Admitted Student Profile
GPA (Unweighted)
3.50-3.90
SAT Range (Middle 50%)
1120-1310
ERW: 570-660 · Math: 550-650
ACT Range (Middle 50%)
22-28
📌 Howard is the nation's most prominent HBCU and a competitive private research university. Applicants submit the Common App personal statement; Howard adds two optional supplemental essays (confirmed for 2026-27) that are a real chance to stand out.
Application Deadlines
Early DecisionNov 1
Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionFeb 1
Essay Overview
Howard University requires the Common App personal statement and adds two optional supplemental essays (each up to 500 words): a diversity / lived-experience essay and a why-major essay. Both are optional, but at a school this selective they are a real opportunity — a strong supplement shows Howard who you are and why you specifically want a Howard education. Both prompts are confirmed for 2026-27 on the Common App.
Common App Personal Statement All applicants
250–650 words
Required
Diversity & Lived Experience Optional
500 words
Optional
Why Major Optional
500 words
Optional
What They're Really Looking For
1
Treat the "optional" essays as expected. At Howard's selectivity, skipping both supplements leaves signal on the table. The diversity and why-major prompts are where you become a person, not a GPA — a strong applicant writes them.
2
Diversity essay = lived detail, not a label. Show a specific facet of your background through concrete experience, and what it would add to Howard's community. Naming an identity without a single lived detail is the most common miss.
3
Why-major = specific, and Howard-specific. Name your first- and second-choice majors (the prompt asks for both), tie them to real motivation, and connect to concrete Howard resources — not "I want to help my community" in the abstract.
4
Know the "Mecca." Howard's identity — legacy, leadership, service, and Black excellence — is central to how it reads applicants. The strongest essays reflect genuine understanding of why Howard, specifically.
The Official Prompts — 2026-27
Your choice of the seven Common App personal-statement prompts.
"Diversity of all kinds is important to enriching the educational experience at Howard University. Please share with us anything in your background or lived experience that has shaped your perspectives and how that would contribute to the classroom and community at Howard."
"Please describe the major you intend to study and how you hope to use your Howard education to support you in achieving your passions and goals. Please address your first-choice and second-choice major selections."
The #1 Failure Mode
Skipping the optional essays, or writing a why-major essay that never mentions Howard. Because both supplements are labeled "optional," applicants leave them blank or write generic answers — but at Howard's selectivity they are exactly where you differentiate yourself. A why-major essay that could be sent to any school, or a diversity essay that names an identity without a single lived detail, wastes the opportunity.
Weak vs. Strong: Score Benchmarks
"I want to major in political science because I care about my community and want to make a difference. Howard is a great school with a strong reputation and I know it will prepare me for my future goals. I am excited about the opportunities Howard offers and I believe I would be a great addition to the community."
"I want to study political science, then public policy, because I spent two years translating eviction notices for neighbors who couldn't read the legal English — and I got tired of explaining problems I couldn't fix. Howard's proximity to the Hill, and a department that has sent generations into public service, is where I want to learn to write the policy instead of just translating it. My second choice, sociology, is the same fight from a different desk."