uiuc supplemental essays examples

Apply Like a Pro to Illinois: Examples of Major-Specific College Application Questions

If you’ve made it here, chances are you’ve reached one of the more daunting parts of college applications: the written questions.

There are two ways you can apply to Illinois: the Common App and Illinois’s own application, myIllini. In this blog, we’ll instead focus on something they both have in common: the major-specific questions .

As part of your application, you’ll have to respond to two to three major-specific prompts about why you picked your intended major(s) , each with a word limit of 150. Sound difficult? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Disclaimer: Does something seem funny about the “majors” we’ve chosen to write about? Listening to Music is a great hobby, and while you may learn about DNA Analysis in some of your classes, the majors we’ve written about are imaginary! We did this so we could show you how to best structure your responses and have a little bit of fun. Okay, okay, fun might be somewhat of a subjective term in this case. Hey, at least we’re trying.

Prompt 1: Explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else.

Example 1: Music Listening Major

I played the triangle for four years in my high school band, and through that was exposed to genres of music I would’ve otherwise never heard. Playing the triangle was fulfilling, but I wanted to create a space specifically for listening to music. During my sophomore year, I formed a club for music listeners called “Hear There Everywhere” and have served as the president ever since. As president, I organized meetings, held outreach events to engage new members, and implemented a Playlist Friday program, where teachers play personalized playlists created by the club on Friday afternoons. I’ve always had a passion for listening to music and “Hear There Everywhere” has given me a platform to share the benefits with others. From my experiences in high school, I know the Music Listening major at Illinois is the perfect fit for me.

Example 2: DNA Analysis Major

My high school biology teacher taught me the importance of curiosity, creativity, and integrity in scientific endeavors. She inspired me to continue taking science classes throughout high school to learn as much as I could. By the start of senior year, I knew I wanted to work in a science field, but it was a trip to a forensics lab last summer that helped me decide I want to specialize in DNA Analysis. On the trip, the first place we visited was the DNA lab, where I was able to speak to the lab technician about different techniques for analyzing DNA samples. He showed me the equipment and explained how proper analysis is vital in crime investigations. After witnessing biology used in this manner, I am certain I want to pursue a career in forensics, starting with studying DNA Analysis at Illinois.

Prompt 2: Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from Illinois and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them.

Listening to music has been a passion of mine since I was very young, and I want to share that passion with others. Through the Music Listening major, I hope to build a foundation of knowledge that will support me as I pursue a career as a professional music listener. As a professional listener, I want to become a strong voice within the field that not only pushes the boundaries of what types of music are listened to, but also advocates for the inclusion of listening as an important part of the music industry. Listening is a severely underrepresented piece of the music community, and my main career goal is to bring more recognition to music listeners everywhere. Not many Music Listening programs exist, so by taking part in this major I hope to establish my voice in the movement of change sweeping the music industry.

DNA Analysis is one of the most important branches of forensics science. By choosing this major, I will learn hands-on skills that will help me find a job in a DNA lab. My ultimate career goal is to use the power of biology to help other people, and I want to do that by engaging in research and analysis to improve DNA handling in crime investigations. With this major, not only will I learn the physical techniques being used, I will also gain knowledge of the ethics behind DNA analysis and storage. Learning about the moral debate occurring in the field from professors engaging in everyday research will make me a well-rounded scientist. I want to make forensics a more equitable field, and I believe the combination of hard science and ethics taught through the DNA Analysis major will help me accomplish this goal.

See, that wasn’t so bad! We hope these major-specific college application questions seem a little bit clearer now, and you have a better idea of what to write when you sit down to craft your own responses.

Overall, the key to effective major-specific college application questions is to be clear, be concise, and to always be yourself. Happy writing!

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58 comments

Haha I can’t say I wouldn’t have at least considered ‘Music Listening’ as my major if it wasn’t an imaginary one.

Thanks for the tips and examples. It helped write the first few words of my essay…which is always the most difficult part.

Us too! You’re very welcome, and we’re glad our examples helped. Hope you have a great year, Ashvin!

I think you have a typo lol “My ultimate career goal is to us the power of biology to help other people,” I’m pretty sure “us” should be “use”

I still think this was very helpful though. 🙂

Oops! Great catch, Violet, and thanks for letting us know so we could fix it. We’re glad the information was helpful to you, typo notwithstanding!

Extremely helpful blog, especially provoking more thought into the ‘why’ and ‘so what’ aspects of choosing a particular area of study….thanks for posting these examples.

Thanks, Jahnavi; we’re so glad you found it helpful!

the guides were pretty helpful. Hope to be in UIUC next year 🙂

We’re glad that you found the info helpful, Syed, and we’re excited that you’re interested in UIUC! If you have any questions throughout the application process, don’t hesitate to contact us .

Those examples quite help me a lot. These days, I have been unable to get a handle on the essays of majors when applying for the ea of uiuc. After reading these examples, I feel I have found the inspiration. Thank you very much!

This was helpful! But for me personally, there wasn’t a singular event that led me to choose my major but rather multiple experiences over a long period of time. Is it acceptable to write about multiple experiences instead of just one?

Really appreciate the samples as they provide us with some foundation and expectation as to what information we should include within the short word limit!

That music listening major is reaaaaaaly inspiring, and DNA analysis one is helpful too, lol. Thanks a lot, I was surprised when I saw this, you college instruct us to answer!

We’re glad they helped, Kylin! Any questions as you work on your application, don’t hesitate to reach out .

Hi Allison! No, we don’t want a list of things that led to your interest in the major. Even if you’ve had multiple experiences over a long period of time, we’re looking for a more in-depth, detailed description of one of those experiences that helped draw you to that area of study. We hope this helps! Any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office .

Thanks Eshwar, we’re glad they help! And if you have any questions as you work on your application, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office .

We’re glad you found the examples helpful, Haoyu, thank you!

HI! Your examples are cool! I just wonder whether two questions shall better be related or not?

Thanks for the examples! I have a question: are you looking for experiences that explain why we decided to choose the area of study and major we chose, or is it more towards an experience that demonstrates the steps we’ve taken in our area of study? Both?

Hi Jeremy, and thanks for reaching out! Your major-specific responses help us understand why you’ve chosen that specific major and also allow us to ensure that the major will be a good foundation to achieving your goals after graduation. We hope this helps! If you have additional questions as you work, don’t hesitate to contact us directly .

Thanks, Haoyu! Your major-specific responses help us understand why you’ve chosen that specific major and also allow us to ensure that the major will be a good foundation to achieving your goals after graduation. We hope this helps! If you have more questions as you work, don’t hesitate to contact us directly .

Great examples!! I finally have an idea of what information to add in such a limited space 🙂

Thank you for the tips and examples.

Thanks, Prithvi! We’re so glad you found them helpful.

Hello, thanks for your nice and clear answers. I am using Common App (not myIllini) and I have 2 questions(I am EA applicant). The prompts #1 and #2 above are not in the Commpn App, and I see there are 2 other questions as shown below instead.

So my questions are: (1) to where and by when do we have to submit the essays for the 2 prompts above? (2) The following 2 questions look like optional but I want to write an essay for #1. I do not think I am relevant to #2 though (I have a good GPA and no drop record) so I am wondering if it is ok to enter briefly like: Not Available (for the #2 below)

2 UIUC Questions on Common App:

#1. Academic Challenges Explain any challenges (outside of COVID-related) you have faced throughout your academic career, including the dates or timeline below.

#2. If you have a low grade or a drop in grades that you have not already explained, do so below.

Thanks for reaching out, Tom! The academic challenges questions are optional. Once you click “Continue” on that page of the application, you’ll move to the academics section, where you’ll select your intended major and possible second choice. After that section, the two major-specific writing prompts will display for you to write your response. We hope this helps! If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact us directly .

Thank you so much for writing this blog. I was stuck on where to begin but these example essays made it very clear how to craft my essays and show my goals.

Hope I can be there at UIUC next year:)

Thank you for this information. I hope I get into UIUC next year!!

Thank you so much for this information! I feel a lot more prepared for writing my supplemental after this!

Thanks for the essay examples, it was extremely helpful. Looking forward to finishing my application 🙂

These examples are super helpful! Thank you so much.

I noticed that both of the academic challenge and grade drop explanation questions are optional. I don’t have a lot to fill out because I already used the Common App additional info sections for that.

If I leave these blank or shallow for UIUC, will it impact my application and admissions consideration at all? Or, is it truly just an area to express extra info if necessary?

Hi Ethan, yes, in not fully answering the major-specific questions, it could negatively impact your consideration. You’re welcome to use the same or similar information that you included in your Common App essay or additional information sections. We hope this helps. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact us directly .

Thanks for the example!

I think you have a couple of typos in your examples.

“share the benefits with other” I think it should be “others” instead.

“my main career goal is to bring more recognition to musics listeners” I think it should be “music” instead.

Indeed we did, so we’ve made some edits. Thank you for catching them, Pranav!

Thank you so much for the great examples! It really helps provide me with a solid start and understanding of how to approach essays! Much less daunting than expected!

This is really helpful .Thank you!

Thanks so much, Advaith; we’re glad the examples helped!

Thanks, Aayush; we’re so glad you found the examples helpful!

Thank you for these examples! My mind was scrambled while thinking of what to write!

I wanted to say that this blog and the comments are both very helpful. I was going to contact the admissions office regarding these questions (like how specific the responses they need to be, how many things we could talk about, etc.), but this blog cleared most of my doubts. Thank you for posting these examples!!

This was a very great helpful blog. I am a senior in high school and just submitting my apps and this gave me an idea of how to do the essays for UIUC Thanks so much.

Thank you! I have an idea of what it should sound like now. What would you suggest if I’ve already covered the information a question asks for in the personal statement?

Thank you so much for this guide, it made the writing process significantly easier!

Is the second prompt more of a “Why UIUC” prompt? As in, do we write details about why we want to attend UIUC or details about why we want to do CS?

Thanks so much for the examples, super helpful with starting off the supplemental essays!

These are some great examples and they helped me a lot with writing my own which was pretty intimidating at first! Y’all were also funny with the music listening major— I wish!!

HI Arnav! For the second prompt, it’s more about you and less bout UIUC; we’re more interested in what you want to do with a degree in CS. We hope this helps!

Hi Shrujana, we’re glad the examples helped! If you’ve already covered the information a question asks for within your personal statement, some options could be to provide a different experience in your major-specific answer, elaborate more fully in the personal statement, or choose a different question for your personal statement. Whatever makes the most sense to you and will give our admissions counselors the most helpful information!

Hi UIUC Admissions, I am planning on listing “undeclared” on my major because I am interested in a few different areas such as Business and Psychology. Can you provide an example for someone who is not sure what they want to major in?

Thanks for the suggestion, Melissa. Although we won’t be able to do this in time for this year, we’ll see what’s possible for future years!

you the goat fr

Hey UIUC, I am so thankful for this content put out! This got me through my drafting sessions and now I am ready to submit my application. Looking forward to become a fighting Illini next year :))

AHH you do amazing work UIUC admissions blog! Thank you!

Hahahaha. Very creative! I like the example of music learning as a major. This was very helpful and look forward to applying to UIUC🙂👍

Very helpful information thank you

Thanks a lot for this post. I’ve been having a bit of writer’s block to start these responses and this gave me a better idea on how to start!

Thank you! These examples were very helpful in writing my essays. I appreciate this resource a lot.

Hi UIUC Team, thank you for this very helpful blog post. I now have a better idea how to fit my response in 150 words! Do you have anything similar for 2nd choice major? I can’t wait to be at UIUC next year. Thank you.

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UIUC Supplemental Essays 2024-25 – Prompts and Advice

September 5, 2024

The University of Illinois — Urbana Champaign is one of the top public universities in the entire United States. Top-ranked computer science, engineering, and business programs, in particular, attract an endless stream of high-caliber applicants from around the globe. Great grades and test scores will put aspiring members of the Fighting Illini on strong footing. However, you are also required to address 2-3 UIUC supplemental essay prompts.

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

Let’s dive right in and begin examining the 2024-25 UIUC supplemental essays. Two important notes:

• You will be addressing 2-3 of these essays, depending on which category you fall into.
• Each response is a max of 150 words.

UIUC Supplemental Essays — If You’re Applying to a Major

1) explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. this can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else..

UIUC is not necessarily asking you to write about the in-class or extracurricular experience that led to you earning the most prestigious awards or holding the highest position of leadership. The university is going to see all of your accomplishments in the Honors and Activities sections of the Common App. As such, you want to ask yourself two main questions:

1) Which experience best illustrates my passion and commitment to my first choice major?

2) Which experience is closest to my heart and most representative of my 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 a classroom setting or in my extracurricular activities?” If you can identify one clear-cut moment, that is likely the activity worth sharing with the UIUC admissions staff.

2) Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them.

This prompt shares some of the same elements of a traditional “Why Us?” essay, but UIUC is particularly interested in hearing about why the curriculum in your desired academic department is attractive to you—not so much about your love for the football team or the beautiful campus. Below are some quick tips for writing an essay that will help your admissions cause:

• Cite specific academic programs , professors ,  research opportunities , internship/externship programs ,  study abroad programs ,  student-run organizations , etc.
• State why your chosen program is the perfect fit for you  and why you are the perfect fit for it.
• Offer insight into your future personal/academic/career goals. It’s okay if you’re not 100% sure what you want to do at age 25 (most teens are not). Feel free to speculate based on your current mindset and interests.

In summary, you’ll want to dedicate time to researching more about your prospective college/department and what makes it truly world-class. The more specific you can get here, the better your UIUC essays will be!

UIUC Supplemental Essays — If You’re Applying to the Undeclared Program in the Division of General Studies

1) what are your academic interests please include 2-3 majors you’re considering at illinois and why..

Your strengths will likely be evident from other data points (AP scores, classroom grades, SAT/ACT results, etc.). Therefore we recommend focusing the bulk of your response on your specific academic interests that relate to your major of choice.

Whether it’s a general love for math/science or literature or a specific interest in aerospace engineering or an obsession with 19th-century French novels, use this opportunity to share what makes you tick, the ideas that keep you up at night, and what subject inspires you to dream big. What topic makes you read books and online content until your eyes bleed? Share the manner in which you relentlessly pursue knowledge. Whether it’s falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the nature of time or consuming thousands of hours of podcasts on game theory, this is a chance to illustrate the ways in which you are an obsessive learner with an endless thirst for information. The admissions reader should emerge from reading this essay with the sense that you are a sincerely curious young person with a strong intellectual drive.

Finally, be sure to connect these interests to 2-3 majors at Illinois and support your reasoning with school-specific offerings and resources, like academic departments , courses , research initiatives , etc.

2) What are your future career or academic goals? You may include courses you took in high school and how these impacted your goals.

Note that this question is a bit different than the one asked of students with a firm first-choice major. We recommend providing a straightforward answer here. If you are Undeclared, you may not have a firm idea of your academic goals, but you can use your current academic interests (the ones explored in the question above) as well as past academic experiences to guide your answer. Similarly, your career intentions may be relatively unformed. Use this space to share academic/career areas that may be of interest. Don’t sweat it if your plans are still in a nascent stage. This is normal for a 17 or 18-year-old, and UIUC will understand.

UIUC Supplemental Essays — If You’ve Selected a Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared)

You have selected a second-choice major. please explain your interest in that major or your overall academic or career goals. (150 words).

See answer #1 for those selecting a major. You are essentially repeating this process for a different field. However, you probably don’t want to have two completely unrelated majors/career goals. For example, if your first choice was business and your second choice was economics, it’s easy to explain the relationship. If the fields are more disparate (e.g. Dance & Chemical Engineering), be sure to provide a thorough explanation.

How important are the essays at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign?

UIUC only labels two factors as being “very important” to the admissions process. Those factors are: the rigor of your high school coursework and your GPA. The essays are “important” to the application review. In fact, the essays are rated as being of equal importance to test scores, extracurricular activities, and talent/ability.

Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

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

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

• Common App Essay Prompts
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How to Write the UIUC Supplemental Essays 2024–2025

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The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is known for their diverse and academically rigorous academic programs . Every year, thousands of applicants seek to follow in the footsteps of UIUC alumni, including film critic Roger Ebert, writer Dan Savage, and scientist Temple Grandin. But completing your UIUC supplemental essays is easier said than done. Looking to better understand how to approach the UIUC prompts? Let’s dive in.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s 2024-2025 Prompts

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign asks for applicants to complete two or three essay questions depending on their choice of major (or lack thereof). Below, you can preview the two prompts for students who have selected a major, the two prompts for students entering undeclared, and the one additional prompt for students intending to double major (including with an undeclared second major). Each response should be approximately 150 words.

If You’re Applying to a Major :

• Explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else.
• Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them.

If You’re Applying to Our Undeclared Program in the Division of General Studies:

• What are your academic interests? Please include 2-3 majors you’re considering at Illinois and why.
• What are your future career or academic goals? You may include courses you took in high school and how these impacted your goals.

If You’ve Selected a Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared ):

• You have selected a second-choice major. Please explain your interest in that major or your overall academic or career goals.

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General Tips

Each of these prompts, no matter your choice of major or lack thereof, asks you to explore your academic interests and how those interests relate to your postgraduate goals. Even if you have a specific major or two in mind, your future career goals might be murky. That’s okay!

According to the National Center for Education Studies, about 30% of students change their major in college at least once. Far more students end up pursuing careers, plural, that they didn’t originally plan on. And according to the World Economic Forum, the jobs of future might look completely different than those we have today. To put it another way, your future career might not have been invented yet. For these reasons, you should feel comfortable keeping an open mind about your employment future and indicating that openness in your essay.

This is mind, you may have difficulty approaching these questions about your major and career. So let’s break it down. What are your academic interests , and, given these interests, what jobs would allow you to pursue those interests further? Determining these two simple pieces of information should help guide your essays.

UIUC Short Essay Questions: If You’re Applying to a Major

Explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. this can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. (150 words or fewer).

This prompts asks you to provide an example of the impact of your academic interests on your life. This example could be a single occasion when you witnessed the power of medicine and resolved to pursue a degree from UIUC’s College of Applied Health Sciences. If you’re a future English major, maybe there’s a book you want to write about that had a particularly significant impact on your perspective. Or perhaps you pursued your interest in social justice through a summer internship that led you to choose Political Science as your major.

Note a few key quantities in the prompt: you need to explain “ an experience in the past 3 to 4 years.” Based on this information, the admissions officers are likely seeking to hear about a singular high school experience that you have had. Don’t feel pressure to describe a life-changing moment. Keep your response specific and concise, and you’ll be golden.

Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. (150 words or fewer)

This prompt permits a broad response, encompassing personal and/or career goals. That said, you first need to narrow that response to goals related to your first-choice major. Then, you need to narrow those goals down to just your 1-3 most important goals.

In the event that you haven’t decided on a career path, even though you’ve picked your major, a few Google searches can help guide you in the right direction. What careers relate to your first-choice major? If there are many career paths associated with this major, then you may want to list a few options in your response that are most inviting to you. Regardless of what personal or career goals you choose to explore in this short essay, be specific (even if brief) as to why these are your goals and how your major will help you get closer to these goals.

Additional research into the specific opportunities offered by your first-choice major at UIUC can help you flesh out this essay. Perhaps UIUC’s Experimental Music Studios will set you up for your dream career as a film composer. Or perhaps the research division of UIUC’s Program of Actuarial and Risk Management Sciences particularly interests you. A specific response can effectively demonstrate your deep interest in the learning opportunities available to you at UIUC. Moreover, you will show the admissions officers that you are serious about achieving your goals through your UIUC education.

UIUC Short Essay Questions: If You’re Applying Undeclared

What are your academic interests please include 2-3 majors you’re considering at illinois and why. (150 words or fewer).

Even if you’re applying undeclared, you likely have more than one academic interest. Don’t hold back: interdisciplinary interests that don’t necessarily align with a certain major are totally fine to discuss. In fact, discussing the ways your academic interests overlap or have evolved may help your reader better understand why you are choosing to enter undeclared.

Students entering college undeclared tend to start from one of three places. One, they’re deciding between similar majors. Two, they’re deciding between completely unrelated majors. Three, they have zero clue what majors speak to them. Let’s discuss each of these situations briefly.

In situation one, you can just list those similar majors in this essay and discuss the interests that underpin them. Consider the following questions: Why are these your interests? What skills would you like to gain by studying these topics? What specific programs at UIUC will support these interests?

In situation two, you can list your top two or three majors and (concisely and precisely) explain your interest in them. Consider the same questions posed in the last paragraph. However, keep your responses brief so that you have space to address the very different fields that engage you. Alternatively, you can focus on the interdisciplinary overlaps between your diverse interests.

In situation three, you may want to take the time to do a bit more research and soul-searching for tackling this question. Remember, you don’t have to eventually choose the majors you list in this essay! If you get stuck, look up UIUC’s list of majors and start crossing out all of the majors that don’t interest you. Keep narrowing it down as much as you can! Take comfort that you’re not really closing those doors yet.

What are your future career or academic goals? You may include courses you took in high school and how these impacted your goals. (150 words or fewer)

This prompt asks you to explore your goals for the future. If you look at your upcoming college experience, you may have some specific goals already. For instance, maybe you’re set on taking a computer science course, despite hoping to major in the arts. In this essay, you can explore why that is one of your goals. If you wish, you can move on to describing how that goal could impact your future career.

This question doesn’t require you to connect your career goals to your potential choice(s) of major. Therefore, you could describe an academic goal that isn’t related to your course of studies. Maybe it’s important to you to take philosophy courses to learn more about ethical questions and develop your opinions. Explain the motivation behind your academic goal(s) to the reader in this essay, and you’ll have a compelling narrative.

That said, if you choose to focus on career goals, those goals should be at least somewhat connected to whatever you’re considering majoring in. Otherwise, you risk giving the impression that you have not thought deeply about the purpose of your college education and its impact on your life. The connection does not need to be obvious or direct, though. This is especially true if you’re planning to work in an interdisciplinary, dynamic field. As long as you identify that connection in your essay, you’ll be fine.

UIUC Short Essay Questions: If You’ve Selected a Second Major (Including Undeclared)

You have selected a second-choice major. please explain your interest in that major or your overall academic or career goals. (150 words or fewer).

This extra essay response is applicable to applicants who wish to double-major. This is even if you are undecided about your second major. For instance, you might be certain about your intended degree in the Department of Economics , but you’re hoping to simultaneously pursue your passion for the arts while in college. Knowing exactly which arts degree you’d like to pursue isn’t necessary for selecting the second major option on your application. Regardless, just knowing that you would like to pursue two majors isn’t sufficiently detailed. In most cases, students will need to at least gesture toward their area of interest for the second major.

That said, this essay question gives you space to provide the color about that second major, no matter what it is. How does it fit with your first-choice major? Most importantly, how do those majors work in conjunction to bring you closer to your goals? Showing the admissions officers that you have thought deeply about these questions will give them the confidence that you are academically capable of pursuing a double major. So do your best to bring specificity, clarity, and depth to this essay and show UIUC that you’re ready!

If you need help polishing up your UIUC 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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Writing Prompts for First-Year Applicants

Following are our writing prompts for first-year students applying for fall 2025 admission. Writing prompts for fall 2024 will be announced in August.

Major-Specific Prompts

You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program , and if you've selected a second choice . Each response should be approximately 150 words . If you're applying through Common App, you'll find our major-specific writing prompts in the "Writing" tab of our supplemental questions after adding us as one of your colleges.

If You're Applying to a Major :

• Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you've taken, or through something else.
• Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from Illinois and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them.

If You're Applying to Our Undeclared Program in the Division of Exploratory Studies:

• What are your academic interests? Please include 2-3 majors you're considering at Illinois and why.
• What are your future career or academic goals? You may include courses you took in high school and how these impacted your goals.

If You've Selected a Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared ):

• Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals.

Essay Prompts

You'll also answer one essay prompt as part of your application. Prompts are the same whether you apply through myIllini or the Common App. Select and answer the prompt of your choice from the full list found on the Common App website . Your essay response can be anywhere from 250 to 650 words total.

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How to Write the UIUC Essays 2022-2023

Located in the vast cornfields of east-central Illinois, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is widely renowned as one of the country’s most influential public research universities. In fact, it has ranked first in National Science Foundation award funding for six consecutive years.

Many sources consider UIUC one of the top 50 universities in the world, and some have even ranked its engineering school in the top five worldwide.

Boasting over 24 million items in its library collection, it’s no secret that UIUC is an intellectual powerhouse. On top of that, it’s also a haven for sports lovers. UIUC was one of the founding members of the Big Ten Conference, a tradition that has remained strong, as evidenced by its 21 NCAA teams.

We at CollegeVine are here to give you numerous tips on how to tackle your UIUC essays! Want to know your chances at UIUC? Calculate your chances for free right now.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Supplemental Essay Prompts

All major applicants.

Prompt 1: If you’re applying to a major: Explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. (150 words)

Prompt 2: If you’re applying to a major: Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. (150 words)

All Undeclared Program Applicants

Prompt 1: If you’re applying to Our Undeclared Program: What are your academic interests and strengths? You may also include any majors you are considering. (150 words)

Prompt 2: If you’re applying to Our Undeclared Program: What are your future academic or career goals? (150 words)

All Applicants With Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared)

If you’ve selected a second-choice major (including undeclared): please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals. (150 words), all major applicants, prompt 1 , explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. this can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. (150 words).

At first glance, this prompt seems pretty straightforward, and there isn’t much space for extraneous storytelling. 

However, what gives this prompt its difficulty is the necessity of going above and beyond. Not only do you need to identify the experiences that shaped your interest in your selected major, but you need to provide deeper reflections as to why those experiences impacted you in the way they did. 

For that reason, it’s not enough to simply list the experiences that led you to your chosen major. For example, you shouldn’t just say, “I first discovered my passion for film in English class, when I had to write a take home essay about the movie adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray . I furthered my interest in film by making my own home documentary alongside a couple friends. I also started volunteering at a local arthouse cinema to understand a more commercial perspective on film…”

Rather, it’s better to go deeper with a given example and provide insights into what motivates your passions. Instead of simply listing experiences related to film, you might instead say, “My English teacher assigned our class a take-home essay, where we analyzed the movie adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray . Looking at the movie through a closer lens gave me a deeper appreciation for the small decisions directors make and the big impacts they can have…” 

The admissions readers at UIUC want to see that you have the necessary experiences under your belt to thrive in your chosen course of study, and they also want to see that you will be passionate and motivated while doing so! Make sure to show them both your experiences and your deeper insights about those experiences, and you’ll have a strong essay on your hands. 

All Major Applicants, Prompt 2 

Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from uiuc and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. (150 words).

The trick to this prompt is making sure you convey a clear personal or career goal, while also relating your intended course of study to that goal. 

Thus, you should acknowledge the following main points while answering this prompt: 

• What are your future personal or career goals? 
• How will your chosen major help contribute towards those goals? 

Let’s address each of these points separately. 

1. What are your future personal and/or career goals?

The prompt plainly states that your response needs to identify your future personal or career goals. If you have a clear idea of what your goals are, that will make this part easy. In that situation, you would have presumably chosen a course of study that will serve as a stepping stone towards your longer-term ambitions. 

On the other hand, UIUC knows that your interests will change over the next four years, and that nothing is set in stone. If you’re uncertain about your career goals, it’s also okay to identify a few possible career paths that interest you. Another option is to discuss the type of work you wish to do (e.g. helping deliver aid to marginalized communities) as opposed to the specific career title.

Keep in mind that UIUC gives you the option of specifying your personal goals as well, and not just your career goals. This is a wording change from the 2021-2022 cycle, so it’s certainly intentional. Your personal goals should still be related to your major, but don’t have to be as career-focused. For instance, some solid personal goals to mention would be things like becoming a stronger public speaker, learning to program in a certain coding language, doing research on a specific topic, or writing a novel. 

As long as you can make a compelling case as to how your chosen major relates to your future ambitions, you will be in good shape for this essay. 

2. How will your chosen major help contribute towards those goals?

Once you have identified your personal or career goals, you also need to indicate what aspects of your chosen course of study will help you achieve those goals. 

This will mean both speaking about your major in broad terms, as well as identifying some features of UIUC’s course of study that serve you particularly well. This is not a “why UIUC” essay, so showing depth of research is not the top priority, but it will strengthen your response nonetheless. 

While this essay does not require personal reflections in the way that many other college essays do, it is still important for your voice to come through in deeper analyses that show you understand the significance of your major-goal combination at a deeper level. 

To accomplish this, make sure you are always stating why a particular aspect of your intended major serves your goals. For instance, it is not enough to say, “I hope to be a lawyer for the United Nations, so I want to take the course Governing Globalizations.” You might instead write, “Courses such as Governing Globalizations, which explore the historical, moral, socio-economic, and political dimensions of an emerging global society, will provide me with the interdisciplinary background to thrive as an international lawyer.” 

All Undeclared Program Applicants, Prompt 1

If you’re applying to our undeclared program: what are your academic interests and strengths you may also include any majors you are considering. (150 words).

This prompt is similar to the one above about how your past experiences relate to your intended major; it’s just a more open-ended version.  However, you still want to ground your interest in specific examples or experiences, rather than talking about your interests in a broad way (anyone can do that, so you want to connect it to who you are). It’s also best to limit your selection to 2-3 interests/strengths, as you only have 150 words. Otherwise, you may appear too unfocused.

For example, say you’re interested in creative writing and political science. You might share how you wrote a collection of short poems based on your family’s immigration experience, and how you found it a great way to reflect on those experiences. You may describe how fulfilling it was when the poems were published in a local magazine and strangers reached out to tell you how much they resonated with them. For political science, you have just started exploring the field after taking AP Government, and may be interested in immigration policy, but are trying to decide between that and your more creative endeavors.

One distinction here is that you do not necessarily have to discuss a potential major at all , if you don’t want to. You can simply focus on some of the topics you’re interested in or have a talent for. On the other hand, if you do want to allude to potential majors, that will also work just fine.

It’s okay to talk about the reasons you’re undecided (and you should), but make sure to avoid self-deprecating language that might indicate that being undecided is a weakness. For instance, don’t say, “I want to major in math, but [insert self-doubt].” Instead, it will be better to frame things positively, where you talk about the things you love about your potential subjects. 

All Undeclared Program Applicants, Prompt 2 

If you’re applying to our undeclared program: what are your future academic or career goals (150 words).

As above, this prompt shares some similarity with the corresponding prompt for applicants who have decided on a major. However, rather than relating your chosen major to your intended career, this prompt gives you even more liberty. You can discuss your future academic or career goals, and furthermore, you don’t have to relate your course of study to your intended career if you don’t wish to do so. 

Regarding career goals, much of the same advice applies. If you know you want to be a computational social scientist, but you don’t know which degree will best help you get there, that’s perfectly fine. You can just discuss the joys of gaining social insights from large-scale network and content analysis. In general, feel free to simply discuss what jobs or careers you hope to one day pursue, and make sure your passion shines through. 

On the other hand, if you are unsure of your specific career path, you can speak about the type of work you hope to do. For instance, “Although I do not yet know my specific career path, I am certain it will be somewhere in the realm of environmental justice. I am excited by the prospects of participating in food justice programs at urban farms, as well as lobbying for public land preservation alike. I hope to ground myself in further environmental justice experiences by…” 

Similarly, maybe you know you wish to pursue a certain academic opportunity, although you do not yet know where it will lead you. It is okay to talk about opportunities at UIUC and postgraduate alike. For instance, maybe you really want to be a Fulbright scholar one day. Tell the admissions readers all about it! 

This prompt might be difficult for you because it is so open-ended. One piece of advice that might help is to simply ground it in yourself, your own narrative, and your own value system. Although this essay does not center a personal narrative in the way your Common App essay will, relating your future plans with your core values is helpful both because it gives the essay cohesion, and because it shows you are introspective. Strong personal reflections are great for demonstrating maturity and self-awareness. 

All Applicants With Second Choice Major (Including Undeclared)

This prompt is similar to the previous one about your first-choice major, so you should approach it in largely the same manner. The only nuance is that you don’t necessarily have to relate your second-choice major to any personal or career goals, if you don’t want to (though it’s always helpful to!). 

It’s still important to ground this essay in meaningful experiences with this field. Since the essay asks about your interest in this major, it can be easy to simply write all the reasons you love the major without actually sharing more about who you are. You want to avoid that! For example, anyone could write an essay about why environmental science is so great and important, but only you can discuss how the river in your hometown was polluted by a garment factory, or how fulfilling it was to teach kids at the elementary school how to compost. 

After explaining your interest, make sure to share how this second-choice major relates to your future goals. Since it’s a second-choice major, you may not have as concrete of an answer, and that’s okay, but UIUC still wants to know how you might make an impact with this major should you study it. For the hypothetical student interested in environmental science, they may want to work in environmental policy to prevent pollution, or become a teacher so that the younger generation learns to love and care for the earth.

Where to Get Your University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Essays Edited 

Do you want feedback on your UIUC 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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4 Tips for Writing a Great UIUC Essay

College Info , College Essays

Thinking of attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign? Then you've come to the right place. For this highly-ranked public school, you'll need to submit a personal statement with your application. But what should you include in your UIUC essay to make you stand out?

Read on to learn what the current UIUC essay prompt is and how to write a great UIUC essay. We also show you a real UIUC essay example to give you an idea of what a great statement looks like.

Feature Image: Adam Jones /Flickr

What Is the UIUC Essay?

All applicants must answer two to three UIUC prompts and one Common Application prompt as part of their application for admission.

Your UIUC prompt will change based on whether you 1) are applying to a major, 2) are applying to UIUC's Undeclared Program, or 3) have selected a second-choice major (including Undeclared). Each response should be about 150 words. 

Here are this year's UIUC prompts:

If you're applying to a major:

• Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else.

Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them.

If you're applying to UIUC's Undeclared Program:

• What are your academic interests and strengths? You may also include any majors you are considering.
• What are your future academic or career goals?

If you've selected a second-choice major (including Undeclared): 

• Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals.

Students are also required to select one Common application essay prompt from a range of choices and write a response. 

You can view the full list of Coalition application essay prompts here and all of the Common Application essay prompts here. 

How to Write the UIUC Essay: Topics and Tips

The University of Illinois essay is an important part of your application since it's the only personal essay you'll write for the school. This makes it the only area on the UIUC application in which you can show off your personality, academic passion, and storytelling skills.

The overall point of this statement is for UIUC to learn more about you as a person and what qualities you'll bring to the school if you enroll.

In addition, UIUC has a YouTube series on admissions counseling that includes some useful videos with tips on how you can write an effective UIUC essay:

Now that you have a general sense of what UIUC will be looking for in your application essay, let’s break down each UIUC application essay prompt one by one. 

Myllini Major-Specific Prompt #1

Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you've taken, or through something else.

Here's your chance to show your passion for your first-choice major! You have a lot of leeway here: maybe you took a class that lit a fire inside you, maybe you joined a club related to the subject, or maybe you participated in a related activity. Be careful, though. You only have 150 words, and UIUC is asking for an experience related to your major, not why you selected it in the first place. This is a time for you to show that you're already taking steps toward engaging with your chosen major!

Choose a story that is meaningful to you, and remember to be as detailed as you can within the constraints. Show the UIUC admissions counselors that you care about your chosen major, and you're already engaging with it.

Myllini Major-Specific Prompt #2

Unlike the first essay, which asks you about your past experience, this is where you get to dream big and show UIUC what you want to do with your degree. Remember to write this as if you've already been accepted to UIUC—they want to know how you'll represent them in the world! You only have 150 words, but you can do a lot in that space. If, for example, you want to be an aerospace engineer, you should check out UIUC's Aerospace Engineering website and connect their specific courses, professors, and extracurriculars to your post-degree goals. Maybe you want to work for NASA, and the UIUC robotics team will aid you in successfully applying. Be as specific as you can! And show UIUC that they are the best school for you to achieve your goals.

Myllini Undeclared Prompt #1

What are your academic interests and strengths? You may also include any majors you are considering. Much like the Major-Specific Prompt #1, this prompt asks you to share what you're passionate about, and where you excel academically. Be specific! Rather than saying "I've always been good at English and I like it," go into detail: perhaps you won an essay contest, or your op-ed was featured in the school paper. Maybe writing poetry is the best way you can connect your outer and inner worlds. If you have a few majors in mind, definitely mention them here! It's always good to show that you have a specific plan for your college career , even if you're not 100% sure what you want to major in yet. 

Myllini Undeclared Prompt #2

What are your future academic or career goals? This question mirrors Major-Specific Prompt #2, and asks you to talk about your ideal future. Maybe you know you want to get a graduate degree in sociology, or you're certain that you want to spend a few years with the Peace Corps before working with the U.S. Department of State. The key here is to remember that undeclared doesn't mean unplanned. Many students have specific career goals, but they see multiple paths to achieve them. This is your chance to show the future self you want to be, and how UIUC will get you to your goal.

Myllini Second-Choice Major Prompt #1

Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals. You'll only need to answer this question if you've applied to a second-choice major! This prompt should look pretty familiar: you can choose to answer either the Major-Specific Prompt #1 or the Major-Specific Prompt #2. The trick here is to show that your second-choice major is deliberate and useful for your future goals. You're not just picking a second-choice major because you really, really want to get into UIUC in any way, shape, or form. If you have a secondary interest that's almost as strong as your first-choice major, consider answering the first prompt. If you have a very strong career goal that multiple majors could feed into, consider answering the second.

Whichever choice you make, remember to clearly state why UIUC is the best schoo l for your major or career path!

A Real UIUC Essay Example + Analysis

To help give you a better idea of what your own UIUC essay could look like, here is one real UIUC essay example we found online, written by an admitted student.

Keep in mind that this essay was written for an old prompt that's no longer on the MyIllini application. However, this essay is still a great example of how college counselors want to see students talk about their interests and passions. 

Here is the prompt:

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? (250 to 650 words)

And here is the essay:

The chicken, or the egg? The hours I’ve spent pondering this question are countless. People frequently debate the seemingly simple idea of which came first. To me, it is more than just a question, but an example of how human beings think. The question of “Which came first?” captivates me because it is a question without an answer. It has been asked for centuries and no progress has been made, but it still continues to be brought up. I think this is because humans prefer clear-cut answers. Like in any kind of competition, ending with a tie between teams or individuals isn’t a satisfying conclusion. People would rather the competition continue for extra time than admit there’s no real winner, or in this case, no real answer. So even though it’s obvious there will be no agreement, the debate over chickens and eggs continues. When people label something a “chicken-egg” situation, it means there is no way to establish the order of cause and effect, again leaving a feeling of uncertainty. But human nature is to seek an answer. The chicken-egg question shows humanity’s inability to accept unfinished business, and this fascinates me most. People want closure in all aspects of life, and big questions like this are no exception. I think the question “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is so interesting because people will always try to answer it knowing they will never find a solution. It shows that humans desire understanding above all else. When I want to learn more about this concept, I turn to my grandfather. He doesn’t have a degree in philosophy or psychology, yet he’s a reliable source on almost any subject given his extensive years spent at the University of Life. With so many experiences under his belt, he understands unanswerable questions much better than I do. “The only truth is uncertainty,” he tells me when I once again dive deep into the possibility of eggs without chickens or chickens without eggs. In his words, the most beautiful parts of life are the questions we can’t answer but spend out whole life trying to. My own desire for answers keeps me thinking about this question for hours on end. I think there’s good points to grandpa’s perspective, but as an eighteen-year-old entering college, I don’t know if I can accept that the only answer is no answer just yet. Until I can, I’ll gather my own evidence and continue to spend my days wondering whether Aristotle was eating chicken and waffles or omelettes for breakfast.

What Makes This UIUC Essay Work?

• It’s got a great hook. The applicant starts the essay with a familiar philosophical question: “The chicken, or the egg?”. This pulls the admissions committee into the essay by making them ponder the question too. The applicant then analyzes the question and provides their own unique interpretation of what it’s really getting at. As the applicant says at the end of the first paragraph, “To me, it’s more than just a question, but an example of how human beings think.” By stating their unique take on the chicken vs egg dilemma, the applicant shows the admissions committee that they can interpret complex ideas and analyze tough questions. These are qualities that UIUC wants their incoming class of students to have!
• It’s clear, focused, and easy to follow: A topic like this one could easily go off the rails, but the applicant keeps the essay focused by responding to exactly what the prompt is asking in the correct order. The first paragraph states the idea that the applicant finds engaging. The next two paragraphs explain why the applicant finds this idea “captivating” and connects their engagement with the idea to deeper meanings about human nature, which also demonstrates why this topic causes the applicant to “lose all track of time.” The fourth paragraph states who the applicant turns to when they want to learn more about this question, and explains what they have gained from exploring this question with their grandpa. The applicant wraps up the essay with a conclusion that describes how their approach to the chicken vs egg question relates to the kind of student they will be at UIUC. The clear structure, clean prose, and adept analysis all make this essay easy to understand and exciting to read

How Could This UIUC Essay Be Even Better?

• It could be more specific about why the idea is captivating: Although this UIUC essay is well written and tightly focused, it isn't super specific about why the applicant personally relates to the question about the chicken and the egg. The applicant does a great job explaining what they feel this debate reveals about human nature, but doesn’t say much about why that debate is meaningful to them.
• It could have a stronger conclusion : Although the applicant makes a great attempt at tying their essay response into why they will be a great fit for UIUC, the conclusion could do a bit more to show how this is the case. Reframing the last paragraph so it explains how the applicant’s approach to uncertainty makes them the perfect UIUC candidate could make this essay even stronger.

3 Essential Tips for Writing a Great UIUC Essay

To wrap up, here are four essential tips to keep in mind as you write your U of I application essay.

#1: Don't Just List Your Accomplishments

At first glance, some of the UIUC essay prompts may seem like an invitation to list all of your amazing accomplishments. But none of these prompts actually want you to do that! Instead, you need to use expertly crafted stories to convey everything you have to offer as an applicant to UIUC.

The point of the UIUC essay is to give the admissions committee more detailed and personal commentary on why you've chosen their school and why you would be a great addition to their student community. Leave the list of accomplishments for your resume. Telling a genuine story is the best way to show how your life experiences have shaped you into the perfect candidate for admission to UIUC.

#2: Highlight Your Passion

While the essay prompts all have a different focus, the main goal of each one is to draw out what you’re passionate about and why. With each prompt, what you're really trying to do is demonstrate your passion to the UIUC admissions committee.

In other words, what motivates you to learn? What drives you more than anything else? And why are you so enthusiastic about bringing your ideas, experiences, and character to UIUC?

By highlighting your passions and interests, you're also showing the UIUC admissions committee who you are and what's important to you, both academically and more broadly.

To really make your passion stand out in your University of Illinois essay, take the following steps:

• Be as specific as possible —give us real names and use visceral descriptions to make us feel as though we're there experiencing and feeling everything with you
• Be honest —the admissions committee wants to get to know the real you, and it can only do this if you're writing in an authentic voice that's true to who you are

#3: Polish and Proofread

My final tip is to give yourself plenty of time to polish and proofread your UIUC essay.

In your rough draft, keep an eye out for obvious typos and technical mistakes, such as errors in punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Also, look for any areas that are awkward, incomplete, out of place, or unclear.

Once you've edited your essay on your own, give it to someone else to read, such as a parent, teacher, or tutor. Ask them to make technical corrections as needed and to offer you advice on what you might be able to improve in terms of story, cogency, and overall effectiveness.

What's Next?

Applying to other colleges in the midwest? Check out our expert guides to how to write the UChicago essays , the Notre Dame essays , and the Michigan State essay .

If you're using the Common App to submit your college applications, you'll need to figure out which essay prompt is the best one for you .

Learn more about how to get into the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by visiting our UIUC admission requirements page .

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Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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