college essay prompts 2022 applytexas

Apply Texas Essays 2022‒2023

Apply texas essays 2023.

If you live in Texas or plan on applying to schools there, it’s likely that you’ve heard of the Apply Texas portal . At Texas schools, the Apply Texas essays are an important part of the application process. In fact, the Apply Texas essays are the best way to let your personality, experiences, and interests impress admissions teams. 

In many ways, Apply Texas—including the Apply Texas essays—resembles the Common Application. So, you can likely repurpose plenty of information from the Common Application as you complete the Apply Texas application. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to tackle each of the Apply Texas essays. We’ll discuss:

• General information about the Apply Texas portal 
• How to respond to each of the Apply Texas essay prompts
• Different Texas college requirements
• The importance of the Apply Texas essays
• More useful essay resources from CollegeAdvisor

Now, let’s start our deep dive into the Apply Texas essays. But first, let’s talk about the Apply Texas application more broadly. 

What is Apply Texas?

Apply Texas is a college application portal where students can apply to higher education institutes in Texas. The portal was created in order to allow students to fill out one application for all Texas schools. Students will create an Apply Texas login in order to access their applications. 

However, while many of the best colleges in Texas require an Apply Texas login to complete their application, some don’t. So, make sure to check the application requirements for every school. 

Apply Texas essay vs. the Common Application essay

You may be wondering, what’s the difference between the Apply Texas essay and the Common Application essay? Well, logically, Apply Texas can only be used to apply to schools in the state of Texas. However, some Texas schools may also accept applications through the Common Application or Coalition Application. If that’s the case, then you can decide which portal to use. 

Overall, the Apply Texas essay format is similar to the Common Application essay format. This means that many of the tools you’ve used for your Common Application essay will help you complete your Apply Texas essays. You can also look at Common App essay examples to help you write the Apply Texas essays. 

Understanding the Apply Texas essay requirements

Different schools will have different requirements when it comes to the Apply Texas essay prompts. Some schools may not even require an essay at all. 

For example, Texas State University applicants will complete their applications using the Apply Texas login. While Texas State only lists their essay as “highly recommended,” you should still complete it. You can also check out some Apply Texas essays examples to bolster your application. 

The Apply Texas application also has its own unique Apply Texas essay prompts, which differ from the prompts on the Common App. So, while you might be able to repurpose your Common App essay for one of the Apply Texas essay prompts, you should think carefully about your choice of topic. 

What schools use Apply Texas?

Many two- and four-year universities in Texas use Apply Texas. This includes the majority of public universities as well as some private colleges. 

However, you should always double-check each school’s admissions site to see which application portal you should use. Each school’s requirements will vary. 

You can use Apply Texas to apply to some of the best colleges in Texas , including UT Austin and Texas A&M University. However, Rice University—the top college in Texas, according to U.S. News—does not use Apply Texas. 

Understanding the Apply Texas essay format

If you’re planning to apply to multiple Texas schools, you should create an Apply Texas login. However, all schools’ requirements will be different. This means the Apply Texas essay format could slightly vary.

While you’ll find one Apply Texas essay word limit on the application itself, different schools will recommend different word counts. You may also not complete all of the Apply Texas essays for every school.

So, top Texas universities such as the University of Houston , Texas Tech , and TCU will have slightly different requirements, even though you’ll use the same Apply Texas login to access their applications. Use our College Search Feature below to learn more about each school’s unique features!

What are the Apply Texas essays?

Next, let’s check out the Apply Texas essays. 

There are three Apply Texas essay prompts. You’ll complete different Apply Texas essays depending on which schools you apply to. For example, some schools may require that students respond to the Apply Texas essay A, while others may let you choose your prompt.  

Below, we’ve provided a chart with each of the Apply Texas essay prompts. 

Applicants should also note that Apply Texas word limits will vary by school. In this chart, we’ve provided the word limit suggested by the portal itself. However, you should adapt your word count to each university’s requirements. 

Remember to consider school supplements 

Additionally, note that some universities will require other short essays as well as one of the Apply Texas essay prompts. 

For example, the UT Austin application will differ from the Baylor application even though both will use an Apply Texas login. Likewise, the UT Austin application requirements aren’t exactly the same as the UT Dallas application requirements. So, always be sure to double-check the admissions sites for school specifics. 

Before tackling your Apply Texas essays, try to read some Apply Texas essays examples. This will give you an idea of the different ways to approach the essay. The Apply Texas essay format can vary, so looking at Apply Texas essays examples can help you think outside of the box. 

How long should Apply Texas essays be?

As you tackle the Apply Texas essays, you should keep the word count in mind. According to the Apply Texas application portal, you have 800 words for each of your essays. 

However, when it comes to the word limit, you’ll want to see what each university requires or recommends. Every school’s requirements will be different. 

Let’s check out a couple of schools in Texas and compare their approach to their Apply Texas essay word limit. 

The University of Texas Austin requires its applicants to respond to Apply Texas Essay A if using the Apply Texas application. Their word limit is 500-700. Additionally, students will complete three required short answer essays with word limits of 250-300 words. They can also choose to complete a fourth optional essay (also 250-300 words). 

Alternatively, Texas Tech does not require applicants to complete an essay. However, the essay is “highly recommended.” So, as usual, consider this optional essay a requirement. If using the Apply Texas application, Texas Tech gives students the option to respond to Apply Texas Essay A or B. They have placed a 500-word limit on this essay. Check out some tips from Texas Tech admissions to write your Apply Texas essays. 

Texas Christian University

The TCU admissions office requires applicants to complete one essay. However, which of the Apply Texas essays students write is up to them. The word limit is 300-500 words, so you’ll need to impress TCU admissions with a concise, authentic, and passionate essay. 

As you begin your Apply Texas essays, check out Common App essay examples and Apply Texas essays examples to help you prepare.

Apply Texas Essay A

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

The Apply Texas Essay A seems to be the overwhelming favorite among universities using the Apply Texas essays. This prompt asks students to “tell us your story.” Simple enough, right? 

Of course, a prompt this broad can feel overwhelming. However, it’s a great opportunity to show admissions who you are. This is your chance to really make your application stand out by sharing something that you haven’t yet revealed (or expanded upon) in other parts of your Apply Texas application. 

This prompt is quite similar to one of the Common Application prompts. So, if you want some inspiration, you can check out Common App essay examples. 

Which Texas colleges require it?

Surprisingly, many universities in Texas do not require applicants to submit an essay. However, if a school includes an “optional” essay requirement, you should still submit one. The Apply Texas essays are a great way to stand out and enrich your application narrative. 

That being said, some universities in Texas do require applicants to submit Apply Texas Essay A. For instance, Texas A&M requires applicants to respond to Apply Texas Essay A. And, as we mentioned, the UT Austin application also requires Apply Texas Essay A.  

Remember, while going through the Apply Texas application, double-check the essay requirements. They will vary depending on each school. 

How to write Apply Texas Essay A

Like many college essays, Apply Texas Essay A asks you to share experiences that have made you who you are. Whether you have a million ideas or are drawing a complete blank, don’t worry. We’re here to help.

Let’s check out the best way to respond to Apply Texas Essay A.

You could probably tell many stories. Apply Texas Essay A asks you to share just one. This leaves a lot of room for interpretation. 

So, think about significant moments in your life. It could be easier to focus on the last few years, as you’ve probably grown a lot throughout high school. 

Make a list of moments that have changed or shaped you as a person. No moment is too small to include. As long as it shows some growth—and you can write authentically and passionately about it—then it’s a good topic. 

Answer the prompt completely

Now, the prompt mentions an opportunity or challenge. Don’t blatantly point out this in your draft by stating “this was a huge challenge/opportunity.” Most likely, if you’ve chosen a story that shows your personal growth, then it’s probably an opportunity or challenge. And, if you tell your story well, this will come through. 

You will need to clearly show how that moment that you’re sharing has shaped who you are today. For example, let’s say that you want to discuss the day you went to your first protest. From that moment forward you’ve been passionate about activism. That clearly shows how pivotal this moment was in your life. Maybe it’s even shaped what you’d like to study or your future career. 

Remember to research your school, too. Well-written Apply Texas essays will be specific to each individual school. For example, if writing an essay for Southern Methodist University , check out their specific programs and offerings. Even though this isn’t a “why school” essay, you can still link your interests and growth to the school.

Write passionately

This isn’t the time to write vague statements that could apply to any high school student. Your story should be unique to you. Make sure to choose your topic wisely to highlight your passion and authenticity. 

Don’t be afraid to get creative. Set the scene. Remember that it’s much more impactful to show rather than tell when writing. If we continue with our protest example, you might open your essay by describing the atmosphere using descriptive language that puts the reader right there with you. Then, you can reflect back on how this moment has affected you to date. 

Apply Texas Essays – Topic B

While a few schools require applicants to answer the Apply Texas essay A, some may ask you to choose which essay to respond to. Let’s review the second of the Apply Texas essay prompts:

Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.

Again, the goal of this prompt, like all of the Apply Texas essays, is to let you show each school what makes you unique. You should also aim to relate it back to your aspirations. For example, how does who you are shape what you want in your future?

Approaching Apply Texas Essay B

Topic B asks you to explore a part of your identity. Is there something you can point out that shows your values, character, and personality?

For example, maybe you’ve been dancing ballet since you started walking. Maybe it’s become a form of meditation or a way for you to express yourself. Perhaps it’s taught you discipline. It doesn’t matter how it’s shaped you (although it should be in a positive way)—you just need to show how it has impacted you. 

If you decide to focus on an “identity” instead of an “interest,” then you’ve got even more options to choose from. You can choose to highlight your background, experiences, family, values, or other key features. 

Overall, your topic should be unique to you. And, again, don’t be afraid to get creative in writing this essay. Your Apply Texas essays shouldn’t read like a resume; they should be engaging while still answering the prompt. 

Apply Texas Essay Prompts – Topic C

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a university that requires students to respond to the last of the Apply Texas essays. However, you may be given the option of which Apply Texas essay prompts you’d like to respond to. So, let’s check out Essay C.

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

You may notice that this essay seems quite different from the other Apply Texas essays—it gives you a lot more freedom. So, you can really dive into the creativity of this topic. However, remember to not get too carried away and forget that, in the end, you’re still writing a college essay. The main goal, like the other Apply Texas essay prompts, is to show who you are as a person and an applicant. 

Crafting a response to Essay C

For Essay C, your process doesn’t have to be wildly different than it was for the other Apply Texas essay prompts. First, decide what you’ll write about. Start by brainstorming options if nothing comes to mind right away. 

Maybe you have a topic in mind immediately. That’s great! If you can write passionately about your ticket destination and activity, then that’s the topic for you.

Once again, get creative. You could go to a magical land, back in time, outer space, or to a remote island. The ticket and the destination don’t matter—it’s what they show about who you are. 

Most importantly, make sure to tie in your career goals or future aspirations. How will this trip impact you and your future? What experience will you have that will shape you?

Exploring Texas college’s essay requirements

When it comes to factors such as the Apply Texas essay word limit or Apply Texas essay prompts, requirements will vary by school. While the general Apply Texas application will be the same, the Apply Texas essay format will be different. Namely, each school will request different Apply Texas essay prompts. 

Let’s look at some of the essay requirements for the best colleges in Texas:

As you can see, while the Apply Texas application is uniform, the essay requirements vary greatly by school. For instance, you’ll see the Apply Texas essays for the Baylor application vs the University of Houston application are not the same. So, always double-check with your university’s admissions sites for all requirements. 

And, don’t forget, when it comes to “optional” essays, treat them as though they are required. While Texas A&M admissions requires an essay, Texas Tech does not. However, strong essays will impress both Texas Tech and Texas A&M admissions. After all, Apply Texas essays are the best way for schools to get to know you better. 

How important are the Apply Texas essays?

When it comes to the admissions process, the Apply Texas essays are extremely important. In general, college essays let applicants share a part of their personality that they haven’t highlighted elsewhere in their application. 

Additionally, most schools use a holistic admissions approach when evaluating students. That means that they review all parts of the application: GPA, essays, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and more. In fact, with more schools going test-optional, essays are an even more significant piece of your application puzzle. 

All to say: strong Apply Texas essays can make a huge difference. So, give yourself ample time to write them.

5 Tips to Make Your Apply Texas Essays Stand Out

Since the Apply Texas essays are so important in the admissions process, you’ll want to do everything you can to make yours stand out. 

5 tips to write Apply Texas essays that impress 

1. meet the requirements.

This may seem obvious, but you need to make sure that you understand the requirements for each school. Double-check the word counts and requirements for each to make sure that you hit all targets. 

2. Choose a topic carefully

Your topic is the most important part of the process. If you choose a topic that you aren’t authentically passionate about, it will show. Don’t think about what admissions wants to hear. Instead, choose a topic that you can easily write about. Then go back and fine-tune your essay to answer every aspect of the prompt. 

3. Get creative

Your Apply Texas essays should be engaging and unique. Don’t feel like you need to stick to a certain format. Set the scene and capture your audience. This is your opportunity to show who you are as well as your writing chops. So, as long as you answer each prompt fully, get as creative as you’d like!

4. Show personal growth

Your Apply Texas essays should show how you’ve evolved. Ideally, you should connect your personal growth to future aspirations in college and beyond. No matter the prompt, this is your opportunity to shine. These are college essays, so you want to show what you’ll bring to campus with your responses. 

5. Start early!

The last thing you want to do when it comes to your Apply Texas essays is wait until the last minute. Creating impactful essays will take time. You’ll brainstorm, draft, edit, and redraft. You should also leave enough time to have someone else proofread your essay for mechanical errors. Likewise, if they don’t understand the narrative, you’ll want to rework your story and message so that it makes sense to a reader. 

Apply Texas Essays & More Essay Resources from CollegeAdvisor

Writing the Apply Texas essays can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve compiled many essay resources to help you create your best essays. While admissions requirements and essay prompts will change, the overall goal of your college essays stays the same: show admissions who you are and why you belong at that university. 

Before writing essays, you’ll also want to research specifics about the school. We have college pages that outline acceptance rates, enrollment, majors, and more to give you some quick facts on different schools in Texas. To jumpstart your research, check out the Baylor University , Texas A&M University , and University of Texas Austin pages . However, make sure to also do a deep dive into each university’s website to learn more about specific programs and campus life. 

Essay guides and other resources

Follow up by checking out our essay guides. These guides are specific to individual universities. You may even find it helpful to look at past essay guides such as our Baylor , Texas A&M , or UT Austin essay guides. Again, while prompts may change, the end goal of the essays stays the same. 

Additionally, check out the most recent guides such as this 2022-2023 Texas Christian University guide for the most up-to-date tips on making your essays stand out to TCU admissions. Looking at example essays can also help you get inspired. 

CollegeAdvisor has a wealth of resources to help you on your college journey. No matter if you’re trying to create the best Baylor application or impress Texas A&M admissions, our team can help. For expert guidance on the Apply Texas essays and more, schedule a meeting with our team here .

This essay guide was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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• Apply Texas College Essay Prompts for Class of 2023

January 17, 2022 By Jolyn Brand

The Apply Texas application is a common application form for most Texas public universities. It allows students to input their information for several different colleges at once. ApplyTexas college essay prompts for class of 2022 are:

• Essay A:   Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
• Essay B:  Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.
• Essay C:  You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Each school requires a different combination of these three college essays-some require all three, some just one or two, or others make certain ones recommended or optional. Some schools even use these essays for both admissions decisions AND scholarships so it’s important to put time and effort into each one!

UT Short Answer Question Requirements

As part of ApplyTexas, all freshman applicants will also respond to  short-answer questions .

Fall 2022 Prompts-Required Short Answers (250-300 words each):

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

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

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

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

Texas A&M University-  3 Short Answer Questions for all applicants

• Texas A&M University believes that diversity is an important part of academic excellence and that it is essential to living our core values (loyalty, integrity, excellence, leadership, respect, and selfless service). Describe the benefits of diversity and inclusion for you personally and for the Texas A&M campus community. (250-300 words)
• Tell us about the person who has most impacted your life and why.
• Describe a life event which you feel has prepared you to be successful in college.

Texas A&M University- Short answer question for Engineering majors (Priority deadline- October 15)

Engineering Essay : Describe your academic and career goals in the broad field of engineering (including computer science, industrial distribution, and engineering technology). What and/or who has influenced you either inside or outside the classroom that contributed to these goals?

The Apply Texas application has moved to https://goapplytexas.org/

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• College Essays for Class of 2023

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The complete guide to writing the applytexas application | 2022-23, what to write about.

Brad Schiller

Imagine you’re the president of a prestigious college that uses the ApplyTexas system — let’s call it Armadillo State. 

What are your ambitions for Armadillo? Let’s brainstorm ... 

• Maybe you want your students to be interesting and diverse ?
• Maybe you want to hear that they’re doing exciting things in the classroom ? (Original research on the cultural history of armadillo racing.)
• Or contributing to a lively campus culture ? (Started a Battle of the Bands benefit for an armadillo nonprofit.)
• Or succeeding off-campus ? (Getting a job offer after an internship at a nonprofit partnering with farmers on non-lethal armadillo-coping practices.)

Your particular measure of success may be less armadillo-focused, but we bet it would hit some of these same notes. 

This article will crack the ApplyTexas code for you by showing you just what ApplyTexas admissions officers want (hint: it’s pretty much that list we brainstormed above) and how best to deliver it via ApplyTexas’s:

• Essays A, B, C and supplements; 
• How your Common App essay will often work for AT (or vice versa);
• extracurriculars/volunteer/job descriptions;
• and recommendations.  

How do we know how admissions people think? We’re proud admissions nerds who love interviewing admissions officers , reading exposes and digging into data in our mission to be the best essay coaches and tutors we can be. 

Reuse your essay: CommonApp usually works for Apply Texas (and vice versa)

As essay coaches , we can say this: often, the Common App essay can just be used directly for the AT essay — provided it answers the prompt, which it usually does. And it works just as well the other way, too — you can reuse your AT essay for the CA personal statement.

If you do this, just promise us you’ll double check that you’re fully answering all elements of each prompt. 

A great ApplyTexas application is all about proof you’ll succeed in college

We brainstormed above on what makes a great college: students who thrive on campus, doing a wide variety of interesting, unusual, and exciting things — all while keeping up with classes, graduating, and going on to meaningful careers. 

With that in mind, it won’t surprise you that the admissions officers have a directive to find that kind of student. Students who’ll succeed in college and beyond . 

Your goal as you write your essays and activity descriptions is to show that you have that college potential. 

At this point, your grades and test scores (if submitting) are mostly set, so let’s focus on making the rest as strong as it can be. (Essays can 10x your admission chances , so you won’t be wasting your energy.)

How can you show college potential in an essay? As we discussed, it’s not about flowery language or lovely turns of phrase — that didn’t come up when we thought about our dream campus.  

Rather, we’ve found that the most effective way to think about showing your potential is to describe experiences in which you’ve shown one or more of 5 special traits that colleges love: 

• Drive — Going above and beyond . You found a way to take your Battle of the Bands virtual when the pandemic canceled your event. The armadillos appreciated your grit. 
• Intellectual curiosity — You did a stellar research presentation on the armadillo life-cycle. It led you to go on a State Park-funded armadillo exploration series. You scored a summer internship at the park, and have since continued learning about local wildlife ecosystems on your own time. 
• Initiative — Changing the status quo . You learned about an area near your school where armadillos keep getting run over by cars. You joined a campaign to fund a wildlife bridge to protect those animals, starting a chapter at your high school.  
• Contribution — You give back . You volunteer 5 hours a week at an animal shelter. When you found a hurt armadillo by the side of the road, you knew just where to take it (the exotic animal vet that your shelter uses).
• Diversity of experiences — Tons of experiences fit here . In any of the examples above, the skills and knowledge you gained would probably qualify you (ex: in #4, the student knows more about animals and animal abandonment than most). But it can also be about family or personal circumstances — challenging family situations, a background from an ethnic or religious minority, an unusual upbringing. 

Which of the 5 traits resonates most with you? Find out by creating a free Prompt account to take our 5 traits test . 

Knowing which 1-3 traits are most “you” is critical because your entire ApplyTexas application should be about showing off those traits through your experiences (armadillo-related or not) that show them off. 

Think holistically and sketch a plan for your ApplyTexas application 

Most students tackle each piece of the application separately. But that’s not how admission readers grade them — and it’s not how you should approach them either. 

While the details of the process vary from school to school, all schools give you one global score (usually, the “personal” score) for your essays, activity descriptions, recommendations and interviews (if you have any).

That means that you want to create a “brand” of you — you as a student with the potential to succeed in college and contribute to campus culture , as we saw above — that comes through in each piece of your application. 

To pull this off, you’ll need to follow our 2-part plan :

• Brainstorm your best experiences that show 1 or more of the 5 traits, and
• Match that content for each part of the ApplyTexas application — for each school to which you’re applying.

This should take you about 1-2 hours . 

The hardest part is probably brainstorming the experiences you’ve had that show off the 5 traits. You can use our free brainstorming tools (just create an account). We also recommend getting a second opinion about your most compelling experiences. This is part of our coaching and feedback process but you should get that second opinion whether or not you use our services.

Once you’ve got your 5 traits-demonstrating experiences all in a big heap on your kitchen table (metaphorically speaking), you want to carefully arrange them to fit into each of your school’s application processes. (Unfortunately, while 150+ schools may use ApplyTexas, they generally each have unique requirements.)

You want your very strongest experience(s) to go in your main essay, fitting other strong experiences into supplemental essays, your activity descriptions, and recommendations. Let’s take a look at each of these in turn. 

Essay Prompts A, B and C: Showcase your strongest experiences

Alright. ApplyTexas has 3 main essay prompts, and the good news is that all of them are great for 5 trait-demonstrating essays. That’s good because you don’t always have the choice of which of these to write.

If you DO have a choice of which prompt to choose, don’t start by reading them. They don’t really matter. (They do matter in that you must read the prompt carefully and answer it fully. We’ll get to that below.) They don’t matter in that they shouldn’t be dictating what you’re going to write about — you should have already determined above when you:

• Took the 5 traits test , then
• Brainstormed your best trait-demonstrating experiences, then
• Mapped the experiences out so they fit in each school’s application.

In other words, your top concern here is clearly and in an easy-to-follow way showing the experience that best shows your potential for college success . (Your second concern is answering the prompt fully. Your third concern is grammar and spelling. In that order.)

Are you thinking: “Why are they harping on this? I already got it from the section above.” That’s great! It’s just that we see a ton of common mistakes. Here’s what talented, bright, smart students tend to write about that does them no favors. 

• Let me share a lot about my interesting family background!
• I’ve got some deep, philosophical thoughts about life. Let me muse on them in this essay, to show how deep I am.
• If I get really artistic and writerly in this essay, I’ll win my college over with my beautiful, creative soul.

These are mistakes not because your family isn’t interesting or because you don’t have a beautiful, creative soul. (It is! You do!) The mistake, though, is that these topics don’t paint that picture of you succeeding on campus that admission officers want to see. Remember your college? (Did you call it Armadillo College or did you go with something more reasonable?) Remember what kind of students and atmosphere you wanted on it?

If you write an essay that shows you as:

• Intellectually curious or
• Taking initiative or
• Contributing or
• Operating from a unique perspective, 

You will indeed be making your admissions reader leap up from their desk and yell “Admit this kid!” (Good thing they’re probably WFH as this will probably startle their colleagues.)

10 steps for writing a great Essay A, B, or C

If you’re following along in your Prompt account, it walks you through how to transform your best experiences into a powerful ApplyTexas essay for prompts A, B, and C. 

If you want to just read about it, here are our 10 steps: 

• Step 1: Understand what admissions officer want. [Check this one off! You know it by this point in our article.] 
• Step 2: Determine what you’ll say. Brainstorm your most 5 trait-demonstrating experiences. [You’ve either done this or you’re getting more convinced it’s worth your time.] ‍
• Step 2a: Leave metaphors and philosophy for another day. See step 1: your admission officer is just digging around for potential for success. Don’t bury it under layers of fine poetry. Clunk them over the head with it in straightforward style. They’ll thank you (and possibly admit you!). Sure, some students can pull off creatively writing about their potential for success, but it’s super tricky and we don’t advise it.  ‍
• Step 2b: Focus your essay on YOU and the ACTIONS YOU’VE TAKEN. Here are some topics that can be fascinating but are rarely admissions boosting: your upbringing, family background, a traumatic event you faced, or your love of sports/music/theater. Those topics only go from “fascinating” to “admissions-boosting” if they show actions you’ve taken that relate to one or more of the 5 traits.  ‍
• Step 3: Closely read your prompt. You must answer it in full. In the section below, we’ll tackle how to succeed with each of the three choices. If you have a choice of prompts, go with the one(s) that let you share your best experiences.  ‍
• Step 4: Use an outline. Do you like saving time? Do you like doing a great job? Outlines save you time and help you do a great job.   ‍
• Step 5: 1 hour + 0 distractions = first draft done. Did you see that amazing Emma Thompson impersonation on TikTok? No? Well, you’re gonna have to wait. That’s right: you need to put your phone! Hide yourself in the nearest basement, library or bunker, set a 60-minute timer, and type like mad without worrying about length, spelling or grammar. You can celebrate the beautiful first draft that emerges by going on Twitch or something. (We’re admissions nerds, we don’t understand Twitch.) ‍
• Step 6: Get feedback — content, structure, clarity. Find someone who’ll focus on content only. Ask (politely, especially if it’s your mom): What did they learn about you? What did they not learn that they wanted to know? Where were they confused? (You can also use experts like us if you want to get the most targeted and actionable advice.) ‍
• Step 7: Revise based on feedback. At this stage, a revision is often a radical start-all-over-again thing. Head back to your bunker leaving your phone behind. You can do it! ‍
• Step 8: Your college career depends on this essay so let’s do a 2nd round of feedback. Try to stick with the same reviewer. Ask the exact same questions as before.  ‍
• Step 9: Revise again, focusing on clear writing. In terms of essay style, flowery language is bad; straightforward, easy-to-understand language is good. Writing clearly is harder (and more creative) than it sounds.  ‍
• Step 10: Finishing touches. In your final revision round, you can now work on cutting your essay down — while there’s no formal word limit, we recommend sticking to 2 pages or less. Reread the whole thing out loud so you can see exactly where things are wrong or unclear. (You’re in a bunker, right? So no one’s going to think you’re strange.) If you know someone who loves to obsess over grammar, now is the time to let them at it.

Our best advice for Essay Prompts A, B and C

Each of the prompts can form the basis for a winning essay. But each also has hidden pitfalls. Here’s our best advice for each one. 

The 2022-2023 essay prompts are:

• Essay A — Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
• Essay B — Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.
• Essay C — You’ve got a ticket in your hand - Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Some school requirements:

• UT Austin — Essay A (required)
• Texas A&M — Essay A (required)
• Texas Tech — Choose A or B (optional) 
• Baylor — Choose between A, B, C (required)
• For all Texas colleges, see ApplyTexas’ search page

Essay A — What to do : 

• Keep the focus on you and actions you’ve taken — how did you take advantage of that “unique opportunity”? Or how did you overcome that “challenge”? 
• Answer the “shaped who you are today” part: How did that opportunity/challenge lead to the actions you take today ? What kind of person are you now? (Ie: what things do you do that show who you are.)   

Essay A — What to avoid : 

• The first sentence “Tell us your story” is vague and broad. Don’t get lost there: stick to the opportunity/challenge actions you took and what you do now. 
• The “shaped who you are today” piece is critical, but easy to flub. Don’t (1) leave it out (agh!), or (2) give it short-shrift (“I’m much more patient now.”), but rather (3) show the actions and things you do as a person shaped by the experiences in the opportunity/challenge piece (“Instead of putting the hurt armadillo in the back of my bike, I called the vets and described the situation. They told me the injury was minor, and to place it further off, allowing it to recover on its own. I’d learned that asking questions leads to better actions.”)

Essay B — What to do : 

• Describe the actions you took to arrive at this IDENTITY; or to develop and dig deep into this INTEREST; or to practice, improve, and develop this TALENT. 
• You want to show that you made this identity/interest/talent happen. And that you continue to take actions based on it. 
• Ex: If your identity is “animal lover” based on an encounter with (yes!) an armadillo, well, what do you do now as an animal lover now? (You volunteer at the shelter, and advocate on animal rights issues.)
• Ex: If you developed a talent for singing, what are you doing with it now? Are you just “there,” ready for Broadway? (Admissions readers will think: Hubris alert!) Or are there still areas you’re working to improve? Are there ambitious goals you’re setting for yourself? (Admissions readers will like this.)

Note on choosing between an “identity,” “interest,” or “talent”: 

• The INTEREST piece may be the best one here for writing a great essay — You can describe your Intellectual Curiosity; how you developed it; what you do in your own time to pursue it; what you’ve achieved because of it. 
• Colleges love students who learn for learning’s sake — colleges are institutions of learning, after all. 
• That being said, if “identity” or “talent” fit better with your experiences, don’t hesitate to choose them. Just make sure you focus on your actions within those. 

Essay B — What to avoid : 

• The pitfall here is talking about an IDENTITY that’s deeply meaningful, but that you don’t do much with. 
• Or an INTEREST that’s dear to you, but, again, just watching old movies all the time doesn’t make you an exciting campus prospect. (Unless you host movie marathons for your family or write a blog with a growing following: “Old Movies in the age of Twitch” (Sorry, again, not fully sure what Twitch is.).) 
• Or a TALENT that’s stupendous, but just there . You’re the best singer in your church choir — easy to rhapsodize about how much you love it, but if you don’t talk about your actions, you won’t be showing your potential for college success. 

Essay C — What to do : 

• Tie the future accomplishment or action to one of your 5 trait-demonstrating experiences. 
• Show what you’ve done in your high school career (focusing on you and your actions), and connect that to how you want to keep developing and achieving in future. 
• Let’s say you want to be a biologist/activist working to protect the local ecosystems where armadillos (ok, among other animals) live. That’s great! You’ve got a dream. But honestly, who doesn’t? 
• Make your dream seem tangible, exciting, and actually possible by talking about all steps that came before — the time you rescued the armadillo on the side of the road; how that led to volunteering at the animal shelter; how that led to reading about the local ecosystem, and joining the anti-road kill bridge campaign.   

Essay C — What to avoid : 

• Talking all about your future dreams without grounding them in things you’ve done. The risk is that they won’t come off as believable or compelling.
• Worse, you’ll leave your admissions officer with no proof of the things you’ve done and the potential you have for college success.

Finally, the very best piece of advice we can give you for any of these prompts is: get feedback on your content . Don’t start writing before a trusted outside perspective has shared their thoughts on what you plan to say. 

For this, you can choose a parent, a teacher, a friend or college essay experts (like us), or all of the above. If there’s one step not to skip it’s this one. If you have a really compelling experience to write up, it’s hard to go wrong — you’re going to impress that admissions reader. If you don’t, you’ll likely end up wasting a lot of time trying to get a strong essay out of weak material. 

For each school, know what supplements they ask

We mentioned this above. Each ApplyTexas school has its own unique requirements. Whereas you have brainstormed one list of great experiences that show your potential for college success; you have one “brand” that you want to show off to every school. 

It thus follows that you need to tailor your list of experiences to each school, fitting them in best via the required and optional elements they allow you.

You can access a list of every supplement for every college on your Prompt dashboard, including ones required or optional for specific majors, programs, and scholarships offered by a college.

You can also read our 6 tips for great supplemental essays . While schools do sometimes ask idiosyncratic, unique questions, more often they ask common ones, such as Why Us , Why Major , and Describe an Activity .

Activities & Employment: Add a resume + use the “Awards” slots

You know that you need to tell your colleges all about your experiences that say you’ve got potential for college success. A great place to do this is in the activities sections. So you should be feeling really excited about this opportunity.

However, ApplyTexas’ activities sections require some strategizing. They’ve divided non-academic activities into 3 sections:

• Extracurriculars, Community Service & Awards
• Employment, Internships & Summer Activities
• Family Obligations

Within those 3 pages, your space to describe what you’ve done varies, but it’s pretty limited. In fact, it’s complicated enough that we’ve made you a chart to help your sort things out:

The point of this chart is not to make you think you should have quantity — you don’t need to fill in every slot or have an activity in each category. (In fact, the “family obligations” category is only for if they “keep you from participating in extracurricular activities.” Most people should keep this one blank, and you’ll likely have other blank categories, as well.)

The point of this chart is to help you think through how you can use these slots to express your “brand,” and how what you’ve done aligns with 1+ of the 5 traits. In other words, quality .

We’ll talk about how to write strong descriptions below (spoiler: it’s all about showing impact). For now, let’s talk about how to make room to fit these descriptions in.

There are 2 main strategies here:

First, use the “Talents, Awards, Honors” slots (which allow you up to 8 “Award, Honor, Distinction”) from page 7 to describe achievements you had in your jobs, internships, and summer activities, as well as your extracurriculars/community service. 

For example:

• You got a promotion at work — that’s an honor and a distinction. 
• You got the biggest tips at your restaurant shift (and you can quantify that) — that’s a distinction.
• Your internship gave you a special additional assignment — that’s a distinction.
• You were voted “most punctual volunteer” at the animal shelter — that’s an honor.
• You canoed over to rescue a stranded armadillo and the camp director noted it in her weekly email to parents — that’s an honor.

You can be creative with these ideas. Try to think of something that could qualify as an award, honor or distinction for every activity you list. Then get someone to look them over for an outside perspective on whether you’re shining light on your impact or stretching things a little too much. 

Second, since space is so limited, accept ApplyTexas’s offer to supplement this section with a full (one-page max) resume . 

Even if you have no traditional extracurriculars because of those family obligations (for example), you can describe what they entailed in more detail — making it more clear the time involved and which of the 5 traits you demonstrated in meeting them (perhaps grit aka drive). 

By including a resume, you also give yourself space for unconventional, but potentially meaningful activities, such as learning on your own (trading stocks, taking a MOOC) or creative projects (blog, YouTube channel). 

Resumes can be challenging to write — they have their own lay-out and stylistic conventions. We recommend asking a teacher or writing coach for support. But showing that you have interests and impact outside of the classroom is so critical to a strong college application that it’s worth the extra effort. (Plus, you’ll need a resume for internship and job searches very soon, so why not get a headstart?)

For more on what makes a great activity (and a great activity description) take a look at our How to Write the Common App Activity List article. Even though there are differences with ApplyTexas, the basics hold true. 

Activities & Employment: Describe your impact

We’ve written in depth on how to write up your descriptions . The most important thing is to understand what the admissions officer is reading them for — evidence that you’ll succeed in college and contribute to the campus. 

If you just want the gist, our style advice boils down to: 

• Use strong verbs and short phrases. 
• Quantify your impact where possible. 
• If there’s any ambiguity, explain what the activity was and what you did. 

More important than style is content. We recommend spending the time to brainstorm everything you’ve done in high school. Be creative about what you consider an activity. Write something up for each activity and come back to it a few times (you’ll keep thinking of new things to add). Ask for feedback from parents, teachers or coaches . 

Then sort your list based on these 3 criteria: 

• How impressive is the description? — Descriptions with big impacts or awards should come first.
• Where do you have leadership roles?  
• How much time have you devoted to it? (Per week and over what period) 

This applies both for the ApplyTexas activity lists as well as for your resume. 

Recommendations: Provide an outline of your strengths

Whether required or optional, recommendations can do a lot for your application. 

As you were mapping out the experiences you wanted to highlight to the admission committee, it’s very possible that there was one piece you couldn’t quite fit anywhere. Asking a recommender to talk about that piece could be a great way to fit it in. 

Similarly, you can think of recommenders as a chance to emphasize experiences that you really want highlighted in the admissions officers’ minds. 

What we’re saying is that you should take charge of the recommendation process. Offer to write them an outline if they’d like one. (Obviously, if they say no, don’t force it.) More likely, they’ll be grateful. 

Your recommender’s outline: Using your brainstormed list of experiences as a guide, provide 2-3 specific examples that the recommender can include. Categories to think about include:

• Your academic success and history
• Any special circumstances 
• Areas in which you’ve made an impact
• And any distinctive qualities of yours — the ability to share a few memorable anecdotes.

After all the hard experience brainstorming and essay writing and activity describing you’ve done by now, writing up this outline should be relatively easy. 

It will also keep your recommendations from being the bland things they usually are — they’re often vague, impersonal and filled with cliches. 

Speaking of which, the other thing you can do to improve your recommendations is quite simple: choose a teacher, coach or guidance counselor (or even a supervisor) who has a strong personal relationship with you . The better they know you, the more likely they’ll write a vivid letter that makes you shine.

Related Posts:

• Your Complete Guide to Writing the Common App
• Breaking Down the CAPS Essay Prompts
• How to Write the UCAS Personal Statement

The above articles and a step-by-step guide to the college essay writing process can be found in our Help Center .

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How to Respond to the ApplyTexas Essay Prompts

Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.

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If you are looking to use ApplyTexas to apply to multiple Texas universities, you have come to the right place. The ApplyTexas essay prompts are a crucial part of the application, and we will walk you through them step-by-step in this guide.

ApplyTexas is a common application form used by most Texas public universities and a few private Texas universities. The ApplyTexas website is a good source for determining if the ApplyTexas application is accepted by your dream Texas school. When filling out the application, there are a few ApplyTexas essay prompts applicants need to fill out. 

Here’s our guide for how to ace each ApplyTexas essay prompts on the application.

Related: Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool

“Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?” (500-750 words)

This prompt essentially wants to know what events or experiences in high school shaped you into the person you are today. Focus on what you believe to be the biggest impact on your life. Make sure to focus on you . 

Try and choose one to two main life-shaping events that occurred in high school. Be sure that they are specific! Try to zero in on something unique that you were able to participate in or that you overcame. For example, perhaps you sadly lost someone you love due to a disease that inspired you to enter into the medical field. Or perhaps working at an ice cream shop made you realize how much you love customer service. While these are two different life experiences, both show self-awareness and growth. The main goal of writing these supplemental essays is to allow the reader to get to know you and what makes you unique. 

After describing these events, now turn the focus to you! How did you use these opportunities to thrive into the stand-out person you are today? Make sure to clearly link your environment in high school to some prominent traits you now possess.

Questions to consider: 

• How did your particular environment and experiences make you special? 
• What challenges or opportunities have you encountered? 
• How did you overcome these challenges or take these opportunities head on? 

Don’t miss: How many schools should I apply to?

“Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.” (500-750 words)

Define what that unique trait you have is! It can be a piece of your identity, an interest or even a talent. Brainstorm ideas of things that make you so different from everyone else.

Describe this trait or thing that makes you so unique in a story-telling manner. Be creative! Do not just state what makes you unique, but describe it instead. This is the time to make yourself stand apart as a unique individual. Maybe you are an experienced photographer and taking pictures is your passion. Was there a special person who taught you how to take pictures? Do you turn towards a famous photographer for inspiration? Who gave you your first camera? The keys to getting to know the real you are found within your responses. The “why” is what drives the reader to understand the real personable you. 

Be sure to choose a positive trait that makes you look good! Remember this is going to colleges that you want to attend. You want to draw them in, but you also want to make a good impression. So, keep it appropriate and mature, but also creative! 

Once you have determined and written about your special trait, write about how this “piece of you” defines you! You need to contextualize this trait to the rest of your personality and life. How does this one aspect of you make you who you are? 

• What makes you unique from others?
• If you were thrown onto a stage for a talent show what would you perform? 
• How does this unique trait align with your aspirations and identity? 

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“You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?” (500-750 words)

This is a fun prompt that gives you plenty of creative freedom in your response. However, remember that this is going to be sent to a college that you want to attend! Therefore, use this essay to show off your career and long-term goals. 

To be extremely creative, realize that this prompt just states a “ticket,” but does not specify what kind of ticket. Most applicants may immediately think of a plane ticket, but this is your response! Therefore, the “ticket” can be a ticket to medical school, a ticket to a fantasy world where everyone wears fedoras or a ticket to your grandfather’s house. The creativity is endless! 

The most important part of this answer is your ability to justify where you are going with this ticket. You want to be able to show that you have goals for your life. Prove that having this metaphorical opportunity to have a magical ticket will allow you to succeed and reach some of your goals. 

No matter how creative a college essay question is, you always want to make sure you are revealing pieces of your personality. Throughout your response, make sure to be describing yourself and your personal goals. 

Questions to consider:  

• Is there a destination you have always wanted to go to? 
• If money was not an issue, where would you go? 
• What are your aspirations for the future and where would you go to make these aspirations a reality? 

Also see: How to choose financial safety, reach, and match schools

“Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?” (500-750 words)

This essay option is specific for certain majors. Therefore, if you are not applying as a major in architecture, art, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies, or art education, then you are not required to answer this question. 

To begin responding to this essay prompt, begin with a moment of observation you have experienced that changed your thinking. This could be an instance during an art class when a piece was first taught to you or a time when you stumbled upon a piece of art in a gallery. Whatever the experience you had, make sure that you select a point in time where the observation of an object, image or space really made you contemplate. 

After you have described this moment, it is important to list specific details of the piece as well as accurately describe your own emotions while viewing the piece. 

Some questions to consider

• What type of emotion did the art make you feel? 
• Why did the art make you feel some type of emotion?
• What changed in your thinking? 

After describing how your view changed, it is then important to connect back to the future. How will you use what you learned from this experience in your life going forward? It is important to reveal that the lessons learned from this moving experience will stick with you throughout your life.

Also see: How to get in-state tuition as an out-of-state student

Which colleges require which ApplyTexas essays? 

Every Texas university has slightly different essay requirements from the ApplyTexas essay prompt list. For full information, you must create an ApplyTexas account and review the specific requirements. Here are a few Texas colleges and their particular requirements on the ApplyTexas application: 

Baylor University

• Essay A, B and C are optional

Southern Methodist University

• Essay B – optional

Texas A&M University, College Station

Texas christian university, university of texas at austin.

• Essay A 

Next steps after responding to the ApplyTexas essay prompts

Now that the hard part is over, and your ApplyTexas essay prompts are flawless – take a deep breath! 

The different Texas universities found under the ApplyTexas application will have slightly different requirements when it comes to which essay prompt responses they select. Each Texas school will require a different combination of the above three essay-prompts or even all three. In fact, some schools will even have additional prompts of their own. 

Texas universities use these prompts for not only admission, but for selecting students to award scholarships to as well. Therefore, it is crucial to put effort into your essay prompt responses! 

If your dream college also accepts the Common Application, check out our guide on how to answer the 2021-2022 Common App essay prompts to see whether they would be a better fit for you.

Don’t miss: Top Texas scholarships

Additional resources

In addition to prompt-specific advice, it’s a good idea to examine your general writing technique when it comes time to draft your college essays. Check out our guides on how to write an essay about yourself , how to write 250 and 500-word essays, and our general guide for rocking college applications . We can also help you decide how many schools to apply to and how to find safety, reach, and match schools .If you’re wondering whether to send test scores to test-optional schools , we’ve got a guide for that as well. And once you start hearing back, we can help you create a college comparison spreadsheet to make your college choice. Finally, check out our free scholarship search tool to help fund your education and keep all of your college options open. Good luck!

Frequently asked questions about ApplyTexas 

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Ultimate Guide to the ApplyTexas Application

🏜 going through the applytexas application.

The ApplyTexas application is the Texas version of the Common Application. It is a unified college application process accepted by all Texas public universities and many private schools. (Note that some schools that accept ApplyTexas also accept the Common App.)

🚦 Starting the Application

This is the "easier" part - so feel free to get started before having your essays and chosen colleges ready! Though it is easier, it requires more legal information, so you may need a family member's help.

• The Profile section is about you and your background; remember to have your full legal name so that paperwork can be connected together. Make sure to be honest in the entire college admissions process.

👨‍👩‍👦 Family

• The Family section is about your family members and their career as well as education; it also shows if you are a first-generation student, legacy student, twin applicant, etc.

🎓 Education

• The Education section is about your high school (or secondary school) experience, including dual enrollment. Here, you will have to put your grades, GPA, senior courses, future plans, and more.
• The Testing section is about your test scores, including AP, SAT, ACT, SAT Subject, IB, and more. You also should enter in tests you expect to take. If you will get your score back before the results come out, make sure you send your score to the admission office so they can add that to your file.
• If your colleges allow self-reporting scores, all you have to do is submit your scores here, and you don't have to pay extra! Here is a list of colleges that allow self-report.
• If not, you will have to send scores through College Board (or the corresponding organization). There will be a cost - make sure you also submit at least 2 weeks before the deadline so you don't have to pay extra fees.
• Check each college's website regarding their testing policies. For example, international applicants will have to send TOEFL or similar scores.

🛑 Extracurricular and Volunteer Activities

• At this point, we've finished all the sections that are more logistical and don't require too much thinking. The next few—activities & writing—require more thinking and changing around.
• The Activities section is tougher, and you will be changing this often. To sum it up, you should start by creating a spreadsheet or document with a non-restricted description of all your activities and extracurriculars, then pick the best 10 and narrow it down!
• This section is also the section with Honors . These Honors don't have to be all national awards! It can be smaller awards, such as school awards (honor roll, spirit awards, club awards, etc.), hackathon awards, and more. It's totally fine if you don't fill it all up, too.
• "Community/Volunteer" such as American Heart Association, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and more should be listed here.

📑 Employment Information

• This is a chance to highlight any work experience you may have!

✍️ Custom Questions

• Here, you'll find questions ranging from involvement with certain organizations to enrollment at specific schools. However there are usually 'optional' short answer questions regarding topics like, but not limited to; describe any financial need circumstances you would like for the scholarship committees, Why have you chosen to apply here, and many more! Add anything "additional" but necessary ! It is not required, and don't add any information the admissions officer can already find in your application.
• Also, don't add a second personal statement in these short answers. It should be more of extra circumstances that you want the admissions officer to know, such as extended activity information (that's significant), family circumstances, situations that hindered your academic performance, identity, employment, changes in personal life, or anything to answer the question while providing additional information!

✏️ Essay Prompts

This essay is the scary part — a section where you get to be vulnerable and show your personality, aside from all the hard facts (activities, test scores, GPA, etc.) and the uncontrollable sections (letter of rec, family/education, etc.). Find more information in the next section.

There are four essay prompts on the ApplyTexas application for freshman admission (Topics A, B, C, and D). There are also several short answers prompts for UT Austin and Texas A&M, as well as an additional Topic E for transfer students. All Texas colleges and universities have different application requirements, including essays. Some schools require essays, some list them as optional, and others use a combination of required and optional essays. Several schools use the essays to determine scholarship awards, honors program eligibility, or admission to specific majors.

There are three ApplyTexas essay topics that try to get to the heart of what makes you the person you are in three different ways. But since Topics A, B, and C all focus on things that are essential to you as a person, it can be difficult to come up with a totally unique idea for each. One helpful way to keep these topics separate in your mind is to create a big-picture category for each one: Topic A is outside, Topic B is inside, and Topic C is the future.

• Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
• Most students have a piece of their identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
• You've got a ticket in your hand—where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

💗 Getting Familiar with a Prompt

One helpful way to keep these topics separate in your mind is to create a big-picture category for each one: T opic A is outside, Topic B is inside, and Topic C is the future. In other words, Topic A is asking about the impact of challenges or opportunities on you, and how you handled that impact. On the other hand, Topic B is asking about your inner passions and how these define you. Finally, Topic C wants to know where you're going from here.

Remember that you can reuse essays - for example, these essays can be for the Common App as well.

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Related content, 11 tips for early action and early decision, summer opportunities to improve your college applications, how to contact admissions officers, early action vs. early decision: what's the difference, how to complete the activities section on common app, 7 steps to submitting the common app.

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College Admissions , College Essays

When talking about college essays, we tend to focus on the Common Application prompts , and it's true that many students will need to write a Common App essay. However, there are actually quite a few schools, including both public and private universities, that don't use the Common App and instead ask applicants to respond to their own college essay prompts.

Luckily, college essay prompts tend to be pretty similar to each other. In this guide, I'll list all the college essay questions for popular schools in the US (and a few abroad) and then break down the patterns to help you brainstorm topics and plan how to approach multiple essays efficiently. After reading this guide, you'll be able to strategize which essays you'll write for which colleges.

Feature image: Mayr /Flickr

Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?

The short answer: the essay gives admissions committees a sense of your personality beyond the statistics on the rest of your application. The essay is your chance to show the committee your unique perspective and impress them with your maturity and insight.

College application essay prompts are written with this goal in mind. Admissions officers want to give you the chance to share your interests, aspirations, and views on the world, so most prompts ask about how your experiences have shaped you or what you're excited about studying or doing in college. I've collected a ton of examples below and provided some analysis to help you begin planning and crafting your own essays.

Keep in mind that the personal statement alone won't be enough to get you in— your grades and test scores are still the most important factors in your application . That being said, a stellar essay can help bring a borderline applicant over the top or give an excellent but not extraordinary student the opportunity to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.

As such, the essay tends to matter most for very competitive schools. Non-competitive schools generally don't ask you to submit an essay.

Complete List of College Essay Prompts

This list collects the 2022 college essay prompts for major state universities, top-50 schools, and other popular schools which have their own unique questions. They're divided by region, with all optional essays listed at the end.

I left off the Common App supplements, as those often require a substantially different approach. I also stuck to four-year schools, meaning I didn't include special two-year programs, such as Deep Springs College or Miami Dade College's Honors Program (both of which require essays).

Finally, note that these prompts are for freshman applicants, so the requirements might be different for transfer students .

General Applications

There are three general applications you can use to apply to many different schools at once:

Common Application

Universal college application, coalition application.

Each application has its own personal statement requirement. Some schools will ask for additional supplemental essays.

Many more schools accept the Common App than they do the UCA or Coalition Application , though some will accept more than one of these applications.

For the Common App essay, you pick one of the prompts and write 250-650 words about it. Here are the prompts for the 2022-2023 school year:

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

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?

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

The UCA essay prompt is completely open ended and has a 650-word limit. Here is the 2022-2023 prompt:

Please write an essay that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event.

For the Coalition Application, you'll pick one of five prompts listed below. While there is no hard word limit, the range guidelines are 500-650 words. Here are the prompts for 2022-2023:

What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?

Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?

Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?

What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

Now that you know the essay requirements for the three general applications, let’s look at the application essays for specific schools . To keep things organized, we’ve grouped schools based on the region of the US in which they’re located.

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic

The Great Dome at MIT

Georgetown University

Georgetown asks applicants to write one short essay (about half a single-spaced page) and two longer essays (approximately one single-spaced page each). Each applicant must respond to the first two prompts and can choose among the other four based on the specific program she's interested in.

Short Essay: Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.

All Applicants: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Applicants to Georgetown College: What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achieve this aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosen course of study).

Applicants to the School of Nursing & Health Studies: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, Human Science, or Nursing).

Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service: The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?

Applicants to the McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.

For more Georgetown application tips, check out our articles on the Georgetown essays and how to get into Georgetown .

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT doesn't ask for a single personal statement but rather asks applicants to respond to a series of questions with just a paragraph or two of about 200 words each .

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.

Describe the world you come from (for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town). How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations?

MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds and experiences together to better the lives of others. Our students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way you have collaborated with people who are different from you to contribute to your community.

Tell us about a significant challenge you've faced (that you feel comfortable sharing) or something that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?

For more details on how to get into MIT , read our other articles on the MIT application process , tips for MIT essays , and an example of a real MIT acceptance letter !

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Indiana University Bloomington

IU asks for 200-400 words on your plans and interests.

Describe your academic and career plans and any special interest (for example, undergraduate research, academic interests, leadership opportunities, etc.) that you are eager to pursue as an undergraduate at Indiana University. If you encountered any unusual circumstances, challenges, or obstacles in pursuit of your education, share those experiences and how you overcame them. Please note that this essay may be used in scholarship consideration.

University of Illinois

The University of Illinois asks for two essays (or three only if you selected a second-choice major other than what's noted on your application). All responses should be approximately 150 words.

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 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. 2.  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: 1.  What are your academic interests and strengths? You may also include any majors you are considering. 2.  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.

If you're applying to UIUC, check out our UIUC essay tips article as well!

University of Wisconsin–Madison

All applicants must complete two essays for UW–Madison. The essays should be 250-650 words in length and may be used for scholarship and campus program review.

If you apply through the Common Application, you’ll be asked to reply to one of the freshman Common Application essays in lieu of the first essay prompt below, but you’ll be required to respond to the second prompt below. 

If you apply through the UW System Application, the following two essays are required:

This part is all about you. Tell us about something you've done — academically or personally — and what you've learned from it. Was it a success or a challenge? Did it represent a turning point in your life? How did this particular moment in your life influence you, and how will it continue to influence you as you pursue your college education?

Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest.

Kyle Field at Texas A&M ( Ed Schipul /Flickr)

The ApplyTexas application is used by all Texas public universities and some private colleges. There are four ApplyTexas essay prompts. Which ones you need to respond to will depend on where you're applying. UT Austin, for example, requires applicants to submit at least one essay responding to Topic A on the ApplyTexas application. .

While there's no set word limit, the online application will cut off each essay at 120 lines (~1000 words).

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

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

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

Topic D: Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept the Apply Texas Application. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education , you are not required to write this essay.

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

We go into all the ApplyTexas prompts in detail here !

University of Georgia

For UGA, applicants must write two essays, one 200-300 words and one 250-650 words . Both essays are required for all applicants. The longer personal essay uses the Common Application prompts for 2023 ; the prompt for the shorter essay is as follows:

The c ollege admissions process can create anxiety. In an attempt to make it less stressful, please tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself from your high school years that you have not already shared in your application.

For a more detailed discussion of the UGA essays, read this article .

The Campanile at UC Berkeley

University of California

Students applying to the UC system must respond to four out of eight short personal insight questions. The maximum word count for each response is 350 words.

• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
• Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
• What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
• Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
• Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
• Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Learn more about the UC essays , the UC application , and how to choose which UC schools to apply to with our complete guides .

University of Oregon

Applicants to the University of Oregon are required to submit one essay of 650 words or fewer. You also have the option to write a second essay (maximum of 500 words), but it’s not required.

The essay prompts are as follows:

The UO is interested in learning more about you. Write an essay of 650 words or less that shares information that we cannot find elsewhere on your application. Any topic you choose is welcome. Some ideas you might consider include your future ambitions and goals, a special talent, extracurricular activity, or unusual interest that sets you apart from your peers, or a significant experience that influenced your life. If you are applying to the UO's Robert D. Clark Honors College, feel free to resubmit your honors college application essay.

Optional second essay: As you've looked into what it will be like to attend Oregon, you've hopefully learned what makes Ducks Ducks. No two are alike, though, so tell us what makes you you, and how that connects to our campus community. We are interested in your thoughts and experiences recognizing difference and supporting equity and inclusion, and choosing one of these two options will guide you in sharing those thoughts. You can learn more about equity and inclusion at Oregon by visiting the Equity and Inclusion website . Maximum statement length is 500 words. This statement is not required.

University of Washington

In addition to its specific prompts, the University of Washington gives specific advice about what its admissions officers consider to be good writing before the prompts:

"At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Essay Prompt (Required): Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped shape it. Maximum length: 650 words.

Short Response (Required): Our families and our communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. Maximum length: 300 words

You can also find more tips on the University of Washington essays in this blog article .

International

Generally speaking, international schools are less likely to ask for an essay, since admission tends to be heavily focused on grades and test results. However, a few popular international schools do ask for a personal statement as part of their application.

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UK Schools)

UCAS is a general application for UK schools (similar to the Common App in the US). There's no specific prompt for the personal statement—instead, applicants are required to write an essay describing what they want to study, why they want to study it, and what they bring to the table. There is a 4,000-character/47-line limit.

University of British Columbia

UBC asks applicants to fill out a personal profile consisting of five to seven short-answer questions that vary depending on the program you're applying to. Answers should be 50-200 words.

Depending on which degree program you apply to, you’ll be asked to answer some or all of the following questions on the UBC application:

• Tell us about who you are. How would your family, friends, and/or members of your community describe you? If possible, please include something about yourself that you are most proud of and why.
• What is important to you? And why?
• Family/community responsibilities
• Creative or performing arts
• Work/employment
• Service to others
• Tell us more about one or two activities listed above that are most important to you. Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response.
• Additional information: You may wish to use the space below to provide UBC with more information on your academic history to date and/or your future academic plans. For example: How did you choose your courses in secondary school? Are there life circumstances that have affected your academic decisions to date? What have you done to prepare yourself specifically for your intended area of study at UBC?
• Please submit the names of two referees who know you well and can comment on your preparedness for study at UBC. Examples of referees include an employer, a community member, a coach, a teacher/instructor, or anyone who knows you well. One of the referees you select must be able to speak to one of the activities/experiences described in one of your long-answer responses above. For applicants who are currently attending a high school, one of your referees must be a school official (e.g., Grade 12 or senior year counsellor, teacher, or IB coordinator). Neither referee should be a friend, family member, or paid agent.

Some programs of study may ask applicants to respond to the questions above and some additional, program-specific questions when completing the personal profile.

University of Cambridge

Optional Essays

Some schools don't require an essay from all applicants but do recommend or require an essay for certain programs. I've listed a selection of those prompts below.

Arizona State University

Students applying to the Barrett Honors College at ASU must submit one essay of 300 to 500 words in response to one of the following prompts (your response may be critical or creative):

Prompt 1 Discuss how a specific piece of art (painting, literature, photograph, etc.) or popular culture (song, comic book, etc.) helped you realize something new about yourself or the world. What was that realization, and how did the piece of art or pop culture bring about this change in your thinking? Do not simply describe the piece of art or pop culture; instead, focus on its effect on you and how it makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience. Prompt 2 Tell us about a habit or way of thinking that others would recognize as “uniquely you.” This is something you value and would hesitate to give up because it is a distinct part of who you are or what makes you different - why is it so? Be sure to share how this aspect of your identity makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience.

City University of New York

Applicants to Macaulay Honors College must write two essays: an “about you” essay, and an essay describing your plans for college. Each response should be around 500 words, give or take a few within reason.

Essay 1: About you. (Select one of the options below.) Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. OR Tell us about an area or activity, outside of academics, in which you have invested a lot of time and effort. Tell us why. What did you learn? How was it meaningful?

Essay 2: About your plans for college. Please discuss all points below. Why do you want to go to an honors college ? There are many benefits of being a Macaulay student, such as the Macaulay community, special courses, Honors advisement, cultural passport, opportunities funds, and other financial benefits. Please describe how these features will shape you and your college experience, including, what you expect to bring to the college community and what you expect to get out of your college experience.

Florida International University

Only applicants who don't meet the criteria for automatic admissions and whose applications undergo holistic review will need to submit a 500-word essay:

Students requesting appeal or additional review of their admission status must submit a written statement including:

Your goals and educational or professional objectives

A summary/explanation of past academic performance

Information and/or circumstances that may have affected past academic performance

• Any other information the student wishes to have considered

Ohio University

For the Ohio University application, students who've been out of school for more than a year must submit an essay explaining what they've done in their time off from school.

Applicants who have been out of high school for more than one year must submit an essay detailing activities since graduation.

Additionally, applicants to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism are encouraged, though not required, to submit an essay detailing how they want to help shape the future of journalism.

For all other applicants, submitting an essay here is optional; however, if you do wish to write an essay, the application suggests that you describe any academic challenges you’ve faced, academic and career objectives, or involvement in community affairs (recommended length is 250-500 words).

Those interested in Ohio University's OHIO Honors Program (including the Cutler Scholars Program) are required to answer the following essay prompt (limit 250 words):

Students in the OHIO Honors Program represent all majors on campus and take engaging honors courses while applying what they learn outside of the classroom. Students choose from classes and experiences across three pathways: community engagement, research and creative activity, and leadership . Students in OHP can move among the three pathways as their interests evolve and they develop their goals. What pathway is most exciting to you right now, and why?

Finally, those interested in the Honors Tutorial College are must answer the following two essay prompts (in about 500 words each):

HTC Question 1: Please explain why you have chosen your particular program(s) of study.

HTC Question 2: We expect that one reason you seek a tutorial education is for the one-on-one interaction with faculty, but other than that, what interests you about pursuing a tutorial-based undergraduate education? What aspects of your education and life experience have prepared you for a tutorial education with its emphasis on research and creative activity?

Type 1: Questions About a Meaningful Experience

This type of college essay question is the most common. The exact focus of these prompts can vary quite a bit, but they all ask you to reflect on an important experience. Some questions specify a type of experience whereas others don't, simply opting to have applicants write about whatever matters to them.

There are three basic sub-types that you'll see when dealing with these prompts. Let's look at an example of each.

#1: Overcoming a Challenge

These prompts ask about how you dealt with a particular challenge or solved a problem. Below is a typical example of this question type from the MIT application:

Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?

To address a question like this, you need a topic that has real stakes —that is, something that you genuinely struggled with. Even though it can seem as though you should only discuss positive experiences and feelings in your college essay (you want to impress your readers with how awesome you are!), unwavering positivity actually hurts your essay because it makes you seem fake.

Instead, be honest : if you're writing about a negative experience, acknowledge that it was unpleasant or hard and explain why. Doing so will just make your overcoming it that much more impressive.

#2: Engaging With Diversity

Questions about diversity ask how you interact with those who are different from you . See an example below from the Common Application:

When approaching this type of question, you need to show that you're thoughtful about new ideas and perspectives. Colleges are full of students from all kinds of backgrounds, and admissions officers want to know that you'll be accepting of the diversity of other students, even if you don't necessarily agree with them.

Also, make sure to pick a specific instance to focus on. Writing a general essay about how you accept others won't impress admissions officers—you need to show them an example of a time that you did so.

#3: Growing Up

Finally, this type of prompt asks about a transitional experience or rite of passage that made you feel like an adult. I've reprinted another example from the Common App:

For these types of prompts, you want to show personal growth. Explain to the reader not just who you are but also how you've changed . (Really, this is a good idea no matter which prompt you're addressing!)

College can be challenging, so admissions officers want to know that you have the maturity to deal with (likely) living on your own, managing your own life, and planning for your future.

Regardless of the exact prompt, the key to this type of college essay is to show what you've learned from the experience. Admissions officers don't care that much about what happened to you—they care about what you think and feel about that event. That's what will give them a sense of who you are and what kind of college student you'll make.

Once you write a first draft, put it in a drawer for a week. Taking some time away from it will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes. Then, try to read your essay from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about you. Would they be able to understand the story? Do you explain clearly what you learned? Does your intro grab the reader's attention?

It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or peer, to read your essay and give you feedback. Really listen to what they say and think about how you can improve your writing.

Finally, try reading your essay aloud. This will help you catch any weird or awkward phrasings.

What's Next?

If you're struggling with how to approach your personal statement, consider looking at some college essay examples .

The essay is just one part of the college application process. Check out our guide to applying to college for a step-by-step breakdown of what you'll need to do.

Finally, if you're planning to take the SAT or ACT , consider taking a look at our expert test-prep guides for some helpful advice on whatever you might be struggling with.

Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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Freshman Admission Essays

An essay is not required for admission, but it is highly recommended. Essay topics A, B, and C below are the same topics found on the   ApplyTexas application. If you choose to submit an admission essay, select one of these topics . Essays may be submitted through your ApplyTexas or CommonApp account or by using our document uploader.

Essay Topics - ApplyTexas

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

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

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

Writing Essentials

To assist you with your essay, the Texas State English Department has provided the following guide to good essay writing.

Sentence and Paragraph Level

Does the essay reflect a relative mastery of usage, conventions, and vocabulary?

Do the sentences and ideas follow one another in a logical and coherent fashion?

Does the essay reflect a relative knowledge of the proper conventions of grammar? Do not simply use spell check or proofread your essay; read your essay out loud.

Do your sentences and words follow the proper conventions of punctuation and spelling?

Unified Theme or Subject

Narrow your topic to a single topic. Don't try to write a broad, general essay on how your life has changed. You can't do this in one page. 

Are your ideas specific and coherent? Choose language that reflects and relates specific ideas.

Creativity engages the reader. Don’t be afraid to take risks with your writing. Use creative examples.

Use specific examples to help make your points clear. It will make your essay solid and convincing. 

Submit Your Essay

Your essay may be submitted with your application or separately.

With Your Application

Document uploader.

• How to Write the Apply Texas Essay [2022-2023]

About ApplyTexas Platform

Apply texas application process and requirements, prompts and essays, tips for writing essay a prompt with topic ideas, 1. choose a specific aspect of your surroundings, 2. talk about how your surroundings made you special, 3. make it interesting, tips for writing essay b prompt with topic ideas, 1. identify your core message, 2. make your core message a part of a bigger picture, 3. don’t be afraid to describe situations, 4. be mindful of your tone, tips for writing essay c prompt with topic ideas, 1. pick your destination, 2. don’t overdo it, 3. include all other elements.

If you’re a student looking for a great opportunity to pursue a rewarding undergraduate education in the state of Texas, it could be very helpful to know that there are over 150 four-year universities at your disposal. 

The process of applying for these universities includes using the ApplyTexas application platform. Prospective students can use the Apply Texas platform to accomplish the following tasks:

• Apply for admission to any of the 150 public university institutions in the state of Texas, including private colleges and participating communities.
• Apply for graduate, international and undergraduate admission.
• Take a submitted application to another university.
• Submit your ApplyTexas essays online (get college essay help).
• Find all necessary specific and general information regarding universities.

The 2022-2023 application season is about to knock on your door, and you’ll have to do everything in your power to pass the admissions committee. 

The Apply Texas Platform is a direct result of a collaboration between a wide range of private and public universities from around the state, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board . 

This platform ensures that both Texans and non-Texans get an integrated means of applying to various post-secondary educational institutions. Prospective students can take their compelling application and use it to apply to multiple universities around the state. 

Instead of submitting applications for each school, students can use only one application that’s valid in all the 150 public university institutions in the state of Texas. The platform allows students to apply for admission to all private colleges and participating communities as well. 

Students can use this platform to find all necessary information about the platform, the process of application and requirements, and college essay topics according to their preferences, answer prompts, and more. 

It’s a great, actionable and very informative platform that helps students make their way to the school of their choosing. More importantly, students can use their ApplyTexas application to submit it to any other institution on the Apply Texas list of institutions.

The Apply Texas application uses a standardized form that allows students to use one application for several universities at once. Before you start your application process, make sure you verified that the school you want to get into is featured on the platform.

ApplyTexas is accepted in all public universities in the state of Texas. This platform offers a comprehensive range of tools students can use to determine whether a university of their liking is featured in the platform.  

Aside from ApplyTexas, students also use the Common Application colleges . It’s essential to determine which type of application suits your college list the most. ApplyTexas is just like an ordinary college application. There are some requirements, components, and materials you’ll need to consider before getting started. 

Here’s a list of what you’ll need to get started:

• One copy of your high school transcript
• Your standardized test results
• Evidence of any extracurricular activities
• Contact information for your guidance counselor and guardians
• Evidence of your parents’ employment
• A personal statement
• Letter of recommendation

Just like any other application system, Apply Texas application is divided into sections that deal with your interests, background, and personal information. These sections are:

• Biographical information 
• Educational background
• Educational information
• Test scores
• Residency information
• Extracurricular and volunteer activities
• Employment information
• School-specific questions

The system is divided into these sections to help admissions officers learn more about the prospective students, their habits, behavior, interests, aspirations, extracurricular activities, working and volunteering experiences, and more.

Since your application holds your personal information, they can use it to contact you in case they need clarification regarding questions, your information, etc. These sections help the officers get a clear picture of who their prospective students are, by understanding their interests and backgrounds.

When it comes to your biographical and educational information, it includes your demographics, school, and contact details. Admissions officers use this information to determine how you compare to other candidates, what resources your school provided you with, your background, etc.

Aside from these requirements, there are also custom questions to think about. These are included in most Texas universities are the Apply Texas version of supplemental essays. The most common topic of these custom questions is to find out why you’ve chosen a certain school or major or what you think your contribution should be to campus, etc.

Spring applications are mostly asked to write about their background and the environment in which they grew up in their essays. UT at Austin requires applicants to give answers to three 250-word questions that cover their future leadership, academics, and career. 

To make sure you’re properly prepared for your application and Apply Texas essay , see that you include all extra requirements before you submit.

If you’re comparing high school vs colleges , you’ll find out that college essays are almost the same, only a bit more serious. When it comes to Apply Texas essay requirements, these vary. The required prompts vary from school to school, but the most common essay prompt is Essay A. 

For example, UT Austin supplemental essays require Essay A with three smaller custom questions, while Texas A&M requires Essay A and B. All universities require an essay no longer than 1200-1500 words. If we take the fact that admissions officers have a lot of applicants to deal with, it would be wise to keep your word count to less than 1000. 

Now, there are three different ApplyTexas essay prompts for freshman and international freshman applications:

• Essay A: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
• Essay B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
• Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Let’s take a closer look at each of the three.

This prompt is almost like your personal statement, only different. Students who are using the Coalition App or the Common App usually write Essay A. It includes the most important things that admissions officers should know about you. 

The trick with Essay A is to make it unique and personal to make your essay impactful and memorable. That means that centering your essay around your strongest test performance isn’t going to be enough to make you stand out. 

The narrative you choose to go with should be focused on you and your personality. You’re applying to college, hoping to get a good education that will help you build your career. You can’t expect to reflect on such a major event in your life by writing about scoring great on a math test. 

The story you choose to go with should be deeply connected to you. In most cases, adversity comes in handy. With that in mind, our recommendation would be to write about certain challenges and obstacles you had to overcome, such as a natural disaster, loss of a family member, an illness, etc. 

On the other hand, you can use this prompt to write about your expectations and opportunities. It’s even better if you had a chance to engage in some activities that other students haven’t. It’s essential to pick a topic that separates you from the rest.

Essay B gives you full control over your essay. You have complete freedom to write about anything that comes to your mind. Essay B isn’t about all of the activities you’ve crossed your path with, so you’ll have to stick with the most essential and meaningful one.

Pick the one that really defines you as a person and then elaborate on it. Talk about it, why it matters to you, how it helped you and defined you as a person, what you’ve learned from it, and how it helped develop a specific interest.

It’s even better if the activity is connected to the theme of your application. It helps to highlight your commitment to what you’ve actively pursued and felt so passionate about. The most important part of Essay B is talking about you and your identity. 

This part of your personality refers to anything related to your personality like an unusual hobby that defines your personality, your socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, languages you speak, culture, ethnic background, and so on. 

Pretty much, anything that you think is essential and played a big role in defining who you are as a person, your way of thinking and acting could be the topic of your essay. 

It’s not just enough to talk about your identity — you have to go further beyond it and expand on the concept. Talk about why you think this matters to you and how it helped shape you, your life, and your perspective.

The third prompt is about using your imagination without limits or boundaries. In essence, writing an essay should be fun. You’re not here to defend your dissertation in medicine — you’re here to tell the admissions officers who you are, what you love, how you feel, and where you would like to be in the next few years. Essay C is exactly that — your view of the future.

You can talk about where you would like to go with your life and then expand on that concept by thinking critically about the reasons that compelled you to go that way. If you can relate it back to your application, that would be even better.

By doing so, you have far better chances of standing out in the entire college admissions process. The best thing about the Essay C prompt is that you can choose a fictional place, as there are no rules stating it has to be a real place.

Essay C is essentially how admissions officers ascertain your character and capability. By letting your imagination run wild, you’re showing them how your mind works but, more importantly, what your true values are. 

This question is also an excellent way to show them what characteristics of a community you really hold dear. There is no one size fits all when it comes to writing a college essay that stands out. You’ll just have to think it through and try to connect all the dots into a bigger picture. 

It’s vital that you give answers to the following questions: 

• What made you choose that particular location? 
• How are you connected to that place?
• What role does that place play in your life?

It’s important that you describe some meaningful situations that helped define you as a person. Oh, and don’t forget to edit before you submit as you can’t afford to submit an essay with grammar mistakes, etc.

Let’s elaborate a bit on what you can do with your Essay A prompt. The main goal of this prompt is to allow admissions officers to see how the external environment has shaped you as a high school student. You can start by describing your environment. 

Identify and describe specific events and experiences that shaped your personality while in high school. Only describe the experiences that are really important to you. It’s essential that you focus on how these experiences shaped you through your high school career. 

Just describing the environment isn't enough as you have to show how that environment shaped you into the person you are today. Your audience is hoping to learn two main things about you:

• That you can be thoughtful and mature about your surroundings
• What makes you different from the rest in your environment

Here are some key strategies you can use to make sure you answer the prompt correctly.

Take ideas such as your community, neighborhood, home, or family and work on them in several different directions. Expand on each concept by including the most significant things and events that connected you with the surroundings. 

Reflect upon how this environment helped turn you into who you are today. More importantly, how it helped you stand out. You can talk about how your environment positively fostered certain traits or qualities in you or mention some obstacles you had to overcome. 

It’s vital that you make a connection between your special traits and the environment to send a clear message to your readers. Think of specific events, anecdotes, or stories that could be related to your interaction with your surroundings and explain what they say about you.

Remember when we said that writing an essay should be fun? You can make your essay more interesting by including some action and characters. Just like a good movie, your essay needs a happy ending or, at least, a poignant one. 

Here are some good features to consider for your essay:

• Setting — try to depict the main characters and their connection to the environment or start by describing the actual physical environment.
• Stakes — adding high stakes to the story gives your essay a dynamic range, making things more interesting. So, explain what you gained or lost in your anecdote.
• Conflict resolution — every story has an external and internal conflict that needs resolution. External conflict includes someone like a friend, a family member, a neighbor, etc. Inner conflict is essentially your response to a particular experience or event. Both conflicts need some level of resolution to express how the changes impacted you. 

Here are some good Essay A ideas:

• Describe a situation where you made the initiative to organize people in your surroundings to contribute to a common local cause.
• Reflect upon a close relationship with someone very close to you.
• Talk about a particular place in your environment and why it matters so much to you.
• Describe how it feels being a minority where you come from.
• The things you had to do to handle culture shock from having to move.

Prompt B is all about telling others about yourself. Now, this is pretty vague, but we can dissect it into two specific sections:

• The things that define you — every person has certain traits that define them, whether it’s a talent, an interest, or an identity.
• How these things make who you are — having traits alone isn’t enough, you’ll have to elaborate on how these traits make you who you are, what they say about you as a person.

Essay B tells your readers two things about you:

• How you see yourself — colleges are looking for students who are aware of themselves and can communicate messages about themselves in a cohesive, confident, and clear way. Describe your values and core traits that helped you go through changes and develop a sense of self.
• What your passion is — prompt B speaks about your ability to communicate genuine passion. You’ll face a lot of challenges in college, and you’ll need a driving force to overcome them all. Speaking about what you’re passionate about tells your readers that you can be engaged in the world around you.

It’s important not to lose yourself in describing a complete image of your personality. Keep in mind that you have to stay on the right course in describing your defining trait. 

So, be both comprehensive and focused at the same time. Here are a couple of ways you can frame your identity and put your passion in the best perspective.

To be able to precisely, comprehensively, and accurately describe the essence of who you are, you first need to identify your defining trait. It has to be something that clearly represents who you are or the core aspect of your personality.

This is where we’ll mention anecdotes and stories once again. The best way to identify your core message isn’t by just saying what it is. If you can tell a story about how you’ve come to recognize it, now that’s a completely different thing. Be positive and realistic as this helps make your essay sound serious and mature.

So, you’ve identified your core message. The next phase should be using it to create a complete image of your personality. Think about what your core trait says about you. 

• Are you adventurous? 
• Are you passionate? 
• Do you like exposing yourself to risk? 
• Do you have a taste for exploration? 
• Are you a team player ? 

Go with two or three traits and start painting your final masterpiece about who you are in your essence.

Just telling about some event or experience that demonstrates your key trait isn’t nearly as effective as showing or describing how certain situations led you to develop and recognize those traits.

You’re here to talk about the special qualities that make you unique and valuable to your college and community. Therefore, avoid seeming narcissistic, self-aggrandizing, staid, and glib.

You don’t want to sound self-centered and whiney. Instead, describe yourself as a person people can rely on, as someone who can take charge of a touchy or difficult situation.

Here are some good Essay B ideas to contemplate on:

• If you’re an expert on some topic or really good at something, try to explain how that impacts your identity.
• Describe what a certain extracurricular activity you got involved in means to you and what you’ve learned from it.
• If there’s anything you did thorough research on, speak about how you’ve come to discover that interest and the things you’ve learned from it.
• If you have a personality trait, explain how it impacted you, your life and the people around you.
• Describe how your cultural or religious background defined you.

Essay C is essentially about you giving your imagined possibilities to your readers. Since there’s a pretty vast array of possibilities to reflect on here, we recommend taking one of the following two approaches:

• Take your long-term goals and expand on them — describe what long-term goals you’d like to accomplish in your life and career to show what your interests are.
• Make your narrative imaginative — the C topic doesn’t put any limits on you. It gives you complete freedom to talk about anything, anywhere. It’s important to determine the place and the things you’ll do there. This helps express yourself as a thoughtful person, capable of thinking ahead of things and situations.

Essay C helps admissions officers understand a specific path you’re set on. This prompt allows you to demonstrate your maturity and knowledge. More importantly, it tells about your capability to include all possibilities and portray a futuristic picture of your life and career in a compelling way. It is crucial to find out all the essay requirements the university you are going to enter has. That's why we prepared different blogs such as Virginia Tech GPA requirements , Carnegie Mellon essay prompts , Johns Hopkins essay that worked , etc, to help our users prepare for this writing task.

Here are some tips to help you express compelling and thoughtful visions of your future.

Since this is practically your direct interpretation of what you should be doing in the future, you have to pick a destination that has a special meaning for you. It has to be genuinely compelling to you.

Students usually get lost in describing their vision because there is so much they would want to say but are limited by the word count. Therefore, stick with a simple aspiration rather than brag about your vision. 

Remember that you’re writing a college essay . It has to be real, convincing and serious yet imaginative. Talk about what kind of person you’d like to become.

Picking a destination is just one side of the coin. Don’t forget to include and consider other elements of your story. Take the key ideas that relate back to your goals, talents, and personality. 

Your admissions officers shouldn’t have to think about your point or who you are — your paper is there to explain that to them.

Here are some good Essay C ideas you can use to accomplish that:

• Describe how a particular extracurricular activity or class led you to pursue a particular academic career.
• Put yourself in a leadership role and describe what that experience taught you and how you’ve learned to take charge and solve problems.
• Start a discussion on how you had the chance to teach someone to do something and how that inspired you to teach in the future.
• If you want to make it more abstract and fictional, describe a place from your favorite movie or book you’d like to visit and what that says about you.
• Name a historical period you’d like to visit.

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A lot of selective colleges with a lot of applicants require supplemental essays. In many cases, these essays are just as important as the personal statement of the applicant. The University of Texas at Austin is one of those US colleges that requires a supplemental essay. Each year, new applicants ...

Essays & Short Answers

Summer/Fall 2025 Essay

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

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

Spring 2025 Essays

All freshman Spring 2025 applicants must submit a required essay:

• UT Austin Required Essay in the Common App, or
• Topic A in ApplyTexas

Please keep your essay between 500–700 words (typically two to three paragraphs).

Spring 2025 Essay Topic

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

Submitting Your Essay

You can submit your essays:

• In conjunction with your application.
• Using the Document Upload System in MyStatus.

*Students do not need to submit other Common App essays. We’ll only review what is required.

Short Answers

• Submit the required short answers to prompts in your admission application.
• Answers are limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words per prompt, typically the length of one paragraph.

Summer/Fall 2025 Prompts

• Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?
• Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why? ( Guidance for student s: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work or a family responsibility.)

Optional Short Answer

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

Spring 2025 Prompts

• Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.
• The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate.

Submitting Your Short Answers

You can submit your short answers with either your Common App or Apply Texas application. Short answer responses must be completed in order to submit your application.

• Transfer applicants must submit one essay responding to Topic A.
• Applicants to the School of Architecture and Studio Art, Art Education and Art History are required to upload Topic D in addition to Topic A. 

Essay Topics

Topic a (required).

The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application. You may also want to explain unique aspects of your academic background or valued experiences you may have had that relate to your academic discipline. The statement of purpose is not meant to be a listing of accomplishments in high school/college or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admission committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and the other application information cannot convey.

Topic D (School of Architecture majors and Studio Art, Art Education and Art History majors only)

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

Submitting Your Essay(s)

2022-2023 Common App Essay Prompts

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The Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2022-2023. Because as we enter the third year of a global pandemic, consistency is not a bad thing.

That’s not the only reason, of course. We know from our most recent survey on the topic that over 95% of every group who responded--students, counselors, teachers, and admission officers--agree that the prompts spark effective essays. That’s why we kept them the same last year as well, with the exception of adding a new one about gratitude .

As we’ve said in the past, this announcement is not an invitation to juniors to start writing. And it’s definitely not a signal that they start thinking about applying. Those things will come in time. We share this news in January because it’s when some schools begin conversations about college options. It’s a time for learning, reflecting, and planning. That’s where the prompts can be useful: in helping students understand the aspects of their lives that colleges are curious about. 

"We share this news in January because it’s when some schools begin conversations about college options. It’s a time for learning, reflecting, and planning. That’s where the prompts can be useful: in helping students understand the aspects of their lives that colleges are curious about." Scott Anderson, Senior Director, Common App

Something else we’ve said in the past: prompts are not topics. They are simply questions designed to spark thinking. Our Telling Your Story resource shows students just how much flexibility they have in what they write when the time comes.

Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2022-2023. We will also retain the optional COVID-19 question within the Additional Information section.

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• 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?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

News and updates

Driving Growth: See how these universities boosted enrollment

Financial aid is complicated

Washington State University applications surge with help from Common App

Texas A&M University

• Cost & scholarships
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Want to see your chances of admission at Texas A&M University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Texas A&M University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Impactful person short response.

Tell us about the person who has most impacted your life and why.

Opportunities and Challenges Essay

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

Life Even Short Response

Describe a life event which you feel has prepared you to be successful in college.

Overcoming Challenges Short Response

If there are additional personal challenges, hardships, or opportunities (including COVID related experiences) that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, which you have not already written about, please note them in the space below.

College of Engineering Essay

Describe your academic and career goals in the broad field of engineering (including computer science, industrial distribution, and engineering technology). What and/or who has influenced you either inside or outside the classroom that contributed to these goals? It is important to spend time addressing this question as it will be considered as part of engineering review process.

ApplyTexas Essays

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

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

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

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

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

ApplyTexas Essays: Exploring the 3 Main Essay Prompts

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How to Write Outstanding ApplyTexas Essays

Our best advice for impressing texas admissions officers with applytexas' essays a, b and c..

Are you applying to a college in Texas? Pretty much all of them use ApplyTexas — whether they’re public or private, two-year or four. And their essay prompts are tricky — unusually open-ended, and with no suggested word limit.

To set yourself up for success, we at Prompt have a few insights for you:

• Be succinct: Pretend there is a word limit. In fact, pretend that limit is between 500 and 600 words. Rambling is easy, but it’s not a good look. Being short is hard, but it makes for a more impressive essay.
• Think about YOU first, then choose your prompt: If your schools allow you a choice (some don’t), start by thinking about what experience or attribute best shows your ability to succeed in college and beyond. Once you have that answer, choose the prompt that will allow you to tell that story.
• Get personalized help: These are some of the 500 words that are going to matter the most in your entire career. Could you benefit from professional feedback? If so, we do this all the time, and we’d love to help you get started, or get feedback on a draft. Check us out here .

ApplyTexas Essay Prompts 2020-2021

• Essay A: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
• Essay B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
• Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

While there’s no strict word limit, Prompt recommends keeping your essay between 500 and 600 words.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

What Are the ApplyTexas Essay Prompts for 2019-2020?

If you’re a rising 12th grader interested in attending school in Texas, you might have heard about the ApplyTexas program. Designed to streamline your application process, this application could be the only one you have to fill out if the schools you want to attend participate.

In this post, we’ll give you an overview of ApplyTexas and provide the essay prompts for the 2019-2020 application cycle. If you think you might be going to college in Texas, you won’t want to miss this post.

Learn how to write the ApplyTexas essays for 2019-2020. 

What Is ApplyTexas?

ApplyTexas is a collaboration between Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and many of the colleges and universities in the state. The program provides a streamlined process for applying to any Texas public university, as well as to participating community and private colleges.

Its online portal allows applicants to fill out a single application which can then be submitted to any number of schools that participate. Students can also apply for scholarships from participating universities and search for and view both general and university specific information.

Although ApplyTexas participant schools all accept the same application, other requirements such as application deadlines, fees, and essay supplements vary. You can learn more about the program, including which schools participate, in our post What is ApplyTexas? What Colleges Use It? .

For first-year students applying through ApplyTexas, the essay prompts for 2019-2020 are as follows:

What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.

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

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

(Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept the Apply Texas Application. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education, you are not required to write this essay.)

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

Need help with your college applications?

We’ve helped thousands of students write amazing college essays and successfully apply to college! Learn more about how our Applications Program can help your chances of admission.

3 Tips for the ApplyTexas Essay

1. check individual school requirements.

This is an integral step if you want to be successful and not waste enormous amounts of time. Although ApplyTexas provides these prompts, if you visit the application instructions page on their website, you will learn that most colleges and universities in Texas do not require essays as part of the admissions process.

Yes, that’s right . Depending on which schools you plan to apply to, you might not even need to write an essay. Some colleges do certainly require an essay, but the majority do not. Do you research in advance to learn what the exact requirements are at every school on your list.

2. Brainstorm, Brainstorm, Brainstorm

While the application software allows you to type your essay directly into the application field, this is not the intention and is not recommended. You will need to carefully consider your essay topic in advance by doing lots of brainstorming. A few questions to get you started might include:

• “Who Am I?”
• “Why Am I Here?”
• “What is Unique About Me?”
• “What Matters to Me?”
• “What Experiences Have Made Me Who I Am?”

Keep a running list of your answers to these questions so that you can thoughtfully plan your essay well ahead of time. Then write several drafts offline before you upload your polished piece into the final application.

3. Get Some Help From the Pros

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

For more tips on writing college essays, check out these CollegeVine posts:

College Essay Structures & How to Approach Them

What Is a College Personal Statement?

What If I Don’t Have Anything Interesting To Write About In My College Essay?

Whom Should I Ask for Help with My College Essay?

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60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications

Ideas to inspire every college applicant.

Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.

Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts

2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.

Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

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

More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.

• Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

• What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
• Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
• Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
• What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

• Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.

• Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
• Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
• Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

• Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
• What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
• Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
• Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
• Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
• Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
• When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
• Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
• Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

• Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.

These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.

• What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
• Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
• What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
• How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?

• Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
• What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
• If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
• What gives meaning to your life?
• If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
• If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?

• Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
• What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
• Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.

Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.

• What does it mean to you to be educated?
• What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
• Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
• Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?

• What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
• If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
• Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
• Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
• What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.

• Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.

• You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

• Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
• If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
• If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
• Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
• If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
• If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
• My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
• If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
• What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
• Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?

• Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
• If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
• What website is the internet missing?

How do you help your students prepare their college application essays? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships.

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