Insider Tips on the Olin Essays: Olin Dean of Admission Tells All

Monday is the day! The 2022-2023 application to Olin will open on August 1st on the Common Application! Once the application is open, you will be able to check out Olin’s specific questions including essay prompts and start your application.

You have plenty of time (five whole months!) between now and our application deadline of January 4th to complete and submit your application to Olin. But in case you want to start playing with some ideas for the Olin essay questions, I thought I would share the prompts with you now.

Essay Prompt Required (250-500 words):

Olin is a community striving to change the world and positively impact people’s lives through engineering education. What change do you hope to be a part of? Why is this particular change important to you? How do you want to use engineering to impact and improve the world?

Optional Short Essay (250 words):

Think about all the things we will learn about you throughout your application to Olin, from your application materials and recommendations and through your own words in your other essays. Is there anything missing? If there is, you may share a specific story that tells us something about you that we don't yet know. If not, don’t worry: this question is optional.

Insider tip: my definition of optional is the same as yours. Much like our current test optional policy means standardized testing is NOT required, the optional short essay above is NOT required. It is truly a space to use if you need it. We think about your application as a whole picture; you should too. The optional short essay gives you an opportunity to color in a little more of that picture, if it’s needed. Your picture may be complete without this short essay. Optional means optional. 😊

I have to say, I love our essay prompts and look forward to reading them every year. They are windows into your thoughts and lives; we appreciate the effort and heart that goes into crafting them.

This is the first in a series of blogs our Admission and Financial Aid team will write during the remainder of summer and throughout the fall to support you as you prepare your application to Olin. Stay tuned for a blog coming later in August from our Director of Admission Susan Brisson’s describing holistic admission, the process we use to review all applications to Olin.

We are really excited to read your application when the time comes. But take a breath: you have plenty of time! For now, if you have any questions about applying to Olin, please do not hesitate to reach out: apply@olin.edu.