Summary
UNC has confirmed that it will remove two supplemental short-answer questions for the 2026–2027 undergraduate admissions, joining the growing ranks of US universities streamlining their supplemental essays.
Although the application materials have been reduced, this does not mean admissions will become easier.
With the proliferation of AI writing tools and the continuous increase in applicant numbers, admissions officers will rely more heavily on GPA scores, course rigor, the main personal statement, extracurricular involvement, and other application components for a holistic evaluation.
For 27Fall applicants, it is the essay count that is being reduced, not the competition.
Recently, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill officially updated its 2026-2027 undergraduate application requirements:
The school will remove two short-answer questions from the application supplements.
Source: UNC
UNC has always been a popular public institution for US undergraduate applications. As a representative of the "Public Ivy," UNC consistently ranks among the top 30 universities in the United States and is a key consideration for many applicants during the EA round.
Previously, applying to UNC required not only the Common App personal essay but also additional short-answer questions from the university itself. For students, while these supplemental essays were not long, they were extremely demanding. They had to be tailored specifically to the school, avoid overlap with the main essay and activity list, and still convey personal qualities within a limited word count.
Now, UNC's direct removal of two short-answer questions may look like "writing two fewer essays," but it actually reflects a broader trend in US undergraduate admissions where some institutions are attempting to streamline application materials and place greater emphasis on the quality of core components.
Summary of US Universities Reducing Essay Requirements
It's not just UNC; the trend of a "lighter essay burden" in US college applications has become increasingly evident in recent years. CheersYou（清柚教育） has also helped compile a list of US universities that currently do not require additional supplemental essays.
Comprehensive Universities
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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University of Virginia
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Rutgers University
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Case Western Reserve University
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Ohio State University
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Florida State University
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Northeastern University
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Michigan State University
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Pennsylvania State University—University Park
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University of Connecticut
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University of Pittsburgh, etc.
Among them, Ohio State University's general undergraduate application does not require additional supplemental essays, but if applying for scholarship programs, additional materials may still be required;
Source: OSU
The University of Virginia also joined the "low supplemental essay burden" ranks in the 2025-2026 application cycle, removing the supplemental writing requirement for undergraduate applications. Currently, only applicants to the School of Nursing still need to submit additional written materials.
Source: The Cavalier Daily
Liberal Arts Colleges
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Williams College
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Hamilton College
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Grinnell College
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Middlebury College
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Colgate University
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Colby College, etc.
Source: Middlebury
For students applying to multiple schools, these institutions can indeed relieve a significant amount of writing stress during the application season. Especially in the early stages of the application season, students must juggle standardized tests, GPA, finishing up activities, communicating with recommendation letter writers, and navigating different application systems. Every supplemental essay saved translates into tangible time and energy saved.
But a word of caution: no supplemental essays does not mean an easier admission.
Why Are US Undergraduate Schools Reducing Essay Requirements?
The Rise of AI Makes the Value of Essays Questionable
With the widespread adoption of AI writing tools, admissions offices are also rethinking the role of supplemental essays in the application evaluation process.
In the past, supplemental essays were an important way for schools to assess an applicant's fit, genuine interest, and writing ability. But now, more and more students are utilizing AI to revise or even generate essay content, leading to many supplemental essays that are increasingly similar and templated.
Especially for prompts like "Why School" or "Why Major," originally designed to see if students truly understand the institution, in an era of abundant AI and online information, it's very easy for students to produce an essay that "looks like they know the school well." As a result, the signaling value of supplemental essays as a measure of genuine interest and writing ability has been weakened.
Improving Efficiency in Application Material Review
Secondly, admissions offices need to improve their review efficiency.
In recent years, application volumes at popular universities have been climbing. For admissions officers, reading each application already requires a significant amount of time. If every applicant also submits two or three additional supplemental essays, the review pressure becomes even greater.
Source: Common App
In recent years, Common App application volumes have been continuously rising. In the 2024-25 application season, approximately 1.498 million first-year applicants submitted over 10 million applications through Common App, an 8% increase in total applications over the previous year. The growing volume of applications is nudging admissions offices toward simplifying materials and improving the efficiency of initial screening.
Expanding the Applicant Pool to Attract More Students
Supplemental essays themselves also increase the cost of applying. While they don't directly filter out students like standardized test scores or GPA, they do influence whether a student is willing to submit an application.
In the past, some students who saw that a school required two or three additional essays might simply give up. Especially when that school wasn't their top priority, many felt it "wasn't worth writing more."
But if a school does not require extra supplementary essays, the psychological cost for the student is significantly reduced. The main essay is already written, and the activity list is already sorted—so it's easy to just submit the application.
For instance, after UVA eliminated most of its undergraduate supplemental essays for the 2025-26 application cycle, the number of applicants jumped from 64,457 the previous year to 82,118—a very noticeable increase.
Source: Web
This is also why schools that "don't require supplemental essays" are not necessarily easier to get into. On the contrary, the higher the ranking and visibility of a school that also eliminates extra essays, the more likely it is to attract a large number of students to join the applicant pool.
What US Undergrad Applicants Need to Be Aware Of
The Main Essay Must Be More Memorable
For schools without supplemental essays, the Common App personal statement becomes one of the most crucial materials for admissions officers to get to know the applicant. It cannot just be an ordinary coming-of-age story, nor can it focus only on safe topics like hard work, adaptation, or cultural differences.
International students especially need to write about specific experiences, authentic details, and personal judgments in their main essay. The story can be small, but the takeaway must be clear; experiences can be ordinary, but they must clearly show how you think about issues, how you make choices, and how you have become who you are.
The Importance of Other Materials Is Heightened
A reduction in the number of essays does not mean admission standards are lowered. For applicants, it is the essay count that is reduced, not the competition.
With fewer supplemental essays, schools will rely more heavily on other application components to determine whether a student is a good fit. For example, transcripts won't only be looked at for GPA, but also for course rigor, course direction, and academic preparedness.
If the target school still accepts or requires SAT/ACT, standardized test scores will also become a more direct comparison signal. The activity list cannot just list “what you participated in”; it must outline “what you achieved”: what you were responsible for, how many people were impacted, whether there were tangible outcomes, and how this experience relates to your intended field of study, etc.
For 27Fall US undergraduate applicants, a lighter essay burden can indeed make the application season a bit less stressful, but the core challenge has not disappeared.
When schools give applicants less space to express themselves, the real question behind this round of "application streamlining" is how to effectively tell your story with fewer materials and how to stand out to admissions officers in a much larger applicant pool.
Determining your application positioning early, polishing core materials, and strategically planning a balanced school list are still the most reliable strategies for the 27Fall application season.
The 27Fall US undergraduate application season is about to begin. CheersYou（清柚教育） also wishes all students a smoother journey, a steady pace, and success in securing admission to their dream schools!
How Can CheersYou（清柚教育） Support Your 27Fall US Undergrad Application?
Against the backdrop of streamlined application materials, what truly differentiates applicants is often no longer the number of essays, but the quality of the application strategy and core materials.
CheersYou（清柚教育） has long been dedicated to US undergraduate application planning, offering personalized application solutions for students from diverse backgrounds. From school selection and course planning to activity and profile enhancement, as well as guidance on the main essay, activity list, recommendation letters, and application timeline management, we help students fully showcase their strengths within a limited set of application materials.
For 27Fall applicants, the sooner you clarify your application direction and refine your core materials, the better positioned you'll be to take the initiative in a competitive application season.
If you are also preparing for the 27Fall US undergraduate application or wish to understand which schools best suit your background, feel free to contact CheersYou（清柚教育） for a one-on-one application planning consultation.
