uf supplemental essays 2022

University of Florida (UF) Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the University of Florida supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the University of Florida supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging UF supplemental essays and maximize your chances of admission. If you need help responding to the UF essay topics, create your free  account  or  schedule a free advising assessment  by calling (844) 343-6272.

University of Florida Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• UF has an acceptance rate of 31.0%— U.S. News  ranks the University of Florida as a  highly selective  school.
• There is  one  school-specific UF supplemental essay required for all applicants. If you are planning to apply to the UF Honors Program, you will complete an additional  two  UF essays. This means applicants to the UF Honors Program will complete a total of three UF supplemental essays.

Does the University of Florida have supplemental essays?

Yes. Whether you apply through the  Common App  or  Coalition App , you will respond to at least one UF essay prompt. Your UF admissions essay lets the admissions team learn more about you as they review your application.

Any freshman applying through the Common App or Coalition App also can apply to FHP, the University of Florida’s First-Year Honors Program. In addition to the required UF admissions essay, students applying to FHP must complete two additional UF supplemental essays.

While some schools handle honors admissions separately, UF includes all application materials for FHP in the standard UF application. This includes every UF admissions essay. Students completing the UF supplemental essays for the Honors Program, therefore, will submit all three UF essays through the Common or Coalition App. This means that you must complete the UF essays for the Honors Program before you submit your final application.

Need some help writing your Common App essay? Get great tips from our Common App essay  guide .

How many supplemental essays does the University of Florida have?

There are  three  total University of Florida supplemental essays included on the 2021-2022 application.

The University of Florida has  one  UF essay prompt every student is required to complete. Additionally, if you choose to apply to their Honors Program, you must write another  two  UF supplemental essays. The first required UF essay prompt asks about your extracurricular engagements. In contrast, the UF essay topics for the Honors Program ask about your interest in the program and your academic priorities.

Before writing your essays, you’ll want to have an idea of your intended major. If you haven’t already, use our College Search Feature to explore the wide range of majors offered at UF!

How do I write the University of Florida supplemental essays?

Here are some helpful tips to help you get started on the University of Florida supplemental essays!

To begin, the University of Florida supplemental essays give you an opportunity to showcase what motivates you, which academic topics interest you, and how you engage with the world around you. Therefore, think of the UF supplemental essays as your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions team on your own terms.

As you brainstorm the UF essay topics, remember your audience. Admissions officers read thousands of UF supplemental essays. Ultimately, if you are vague, superficial, or misleading, your UF essays won’t help the UF admissions team understand who you are. To maximize your UF supplemental essays’ impact, you’ll want to be as specific, genuine, and authentic as possible.

If you’re having trouble finding topics for your UF essays, don’t worry! We will discuss each UF essay prompt individually below. But first, here are some more technical tips to keep in mind when writing your University of Florida supplemental essays.

Overall, the most important thing your University of Florida supplemental essays should do is answer the UF essay prompt. Even if you write a perfect UF admissions essay, it has failed to serve its main purpose if it doesn’t answer every aspect of the prompt.

Each of the University of Florida supplemental essays has a maximum word limit. In each essay, make sure to stick to the word limit and use your space wisely. For example, if you find yourself quoting someone famous or writing about a friends’ experiences, ask yourself how it relates back to you. In fact, the more “you” that you include in your UF admissions essay, the better!

The admissions team reads countless UF essays every year. This makes it particularly important that your UF admissions essay is as clear and polished as possible. Essentially, the more straightforward and refined your writing is, the more easily your ideas and personality will shine through! For this reason, you’ll want to be sure to give yourself enough time to draft, revise, and proofread your University of Florida supplemental essays.

Below, we have provided the 2021-2022 UF admissions essay prompts. Along with the prompts, you’ll find a breakdown of how to approach each UF admissions essay. As a bonus, we included both the general UF essay prompt and the Honors Program prompts. Additionally, we’ll also discuss tips for narrowing down your UF essay topics. If you follow these tips, you’ll write University of Florida supplemental essays that will help you stand out in admissions.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays – Question 1 (Required)

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 or less).

To start, this UF essay prompt asks you to choose your single “most meaningful commitment.” Even if multiple experiences pop into your head, you must narrow your UF essay topic down to just one commitment. The best University of Florida supplemental essays will use one commitment to reveal fundamental aspects of an applicant’s identity.

If you need help choosing your UF essay topics, try making a list using UF’s suggested categories. These include: Extracurricular, Work, Volunteering, Academic Activity, Family Responsibility, Other. While writing, remember that this list can include a sport you’ve played, a job you’ve held, or even a responsibility toward a sibling. Once you’ve completed your list, circle three to five topics that engage you most. Do a five-minute free-write for each. If there’s a topic you can’t stop writing about, there’s a good chance that might be your most meaningful commitment!

Once you’ve selected your essay topic, you can consider the rest of the UF essay prompt. This first UF essay prompt is quite open-ended, which gives you plenty of opportunities to showcase your identity. While “Please provide more details” isn’t very specific, remember that your UF admissions essay is an opportunity for the admissions team to get to know you. As you write, make sure to always connect your topic back to who you are.

Struggling to answer this UF essay prompt? Here are some questions to guide your response:

What did I do?  Be specific. If your topic is a sport, like basketball, discuss details of playing basketball that your reader might not know. For instance, you might describe waking up at 6 am for practice, practicing drills and collaborating with teammates, or performing under the pressure of a crowd.

Why did I do it?  What was the motivation behind your commitment? Let’s continue with the basketball example. Is basketball something you and your little brother grew up playing together? Does playing a sport help with your anxiety? Were you inspired by a certain professional athlete? Including the reason why you pursue the activity will strengthen your response to this UF essay prompt.

What did I take away from this commitment? Learning happens in all places. While this UF admissions essay asks you to describe an activity outside the classroom, asking “what did I learn?” will help take your response to this UF essay prompt from a summary into a story. Maybe you discovered a new passion, a new skill, or a new way of problem-solving. Maybe your commitment to basketball translated into commitment in your classes? Or maybe the teamwork you cultivated in practice changed the way you helped your family at home?

As you expand upon your UF essay topics, think about how your commitment shaped who you are. This will give you a compelling ending to your UF admissions essay.

UF Supplemental Essay Draft Key Questions:

• Does my UF admissions essay reference one (not two, or three) commitment outside of my classes?
• Does my essay show why this is important to me?
• Do I show how I engaged in this activity?
• Does my essay reflect what I gained from this experience?

University of Florida Honors Program Supplemental Essays – Question 1 (Required)

Why is applying for the UF Honors Program important to you? Which aspects of the program’s three pillars of opportunity, community, and challenge pique your interests? How would you engage with the program to exemplify these pillars yourself? How does the program factor into your long-term goals? Please be specific (400 words or less).

The first step in tackling this UF essay prompt is to read about the UF Honors Program’s  3 Pillars of Value . As you think about your UF essay topics, ask yourself what about these pillars draws you to the program. Why are these ideals crucial to your college experience?

If you’re struggling to find specific details to discuss in your UF essays, think about your current situation. What are you missing in your high school academic career that you want to experience in college? If your classes aren’t challenging enough, you might want to talk about “challenge” and why the Honors Program would give you the academic rigor you need to reach your greatest potential. Or, if you feel you haven’t met many like-minded individuals in your high school, you might want to talk about “community” and why the Honors Program would provide opportunities to support and be supported by peers. If you aspire to do research or attend a graduate school, you might want to talk about “opportunity” and how the Honors Program will connect you with advisors to put you on track for those experiences.

Think about the future

While this brainstorm can help you begin choosing your UF essay topics, the Honors Program  Application Tips  reminds prospective students that this UF essay prompt is meant to be forward-facing. This means the admissions team wants to hear about what you imagine for your future rather than what you’ve completed in your past. This is where the second half of the UF essay prompt comes into play.

Imagine the Honors Program as a stepping-stone: what will you do in the Honors Program, and how will that help you reach your goals? Be sure to answer these questions with specific details about the Honors Program. For example, if your dream is to join the medical field, you might reference the Honors Program’s Pre-Health Coordinator and the Professional Development courses you will take to prepare you for medical school.

No matter what draws you to the Honors Program, remember to be specific, answer all four questions in the UF essay prompt, and proofread, proofread, proofread!

• Does my UF admissions essay reference specific details about the Honors Program?
• Do I include both why I am interested in the Honors Program and what I plan to do if I get in?
• Does my essay communicate why the Honors Program is important in reaching my academic goals?

University of Florida Honors Program Supplemental Essays – Question 2 (Required)

Identify two topics you have previously studied that do not traditionally overlap. How do you envision you might bring these topics together during your time in Honors to engage a pressing societal, medical or technological concern? The concern you wish to engage could be of local, national, or global scope, but you should be clear about the issue you want to address. For the purposes of this essay, the topics you identify need not have been formally studied in high school, but you should have studied them since beginning in high school (300 words or less).

This UF essay prompt asks you to think along interdisciplinary lines to express your unique academic goals. This gives you a crucial opportunity to illustrate why you belong in an intellectually rigorous space like UF’s Honors Program.

Choosing a Topic

The first challenge of this UF essay prompt is to choose two topics that do not traditionally overlap. If you are having trouble choosing your UF essay topics, use your transcript and make a bulleted list of your classes divided into basic high school subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, and the Arts. Think about which classes on this list you most enjoyed, and start combining subjects with seemingly little relation. The more unorthodox your combination, the more unique your UF admissions essay will be. For example, if you first choose Statistics and Chemistry, you may want to keep brainstorming as those have quite a bit of overlap. However, if you choose Chemistry and Music, you’ll have a less traditional pair that will make for a fascinating UF admissions essay. Strong UF essays can come from unexpected places!

Choosing a Concern

Next, turn away from your academic interests and choose the societal, medical, or technological concern you’d like to address. Unlike some other UF essays, this UF essay prompt focuses on how you think rather than who you are. As you choose your concern, therefore, focus on how you will engage the topic rather than why it is important to you. Remember, you’ve chosen this topic because it needs to be addressed, and your reader knows that. If you have a specific, personal connection that impacts the way you view the problem (and will ultimately tackle it), keep your justification brief and always connect back to how you will engage with the topic at hand. The best UF essays will offer concrete, specific details on how an applicant plans to tackle their chosen concern.

As you complete your University of Florida supplemental essays, be sure to reference their Application Tips to ensure you have a strong application.

• Does my essay include two topics that I will combine to solve a problem (not one, not three)?
• Do I show how my two chosen topics inform and relate to one another?
• Does my essay reflect how I plan to engage with this topic (not just why I am interested)?

How hard is it to get into the University of Florida honors program?

The University of Florida Honors Program is a highly challenging and therefore highly competitive program. Last year, the acceptance rate was 13%—well below the University’s acceptance rate. Students who are accepted have excellent scholarly credentials, are leaders in their communities, and plan to push themselves alongside their fellow Honors Gators.

It is important your University of Florida supplemental essays showcase why you belong in the Honors Program. Students accepted to the UF Honors program also have high test scores and GPAs as well as strong UF supplemental essays. You can read more about the 2020 Admitted Student Profile, the Honors review process, and the timeline for the 2021-2022 application cycle  here .

What are the requirements to get into the University of Florida?

Your University of Florida supplemental essays are only one element of your UF application. The University of Florida’s Admissions page provides a list of minimum  requirements for freshman applicants . That means you need to meet or exceed the following benchmarks to have a competitive application outside of your UF supplemental essays:

• Graduation:  You must be on track to graduate from a regionally accredited or state-approved secondary school or the equivalent (G.E.D., etc.).
• Academic Credits:  You need 16 academic units distributed across English, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Foreign Language.
• Grade Point Average:  Your cumulative GPA must be at least a C.
• Conduct:  You must have a record of good conduct. Any major issues may disqualify your application from being considered, regardless of your academic credentials.
• SAT or ACT:  You must submit test scores from the SAT and/or the ACT. If you have taken a test multiple times, UF will take the highest scores for each subsection and superscore to create the highest possible total score.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays: Final Thoughts

As you think about the University of Florida supplemental essays, remember that no single element of your application will determine your admissions results. The UF admissions team uses a  holistic review process , meaning they take everything into consideration: your grades, test scores, extracurriculars, background, and UF supplemental essays. Admissions will consider your UF supplemental essays alongside your other academic credentials to better understand who you are as a student and how you will enrich the University of Florida community. While your transcript and test scores reflect the kind of student you already are, your UF essays will help them see what kind of student you can become.

While writing the University of Florida supplemental essays can be time-consuming, remember your UF essays—including both your Personal Statement and your UF supplemental essays—are the one part of your application where you have complete control. Be sure to take your time and make your University of Florida supplemental essays as strong as they can be! Give yourself time to think about the UF essay topics before you get started. Consider what you’ve already included in the rest of your application and use the UF essays to share something new about who you are.

If the thought of distilling yourself into a few short essays seems daunting, spend some time daydreaming about what going to the University of Florida could mean to your future. Think about the possibilities and opportunities you are excited to take on. Let that excitement shine through in your UF supplemental essays. Good luck!

This 2021-2022 essay guide on UF was written by Stefanie Tedards. For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources, click  here . Want help crafting your University of Florida supplemental essays? Create your free account or schedule a no-cost advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

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University of Florida Supplemental Essays 2024-25 — Prompt & Advice

August 12, 2024

At the turn of the millennium, the University of Florida welcomed 63% of Gator applicants to Gainesville and functioned as a fairly accessible and highly affordable option for residents of the Sunshine State. However, by 2024, while still extremely affordable, the task of becoming a Gator has become far more difficult. They now receive over 67,000 applications and accept roughly 25% of those who apply. Incoming freshmen now possess an average unweighted GPA of 3.93 and SAT scores of 1320-1470. Another commonality amongst accepted students is that they write an excellent University of Florida supplemental essay.

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

When applying to an institution like the University of Florida that rejects more than 7 of every 10 applicants, you’ll need to put maximum effort into every area of the application, including the Common App and supplemental essay. Below is the University of Florida’s required supplemental prompt for the 2024-25 admissions cycle along with our advice for composing a winning essay.

University of Florida Supplemental Essay – Required

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)

The University of Florida is not necessarily asking you to write about the activity where you earned the most prestigious awards or held the highest position of leadership. The university is going to see all of your activities in that section of the Common App. As such, you want to ask yourself which of your entries is crying out for more explanation and detail. Which one is closest to your heart and most representative of your unique passions? Pick the option that will allow you to deliver additional detail that may be memorable to the admissions reader. Start this process by asking yourself, “What is the most interesting and consequential moment that I have experienced in one of my extracurricular activities?” If you can identify one clear-cut moment, that is likely the activity worth sharing with the UF admissions staff.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays (Continued)

At the core of this essay prompt, the UF admissions officers are really trying to figure out what you will bring to the Gainesville campus community . Again, what you achieved in a particular extracurricular activity will already be viewable in your Common App Activities Section and the Common App Honors Section , so you don’t want to make that the focus of this essay. Instead, you may want to touch on some of the following areas related to your role as a community member:

• How you function as a member of a team.
• Your leadership ability.
• Your passion, commitment, and drive.
• A commitment to social justice and equity.
• How you respond to challenges and obstacles.
• Illustrate how you have demonstrated maturity and dependability.

How important are the University of Florida supplemental essays?

The University of Florida lists six factors as being “very important” to the admissions committee. They are: GPA, standardized test scores, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, extracurricular activities, and the rigor of your secondary school record and most relevant to this blog—the application essay. It’s important to keep in mind that UF places both the essays and extracurricular involvement in the top tier of importance. Therefore, this essay is something of a two-for-one. Further, the essay is rated as being of greater importance than class rank, standardized test scores, or your state residency status.

Want personalized assistance?

If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your main Common App essay and University of Florida supplemental essay, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

Looking for additional writing resources? Consider checking out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Quickly Format Your Common App Essay
• Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topics
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• How to Write the Community Essay
• College Essay

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How to Write the University of Florida Supplemental Essays 2024–2025

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The University of Florida (UF) is a top-rated public university located in the city of Gainesville. Their many accomplished alumni include football player Tim Tebow Senator Marco Rubio; sportscaster Erin Andrews; and former Senator, current NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. If you’re looking for an acceptance letter, you’ll need to nail down your University of Florida supplemental essays. This article will take you through each prompt, including the honors program application prompt.

University of Florida’s 2024-2025 Prompts

There are a few different types of essays required by UF. However, there is only one prompt required for all applicants. That said, there are also three optional prompts that all applicants can elect to answer. You could choose to answer none of the three optional prompts, all of them, or any other combination. Lastly, there is one prompt that is required for applicants to the honors program. Note that this prompt has a longer word count than the others.

In this article, we’ll explain all of the University of Florida supplemental essays. If you’re only answering some of the prompts, feel free to skip around. All of the prompts are listed below. Let’s dive in!

All Applicants

Required : 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 or fewer), optional : do you have any employment or family obligations that limit your participation in extracurricular activities if so, please describe. (250 words or fewer), optional : have you participated in or been assisted in your college preparation and search by programs outside of 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 or fewer).

• Optional : Is there any additional information or extenuating circumstances the Admissions Committee should know when reviewing your application? Please provide more information in less than 250 words. (250 words or fewer)

Honors Program Applicants

As albert einstein once said, “the important thing is not to stop questioning. curiosity has its own reason for existing.” reflecting on this, what academic subjects, learning opportunities, or extracurricular activities are you most excited to engage in during your college experience how do you imagine or hope the uf honors program will help feed your curiosity and help you achieve your aspirations (400 words or fewer), we’ll review your essay.

Receive edits in as little as 24 hours

General Tips

Supplemental essays are never easy to write, but there are some general rules-of-thumb that can make the process a little easier. Here, we’ll dive into two tips in particular. The first is research, the second is authenticity.

Research is key to nailing your University of Florida supplemental essays. Any applicant who has a thorough understanding of the opportunities available to them at the University of Florida will fare better in the application process than any applicant who has thrown UF on their college list after simply reading their website. In your essays, you should mention, by name, specific programs, professors, extracurriculars, and so on that interest you.

These should be qualities of UF that aren’t just generally interesting, but are of particular interest to you. In other words, look up programs related to your intended major, professors who teach courses you might take, clubs you would want to join, etc. Researching UF before you begin to write these essays won’t just boost your level of detail on the page. It’ll also give you genuine reasons to be excited about attending the University of Florida. While less tangible, your motivation will shine through in your essays as excitement and passion. Moreover, it will be easier to get yourself to work on these essays if you’re genuinely excited about attending the University of Florida, because you understand what great opportunities will be available to you if you’re lucky enough to become a student there.

Authenticity

Authenticity is a word that’s thrown around a lot in the context of college essays. But what does it mean in practice? Following upon the point made about research in the section above, you need to have genuine motivations under your belt when you’re writing these essays. Moreover, you need to write about your real interests, experiences, and curiosities.

Admissions officers are highly capable readers who will be able to tell, in most cases, if a student is faking their interest in physics or the depth of their involvement in student government. It’s not worth your or anyone else’s time fabricating an interest or life experience that sounds good. Instead, think deeply about who you are, how you spend your time, and what you’ll bring to the table at UF. Then, write about these honest parts of yourself, with the requisite details included. Authenticity is the only way you can truly stand out from the crowd in the application process.

Now let’s break down the University of Florida supplemental essays specifically, prompt by prompt.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays: All Applicants

The following prompts apply to all applicants, but only the first is required.

As the one required prompt for all applicants, this is probably the most important of your University of Florida supplemental essays. For many applicants, this is the only prompt you’ll answer. When you read the prompt, it can be helpful to go phrase by phrase to break it down.

The prompt begins with, “Please provide more details.” The “more” in this phrase implies that you have already provided details. In this case, the prompt is referring to your activities list. The prompt continues, “Please provide more details on your most meaningful commitment outside of the classroom while in high school.” Evidently, the admissions team at UF wants to hear more about a commitment that appears elsewhere in your application .

Note that in the first sentence of this prompt, the word “meaningful” is used twice. Therefore, it’s your job to show the reader how and why the commitment you choose to explore in this essay is meaningful. To express this meaning, you need to be specific and personal. Why is this commitment meaningful to you ?

Notice how expansive the parameters of this prompt are. You can take the word “commitment” liberally. Not only could this commitment be “related to an extracurricular activity, work, volunteering, an academic activity, family responsibility, or any other non-classroom activity,” but it could also be another type of commitment that has been meaningful to you in your high school years. If you’re having trouble coming up with the right commitment to explore, consider how you’ve spent the hours of your high school years. What did you spend the most time on outside of school? This is likely your ideal essay topic.

After answering the last essay question, you may feel that there are some parts of your life left untouched in your application. For instance, you may have spent meaningful time throughout your high school years caring for a younger sibling or working a part-time job. If that is the case, you may have also struggled to find time to take up a sport or join a club. Here is your opportunity to explain these obligations.

Some of the qualities admissions officers look for in applicants include maturity, work ethic, and empathy. If you worked a job or took care of family responsibilities for any significant amount of time in high school, you likely displayed (and continue to display) one or more of these qualities. With humility, consider the ways that you can demonstrate those qualities in this essay, like your other University of Florida supplemental essays.

This question only applies to applicants who have experience with the programs listed above. If so, you’ll want to be as specific as possible in your response. Not only should you name the program, but you should provide as many details as you are comfortable (and can fit in 250 words or fewer) regarding your involvement. The prompt also asks for the duration of your experience.

In addition, if you have strong opinions about your experience with the program, whether positive, negative, or something in between, you’ll may want to provide those opinions as well. Doing so will add layers to your short essay that may help the admissions team better understand you as a person.

Overall, this essay shouldn’t require any added pressure. Instead, it’s a useful opportunity for the admissions team to understand how their applicants navigate high school, choose to apply to UF, and put their applications together. As long as your response is honest and specific, you’ll give the admissions officers what they’re looking for.

Optional : 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. (250 words or fewer)

For many applicants looking back at their applications, something seems missing. If there was a drop in your grades during sophomore year and nowhere else in your application did you have the opportunity to explain this situation, this essay is your chance.

If you faced a significant hardship in your personal life, perhaps you want to explore that hardship here. Or if you faced a financial or other barrier to participating in certain extracurricular activities (for instance, you were accepted into a selective academic summer camp but couldn’t afford to attend), then you may wish to provide those details in this essay.

The above are just a few of the many examples of topics you could write about in this essay. Before beginning your draft, think about your application as a whole. Does it truly show you as you are? As a student, classmate, friend, and family member? If so, then remember, this prompt is optional. But if not, you’ll want to provide details here. “Details” is a key word. You’ll need to be specific for the admissions team, who doesn’t necessarily know you very well, so they can fully understand the situation you choose to describe. Once again, be genuine and specific, and this essay has the potential to strengthen your application.

University of Florida Supplemental Essay: Honors Program Applicants

Note that this prompt is only required for honors program applicants.

Applicants to the honors program at the University of Florida are expected to be a level above the general applicant pool. These students are especially intellectually curious, motivated, and accomplished. In order to prove that you deserve a spot in the honors program, you are asked to write this additional essay.

Although it’s more work for the applicant, a successful honors program essay will pay off in the long run by giving the student access to greater resources and more individualized academic attention. Before you write this essay, you should read up on the particular opportunities available to you through the UF honors program . In this essay, you may want to mention specific opportunities at UF that will help you pursue your intellectual hunger further. Doing so will demonstrate to the admissions team your sincerity and commitment.

When the admissions team asks the above questions to honors program applicants, they are expecting to hear from students who know their interests and know how they will take advantage of UF’s resources once enrolled. Thus, it can be helpful to structure your essay around those elements.

For instance, you can start by describing one subject or topic that is intensely interesting to you. Then, envision how this interest will motivate your academic studies in college. Be specific and open-minded in your answer by naming particular resources you’ll seek support from without limiting yourself to a certain path. Whatever topic and essay structure you choose, do your research and let your words exude your passion. You’ve got this!

If you need help polishing up your University of Florida supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.

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Students Also Read

University of Florida 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Activity

How to Write the University of Florida Supplemental Essay

With only one supplemental essay, the University of Florida is making it easy for you to complete their application—but don’t take this opportunity lightly! In this essay, they’re aiming to assess your “quality of thought,” so make sure you give it the attention it deserves. Keep reading to discover our University of Florida supplemental essay tips! 

University of Florida Prompt Breakdown

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).

What would your life be mundane without? Elaborate on an activity, responsibility, or passion that is meaningful to you. Unlike an activities resume entry, this should be expanded to reflect your priorities, worldview, and sense of purpose. Do you babysit your cousins when your aunt gets called into work? How does it feel to support your family members in this way and what does the phrase, “it takes a village,” mean to you? Do you foster rescue cats until they find their forever homes? What does this hobby mean to you? Maybe you inherited your animal love from your dad who used to work as a farmhand. Use your experiences to tell admissions something about you they wouldn’t already know from your list of extracurriculars. What gives your life meaning? Why do you wake up in the morning? What are you working toward?

Honors College Only:

As albert einstein once said, “the important thing is not to stop questioning. curiosity has its own reason for existing.” reflecting on this, what academic subjects, learning opportunities, or extracurricular activities are you most excited to engage in during your college experience how do you imagine or hope the uf honors program will help feed your curiosity and help you achieve your aspirations (400 words).

This is a classic Why Essay even if it’s not incredibly obvious, although rather than asking only about your interest in the university in general, UF also wants to know why you are applying for the Honors Program. This essay calls for—say it with us now—research! Block off a solid hour or two to noodle around UF’s website , looking at the courses, clubs, research opportunities, study abroad experiences, musical ensembles, intramural sports teams, or anything else about the school that attracts you. The prompt focuses on curiosity, so mention every aspect that appeals to you in a college experience, even if they don’t connect elegantly into one major or focus. Take some time to learn about the Honors Program in particular, noting which courses, student activities, teaching assistantships, or retreats will help quench your thirst for discovery and prime you to reach your personal, academic, and professional goals. How does UF in general and the Honors Program in particular fit your hopes, dreams, and expectations for your college experience and beyond?

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How to Write the University of Florida Essays 2020-2021

We’ve updated this post! Check out the 2021-2022 UF essay guide .

The University of Florida is a top public research university in the suburban center of vibrant Gainesville, Florida. Known for its abundant research opportunities, business programs, and engineering school, the university is widely considered the strongest public school in Florida.

With over 37,000 undergraduates spread out over 2,000 acres, the university is famed for its fantastic sports teams —the Gators—which are supported by a strong undercurrent of school spirit.

With an acceptance rate of 39%, admission to the University of Florida is rather competitive. To win over admissions officers, you need to go beyond strong grades and test scores by crafting compelling essays, especially if you hope to join the Honors College. Want to know your chances at UF? Calculate them for free right now .

Want to learn what UF will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering the University of Florida needs to know.

University of Florida Short Answers

All applicants.

List and describe your community service activities. Please include your role in the activity and level of responsibility. (250 words)

List and describe each job you’ve had, including dates of employment, job titles, and hours worked each week. (250 words)

List any programs or activities that helped you prepare for higher education, such as university outreach, talent search, upward bound, boys and girls club, etc. (250 words), do you have any employment or family obligations that limit your participation in extracurricular activities if so, please describe. (250 words), is there any other information for the admission committee to consider when your application is reviewed (250 words), honors program .

Prompt 1: Why is applying for the UF Honors Program important to you? Which aspects of the program’s three pillars of opportunity, community, and challenge pique your interests? How would you engage with the program to exemplify these pillars yourself? How does the program factor into your long-term goals? (400 words)

Prompt 2: During high school, what is the most enriching long-term or ongoing activity in which you have participated outside of the classroom? Tell us about it– Why is it enriching to you? What have you learned about yourself by participating in it? How does this activity fit into plans to maximize your college experience? The activity does not have to be sponsored by your school, but you should have participated in it since you started high school. Please limit to one activity that has been significantly meaningful to you, and be specific. (300 words)

List and describe your community service activities. Please include your role in the activity and level of responsibility (250 words)

These three prompts are straightforward and very similar, so we will be breaking them down together. Notice the use of the word “list;” these aren’t meant to be “essays” in the typical sense, so don’t worry about flowery language or complex literary devices here. 

Instead, enter all of the information they ask for with as much specificity and detail as possible. Don’t worry if you end up re-mentioning experiences you’ve already noted in the Common Application’s Activity Sheet; if anything, see this short answer as an opportunity to elaborate on some of them.

See the below example of a student explaining a community service activity:

During the summer of 2018, I was a volunteer counselor for Happy Earth Horizons, a day camp for children in grades K-6 focused on environmentalism and service. I led groups of children through hikes, team-building activities, cooking activities, and field trips to the aquarium. I helped them build social skills, cooking skills, and a deeper ecological understanding through communicating clearly, practicing patience, and leading social-emotional skillset exercises.

This is similar to the Additional Information section listed in the Common App. Explain what the employment/obligation entailed and why you had to take it on, as well as the results of you taking on said extra responsibility.

Some potential obligations involve working to contribute financially to your family, taking care of an ill relative, or babysitting younger siblings.

For example:

For a period, my single mother was let go when the insurance company she worked at 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 the 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.

If you have no obligations to write about, just write in “Not Applicable” or leave it blank.

This also resembles the Additional Information section listed in the Common App. 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 which says a lot about you.

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

Honors Program Applicants

Why is applying for the uf honors program important to you which aspects of the program’s three pillars of opportunity, community, and challenge pique your interests how would you engage with the program to exemplify these pillars yourself how does the program factor into your long-term goals (400 words).

The Honors Program offers many unique opportunities to its students, including honors-specific course selections and their respective professors, smaller class sizes, sponsorship for study abroad programs, undergraduate research, unique internship programs, and specialized advising.

This wealth of opportunity is abundantly available to Honors College students, but the University of Florida is looking for the students who will actually push themselves to engage with said opportunities.

This essay is looking for elements of not only a “ Why this College? ” essay, but also a “Why this Program?” essay. Of course, you should incorporate concrete examples of what UF has to offer here, but notice how they ask you to engage with their core values in chasing after your goals.

Remember, this prompt is asking four key questions, so you have a lot to cover in only 400 words. Write concisely and try to tie related ideas together. 

We recommend starting off with a brief introduction stating what drew you to apply —i.e., why the Honors Program is important to you. Perhaps you felt unchallenged academically in your high school, so you would like a more rigorous education, or you cherished your close academic relationships with your high school teachers and you would like to pursue meaningful relationships with your new professors as well. In a sentence or two, make a careful distinction in explaining why you are aiming for honors instead of just matriculating as a “regular” Gator. 

Avoid saying or implying that you’re applying for the impressiveness or prestige of being in an honors program.

Next, dive into the program’s three pillars. The Honors Program offers an array of opportunities, each of which may be viewed as contributing to values of opportunity, community, and challenge. For example, study abroad program sponsorships foster a greater sense of global community, while rigorous course selections and research are both opportunities and challenges. 

Making these connections between values and concrete examples isn’t enough, however. You must also explain how engaging with each exemplified pillar of this program will play into your long-term goals. 

Write with enthusiasm, curiosity, and energy to convey your genuine excitement about each aspect of this program. For example, a prospective engineer may write about how challenging themselves through the mandatory Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering thesis project (which requires completion of a written thesis and research) will make them a better writer and analytical thinker, spark their innate curiosity, and make them a more resilient and focused engineer.

Here are some suggestions for exploring the UF Honors Program’s core values throughout your essay.

Opportunity : Quite literally every offering under this program, from course selection to mentorship to internships, is an opportunity, so we recommend focusing on how you will use it to achieve your goals. 

Here’s an essay excerpt from Sophia, a prospective doctor who hopes to join UF’s summer study abroad program in Merida, Mexico:

The University of Florida is rich with opportunity, a quality which extends far beyond the university borders. I’ll have three college summers, and I hope to spend one studying abroad in Merida, Mexico. While shadowing a doctor in high school, I quickly realized just how many patients were Spanish-speaking. Nearly a fifth of Floridians are, so I shouldn’t have been so surprised. 

I know now that developing bilingual fluency is essential to becoming the doctor that my patients need me to be, and there is no better way to do so than to immerse myself in Spanish language and a Hispanic culture by living with a Mexican family. I’ll build upon the mechanical grammar and semantics I rotely studied in high school through developing a rich, well-rounded, near-intangible cultural understanding to make my treatments and communications accessible to my patients. 

I have the same love for math and science as most pre-meds, but truly earning the title of “Doctor” entails a love of people, and with it, a willingness to learn for and from them. 

This essay works for a few reasons. Sophia highlights a past experience which reveals the roots of her motivation to learn Spanish and a simultaneous passion for her career path paired with a desire to do it well. Importantly, it’s clear why the particular study-abroad program at the University of Florida appeals to her so strongly; after all, not all university study-abroad programs allow you to live with a native host family.

Community : Community is a wide-spanning term, and you can build it almost anywhere within the honors program, especially considering its small class sizes, mentorship opportunities, student organizations, and study abroad programs. 

Consider this sample from John, an applicant planning to join the PRISM Honors Student Magazine:

When I entered high school, my introverted disposition and general nervousness initially inhibited me from reaching out to people. I had a small, lifelong group of friends with whom I had everything in common, but it wasn’t until I joined the school Newspaper Club that I truly understood the meaning of community. 

I saw then that community wasn’t about commonality, but bridging the gaps built by differences. I challenged my shyness through becoming a strong interviewer and worked with my introversion in collaboration with club members on layout designs. 

As a journalism major and PRISM contributor, I hope to find that same sense of community, surrounded by a like-minded and diversely-minded group of individuals. I know we’ll be a mixed bag of writers, editors, planners, and visual artists, but we’ll be unified by a common desire to create a fantastic magazine. This desire to create quality and to collaborate creatively will push and enhance my skills in written and verbal communication, making me a stronger and more empathetic journalist.

John’s essay works because he is able to tie past experiences into his future aspirations at UF and beyond. He kept his aspirations specific to the school and was able to connect it to his goals in journalism. He also connected it to his own understanding of the word “community” and how both UF and his career plans relate to it.

Challenge : Surprise, surprise! Being an honors student will challenge you and hold you up to high academic and personal standards. Here, you will have to develop strong work ethic, time management skills, and even interpersonal skills as you engage with your professors and peers. Write with specificity about how you expect to be challenged in your own way and where it will take you.

For example, a first-generation student may write about how she expects to be challenged as a first generation college student. With no parents to tell her how to apply to college or what to expect when she gets there, she doesn’t expect things to be easy, though she has faith in her ability to persevere. The Honors First Generation organization provides mentorship to first-generation freshmen, so as an upperclassman, this student plans to give back, helping younger students navigate this challenge and growing her leadership skills as a mentor.

At the end of this essay, admissions officers should be able to see you as someone who embodies the values of the University of Florida’s Honors Program. Do your research and write about the aspects of their programs which interest you the most so that your genuine enthusiasm will shine through. Write with specificity and care, tailoring your goals to the opportunities you will find as a UF Honors Student.

During high school, what is the most enriching long-term or ongoing activity in which you have participated outside of the classroom? Tell us about it – Why is it enriching to you? What have you learned about yourself by participating in it? How does this activity fit into plans to maximize your college experience? The activity does not have to be sponsored by your school, but you should have participated in it since you started high school. Please limit to one activity that has been significantly meaningful to you, and be specific. (300 words)

This question is written with specificity that renders it almost self-explanatory, and in detail that demands you write concisely to cover everything you need to. Luckily, they ask you to write about just one experience, allowing you to go in-depth about its impact on your life.

Introduce your chosen subject quickly. We encourage you to use lively, animated language in demonstrating how this activity was enriching to you. Invoke anecdotes and a narrative-like tone to engage your readers. Take some time to reflect deeply upon how you learned about yourself through this activity so you can write with depth and self-awareness. Ideally, this new self-knowledge will translate into your college plans.

Consider this example answer from a student who was a member of their school’s Mock Trial team:

We were fake-defending a fake suspect in a fake trial, so we carried ourselves with an almost laughable solemnity. Still, we sat stone-faced in front of the judge’s bench. 

Standing to deliver our opening statement, my carefully coiffed curls and opaque foundation masked the hours of work we’d poured into an airtight argument. Despite sleepless nights, I cherish those times of sifting through dense law texts, memorizing legal jargon and case details, and bouncing new ideas off of my dynamic and intellectually diverse team. 

Instead of growing tired of the heavy paperwork and long hours, I felt invigorated by the stories I found in our case studies and told to our judges. My empathy grew as I learned to accommodate diverse perspectives, as did my attention to detail while ensuring nothing would slip through the cracks.

Mock Trial showed me my deep interests and skills in close communication, critical analysis, and human connection. As a pre-law student and philosophy major at the University of Florida, I’ll pour those same newfound skills into my studies and career. 

It’s one of my biggest goals to debate my fellow Gators during an Ethics Cafe. There, I’ll build my intellectual diversity while publicly addressing important advocacy issues close to my heart such as wealth inequality and free speech.  

I look forward to questioning commonly-held beliefs surrounding material reality and free will as I craft my honors thesis. The depth of the research I embark upon will be further enhanced through the close connections I’ll foster with mentors and professors.

An endeavor of depth and breadth, Mock Trial has taught me more lessons than I can count, but above all, it has shown me that I thrive under pressure, that I throw myself into complexity and nuance, and that the courtroom is where I belong.

This essay works for a few reasons. A quirky anecdote draws the reader in before the author delves into what makes them so passionate about Mock Trial (without actually using the oft-hackneyed buzzword “passion,” of course!) We quickly understand that the author sees Mock Trial as an enriching experience, as it is intellectually rigorous, fulfilling, and requires deep empathy. We understand that Mock Trial helped her both grow her skills and learn where they lie, fulfilling the “What have you learned about yourself?” requirement. These play into her future goals, which are well articulated in the context of both college in general and the University of Florida’s Ethics Cafe program specifically.

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