Common App主文書，小文書的地位也愈發提升，足以反映出西北對學生與學校匹配度的重視。

從學校最新的文書題目中也能看出，每個問題都緊扣學校風格和特色，希望看到學生對自己未來發展的規劃，是否具有社會責任感和自我探索。

比如你有什麼獨特的個人觀點或特別經歷？你的文化、家庭、社會背景等有何不同之處？有哪些特質與西北相匹配？你真正熱愛的是什麼？

杜克大學

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Duke Supplemental Essay 1 (Required)

The below essay is required for all applicants

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 word limit)

Duke Supplemental Essays 2 (Optional)

We want to emphasize that the following questions are optional. Feel free to answer one or two if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application. Four optional questions are available – a maximum of 2 can be selected. (250 words each)

1) We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.

2) Tell us about an experience in the past year or two that reflects your imagination, creativity, or intellect.

3) We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?

4) We recognize that not fully “fitting in” a community or place can sometimes be difficult. Duke values the effort, resilience, and independence that may require. Feel free to share with us circumstances where something about you is different and how that’s influenced your experiences or identity.

杜克大學小文書必答題是一篇非常典型的“為什麼選擇我們？”，招生官更想看到你列舉具體的細節，比如學術課程、科研機會、教學專案、學生組織或教授等，來闡述你將如何利用杜克的資源，為什麼與學校相匹配。

而兩篇可選的小文書題目，招生官更想看到申請人的獨特技能和個人視角。比如你是否有拓展性思維？是否具有求知慾和好奇心？你的過去經歷是否對你產生積極影響？

康奈爾大學

康奈爾大學是按學院錄取，除了一個必答題外，不同學院對小文書也有不同的題目和要求，具體內容可以滑動檢視。

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Required for all applicants:

We all contribute to, and are influenced by, the communities that are meaningful to us. Share how you’ve been shaped by one of the communities you belong to.

Remember that this essay is about you and your lived experience. Define community in the way that is most meaningful to you. Some examples of community you might choose from are: family, school, shared interest, virtual, local, global, cultural. (350 word limit)

College- and School-Specific Essay Questions

1，農業與生命科學學院

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Required: By applying to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), you are also applying for direct entry into one of our 20+ majors. From here, you would be part of a community dedicated to purpose-driven science; working within your major and across disciplines to tackle the complex challenges of our time. 

Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected and specifically, why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell CALS? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals influenced your choice. (500 word limit)

Optional Short-Answer Responses:

The optional short-answer questions invite you to share additional information about your background, interests, and experiences as they relate to aspects of the Cornell CALS mission.

Optional Question #1: At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are passionate about serving the public good. Please elaborate on an experience where you were able to have a meaningful impact on people, a community, and/or an environment of importance to you. (100 word limit)

Optional Question #2: Given our agricultural history and commitment to educating the next generation of agriculturalists, please share if you have a background or interest in agriculture, regardless of your intended major. An "agricultural entity" for the purpose of this question is defined as cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock (e.g., farm, ranch, greenhouse, vineyard, etc.)

Select all that apply:

-A primary source of income for my parent/guardian(s) comes from ownership of or employment by an agricultural entity.

-My extended family owns or operates an agricultural entity.

-I have experience working in an agricultural entity.

-I have interest in pursuing a career in an agricultural entity.

Please feel free to share additional details (optional). (100 word limit)

2，建築、藝術與規劃學院

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (650 word limit)

3，文理學院

College of Arts & Sciences

At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences. (650 word limit)

4，公共政策學院

Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy

Why are you interested in studying policy, and why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals have influenced your choice of policy major.

5，約翰遜商學院

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration). (650 word limit)

6，工程學院

College of Engineering

Instructions: All engineering applicants are required to write two long essays and four short essays.

Long Essay Responses (200 word limit)

Question 1: Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering?

Question 2: Why do you think you would love to study at Cornell Engineering?

Short Answer Responses (100 word limit)

Question 1: What brings you joy?

Question 2: What do you believe you will contribute to the Cornell Engineering community beyond what you've already detailed in your application? What unique voice will you bring?

Question 3: What is one activity, club, team, organization, work/volunteer experience or family responsibility that is especially meaningful to you? Please briefly tell us about its significance for you.

Question 4: What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you.

7，人類生態學院

College of Human Ecology

Identify a challenge in your greater community or in the career/industry in which you are interested. Share how the CHE education, your CHE major of choice, as well as the breadth of CHE majors, will help you address that challenge. (Refer to our essay application tips before you begin.) (Max word count: 600)

8，工業與勞動關係學院

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School. (650 word limit)

透過不同學院的小文書題目及要求，康奈爾錄取時非常看重學生的“個人興趣”和“獨特標籤”，以及與所申請課程的匹配度，如果學術背景不匹配申請方向，很可能被直接拒絕。

如果你有獨特角度的個人觀點，或深入的學術思考，或展現學術好奇心，能從活動中感悟到更深層次的思考，將更有可能獲得招生官的青睞。

需要注意，自2026年秋季開始，康奈爾所有學院都將恢復標化考試政策，申請人需要提供官方SAT或ACT成績，建議有意向申請的學生一定要提前準備。