2026–27 application cycle
Colorado School of Mines supplemental essays
Every writing prompt on the Colorado School of Mines application, with word limits. All of it taken from the application itself. 2 prompts.
- Prompt 1Optional250 words max
Your element
What element on the periodic table best represents you and why?
- Prompt 2Optional250 words max
Why be an Oredigger
Why do you want to be an Oredigger? You can share what you want to study, your future involvement and activities, or anything else about the Mines experience that excites you.
How to approach it
This is a why-us prompt. The trap is describing the school back to itself. Rankings and a pretty campus read as filler. Name two or three things you’d actually use. A program, a professor’s work, an open curriculum. Then tie each one to something you’ve already done.
Common questions
What do students ask about these essays?
How many essays does Colorado School of Mines require?
Colorado School of Mines lists 2 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 Colorado School of Mines supplemental essays?
Word limits across the listed prompts add up to about 500 words. Budget real time for them. Supplements are where admissions sees your real interest in Colorado School of Mines.
Do the Colorado School of Mines 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 Colorado School of Mines 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.