2026–27 application cycle
Bentley University supplemental essays
Every writing prompt on the Bentley University application, with word limits. All of it taken from the application itself. 4 prompts.
- Prompt 1Optional250 words max
Living Bentley's core values
Bentley's core values are Caring, Collaboration, Diversity, Honesty, Impact, Learning, and Respect. Select one or two of these core values and share how you currently embody them in your life. How will you continue to develop these values at Bentley?
How to approach it
Goals prompts fail when they stay noble and vague. Pick one real problem you care about. Connect it to something you’ve already touched in real life. Make the goal clear enough that a reader could disagree with it. Specific beats impressive.
- Prompt 2Optional250 words max
Identity and experience
Our students bring to campus a variety of experiences, cultures, and intersecting identities including race and ethnicity –aspects that are important to a rich educational experience and our success in college and beyond. You may use this section to discuss how race and ethnicity affected your life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise.
How to approach it
Here, specific beats important. A small, true community described from the inside beats a broad label. Write it as someone who was there, not as an observer. End on what you carry into a campus, not on a moral.
- Prompt 3Optional250 words max
Redoing high school
You wake up tomorrow morning and it's the first day of high school. What would you do differently over the next few years?
- Prompt 4Optional
Why Bentley
After learning about Bentley, what influenced your decision to apply?
Common questions
What do students ask about these essays?
How many essays does Bentley University require?
Bentley University lists 4 writing supplements for the 2026–27 cycle, and 0 of them are required. That’s on top of the main personal statement.
How long are the Bentley University supplemental essays?
Word limits across the listed prompts add up to about 750 words. Budget real time for them. Supplements are where admissions sees your real interest in Bentley University.
Do the Bentley University supplemental essays matter?
Yes, and more so at the hardest schools to get into. Grades and scores put you in the pool. Supplements are one of the few places you control what the reader learns about you. A generic why-us essay is one of the most common mistakes students make.
What Spike does with this
Get help planning Bentley University essays.
Spike helps you tie each prompt to something you’ve actually lived. It helps you outline and revise, and it won’t write the essay for you.
The full counselor launches in November.