Texas Christian University supplemental essays, 2026-27
Texas Christian University lists 4 supplemental questions for 2026-27. None is a direct "why us" question, so strong drafts from other schools can often be adapted.
The 4 prompts
In the order the school lists them. A limit appears only where the school prints one.
If you were to write a mission statement about your life, what would it be and how does this mission direct your life and goals?
What it asks for: goals and future.
Tell us about the most significant person, experience, or circumstance which has shaped your life thus far. How has he, she, or it influenced your character? How might you use what you have learned to achieve your goals?
What it asks for: values and character.
Those we call great will usually point to some failure in their lives as a pivotal moment leading them to their successful path. Tell us about a time in your life in which failure propelled you toward success.
What it asks for: a challenge or setback.
In her best-selling novel The Secret Life of Bees, TCU alumna Sue Monk Kidd wrote, "The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters." What matters to you?
What it asks for: values and character.
Source: Texas Christian University, read October 24, 2026. Confirm the prompts in your application before you submit.
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Questions
1. If you were to write a mission statement about your life, what would it be and how does this mission direct your life and goals? 2. Tell us about the most significant person, experience, or circumstance which has shaped your life thus far. How has he, she, or it influenced your character? How might you use what you have learned to achieve your goals? 3. Those we call great will usually point to some failure in their lives as a pivotal moment leading them to their successful path. Tell us about a time in your life in which failure propelled you toward success. 4. In her best-selling novel The Secret Life of Bees, TCU alumna Sue Monk Kidd wrote, "The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters." What matters to you?
Mission statement: no stated limit; Most significant person, experience, or circumstance: no stated limit; Failure leading to success: no stated limit; What matters: no stated limit.
These prompts ask about goals and future, values and character, a challenge or setback. Answers about a community, a challenge or an activity often adapt from drafts for other schools; My Schools maps which of your drafts fits which prompt.
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