Admitted Student Profile
GPA (Unweighted)
3.50-3.90
SAT Range (Middle 50%)
1180-1370
ERW: 600-690 · Math: 580-680
ACT Range (Middle 50%)
25-30
📌 The University of Delaware requires the standard Common App or Coalition personal statement, and no UD-specific supplement. Honors College consideration is automatic for applicants who complete a full application by the Nov 1 Early Action deadline — there is no separate Honors essay.
Application Deadlines
Early Action (+ Honors)Nov 1
Regular Decision (priority)Jan 15
Essay Overview
For 2026-27, the University of Delaware requires the standard Common App (or Coalition) personal statement and no UD-specific supplement. The Honors College needs no separate essay: applicants who submit a complete application by the November 1 Early Action deadline are automatically considered, with invitations sent in late January. So the essay to get right is your main personal statement — and applying by Nov 1 keeps Honors and top scholarships in play.
Common App / Coalition Personal Statement All applicants
250–650 words
Required
Supplemental Essay None for 2026-27
—
Not required
Honors College Essay Automatic by Nov 1 EA — no essay
—
Not required
What They're Really Looking For
1
Your personal statement is the whole essay. With no supplement, the Common App essay is where UD meets you. Make it one specific, real story that reveals how you think — not a résumé recap.
2
Apply by Nov 1 for Honors + scholarships. Delaware's Honors consideration and top scholarships hinge on a complete Early Action application by November 1. Same essay, earlier submission, more on the table.
3
No Why-UD prompt — but show a direction. You don't have to name UD, but an essay that reveals what you'd pursue helps reviewers place you in a program (Lerner Business, Chemical Engineering, Nursing).
The Official Prompts — 2026-27
Your choice of the seven Common App (or Coalition) personal-statement prompts.
UD requires no supplemental essay, and the Honors College requires none — consideration is automatic for complete applications by the Nov 1 Early Action deadline.
The #1 Failure Mode
Submitting a generic personal statement late. With no supplement and automatic Honors by Nov 1, applicants coast on a résumé-style essay and miss the Early Action window — losing Honors and scholarships. A specific, well-told story submitted by November 1 is worth far more than a polished one sent in the spring.
Weak vs. Strong: Score Benchmarks
"Ever since I was young, I have been passionate about helping others and making a difference. Throughout high school I challenged myself with rigorous courses and leadership roles that taught me responsibility, teamwork, and perseverance. I am confident these qualities will help me succeed at the University of Delaware."
"I fix sewing machines. My mother alters wedding dresses, and when the old Singers jam mid-hem with a bride waiting, I'm the one under the table with a screwdriver and a flashlight. I've learned that panic is usually a threading problem — that most disasters are just a small thing out of sequence. I plan to study mechanical engineering the same way: calmly, from underneath, one jam at a time."