Hampton University Essay Guide 2026-27

Admitted Student Profile

GPA (Unweighted)

3.30-3.80

SAT Range (Middle 50%)

1030-1190

ERW: 520-610 · Math: 510-600

ACT Range (Middle 50%)

20-25

📌 Hampton — a private HBCU on the Virginia coast known as "Our Home by the Sea" — requires the Common App personal essay and has no separate written supplement ("there are no writing questions for this college"). Hampton uniquely offers a NEW option to submit a video essay on its "Character Matters" prompt in place of the traditional written personal statement.

Application Deadlines

Early ActionNov 15

Regular DecisionMar 1

Essay Overview

For 2026-27, Hampton University requires the Common App personal essay and has no separate written supplement ("there are no writing questions for this college"). What's distinctive is a new video-essay option: instead of the traditional written personal statement, you may submit a video responding to Hampton's "Character Matters" prompt — describe what exhibiting good character means to you, with specific examples of demonstrated behavior. Whether you write the personal statement or record the Character Matters video, Hampton's culture of character, leadership, and service is what it reads for. You can draft and score your Character Matters response below before you record it.

EssayLimitStatus

Common App Personal Statement Required (written path) 250–650 words Required

"Character Matters" Video Essay Optional alternative to the written essay Video Optional

What They're Really Looking For

Show character through a specific story, not a definition. The prompt asks what good character means to you AND examples you've demonstrated. Don't define "integrity" — show a concrete moment where your character was tested and what you did (this works for the written essay or as your video script).

Pick a real, sometimes-costly example. Character shows most when doing the right thing cost you something. A specific decision — especially an unglamorous one — lands harder than a highlight reel.

If you record the video, script it first. The Character Matters video should sound like you, not a recited essay — but drafting (and scoring) the written version first gives you a specific, well-structured story to speak from.

The Official Prompts — 2026-27

Common App Personal Statement

Required (written path)250–650 words

Your choice of the seven Common App personal-statement prompts. (There is no separate Hampton written supplement.)

"Character Matters" Video Essay

Optional video optionVideo

"Character Matters at Hampton University: Describe what exhibiting good character means to you and provide specific examples of demonstrated behavior in this regard." Hampton's new option to submit a video essay in place of the written personal statement. (Draft and score the written version below before you record.)

The #1 Failure Mode

⚠️

Most Common Mistake

Defining "good character" in the abstract. The prompt asks for examples of behavior you've demonstrated — and the common miss is a dictionary-style essay about honesty and respect with no real story. Hampton wants a specific moment where your character showed, not a definition of the word.

Weak vs. Strong: Score Benchmarks

⚠️ Weak (~54/100)

"Good character means being honest, respectful, and responsible. I believe having good character is one of the most important qualities a person can have. Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing and treat others with kindness and respect. I know that my strong character will help me succeed at Hampton University."

✓ Strong (~83/100)

"Good character, to me, is what you do when the register comes up $20 short and you're the only one who knows it was your mistake. It happened my first month bagging groceries — I could have stayed quiet. Instead I told my manager, expecting to be fired; she covered it and made me a shift lead a month later. I learned that character isn't about never messing up. It's about who you are in the sixty seconds after you do."

Hampton UniversityEssay Guide 2026-27