frederick honors college supplemental essays

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How to write the pitt honors college application essays, school supplements.

UPDATE: The Pitt Honors College application essays have been updated for 2020-21.   Learn all about the changes!

To win admittance to the University of Pittsburgh Honors College, you'll have to respond to two short answer questions. Like the other Pitt essays ( check out our guide here ) the Pitt Honors essays are to the point, with a recommended length of 200-300 words. The prompts give you the perfect opportunity to display two traits that are essential for any Pitt Honors College student: contribution to the public good, and intellectual curiosity.

Let's start by looking at the Pitt Honors College application essay prompts!

In lieu of an essay or personal statement, we ask interested applicants to answer short answer questions. The Admissions Committee reviews responses for quality rather than length. However, the most effective responses typically range from 200-300 words per question. Responses that are longer or shorter are acceptable.

• An important emphasis of PittHonors is working for the public good. Please describe how you have worked for the public good in the past and how you expect to continue to do so as a student at the University of Pittsburgh and after graduation.
• A hallmark of students in PittHonors is intellectual curiosity. Please describe how you have demonstrated intellectual curiosity in the past and how you expect to manifest that intellectual curiosity as a student at the University of Pittsburgh.

Step One: Past Evidence

The key to both of the Pitt Honors application essay prompts is that phrase "in the past." This tells you that Pitt wants you to describe specific incidents from your life when you have demonstrated these key qualities. That is, don't just tell them you like to give back, and that you are passionate about learning, give them the evidence!

Try a brainstorming exercise to come up with ideas. Open up a new document, or grab a notebook, and write down as many answers as you can think of to the following questions.

Public Good : What's an issue that you care about? What have you done to raise awareness of that issue? Can you think of a time where you made one or more people’s lives better? What communities are you a part of (school, neighborhood, church, clubs, etc.)? How would they be different if you weren't there? What is something you frequently do that others in your community will miss when you are in college? What in your world wouldn't exist without you, or wouldn't be the same without you?

Intellectual Curiosity : What is a subject or topic you learn just for the fun of it? Describe a time you found yourself immersed in a topic. What did you learn? How did it change how you think about the world, yourself, or others? What was your favorite school project, and how did it inspire you or affect your plans for the future?How do you seek out additional learning outside school, whether it's through programs or independent learning? Are there any barriers you have overcome to gain knowledge? How did you overcome them?

Step Two: Future Plans

Both Pitt Honor essay prompts also ask you to look to the future. This is a perfect opportunity to connect your goals to specific resources at Pitt. This time, start with research. Browse the University of Pittsburgh website (paying particular attention to the Honors College section ) and use it to help answer the following questions.

Public Good : What's the problem in the world that you would most like to solve? How would a degree from Pitt (especially a BPhil from the Honors College) equip you to solve it? What classes (especially honors classes ) or academic resources would you use to prepare yourself? How would you utilize PittServes ? Are there any community service or advocacy organizations at Pitt that you want to join? How do they connect to work you've done in the past, or work you hope to do in the future?

Intellectual Curiosity : What are some specific classes or honors classes , inside or outside your major, that relate to the topic or project you want to discuss in your essay? If you were to apply for an Honors undergraduate fellowship , what project would you use it to fund? Are there any intriguing centers or institutes at Pitt that relate to the topic you want to discuss? Are there any specific professors that interest you, or Pitt grads working in the field you are passionate about?

Remember, these essays should work together! They can complement each other, or even cover the same passion, but you don't want to repeat your specific evidence between essays. Let's take a look at an example student's brainstorming list.

Public Good

• Past evidence
• Volunteering to teach self-expression through art at a camp for children dealing with grief.
• Future plans
• Advocate for art therapy in schools
• Seminar in Composition: Service Learning
• Community research project with a local outreach group for refugees

Intellectual Curiosity

• Art history project- drawing a portrait of mom in ten different historical styles
• Honors research fellowship in art history
• Internship with Collecting Knowledge Pittsburgh consortium
• Studio Arts option in History of Art and Architecture major

As you can see, both brainstorming lists cover the student's interest in art, but mention different resources at Pitt and tell different stories from the student's life.

Step Three: Put it all Together

When you sit down to write the Pitt Honors essays, keep the structure simple and straightforward. You don't have time to set the scene! Instead, begin by summarizing the biggest, most important takeaway from the story you are telling. For example:

• "When I decided to create a Monet-style picture of my mom for her birthday, I had no idea it would lead to a year-long, ten-painting project that would cover the entire history of European art."

Aim to spend two thirds of each essay on "past evidence" (that is, a story about something you've done that shows your contribution or intellectual curiosity) and one third on "future plans" (specific resources at Pitt that connect to your interests and motivations).

Remember, the most important part of writing the Pitt Honors application essays is finding the right topics, so don't skimp on the brainstorming and research. (If you need more help figuring out what to write about, sign up for a Prompt account to get access to our free brainstorming tools .) Happy writing!

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University of Pittsburgh 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide 

University of pittsburgh 2023-24 application essay question explanations.

The Requirements: 1 essay of 200-300 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Oddball

Hello, future University of Pittsburgh grads. (We’re speaking it into existence!) The prompt below is only for applicants who wish to apply to Pitt Honors. Let’s dive in!

In lieu of an essay or personal statement, we ask interested applicants to answer a short answer question. The Admissions Committee reviews responses for quality rather than length. However, the most effective responses typically range from 200-300 words per question. Responses that are longer or shorter are acceptable. The question is required for Pitt Honors consideration.

Please select one of these questions., what is something you would like to see change in the world explain why..

The Admissions Committee wants to accept ambitious students who want to change the world for the better. So, if you could change anything in the world, what would it be? Take some time to brainstorm and write down anything that comes to mind. Maybe, if you had the power, you would make sure that no one in your city went to bed hungry. Why is this particular issue important to you? What steps would you take to enact this change? If, after reading this prompt, you immediately thought of something on the sillier side (flying cars! superpowers! robot dogs!), don’t be afraid to explore that topic and why it matters, too. As long as you are giving admissions better insight into who you are and what makes you tick, you’re on the right track. Let your imagination run wild and show the University of Pittsburgh admissions committee that you aren’t afraid to dream big.

If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?

We at CEA love this question because it’s a unique way of asking applicants the following questions: What do you care about and why? What’s important to you? What information do you wish other people had access to? Start by making a list of topics you could discuss or read about for hours. Maybe you’d like to use your TED Talk platform to speak about media literacy and how we can and should consider what we see online through the lens of the powers that dictate how and when we receive information. Perhaps you’d want to discuss AI art, plagiarism, and how it threatens human artists’ livelihoods. What keeps you up at night? What kind of positive effect do you want to have on the world? These are the questions you should be asking yourself when brainstorming for this prompt. Bonus points if you can speak to how a Pittsburgh education will prepare you to address this issue head-on in the future! 

What does it mean to be “educated”?

Since this question is for those applying to the honors college, we can assume that most applicants answering it are high-achievers in the traditional sense. But we all know that’s not the only type of education out there. Pitt is looking for a deeply considered, creatively written essay , so as we here at CEA so often recommend, grab a sheet of paper and start brainstorming! Which words, feelings, or characteristics do you associate with the word “educated?” Are there any people you can think of—people in your life, thought leaders, or even fictional characters—who don’t have a formal education but whom you would consider to be highly educated? What different kinds of education can you think of? In what ways are they different and in what ways are they fundamentally the same? Bonus points if you can describe how a Pitt degree would educate you in more than one way! 

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The Ultimate Guide to Supplemental College Application Essays (Examples Included)

Learn how to impress admissions committees through any school-specific essay prompt.

(Note: This article can also be found in our free, 110-page comprehensive guide to writing every college essay,  How to Get Into America’s Elite Colleges: The Ultimate Guide . )

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: from outlining to writing.

The 600-word essay

The 500-word essay

The 150–250-word or other very short essay, part 3: types of secondary and supplemental essays.

The “why us” essay

Tell us more about an extracurricular

Design a class/a major

Tell us about your major

Diversity-in-community essay, part 4: frequently asked questions.

If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably finished the most challenging part of your college application process, the Common App essay, i.e. personal statement. In that case, major congratulations are in order!

Now it’s time to address the various supplemental or secondary essays that schools like Harvard , Princeton , Yale , Stanford , and many others will ask you to write. Whereas some universities will require you to complete one additional essay, other schools will ask you to complete multiple essays. In addition, the essay lengths will vary from school to school and from prompt to prompt, ranging in length from 25 characters to 650 or more words.

Some students think they should treat their personal statement as the main “essay question” on the test and consider the supplemental essays as “short answer” questions. While it’s true that your personal statement almost always allows you the most space to share an aspect of who you are, it’s important that you treat your supplementals with the same rigor.

Admissions committees use your secondary essays to augment the story they have assembled about you as a candidate from your Common App essay and your recommendations. They are looking for more details that confirm and expand what they know about you, and which neither contradict nor repeat what they’ve already learned from your personal statement.

Let’s replace the “essay question” and “short answer” analogy we hear from students a lot with an interview analogy. Your Common App essay is the initial answer you get to give the interviewer when they say, “Tell me about yourself.” You deliver that with excellent posture and careful word choice. Now, as the interview continues, and the questions become things like, “Why would you like to attend our school?” and “What’s your favorite snack?” and “Can you elaborate more on your favorite extracurricular?” you don’t want to kick off your shoes, slouch in your chair, and develop a sudden drawl as you respond to your interviewer.

Realizing that the supplemental essays are, well, still essays that require outlining, planning, and editing, some students can freeze up. You’ve just completed a mammoth task of squeezing yourself into your personal statement and now you have to write more ?

The good news is that the skills and rhythms you developed while writing your personal statement remain applicable for your supplemental essays. If you haven’t worked through our step-by-step guide to writing your Common App Essay or viewed our college essay examples , go do that now, and you’ll be well prepared for your supplemental essays shortly.

In preparing for your Common App essay, you likely left some material “on the cutting room floor,” so to speak—meaning you probably thought about topics or experiences that moved you but weren’t “the one” for your personal statement. Now is your chance to make use of that excess!

The exercises and prompts we used to prepare for the Common App personal statement can serve as excellent material for addressing the many types of questions that come up in the supplemental essays. The difference is how you’ll apply them to the formats of your supplemental essays, which are generally shorter.

Here’s a general strategy for approaching essays of varying lengths. We’ll tackle examples of the essays themselves by subject matter shortly.

The 650-word essay

In this essay, a college may simply give you a chance to write another Common App-style personal statement.

Let’s take a look at some example prompts from Pitzer College : At Pitzer, five core values distinguish our approach to education: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student engagement and environmental sustainability. As agents of change, our students utilize these values to create solutions to our world’s challenges. Please answer only ONE of the following prompts (650 words maximum)

Reflecting on your involvement throughout high school or within the community, how have you engaged with one of Pitzer’s core values?

Describe what you are looking for from your college experience and why Pitzer would be a good fit for you.

Pitzer is known for our students’ intellectual and creative activism. If you could work on a cause that is meaningful to you through a project, artistic, academic, or otherwise, what would you do?

Strategies for this essay: It’s the personal statement 2.0—so lather, rinse, repeat! Go through your materials from your Common App essay pre-writing phase, including the list of topics you made originally, and choose the one that almost made the cut for your personal statement. Outline it with the same rigor and attention that you gave the Common App!

This means you’re using your traditional five-paragraph essay tools. You’ll need an intro paragraph with a lede or hook of some sort, a billboard paragraph, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You will likely want to follow our personal statement model of linking your essay to at least one anecdote or specific story.

Here’s an example prompt from Rice University : Rice is lauded for creating a collaborative atmosphere that enhances the quality of life for all members of our campus community. The Residential College System and undergraduate life is heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural tradition each student brings. What life perspectives would you contribute to the Rice community? (500 word limit)

Strategies for this essay: With just 500 words to work with here, we might want to think slightly smaller or more contained than a five-paragraph essay revolving around an anecdote or personal experience. Instead, let’s think in terms of the following units:

A topic or thesis statement that unites the question with your personal experience.

Some evidence, drawing on personal history, that supports the thesis statement.

The one-line zinger that ensures the committee knows you read the question and are answering it.

Here they are again, with examples based on our student Ramya, whom you met during the personal-statement-writing process.

A topic or thesis statement that unites the question with your personal experience

Ramya came up with a number of things that make her uniquely “her,” and which her friends, family, teachers, and counselors would all recognize as her. She’s planning on studying medicine but is a rabid sports fan, loves football and soccer, and is also a loyal friend. Ramya is also Indian American and comes from a small town in California where being Asian doesn’t actually make her a minority. So, while some students might choose to write about race or identity or other things we traditionally think of when thinking of “diversity,” Ramya’s mind doesn’t go there. Instead, she thinks about… Harry Potter. Hold that thought. Here’s what she thought about when asked to consider what made her different:

I grew up in a community full of ambitious people, all of whom were told to be leaders. What makes me unlike them? I’m not the one who stands up at the front of the room to try to run things. I’m the one who makes them run, behind the scenes. In fact, I’m the dependable one, the loyal one...

Ramya's personal experience has shown her that this makes her different.

So, what about Harry Potter? Here’s how Ramya articulates this to her readers:

I was raised on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. As a kid, I remember friends choosing which house they thought they’d be sorted into: brave in Gryffindor, smart in Ravenclaw, ambitious in Slytherin, and… everyone else in Hufflepuff. Rowling says Hufflepuffs are the “loyal and true.” But when friends and I talked about landing up as a badger, it seemed like we were doomed.

Some evidence, drawing on personal history, that supports the thesis statement

Now, just as we used anecdotes and set scenes for readers while writing the personal statement, we want to do something similar here. But we don’t have time for Ramya to walk us through the room where her heart pounded as she revealed herself to be a Hufflepuff. We have to move more efficiently this time, without sacrificing specificity. One way to do that is by writing in a list, as Ramya did here:

Strangely, though, as we got older, it was exactly my Hufflepuff qualities that my friend group seemed to depend on the most. “You might belong in Hufflepuff,” the Sorting Hat sings, “where they are just and loyal.” Hufflepuffs are “patient,” “true,” and “unafraid of toil.” It’s not a thrilling description! No bravery, no promises of ruling the world here. But those words all seemed to describe me. During my junior year, I found my friends turning to me after the loss of a classmate. We needed people to organize an assembly, a memorial, and a charity in the classmate’s name. My school was going through a difficult time, and everyone was trying to contribute in their way. But we were all young and new to grief, which meant we didn’t always know how to get things right. Some people were quick to speak or write about the classmate, believing that someone had to take a leadership role. Others felt uncomfortable and tried to move on past it entirely. I was quiet, as I often am, but when I saw how many ways people were trying to respond, I realized we didn’t need another “leader” to step in. We needed loyal followers and patient workers to follow through on the many initiatives that people were trying to start in the wake of this classmate’s passing.

The one-line zinger that ensures the committee knows you read the question and are answering it

Because many essays are like opening a door to a larger conversation, it can be easy to wander through the door and begin pacing around the interesting room you have discovered on the other side. But don’t forget your manners! At some point you have to make sure you acknowledge that a specific door was opened. Leaving that metaphor before we wring it dry: in plain terms, remember that, unlike in the case of the personal statement, the supplemental essays often ask a specific question that you need to ensure you’ve answered. So make sure your concluding statement or one of your last few lines gets into that. This Rice essay has Ramya musing on what makes her “different” (her Hufflepuff-ness) and has sent her into anecdotal territory, remembering her classmate’s loss. But she has to bring it home, and answer that question specifically, not just introduce the committee to something quirky and distinctive about her. Here’s how she does it:

If there’s one thing I, and the generation of kids who grew up on Rowling’s series, learned from those books, it’s that you need all types of people, represented by all four houses. My personality, as a loyal, heads-down, sometimes quiet Hufflepuff, often made me think of myself as boring when I was younger. But for the past year, I’ve seen how it can be a strength, not just to me, but also to the community I belong to. I am applying to Rice early because it feels like a strong community. From the residential college system to the tight-knit campus, I can see myself giving my best Hufflepuff qualities to my classmates and peers during intramural sports tournaments, late-night study sessions, and more—in the face of both everyday trials and larger, scarier moments in life.

Ramya has done a double-whammy here, telling us not only about what the community gets from her unique qualities, but also slipping in an answer to the “Why Rice” question that she’ll soon have one more chance to respond to in full.

An example prompt from Columbia University : Please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you noted in the application. (200 words or fewer)

Strategies for this essay: With a short amount of space to work with, we’re going to need extremely taut and clear sentences. This essay doesn’t need the fancy flourish of anecdotal hooks or ledes; in fact, you can’t back into this essay through narrative. Clarity and direct responses to this kind of question will win you the game. The components of a successful answer to an essay of this length:

A topic sentence that explicitly answers the question that has been asked

Evidence supporting the conclusion (in this case, that neuroscience is the right major for Josh)

A dash of introspection to finish the day

Here’s what Josh, our pianist and soccer player, wrote:

I hope to double-major in neuroscience and behavior and film and media studies at Columbia. Though I may eventually attend medical school, I want to use the liberal arts curriculum at Columbia to explore multiple disciplines as an undergraduate. The combination of neuroscience and film studies might seem surprising to some, but together they pay tribute to the reason I love science at all. My elementary and middle schools didn’t have strong STEM programs, and so my teachers, seeing a student enthusiastic about science, used to put on science documentaries when I’d finished the homework. Watching Stephen Hawking, Oliver Sacks, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, I discovered things that couldn’t have reached me from the textbook. At Columbia, I hope to both take courses that prepare me for a career in neuroscience while also learning documentary filmmaking and production. I hope to intern at least one summer at a production company specializing in science documentaries, and to do a senior project that might eventually see screen time. Whether or not I go on to make films as a career, I know that learning how to communicate complicated ideas to the public will serve me well as a scientist.

Josh’s essay is successful for a number of reasons, but particularly because it not only answers the question (how did you come to your interests), it also specifies the types of classes he’d like to take, summer internships he’d like to pursue, and his eventual goals with both majors. It’s excellent because it’s tailored to Columbia, the asking school; like Ramya’s Rice essay, it serves as an additional mini essay proving Josh’s knowledge of and passion about the school.

Gain instant access to essay examples for every supplemental essay prompt from the top universities and BS/MD programs in the United States.

While you can face a number of different types of questions when tackling your secondary and supplemental essays, there are certain prompts and certain genres of prompts that come up again and again. It’s a good idea to be aware of the general types of secondary essays that can come up.

(On the other hand, the University of Chicago is a school that’s famous for coming up with new prompts inspired by its current students each year—a list of current and past questions is available here .)

You’ll notice that many of these secondaries touch on things that you scribbled about way back during your pre-writing phase, while others may ask you to do some thinking about the qualities of the specific college to which you are applying.

We’ve broken down the wild sea of supplemental essays into a few particular types of questions and come up with some strategies with which you can approach the next phase of your application.

The “Why us?” essay

Some colleges will ask you to explain why you’d like to attend their school.

Baylor University : What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (450 words)

Dartmouth College : Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2028, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? In short, why Dartmouth? (100 words or fewer)

Yale University : What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

Strategies for addressing the “Why us?” essay:

Work backward. Think about what your big dream is—what or who you hope to become—and identify a few specific things about each college you’re applying to, asking yourself how each one of those is going to help you get there.

Provide a “mini-thesis” for each school rather than a general list of qualities that the school meets for you. Anita, our humanities-oriented student, writes that she’s interested in studying history, and includes a tidbit in her “Why Yale” essay from the campus tour she was able to take about how Yale’s architects were so obsessed with the past that they built the campus to look even older than it is. This jives with her own interest and the fact that Yale has one of the best history departments in the country.

Go beyond the website, and be specific. Don’t restate the “About Baylor” section of the Baylor brochure to the admissions committee—they already know why they offer you a great opportunity. Talk about your experiences with the college you’re applying to—did you visit and hear something from a tour guide, admissions officer, student, or professor? If you couldn’t visit, did you do some online research that got you in touch with some of the big themes a tour guide or info session would hit? Is there a particular class you’ve heard of that’s legendary on campus? A tradition at the school? An alumna/alumnus of the college whose work has inspired you?

Here’s an example of a great “Why us?” essay, responding to Yale’s prompt. Our mock trial champion from our Common App personal essay guide, Anita, was admitted to Yale.

I hope to study history or English, and Yale's departments in both are some of the best in the world. I am drawn to the interdisciplinary humanities offerings, including the Directed Studies program and the Humanities major. A writer, I also hope to work on the Yale Daily News or the Globalist. But it isn't just the caliber of academics that draws me to Yale. It's also the sense that the campus itself is comprised of history and knowledge. From Sterling Memorial Library, literally constructed as a cathedral to knowledge, to the buildings the architects poured acid on to make them look older, I felt a sense of almost ancient respect for intellect when I visited.

Anita’s essay is extremely specific, citing history, English, a freshman academic program, a particular major, two campus publications she wants to write for, and two facts she learned on her campus tour (which you could also get from watching a number of YouTube videos or speaking with local alumni or meeting admissions officers at a local college fair, if you’re not able to visit schools). But it’s also successful because it has a thesis that conveys a dual passion: a personal passion for her own academic interests, and a passion for the school. She converges her personal plans with the spirit of Yale, and that shows the admissions officers that she’s a natural fit.

Some colleges will simply ask for you to elaborate further on an extracurricular activity or class you’ve already mentioned on your Common App activities list . This is the only time you should elaborate further on something already in your application.

An example prompt from Brown University : What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it? (100 words)

Strategies for addressing the extracurricular essay:

Choose an activity that means something to you, or that could benefit from being livened up by your prose. Anita our mock trial champion, chose to write about a wilderness solo. But now would be a good time for her to talk about mock trial—the thing the admissions committee will already know her for, but which now she can add some humanity to, without making it the only thing that defines her.

Don’t write about the same thing you’ve written your Common App Essay on! Josh, who chose piano for his personal statement, will need to pick something else.

Here’s another of Anita’s essays, this one about her mock trial activities. Remember that mock trial is one of Anita’s most obviously impressive activities. She’s nationally competitive, and it will come up in her counselor and teacher recommendations and her national wins will show up on her resumé and lists of awards. But she hasn’t written about it yet. Her job is not to summarize her wins—her recommenders and CV will do that for her—but to tell the admissions committee something they can’t get from other portions of her application.

I spend several Saturdays a semester in front of a room full of people, acting out a story. It is one of the greatest adrenaline rushes I can think of. My role: I am an attorney, for a few hours. My motivation: simple. To win the case.

I’m not in the drama club. I’ve never been on a proper stage. I almost threw up as an eighth-grader at theater camp when I had to improvise a scene. And yet, I thrive as a member of the mock trial team. That’s because when my job is to make sense of a series of arguments, to cross-examine my way to the heart of the trial, and to articulate a clear and powerful closing statement, I am inhabiting my best self. I am Atticus Finch and Clarence Darrow, and, most importantly, me.

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Design a class/major

Some colleges, especially those with a liberal arts foundation, will ask you to come up with a seminar or even reimagine an entire department.

Example prompts:

University of Chicago : Due to a series of clerical errors, there is exactly one typo (an extra letter, a removed letter, or an altered letter) in the name of every department at the University of Chicago. Oops! Describe your new intended major. Why are you interested in it and what courses or areas of focus within it might you want to explore? Potential options include Commuter Science, Bromance Languages and Literatures, Pundamentals: Issues and Texts, Ant History... a full list of unmodified majors ready for your editor’s eye is available here . — Inspired by Josh Kaufman, Class of 2018

University of Notre Dame : During the spring semester, Notre Dame faculty gave 3-Minute Lightning Talks on exciting topics within their fields of expertise. While you don't have a Ph.D. yet, we bet you're developing an expertise in something. If you were giving a Lightning Talk, what topic (academic or not) would you choose? (200 words)

Strategies for this essay: This should be tons of fun—a way of getting to hear you geek out and be creative; it’s a chance for you to show your excitement at the chance to get a broad and varied education. The important thing here is to convey excitement for the reason the college is asking you to do this at all: you’re going to get a chance to study somewhere where your intellectual curiosity is valued.

Here’s Ramya’s answer to an Emory University prompt from a few years back:

If you could create an academic course that is in the Emory University spirit of collaboration, creativity, entrepreneurship and inquiry, what would it be? What impact would the course have on you and your classmates’ educational experience? (500 words)

Why do I love chocolate while my brother gags at the scent of it? Why are some people more attracted to Italian food than Mexican food? Why do we like some foods during the summer, and others during the fall? Can we predict what people might find enjoyable based on their background and attitudes? As an avid foodie, I have always wondered what it is that attracts each person to different tastes.

These are a few of the questions we would answer in my Freshman Seminar class on “Food for Thought.”

We would purchase, cook, and taste foods from all around the world and observe the neurological effects that each has. While there is common knowledge of the basic proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, along with how a good balance should be struck in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, this new class would focus on the subtle differences in types of signals emitted by the brain when different foods are consumed. Students would be exposed to the theory and practice of neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI and PET scans. We would identify neurotransmitters emitted as a result of the food ingested and study if different parts of the brain “light up” in response to different foods.

Along with creating a brain-food map, students would learn how to use statistically sound methods to study how variables such as a subject’s ethnic background, age, gender, and social attitudes such as open mindedness, correlate with the subject’s likes and dislikes.

This class will also address cultural elements of food. When eating foods from around the world, in order to fully appreciate the dish as a whole, it is important to understand the context surrounding what lands on our plates. We would read short stories or passages and watch excerpts of popular film focused on food from the countries whose cuisine we are testing. Cooking and tasting food together are great ways to bring people together, as seen in many movies such as Ratatouille and The Hundred-Foot Journey.

Not only would this class be informative, but it would also be an engaging, hands-on experience, and would provide freshmen with two valuable experiences during their first year at college—forming community and rethinking their fundamental approaches to academics by introducing them to interdisciplinary thought. “Food for Thought” would expose freshmen to an integrated approach to science while providing a fun environment for freshmen to get to know each other. At the end of the class, all students would have a better understanding of neuroscience as well as an appreciation for different cultures and their unique foods.

Sign us up for Ramya’s class! This is such a vibrant essay for a number of reasons. She’s truly thrown herself into imagining an interdisciplinary topic that converges a fun, light part of her personality—food—with something already on her application—her interest in medicine and neuroscience. She’s also made a few expert moves here, whether consciously or not. By pointing to the “valuable experiences” students need freshman year, she has indicated to the admissions committee that she understands that being a part of Emory involves both community and academics. That’s the kind of person you want on your campus!

Some schools may ask you to apply to a specific professional school or track or having declared a major. Others may ask you to indicate an initial preference. Still others may expect no prior thought about majors.

Cornell University : Students in Arts and Sciences embrace the opportunity to delve into multifaceted academic interests, embodying in 21st century terms Ezra Cornell’s “any person…any study” founding vision. Tell us about the areas of study you are excited to explore, and specifically why you wish to pursue them in our College. (650 words maximum)

Brown University : Brown’s Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about an academic interest (or interests) that excites you, and how you might use the Open Curriculum to pursue it. (200–250 words)

Strategies for this essay: This is one essay hiding two in it—it’s a “Why us?” essay combined with an essay that wants you to state where you see yourself in 5–10 years.

First, apply the same strategies you did for the “Why us?” essay (specifics!) —go to the website of the undergraduate program or major you’re applying to/indicating interest in, and look at student or alumni profiles. Is there anyone who makes you say, “Yeah, I’d love to do that”? Write about them. Is there a summer program, a particular class, an internship, or anything else associated with this program that attracts you?

Second, talk about where you want to be in 5–10 years. Imagine your dream job and tell the admissions committee how this particular program or major might help you reach it. This is a time when you can and should be specific—because you’re not committing to the story you’re writing down. You’re just demonstrating that you’ve thought about it and have a passion or vocation pulling you in one direction or another.

Here’s an example in response to Brown’s prompt from our student Josh, who isn’t sure what he wants to study. But he’s generally interested in international affairs and global political issues.

I am interested in studying International Relations or East Asian Studies. My mother is Chinese and my father is American. When they met, their two countries could not have been more distant. But today, China and America have to increasingly understand one another, economically, politically, and culturally. I am able to stand at the crossroads of these two countries, and I hope to use my time at Brown to learn Mandarin and to study abroad in China. I am also excited about the East Asian Studies requirement to engage with countries beyond China; learning about migratory patterns and cultural conversations in the region and studying Korea and Japan will help me crystallize my sense of the region.

An essay that asks you what you bring to the college community can seem like it’s asking for you to explain the ways in which you bring “diversity” to the community. You can answer in terms of your identity—gender, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, or otherwise—but you do not need to. Really, essays like this are asking for you to identify one way in which you’re different, and the way you make that difference a boon to others around you.

University of Michigan : Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

Duke University : We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you. (250 words maximum)

Strategies for these essays: Go back to your pre-written prompts and think about what you noticed that made you different and unlike your peers. You’re often looking for something intangible to others but tangible to you. Think about what you wrote about your parents or siblings, your hometown or community.

We’ve given you Ramya’s response to this above, but here’s another essay, from Michael responding to the Duke prompt, who wrote about surfing with his grandfather for the personal statement. Though Michael has included his grandfather in his application already, he takes a different angle on him for this optional essay so it does not feel redundant. Especially because this is a non-required answer, that repetition is fine.

I was born and raised in a small town in southern California and attended a big public high school. Here, everyone is racially mixed-up. Black, Asian, Hapa, Hispanic, and other combinations mingle in our loud school hallways. I never had much of a reason to think about my ethnic heritage until recently. My maternal grandfather is Hawaiian, and he married a “haole,” or a white person. My paternal grandparents are white Californians. I look almost entirely white, and I get to move through the world feeling like any old white guy. But when my grandfather got sick and eventually passed away at the end of high school, I became interested in that part of my background.

I learned about the state’s history and the colonial presence that white people had. I also learned how many people in Hawaii now serve in the Armed Forces. This is a complicated history, and one I am interested in exploring more in college. Though I don’t know if I will ever live in Hawaii long-term, I want to study history or anthropology to write about this part of American history, which I never knew about growing up. I think this cultural background could bring something unique to the Duke community. I also think it can contribute to conversations about social justice, which are big in my high school, but which entirely white people sometimes struggle to contribute to. My sense of containing multiple racial identities now will shape me and the school I attend.

Some universities ask for your “short takes” on a number of things, limiting your response to 35 words or so.

Yale University (approximately 35 words each):

Yale’s residential colleges regularly host conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What would you ask them to discuss?

Yale students embrace the concept of “and” rather than “or,” pursuing arts and sciences, tradition and innovation, defined goals and surprising detours. What is an example of an “and” that you embrace?

Princeton University (50 words each):

What brings you joy?

What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

Strategy for these “essays:” Be authentic, original, and don’t overthink it. You might even have someone else read them aloud to you and answer instinctively. This is a chance for you to sound like the you your friends and family know and love. If you’re flexing here, trust us, the admissions officers will roll their eyes. They can smell it.

Recent trends in essay types

Through our work advising students on their college supplemental essays, we’ve noticed a few interesting trends in the types of questions universities prefer to ask over the last few years. Namely, a slow phasing out of questions around adversity or challenges and a greater variety of questions asking students to reflect on themes of diversity and community.

There may be a few reasons behind this shift. For example, students often felt at pains to paint a dramatic story that described their background and how they overcame some form of adversity to get to where they are today. This created an environment where many critics argued that students felt pressured to embellish or even completely fabricate stories of hardship in the hope that adcoms would look favorably upon them and their situation. Many students felt if they didn’t have anything especially challenging to write about, they were at a great disadvantage.

Furthermore, the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action meant that many schools had to revamp their diversity essays as well as how they asked about and handled race in their applications. This caused some schools to reformulate their essay prompts, sometimes even adding more prompts to the application. For instance, schools would ask questions that focus on a student’s upbringing and how it shaped them, the meaning of community and the varying (diverse) communities that have shaped them, or ask students to detail an experience or relationship in which they had to closely interact with someone whose views, background or culture differ markedly from their own.

To see this change in action, let’s look at a few recent prompts as examples.

Vanderbilt University : Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own. How did these conversations/experiences influence you?

Northwestern University : We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background, your identity, or your school, community, and/or household settings have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise?

Strategies for this essay: This is your chance to paint a picture of the range of experiences you’ve had and stand out as an applicant who will add to the dynamism of your future campus community. While it’s perfectly fine to discuss your race or sexual orientation here, it’s important to make the connection between your experiences and how they have shaped the way you connect with others.

Here’s an example response to Vanderbilt’s prompt written by one of our former students.

In my psychology class we discussed synesthesia, a condition in which people experience perceptions that cross between senses. This could mean tasting shapes or feeling sounds or, as one of my classmates put it, hearing colors. It turned out that my classmate Julie had identified as a synesthetic for many years.

When I asked her about it she was adamant that particular sounds were linked with colors. A classic telephone ring, for example, was the color red. As we stood in the hallway someone was drinking from the water fountain. Julie told me this sound was the color green.

I was intrigued by these insights because I tend to assume, as I think many of us do, that my own perceptual experience is the norm. My conversation with Julie reminded me that we never have full access to another person’s experience of the world. While we might agree that we are both looking at a blue sky, are we having the same experience of blue or is this merely culturally conditioned? I find this question both humbling and awe-inspiring.

At the same time, there was a way in which Julie’s experience made sense to me. I realized that I also tend to associate certain sounds with colors. Doing further research, I encountered a theory that everyone is born with synesthesia but that as we grow up our brains become more specialized. I think there’s joy to be found here, and lately I’ve been striving to recapture experiences of sensory overlap.

How much of a “theme” do I need to convey across my Common App personal statement and supplementary essays?

You want to offer one round story about yourself, while also giving the admissions committee an opportunity to discover you anew each time: first in your Common App essay, then in your recommendations, and finally in your supplementary essays. Stating major contradictions or trying to span too much—for example, saying you want to study English, biology, Chinese, and public health—might confuse things. Everyone is more complex and multivalent than they can seem on paper, but remember to keep sounding related notes without ringing the same bell over and over.

Are supplementary essays the place to explain away bad grades or holes in my academic record?

Some schools will give you a chance to elaborate on splotches on your transcript or weak points. If they don’t, remember that you have the chance to engage with your weak spots in any number of these supplementary essays, as long as you write narratively. Say your STEM grades were weak freshman and sophomore year. You might talk about how your middle school didn’t have a strong math or science program and when you switched to a good high school, you weren’t prepared. Then you’d want to explain what you did to improve them and how that taught you a lesson going forward.

It’s important to note, though, that it is rarely the right choice to talk about your bad grades in your essays. More often, you should try to be impressive on your own terms rather than risk seeming defensive.

Many supplemental essays seem to want me to “loosen up.” Is there such thing as going too casual?

Take your cue from the tone of the question. The Pitzer essays we mentioned in this post, for instance, have a serious tone and are basically invitations to write another personal statement. But the short takes, or Stanford’s famous “roommate essay,” are asking you to be creative, and that might mean more casual. But it probably means something more like “sound like you.” In any case, be deliberate and try not to slip too much into generational patois.

I’m applying to the University of California , which asks for 350-word essays, or another school system with short word counts on the essays. Can I use those as supplemental responses? Can I use my supplemental essays for the other schools?

Yes, definitely. It’s always a good idea to reuse your material as much as possible. You don’t have to reinvent yourself for every application. You’re presenting the same self at a slightly different angle based on the questions a given school chooses to ask you.

Always remember, though, that any essays you reuse across schools will probably have to be at least a little bit modified so that they directly answer the question that was asked. The question from the University of California that asks, “What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?” is not the same question as “Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was particularly meaningful to you.”

That said, your answer might be the same or similar. Your greatest talent or skill might be mock trial or soccer; perhaps you’ve written about mock trial for the extracurricular supplemental essay. The trick now is to make sure you’re answering the “over time” element of the UC question. Your job isn’t just to say you did mock trial and why you liked it; you will also need to explain something about its arc and change in your life over a period of months or years.

(Suggested reading: How to Write Great UC Essays )

I feel like everyone’s extracurricular activities are much more interesting than mine. I struggled to fill out my Common App activities list and now I have to make one sound compelling. Aren’t there some magic bullet points I could hit that they’re looking for?

Unfortunately, no. The whole essay writing process would be so much simpler if that were the case. Different schools will have different reasons for including a question like this on their supplemental applications.

However, it can be helpful to keep a few things in mind.

Your extracurricular activity isn’t “you,” meaning the activity itself doesn’t have to be interesting to adcoms, only you do. You could be really passionate about watching grass grow but the way you “show” that passion to your reader is what will intrigue them about you as a candidate.

Being creative within constraints shows effort and an ability to think outside the box. In this case, your constraint is what you imagine is the typical extracurricular activity you must write about. Adcoms likely get hundreds of applications from students writing about biology club or being on the student council, but do those students’ larger personalities and passion show through their writing? Remember to consider an example or anecdote that sparked your interest in that activity and harness the emotional connection in your writing.

I’m applying to an Ivy League school and having trouble with the ‘Why Us’ essay. I can’t seem to think of a good enough topic – doesn’t everyone want to attend an ivy?

Answering a ‘why us’ essay question for a highly prestigious school can certainly be difficult. Surely, everyone wants to attend a top-tier institution, which makes the answer seem obvious.

It can be helpful to compare your dream school to other top schools. For example, if you’ve got the grades and the talent to gain acceptance to Yale, what makes Yale a more desirable place to study for you than Princeton? Why not a public ivy such as UC Berkeley?

Consider which specific professor, course, or research interest that exists at your dream school that isn’t offered at other ivies. No one institution can offer everything. Most importantly, how will your engagement with that professor, course or research interest add to the campus community? You can cite specifics from a professor’s published work that excite you, noting what you hope to accomplish from working with them. You could also discuss a unique course you hope to take and what you plan to do with what you learn or even a research facility at the school that specializes in a particular interest of yours.

Remember that location is important as well. The cultural and science activities you will have access to will be markedly different in Ithaca, New York from Boston, Massachusetts.

About the Author

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.

THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.

Albert Dorman Honors College

Tips for Writing an Honors College Essay

Writing an Honors College Essay (Max. 400 words)

A college essay is a chance for you to tell us what all your records cannot: who you really are, how you think, and how well you write. It is not an invitation to tell a story, write a novel, or write about other people's experiences. The main point of your essay is to tell us what you have to offer and how you will take advantage of what we have to offer .

• Write an essay that addresses the topic specified  on the application form. A general essay about yourself or an experience you had is not acceptable.
• Do not write your essay as if it were a novel. "The baby cried until it had to be comforted by its mother;" "I could not believe as I walked into my first class that this was the beginning of my engineering career." These tell us nothing about yourself. Regardless of what you may have been told in school, write a straightforward descriptive essay that directly addresses the question asked.
• Avoid clichéd, generic, and predictable writing, such as "I want to help people." This is particularly applicable to essays for accelerated program candidates.
• Do not quote our own description of our program. We know what we have to offer; we are interested in knowing what you have to offer and how you will use what we offer . Tell us about your interests and why the Albert Dorman Honors College is the right place for you.

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

University of Pittsburgh (Frederick Honors College)

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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List of Supplemental Essays Required By Top Colleges

By Michaela • October 31, 2021 • College Application Early Admission

Looking for a quick reference to the essays required by the colleges on your list? Check out our list of supplemental essays required by many of the top colleges students apply to each year. If you need help with these essays schedule a meeting with one of our essay coaches today!

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Welcome to the Frederick Honors College!

We’re glad you’ve chosen to attend pitt and become part of the honors community..

Get to know us by exploring all the resources and opportunities available to you, explore summer opportunities, and  reach out to us  with any questions you have.

What's Next?

• If you haven’t already, set up and start checking your  Pitt email ! Your advisors will email you about how to get ready for fall at your Pitt email address - you don't want to miss your advisors' emails! 
• Interested first year FHC students may select the Honors Living Learning Community (LLC) in Sutherland Hall as their top preference. Remember, living in the Honors LLC is not a requirement. 
• You must complete the Honors LLC form through your Pitt housing application under the "LLC" section by June 1. 
• Take a virtual tour of Sutherland Hall.  
• If you have any questions about making your housing selection, please contact Panther Central at 412-648-1100. 

June & July 

The Frederick Honors College advising team will host a number of online information sessions in June and July. The team will talk about how to have a fantastic first year in the Honors College, why all Honors students should consider studying abroad, career opportunities for Honors students, opportunities in research for Honors students and more! You'll be able to ask questions during all of these sessions, as well as schedule one-on-one follow-up chats with your Honors advisor. Watch your Pitt email for upcoming details about these Honors information sessions.  

Stay tuned for more information about Frederick Honors Welcome Week events. 

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What are your chances of acceptance?

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Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the University of Florida Essays 2023-2024

The University of Florida has one required prompt for all applicants that asks about your biggest commitment outside of the classroom. There are three prompts for all applicants that are only required if you answer “yes” to specific questions. It also has one required prompt for applicants to its Honors Program—this prompt asks about a subject or topic you find intellectually stimulating, and about how you think the program’s resources will support this interest.

Since UF receives thousands of applications from academically-strong students, your essays are your chance to stand out. In this post, we’ll discuss how to craft an engaging response to each of these options.

Read this UF essay example to inspire your own writing.

University of Florida Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants.

Prompt 1: Please provide more details on your most meaningful commitment outside of the classroom while in high school and explain why it was meaningful. This could be related to an extracurricular activity, work, volunteering, an academic activity, family responsibility, or any other non-classroom activity. (250 words)

Prompt 2: Do you have any employment or family obligations that limit your participation in extracurricular activities? If so, please describe. (250 words)

Prompt 3: Have you participated in or been assisted in your college preparation and search by programs outside of the classroom, such as Educational Talent Search, Take Stock in Children, Upward Bound, Boys and Girls Club, etc.? If so, please provide the name of the program, details/benefits of your involvement, and how long your experiences continued. (250 words)

Prompt 4: Is there any additional information or extenuating circumstances the Admissions Committee should know when reviewing your application? If so, please provide more information in less than 250 words.

Honors Program 

American novelist henry miller once said, “my hunger and curiosity drive me forward in all directions at once.” students in the university of florida honors program are known for pursuing multiple interests and passions., tell us about a subject or topic that you find intellectually stimulating and are curious to learn more about while in college. which direction(s) do you imagine your hunger for that subject or topic will take you while at uf how do you envision the honors program’s academic and extracurricular resources will support you along the way, please use a maximum of 400 words in your essay for full consideration., all applicants, prompt 1, please provide more details on your most meaningful commitment outside of the classroom while in high school and explain why it was meaningful. this could be related to an extracurricular activity, work, volunteering, an academic activity, family responsibility, or any other non-classroom activity. (250 words).

This prompt is a variation of the common Extracurricular Activity prompt since it’s asking you to write about a meaningful commitment you had outside of the classroom.

Brainstorming your topic:

First, you’ll need to narrow down your list of extracurricular activities to just one to write about. It’s important to choose an activity that you’re passionate about, that you’ve been involved in for a while, and that has helped shape you into the person you are today.

Here are some ideas of the types of topics you might write about:

• Activities where you’ve shown significant commitment
• Clubs or groups that you’ve created, or where you’ve had a leadership role
• Activities that have helped to shape a specific personal aspect of your life
• Experiences that relate to your future goals
• Unique extracurriculars that require an explanation for people to thoroughly understand them

Once you’ve chosen a topic, think about the following questions before you begin writing:

• What is the strongest emotion you feel about this activity?
• What do you think about when you participate in the activity?
• Has the activity helped you strengthen or develop any personality traits?
• Are there any specific skills you’ve developed from participating in this activity?
• How does this activity impact the rest of your life?

Tips for writing your essay:

A good response will explain what your activity, responsibility, or experience is, what it entails, and why it is important to you. Make sure to address each of these points, as they are either stated in or implied by the prompt.

Here’s an example of an excellent response to this prompt from Sara, a prospective entrepreneurship major:

“During my sophomore year, I started creating charcuterie boards for parties, events, and other occasions for my friends and family. I loved finding the perfect assortment of crackers, fruit, cheeses and jams to arrange into beautiful boards, but more importantly, I enjoyed networking with people at each event I worked.

After a few months, I began to receive so many referrals that I decided to start a small business. Managing my schoolwork, sports schedule, leadership roles, and my small business required me to develop excellent time management skills. I also learned about the financial aspects of running a business—managing cash flow, balancing costs, and paying taxes—and the marketing aspects of running a business—leveraging social media, paying for ad space, and utilizing other channels to promote my business.

Prior to my sophomore year, I had dreams of becoming a doctor. However, after starting my charcuterie business, I realized that my interests in finance, marketing, and business lent themselves to a future in entrepreneurship. I’m grateful for the opportunities my business has given me, and I’m excited to watch my business—and other businesses I might start—grow in the future!”

This example is strong because it very clearly states what the activity is. It then branches off into a discussion of the student’s business, something that was created as a result of the activity. The student also describes her roles in her activity/business throughout the essay, and then ends with a strong argument as to why this passion has become so meaningful to her.

Mistakes to avoid:

Choosing the wrong activity. Don’t choose to write about an extracurricular just because you think it sounds impressive, or even just because you’re skilled at it. This essay is a chance to write about an extracurricular that is meaningful to you, so it’s important that you select an activity you’re really passionate about!

Writing a shallow response. ​​It’s not effective to give a detailed history of your participation, or to tell an enticing story about the extracurricular you’ve chosen if you forget to explain how the activity has affected or changed you. It’s crucial to explain your personal development from participating in the activity.

Listing your accomplishments. Simply listing out your accomplishments with no elaboration will make for an unengaging response that reads like a laundry list. Instead, provide a unique perspective by sharing how the activity impacts your current life as well as your aspirations for the future.

A Note About Prompts 2-4

You are only required to respond to each of the following all applicants prompts if you choose the “Yes” option offered in the first half of each prompt, respectively. If any (or all) of the prompts don’t apply to you, you can choose the “No” option for that prompt, and will not need to respond to it.

All Applicants, Prompt 2

Do you have any employment or family obligations that limit your participation in extracurricular activities if so, please describe. (250 words, optional).

This question is similar to the Additional Information section listed in the Common App, as well as the exceptional personal circumstances prompt you might see during the application process. Check out the linked guides for tips for writing an essay like this!

One quick tip: Be sure to at least explain what the employment/obligation entailed, and why you had to take it on, as well as the results of you taking on this extra responsibility. Obligations you might write about include working to contribute financially to your family, taking care of an ill relative, or frequently babysitting younger siblings.

Consider the following example to see what a good response might include:

“Last year, my single mother was let go from her job at an insurance company when it was struggling financially and going through a period of transition. As a result, we both had to take on additional jobs to make ends meet, so I briefly left my school’s robotics team throughout the second semester and summer following junior year. Instead, I worked at a local grocery store after school and on the weekends, learning how to work efficiently under pressure while supporting my family.”

All Applicants, Prompt 3

Have you participated in or been assisted in your college preparation and search by programs outside of the classroom, such as educational talent search, take stock in children, upward bound, boys and girls club, etc. please provide the name of the program, details/benefits of your involvement, and how long your experiences continued. (250 words, optional).

This prompt is straightforward and simple. It requires you to list your involvement in programs that have helped you with your college search (outside of school), and it also asks you to list the details and benefits of your involvement in the program(s).

Here’s a sample response:

“During my junior and senior years of high school, I participated in the Take Stock in Children Program. While I was involved in the program, I was paired with a volunteer mentor and received frequent college readiness coaching. My mentor, James, was an undergraduate student at the University of Florida. Before participating in the Take Stock in Children program, I wasn’t interested in attending college, and I was planning to work at my local grocery store after high school to support my hobby, music production. James helped me understand the importance of college and he encouraged me to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Florida. I am grateful for how my involvement with Take Stock in Children has impacted my future education and aspirations.”

This student does a great job at answering the prompt. He lists the program name (Take Stock in Children) and the duration (junior and senior year) that he participated in the program. He also includes the details of his involvement (volunteer mentor and college readiness coaching) and most importantly, the benefits of their involvement (how his relationship with James inspired him to apply for college as a music major).

All Applicants, Prompt 4

Is there any additional information or extenuating circumstances the admissions committee should know when reviewing your application (250 words, optional).

​​This also resembles the Additional Information section listed in the Common App and the exceptional personal circumstances prompt . This is essentially your shot to either explain a lapse in your performance somewhere or to introduce something new about yourself that isn’t evident elsewhere in your application. 

You may elaborate further upon an extracurricular activity you feel isn’t clearly explained throughout your application (For example, say you were a Head Designer for your town’s Environmental and Aesthetic Initiative, and admissions officers may not know what that is). You could also talk about a personal story or history that has affected you greatly. You may even discuss a previously unmentioned extracurricular activity that says a lot about you.

This is a wonderfully free space for you to dive into whichever information you feel will give the admissions team the most complete version of your identity. If you don’t think this space is necessary for you, that’s fine too! Just leave it blank.

Honors Program Applicants Prompt

This prompt is meant to gauge who you are beyond your grades and test scores. It’s primarily about a subject that interests you, but there are multiple parts of the prompt that you’ll need to address:

• Identifying the subject or topic of interest
• Describing the direction you imagine that interest taking at UF
• Detailing how you envision the honors program’s resources supporting the direction you just described

Before you begin writing, it’s important that you select a strong topic. Of course, you need to be sincere. Don’t write about a topic you’re not that interested in just because you think the admissions committee wants to read about it. Good essays are always about authentic topics rather than disingenuous ones. To help you think, make a list of your the subjects that are most interesting and meaningful to you, and consider the following questions:

1) Which subject on your list have you shown the most commitment to? Which has been most influential in your development?

2) What is the strongest emotion you feel about this subject?

• Why do you feel this emotion?
• Has that emotional response changed over time? If so, how and why?
• What emotions do you feel when you’re actively engaging with this subject?

3) What thoughts and feelings go through your mind when you’re actively studying or learning about this subject?

4) Have you developed or strengthened any personality traits as a result of your engagement with this subject? If so, what are they and how have they evolved over time?

5) Have you developed any skills while studying this subject? These can include soft skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, work ethic, and teamwork, or hard skills, which are specific to whatever domain your subject is a part of.

6) What impact has your interest in this subject had on the rest of your life (activities, social life, academics, etc.)?

Once you’ve chosen your topic, think about how you want to structure your essay. You have up to 400 words, and you’ll probably need that space to address each part of the prompt. The prompt specifically asks how you see the UF Honors Program fostering that interest, so you’ll definitely want to include a response to that question.

You have some flexibility in the way you respond to this prompt. There are a few ways to introduce the subject you’re interested in. You might explicitly state what you enjoy about the subject, or perhaps you’ll talk about some of the experiences or outcomes related to the subject that have brought you fulfillment. Consider the following examples of opener styles you might use:

• Stating the subject explicitly: “For the last three years, I have filled every moment of free time I’ve had with videos and books about psychology.”
• Beginning with an anecdote: “My eyes widened with fascination as the colors climbed my chromatography paper. This was my first chemistry lab, and a moment that would completely change my desired career path forever.”
• Describing an experience and delaying naming the subject: “ ‘So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.’ With that sentence, I finished The Great Gatsby, the fifth novel I read that month.”

Since you have some space to work with, you can be creative when describing the subject you’re writing about. Use imagery to your advantage, be specific when discussing your emotions, and try to describe your emotional response to the subject in a way that reveals something about your personality.

Next, you’ll want to describe the direction you imagine this interest taking at UF. There are really no wrong answers here, since you can’t exactly predict the future. Luckily for you, this question is less about what you actually imagine and more about what you plan. That’s where it ties into the third question, how you see the program’s resources supporting your interest.

To do this effectively, you need to do some research on UF and its Honors Program. To start, look around on the UF Honors Program website to find resources that are particularly appealing to you. These might include particular classes or professors, research groups, program traditions, and extracurricular opportunities or programs. Honors students also enjoy access to internships and research opportunities. For example, a student who is interested in homesteading might mention how they’re excited to take the Honors Program’s beekeeping classes to expand their knowledge and skills.

Everything just mentioned is a good way to establish a tangible connection to the program, but you might also try to establish an intangible connection as well. An intangible connection involves discussing how the program’s values might align with your own.

You want to craft an effective essay, so you should note a few common mistakes to avoid:

• Don’t pick the wrong topic! Bad subjects include: those you’ve already written about somewhere else in your application, impressive-sounding subjects you don’t actually have experience or an interest in, and subjects you haven’t actually put that much time into.
• Don’t just describe your interest without elaborating on its impact on you. You might get caught up in an anecdote when writing, but don’t forget to explain the subject’s significance.
• Don’t just list your accomplishments within the subject. You shouldn’t simply provide a list of things that make you look good superficially. You want to show your personal perspective and growth by discussing your emotional response to your chosen subject and the ways in which the subject impacts your life.
• Don’t forget to answer each part of the prompt. You are asked to discuss a subject that you’re curious about, the direction you see that interest going in at UF, and the ways in which UF’s Honors Program will help you along the way.

Structurally, take a reflective approach and really analyze your thoughts and feelings about the subject. You have 400 words to work with, so you can really get into detail about each part of the prompt. As long as you can provide a good reflection, describe your subject well, and detail the role the UF Honors Program will play in fostering your interest, you will be fine.

Where to Get Your University of Florida Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your University of Florida essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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