university of texas austin supplemental essay

University of Texas at Austin 2024-25 Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Oct 15

Regular Decision Deadline: Dec 1

You Have: 

University of Texas at Austin 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: 1 essay of 500-650 words; 2 short essays of 150 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Activity , Additional Info ,   Personal statement

Please keep your essay between 500–650 words (typically two to three paragraphs).

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. it can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design..

UT Austin used to ask applicants to tell a story about opportunities or challenges that shaped who they are today, but this year, admissions is opening the essay up to be about anything you like. This is a great place to recycle your Common App essay , regardless of which prompt you decided to respond to. If, on the other hand, you haven’t drafted a Common App essay, you may still find inspiration in the seven prompts. Ultimately, this is an opportunity for admissions to get to know the person behind the application data better, so you’ll want to tell a story that offers insight into who you are and who you hope to become.

Short Answers

Submit the required short answers to prompts in your admission application., answers are limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words per prompt, typically the length of one paragraph., why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major.

This prompt sounds simple enough: describe what you want to study and why you like it so much that you’re willing to dedicate four years of your life to it (at the very least). While you might be tempted to get technical or poetic in your response, your reader will expect you to connect your intended major to some prior experience and/or passion. In other words, tell a story. Lucky for you, we would have advised you to start with an anecdote anyway. The most memorable essays spring from concrete descriptions of your experiences. What excites you and why? When was the last time you got drawn down a Reddit rabbit hole – and what was the topic? While you don’t need to pinpoint the exact moment you became interested in ancient history or calculus, try to zero in on some inspiring experience. What was the best TED Talk you ever watched? The first time you spoke to your new friend in ASL? Your story should showcase your unique connection to your chosen course of study. And don’t forget to talk about UT Austin! By the end of your essay, your reader should not only know why you are passionate about your chosen major, but also what excites you about Austin’s program. In admissions, we call that your fit!

Oh and a quick shoutout to all the undecideds out there: don’t worry! If you can’t decide, then tell a story that demonstrates your wide range of interests or natural curiosity. Focus on the opportunities UT Austin offers across departments and how you plan to explore once you arrive on campus. It’s normal to want to try new things at the start of college!

Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why? (Guidance for students: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work or a family responsibility.)

Next up is a fun twist on the classic Activity Essay, which asks you to expand on an extracurricular endeavor that you are most proud of. Although we usually urge students to write about items that haven’t appeared elsewhere on their application, the Activity Essay is an exception. The trick here is to be authentic. The activity you want to write about will likely catapult to the front of your mind rather quickly, but if it doesn’t, take a moment to review your activities list (or start making one if you haven’t already) and reflect on each of those experiences. 

Maybe you want to write about your experience in the Debate Club, how you started with a fear of public speaking and, over the course of a few years, developed a knack for not only capturing the attention of a crowd, but thinking on your feet, as well! Or, perhaps you want to write about the Saturday mornings you spent volunteering in your neighborhood and the pride you take in serving your community. (Just make sure to avoid common Volunteering Essay pitfalls !) 

Whatever activity you choose to write about, be sure to infuse your story with specific, personal details so that no one else could have written it.

Optional Short Answer

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance. (40 lines, or about 250-300 words).

This essay is perfect for students who have encountered outstanding challenges, and need an opportunity to explain them. In fact, we recommend saving those details for an Additional Info essay, so that you can use the rest of your application to highlight other parts of your amazing personality. So, if something has happened that affected your academic performance, this is a great opportunity to explain the circumstances. Did a COVID-19 infection during your junior year cause your participation in clubs and activities to take a hit? Did a family emergency cause an overall drop in your GPA? A drop in grades or a gap in your resume does not define you. Remember to make this essay not about the things you couldn’t control, but the actions you took to improve the situation. You don’t want to come off as a victim of circumstance, but as a resilient person who can take steps to positively affect their situation.

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UT Austin Supplemental Essays 2024-25 – Prompts and Advice

June 26, 2024

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the top public universities in the United States, and its ultra-elite business, engineering, and computer science programs attract brilliant teen minds from all over the world. It’s no wonder that close to 73,000 students applied for a chance to join the Longhorn Class of 2028. This enthusiasm has caused the annual acceptance rate to drop significantly. Thanks to a state policy that guarantees admission to Texas high schoolers who finish in the top 6% of their class, close to 90% of UT Austin’s 40,000+ undergraduate students placed in the top decile of their high school cohort. Additionally, the mean SAT for entering freshmen is over 1400. That brings us to the immense importance of the UT Austin supplemental essay prompts.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into UT Austin? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into UT Austin: Admissions Data and Strategies for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

In a rare move, UT Austin reduced the number of supplemental essays that students need to write for the 2024-25 admissions cycle. However, the UT Austin supplemental section still affords applicants an excellent opportunity to showcase what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below are the University of Texas at Austin’s three supplemental prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle along with advice on how to address each one.

UT Austin Supplemental Essay — 2024-25

1. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. (500-650 words)

It doesn’t get more open-ended prompt than “topic of your choice.” Feel free to take this in whatever direction produces the most compelling and personal essay you can compose. What do you want the admissions office to know that they couldn’t possibly glean from anywhere else in your application? Don’t be afraid to share your struggles just as freely as your triumphs. An emotionally honest essay that showcases your unique personality is the desired product here.

One additional tip from an essay writing efficiency standpoint…if you are applying to a number of schools through the Common and/or Coalition App, you can “recycle” your Common App essay here (or vice versa).

UT Austin Short Answer Prompts — 2024-25

Answers are limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words per prompt, typically the length of one paragraph.

1. Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

Share your authentic story of why you are interested in a particular discipline. For example, what books have you read on the subject? What documentaries have you watched? Which podcasts have you listened to? What subtopics most intrigue you? Did a teacher excite you about a topic or was it a parent or outside mentor? Do you know where you want to take this knowledge post-bachelor’s degree? Do you aim to one day go on to pursue a graduate/professional degree or is there an occupation you are shooting for right out of undergrad? Include as much detail as possible.

You can structure the narrative of this essay as a soup-to-nuts chronicling of your entire journey toward your discipline of interest or you could share one or two vignettes that illustrate your burgeoning passion for engineering, history, French, computer science, business, psychology, etc.

UT Austin Essay Prompts (Continued)

 2. Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why? (Guidance for students: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work, or a family responsibility.)

Perhaps you are the captain of a team, the editor-in-chief of your school paper, or the president of a club. On the other hand, you may simply be a valuable contributing member. Regardless of whether you are a leading man/woman or a still-essential bit player, make sure that you use your writing ability to show the admissions officer what type of involved team member you are and why you are proud of your contributions.

You can also discuss how you have engaged with your high school local/community. Share what you have learned from interacting with people of a different ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual identity, etc. Draw on past evidence of your commitment to being a positive force in the context of your activity/activities. Finally, you can draw a link between your past efforts and future aims by researching and citing UT Austin organizations or initiatives. The admissions committee wants to understand precisely how you will contribute to their campus community.

Optional Short Answer

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.

This section functions similarly to the Additional Information section of the Common App . Feel free to use this space if you encountered any hardships that impacted your academic performance. This could be anything from dealing with a divorce to challenges faced from a learning disability.

However, this prompt is truly optional and you should only take advantage of the space if you need it. If your high school performance has not been majorly impacted by special circumstances or events, you do not need to write this essay.

How important are the essays at UT Austin?

In essence, UT Austin’s admission staff “uses an individualized, holistic review process to consider each completed freshman application. Applications from students who qualify for automatic admission are reviewed to determine admission to specific colleges, schools, and majors. Applications from students who are not eligible for automatic admission are reviewed to determine admissibility and to make decisions about admission to specific colleges, schools, and majors.”

The following items are considered during the holistic review:

• Strength of academic background
• Test scores
• Record of achievements, honors, and awards
• Special accomplishments, work, and service both in and out of school
• Special circumstances that put the applicant’s academic achievements into context, including his or her socioeconomic status, experience in a single-parent home, family responsibilities, experience overcoming adversity, cultural background, race and ethnicity, the language spoken in the applicant’s home, and other information in the applicant’s file
• Recommendations (although not required)
• Competitiveness of the major to which the student applies

UT Austin Essay Prompts – Want Personalized Assistance?

To conclude, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your UT Austin supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

Need more writing-related resources? Consider checking out the following:

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How to Write the UT Austin Supplemental Essays + Examples

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 6/17/24

Writing the UT Austin essays requires introspection, creativity, and time! To learn how to ace this application component, read on!

If you’re planning on applying to the University of Texas and are making your way down your application checklist, you may hit a roadblock when it comes to the supplemental essays . 

These essays often prove to be the most demanding aspect of college applications, as they call for transforming your thoughts into captivating words and leaving a lasting impression on the admissions committee. But fear not! This guide has got you covered! In it, we’ll break down each of the UT Austin essays. 

UT Austin Supplemental Essay Prompts 2024-2025

Before we delve into how to write the UT Austin supplemental essays , let’s go over the prompts. You’ll be required to answer one essay prompt and a few short answers. These essay prompts differ based on which semester you’re applying for. We’ll go over the essay prompts for Spring 2025. 

The required essay prompt should be around 500-700 words , typically two the three paragraphs. However, your responses to the short answer prompts should be no more than 40 lines or 250-300 words . 

Required Essay Prompt #1

“Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?”

Short Answer Prompt #2

“ Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?”

Short Answer Prompt #3

“ Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.”

Short Answer Prompt #4

“ The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is ‘To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.’ Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to ‘Change the World’ after you graduate.”

Optional Short Answer Prompt #5

Students may also answer the following short answer if it applies to them:

“Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.”

How to Write Each Essay Prompt for UT Austin

Now, we’ll delve into how to answer each of UT Austin’s prompts to ensure your responses are original, insightful, and interesting! We’ll go through specific UT Austin essay requirements and also provide successful essay examples to begin your creative process. 

How to Write UT Austin Required Essay #1 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of UT Austin’s required essay prompt : This prompt, by asking you to “tell your story,” calls for some personal reflection on your life so far. UT Austin wants to get to know you as a well-rounded person beyond your application materials. They want to know the things that have shaped and formed you in your life. 

The various opportunities and challenges you’ve experienced say a lot about who you are. By asking you to tell these anecdotes, the admissions committee wants to see you display humility, self-awareness, gratitude, and a desire to learn and grow. Think deeply about significant moments in your life and how they have made you different. 

UC Berkeley grad Brittney provides some insight into how to get started in our personal statement webinar : 

“You want to identify a central theme for your admissions essays, and I often tell students to think about themselves as a brand and a narrative - who are you, and how are you going to communicate who you are, what you've achieved, and where you're going across all of your admissions essays and across all of your application You may want to think about a particular experience, a passion, a value that shaped who you are, that has run through your academic and extracurricular experiences."

To write a strong essay for UT Austin, consider following these tips:

Tip #1: Dig into Your High School Memories

Time for a little throwback session! Sit down with a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever else floats your boat, and start digging up all those unique experiences you had during high school. For most of you, you’re likely in your senior year, so this shouldn’t be too hard!

Remember those times when life threw something special at you or maybe even knocked you off your feet? Jot all of these memories down so you can go through them and pick the most meaningful ones to talk about. 

Tip #2: Find the Common Thread

Now that you've got a bunch of high school memories in front of you, see if there's a common theme or a big idea that ties them together. It could be a passion, a challenge you faced head-on or a turning point that changed the game for you.

Tip #3: Be Descriptive!

Get creative with your writing! Paint a picture with your words. Make your essay engaging and fun to read. You want those admissions officers to be hooked from the start to the finish. 

Tip #4: Get Real and Vulnerable

No need to put on a show here to worry about what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Be yourself! 

Share your stories and feelings with authenticity. The admissions committee wants to see the genuine you, not some perfectly polished version. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, share your feelings and emotions, and demonstrate your growth.

Admissions expert Brittney expands on this point: 

“Always write from an authentic place and tell your story. Don’t try to tell the story that you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Tell the story that is true for you.” 

Tip #5: Talk About Unique Opportunities

Share those opportunities that set you apart from the crowd. Maybe it was an internship, a special extracurricular , a passion project , or a chance to travel. 

Show them how these experiences opened up new doors and helped you grow.

Tip #6: Face the Challenges, No Holding Back

Life's not always rainbows and sunshine. The admissions committee wants to hear about your struggles and your ability to overcome them. So, discuss those tough moments that you thought you’d never get through, how you pushed on, and what you learned along the way.

Show the committee how all these experiences—the good, the bad, and the ugly—shaped the awesome person you are today. 

Tip #7: End On a High Note

End your essay with a forward-looking approach. You’ve spent most of your essay reminiscing about high school and the lessons you learned from it. Now think about what’s next! 

Offer the admissions committee some insight into your academic and career aspirations. Talk about how you plan on fulfilling these goals at UT Austin and what you plan on contributing to this school!

Here’s what one of our admissions experts, Brittany , had to say about looking to the future: 

"It’s helpful to end your conclusion with something that’s futuristic and forward-looking. How will what the reader learned about you help prepare you for what you want to achieve and how you will succeed when you’re at a college or university?"

How to Write UT Austin Short Answer #2 + Analysis and Tips

Short answer #2 analysis : The first short answer is relatively straightforward. There’s a reason you chose your intended major, and now’s your time to demonstrate your passion and explain why your selected program interests you! 

UT Austin is dedicated to making a real difference in the world, so it’s essential you take your essay beyond the realms of your immediate college career. Think about what you’ll do with your education and how you’ll impact those around you!

Keep these tips in mind to ensure you nail this short answer:

• Showcase your passion and genuine interest : Avoid essay topics that you think the committee wants to hear. Instead, ensure your sincere passion for the major you've selected is evident throughout your essay. Explain why it excites you and what specific aspects of the subject matter resonate with you.
• Connect to your background : Reflect on any relevant events, challenges, or opportunities that influenced your decision. Share one or two brief anecdotes or stories that demonstrate how your experiences have shaped your aspirations and academic path. This will make your essay personal and engaging. 
• Highlight your skills and alignment with UT Austin : Explain how your skills, strengths, and natural abilities align with the chosen major. Describe specific talents or aptitudes that you possess and how they complement the demands of your academic program and profession.
• Emphasise UT Austin's program and opportunities : Demonstrate your knowledge and interest in UT Austin's program. Research its offerings, faculty members, research opportunities, and distinctive features related to your chosen major. Explain how these aspects appeal to you and align with your goals.
• Discuss your future aspirations : Share your long-term aspirations and how pursuing this major will enable you to make a positive impact in your chosen field and beyond. Discuss how you envision using the knowledge and skills gained from this program to contribute to society or address real-world challenges. 

In our webinar on how to write college essays , admissions official Kayla Kirk gives insight into how to answer major-specific essay prompts: 

“This is all about what work have you done up to this point to prepare yourself for a particular major. So it could be a student who wants to study engineering. They could use this opportunity, this particular essay, to talk about their experience with their robotics club that they've been so passionate about. And through those background experiences, we’ll start to get the sense that you’re passionate, you’re an independent student who’s done work up to this point to lay the foundation for whatever your course of study will be.” 

How to Write UT Austin Short Answer #3 + Analysis and Tips 

Short answer #3 analysis : With this prompt, UT Austin wants to see drive and commitment to make a difference in the university community as well as proof that you’ve made a difference in other spaces as well. 

This question should demonstrate self-awareness, passion, and motivation. UT Austin wants to know how your past experiences have brought you to where you are, and they also want to know more about your future aspirations. 

By demonstrating your potential to have a positive impact both in and out of the classroom, you can present yourself as a well-rounded candidate who will make great contributions to the UT community!

Implement these tips into your second short answer response:

• Highlight your key qualities and experiences : Provide an overview of the experiences, perspectives, talents, and leadership activities that define you as an individual but avoid listing them without adding context and depth. Explain how they contribute to your overall character and worldview.
• Emphasize leadership skills and potential : Discuss your involvement in leadership activities. Illustrate how you have taken initiative, influenced others, or demonstrated a commitment to creating positive change. All of these traits are highly valued by UT Austin!
• Talk about your future : Demonstrate how your specific attributes and experiences will allow you to make a positive impact both in and out of the classroom at UT Austin. Explain how your perspectives and background have shaped your understanding of different issues and will enrich class discussions.
• Connect back to UT Austin : Show that you have done your research on UT Austin's values, culture, and community. Explain how your experiences, perspectives, and talents align with the university's mission and how you plan to contribute to the campus environment. 
• Be genuine and specific : Throughout your essay, be authentic and avoid any vagueness. Share specific anecdotes and examples to illustrate your points, and be descriptive! Show, don't tell, and immerse your readers into your experiences so they connect to them better.

Kayla Kirk offers some further insight into what universities are looking for in these kinds of prompts: 

They want to know that you are willing to go beyond your own experiences up to this point. They want to know that you're going to be a productive and positive contribution to their student body, that you'll be willing to engage with people whose experiences are different from your own."

How to Write UT Austin Short Answer #4 + Analysis and Tips

Short answer #4 analysis : This short answer is one of the more challenging UT Austin essays. It requires students to look ahead past their college career and think critically about how they plan on bettering the world. 

While the previous questions are focused on your passions in a more general sense, this prompt asks you to think about your aspirations at UT Austin specifically. How does your desire to attend UT Austin connect to your dreams and goals? 

Here are some tips on how to approach this question:

Tip #1: Be Realistic

The admissions committee isn’t looking for any sappy or exaggerated goals. They aren’t expecting you to cure cancer or find life on Mars. 

Think about what realistic impact you want to have on the world. Whether it be changing the lives of your patients as a healthcare worker, helping address social issues, or simply being a strong advocate for the environment, any effort to better the lives of others counts!

Tip #2: Be Specific

Don’t make vague statements about your passion to change the world, healthcare, poverty, or any other broad topic. Be specific and clearly state your long-term aspirations and the specific ways you envision changing the world after graduation. 

Think about who exactly you want to help, what issue you aim to address, and the tools you’ll use to do so. 

In our college essay webinar, Tufts University Admissions Director Darryl Tiggle gives insight into how to be specific in college essays: 

"They want to know things that go deeper than the surface level of knowing about the college, especially so that when you're writing about the college, you couldn't supplant another school's name in that essay and then have the essay still ring true. You want the essay to really be tailored towards the school that you're writing about so that you're addressing those issues and writing unique-to-those-institution essays."

Tip #3: Connect UT Austin's Offerings to Your Goals

Showcase your understanding of UT Austin's unique offerings and how they align with your ambitions. Discuss specific academic programs, research opportunities, clubs, or organizations that UT Austin offers and explain how they will support your personal and professional growth towards your goal of changing the world.

Tip #4: Discuss Your Commitment to Impact

Emphasize your dedication and commitment to creating a positive impact. Demonstrate that you are not just interested in pursuing your career for personal gain, but that you genuinely care about making a difference in the lives of others and improving society.

Tip #5: Be Ambitious

Be ambitious in your goals, but also be realistic about the steps you'll take to achieve them. Demonstrate that you have a clear plan for how your experience at UT Austin will serve as a stepping stone to creating a lasting impact on a broader scale. Demonstrate you have direction and know what it’ll take to reach your goals.

Tip #6: Wrap Up with Confidence and Gratitude

Conclude your essay with a strong and confident statement that reinforces your commitment to changing the world and your gratitude for the opportunity to do so at UT Austin. Leave a lasting impression on the reader that highlights your passion and determination.

How to Write UT Austin Optional Essay #5

Answering the optional essay is simple; stick to the facts and be honest. There is no need to be overly descriptive or create a compelling narrative out of your circumstances. 

This essay should only help the admissions committee learn more about the extent of your circumstances, how they prevented you from achieving your best, and how you attempted to overcome them. As such, you’ll want this essay to be relatively short. It should not exceed one to two paragraphs. 

Examples of UT Austin Supplemental Essays That Worked

It can be really helpful to look at examples of successful essays for inspiration. Below, you’ll find essay examples from accepted UT Austin applicants! We’ll look at each example closely to examine what worked about it. 

Sample Essay #1

Your UT Austin essays need to be concise, captivating, and creative to effectively answer this prompt:

Take a look at this example essay:

“‘Gone but never forgotten’---the solemn inscription on the plaque dedicated to my best friend, displayed prominently in our high school. A phrase intended to offer comfort, but one that will always ring hollow for me. The reality remains stark; gone is still gone. No matter how many times I replay his infectious smile or reminisce about our sunlit summers spent surfing until sundown, he remains forever confined to the realm of memories.

Losing my best friend to cancer was a heart-wrenching blow that shattered my world. We had shared dreams, laughter, and endless plans for our future. His untimely departure left an emptiness in my heart and a void in my life that seemed impossible to fill. Grief consumed me, and the once vibrant light of my high school years dimmed significantly. Coping with the loss of such a young, budding life was a challenge unlike any other, and it tested my emotional strength to its limits.

But, In the face of this overwhelming and seemingly unending pain, I found solace in the support of my family and friends. Their unwavering presence and understanding helped me navigate through the darkest times. I realized that I was not alone in my grief and that reaching out for support was not a sign of weakness but an act of bravery. This experience taught me the power of empathy and the significance of connection, shaping my understanding of the value of relationships in life.

While the loss of my best friend left a permanent scar, it also sparked an awakening within me. I became acutely aware of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing every moment. As I struggled to regain my sense of purpose, I sought solace in volunteer work at a local cancer support center. Being able to offer comfort and empathy to patients and their families on their own journeys was a cathartic experience that helped me heal and provided me with a newfound sense of direction.

Amidst the challenges, high school also offered unique opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery. I found inspiration in the arts, particularly through music and painting. These creative outlets became my refuge, allowing me to express emotions that words could not convey. Art became a powerful medium through which I could heal and explore my own emotions, and it ignited a passion that continues to fuel my aspirations.

As I delved deeper into my artistic pursuits, I discovered my ability to inspire others through storytelling. I started sharing my experiences through writing and public speaking, aiming to bring hope and awareness to those facing similar struggles. This newfound purpose motivated me to excel academically and to embrace every opportunity for growth that high school offered.

With newfound resilience, I became an active member of various clubs and organizations that focused on cancer awareness and support. I initiated fundraisers and awareness campaigns, determined to make a difference in the lives of those affected by this dreadful disease. In doing so, I found strength in unity, as we came together as a community to support a common cause.

Through the highs and lows of high school, I have evolved into a compassionate, determined, and empathetic individual. The loss of my best friend has taught me that life is fragile and unpredictable, urging me to make the most of every opportunity and to embrace challenges with unwavering resolve.

As I prepare to embark on the next chapter of my journey at UT Austin, I am filled with a sense of purpose and determination. I aspire to study medicine, combining my love for the arts with my passion for healthcare to bring comfort and healing to those in need. The experiences of my high school years have shaped me into a resilient individual who values empathy, compassion, and the power of connection. I am confident that my journey through grief and self-discovery will not only enable me to excel academically but will also empower me to change lives and make a lasting impact both in and out of the classroom. So, while my best friend may be gone forever, his legacy will live on; through me, the sunsets I now surf through alone, the patients I will heal, and the grieving families I will support when all they have left to hold are intangible memories.”  

Why It Works

This essay stands out because of its deeply personal exploration of the writer's journey from grief to resilience, fueled by a passion for cancer awareness and healing. 

The unique fusion of art, medicine, and storytelling highlights the writer's distinct personality, aspirations, and well-roundedness. Their commitment to community engagement, coupled with a clear academic focus on medicine, also aligns well with the university's values. 

Short Answer #1 Example

Below, you’ll find an example essay answering the following prompt: 

“Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?”

Here’s another example essay to draw inspiration from:

“In 'The Alchemist,' Paulo Coelho writes, 'And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.' This profound sentiment resonates deeply with my decision to pursue an English major at UT Austin. For me, the study of English is a transformative journey of self-discovery and a pursuit of understanding the interconnectedness of humanity through the written word.

Like Santiago, the protagonist in 'The Alchemist,' I believe that our desires and dreams can shape our destinies. In the enchanting world of literature, I find myself constantly drawn to the power of storytelling, where words become vessels for ideas, emotions, and shared experiences. 

Choosing UT Austin as the home for my academic pursuits was an easy decision. The English program's reputation for fostering intellectual curiosity and nurturing creativity aligns perfectly with my academic goals. The diverse range of courses, from classic literature to contemporary poetry, promises to provide a comprehensive understanding of literary traditions, nurturing my ability to critically analyze and interpret texts.

Beyond the curriculum, I am excited about the vibrant literary community at UT Austin. Engaging with like-minded peers in literary clubs, workshops, and events will undoubtedly enrich my perspective and encourage meaningful discussions on the intricacies of literature. Moreover, I envision utilizing my passion for writing to contribute to UT Austin's literary publications and participate in creative writing workshops. Embracing opportunities to share my voice, whether through poetry or prose, is essential to my growth as a writer and communicator.

Ultimately, my decision to pursue an English major at UT Austin is driven by a deep-rooted passion for storytelling, a desire to understand the complexities of human existence, and a conviction that words possess the power to change lives.”

Why Essay #1 Worked

This essay begins with an interesting quote that intrigues the reader from the very first line. Then they artfully connect this quote to their personal and academic aspirations, which reflects a thoughtful consideration of the applicant's choice of major and resonates with the transformative power of education.

The alignment of their academic interests with UT Austin's English program also showcases a well-researched understanding of the university's offerings. 

Short Answer #2 Example 

You’ll need to do some serious brainstorming and reflecting to write an essay that answers this prompt well: 

“Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.”

You can use the following UT Austin essay to guide you in your brainstorming process:

“My journey leading up to UT has been shaped by a tapestry of experiences: my responsibilities at home, my passion for basketball, and my commitment to community service. Balancing two part-time jobs throughout high school to ease the financial burdens at home has instilled in me a strong work ethic and a determination to excel both academically and personally.

As a devoted basketball enthusiast, the court has become my sanctuary, teaching me invaluable lessons in teamwork, perseverance, and leadership. The discipline and dedication required in sports have translated into my academic pursuits, where I strive for excellence with the same fervor I bring to the game.

My commitment to community service is deeply rooted in my family's legacy of veterans, who have instilled in me the importance of giving back. Volunteering at local animal shelters, soup kitchens, and hospitals and organizing charity events has allowed me to witness the transformative power of service firsthand. As such, I am driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others, both in and out of the classroom.

At UT, these experiences and perspectives will serve as my compass for engagement and leadership. As a student-athlete, I intend to contribute my skills to the campus basketball team, fostering a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship. On the academic front, my diverse background will enrich classroom discussions, bringing unique perspectives to the table.

Outside the classroom, I aspire to collaborate with service-oriented organizations, amplifying their impact on the community. Moreover, my leadership experience, gained from organizing charity events and coordinating community initiatives, will be instrumental in rallying fellow students to join forces for common causes. I am eager to embrace the enriching opportunities that UT has to offer, using my talents to foster a nurturing environment where empathy, determination, and teamwork thrive.”

Why Essay #2 Worked

The essay effectively highlights how all of this student’s experiences have shaped their character, instilling qualities like a strong work ethic, determination, teamwork, and leadership. 

Their commitment to community service reflects a genuine desire to give back, and their intention to bring this commitment to UT's campus showcases their dedication to making a positive difference in the university community. 

Short Answer #3 Example

For UT Austin’s third short answer essay, it’s important to include meaningful details. However, remember to be concise when answering the following prompt: 

“The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, ‘To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.’ Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to ‘Change the World’ after you graduate.”

Below is a sample essay to help you craft your own detailed and concise response: 

“Aspiring to become a nurse, I am driven by a profound sense of compassion and a genuine desire to make a positive impact on people's lives. The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin resonates deeply with my aspirations, and I believe my experience at UT Austin will empower me to change the world through the profession of nursing.

UT Austin's esteemed nursing program will provide me with a comprehensive and cutting-edge education, equipping me with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver high-quality care to diverse populations. The renowned faculty and state-of-the-art facilities will cultivate my clinical expertise, enabling me to make a tangible difference in patients' lives.

Through hands-on experiences and clinical rotations, UT Austin will offer me invaluable opportunities to work with real patients and understand their unique needs and challenges. These experiences will shape me into a compassionate and empathetic caregiver, dedicated to advocating for the well-being of each individual.

Additionally, UT Austin's commitment to community engagement and service aligns perfectly with my vision of making a difference in society. Participating in health outreach programs and volunteering at local clinics will provide me with a broader perspective on healthcare disparities and strengthen my commitment to serving underserved communities. The diverse and inclusive environment at UT Austin will enhance my cultural competence and foster my ability to provide patient-centered care to individuals from different backgrounds.

My experience at UT Austin as a nursing student will be transformative, preparing me to be a compassionate and skilled healthcare professional. Rooted in the university's core purpose of transforming lives for the benefit of society, I am confident that I will graduate as a competent nurse ready to embrace the challenges of the healthcare field and positively impact the lives of those I serve.”

Why Essay #3 Works

The student grounds their aspiration to become a nurse in a genuine compassion for others and a desire to create a positive impact, which resonates well with the university's core purpose. 

The essay also effectively outlines how UT Austin's nursing program is a perfect fit for the applicant, highlighting the comprehensive education, renowned faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities that will prepare them to deliver high-quality care. 

These points present a strong case for how UT Austin’s program will empower this student and how she will contribute to the university’s community. 

If you’re looking for assistance on how to write the UT Austin essays, or how to apply to UT Austin in general, we can help! Our experts have helped countless students get into their dream schools, and you can be one of them. With our help, you can become a Longhorn!

Optional Essay Example

Remember, you only need to respond to this prompt if it applies to you: 

For your reference, here’s a sample essay explaining the circumstances that prevented a student from achieving the GPA they intended to:

“During my high school years, I encountered a unique set of circumstances that significantly impacted my academic performance. After my single mother was unexpectedly fired from her job and faced challenges finding another, our family's financial stability became uncertain. In order to support my mother and contribute to household expenses, I took on multiple part-time jobs, which demanded a substantial portion of my time and energy. As I juggled work commitments alongside my academic responsibilities, I found it increasingly challenging to maintain the GPA I had envisioned, a 3.8. While my determination to succeed academically remained steadfast, the added responsibilities and time constraints hindered my ability to dedicate as much time to my studies as I desired.

Despite these challenges, I persevered, ensuring that I gave my best effort in every aspect of my life. Balancing work and studies taught me invaluable time management and prioritization skills, but it also meant sacrificing some extracurricular opportunities that could have enriched my high school experience further. While my academic performance may not have reflected the 3.8 GPA I initially aimed for, I am proud of the resilience I demonstrated in the face of adversity. The experiences I gained from shouldering responsibilities beyond academics have shaped me into a diligent and empathetic individual. I believe these life lessons will undoubtedly serve me well as I embrace new challenges and opportunities in the future.”

Why This Optional Essay Works

This answer sticks to the facts and clearly articulates the circumstances the student faced, how they tried to improve their situation, and what they learned from it. The student keeps a positive tone throughout and does not place blame or try to evoke pity from the admissions committee!

Get More Sample Essays Here!

Looking at sample essays can work wonders for your own inspiration and motivation. If you want to check out more college application essays written by admitted students, take a look at our college essay database down below! 

FAQs: UT Austin Essays

Below, you’ll find the answers to any remaining questions about the UT Austin essays!

1. How Many Essays Does UT Austin Require?

UT Austin requires all of its applicants to answer one long essay and three short essays. There is an additional optional essay for students who faced circumstances that negatively affected their high school experience. 

2. Does UT Look At the Common App Essay?

Yes, the Common App essay will be considered in the admissions committee’s evaluations. 

3. Does UT Look At Coalition Essays?

No, UT Austin only uses the Common Application or the Apply Texas application . 

4. How Long Does the UT Austin Supplemental Essay Need to Be? 

The UT Austin required essay should be between 500-700 words. However, the short answer essays only need to be 250-300 words. 

5. How Important Are Essays for the University of Texas at Austin? 

According to UT Austin’s most recent common data set , the application essays are taken into consideration. This means that you’ll have to make sure your essays are stellar so that your application stands out! 

Final Thoughts

Overall, your UT Austin essays are not just about showcasing your achievements but also about how your unique journey has shaped you into the person you are today. Embrace the challenges you've faced and the lessons you've learned along the way. 

Be confident in your abilities and potential. Show them how you can make a positive impact both inside and outside the classroom at UT Austin. UT Austin is looking for a diverse array of individuals, so let your personality and potential shine brightly in your essays!

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 UT Austin Supplemental Essay Prompts

Prior to coming to Scholarships360 for her first internship in 2022, Savannah utilized her campus publications by joining various fashion publications that are offered at Ohio University. One of those publications is Thread Magazine, where Savannah has had the opportunity to work on articles related to world-wide related fashion news and events, as well as articles closer to home, such as a fashion piece on Athens hometown-hero Joe Burrow. This year, Savannah also had the opportunity to be a content writing intern for Aiken House, as well as a section editor for Southeast Ohio Magazine. In 2023, Savannah served as the Chapter President of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. These collective experiences, as well as her experience currently working for Ohio University’s Undergraduate Admissions, has led her to Scholarships360 and aided in her passion for helping students better understand the college admissions process and financial aid. In her free time, Savannah enjoys horseback riding, watching Formula One races, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. Savannah will graduate from Ohio University in May 2024 with a degree in Journalism News and Information and a certificate in Italian Studies.

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The University of Texas at Austin requires all applicants to submit a set of UT Austin supplemental essays. These essays are a great way to utilize creative writing to make yourself memorable and unique. Take this chance to tell your story and run with it. In this article, we will be breaking down each prompt to make each one easier to understand. Let’s go!

See also: How to write a great supplemental essay

Before you begin

• Multiple writing samples are required, including a supplemental essay and then four short answers (one of the four is optional).
• UT Austin offers students the opportunity to submit additional materials to strengthen their applications, such as letters of recommendation or an expanded resume

The UT Austin supplemental essay prompt

“Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?” 

The traditional essay prompt is generally between 500 and 700 words. Compared to other supplemental essays, this is not all that long. In addition, this is an essay all about you. UT Austin wants to hear about your story and what makes you special. This is an easy topic to write about your personal experiences versus an essay that asks you to connect it back to the university. 

With that being said, you don’t have to connect it back to the university, but… it  is always a good idea to do so. This way, the people reading it are able to see what you have to offer the University of Texas, and what you bring to the table as a student. 

So, what makes you unique? If you are planning on talking about challenges for this question, we recommend thinking twice about writing about the Pandemic. This is because although you may have a unique experience, the pandemic was a challenge that everyone had to live through. Pick a challenge that is unique to you, one that makes you you . In addition to that, in the optional short answer, you have the opportunity to talk about the challenges that you were presented with during the Pandemic. 

Short answers

As mentioned above, you’ll need to write three short answer questions (and have the option to write one additional one). These can be quick and easy, but extremely influential to the college admissions process. Each response should be between 250 and 300 words.

Short answer #1

“Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?”

This is a simple question, and easy to answer in less than 300 words. Maybe you have always known what you wanted to study in college, or maybe you are still figuring it out– whatever the case may be, just be open, honest, and concise when you speak about this topic. 

Short answer #2

“Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.”

In this short answer, they are offered  the opportunity to talk about the things you are passionate about. Take this and run with it! This is one of the things that makes students stand out among the crowd– what they are passionate about and why. The trick here is connecting it back to how it currently benefits you as a student, and how it will continue to benefit you as a student. 

An example of this could be a student organization that taught you about accountability. From being in a leadership position in this organization, you learned accountability, which helped you to be a better student because you were more apt to be on time with assignments, get ahead on your schoolwork, and to hold yourself accountable. Learning these things early on helped you to build healthy learning habits that you will carry with you into college. 

Short answer #3

“The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT-Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate.”

This is arguably one of the more important short answers that UT – Austin asks you to write. They want to know that you hold similar values to their founders and the existing student body, and that you will be a good fit for their university holistically, not just academically. 

There are so many different directions that you could take this question. First, think about what you want to do with your degree after college. Then ask yourself, “What can I do at UT Austin that will not only transform my life, but how can what I learn from that experience that will help me be able to transform others’ lives as well”? This is a loaded question, and a lot more than you might be able to answer right now. Just try to be idealistic and think of your future. 

Optional short answer

“Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance. If your response to this question is similar to one of the Common App Personal Essays, feel free to simply copy and paste the important parts of your essay here. Please limit your response to 250-300 words.”

This one is quick, easy, and a short answer that everyone should answer if their situation warrants. This is your opportunity to let UT Austin know about your struggles and help them understand your story a bit better. 

Closing thoughts for students

It is completely understandable if you are feeling overwhelmed after reading through all of these prompts. The only thing that you can do is try your best and be honest about who you are–in other words, stay true to yourself. The college admissions professionals at the University of Texas – Austin simply want to get to know you as a person, and that is why they are asking you so many questions! Remember, the prompts are not meant to make you feel overwhelmed or scared by any means. 

Additional resources

At Scholarships360, we understand that the college admissions process is a long and strenuous process. We want to make things easier for you, so we’ve curated a pretty extensive list of tips and tricks to help you out. Learn how to write an essay about yourself and perfect writing both  250  or  500 word essays. We can help you figure out how many colleges to apply to , and after,  how to make your college application shine . We wish you luck, and remind you to apply for all the scholarships you are eligible for! 

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UT Austin Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

By Eric Eng

Are you setting your sights on the University of Texas at Austin for the 2023-2024 academic year? If so, you’re probably aware that crafting standout supplemental essays is a crucial part of your application. These essays are your opportunity to show UT Austin not just your academic strengths, but also your unique personality, interests, and what you can bring to their vibrant community.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essay prompts. You’ll find practical tips and insights to help you create essays that resonate with the admissions committee. Whether you’re a natural at writing or find it a bit challenging, this guide is tailored to make the essay-writing process clear and less daunting for you. So, let’s get started and turn those blank pages into your ticket to UT Austin !

How Many Supplemental Essays Does UT Austin Have?

For the 2023-2024 application cycle, the University of Texas at Austin has set specific requirements for freshman applicants in terms of essay and short answer responses. Here’s a detailed look at what’s required:

Firstly, there is a mandatory essay for all freshman applicants. This essay is a chance for you to share your personal story. It focuses on the unique opportunities or challenges you’ve encountered throughout your high school journey that have shaped your identity.

In addition to the required essay, there are three short answer prompts that you must respond to. The first prompt asks you to explain your interest in the major you’ve selected as your first choice. The second prompt invites you to describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, or leadership activities will contribute to your impact both inside and outside the classroom at UT Austin. The third prompt is centered around UT Austin’s core purpose, prompting you to reflect on how you expect your experience at the university to equip you to “Change the World” after graduation.

Moreover, there is an optional short answer question. This provides you with an opportunity to discuss any special circumstances or events that may have influenced your academic performance in high school. This optional prompt is an excellent chance to provide more context to your application, particularly if you’ve faced challenges that have impacted your academic journey.

These essay and short answer prompts collectively offer a comprehensive platform for you to showcase various facets of your personality, experiences, and goals, allowing the admissions committee to gain a deeper understanding of who you are and what you aspire to achieve at UT Austin. The total number of supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-2024 application cycle at UT Austin is five. This includes one required essay and four short answer prompts (three required and one optional).

What are the 2023-2024 UT Austin Supplemental Essay Prompts?

Required essay: 500-700 words.

“Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?”

Short Answer Prompts: 250-300 Words Per Prompt

“Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?”

“Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.”

“The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, ‘To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.’ Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to ‘Change the World’ after you graduate.”

Optional Short Answer Prompt: 250-300 Words

“Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.”

How to Write the 2023-2024 UT Austin Supplemental Essays

Required essay, understanding the question.

This prompt is asking you to think about how you have grown and what you have learned during your high school years. It gives you a chance to talk about what makes you unique, how strong and adaptable you are, and the ways your experiences have made you who you are today. You can share stories about important events or moments that have had a big impact on your life, teaching you valuable lessons and helping you grow as a person. This is a great opportunity to tell your own story and show how your past has prepared you for the future.

Crafting Your Response

1. Unique Personal Experiences: Think about events or situations that have had a significant impact on you. This could be a family circumstance, a cultural event, a personal challenge, or a moment of triumph. Describe these experiences vividly, focusing on how they contributed to your personal development. Reflect on the emotions, lessons learned, and how these experiences have influenced your outlook or aspirations.

2. Academic and Intellectual Growth: You might want to discuss an academic challenge or a project that sparked your interest in a particular field. Explain how overcoming academic hurdles or engaging deeply with a subject has shaped your educational journey. This is not just about listing achievements but reflecting on the process of learning and growing intellectually.

3. Extracurricular Activities and Leadership: Share how your involvement in activities outside the classroom has contributed to your personal growth. This could include sports, clubs, volunteering, or any form of leadership. Highlight specific instances where you made a significant impact, learned valuable skills, or developed new perspectives.

4. Overcoming Adversity: If you’ve faced and overcome significant challenges, this prompt is an excellent place to share that story. Explain the situation, how you dealt with it, what you learned from it, and how it has prepared you for future challenges. Be honest and introspective, showing your resilience and strength.

5. Future Goals and Aspirations: While the prompt focuses on your past, it’s also a chance to connect your experiences to your future goals. Explain how your unique experiences during high school have shaped your ambitions and how these align with what you hope to achieve at UT Austin. This link between past experiences and future aspirations can demonstrate purpose and direction.

Remember, the key is to be authentic and introspective, providing a window into who you are and how your unique experiences have shaped you.

Short Answer Prompt 1

This prompt is asking you to explain why you want to study a particular subject in college. It’s a chance for you to talk about how your past experiences, the things you’re interested in right now, and what you want to do in the future all relate to the major you’ve picked. Think of it as a way to show how your life story and your goals are connected to the subject you want to study.

1. Personal Passion and Interest: Begin by reflecting on what personally attracts you to this major. Perhaps you’ve always been fascinated by a particular subject, or you had an experience that sparked your interest. Describe this passion in detail. Explain how your interest developed over time, what specific aspects of the subject intrigue you, and how pursuing this major aligns with your personal interests and strengths.

2. Relevant Experiences and Achievements: Think about experiences in your life that relate directly to your chosen major. These could be academic projects, extracurricular activities, internships, or even personal projects. Discuss these experiences in depth, highlighting how they strengthened your interest in the field and prepared you for further study. Describe any challenges you faced and how overcoming them reinforced your commitment to this major.

3. Career Aspirations: Link your choice of major to your long-term career goals. Explain how this major is a stepping stone to your envisioned future. Discuss the skills and knowledge you hope to gain and how they are essential for your career path. Be specific about your ambitions and how the major will equip you for your desired role or industry.

4. Connection to UT Austin: Research how UT Austin’s program in this major is particularly suited to your goals and interests. Discuss specific courses, professors, research opportunities, or unique aspects of the program that attracted you. This shows that your choice is well-considered and that you are informed about what UT Austin specifically offers in your field of interest.

5. Personal Growth and Future Contribution: Reflect on how studying this major will contribute to your personal development and how you, in turn, plan to contribute to the field. Think about the broader impact you want to make in your area of study and how your unique perspective will add value. This could be in terms of innovation, addressing societal challenges, or advancing knowledge in your field.

Remember, the key is to demonstrate a deep and genuine interest in your chosen major, supported by personal experiences, achievements, and a clear vision of your future. This prompt is a chance to show the admissions committee not just why you chose the major, but also how you are prepared and excited to dive into it at UT Austin.

Short Answer Prompt 2

This prompt asks you to show how the things that make you special and the experiences you have had will add value to the University of Texas at Austin. It’s about sharing what makes you different, like your talents, ideas, and life stories, and explaining how these can have a positive impact on the university’s community. Think about what you can bring to the table that will help make UT Austin a more diverse, interesting, and enriching place for everyone.

1. Leadership Experiences: Reflect on any leadership roles you’ve held, whether in school clubs, sports teams, community groups, or even within your family. Discuss specific instances where you demonstrated leadership skills like problem-solving, teamwork, or innovation. Explain how these experiences helped you grow as a leader and how you plan to apply these skills at UT Austin. For example, if you led a community service project, discuss how it impacted your perspective on social issues and how you plan to engage in similar initiatives at UT.

2. Unique Perspectives and Diversity: Think about the unique perspectives you bring due to your background, experiences, or worldview. Discuss how these perspectives have shaped your understanding and approach to various situations. Explain how this diversity of thought will contribute to classroom discussions, group projects, or campus life at UT Austin. For instance, if you come from a multicultural background, share how this has given you a broader understanding of different cultures and how you plan to promote inclusivity on campus.

3. Talents and Skills: Identify any special talents or skills you possess and how they could be beneficial in a university setting. This could be anything from artistic abilities to tech skills, or even exceptional communication or organizational skills. Discuss how you have developed and utilized these talents in the past and how you envision using them at UT Austin. For example, if you’re a talented musician, you might talk about joining the university orchestra or contributing to the campus’s cultural life.

4. Academic and Intellectual Contributions: Consider how your academic strengths and intellectual curiosity will contribute to UT Austin’s academic community. Discuss any subjects or projects you are particularly passionate about and how you plan to pursue these interests further at UT. Highlight any relevant achievements or projects that showcase your academic abilities. For instance, if you excelled in science fairs or research projects, explain how you intend to bring that enthusiasm and expertise to your studies and potentially research opportunities at UT.

5. Community Involvement and Impact: Reflect on your involvement in community service or other volunteer activities. Discuss how these experiences have shaped your understanding of community needs and social issues. Explain how you plan to continue being involved in community service at UT Austin and the impact you hope to make. For example, if you’ve been active in environmental causes, talk about how you plan to engage with sustainability initiatives on campus.

Short Answer Prompt 3

The question wants to know how you plan to make a difference in society and how attending the University of Texas at Austin will help you achieve this. It’s about explaining your goals for helping others or improving your community and how you think the university will support you in this mission.

1. Alignment with UT Austin’s Values: Start by discussing how UT Austin’s core values and mission resonate with your personal beliefs and aspirations. Explore how the university’s emphasis on societal transformation aligns with your goals. Mention specific aspects of UT Austin – be it its academic environment, community initiatives, research opportunities, or campus culture – that you believe will be instrumental in preparing you to make a positive impact in society.

2. Academic and Professional Development: Elaborate on how you anticipate your chosen major or academic program will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to society. Discuss specific courses, faculty, research opportunities, or interdisciplinary programs at UT Austin that you are excited about and how they will help develop your expertise in areas you are passionate about. Highlight how this academic preparation is crucial for your plans to ‘Change the World.’

3. Personal Growth and Self-Discovery: Reflect on how you expect your time at UT Austin to contribute to your personal growth. This might include developing leadership skills, fostering a global perspective, or enhancing your understanding of societal challenges. Discuss how participating in university activities, such as clubs, organizations, or community service projects, will help you grow personally and understand the role you can play in societal transformation.

4. Community Engagement and Networking: Consider how engaging with the UT Austin community and beyond will prepare you for your future goals. This could involve collaboration with diverse groups, participation in community service, or networking with professionals and alumni. Explain how these interactions will provide you with a broader perspective, enable you to build meaningful connections, and prepare you to work effectively for the betterment of society.

5. Vision for the Future: Conclude by articulating a clear vision of how you plan to ‘Change the World’ post-graduation. This should be a forward-looking statement that ties together your academic interests, personal growth, and experiences at UT Austin. Discuss specific issues or challenges you are passionate about addressing and how your education and experiences at UT Austin will empower you to make a tangible impact in those areas.

Optional Short Answer Prompt

The prompt wants you to explain your school grades, especially if you had tough times or problems that made school harder for you. It’s asking you to tell more about what was going on in your life that might have made it difficult to do well in school. Maybe there were things happening at home or with your health that made learning tough. The idea is to help the people reading your application understand why your grades might not tell the whole story about how hard you worked or how much you can achieve. They want to know about any big challenges that impacted how you did in school.

1. Identifying Challenges: Start by identifying any significant challenges or special circumstances you faced during high school. These could include personal or family issues, health problems, a learning disability, financial hardships, or any other situation that had a direct impact on your academic performance. Be clear and specific about the nature of these challenges.

2. Impact on Academic Performance: Explain how these challenges affected your studies. This might include difficulties in concentrating, missing school, lack of resources, or emotional stress. It’s important to detail not just the challenges, but specifically how they impacted your ability to perform academically, such as affecting your grades or limiting your ability to participate in certain activities or courses.

3. Response and Resilience: Discuss how you responded to these challenges. This is a chance to showcase your resilience and problem-solving skills. Talk about any strategies you used to cope or overcome these difficulties, any support you sought, and how you managed to continue your education despite these obstacles. This part of your response can highlight your determination and adaptability.

4. Lessons Learned and Personal Growth: Reflect on what you learned from dealing with these challenges. Discuss any personal growth you experienced as a result, such as gaining a new perspective, developing coping skills, or becoming more empathetic towards others. Admissions officers are interested in seeing how you’ve grown through your experiences.

5. Current Status and Future Focus: Briefly mention where you stand now in relation to these challenges and how you are preparing for college. If applicable, explain how your experiences have influenced your future goals or choice of major. This helps to connect your past experiences with your future at the university.

When answering this prompt, honesty and introspection are crucial. It’s about providing context to your academic journey, showing how you’ve navigated challenges, and demonstrating your readiness for college despite any obstacles you’ve faced.

Materials to Read Before Writing Your Supplemental Essays

Before diving into writing your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays, there are several key resources and materials you should read to ensure your essays are effec tive and resonate with the admissions committee.

1. UT Austin’s Website: Start with the University of Texas at Austin’s official website . Pay special attention to the admissions section, where you’ll find detailed information about the essay prompts. Understanding the exact requirements and expectations for each prompt is crucial.

2. Course Catalog and Major Descriptions: If you’re writing about your intended major, it’s beneficial to read up on UT Austin’s course catalog and major descriptions. This will help you articulate why you’re interested in a specific program and how it aligns with your goals. 

For example, if you’re interested in the Computer Science major, you could read through the course catalog to see what courses are required and what topics are covered. You could also read the major description to learn more about the program’s goals and objectives. By doing your research, you’ll be able to write a more informed and compelling statement of purpose.

In addition to reading the course catalog and major descriptions, you can also learn more about a program by talking to current students and professors. This can give you a firsthand perspective on what the program is like and what you can expect. You can also attend departmental events and informational sessions to learn more about the program.

3. University Mission and Values: The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university with a mission to “promote the advancement of knowledge, preserve human values, and develop human potential.” The university’s values include academic excellence, diversity, innovation, and integrity.

Students who are interested in applying to UT Austin should familiarize themselves with the university’s mission statement and values. By understanding how these align with their own values and aspirations, students can write essays that stand out from the competition.

4. Writing Guides and Tips: Utilize writing guides, especially those focused on college admissions essays. These resources often provide valuable tips on structuring your essays, choosing topics, and refining your writing style.

5. Feedback from Others: After you have written your drafts, it might be helpful to read feedback or advice from teachers, counselors, or trusted individuals who have experience with college admissions. They can offer insights you might not have considered.

Remember, the key to these supplemental essays is to reflect your unique personality, experiences, and aspirations. You’re not just answering questions; you’re painting a picture of who you are and why you would be a great fit for UT Austin. So, take your time to read and research thoroughly before you begin writing your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays.

Structuring Your UT Austin Supplemental Essays

The structure of your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays plays a vital role in how effectively you communicate your ideas to the admissions committee. A well-structured essay not only makes your writing more coherent and engaging but also showcases your ability to organize thoughts and convey messages clearly. Here are three key points on how you can structure your UT Austin supplemental essays:

1. Start with a Strong Introduction: Your introduction is your first chance to capture the reader’s attention. Begin with a compelling hook – this could be an intriguing question, a brief anecdote, or a unique statement related to your essay topic. The introduction should set the tone for your essay and provide a sneak peek into what you’re going to talk about. For UT Austin essays, it’s particularly important to connect your introduction to the specific prompt you’re addressing.

2. Develop a Clear Body with Specific Examples: The body of your essay is where you dive deep into your topic. For each paragraph, start with a clear topic sentence that relates back to the prompt. Then, elaborate on this with specific examples from your experiences, achievements, or aspirations. 

For instance, if you’re discussing your intended major, you might talk about a particular project or class that sparked your interest in this field. Remember, UT Austin is looking for students who can bring unique perspectives and experiences to their campus, so use the body of your essay to showcase what makes you stand out.

3. Conclude with Reflection and Forward-Thinking: Your conclusion should not just summarize what you’ve written, but also reflect on what you’ve learned and how it applies to your future at UT Austin. This is your chance to tie all your points together and reiterate why you’re a great fit for the university. Perhaps, discuss how you envision applying your learnings at UT Austin or how being a part of their community will help you achieve your long-term goals.

Remember, while creativity is important, clarity and relevance to the prompt are key in your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays. Use your structure to guide the reader through your thoughts and experiences in a way that’s engaging an d leaves a lasting impression.

How to Effectively Revise and Proofread

Revising and proofreading your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays are crucial steps in ensuring your application stands out. These pro cesses help refine your ideas, correct errors, and enhance the overall quality of your writing. Here are detailed strategies to effectively revise and proofread your essays:

1. Take a Break Before Revising: After completing your first draft, give yourself a break before starting the revision process. This short break – it could be a few hours or a day – allows you to return to your essay with fresh eyes. You’ll be more likely to catch awkward phrasing, inconsistencies, or areas that need more detail.

2. Read Aloud for Flow and Clarity: Read your essay out loud to yourself. This technique is incredibly effective in identifying sentences that are too long, awkwardly structured, or difficult to understand. Your ears can catch what your eyes might miss. As you read, pay attention to the flow of your essay. Does each paragraph smoothly transition to the next? Do your sentences convey your thoughts clearly and concisely?

3. Check for Relevance to the Prompt: Every sentence in your essay should serve a purpose and be relevant to the prompt. UT Austin is looking for specific information about you and how you fit with their community and values. Ensure that each part of your essay directly responds to the prompt, and remove or rewrite any parts that wander off-topic.

4. Seek Feedback from Others: Sometimes, it’s hard to be objective about your own writing. Ask a teacher, counselor, or someone you trust to review your essay. They can provide valuable feedback on the content, structure, and clarity of your essay. Remember, while it’s important to consider their suggestions, the final essay should still reflect your voice and ideas.

5. Pay Attention to Grammar and Spelling: Lastly, thoroughly proofread your essay for any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. These mistakes can distract from the content and give an impression of carelessness. Utilize tools like spell checkers, but don’t rely solely on them. A careful, manual review is essential to catch subtle errors that automated tools might miss.

By meticulously revising and proofreading your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays, you ensure that your application is polished, professional, and reflective of your best self. This attention to detail can make a significant difference in how your application is perceived by the admissions committee.

Why You Should Study at the University of Texas at Austin

When considering where to pursue your higher education, UT Austin stands out as a top choice, especially as you prepare your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays. As of November 2023, UT Austin boasts remarkable achievements and rankings that highlight its excellence in various aspects of higher education.

UT Austin has proudly ascended to the No. 9 spot among public universities in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. This significa nt ranking underscores the university’s dedication to delivering a superior educational experience. Moreover, it holds the prestigious position of being the No. 1 public university in Texas, demonstrating its leadership and prominence in the state.

The university is not just recognized for its overall excellence but also for its outstanding academic programs. For instance, the McCombs School of Business, a well-respected name in the realm of business education, is ranked 5th nationally, with its accounting program leading the nation at No. 1. The Cockrell School of Engineering is another gem at UT Austin, ranking 11th in the country, and featuring several top-10 specialties. The university’s computer science program, particularly renowned for areas like artificial intelligence, is also ranked 11th nationally.

Beyond just academic rankings, UT Austin is a hub of innovation and research. It’s ranked as the 16th “Most Innovative School” in the U.S., reflecting an environment that fosters creativity, cutting-edge research, and groundbreaking projects. This innovative spirit is a core part of the UT Austin experience, offering students like you opportunities to engage in transformative projects and research endeavors.

UT Austin also boasts a wide variety of top-ranked specialties across different disciplines, ensuring that no matter what your interests are, there’s a place for you to excel. The university’s commitment to student success is evident in its support for various programs, including undergraduate research and study abroad initiatives. It’s also recognized for its efforts in supporting veterans, ranking No. 16 nationally and No. 1 in Texas for veterans.

In summary, choosing UT Austin is about more than just joining a prestigious academic institution. It’s about being part of a university that is actively shaping the future through its commitment to innovation, academic excellence, and student success. As you write your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays, consider these points to understand the unique opportunities and experiences that await you at this distinguished university.

UT Austin’s Application Deadlines and Key Metrics

As a student considering the University of Texas at Austin, it’s important for you to know the latest admission trends and statistics. For the year 2023, UT Austin has an acceptance rate of 31%. This indicates a highly selective admission process, meaning only about 31 students for every 100 applicants are admitted. The average SAT scores for admitted students range between 1230 and 1500, and the ACT scores range from 29 to 34.

Regarding application deadlines for the 2023-2024 academic year, if you’re a first-time college student, your application for Fall 2024 should be submitted by December 1, 2023. For external transfers, the deadlines are March 1st for fall admission and October 1st for spring admission. However, it’s highly recommended to complete the ApplyTexas application by December 15, 2023, even though the official deadline is January 10th. Early action deadlines are also important if you’re applying as a freshman, with the deadline being November 1, 2023, and decisions released by February 1, 2024​​​​.

In terms of academic performance and retention, UT Austin boasts impressive numbers. The university has a freshman retention rate of 95%, significantly higher than the national average. This rate reflects the percentage of first-year students who return to the university for their second year. The overall retention rate stands at 96%. For graduation rates, 57% of students graduate within four years, and 79% graduate within six years. The six-year graduation rate is 87.6%, demonstrating the university’s commitment to supporting students through to the completion of their studies​​​​.

As you prepare your application, remember to focus on the 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays, which are a crucial part of your application. These essays give you a chance to showcase your unique personality, experiences, and motivations for choosing UT Austin. Make sure to express yourself clearly and authentically, as this is your opportunity to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.

How Important are Supplemental Essays in the College Admissions Process?

Supplemental essays play a pivotal role in the college admissions process, especially for institutions like The University of Texas at Austin. When you’re working on your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays, it’s crucial to understand their significance and how they can enhance your chances of admission .

These essays are more than just a formality; they’re a unique platform for you to present yourself beyond grades and test scores. Think of your supplemental essays as a personal interview on paper. They offer you the opportunity to showcase your personality, experiences, values, and how you think. This is your chance to let the admissions committee hear your voice and see the person behind the application numbers.

One key aspect of supplemental essays is that they allow you to demonstrate your fit with the university’s culture and values. UT Austin, like many prestigious universities, looks for students who will contribute positively to their campus community. Through your essays, you can illustrate not just why you want to attend UT Austin, but also how you will add value to the university. This could be through leadership experiences, community service, personal projects, or unique perspectives you bring to the table.

Moreover, supplemental essays provide a platform for you to explain any anomalies in your academic record. If there were circumstances that impacted your grades or extracurricular involvement, the supplemental essays give you a space to provide context. This helps the admissions committee understand your journey in a more holistic manner.

In crafting your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays, creativity and authenticity are key. Avoid generic responses; instead, dive deep into your personal experiences, beliefs, and aspirations. Make your essays specific to UT Austin by tying your narrative to specific programs, professors, or opportunities that align with your academic and career goals. This shows the admissions committee that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in what UT Austin has to offer.

Remember, quality trumps quantity. It’s better to have a few well-crafted, thoughtful essays than several superficial ones. Each essay is an opportunity to stand out and make a compelling case for why you belong at UT Austin. Take your time to brainstorm, draft, and revise until your essays truly reflect who you are and why you would be an excellent fit for the university.

Overall, the 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays are a crucial element of your application. They are the gateway for the admissions committee to get to know you on a personal level. Utilize this opportunity to highlight your unique story, demonstrate your fit with the university, and articulate your enthusiasm for becoming a part of the UT Austin community. Remember, your essays can significantly influence your chances of admission, so give them the attention and effort they deserve.

How Do UT Austin’s Supplemental Essays Compare to Other Top Universities?

Understanding how UT Austin’s supplemental essays compare to those of other top universities is vital. Unlike some universities that have generic prompts, UT Austin’s supplemental essays often have a distinctive focus on understanding your fit with the university’s specific environment and ethos.

For example, while Stanford University might ask you to write about intellectual vitality, UT Austin’s prompts tend to delve deeper into how you align with their unique values and community. This means your responses should be tailored not just to showcase your strengths and experiences but also to reflect a keen understanding of what makes UT Austin unique among its peers.

Comparatively, Ivy League schools like Harvard or Yale often focus on broader aspects of your personality and intellectual curiosity, allowing more leeway to explore diverse facets of your identity and interests. Their prompts might encourage you to reflect on your formative experiences or intellectual pursuits without a direct link to the university’s specific programs or culture.

On the other hand, UT Austin’s supplemental essays might ask you to discuss how specific programs, resources, or aspects of the university resonate with your goals and values. This approach requires you to research and understand UT Austin’s offerings deeply, making your essays not just a reflection of who you are but also how you see yourself thriving and contributing specifically to the UT Austin community.

Moreover, UT Austin’s supplemental essays tend to demand a level of specificity and clarity about your future aspirations that is not always emphasized to the same degree at other top universities. For instance, while a university like MIT might prompt you to discuss a past project or a creative endeavor, UT Austin’s essays might ask you to articulate your future goals and how specific aspects of the university will help you achieve them.

This forward-looking perspective is crucial in your UT Austin essays, as it demonstrates not just self-awareness but also a strategic vision of how UT Austin fits into your long-term plans. Remember, while the core of your application – showcasing your achievements, personality, and potential – remains constant across universities, each school, including UT Austin, seeks to uncover different facets of your candidacy through their supplemental essays. Tailoring your responses to align with each university’s unique prompts, especially UT Austin’s, is key to crafting a compelling and effective application.

Final Thoughts

As you wrap up your 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essays, remember that these pieces of writing are more than just answers to prompts; they’re reflections of who you are. You’ve put in the effort to share your story, your aspirations, and how UT Austin fits into your future. It’s a big step towards your college journey, and you should be proud of the work you’ve done.

Keep in mind, your essays are a way for the admissions team to get to know you beyond your grades and test scores. So, as you give your essays a final review, make sure they truly represent your voice and your story. If you’ve done that, you’ve already succeeded in a major part of your application.

We hope this blog has been a helpful guide in navigating the 2023-2024 UT Austin supplemental essay prompts. Good luck, and here’s to hoping to see you as part of the Longhorn community! Remember, your unique perspective is what makes your application stand out. Go for it!

AdmissionSight , a college consulting firm, offers personalized assistance to students in their college admissions journey. We help you create a strategic plan for your applic ation process, identify suitable schools aligned with your academic and personal goals, and prioritize your application strategy. 

Our experts review your application, providing constructive feedback to enhance its quality and uniqueness. We also assist in crafting compelling essays that reflect your personality and achievements, guide you through the writing process, and offer feedback on drafts. In addition, we provide interview coaching to boost your confidence and readiness for college interviews, offering tips on professional presentation and answering common questions. 

We aid in optimizing your extracurricular activities to align with your interests and goals, emphasizing leadership and initiative. Overall, AdmissionSight offers valuable guidance and support to increase your chances of college acceptance. With a strong network and a success rate exceeding 75% in the past decade, book a free initial consultation today!

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Navigate the University of Texas at Austin Supplemental Essays '23-'24

Welcome, future Longhorns! The University of Texas at Austin supplemental essays for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle are your opportunity to stand out from the crowd and convey your unique identity. In this blog post, we'll delve into each prompt, offering insightful advice to help you craft compelling essays.

University of Texas at Austin Supplemental Essay Prompts

• Why are you interested in the University of Texas at Austin major you selected? (250-300 words)
• Leadership can be demonstrated in many ways. Please share how you have demonstrated leadership in either your school, job, community, and/or within your family responsibilities. (250-300 words)
• Please share how you believe your experiences, perspectives, and/or talents have shaped your ability to contribute to and enrich the learning environment at UT Austin, both in and out of the classroom. (250-300 words)

Let's dissect these prompts and discuss how to approach each:

Why are you interested in the University of Texas at Austin major you selected? This prompt calls for specific reasons that drew you to your chosen major at UT Austin. Be it the department's unique approach to education, the research opportunities available, or the faculty's work, express why these aspects make UT Austin's program a great fit for your academic interests and future goals.

From a young age, I've been captivated by the intricacies of human behavior. When I first stumbled upon computational neuroscience, a field that intersects my love for psychology and computer science, I knew I had found my calling. The University of Texas at Austin, with its interdisciplinary approach and focus on research, stood out as the perfect place to pursue this passion.

The Department of Neuroscience at UT Austin has a unique Brain, Behavior, and Evolution program that integrates traditional neuroscience with related disciplines. This aligns with my goal to explore the broad interplay of neural circuits, cognition, and behavior, and eventually contribute to AI models that better replicate human intelligence. Additionally, the opportunity to learn from renowned professors such as Dr. Laura Colgin, whose work on spatial memory and cognitive maps aligns with my interest areas, is an opportunity too enticing to pass up.

Further, UT Austin's commitment to undergraduate research, as demonstrated by the Freshman Research Initiative, would provide me with invaluable hands-on experience early on. I am particularly drawn to the "Neuroscience of Learning and Memory" stream, which could deepen my understanding of neural processes underlying cognition.

UT Austin's collaborative and research-oriented atmosphere makes it the ideal platform to delve deep into computational neuroscience, thereby taking the first step towards my long-term goal of revolutionizing AI technologies with human-like cognitive capabilities.

Leadership can be demonstrated in many ways. Reflect on your experiences where you've shown leadership, from formal roles in clubs or teams to less traditional ways like taking initiative in a group project or helping younger siblings with homework. UT Austin values students who can take responsibility, show initiative, and positively impact their community.

Leadership, to me, is about taking responsibility, initiating change, and impacting others positively. I've strived to embody these qualities as the president of my school's Robotics Club. However, my leadership journey was not always smooth.

When I initially assumed the role, our club was grappling with dwindling membership and lack of motivation. To overcome this, I implemented a mentorship program where older members would mentor newcomers, fostering a sense of belonging. I also introduced weekly challenges that incited enthusiasm and cultivated a problem-solving mentality among members.

Overcoming initial resistance, the changes gradually started showing effect. Membership increased, and our club even won the regional RoboRumble competition, a feat our school had not achieved in years.

Yet, my proudest accomplishment is not the accolades but the vibrant, inclusive community we built. Witnessing shy newcomers evolve into confident contributors reinforced the profound impact of leadership. As I step into UT Austin, I look forward to bringing this same spirit of initiative and transformation to my endeavors.

Please share how you believe your experiences, perspectives, and/or talents have shaped your ability to contribute to and enrich the learning environment at UT Austin. This prompt is about demonstrating your unique value to the UT Austin community. Reflect on how your experiences and talents have shaped your worldview and how these perspectives would contribute to a diverse and inclusive learning environment at UT Austin.

Born and raised in a multicultural household with an American mother and a Korean father, I've learned to navigate and appreciate different perspectives from an early age. This has cultivated in me a deep respect for diversity and an ability to foster dialogue between varied viewpoints.

In high school, I leveraged this understanding to initiate 'Cultural Dialogue' sessions where students discussed global issues from diverse cultural perspectives. These dialogues opened avenues for conversation, leading to a more inclusive school environment.

At UT Austin, I wish to bring this passion for fostering cultural understanding and dialogue. I aim to participate in and lead initiatives that promote intercultural exchange, contributing to UT Austin's diverse and inclusive community.

Furthermore, as a computational neuroscience enthusiast, I hope to bring a unique interdisciplinary perspective to classroom discussions. I am excited to engage in intellectual exchanges within UT Austin's vibrant academic community, learn from my peers, and contribute to the dynamic discourse at UT Austin.

Remember these important pointers:

• Show, Don't Tell : Use concrete examples and narratives to demonstrate your points rather than merely stating them.
• Reflection is Key : Don't just recount experiences. Highlight what you learned from them and how they shaped you.
• Be Genuine : Authenticity speaks volumes. Write from your heart and let your true personality shine through.

Embarking on the UT Austin supplemental essays can seem daunting, but remember, this is your chance to present your unique story to the admissions committee. Good luck, and Hook 'em Horns!

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Tackling USC Supplemental Essays for the 2023-2024 Admissions Cycle

If you are a high school senior or a student who has completed high school and has not yet enrolled at another college or university after graduation, you should apply for freshman admission. Domestic freshmen are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or students who are graduating from a Texas high school.

If you are an international freshman, visit our International Freshman page .

Online Application

Key freshman admission dates, summer/fall enrollment.

• Application Opens August 1
• Early Action Deadline to Apply October 15
• Regular Deadline to Apply December 1
• Early Action Decisions Released January 15
• All Decisions Released February 15

Spring Enrollment

• Deadline to Apply September 1
• Decisions Released December 1

Application Requirements

Required for ALL freshman applicants who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or who are graduating from a Texas high school.

Application

Apply using the CommonApp for summer/fall admission. You should apply using the ApplyTexas application if applying for spring admission.

Application Fee

Pay the non-refundable application fee of $75 when you submit your application. You can request a fee waiver. Requests can be made in the application, or by submitting the Request for Fee Waiver form via our Document Upload System in MyStatus.

Essay and Short Answers

Applicants must submit at least one essay and the required short answer prompts. The essay topic, requirements and prompts can be found on our website and in the applications.

Essays and Short Answers

SAT/ACT Scores

SAT and ACT official test scores must be submitted by the appropriate deadline to be considered. Submit at least one set of scores directly from the testing agency. (We do not require the SAT Essay or ACT Writing scores). Scores are only accepted directly from the testing agencies. We do not accept scores in transcripts or copies of score reports. You are not required to submit SAT Subject Test scores.

Testing agencies should send your scores using the codes designated for UT Austin:

* SAT/ACT Scores remain optional for students applying for Spring 2025. SAT/ACT Scores are required for students applying to Summer/Fall 2025 and beyond.

High School Transcripts, Class Rank and College Transcripts

Transcripts should list all of your high school coursework (from 9th – 11th grade) as well as your class rank. If your high school does not rank students, include a statement from your school describing its policy, a copy of your school’s profile and a GPA or grade distribution report. If you have earned any college credit (including dual credit) while in high school, request that the college or university send official transcripts to UT Austin.

Transcript Info

High School Prerequisites

You must  complete or be on track to complete certain high school coursework to be competitive for admission.

High School Prerequisites 

Review Optional and Additional Materials

Certain majors may require additional materials after you have submitted your application. You may also wish to submit additional materials to strengthen your application, such as letters of recommendation or a resume.

Additional Materials

The following materials may be required. These items must be received by the appropriate deadline.

Major-Specific Items

Certain majors may require specific items in addition to your application. Please be sure to review any additional items required by your first and second choice majors by visiting their college or school website.

Colleges & Degrees

Student Information Form

If applicable, tell us about your high-school coursework. MyStatus will prompt those who are required to complete the form.

Texas Private High School Certification Form

This form is used to determine qualification for automatic enrollment. Applicable students are:

• Those who attended a Texas private school and do not satisfy test score requirements.
• Those who attended a Department of Defense High School and are not exempt based on test scores.

Residency Affidavit

If you aren’t a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident but graduated or will graduate from a Texas high school, you may qualify for residency for tuition purposes. Students who may qualify will be prompted to download the residency affidavit within their application or MyStatus. Email the completed, notarized residency affidavit to [email protected] .

Residency FAQs

Optional Materials

The optional items below are NOT required for admission consideration. However, you may include them as part of your application for admission if submitted by the appropriate deadline.

You may submit a resume offering additional information about your achievements, activities, leadership positions and student employment. Submit your resume in MyStatus using the Document Upload System after you have submitted your application. You can also submit your resume in the Common App.

If you submit a resume, you should include:

• Details about what each activity involved rather than a general description.
• The number of hours per week and weeks per year you spent on each activity.

Letters of Recommendation

You can submit up to two letters of recommendation with your application or after you’ve submitted your application. These letters may be from mentors or people who know you well, and can include teachers, although we encourage you to provide letters from sources outside your high school. The letter should be able to give additional context or information to support your admission that is not already provided in your application or other submitted documents (resume, transcripts).

Submitting Your Recommendations

We do not accept recommendations via email. Submit your recommendations via:

• The Common App
• MyStatus using the Document Upload System (accessible only by students after application submission)
• Parchment, Naviance/Edocs or Scoir

Once you’ve submitted your application, you can track the status and submit additional documents in MyStatus. Be sure to regularly monitor MyStatus until your application is listed as complete and submit any to-do items prior to the deadlines.

Check MyStatus

MyStatus is available 24-48 hours after submitting your application. You may be asked for additional information. Check MyStatus to stay up to date.

Complete the FAFSA/TASFA

Completing the FAFSA/TASFA before March 15 will maximize your eligibility for financial aid awards.

Complete Your Housing Application

You can apply for housing before you receive an admission decision. Housing is offered on a first come, first served basis. We recommend applying as soon as possible.

Check Your Email

We’ll alert you about your admission decision, financial aid awards, housing contract and other important details via email. Be sure to check your email regularly.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the UT Austin Application Essays 2017-2018

Founded by the Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1883, the University of Texas at Austin is home to 51,000 students and 3,100 faculty members. As the “Public Ivy” of the South, UT Austin annually ranks among the Top 20 public universities.

As UT Austin’s reputation grows, its applicant pool becomes increasingly competitive as well, leaving its current acceptance rate in the low 40% range, one of the lowest among public schools. Noted departments at UT include petroleum engineering, history, and linguistics. Additionally, UT permits students to apply directly to programs that are occupation-specific, an aspect that differentiates UT from other institutions.

UT Austin provides multiple essay prompt options for students to choose between. There is one mandatory essay prompt that all students must respond to, as well as secondary questions that you may answer depending on your intended major.

Note: UT recommends that you keep your essays between 350 and 500 words, with no more than 650 words. 650 is also the word limit for the Common Application, so it’s easy for you to get an idea for how much room you have to get your point across. For more tips on how to write the Common Application Essay, feel free to check out CollegeVine’s Common App 2017-2018 Guide .

UT Austin Application Essay Prompts

Prompt a: personal background (mandatory), what was the environment in which you were raised describe your family, home, neighborhood or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person..

As the only essay prompt required by every applicant, this topic allows you to expand and describe your personal background or story. Where are you from? How did you get here? How has your community influenced you to become the person you are today? Because every applicant will write this prompt, the goal is to be as original as possible.

Here are a few strategies to craft a response :

• Consider Your Upbringing  – For example, you could discuss how, as an international student from Japan, the stringency of subway transport solidified your punctuality early on. Alternatively, if you have had work experience growing up, you could explain how working as a waiter/waitress has taught you how to interact with customers, a skill that has translated to many facets of your life.
• Write What You Know – You are already unique in that no other applicant, or person in the world, shares your experiences. Simply writing about your story, and how you perceive it, is an excellent approach to being authentic. Don’t be afraid to write candidly about important events in your life, even if they seem mundane. For example, if you want to write about how a childhood pet has impacted you in a compelling way, you should explain the significance that the pet holds for you, even though people do not usually associate pets with shaping a person into who they’ve become. Using this strategy will allow your true voice to come through the response, which can make a lasting impact on the reader.
• Focus on Your Mentality – Remember that your background is not defined only by heritage, ethnicity, and family income, but also your mental diversity. Aspirations, light bulb moments, and passions — it’s these things that set you apart from others and will help you stand out. For example, you can explain how ever since you were a kid, your father, who is a judge, drilled into you a sense of fairness. Or, perhaps if your mother is a chef, discuss how watching her work toward perfection in her dishes influenced your disciplined mental approach to all aspects of your life.
• Think Outside the Box – The prompt lists environment, family, home, neighborhood, and community as potential themes of responses; however, don’t let strict definitions restrict you from branching out. You can take a creative approach by defining these types of themes in your own terms. For example, perhaps family can mean your basketball team, or community can be staff, patients, and doctors in the hospital where you interned.

Prompt A is the only mandatory question out of the topics in UT’s Essay requirement. For your second essay, you should choose just one from the following prompts.

Prompt N: For Nursing Majors ONLY

Considering nursing as your first-choice major, discuss how your current and future academic activities, extracurricular pursuits, and life experiences will help you achieve your goals..

Answer this topic by explaining the origin and goals of your decision to pursue nursing; UT seeks to understand how your specific experiences will aid you along this path. Additionally, explain the future opportunities you want to participate in, and how these will help you reach your long-term goal in nursing.

How to tackle this prompt:

• Align Yourself with Career Traits – Many applicants will not have prior nursing experience, and that is fine if nursing is the path you choose to pursue. However, it is in your best interest to show off a side of you that aligns itself best with the qualities required to be a nurse. These qualities include empathy, perseverance, and decision-making skills. You can display these qualities through storytelling and creating narratives. For example, you can consider all of your real-life experiences with nursing and healthcare. How did the teacher’s anecdotes about her experiences inspire you to pursue nursing? How did the two summers spent at San Francisco Children’s Hospital for 8 hours every day affect your perception of the profession? What did working in a nursing home teach you about empathy, specifically how to broach delicate topics to patients?

Short Prompts

Along with your main essay, you must submit at least three additional short essays. According to the UT Austin application requirements , your answers should be limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words. While not quite as elaborate as a traditional common app essay, you still have sufficient space to develop a compelling response. The following sections will discuss strategies to approach the UT Austin short answer prompts.

Short Answer 1: Career Plans  

If you could have any career, what would it be? Why? Describe any activities you are involved in, life experiences you’ve had, or even classes you’ve taken that have helped you identify this professional path.

Some Tips to Consider: Even if you aren’t sure what you want to do for your career, you can still write an excellent response. First, notice that this prompt is hypothetical in that it asks, “ if you could have any career, what would it be?” With that being said, you can feel free to explore and select between countless options for your topic, and they don’t necessarily need to be exactly what you want to do. The career path does not necessarily need to match every aspect of your skill set and personality; rather, it should incorporate your experiences and interests, and potentially complement other information you’ve provided.

One strategy to write this essay is to match an aspect of your personality to a career. For example, if you are very meticulous and attentive to aesthetic details and love to travel, you may want to consider writing about being a photographer for National Geographic . You could discuss how viewing awe-inspiring photographs on Instagram has motivated you to travel and see different cultures. At the same time, you could take the response a step further by explaining how you would love to incorporate aspects of your cultural anthropology class to better document the lives of the people or communities you photograph.

Instead of focusing too much on the career path itself, you can make the task of writing easier by expounding upon your relevant activities or experiences. For example, if you want to be a product manager for a high-tech company, you could discuss how your leadership role in the robotics club has taught you valuable lessons in failure. Now, whenever you design, you take a skeptical approach and assume things will never work the way you intend, which causes you to iterate quickly as a manager.

Short Answer 2: Academics

Do you believe your academic record (transcript information and test scores) provide an accurate representation of you as a student? Why or why not?

Some Tips to Consider:

Here is a tip directly from the UT Austin Admissions Office:

“Feel free to address anything you want the Office of Admissions to know about your academic record so that we can consider this information when we review your application. You can discuss your academic work, class rank, GPA, individual course grades, test scores, and/or the classes that you took or the classes that were available to you. You can also describe how special circumstances and/or your school, community, and family environments impacted your high school performance.”

Essentially, you can discuss anything you want with respect to your high school academics. Some potential topics could include:

• A particularly transformative project you worked on
• An elective that sparked your interest in a unique subject
• A difficult semester you had

You may feel compelled to “explain” a bad grade in a class or convince admissions that your GPA could have been higher, but that’s not really the point of the prompt or what admissions wants to hear.

Instead of focusing on making excuses, focus on the lessons you’ve learned from mistakes . For example, if you struggled in calculus, explain why you may have found the subject challenging and how you worked hard to change your study habits by setting up weekly meetings with your professor to work on the concepts. A response like that could shed light on a lower grade on the transcript while revealing positive aspects about your character. Whatever you choose to write about, try to incorporate the positives of what you took from the experience and show why you are now a better applicant due to the experience. Keep in mind that admissions officers consider your potential as well as your past accomplishments.

Short Answer 3: Leadership

How do you show leadership in your life? How do you see yourself being a leader at UT Austin?

Here is a tip directly from UT Austin:

“Leadership can be demonstrated by positions you hold as an officer in a club or organization, but other types of leadership are important too. Leaders can emerge in various situations at any given time, including outside of the school experience. Please share a brief description of the type of leadership qualities you possess, from school and non-school related experiences, including demonstrations of leadership in your job, your community, or within your family responsibilities, and then share how you hope to demonstrate leadership as a member of our campus community.”

The most effective way to respond to this prompt is to split it into two parts. Part 1 should concern your experience with leadership or cultivating a leadership skill. Part 2 should directly respond to Part 1 by analyzing how the identified skill will apply directly to a campus group or community at UT Austin.

For example, you could begin by describing your experience volunteering or tutoring at a local elementary school. Instead of simply saying you were “a leader” to the younger kids, focus on describing the types of qualities you learned and how. If the kids often struggled with paying attention or staying on task, you could explain how you learned to temper expectations, be patient, and interact with a cool head. When the kids recognized how patient and composed you were, they adopted the same demeanor when solving problems and improved drastically. You could even go in-depth about particular moments or instances in which you learned a certain skill or developed a leadership quality. Further, you can also discuss what leadership means to you, potentially touching on the types of qualities you value in a leader.

Following your anecdote, you can specifically show how your leadership qualities will be used at UT Austin. For example, if you are interested in leading outreach projects in local Austin communities or even other countries, you can explain how the quality of “patience” will come in handy when convincing organizations to let you work with them. If you do a mission trip in another country, patience is often crucial for forming relationships and overcoming social or linguistic barriers, as well. The point of this example is to show how clearly you must organize the response and how the specific quality you discuss in your personal anecdote must also motivate your application to UT Austin.

Short Answer: For Architecture, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies, and Art Education Majors ONLY

Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

This topic confirms that UT Austin is searching for two things in applicants applying to a degree in architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education:

1) relevant past experiences and 2) how and why those experiences motivate you to pursue one of the above-mentioned fields.

Some tips to consider:

• Explain Your Passion Descriptively – Admissions officers are actively searching for ways in which your work affected your perspective in a certain field. As with any college essay, it is exponentially more effective to delineate how your interest in the field was the driving impetus behind your accomplishments, rather than simply stating your passion and hoping they take your word for it. For such visual realms of study, it is advantageous to spend time describing closely the details of architectural or artistic aesthetics. You could discuss how certain aesthetic decisions were motivated by ideologies, and how your own choices as an artist stem from your background.
• Consider the Program’s Alignment With Your Interests – The second portion of the topic asks what you have done to “prepare yourself for further study in [your] area?”. Make sure to touch base on how attending UT Austin’s program for your degree will help you develop yourself within the field. For example, your passion could be design, which stems from sketching characters ever since you were a child. Perhaps your mother enrolled you in a painting studio by middle school, but by eighth grade, you pinpointed your interest in design. Taking action on that interest, you were able to score an internship in a medium-sized, local design, where after a year you designed and produced an article of clothing. Along the same lines, explaining how attending UT’s design program could allow you to explore all the different options that design has to offer would complete your essay. Relating steps of an experience, in this manner, is a great method of organizing your experience into writing.

Short Answer: For Social Work Majors ONLY

Discuss the reasons you chose social work as your first-choice major and how a social work degree from UT Austin will prepare you for the future.

This topic essentially asks the same thing as Prompt N, for social work. Describe how your decision to pursue social work came about. Relate previous experiences in social work to how they will guide you in your pursuit down this career path.

Some tips for Prompt W:

• Align Yourself to Career Traits – It’s perfectly fine to have limited social work experience, but it is always in your best interest to present yourself in a manner that aligns with the qualities of a social worker. These qualities include endurance, empathy, and magnanimity. Social workers are instrumental in helping individuals, communities, and groups enhance overall well-being and social functioning. Consider ways in which you have worked with someone to overcome a challenge. Perhaps you were an avid tutor in high school, and learning how to adapt to the student will help you deal with the variety of individuals you will face as a social worker.
• Consider the Program’s Role – Describe how you will take advantage of what UT offers in its social work degree. Explain the specific opportunities you want to participate in, and how and why you will take these opportunities to help you reach your long-term goal of benefitting the economy, health, or society. We recommend conducting thorough research on relevant clubs, organizations, or resources that you can tie into your response.

In Conclusion

UT’s requirement of Prompt A and short answer essays is a chance for you to show off yet another aspect that readers have not been exposed to. Remember that an unforgettable essay can go a long way in convincing readers to grant you admission to the home of the Longhorns!

Happy writing!

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Why this major short response.

Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

Diversity Short Response

Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.

Why This College Short Response

The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society. Please share how you believe your experience at UT-Austin will prepare you to Change the World after you graduate.

Additional Info Short Response

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.

If your response to this question is similar to one of the Common App Personal Essays, feel free to simply copy and paste the important parts of your essay here.

Your Story Essay

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Architecture Short Response 1

Inherent in the design disciplines the capacity to impact the world around us. What does the opportunity to develop such capacity mean to you and you approach to your college education?

Architecture Short Response 2

Please provide and upload three images total that demonstrate your creativity. The three images may all be of one option type, or varied amongst the two following options:

Option 1 – Either an original photograph or photographs from a camera, smart phone/mobile device, OR

Option 2 – Images of an original art or design project that you have produced and authored yourself.

For all, describe how the three images are representative of how you see creativity as a way to describe, reflect on, or change the world.

Art/Art History Essay

In 500 words or less, please tell us about a time when an artwork, artist or art teacher impacted your life. How did this inspire you to pursue an education in the arts?

Nursing Short Response

Discuss the factors that have influenced your motivation and deep desire to pursue a career in Nursing. Please include any activities and/or life experiences that are related.

ApplyTexas Essays

Schools using ApplyTexas will have specific guidelines for how many of the following essays are required, if any. Some schools are also on the Common App, so you may respond to those prompts instead in that case.

Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

(specific to majors in architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education): Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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Mastering UT Essays: Unlock Success for University of Texas Applications

Navigating the college application process can often feel like maneuvering through a sea of surprises. Some surprises are exhilarating, like unexpectedly warm weather during a spring beach trip or a heartwarming text from a friend.

However, not all surprises are pleasant. Yet, there's a notable exception for those targeting the University of Texas Austin.

The University of Texas Austin admissions office has refined its approach, notably simplifying the structure and number of its short answer questions for prospective students.

This adjustment benefits applicants, easing the challenge of articulating their unique qualities and passions within a constrained word count.

This change allows students applying to share background on events and leadership positions effectively, and it offers an opportunity to explain unique aspects of their academic performance through the UT Austin essay prompts and common app essays.

Refining Your Approach to the Two Essential UT Essay Prompts

For newcomers to the college application process, it's crucial to understand that brevity doesn't equate to insignificance. The essay prompts at the University of Texas demand concise, potent responses that capture the essence of your academic ambitions and personal achievements.

With the right approach and mindset, you can effectively communicate your unique qualities and passions in a way that will set you apart from other University of Texas applicants.

Here are some tips to help refine your approach to the two essential UT Austin essay prompts:

1. Diving Into Your Chosen Major

Detailing your academic journey.

Exploring your first choice major is a familiar step in the application process. Yet, it serves as a critical platform for detailing your academic journey and the defining moments that shaped your passion for your field.

For instance, you might highlight a specific class or extracurricular activity that sparked your interest in the subject.

You may also share how you took the initiative to gain further knowledge through internships, research projects, or independent studies.

Making Meaningful Connections

When elaborating on your achievements and academic pursuits in your required essay and UT Austin supplemental essays, it's crucial to forge meaningful connections to your personal growth and character development.

How has your intended major at the school shaped your perspective and influenced your goals? Reflect on how this academic discipline has prepared you to address extenuating circumstances or navigate complex challenges.

Moreover, consider discussing how you plan to utilize your University of Texas education to impact society or your local community in the future positively.

This approach provides depth to your short answers and demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of your chosen field, positioning you as a potential change agent.

Crafting a Concise and Impactful Narrative

Limited to 250-300 words, crafting your response transforms into an artful endeavor—a concise yet impactful narrative of exploration and resolve.

The key component? A meaningful acknowledgment of the University of Texas.

How will a program at the University of Texas help you achieve your academic and personal goals? How do you see yourself contributing to the University of Texas community? Answering these questions will help structure a powerful and memorable response within the word limit.

Integrating Distinctive Programs at UT Austin

Integrate how distinctive programs at UT Austin enhance your chosen academic path, aligning your personal ambitions with the university's resources. 

You can mention resources like specialized courses, research opportunities, or study abroad programs that will help you further explore your interests and expand your knowledge.

This discussion extends beyond merely selecting a first-choice major; it's about articulating why UT Austin is the dream school for supporting your intended area of study and fulfilling the core purpose of your educational objectives.

2. Celebrating Personal Achievements From Your High School Career

Exploring sources of pride.

The UT Austin essay prompts encourage you to thoroughly examine an activity that has been a source of pride in your high school career.

Reflect on an experience that presented challenges and led to significant personal development or community impact.

Consider discussing a leadership role or responsibility that helps demonstrate your character and ability to work with others.

Alternatively, you can discuss an academic accomplishment or a personal challenge you overcame.

Demonstrating a Well-Rounded Profile

When selecting a topic for your UT Austin supplemental essays, you must showcase your ability to balance academic achievements and extracurricular activities.

Admissions officers at UT Austin are on the lookout for well-rounded individuals who excel academically and in non-academic pursuits.

Demonstrate how you've successfully managed high achievements in various areas, including school-related activities and family responsibilities while making time for personal growth and self-care.

Connecting Personal Growth to Future Aspirations

In addressing the UT Austin essay prompts, it is crucial to forge meaningful connections between your experiences and future goals. Reflect on how specific activities have influenced your growth and shaped your ambitions.

Discuss how you plan to continue pursuing these passions in college and beyond, emphasizing how specific opportunities at UT Austin will assist you in achieving these goals.

These insights should be concisely conveyed, typically the length of college essays and short answers, providing a clear and compelling narrative of your educational journey and personal development.

Illustrating Leadership and Impact

Illustrate how leadership activities have influenced your high school academic performance.  Has it influenced your career path or shaped your leadership style?

If you have been involved in a community service project or initiative, discuss its impact on yourself and those around you within the UT Austin supplemental essays.

This will demonstrate to admissions officers that you excel academically and prioritize positively impacting your community.

Discuss how these experiences have shaped your ability to overcome challenges and catalyzed significant change in yourself or your community.

Sharing Background and Transformation

Share background that demonstrates how you strive to transform lives through an honest exploration of your dedication and resilience. 

Aim to showcase the unique qualities that make you a strong candidate for UT Austin and how your experiences have shaped you into an empowered individual ready to contribute to the university community.

Remember to be authentic and genuine in your storytelling, as this will help admissions officers better understand who you are as a person.

Your UT Austin supplemental essays should begin with a compelling narrative, pinpoint the heart of your pride, and elaborate on how these efforts have extended their impact.

3. Illustrating Your Fit Within the UT Austin Community

Vision for active participation at the university of texas austin.

The UT Austin supplemental essays provide a platform to articulate how you envision contributing to and thriving within the university community.

Focus on aligning your values, interests, and goals with the unique cultural and academic environment of UT Austin.

Discuss your plans to engage in extracurricular activities, research opportunities, and community service projects and how these align with your academic and personal growth.

Highlighting Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity

The University of Texas Austin is celebrated for its diverse student body and commitment to inclusivity. In your supplemental essays, seize the opportunity to emphasize your experiences with diversity and cultural understanding.

This can be through discussions of your cultural background, engagement with diverse communities, or how you've navigated personal challenges such as a learning disability or mental health issues.

Such narratives will demonstrate to the admissions committee your potential to enrich the campus community and foster an inclusive atmosphere.

Additionally, consider including a short answer addressing how these experiences have prepared you to contribute to and benefit from the UT Austin environment.

Showcasing Your Passion for Learning

UT Austin is a top-tier research university, and admissions officers want to see your passion for learning in your UT Austin supplemental essays.

Highlight specific academic interests or research topics you hope to pursue at UT Austin.

You can also mention professors or courses at UT Austin that have inspired your academic pursuits.

Demonstrating Your Commitment to Personal Growth

In addition to excelling academically, UT Austin values students committed to personal growth and development.

Discuss any experiences that have helped you grow as a person, such as leadership roles, challenging situations, or overcoming obstacles.

Also, mention how you plan to continue this dedication to personal growth at UT Austin through extracurricular activities, internships, or other opportunities.

Expressing Your Enthusiasm for the Longhorn Community

UT Austin is known for its vibrant and engaged community of Longhorns.

To demonstrate your enthusiasm, mention specific campus traditions, events, or organizations you are excited to join this community.

Share your genuine interest in becoming a Longhorn and contributing to the dynamic campus culture.

Highlighting Your Unique Perspective

UT Austin values diversity of thought and perspective, so use the UT Austin essay prompts to showcase yours.

Discuss any unique experiences or perspectives that have shaped your worldview and how you plan to share these perspectives with the UT Austin community.

You can also discuss any challenges you may have faced because of your perspective and how you overcame them.

Discussing Alignment with UT Austin's Academic and Cultural Offerings In your Austin supplemental essays, detail specific clubs, organizations, or programs at UT Austin that align with your interests.

For instance, if you are passionate about art history, you might explore how you could contribute to and grow through UT Austin's art history programs or related student organizations.

This section of your college essay should illustrate how your personal and academic interests align with the opportunities available at UT Austin, showcasing your potential for personal growth.

Highlighting Past Community Engagement

Emphasize your previous engagements with the community through volunteer work, school clubs, or community service.

Describe how these experiences have equipped you for active participation and contribution to the UT Austin community.

This part of your supplemental essays should clearly demonstrate your readiness and enthusiasm for contributing to campus life, underlining your established record of community involvement.

Demonstrating Mutual Benefits

Conclude your narrative by illustrating how your participation at UT Austin will be mutually beneficial.

Highlight how your unique experiences and perspectives will enrich the community while showing that UT Austin's environment is ideal for fostering your academic and personal growth.

This essay aims to convey to the admissions committee your deep understanding of and alignment with the culture and values at UT Austin, reinforcing how your presence would enhance the university community.

4. Addressing Future Aspirations and Goals

Envisioning your academic and professional journey.

This Austin supplemental essay allows you to look forward and delineate a clear vision for your future, positioning the University of Texas at Austin as an essential stepping stone.

Discuss in detail the specific academic resources, faculty expertise, research opportunities, and career development programs that UT Austin offers in your field of interest.

This section of your supplemental essays should convey to the admissions committee how UT Austin's unique offerings align with and support your long-term goals.

Leveraging UT Austin’s Resources for Your Career Aspirations

Highlight how these resources will be critical to your educational and professional trajectory.

By integrating how UT Austin will support your academic pursuits, you can effectively demonstrate your preparedness and strategic planning beyond mere test scores, reinforcing your candidacy in the eyes of the admissions committee.

This narrative personalizes your application and emphasizes your proactive approach to leveraging what UT Austin has to offer.

Highlighting Unique Offerings at UT Austin

Explain how offerings at UT Austin are essential to your career goals and how they differ from other institutions.

This future-focused essay shows that you have a clear direction and purpose and demonstrates your understanding of how the University of Texas at Austin fits into your planned academic and career trajectory.

Demonstrating Proactive Planning

These insights reveal your proactive planning and genuine interest in leveraging UT Austin's unique offerings to fulfill your ambitions.

This approach satisfies the Common App personal essays and aligns closely with UT Austin's values, showcasing your readiness to contribute meaningfully to the campus.

Strategic Considerations for Crafting Compelling UT Essays - Including UT Austin

Tailoring your narrative.

While certain elements of your 'why this major' essay may be adapted for multiple applications, a fundamental principle persists: tailor your narrative to emphasize why UT Austin is your ideal choice.

This integration into your UT Austin supplemental essays showcases your deep interest in the university, highlighting it as a prestigious university and a community where your academic and personal ambitions are fully realized.

Showcasing Intellectual Curiosity and Personal Growth

The UT Austin essay prompts are designed to let candidates showcase their intellectual curiosity and personal growth and explain why the University of Texas at Austin is the ideal setting for their higher education goals.

By meticulously crafting these components in your UT Austin admissions application, you will distinguish yourself from other applicants and become a compelling storyteller on your unique opportunities and journey toward higher education at UT Austin.

Navigating Essay Complexities with Authenticity

Navigating the complexities of UT Austin supplemental essays requires a well-defined strategy and a commitment to authenticity.

Your UT Austin supplemental essays should effectively convey your readiness and enthusiasm for the University of Texas at Austin, illustrating how the university aligns with your academic background and core purpose.

It’s crucial to demonstrate why you’ve chosen your academic discipline and why UT Austin is the perfect collaborator for this new chapter of your academic journey.

Personal Stories and Transformational Goals

Share background on events and experiences that have shaped you over a decade and prepared you for the University of Texas at Austin. Use your personal statement to tell us your story and detail how you aim to transform lives through your chosen field at UT Austin.

These narratives provide a deeper insight into your motivations and aspirations, enriching your application and connecting your personal journey to the broader goals of UT Austin.

Remember to Showcase Your High School Academic Performance

As with any college application component, your UT Austin short answers aim to captivate the admissions committee directly with concise, articulate writing and engaging storytelling.

Consider the sheer volume of applications the admissions office at UT Austin reviews each cycle. Strive to make your responses as succinct as a supportive message and delightful as a warm spring day on the beach.

Use the Common App to present these elements effectively, especially when addressing the UT Austin essay and the UT Austin essay prompts.

Craft each response for UT Austin, even if just one paragraph, to tell us your story, reflect on your involvement in your local community, any unique opportunities like student council, student employment, or leadership activities, and articulate why UT Austin is home to your first choice major. Good luck!

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University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the UT Austin essay prompts? With tips from a Harvard graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the UT Austin essay requirements will give you the tools to write UT Austin essays sure to stand out in admissions.

If you need help responding to the UT Austin essay prompts, click  here  to create your free CollegeAdvisor.com account or  schedule a free advising consultation  with an Admissions Expert by calling (844) 343-6272.

UT Austin  Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• UT Austin has an acceptance rate of 32% —  U.S. News  ranks UT Austin as a most selective school.
• We recommend answering all of the UT Austin essay prompts authentically and thoroughly in order to maximize your admissions odds.

Does the University of Texas at Austin have essays?

Yes. All applicants to UT Austin must complete several UT essay prompts. You can access the UT Austin essay prompts through  ApplyTexas  or the  Coalition App . You can also review the full list of application requirements—including the UT essay prompts—on the UT Austin  website .

Keep in mind that UT Austin does  not  use the  Common App . All UT Austin application materials must be submitted through ApplyTexas or through the Coalition App. This includes your responses to the UT Austin essay prompts.

How many essays does the University of Texas at Austin require?

All fall 2021 applicants must complete five UT Austin essay prompts—one long-form essay of 500-700 words and four short answer questions of 250-300 words each.

Since UT Austin does not accept the Common Application, there’s no need to worry about the Common App personal statement. The Coalition App also has a personal statement—UT Austin applicants are not required to complete this, however.

So what does this mean? In the absence of a Common App/Coalition App personal statement, you’ll want to think about your long-form UT Austin supplemental essay the same way you’d think about your  Common App essay . In other words, your first UT Austin supplemental essay should give the admissions team a unique window into who you are and what matters to you.

We’ll discuss how to use the UT Austin essay requirements to your advantage throughout this guide.

How important are the University of Texas at Austin essays?

The UT Austin essay prompts are incredibly important in the admissions process. While UT considers a variety of factors when reviewing applications, your UT essays allow your readers to understand who you are beyond your grades and test scores. Think of the UT Austin essay requirements as a tool to help the admissions team understand who you are in your own words.

Strong UT Austin essays can make or break your applications. This means it’s important to draft, proofread, and edit your UT essays as much as possible before you press submit. Don’t underestimate the UT Austin essay prompts!

How do I write a University of Texas at Austin essay?

The UT Austin essay prompts are intended to help the admissions team learn more about you. At their core, your UT Austin supplemental essays should help UT admissions understand who you are.

To make your UT essays stand out, you’ll want to be as authentic as possible. Use the UT essay prompts to tell your story and help the admissions team understand why they should admit you.

Now, let’s discuss the UT Austin essay requirements!

UT Austin Essay Prompts: Long-form Essay (Required)

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today? (500-700 words)

The long-form UT essay prompt is entirely open-ended—and that’s the point! Let’s break down this first UT Austin supplemental essay.

The first of the UT essay prompts asks you to discuss “unique opportunities or challenges” that you’ve experienced throughout high school. With 700 words, this UT essay gives you plenty of space to tell a detailed story about how your identity has developed. Maybe you’ve struggled with dyslexia while pursuing an interest in poetry; maybe you’ve had to support yourself and your family by working a job throughout high school. Whatever topic you choose for the first of the UT Austin essay prompts, make sure it has “shaped who you are today.”

If you’re struggling to find a topic for this UT Austin essay, start with a timed  brainstorming  session. Set a timer for ten minutes. Then, write down every significant experience from high school that comes to mind. These experiences can be related to academic coursework, extracurricular activities, or personal experiences. Don’t hold yourself back—a strong topic for this UT Austin supplemental essay could come from anywhere.

Choosing an experience

Once you have this list, look for any experiences that have particularly defined who you are and how you operate in the world. Think about this list in the context of your overall application. What story can you tell in your UT essay that would complement the other aspects of your application, including your academic interests and extracurricular activities? For example, has a health challenge led to a desire to pursue a career in medicine? Or, did you have the opportunity to attend a famous art installation and it led to you pursuing art-centric extracurriculars during high school?

If you’re stuck between ideas, try a few timed freewrites for this first of the UT essay prompts. If you can’t stop writing about a certain topic, chances are that it would make a good UT Austin essay! Additionally, while this prompt does allow you to discuss multiple experiences, you’ll have the most luck if you stick to one topic.

Drafting your essay

Once you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to start drafting. Since you have up to 700 words in this UT Austin essay, you have plenty of space to tell your story in detail. Like your Common App Personal Statement, you might choose to begin your first UT essay with an engaging anecdote to help draw your reader in. Then, explain your chosen experience or challenge. Discuss how this experience made you who you are, using as many specific details as possible. Finally, end your UT Austin supplemental essay with a glance into the future as you consider how this experience will inform your growth in college.

While you’ll want to provide enough context to help your reader understand your topic, you should spend most of your first UT essay talking about how this experience has informed your identity and worldview. What lessons did you take from this experience? In what ways did it shift your perspective? How have you grown as a result of this experience? How will this experience continue to influence you?

Telling your story

Keep in mind that this UT Austin essay prompts you to “tell  your  story.” This means that, fundamentally, your first UT Austin essay should be about you. While this might seem obvious, it can be easy to lose sight of this requirement. For instance, if you choose to describe a volunteering project, you might accidentally spend most of your essay describing the people you helped rather than your own experience. Similarly, if you write about an extracurricular club, you might spend more time detailing how that club runs rather than explaining your connection to it.

Remember, your reader should come away from your UT Austin supplemental essay with a solid sense of who you are and how you relate to the world around you. If your essay fulfills these two requirements, you’re on the right track. This same advice applies to many of the UT essay prompts!

UT Austin Essay Draft Key Questions:

• Does your response to the first of the UT essay prompts describe one experience or challenge that has made you who you are?
• Do you engage your reader with specific anecdotes and vivid language?
• Do you avoid clichés or topics that might not be appropriate for a college essay?
• Is your essay about you?
• Does your essay teach your reader something new about you that isn’t obvious from the rest of your application?

How do you answer the UT Austin short answers?

As you may have noticed from the UT Austin essay requirements, all students applying in fall 2021 must respond to four short-answer UT Austin essay prompts. While each response is limited to 250-300 words, you should still spend time brainstorming and drafting your short answer UT essays.

In this section, we’ll break down each of the short-answer UT Austin essay prompts. Let’s get started!

Short Answer UT Austin Essay Prompts: Question 1 (Required)

Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major? (250-300 words)

The first of the short-answer UT Austin essay prompts asks you to explain your academic interests in more detail. On your UT Austin application, you will identify your intended major; while this intended major is non-binding, you should still think carefully about which major you choose. The major you describe will influence how your readers approach your application, providing greater context for your academic achievements and overall candidate profile. For more advice on choosing a major for your college applications, check out our  article .

Make sure the major you choose to discuss genuinely intrigues you. Don’t say you want to study applied math just to seem intelligent. Remember, the best answers to the UT essay prompts will be the most genuine! If you’re undecided, that’s okay—just choose a major that aligns with your interests. The UT Austin essay requirements aren’t intended to force you to choose a field of study before you’re ready—they’re just meant to help you discuss your academic interests in more detail.

Keep it concise

With only 250-300 words in this UT Austin essay, you shouldn’t waste your time on elaborate anecdotes. While you can (and should!) include strong details to help your responses to the UT essay prompts stand out, you should spend most of your UT essay directly discussing your chosen major. Break down why it matters to you and how you hope to engage with it at UT Austin.

Cut to the chase with a description of what you want to study and why it appeals to you. Be as specific and personal as possible. Avoid general statements like “I just want to study geology because it interests me”; instead, talk about  why  it interests you. Maybe you visited the Grand Canyon as a kid and have been fascinated by rock formations ever since. Whatever you discuss, be sure to tie it back to your identity.

• Do you identify a major that genuinely interests you?
• Does your chosen major support your  application narrative ?
• Do you cite the specific reasons why this major appeals to you?
• Does your UT essay illustrate your intellect?

Short Answer UT Austin Essay Prompts: Question 2 (Required)

Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT. (250-300 words)

The second of the short answer UT Austin essay prompts addresses your relationship to your community. Through this UT Austin supplemental essay, the admissions team hopes to understand how you will make an impact on their campus.

Overall, the UT Austin essay requirements should help you show the admissions team how your experiences will inform who you will be at UT. This essay is no exception. This UT essay prompt asks you to address how your “experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities” will help you positively influence the UT community. Note that UT asks you to provide specific details about how your background impacts your role as a community member. That is, they want you to state, in precise terms, how your experiences will help you contribute to UT.

Try brainstorming

You might start this UT Austin supplemental essay with a brainstorming session. Make two lists: one that describes formative experiences, perspectives, talents, and leadership roles, and one that describes your key values and character traits. Once you have these lists, look at how they overlap. For instance, maybe you stated on your values list that you care about showing compassion to others and noted on your experience list that you spend every weekend taking care of your younger brother. Intersections like this will form a strong foundation for your UT essay.

You only have 250-300 words, so once again, you should be relatively brief. Don’t tell longwinded stories; instead, focus on specific experiences you’ve had and how they’ll help you impact your future community at UT. Once you’ve written your first draft, be sure to revise. Every word of your UT essay should make a difference!

• Do you describe particular experiences, perspectives, talents, or leadership roles you’ve had?
• Does your UT essay clarify the specific ways you’ll impact the UT community?
• Does your essay complement the other elements of your application?

Short Answer UT Austin Essay Prompts: Question 3 (Required)

The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT-Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate. (250-300 words)

In looking at the UT Austin essay requirements, you might have noticed that there’s no conventional “Why UT” essay. However, while it may not seem like it, this is essentially a “Why UT” essay. If you’ve spent time on the UT website, you’ve probably noticed their tagline: “What starts here changes the world.” So, how will you change the world with the skills you develop at UT?

This UT Austin supplemental essay asks for two things. First, it asks you to paint a picture of what your time at UT might look like. Then, it asks you to describe how your experiences will help you change the world after you leave UT.

For inspiration, check out the UT website or their  YouTube channel . You might also look through UT’s list of  student organizations  for a bit more inspiration. Think about the kind of person you would be at UT. What would you study? Which clubs would you join? How would you spend your time? Be as specific as possible—your UT Austin supplemental essay should show that you’ve done your research.

Then, transition to your postgraduate plans. How would the UT experience you envision help you impact the broader world? What skills would UT give you that would help you in your chosen career, both in the practical and the personal sense?

• Does your UT essay specify why UT—and only UT—will help you meet your future goals?
• Do you state specific reasons why UT will prepare you for your future career?
• Does your UT Austin supplemental essay describe how UT will help you positively influence the world after you graduate?

Short Answer UT Austin Essay Prompts: Question 4 (Required)

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance, including the possible effects of COVID-19. (250-300 words)

According to the UT Austin website, this UT Austin supplemental essay question is required for all students applying in fall 2021, though it will become optional for students who submit their applications in the spring. Double-check your Coalition App or ApplyTexas requirements before drafting your response. Still, it’s in your best interest to think about how you might respond to the last of the UT Austin essay prompts.

Is there any context that your readers should understand in order to best evaluate your application? For example, maybe you had a bad bout with COVID just before taking the SAT, or had to care for a sick family member during exam season. You might even use this space to talk about how virtual learning impacted your education over the last year and a half.

While many students will use this space to discuss the impact of COVID-19, that’s not the only way you can approach this UT Austin essay prompt. This UT essay question gives you the space to discuss any other “events or special circumstances” that have complicated your high school experience. Additionally, while you should proofread your work carefully, you can approach this UT essay with less artistry than the rest of the UT Austin essay requirements. Above all, make sure that your essay communicates how your education was disrupted so that UT admissions can evaluate your application fairly.

• Do you describe how your education was disrupted, either by COVID-19 or by other factors?
• Does your UT Austin essay provide specific details?
• Is your essay free from any grammatical or spelling errors?

UT Austin Essay Requirements: Final Thoughts

While the UT Austin essay requirements might seem overwhelming, don’t be discouraged. If you start your UT Austin essays early and give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm and draft, you should be in great shape. Don’t be intimidated by the UT Austin essay requirements—instead, use them to your advantage. Good luck!

This 2021-2022 essay guide on UT Austin was written by Abbie Sage, Harvard ‘21. Want more help responding to the UT essay prompts? Click  here  to create your free CollegeAdvisor.com account or  schedule a free advising assessment  with an Admissions Expert by calling (844) 343-6272.

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How to write the 2021-22 Supplemental Essay for University of Texas at Austin?

UTA’s supplemental essays

With nearly 51,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, the Institution of Texas at Austin is a big public research university. UT Austin is the flagship of the University of Texas system and home to some of the nation’s greatest engineering, architecture, and business departments.

Because UT Austin does not accept the Common Application, students must apply through either the ApplyTexas or Coalition for College websites. One lengthy essay and three short essay questions make up the writing portion of the application, with extra writing requirements for students applying to these programs: Architecture, Art/Art History, Nursing, and Social work.

Topic A in ApplyTexas and the UT Austin Mandatory Essay in the Coalition application are required essays for all freshman candidates. Please limit your essay to 500–700 words in length (typically two to three paragraphs).

Prompts for the supplemental essays are as follows:

Topic A:  Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today? (500-700 words)

How to write it?

This essay provides you with the ideal opportunity to tell UT something about yourself that goes beyond your GPA and test scores. This is the essay that people refer to when they talk about their personal statement or college essay.

Whether you apply to UT Austin through the Coalition or ApplyTexas, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to highlight your best high school achievements. As a result, it’s critical that you focus your essay on sharing a personal tale that doesn’t exist anywhere else on your application. What unique opportunities and difficulties did you face throughout your time in high school? Because the purpose isn’t to make a list, concentrate on one key tale that represents either an opportunity or a threat.

Keep in mind that your reflection on the incident or opportunity that moulded who you are now will be a source of valuable information for admissions officers as you assess your “opportunities.” As you go through your “challenges” course, keep virtues like resilience and tenacity in mind.

Whatever path you select, make sure admissions learns something fresh about you through personal tales and detailed information. 

Short Answer 1: Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major? (250-300 words).

This is an essay on “Why major?” Many universities need it, which indicates they’re interested in hearing about your preparation for your desired major. But it’s really crucial for UT. Why?

Demonstrating that you (along with your hobbies and extracurricular activities) are a good match for your first-choice major is crucial for UT. In other words, more than most other colleges. This essay is an excellent opportunity to illustrate your compatibility.

Your personal connection to your chosen field of study should be highlighted in your tale. Don’t forget to bring up UT Austin! Your reader should understand not just why you are enthusiastic about your chosen major, but also what excites you about Austin’s program at the end of your essay. Concentrate on the various options available at UT Austin and how you intend to explore them after you come on campus. At the outset of college, it’s natural to want to explore new things.

 Short Answer 2: Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT. (250-300 words)

You’ve probably already made an influence on your school, family, and neighbourhood if you’re applying to UT. It’s time to go beyond your resume’s four corners and contemplate how you’ll leverage your history to influence your future. You’re not far off if you believe this seems like a “Why us?” essay. Instead than focusing on how UT would alter you, you’ll concentrate on how you’d make a lasting difference at UT.

While this question isn’t new, the language has been changed somewhat to include “your participation in leadership activities.”

 Short Answer 3: The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT-Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate. (250-300 words)

While this prompt invites you to think about the influence you’ll have during your time at UT, it also fast-forwards you four years in the future, Manifest-style. How will you apply what you’ve learned in college to make an impact in the real world when you graduate from UT? UT Austin is looking for movers and shakers, students who have a vision for a better tomorrow and a strategy to make it a reality. Admissions officers want to hear what kind of change you’d want to see in the world.

Admissions officials at UT are looking for critical thinkers and changemakers, not just students. Whatever way you choose to respond to this question, show admissions that you care about other people’s well-being. Also, let them know that you want to be a part of constructive change and that you will bring honour to UT Austin even after you graduate.

Required Short Answer 4: Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance, including the possible effects of COVID-19. (250-300 words)

This is UT Austin’s version of an Additional Info area, with an emphasis on anything that “affected your high school academic achievement” and the ability to report any COVID-19 effects. Was your involvement in clubs and activities harmed as a result of a COVID-19 infection during your junior year? Have you had a dip in your GPA due to a family emergency? A decline in grades or a void on your resume 

do not determine who you are. Remember to focus on the steps you made to improve the situation rather than the ones you couldn’t control. You don’t want to come across as a helpless victim, but rather as a strong someone who can make a difference in their circumstances.

How will Rostrum help you?

Every year, the admissions committee at UT Austin is confronted with a massive candidate pool; these writing assignments provide the ideal opportunity to stand out! These essays cover a wide range of topics, from personal to academic and occupational, and are intended to paint a complete image of you as a candidate. Make the most of the additional space if you have an extra essay or two to show that you will offer something special to the Texas Community. Fortunately, Rostrum’s team of experts, who have all graduated from prestigious universities, will assist you not only in writing the best supplemental essays, but also with the entire admissions process, which includes application, mock interview sessions, profile building, scholarships, test prep, and anything else that may arise. Book a free consultation with us to learn more and get started on your path to being accepted to your ideal institution.

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