university of washington essays 2023

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College Essays

The University of Washington is often ranked among public Ivy Leagues —that is, public schools with the academic clout and selectivity to elevate their reputations. So if you want to be a Husky, it's not just about good grades and test scores. You'll also need to prove yourself with a good University of Washington essay, combining your technical skill with your knowledge of the school and your reasons for wanting to attend to attract attention from admissions officers.

But to do that, you need to know how to write great UW essays. The University of Washington uses the Common Application , which can be submitted to multiple schools and includes an essay section with several different prompts. The supplemental UW essay prompts are pretty standard, but we have all the helpful tips you need to make sure your application is set to impress.

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What's Included in the University of Washington Essay Section?

There are two required essays you need to write for the University of Washington, along with an optional third essay. These essays are:

• Common App essay (650 words)
• Short response (300 words)
• Additional information (optional, 200 words)

Part of the Common App includes answering an essay prompt in 650 words or less. While there are seven Common App essay prompts, the University of Washington doesn't allow you to choose which prompt to answer; all applicants must answer the same prompt and submit them as part of their Common Application .  

The University of Washington application also includes a required short response question of 300 words and an optional short essay of 200 words.

Additional space is available, but it's recommended that you don't take it unless you absolutely need it. Show restraint when responding to UW essay prompts; it shows that you can be concise and follow directions , and you won't run the risk of volunteering too much information or making yourself memorable for the wrong reasons. That said, we'll cover some exceptions below!

What Is the Common Application Essay Prompt?

Although there are seven Common App essay prompts , the University of Washington requires you to answer a specific prompt; you don't get to choose. The maximum length of this essay is 650 words, but the University of Washington recommends the essay be closer to 300-400 words.

This is the Common App essay prompt you must answer:

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

This essay prompt is pretty broad; it allows you to focus on any significant experience in your life. To answer it effectively, you'll want to relate a specific anecdote or event that had a strong impact on you as a person and how you define yourself today.

When answering this prompt, you'll want to choose a particularly significant experience. It doesn't need to be super rare, but the experience should hold deep meaning for you. Ask yourself: what defines you? What do you find important? Can you connect a key part of your personality or a goal you have to a specific event in your life?

You should also focus on only one experience. Don't try to cram in as many stories as possible—concentrate on the one incident that's most important to you, and use this essay as a chance to really delve into the specifics of it. How did the experience make you feel at the time? Why did it have such an impact on you?

If you decide to write about a negative experience, try to put a positive spin on it. You don't need to stick with a happy-go-lucky story—maybe you lost a friend because of a heated argument, or forgot to pick up your little brother from school one day. Regardless of the incident, keep the focus on how this situation ultimately taught you something important about life, such as the value of responsibility or the meaning of maturity.

Tips For Brainstorming Topics for Your University of Washington Essay

If you're struggling to come up with an experience to write about, try these brainstorming ideas:

• A time you helped someone in need, such as a friend, a classmate, or a sibling, and how your assistance revealed to you the value of cooperation or compassion. For example, did you tutor a peer in math? Help your sibling recover from a bullying incident?
• A time you made a mistake or acted against your true character and what this taught you about morality and being true to yourself. Perhaps you lied about a grade you got to your parents or said something out of anger to a friend and later regretted it.
• An incident that emphasizes a particular skill or ability you have. For example, you could write about the time you organized a winter holiday food drive at your high school and how it highlights your leadership skills and passion for social work.
• A time you faced a challenge and how you ultimately overcame it. Maybe you struggled severely with geometry and were about to fail your math class, but because of a great friend who encouraged you to keep trying, you eventually raised your grade from a D- to a B.

When writing this essay, make sure to avoid pretending something is more important or unique than it actually is. Don't tell a story the admissions committee has likely heard hundreds of times. Choose an event that speaks to your life and has had a large impact on how you see yourself. Basically, don't write about what you think the admissions committee wants to read. For example, instead of discussing how you've been in Honor Society since 9th grade, it'll be a lot more interesting if you wrote about somebody you met through Honor Society or why you decided to drop out of it.

Also, don't focus too much on the negative part of the story. While it's OK to write about a time when you made a mistake, did something wrong, or faced a challenge, try to avoid writing only about the bad parts. Your story should overall be optimistic and reveal something positive about yourself.

What Is the Short Answer Prompt?

Once you've finished the Common Application essay, the University of Washington has an additional requirement for you—a short response question with a 300 word limit.

The University of Washington suggests that concise writing is particularly valuable, and recommends that the Common App essay be between 300 and 400 words rather than 650. Though they don't offer word count recommendations for the other prompts, it's best to assume they're looking for short answers. Cutting out 100 words might feel excessive, but do try to leave some breathing room within your essay rather than squeaking in right under the allotted 300 words .

Additionally, the University of Washington states that students tend to answer this essay more informally than the longer essay. However, they expect formal, polished essays for both prompts, so don't slack off on proofreading or editing this essay.

For the UW short response essay, here is the required prompt:

Our families and 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.

UW offers a helpful tip right below the prompt: "Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints." What this means is that UW wants to see students who are going to be right at home in that diverse student body. When answering this question, consider specifically what you might add to the community. What perspective do you bring? What traits make you a good fit?

Some students might struggle with this, because it's easy to assume that UW means they're only looking for students from diverse backgrounds, such as students of color, LGBTQ+ students, or students of other marginalized identities. But the prompt doesn't at all mean that you have no chance if you don't belong to one of those communities. Students who fit into those groups may have an easier time of identifying what diversity they bring to the school, but belonging to a marginalized group doesn't in any way guarantee admission.

The University of Washington is looking for students who foster and embrace diversity, so be sure to think on those terms. Consider, for example, how your rambunctious family Thanksgiving taught you to embrace chaos, and how your ability to stop Great Aunt Kathy from throwing mashed potatoes at your cousin for bringing up a sensitive political issue translates to a college campus. Think about how having several different friend groups in high school—nerds and jocks, for example—taught you to move between spaces while always being your authentic self.

For students who are of marginalized backgrounds, the same advice still applies. You likely have different lived experiences than other students, but UW wants to know exactly what you're going to bring to the student community . You can discuss advocacy work, for example, or how your less advantageous upbringing taught you to work hard for everything you want. Always come back to that request to "Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW."

Embracing diversity isn't just about being a member of a marginalized community; think about how you participate in your social groups and how your experiences before college will help you have and, more importantly, create a good experience for others. Again, it's not about what identity you do or do not have, but rather about how you build communities and support others. UW is a big school, but you'll still be interacting with people from all walks of life on a daily basis—how will you navigate difference and fit into a student body made up of so many different people?

Let UW know exactly how they're going to help you make a slam dunk.

What Should You Add in the Additional Information Section?

The University of Washington essay prompt offers an additional 200 words for you to talk about yourself and your unique circumstances. This section is optional, and UW advises that the following types of students may benefit from taking the opportunity to expand on their application:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

Even if you don't fall into one of these groups, it's wise to take advantage of this additional space. Everyone has a goal that's important to them, after all, which is explicitly included in the second bullet point. However, you only have 200 words, so you'll need to make them count .

Again, UW mentions earlier in their guidelines for the writing section that they value brevity. Don't try to hit that 200 word mark just because it's there—use only the space that you need. Be succinct and clear about any obstacles you've overcome, what draws you to your major, and what makes you want to attend UW specifically.

For example, say you, like many prospective UW students, are interested in becoming a doctor. The University of Washington is highly ranked among medical schools , so saying you want to go there because it's a good medical program isn't doing any legwork in setting you apart from other students . Instead, use this space to talk about why your major is important to you, and why placement at UW is going to help you achieve more.

Following the medical school example, maybe your primary care doctor was a UW grad, and the depth of care they gave you convinced you it wasn't just what you know as a doctor that matters, but also how you deploy that knowledge. Because you want to make the same difference in somebody's life, you're applying to UW to have access to the same information and instruction that your doctor did. In essence, use this space to explain something you didn't have space to explain elsewhere, but make it count .

Be careful not to retread the same ground! This is an opportunity to flesh out your application, not to hammer something home. If you haven't had a chance to discuss that your grades slipped sophomore year because of a family illness or that your local library has a special box for you because of all the engineering books you keep checking out, now's the time to mention it. Keep it short, direct, and original—the admissions office is reading this supplemental section in the context of your application, so you don't need to revisit anything.

Careful not to fall into the trap of using more space than you need.

Should You Use the Additional Space? How?

It can be tempting to use UW's provided additional space to squeeze a few more words into your application, but resist it . Those word counts are there for a reason, and you should aim to get under, not exceed them.

That said, there are legitimate reasons to use this additional space. The University of Washington mentions clarifying answers from elsewhere on the application or providing extra information to the admissions office.

If you have special considerations as a student that you want to be sure the office is aware of, but that you didn't discuss in the previous additional information section, you could include that here. You could also include relevant awards or distinguishing recognition you've received. If your high school had an unusual grading system, it might be useful to explain how to interpret your grades.

But don't take the lack of a word requirement to mean that you can talk about whatever you want, or that you should use this space to expand on one of your earlier essays . Use only what you need, no more. Try to keep it under 200 words. Brevity is important!

Tips and Advice for the University of Washington Essays

Specific advice for each prompt will help you craft a better essay, but there are some general things to keep in mind, too !

Proofread Your UW Essays

It's a small space, so there should be fewer mistakes, right? Nope . You still need to proofread . Consider writing your essays by hand and then transcribing the drafts—it feels like more work, but turning written words into typed words is a great way to spot mistakes. Go through multiple drafts, and read your essay out loud before you submit it.

Don't let typos get through; no matter how good the rest of your essay is, a typo will make it look as though you didn't edit it at all, suggesting you didn't take your time. Do everything you can to avoid the perception that you wrote it up without thinking! On the UW admission website they are very specific that you should “write like it matters, not like you’re texting. This is an application for college, not a message to your friend.”

Get Editing Help

Seek feedback from those you trust, not just those who are going to tell you your essays are great . You want your essays to be as good as possible, so let people who are going to be truthful with you make suggestions. They'll help you write a better essay, and a fresh pair of eyes can spot holes in your logic and errors you might miss after repeated revisions.

Think about going to teachers or counselors rather than friends or family. Though they undoubtedly want to help you, they might also be worried about hurting your feelings. Someone who's a little more objective but still wants to see you succeed is the kind of editor you want.

Be Specific

Always remember that you're applying to the University of Washington. Don't just write an essay that could impress any college (that's what the Common Application essay is for!); write one that ties into UW's core values . Their vision includes an emphasis on discovery, research, community, optimism, and even celebrating the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. All of these are angles ripe for exploration in your essays . If one of your answers is lacking, try folding a little of this vision into it by finding parts of your essay that match the mission and making them stand out more.

Read Essays That Got Students Into UW

It can be tricky finding essays that got applicants into UW, but it can also be a great indicator of what the school values in an application. Take these essays by Issa Rice . Though written for a different set of prompts, it's not hard to see why Rice was accepted.

Notice how his essays could only come from him; they're so tied to personal experience that it's unlikely anyone else would have the same essay. That's the kind of personalization you want to strive for. Your essay should speak about your own unique experience and leave the admissions office with a clearer picture of who you are as a person, not just as a collection of grades and test scores.

What's Next?

Crafting a perfect essay is just one part of the admissions process to the University of Washington. Because UW is a moderately selective school, you need to be aware of all admissions requirements before applying to be sure that your application is up to snuff .

As you're writing and rewriting your UW essay, be sure that it meets all the guidelines of a good college essay in addition to the UW requirements. A little extra polish will go a long way to cementing your application in the admission office's memory!

If you're struggling to understand why UW uses the Coalition App and what that means, never fear! We have all the information on what distinguishes one application system from another , helping you plan your college applications with less stress.

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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University of Washington Essay Prompts 2022-2023

University of washington essay prompts quick facts :.

• University of Washington acceptance rate: 53%— U.S. News ranks the University of Washington as a more selective school.
• 1 (~650 word) essay
• 1 (~300 word) short response
• 1 (~200 word) additional information essay (optional)
• University of Washington application: The University of Washington accepts applications via the Common App or ApplyWeb . The University of Washington Common App essay is not considered in the admissions process. Make sure to check all of the University of Washington application requirements. 
• University of Washington essay tip: Every UW application essay is important when it comes to impressing the UW admissions committee. Make sure to give each UW essay prompt your careful attention, no matter the word count. 

What are the University of Washington essay prompts?

You’ve completed the tedious work of finding your top colleges to apply to and now you’re working on your UW essay prompts. Before you start worrying about the college enrollment process, let’s break down each UW essay prompt so you can begin writing your UW application essays! 

There are three UW essay prompts .

Remember that UW admissions doesn’t consider the Common App essay in their writing section. Two of the UW essay prompts are required and one UW essay prompt is optional. While the University of Washington acceptance rate may not seem so intimidating compared to other colleges , your UW essay prompt responses can still make or break your application. 

We have provided all three UW essay prompts for the 2022-2023 University of Washington supplemental essays below. You’ll find a breakdown of how to approach each of the University of Washington essay prompts as well as tips for writing UW application essays that will stand out.

Importantly, the University of Washington does not review your Common App essay. Although the University of Washington Common App essay isn’t considered in the University of Washington admissions process (it won’t factor into your odds against the University of Washington acceptance rate), the Common App personal essay is still important in other universities’ application process. Check out all you need to know about writing a personal essay for the other schools that made your college list . 

University of Washington Essay Prompts #1 ( Required )

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it (650 words)..

Of all the University of Washington essay prompts, this one is the longest and the most open-ended. This UW application essay should focus on some part of your character: the qualities that determine how you move through the world. In this UW application essay, try to highlight who you are, what you value, and who you’d be on UW’s campus.

Identify your values

To begin your brainstorm for the first of the University of Washington essay prompts, write out your values. List any qualities you care about— honesty, compassion, curiosity, etc. For each characteristic, think of a moment that taught you something about this quality and a moment it was tested. For example, if your characteristic was honesty, you might think about a time when you lied and the consequences of your actions. Or, maybe you think of a moment where you had to choose between lying and being honest.

If you’re not sure which characteristic to highlight for this University of Washington essay, start by brainstorming potential stories. Try to think of a time when you were proud of yourself, when you were challenged, or when you learned a lesson.

You can also check out this list of personal achievements and characteristics from the University of Washington admissions page for ideas of what to discuss in this UW application essay.

Focus on action

Whatever story you tell in this UW application essay, make sure your experience involves you making a decision or taking action. A story with a conflict and resolution will make your essay more engaging . Once you have settled on your topic, without second-guessing yourself, write out what happened and, more importantly, what you got out of the situation. 

A great way to make sure you’ve answered this UW essay prompt is to have another person read your essay without reading the prompt. Then, ask what they learned about you from your essay. If they learned something about your character, then chances are you’ve successfully responded to the question. Then, you can move onto the other University of Washington essay prompts.

University of Washington Essay Prompts #2 ( Required )

Our families and 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 (300 words)..

The second of the required University of Washington essay prompts revolves around community and how it creates unique perspectives. Because the UW essay prompts are quite general, brainstorm before you pick a topic. You’re likely part of many intersecting communities, so start by listing all the communities you belong to. Communities can be as big as a globally practiced religion or as small as a friendship group based on Dungeons and Dragons, so don’t leave anything out.

Focus on impact

Once you have your list for the second of the University of Washington essay prompts, think about how these communities impact your life. Remember, diversity is not just based on categories of identity; it also comes from differences in how we view and experience the world. For each community, do two free-writes : one detailing the important characteristics, beliefs, and events shared within that community and one detailing how that community impacts how you move through the world.

The UW essay prompt then asks you to imagine how you might add to the diversity of UW. Maybe you want to join a specific student group. Alternatively, you might even propose to start a new one. Maybe you want to bring your point of view into a field of study where it’s not typically included. For each community on your list, brainstorm how it would impact your time at UW.

Once you’ve done your brainstorm for this UW application essay, string your ideas together. If you’re having trouble organizing your thoughts, stick to the outline provided by the University of Washington essay prompts. Use the questions “what is your world,” “how are you a product of it,” and “how will you add to the diversity of UW” as guiding questions for the beginning, middle, and end of your University of Washington essay.

University of Washington Essay Prompts #3 ( Optional )

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances (200 words)..

This UW essay prompt is optional. The University of Washington application requirements don’t call for a response to this UW essay prompt. However, you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you and you’d like to share that information with the University of Washington admissions. 

Often, prompts listed as “optional” are still essentially required if you want to be a competitive applicant. This is not the case with the final UW essay prompt. If you don’t have any extenuating circumstances, feel free to disregard this University of Washington essay prompt. 

You may want to answer this optional UW application essay if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education.
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations.
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended.

Of all the University of Washington essay prompts, this one lets you fill in potential gaps in your University of Washington application due to various circumstances. If you have had to overcome challenges to get where you are today, the University of Washington admissions committee wants to hear about it.

Although this is the shortest of the University of Washington essay prompts, it is important you still craft a story and directly connect your experiences to your University of Washington application. For example, if you had to start working at a young age to support your family, be sure to include why it is important for the UW admissions team to know. Maybe you didn’t have time for extracurriculars , or maybe you had to make extra efforts to stay on top of your homework. 

Mention how you’ve grown

You should also make sure you include what the experience means to you if responding to this UW application essay. For instance, maybe your hardships taught you to be more responsible, or maybe you learned how to ask for help when you need it. If you choose to respond to this last of the University of Washington essay prompts, make sure your reader knows why you chose to include it. As with your other two University of Washington supplemental essays, remember to be brief, specific, and honest.

How do I write my University of Washington essays?

To make your essays count, remember to consider your audience. Your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts should convey who you are, how you’d succeed at UW, and what you might bring to UW’s campus. Are you a first generation college student? Did you take a meaningful gap year ? This is your opportunity to show what makes you unique. Remember that your responses to each UW essay prompt shouldn’t read like your college resume . Give each UW essay prompt response some personality and passion . 

Take time with the University of Washington essay prompts, and give the same amount of consideration to each UW application essay. While one of the University of Washington essay prompts is shorter than the other, that doesn’t mean it will be easier to write. Each UW application essay should be clear, concise, and captivating. It should also completely answer the University of Washington essay prompts. 

Follow the checklist below to be sure that you answer the University of Washington prompts to the best of your ability. 

UW Essay Prompts Checklist:

✔️ brainstorm.

Before you begin writing, create a list of topics related to the University of Washington essay prompts. Use the breakdowns of the University of Washington essay prompts above to help you get started.

Once you’ve chosen a topic for each of the University of Washington essay prompts, it is time to get writing. Don’t worry about making your first draft perfect—it doesn’t need to be! Don’t think about things like the University of Washington acceptance rate; just focus on getting your story down on paper

Ask yourself: does my UW application essay specifically answer the UW essay prompt? Am I telling a story? Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end? Does my essay show who I am? Because each UW essay prompt has a specific word limit, it’s important to make every word count.

✔️ Proofread

Read through each essay for any spelling or grammatical errors. The University of Washington admissions team will review thousands of responses to the University of Washington essay prompts, and we want your University of Washington essays to stand out for the right reasons. Make sure your responses to the UW essay prompts are as clear and easy to read so your personality can shine.

✔️ Get a second opinion

Have someone else—a family member, mentor, even a peer—read your essay. A second pair of eyes will notice how your UW essays read, whether your story flows, and how well you’ve addressed the UW essay prompts.

✔️ Repeat steps 3-4 until you are satisfied with your UW essay prompts

Remember, the writing process is a process. Give yourself enough time ahead of the deadline to think about the UW essay prompts. Draft each UW application essay, take a step away, and come back to them with fresh eyes.

After working through the checklist above, evaluate your progress. Keep reworking your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts until you can confidently say that the following statements are true:

• My UW essays tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Each of my essays answers the UW essay prompt.
• All of my UW essays emphasize who I am and what is important to me.
• My UW essays have no spelling or grammatical errors.

Does the University of Washington care about essays?

Yes! As the University of Washington acceptance rate tells us, not everyone gets into UW. Figuring out how to get into UW will be difficult without placing importance on the UW essay prompts. The University of Washington application essays are UW Admissions’ way of learning who you are as a person. 

The University of Washington admissions office uses a holistic review process. This means they consider your UW essays and extracurriculars alongside your academics. So, your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts are a vital part of your University of Washington application requirements. 

Specifically, UW breaks down their review into two categories: Preparation & Performance and Personal Achievements & Characteristics. While the first depends on your grades and courses, your University of Washington supplemental essays are the perfect place to emphasize the second. UW looks for students who will both succeed academically and contribute to campus life. Your UW application essays should capture who you are and how you will shine at UW. Each of the University of Washington essay prompts lets you share different aspects of what matters to you.

University of Washington Admissions Top Tips for Supplemental Essays

While Seattle may not be the stereotypical “college town,” the city certainly has a lot to offer. If you’re set on UW, which is a top ranking university globally, then we know you want to do everything you can to make your responses to the UW essay prompts stand out. 

To save you time as you begin working on your UW essays, we’ve provided the top ten tips from the University of Washington admissions for writing the UW essays below. We’ve also included tips on how to apply them to your University of Washington supplemental essays.

“Write to the prompt.”

Your University of Washington essays will only be successful if they completely answer the University of Washington essay prompts. Be sure to use our breakdowns of the University of Washington essay prompts, and keep each UW essay prompt in mind when editing your drafts.

“Avoid overused topics.”

Be thorough as you brainstorm topics for each of the UW essay prompts. If you read the UW essay prompts and choose to write about a common experience, use specific details in your UW application essays that show what makes your experience unique.

“Use language you can manage.”

When in doubt, always lean towards simple and straightforward language in your University of Washington essays. Your University of Washington application essays should be written in your voice. Don’t try to sound more intelligent as you respond to the UW essay prompts. Authenticity is key. 

“Keep it simple and real.”

Often, the little things in life have the biggest impact. As you brainstorm topics for your UW application essays, don’t feel pressured to construct the most complicated story. Remember, the University of Washington admissions office wants to be impressed by you! Just be yourself and show them exactly who you are when responding to the University of Washington essay prompts.

“Use humor, honesty, and humility.”

Respond to the UW essay prompts in your own voice. If you have a humorous voice, let that shine through, but only use humor if it feels natural. No matter your writing style, all of your University of Washington essays should be honest and authentic. If you choose to write about your accomplishments , try to do so without bragging or showing off.

“Make it memorable.”

Your University of Washington supplemental essays will be memorable if you are passionate about the story you are telling. Don’t worry about whether the UW admissions team will find your story interesting—if your UW application essays are honest, specific, and exciting to you, they’ll be exciting to read.

“Find the sweet spot.”

Each of the University of Washington essay prompts has a specific word count. While your UW application essays should not be over the word count, it isn’t a bad thing if they are under. For example, if you can tell your story in 400 words, don’t add fluff to reach the 650-word limit. Just be sure your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts are specific and detailed enough to paint a complete picture for your reader.

“Proofread.”

The last thing you want UW admissions thinking about as they finish reading your UW application essays is a typo. Make sure to double-check your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts for spelling and grammar. Try to complete your University of Washington essays ahead of the deadline so you can give yourself a few days away from each of your UW application essays before your final proofread. 

“Punctuate properly.”

Punctuation can change the entire meaning of a sentence, so it’s important you punctuate your University of Washington essays correctly. Try highlighting all your commas, periods, etc., and reading your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts out loud. If someone is helping you edit your UW essays, ask them to do a read-through specifically looking at punctuation.

“Write a punchy first line.”

While it is important your University of Washington essays have a strong opening, don’t let this tip trap you into trying to be overly funny or clever. Your UW application essays thrive on specificity, so write an opening line suited to your specific story and voice.

UW Essay Prompts: Final Thoughts

Remember, the University of Washington essay prompts are your chance to introduce yourself to UW admissions. While the University of Washington acceptance rate is not the highest, strong essays can make all the difference. 

Although your academic history is an important part of your University of Washington application requirements, your UW application essays let UW see who you are beyond numbers and statistics. If you feel your GPA or test scores don’t reflect the kind of student you are or hope to become, your University of Washington essays are the place to showcase your best self. And with so many universities deciding to go test-optiona l, your essays are of utmost importance when it comes to maximizing your odds against the University of Washington acceptance rate. 

Each essay is an opportunity

Think of each UW application essay as an opportunity to overcome the University of Washington acceptance rate and impress the University of Washington admissions. Write each UW application essay thoughtfully, passionately, and comprehensively. Each UW essay prompt response should be not only moving, but also mechanically impeccable. 

While the University of Washington essay prompts may seem like a challenge, remember you have complete control over your UW essays. The strength of your responses to each UW essay prompt relies entirely on how much time, effort, and care you put into them. Start thinking about the UW essay prompts early so you can make your essays the best they can be.

This University of Washington supplemental essays 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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Writing @ UW @ College of Arts & Sciences - University of Washington

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This web site contains comprehensive information about taking and teaching writing courses at the UW Seattle campus.

About UW Writing

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Students admitted to the UW now have until June 1 to commit, a result of FAFSA delays. We anticipate that financial aid offers will be sent in late April or early May.

Important Freshman application information

Academic preparation and achievement are some of the most important factors when it comes to reviewing your application, but we want to know more. What should we know about you that isn’t reflected in your grades and coursework? Where are you headed? What do you care about? We are excited to learn what you will bring to the UW community.

How to apply

See our step-by-step instructions on how to apply .

What you need to know:

Key dates & deadlines.

Admission decisions are made only after all freshman applications have been reviewed. The UW does not participate in early decision or early action admission.

*Winter quarter is not open to international freshman applicants. For more information and to access the application, please contact your admissions counselor.

**Most degree-seeking students apply for autumn quarter. If you wish to apply for summer quarter as a degree-seeking student please consult an admissions counselor . To apply for summer quarter as a non-degree student, contact  Summer Quarter .

Holistic review

We’re looking for students who will not only benefit from the academic and cultural opportunities available at the UW, but for students who will also contribute to our energy and diversity of experience. The entire application, including the essays and extracurricular activities, is important in the individualized review. We encourage you to use the application to share who you are and what is important to you. Learn more about holistic review .

Freshmen by the numbers

At the UW, you are more than test scores and a GPA, but we know that you’re curious about the numbers anyway.

All freshman applicants must complete a minimum level of preparation in six subject areas. This requirement ensures that students entering the UW have an appreciation for the liberal arts and are adequately prepared to succeed in college. Learn more about satisfying CADRs .

English proficiency (international students only)

International students are required to submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score that meets the UW’s minimum English proficiency requirement .

Exams for credit

We get asked about which path is best…a lot. Should you take Advanced Placement (AP) courses? How about International Baccalaureate (IB) or A Level and AS Level exams?

The UW encourages and applauds participation in any of these programs. They are challenging and demanding, and we believe they provide excellent preparation for university study. Find details and useful links below.

• Advanced Placement (AP)
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• A Level and AS Level exams

Admission to majors

Your admission to a major at the UW depends on the major you are interested in and your application type. Learn more about admission to majors

Homeschool policies

Homeschool students bring unique qualities to our campus, and we welcome your interest in the UW. Homeschool applicants are assessed in the same context as other freshman in the UW’s holistic review process.

We welcome applications from homeschool students. Please review our  guidelines  so you’re ready to go.

Not sure if you’re a freshman or a transfer student? Let us help .

College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs)

All freshman applicants are required to meet minimum academic distribution requirements as set by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) and the faculty of the UW. Learn more about freshman CADRs .

Transcripts

Do not send transcripts until you receive a request from the Office of Admissions. The application asks you to provide a detailed account of your academic coursework, and that’s all we need to review your application.

Applicants who are admitted and who confirm their intention to enroll at the UW will be required to send final transcripts. At that time, we will verify that all admission requirements have been satisfied. The offer of admission may be withdrawn if important discrepancies are discovered.

Final college transcripts are also required for applicants who attended college.

I applied. Now what?

We appreciate the time and effort that you put into your application to the UW. We want to make what comes next as clear and efficient as possible. Just wondering when you’ll get your decision? See this notification schedule .

University of Washington Information School

Informatics.

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Application Materials

Application.

In order to apply to the program, applicants who are current UW students or transfer students must complete an application and provide the information and materials listed below.

The Informatics program has two admissions cycles per year, spring and autumn.

• The application to start the program in Winter 2025 will open in September 2024, with a deadline in early October 2024.
• The application to start the program in Autumn 2024 will open in March 2025, with a deadline in early April 2025.
• Transfer students should also complete a UW transfer application for the quarter they wish to enter the program.

What you will need:

• Schools and Transcripts
• Prerequisites courses
• Why Informatics
• Collaboration Skills
• Experience with IDEAS
• Goals after Graduation
• Informatics AI usage
• Application Limit
• What we Look for

Schools and transcripts

Applicants are required to provide information about all schools where they have earned academic credit and are required to provide an unofficial transcript for each. Please include all schools even if the courses appear on your UW transcript. If you have taken any UW Seattle courses, you also need to list and attach an unofficial transcript for the UW.

Prerequisite courses

Applicants will provide information about the prerequisite courses they took. They will be asked at which school they took the course, what term it was taken, and the course number. If they have taken more than one course that meets any prerequisite course requirement, it is recommended that they enter the course that has the highest grade.

• Current UW student prerequisites
• Transfer applicant prerequisites

Application essay

In addition to providing information about prerequisite grades and academic history, applicants must submit an application essay of less than 700 words that responds to the following prompts. The essay is evaluated based on the 4 prompts below as well as the overall writing; all prompts are weighted equally.

Essay prompts for the academic year Autumn 2024 applications are below. Essay prompts change every year; be sure to address the correct year's prompts in your application! Winter 2025 essay updates will be posted by mid-September 2024.

Writing and Formatting Requirements:

We expect students to already be capable of writing clearly and coherently in English. Your response helps us evaluate that.

What we’re looking for: Clear communication is central to thriving in our courses, as most involve writing. Be sure to check your spelling. Do your best to avoid grammar errors, but note that we will not penalize you for them unless they significantly interfere with our ability to comprehend your writing.

You may include anything you want in your application essay, as long as it satisfies the following requirements: 

• The structure of your essay is up to you as long as you address all 4 prompts.
• 700-word limit total for all prompts combined.
• Applicants will copy/paste their submission as plain text into a text box in the application. Be sure to test this before the deadline. This means that bold, italic, etc formatting will not be included.
• Do not include links to external information or websites. Additional information can not be considered, so such links will just use up the word count.

Prompt: Why Informatics?

Why Informatics? Why are you choosing to pursue an Informatics degree? 

Consider: What brought you to this major? How have you engaged with the study, design, and development of information? Classes you have taken, activities you have participated in, work you have done, etc.

What we’re looking for: We’re looking for students who have demonstrated that they will be interested, engaged, and active in our program and what we teach.

Prompt: Collaboration Skills

What skills and experiences illustrate your ability to foster meaningful collaboration with your peers and contribute to the enrichment of this major and community? Describe specific instance(s) where your actions have demonstrated active engagement and a commitment to creating a collaborative learning environment either in or out of the classroom.

What we’re looking for: In the iSchool we strongly value collaboration and community. All our classes involve group work and collaborative efforts, which are integral to learning. Informatics students will thrive in this collaborative environment, and help empower others to thrive as well.  

Prompt: Experiences with IDEAS

What experiences do you have with inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and/or sovereignty in relation to information? These might be the same experience with information you described above, or different ones. These experiences might include learning, volunteering, activism, community organizing, mentoring, teaching, or personal experiences with exclusion or oppression. We are especially interested in experiences in which you took action to address issues of fairness, bias, or exclusion, whether advocacy or self-advocacy, social or technical. You may want to consider the iSchool diversity statement when composing your response.

What we’re looking for: It’s important that Informatics majors are attentive to ways that people can be excluded and oppressed by information and information technology and in general. We’re seeking students who are committed to making information technology more just, equitable, and inclusive

Prompt: Goals after Graduation

How will pursuing an Informatics major impact your life, community, and/or world after graduation? How will the Informatics degree specifically support those intended impacts? Clearly state your goals and be specific about the features or aspects of the Informatics programs that will support your goals. 

What we’re looking for: It is important that Informatics is actually well-positioned to support your goals, whatever they are. Informatics doesn’t support every goal.

Informatics AI usage — ChatGPT or generative AI usage

ChatGPT and similar tools can be valuable in making your writing better and your thinking richer. But it cannot be used to replace writing and thinking. 

During the application process, you will be asked "Did you use ChatGPT and/or similar tools in writing this essay? If so, please indicate how you used the tool(s)."

Not acceptable:

Enter prompt and/or some notes into ChatGPT; submit some version of what comes out, even with some modifications. This will be considered plagiarism.

Acceptable:

• Use ChatGPT to find a better word (as you would a thesaurus)
• Use ChatGPT to assure your grammar is correct
• Use ChatGPT to find a better way to phrase an idea, a sentence or two

Note: two-application limit

Applicants will be allowed to apply to the Informatics major a maximum of two times. For this reason, applicants are encouraged to be selective and apply only when they have fulfilled all the criteria and feel that they can present a strong application.

Freshman Direct Admission applications do not count toward the two-application limit. 

Only applications that are complete and considered for admission are counted in the two attempts. Starting an application or submitting without all prerequisite courses completed will not count toward your two attempts. 

What We Look for

As you write your statement, keep in mind that the admissions committee seeks a diverse range of students. We value various perspectives and backgrounds because they enrich our learning environment. Whether you’re passionate about people, technology, or information, we want to understand what makes you unique.

When reviewing your statement, the admissions committee will consider the four essay prompts. Therefore, as you share your story, aim for clarity and coherence. You can structure your statement around the provided prompts, but feel free to explore other creative ways of organizing your responses. Sometimes a single experience can address multiple criteria. Remember to link your personal experiences to the Informatics Major. Show us how your journey aligns with our program and why you’re a great fit for our community.

The Informatics admissions committee believes all students interested in information deserve to major in Informatics. However, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Admission is capacity-constrained because we have limited teaching capacity and space; thus, we can only admit a portion of the students who apply. 

Applications are evaluated based on the written essay (80% of the overall score) and a calculated average of grades in the prerequisite courses (20% of the overall score). An essay score is calculated with equal weight to the criteria outlined in our rubric . We use statistical methods such as z-scoring to calculate the ranking of applications reviewed. All applicants are reviewed by at least two people on our admissions committee. We review the prerequisite course scores where students use AP, credit/no credit, or satisfactory/not satisfactory grades to ensure this is not disadvantaging a student's final rank.

If you have any questions while working on the application, please contact the Admission team at [email protected]  Do not wait until the due date to reach out to us if you do have questions!

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University Of Washington Supplemental Essays + Examples

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 12/5/23

The University of Washington supplemental essays play a crucial role in the admission selection process. To learn more about how to write these essays, read on. 

The University of Washington uses essays to see the student behind the transcripts and numbers. With a mission to admit the most diverse, accomplished, and well-rounded students, UW urges all prospective students to consider their essays to ensure they reflect their unique stories.

However, supplemental essays don’t come easy to most students, especially open-ended prompts. You may have no idea where to start, struggle to articulate your thoughts or wonder if your story is worth sharing.

‍ Rest assured, all of these concerns and more will be answered in this guide! By the end, you can write the most compelling supplemental essays.

The University of Washington Supplemental Essay Prompts 2023-2024

Before getting into how to write the University of Washington essays, let’s go over the prompts themselves! 

UW Essay Prompt #1

“Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650-word limit)”

UW Essay Prompt #2

“Our families and 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. (300-word limit)”

UW Essay Prompt #3

“You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended (200-word limit)”

How to Write Each Essay Prompt for the University of Washington 

If you’re still unsure of how to write a good college essay , let’s break down each of these prompts! This way, you’ll have a better understanding of what kind of answers the admissions team is looking for! 

How to Write UW’s #1 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #1 : This first prompt is very similar to a personal statement . It gives you the opportunity to share any story that has made a significant impact on your life. UW wants to know more about what makes you, you. They want to know what makes you tick. 

Start by deciding which traits you want to highlight about yourself, your values, and your unique traits. Brainstorm several stories that you think are worth sharing and use the process of elimination to choose one. 

To make this process easier, consider creating a list of questions to ask yourself about each story so you can eliminate options that do not meet your criteria! Here are the questions we suggest you use: 

• Does this story reflect who I am and/or who I want to be?
• Does this story show development?
• Can I turn this story into a narrative?
• Is this story unique, or does it involve a common experience?
• Does this story share my most important identities?
• Does this story involve my best characteristics?
• Am I the protagonist in this story?
• Do I feel connected to this story, or do I just think it’ll impress the judges?
• Do I think about this story often, other than for applications? Has it truly had an impact on my life?

Here are some other tips to help you tackle this essay prompt: 

• Tip #1: Choose a Significant Story : You should write about something that is truly significant to you and has real meaning. Choose a topic that’s unique to you and your identity, and make sure that the story you choose is focused on yourself and your personal growth! 
• Tip #2: Write Narratively : Tell a story! Start with an intriguing hook , such as the climax of your story or an interesting part of it. Spend the rest of the essay explaining the rest of the story and its impact on you. Use sensory details to show your reader what you experienced; don’t just tell them. 
• Tip #3: Don’t Overwrite : Do not feel obligated to write 650 words if you can tell your story in fewer words. In fact, UW states the most successful essays are typically around 400 words! The admissions committee would rather read a short story that packs a punch than a dragged-out story with little meaning.

How to Write UW’s #2 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #2 : This next University of Washington supplemental essay has a word limit that is almost half of the first prompt. It does not need to be written as a narrative, although it can be if you believe it’s the best way to convey your feelings. 

The main purpose of this prompt is for the University of Washington to learn what your values are and how well you’ll fit into their community. Here are some helpful tips on how to answer this prompt well: 

• Tip #1: Choose a Meaningful Community : As a student, you’ll be part of many communities: your residential area, your group of friends and family, your workplace, your school, and more. Choose one that resonates with you and has had the most impact on your life.
• Tip #2: Express Your Values : Explain how your community has shaped you into the person you are today and how it will continue to impact you at UW. Prove your community has instilled valuable traits in you that will help you become a more productive student at UW.
• Tip #3: Get Specific : Little details can add a lot of power to your essay. Be specific about significant moments that have shaped you in your community. 

UW has also expressed that the tone for this short-answer prompt should be just as formal and polished as your first, longer essay. Make sure to keep your writing professional!

How to Write UW’s #3 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #3 : The final prompt is not required. However, if you have extenuating circumstances that have affected some aspect of your application, this is your chance to explain yourself. This could include a low GPA, a lack of extracurriculars, or other related situations. 

If you choose to write this response, keep the following tips in mind:

• Tip #1: Stick to the Facts : This answer should be straightforward. Unlike your first response, you should not paint a picture using narrative techniques or descriptive or emotional language. Stick to the facts and be honest
• Tip #2: No Pity Parties : It’s important you do not throw a pity party for yourself or try to make the admissions committee feel bad for you. The committee does not admit students out of pity, so don’t waste your time trying. 
• Tip #3: Only Answer If Necessary : This prompt should only be answered if students have experiences they’d like to share with the committee that have not already been discussed in their other responses. This is not an opportunity for students to expand on their responses to the other prompts.

Examples of UW Supplemental Essays That Worked

If you feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start, don’t worry. Take a look and get inspired by these UW supplemental essay examples written by successful applicants to the University of Washington! 

Sample Essay #1

Prompt : “Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650-word limit)”

Here’s a sample response to this question that can inspire you:

“It was the fourteenth rabbit that had come in with bloodshot eyes, curling nails, and patches of discolored fur that resembled my overwatered lawn. He had the same mistrusting gaze that darted from me to the zookeeper. I could see his heart trying to escape his sunken body as I got whiffs of a faint medicinal smell coming from his fur.

In my sophomore year, I joined my school’s animal rights club out of curiosity and passion. I’ve always considered myself to be an avid animal lover, but was unconvinced I could actually make a difference in their wellbeing as a fifteen-year-old teenager—an assumption that could not have been further from the truth, as I was about to learn. 

Our group decided to attend a volunteer brigade in Peru for three weeks in June. I picked up extra shifts at my part-time job at McDonald’s and saved up enough to attend the brigade.

We were stationed with a Peruvian family in a tiny house that seemed to never sleep. The endless creaks and thin walls made it difficult to sleep the first few nights, but it was the experiences I had after settling in that were far more deafening. 

We volunteered at a local animal sanctuary that took in animals that were abandoned or abused by their caretakers. There were old circus bears that slumped in the same position for hours, turtles without shells, monkeys missing digits, and dozens of discarded lab rabbits. 

It was a paradoxical mixture of chaos and tranquility. Among the cries of frightened baby monkeys who were ripped away from their real mothers to be raised as pets were the soothing words and lulls of zookeepers and volunteers trying to undo all the damage these animals went through.

Some of these zookeepers lived in tiny rooms at the zoo with no running water or AC, to provide these animals with around-the-clock care and comfort.  

The majority of them made less than $600 US dollars a month, but still greeted me every morning with warm smiles and unrelenting enthusiasm to love the flock of new animals that would be brought in that day.

I was only in Peru for a few weeks, but over those weeks I saw the immense changes I made in these animals' lives, even as a fifteen-year-old girl. 

Most memorably, I noticed the curiosity of an abused fawn flourish as she remembered what trust felt like. She went from cowering behind fence posts to following me around the zoo, nudging my hands for pets any chance she got.

These transformations stuck with me even when I was miles away in my silent suburban home with overwatered grass. They inspired me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, specifically with exotic animals. 

With a newfound commitment to animal welfare, I recognized all it took for me to better the lives of so many animals in Peru was an unwavering love for animals. I cannot wait to see what a profound impact I have on animals in the future when I combine this passion with advanced veterinarian training .” 

Why Essay #1 Worked

This essay works because it shares a unique story that the student has a deep connection to. It uses descriptive language so that the readers can feel like they’re part of the narrative. They can hear the sounds of the animals, imagine how the lab rabbit looked, and imagine the joy the student felt.

This student’s passion for animals also clearly shines through. It ties into the student’s career aspirations and demonstrates clear drive and intent, two traits that are important for college students to have as they enter challenging programs.

Sample Essay #2

Prompt : “Our families and 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. (300-word limit)”

Consider this response from a student who has an unconventional view of community:

“Growing up in a South-Asian household, the importance of family was instilled in me from the moment I learned the word. I was told my family always came first and they were my community. 

So, I morphed myself to fit my family’s rigid ideals. I remained silent in the face of familial confrontation, gave my respect to older cousins that constantly picked on me for my weight, and remained complacent as my parents planned my entire future for me. 

I completed the majority of my education dreading my future. My parents decided I would become a doctor to continue the long line of successful physicians I come from. There was always a looming sense of anticipation for me because of this. I was always waiting for a future that I knew wasn’t mine. 

That was until I joined my school’s theater club. There, I learned what community really means. I was part of a group that still had a deep respect for one another, but held each other accountable. 

We disagreed with each other sometimes but always encouraged open conversation nonetheless. Often, my group acted as a sounding board for me. I would tell them my true aspirations of becoming a drama teacher, and they would provide me with solutions to achieve my dream without upsetting my parents. 

We taught each other about new perspectives, traditions, and cultures, but what I appreciated most about my community was that we challenged each other. We all came from different backgrounds, had different identities and stories, but pushed each other to do our best in and outside of the classroom.

Through my wonderful club mates, I understood that true community involves the celebration of differences, open intellectual conversation and debate, the embracement of diverse identities, mutual respect, equal collaboration, and sometimes even vulnerability. 

With an understanding of what true community looks and feels like, I hope to join The University of Washington's body of diverse individuals united by the shared collective of bettering themselves and the world, the same value that united my theater community.”

Why Essay #2 Worked

It’s clear this student put a lot of thought into their response. While they could have gone the traditional route by talking about the type of community values their family instilled in them, they take a unique approach by claiming they found a truer community outside of their expected one. 

This unexpected ending makes this response more memorable. Additionally, the response clearly defines community based on this student’s values. It does not use overused or generic definitions of the term. Near the end, this student also ties in UW and affirms they will be a productive member of their community.

Sample Essay #3

Prompt : “You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

Here’s a great example of how to answer this optional essay:  

“During the pandemic, my father, the sole provider in my family, was laid off from his full-time position as an assistant manager. The business he worked for had to close its doors because of the pandemic, and he had a hard time finding a new job. 

To keep my family of four afloat as my father looked for a job, I began working at a local restaurant as soon as restrictions were lifted.

I was working 30–40 hours a week for the majority of my junior and senior year, which limited the time I had to pursue extracurriculars. Due to the demands of AP courses, I was able to only take three of these advanced courses in my final two years of high school.

During the first semester of my junior year, in particular, I struggled with my academics as I learned to juggle multiple commitments at once. Fortunately, I was able to manage my time better and adapted to my circumstances quickly. I improved my marks significantly in the remainder of my high school career.”

Why Essay #3 Worked

This essay works because the student sticks to the facts. They explain the situation, give relevant background information, and explain how they tried to resolve the issue. 

This student mentions the measures they took to accomplish their goals despite the obstacles they faced, which demonstrates their resiliency, perseverance, and adaptability.

These University of Washington essay examples will give you a better idea of what to write for your essays. Ensure you put in effort and craft a personalized essay when applying to the University of Washington. 

Get More Sample Essays Here!

If you found these sample essays helpful, great news! You can read many more examples of successful college essays with our essay database down below. 

Insert tool 

For any remaining questions, read on to find your answers.

1. How Many Essays Are Required For the University of Washington?

Students are required to write two essays to apply to the University of Washington. There is an optional third section where students can share more about other life experiences or circumstances that they weren’t able to share elsewhere on their application.

2. How Do I Write An Essay For the University of Washington?

Your personal story and voice should be evident in all of your supplemental essays, so there isn’t a perfect formula or list of topics you can choose from to ace these essays. Choose experiences that had meaningful impacts on your life, show, don’t tell where appropriate, and use language within your abilities.

Avoid overused topics or falsifying stories just to impress the admissions committee. You don’t have to write about tragic or life-changing experiences to have a compelling essay! Address the statement at hand, and don’t forget to proofread your responses several times before submitting them.

3. How Important Are the University of Washington Essays?

While your essays aren’t the most important part of your application, they serve a unique and critical function. These essays are used to learn more about what applicants do outside of the classroom, what their identities are outside of being students, and what their overall principles and values are. 

The admissions committee will evaluate all of these factors to decide whether you’d fit in at UW and your potential to contribute to it. 

4. Are There Any Topics I Should Avoid In My Supplemental Essays?

There are endless topics students can write about in their supplemental essays, but only a few topics they should avoid. If your chosen topic reveals information about you that only your therapist knows, you may want to brainstorm some less personal ideas. You don’t want to make the admissions committee feel uncomfortable.

Similarly, if your topic discusses illegal or unethical conduct, you’ll absolutely want to go back to the drawing board. Even if you’re a changed person now, sharing this information can make the admissions committee hesitant to admit you, especially if the misconduct is not on your record. 

5. How Can I Improve My UW Supplemental Essays?

If you’ve written your essays and feel they are lackluster or fail to share a unique story, there are several ways to improve them:

• Write freely at first : Let your ideas flow for your first draft. Cut down on your essays once you’ve written all of your ideas down so you can choose the best ones
• Add some color : Include sensory details and imagery to engage your readers
• Narrow your scope : Focus on one main experience for each response so you can develop it to its fullest
• Maintain your voice : As people edit your work, their input can weaken your voice! Avoid this by accepting grammar, punctuation, and structural edits instead of content or language suggestions.

If all of these suggestions fail, you may have to start all over again using a different approach! While it’ll be time-consuming, you shouldn’t submit your essays until you feel confident they reflect your most important traits, skills, and experiences in an interesting and insightful way.

This is why it’s important you begin your essays early! Give yourself ample time to create several rough drafts and revise them until you’re satisfied.

Final Thoughts

For students who still doubt their abilities to craft extraordinary essays, we leave you with some inspiring words by the renowned author Sylvia Plath : “Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” 

We believe in you, and you should, too!

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WashU Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Prompts and Tips

September 12, 2023

For the Class of 2027, the WashU acceptance rate remained low at just 12%. As Washington University in St. Louis appears to be marching toward the single-digit admit rate club, it’s critical that prospective applicants realize the need to make a uniquely compelling case for admission, even if they already possess elite academic credentials. After all, the average SAT for an incoming freshman is well above a 1500 and 88% placed in the top 10% of their high school class–incredibly, such credentials are necessary but not sufficient in this hypercompetitive environment. This brings us to the topic of the moment – the WashU supplemental essays.

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

Given this high level of competition, WashU’s supplemental section offers applicants a critical opportunity to showcase their writing ability by generating detail-rich essays that will stand out to an admissions officer.

2023-2024 WashU Supplemental Essays

Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why. (200 words)

Undecided about your academic interest(s)? Don’t worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected. Remember that all of our first-year students enter officially “undeclared” and work closely with their team of academic advisors to discover their academic passions. You can explore all of our majors and programs on our website.

Washington University in St. Louis wants to know about the academic discipline(s) in which you are most interested (or current leanings, if you’re undecided). They also want to know why you desire to pursue your studies at their institution. Answering both components of this question in less than 200 words is no easy task. This one is going to require a fair amount of school-specific research and a good deal of editing in order to tighten up your essay enough to stay under the word count.

For a deeper dive, let’s examine a list of characteristics of a winning WashU “Why Us?” essay:

• How did your interest in your major of choice begin and how has it matured over the years?
• While pursuing your majors(s)/interest(s) of choice, how will you take advantage of the university’s immense resources both inside and outside of the classroom? Be sure to cite specific  academic programs ,  professors ,  research opportunities ,  centers & institutes , and  study abroad programs . Discuss why they pique your interest.
• Feel free to touch on  student-run organizations  related to your field of study that you would like to join.

WashU Supplemental Essays (Continued)

As you enter the prewriting stage, you’ll want to avoid some common pitfalls that we observe applicants fall into when attacking the WashU “Why Us?” essay. We don’t want to label these as “mistakes” (there is nothing inherently wrong with them); they just don’t add any needle-moving value, which is the only goal here!

Common components of a generic “Why WashU?” essay .

• According to  US News , Washington University in St. Louis is a top-15 school.
• Too much attention to the prestige/reputation of the Olin School of Business or McKelvey School of Engineering.
• Recycled statements from your other “Why Us?” essays that come across as stale, impersonal, or worst of all–irrelevant/inaccurate.
• An itinerary of all the things you plan to do in St. Louis.
• Statements about how WUSTL feels like home, you know it’s the right place for you, or you’ve wanted to attend since kindergarten;  show  this through specifics instead.

Big-picture thoughts on the “Why Us” essay

In any “Why Us?” composition, you need to show that you’ve done your homework on a given school, but you don’t want it read like a rote list of items that you Googled an hour prior to writing the essay (even if the timing of the Google search is roughly accurate).

In addition to the pure research element, a lot of the time and skill required in creating a stellar WashU essay will involve connecting the classes, professors, opportunities, etc. of interest that you have uncovered to your distinct values, talents, aims, proficiencies, and future goals.

This optional question allows you to add another dimension to your application – something that the admissions committee might not learn by reading your transcript or your personal statement.

If you prefer, you may focus your optional 90-second video submitted through the WashU Pathway on addressing one of these three questions. (Students who choose to submit a written response to one of these questions may still opt in to sharing an optional video).

WashU is a place that values diversity of perspectives. We believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. Respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “Who are you?” (250 words)

Discuss a fresh perspective or opinion you brought to a collaborative setting or project.

Describe a community you are a part of and your place within it., tell us how your identity has impacted the way you view or interact with your community..

While this essay is technically “optional,” we advise every single applicant to WashU to opt in. Remember, WashU is one of those rare schools that rejects students with near-perfect (or even perfect) academic credentials. It is essential that you showcase the characteristics and skills that make you one-of-a-kind.

Keep scrolling for a breakdown of each prompt:

The U.S. presently finds itself in an extreme state of polarization. There seems to be little agreement even as to what constitutes “truth” or “facts.” Within this divided world, it can be hard for individuals with competing viewpoints to engage in civil and productive dialogue. Here, WashU is giving you the chance to show that you are an open-minded, intellectually curious, and collaborative young person. Illustrate how you are willing to engage in conversations and voice opinions to others, whether it was your lab partner or a ten-person team at your summer internship.

Furthermore, note the wording here: fresh perspective. This means that your perspective or opinion was different from that of the others in your group. As such, how did you present your opinion? How did others react? How did you handle their reaction? What was the ultimate outcome? What did you learn from the entire experience? One key thing to remember when addressing this prompt is that you don’t have to be the hero of the anecdote. In fact, you may be one who learned to expand their thinking.

“Community” can be defined in myriad ways: it could be large-scale, like an ethnic, religious, or neighborhood community, or small-scale, like a group of individuals who gather for a club, sport, or service project.

Most applicants to WashU are involved in at least one “community.” You may be the captain of a team, the editor-in-chief of your school paper, a member of your town’s trail clean-up team… but don’t just rest on those laurels—instead, bring your involvement to life. Use your writing ability to  show  what type of community member you are rather than merely  telling . What is your role within your chosen community? Within that role, how do you lead, guide, or interact with others? What have you learned and how have you grown? Strive for personal detail here rather than re-hashing your resume.

Finally, draw on past evidence of your commitment to being a positive force in your community and speculate how that is likely to manifest on WashU’s campus. It’s a great idea to research and cite WashU student-run organizations and/or local nonprofit groups.

Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. You are essentially invited to talk about any of the following topics:

• A perspective you hold
• An experience you had
• A community you belong to
• Your cultural background
• Your family background

Although this prompt’s open floor plan may feel daunting, a good tactic is to first consider what has already been communicated within your Common App personal statement, activities list, and “Why Us?” WashU essay. What important aspects of yourself have not been shared (or sufficiently discussed)? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned and how it has impacted the ways in which you communicate or interact with others. No matter what type of story you tell, the goal is to have the reader come away saying, “I can definitely see this applicant as a contributing member of our talented and engaged student community.”

How important are the WashU supplemental essays?

WashU designated 8 factors as “very important” to their applicant evaluation process. These are: essays, recommendations, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, GPA, test scores, class rank, and the rigor of one’s curriculum. Clearly, the essays are among the most important factors in this holistic process.

Want personalized assistance with your WashU supplemental essays?

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

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University of Washington-Tacoma Campus’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Additional info short response.

If your current cumulative grade point average is below a 2.75, then you are encouraged to submit an additional statement reflecting on your past academic performance and future potential. If applicable, describe any personal hardships or barriers you‘ve had to overcome and explain how they affected your grade point average or test scores.

You may use this space if you need to further explain or clarify answers you have given elsewhere in this application, or if you wish to share information that may assist the Admissions Office. If applicable, be sure to include the question number to which your comment(s) refer.

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

Washington University in St. Louis 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 4

You Have: 

Washington University in St. Louis 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanation

The Requirements: One 200-word essay; one 250-word essay

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Community

Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why. (200 words)

Undecided about your academic interest(s) don’t worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected. remember that all of our first-year students enter officially “undeclared” and work closely with their team of academic advisors to discover their academic passions. you can explore all of our majors and programs on our website. .

This is WashU’s version of a classic “Why Essay.” Even if you’re not completely sure what you want to major in yet, admissions wants to both learn about your academic interests, and see how their offerings will suit your passions. If you can build a bridge between your own interests and the resources available at WashU, you’ll be well on your way to demonstrating your fit. So set aside an hour or two and commit to some serious research on the WashU website. (Sorry, there’s no way around this, folks!) Look up information about news and research coming out of your department of interest, the kinds of courses available, and the opportunities other undergrads have had studying in your area of choice. Even if you have a wide array of interests, consider explaining how two or three departments might complement each other or foster your interest in a larger theme or cross-pollinating kind of way. Your ultimate goal is to show that your interest in WashU (just like your intellectual curiosity) runs deep!

This optional question allows you to add another dimension to your application – something that the admissions committee might not learn by reading your transcript or your personal statement.

If you prefer, you may focus your optional 90-second video submitted through the washu pathway on addressing one of these three questions. (students who choose to submit a written response to one of these questions may still opt in to sharing an optional video)., washu is a place that values diversity of perspectives. we believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “who are you”: (250 words), 1) discuss a fresh perspective or opinion you brought to a collaborative setting or project., 2) describe a community you are a part of and your place within it., 3) tell us how your life experiences have impacted the way you view or interact with your community..

With each of these prompts, admissions is hoping to learn more about who you are in a group setting. So choose the prompt that sticks out to you, or work backward by thinking about the communities you are a part of (whether that be your student government, your temple, your club soccer team, etc.) and consider your place within it. Maybe you’ve been thinking about writing an essay about your volunteer work within your small city and the ways in which it has expanded your perspective and introduced you to people from all walks of life who you may never have gotten the chance to get to know otherwise. An essay like that could work for any of these three prompts depending on the way you tell it. Perhaps you want to write about your experience advocating for greener waste management solutions at your high school (1) or connecting with other trans and non-binary individuals at queer meet-ups (2) or the ways your years of being the only person in the room who looks like you has impacted the way you interact with others (3). Ultimately, your goal here is to offer admissions deeper insight into the human behind the application. 

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Husky Draftees and Free-Agent Recipients Total 14 with One Omission

Edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui stil awaits his pro football opportunity.

• Author: Dan Raley

In this story:

All of the major players from the University of Washington's 14-1 and national runner-up team this past winter have been accounted for post-NFL Draft with the notable exception of one guy from Montlake -- edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui.

Ten of his teammates were selected during the seven rounds in Detroit and another four since have accepted undrafted free-agent opportunities, yet the man known as ZTF appears to be either still weighing his options or trying to get someone to take a flyer on him.

Four years ago, this particular situation would have seemed unthinkable, when over a three-game span at the height of the COVID ;pandemic, Tupuola-Fetui dominated on defense like few other Huskies ever have with seven sacks, including three strip sacks. Yet football is far from fair to everyone.

The analysts immediately surmised ZTF would become a first-round draft pick for 2021, once the world got healthy again, yet the UW defender next had to deal with an unwanted career interruption when he tore an Achilles tendon in the following spring practice. He was left to deal with a prolonged rehabilitation process while standing on the sideline and tossing footballs with another injured Husky edge rusher, Laiatu Latu, who was medically retired at the time before showing up at UCLA and being allowed to play and flourish.

Now after embracing a Husky coaching change and a defense that didn't necessarily highlight him and didn't initially use him as a starter, then dealing with multiple shoulder injuries and sitting out the NFL Scouting Combine and UW Pro Day to recover, ZTF awaits his next move.

Meantime, former Husky tight end Jack Westover has agreed to a UDFA deal with the Seattle Seahawks; running back Dillon Johnson will go this route with the Tennessee Titans,; defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa will get his chance with the Los Angeles Rams, and linebacker Ralen Goforth has a USFA opportunity with the Green Bay Packers.

To recap the Husky draft, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was taken by the Atlanta Falcons with the eighth overall pick; wide receiver Rome Odunze went to the Chicago Bears, with the very next selection at No. 9 overall, and offensive tackle Troy Fautanu heard his name called out at No. 20 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, all of them first-rounders.

In the second round, wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk went to the New England Patriots with the 37th selection and offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens with the 62nd choice.

In round three, ZTF's fellow starting Husky edge rusher Bralen Trice wound up with the Falcons and Penix as the 74th player taken, and wide receiver Jalen McMillan was the 92nd player claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On day three, linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio went in the fifth round with the 160th pick to the Buffalo Bills and safety Dominique Hampton was chosen with the very next pick by the Washington Commanders.

Finally, tight end Devin Culp was drafted in the seventh round iwth the 246th pick by the Bucs, bound for the Florida franchise with McMillan.

ZTF no doubt will make arrangements with someone soon to show what he can do on the pro football level.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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What to Know About the Campus Protests Over the Israel-Hamas War

Recent arrests at Columbia University spurred a nationwide movement of pro-Palestinian protests and encampments on campuses.

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By Colbi Edmonds ,  Anna Betts and Anemona Hartocollis

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last year, students at scores of colleges and universities across the United States have come out to protest in support of Palestinians.

As the war in Gaza has escalated, universities have been caught in an often vitriolic debate over how to handle the protests, which many Jewish students and alumni say have often veered into antisemitism and instilled fear on campus. University leaders have also faced pressure from Republican lawmakers demanding they do more to quash speech that they say encourages violence against Jews.

Demonstrators and their faculty supporters say that these demands are intended to suppress their political speech and support for the Palestinian cause.

Several institutions have cracked down on pro-Palestinian protests and encampments. On April 18, Columbia University’s president called the police to clear out the encampment on its New York City campus, just a day after she vowed to members of Congress that the university would discipline some protesters. Over 100 protesters were arrested that night.

That move backfired. Students across the country protested and started their own encampments in solidarity with the arrested students. And at Columbia, student protesters simply re-established the encampment, with dozens of tents lined up on the campus lawn.

At nearly 20 universities, the police moved in and detained protesters, leading to more than 800 arrests so far. Scores of students have been suspended or threatened with disciplinary action. And yet, many protests have continued.

Here’s what to know about the protests sprawling across American college campuses.

Why are students protesting?

Most immediately, protesters are demanding an end to Israel’s war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.

Students are also calling on their colleges and universities to divest from, or cut financial ties with, Israel or companies profiting from its invasion of Gaza. The means and scope differ, however. Some students at Yale and Cornell are demanding their schools to stop investing in weapons manufacturers.

Students at Columbia want their school to sell holdings in Google, which has a large contract with the Israeli government, and Airbnb, which allows listings in Israeli settlements on the occupied West Bank.

Students have drawn parallels between the current movement and activism in the 1980s, when protesters targeted companies that did business with South Africa while it was under apartheid rule. Columbia made headlines then, too, when it sold $39 million of stock it held in companies including Coca-Cola, Ford Motor and Mobil Oil following weeks of sit-in protests from students on its campus.

Campus Protests Since Wednesday, April 17

Protests where arrests have taken place

Other protests

Note: Data as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on April 28

By Leanne Abraham, Bora Erden, Lazaro Gamio, Helmuth Rosales, Julie Walton Shaver and Anjali Singhvi

Where are the protests happening?

The new wave of protests has taken hold coast to coast, including at Yale, the University of Southern California, Emory University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Minnesota.

On many campuses — including Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, Rice University, Virginia Tech and Emerson College — students set up encampments similar to the one at Columbia, and called them “Gaza solidarity encampment” or “Liberated zone.”

How have schools reacted to the protests?

Many protests have been peaceful, and most university leaders have allowed the protests to play out.

But pro-Israel students have said the encampments are fueling antisemitism, and that their universities are not doing enough to protect their safety on campus.

Since Columbia’s crackdown, there have been arrests at schools including Washington University in St. Louis, Northeastern University in Boston and Arizona State University in Tempe. (See a list of campuses where the police have made arrests.)

Most arrests have occurred without much resistance. But some clashes between the police and protesters have grown more intense, and there were some reports of injuries. At Emory University, for instance, the police used a “chemical irritant” to disperse the demonstrators and ultimately arrested 28 people.

Schools like Harvard and Cornell have tried other approaches to clear out protests. At Harvard, access to Harvard Yard was restricted to those with a university ID. Harvard also suspended a pro-Palestinian group, saying that it had held an unauthorized demonstration. Nonetheless, some protesters have set up encampments, which are still standing after several days, despite warnings from officials.

Cornell said it had suspended some students connected with the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus but declined to provide a number.

And last week, the University of Southern California canceled its main stage graduation ceremony, citing security risks. The school had arrested more than 93 protesters and canceled its plans for a graduation speech by this year’s valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, who is Muslim.

How have the students responded?

Many student activists have remained defiant, even as colleges try to restrict their demonstrations.

In several cases, students have brought back encampments that were cleared out earlier in the week — or even earlier this year, in Stanford’s case. An encampment there was taken down in February, but recent protests inspired students to resurrect it in late April.

College newspapers ’ editorial boards have also objected to the response by university officials and defended the rights of students to speak out. They have been particularly vocal about the threats of harassment and doxxing, which they say are stifling free speech.

At Columbia, some Jewish students said they felt targeted and unsafe after encountering separate protests outside of the campus gates by loud, aggressive demonstrators who seemed to be unaffiliated with the university. Antisemitic chanting has been captured in video and pictures, both inside and outside the campus, and the students called on the administration to do more to curb such acts.

Last week, Columbia barred from campus Khymani James, a leader of the pro-Palestinian encampment, after a January video of his saying “Zionists don’t deserve to live” resurfaced. The university did not make clear if he had been suspended or expelled.

Santul Nerkar and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs contributed reporting.

Colbi Edmonds writes about the environment, education and infrastructure. More about Colbi Edmonds

Anna Betts reports on national events, including politics, education, and natural or man-made disasters, among other things. More about Anna Betts

Anemona Hartocollis is a national reporter for The Times, covering higher education. More about Anemona Hartocollis

Washington Commanders pick Michigan football's Mike Sainristil in Round 2 of 2024 NFL draft

Mike Sainristil , Michigan football's standout defensive back, was selected Friday by the Washington Commanders with the 18th pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft in downtown Detroit , No. 50 overall.

In the moments after the College Football Playoff championship game, former Michigan Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh desperately looked around for Sainristil.

A two-time captain, fifth-year senior and converted wide receiver turned defensive back, Sainristil had been through it all during his time in Ann Arbor. So, naturally, it was he, the leader of the defense, who came away with the game-sealing 81-yard interception return of Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr. to seal the national title victory, 34-13, over Washington.

Harbaugh, who'd known him since he was an undergraduate in high school, gushed about his unsung hero.

FOLLOW HERE: NFL draft 2024 live tracker: All the picks from Rounds 2-3 in Detroit

“I hope somebody could go grab him and get him up here at the podium. Amazing. Amazing, stalwart of a player,” Harbaugh said at the postgame podium. "When a play needs to be made, Mike Sainristil has made it. … Huge play. The fourth-and-13 play, Mike Sainristil makes that interception, returns it down to the 6 or 7-yard line.” 

Now, the Commanders will get to see exactly what the former U-M coach was talking about firsthand.

[   Order now : Celebrate Michigan's national championship season with our two commemorative books:  "Blue Reign " and  "Maize & Grand ." You can also buy commemorative wall art of the  front page of the Detroit Free Press  from U-M's title. ]

Sainristil spent his first three years in Ann Arbor as a wide receiver, catching 36 total passes for a combined 532 yards and five touchdowns. However, prior to his senior year, Harbaugh approached him about a position switch to nickel to follow in the footsteps of Dax Hill, a transition that went as well as anybody could have hoped for.

Sainristil immediately took to the defensive slot position and recorded 58 tackles, two sacks and an interception in his first year with the unit. After a loss in the CFP to TCU, the 5-foot-9, 182-pound defensive back was given a mid-round grade ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, then opted to return to Ann Arbor and bet on himself.

MAKING MIKE SAINRISTIL: The unsung hero of Michigan football’s resurgence

Few gambles have paid off better, after Sainristil developed into an All-American this past year as a graduate student, when he recorded 44 tackles, deflected six passes, grabbed six interceptions (including two returned for touchdowns) and forced two fumbles and two sacks.

For those worried about if his perceived lack of size will translate at the next level, he has more than made up for his diminutive figure with his athleticism; his 8.51 relative athletic score (in the top 15% among 2,222 qualified athletes at the position since 1987) determined he had "elite" explosion, "great" speed and "good" agility.

Sainristil can do it all, as he wrapped up 99 of his 113 tackle attempts according to Pro Football Focus, and also proved to be an impact blitzer out of the slot, as he generated 20 pressures and four sacks across two seasons.

It's why just before the Rose Bowl, Harbaugh foretold the idea of him shooting up draft boards.

“I bet if you checked the NFL draft, he is rising to the highs," Harbaugh said. "First round type of guy, All-American. You know, again, just a great guy, down to Earth, great guy, and heck of a football player.”

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

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How to Write the Washington University in St. Louis Essays 2023-2024

Washington University in St. Louis, more affectionately known as WashU, requires all applicants to submit two essays, one of which offers three options for students to choose from. Additionally, applicants to the Beyond Boundaries Program and applicants to the Joint Program in Business and Computer Science will have to submit an additional essay for their respective program. There are also 2 required prompts for each of WashU’s three scholarship programs.

The application process at WashU is highly competitive, so you will need strong essays to stand out from the crowd. In this post, we’ll go over each prompt in detail and explain how to successfully write it to help guide you through the process.

Read this WashU essay example to inspire your writing.

Washington University in St. Louis Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants, required prompt, please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why. undecided about your academic interest(s) don’t worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected. remember that all of our first-year students enter officially “undeclared” and work closely with their team of academic advisors to discover their academic passions. you can explore all of our majors and programs on our website. (200 words), all applicants, optional prompt, this optional question allows you to add another dimension to your application – something that the admissions committee might not learn by reading your transcript or your personal statement., if you prefer, you may focus your optional 90-second video submitted through the washu pathway on addressing one of these three questions. (students who choose to submit a written response to one of these questions may still opt in to sharing an optional video)., washu is a place that values diversity of perspectives. we believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “who are you” (250 words).

• Option A: Discuss a fresh perspective or opinion you brought to a collaborative setting or project.
• Option B: Describe a community you are a part of and your place within it.
• Option C: Tell us how your life experiences have impacted the way you view or interact with your community.

Beyond Boundaries Applicants, Required Prompt

The Beyond Boundaries Program equips students with a set of tools to critically understand and make a difference in a complicated world where challenges require diverse perspectives and skill sets. What is the big societal issue you would like to tackle? Who would you need on your team? What would you contribute to the team? (250 words)

Joint Program in Business and Computer Science Applicants, Required Prompt

Students in the joint program in business and computer science will be equipped with the fundamental knowledge and perspectives of computer science and business and will have unique opportunities to converge these two disciplines..

This is a distinctive degree program that captures the intersection of business and computer science and the growing demand for people with this special and sought-after skillset. Graduates of the program will able to pursue careers in technology, data analytics, finance, consulting and business development, to name a few.

Tell us how you would use this combined degree to explore the intersection of these two disciplines? (200 words)

Danforth scholars program applicants, required prompts.

Prompt 1: Chancellor Danforth and Mrs. Danforth deeply cared about building trust within the community and being of service to others. As servant leaders, they demonstrated a true passion and commitment to enhancing the experiences of students, staff, and faculty. In the words of Dr. Danforth, “The achievement of understanding, mutual trust, and appreciation is not only an end in itself, but it is also the prerequisite for major progress.” How have you demonstrated your commitment to servant leadership and improving community? Please provide 1-2 specific examples. (Maximum 250 words)

Prompt 2: Our lived experiences shape our worldly perspectives. As a community, we aim to learn from one another through attentive listening and meaningful dialogue. How will your lived experiences impact the Danforth Scholars Program? (Maximum 200 words)

Ervin Scholars Program Applicants, Required Prompts

Prompt 1: Dr. John B. Ervin was a nationally renowned black educator and the first African American Dean at Washington University in St. Louis. The Ervin Scholars Program was founded on and continues to live out his legacy and the legacy that scholars have built over 35 years. Reflecting on his biography and the history and legacy of the Ervin Scholars Program, how have you taken action to champion diversity in your own life? Please provide 1-2 specific examples. (Maximum 250 words)

Prompt 2: Our lived experiences shape our worldly perspectives. As a community, we aim to learn from one another through attentive listening and meaningful dialogue. How will your lived experiences impact the Ervin Scholars Program? (Maximum 200 words)

Rodriguez Scholars Program Applicants, Required Prompts

Prompt 1: Annika Lynn Rodriguez was born and raised in Puerto Rico prior to attending Washington University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from WashU’s Olin School of Business in 1996, majoring in international business. While a student, she championed awareness for students of all backgrounds, including starting WashU’s first Latin American Awareness Week. She joined the Peace Corps after graduation and was sent to Honduras to support and engage with communities in need. Tragically, she was killed in a flash flood while serving. In remembering her, a friend said, “Annika gave herself wholeheartedly to every person who entered her life.” Reflecting on Annika Rodriguez’ history and legacy, How have you demonstrated your commitment to serving others and championing cultural awareness and understanding? Please provide 1-2 specific examples. (Maximum 250 words)

Prompt 2: Our lived experiences shape our worldly perspectives. As a community, we aim to learn from one another through attentive listening and meaningful dialogue. How will your lived experiences impact the Rodriguez Scholars Program? (Maximum 200 words)

This is a classic example of the “ Why This Major? ” essay question. The goal of this prompt is to understand your interest in your selected major and how your background supports that major. If you’re undecided, that’s totally fine (as the prompt even says!), but you’ll still need to explain your interest in the potential major you selected on your application.

You only have 200 words, so it’s important to keep your answer succinct and informative. The major you choose is likely related to one of your biggest interests or passions, which makes this a great opportunity to showcase your personality to admissions officers.

A good essay would introduce the major, articulate the core reason(s) that you are interested in this major, give specific examples from both inside and outside the classroom of your positive experiences with the subject, and describe what you hope to achieve with that major. To effectively answer this prompt, you need to show the admissions officers why you enjoy this topic, rather than just telling them. An essay that tells why you are interested in a major might look like this:

“I want to study architecture at WashU because I want to build houses one day. I love looking at buildings and seeing all the different designs and structures. I have enjoyed building things from a young age. When I was five years old, I got my first set of Legos and I have built countless houses, skyscrapers, and landmarks since then. I also enjoyed my wood-working class sophomore year of high school, where I tried to build scale models of buildings I had seen while traveling.

An architecture major would be perfect for me, since I would be able to continue building different structures. I’m also interested in studying abroad to experience different types of architecture in different countries. I think WashU’s architecture program would be perfect for me to build on my current interests and learn new skills.”

While this student does include everything they are supposed to, they tell the reader everything by directly saying what they enjoy or think, which leaves the essay looking a bit bland. The same student could write an essay that shows their interest in architecture if they write something like this:

“My feet were aching after walking through the streets of Paris all day, and I begged my mom to go back to the hotel so I could relax. Three more blocks. Eagerly picking up the pace, I rounded the corner and my little brother knocked into my frozen body. Marble pillars glistened in the sunlight, intricate carvings graced every side, and a giant green dome crowned the top of the Paris Opera House.

All the pain dissipated as my feet carried me closer to the most breathtaking feat of architecture I had ever laid my eyes on. Fascinated by the glamor and opulence of the opera house, I took in every detail from the giant arches to the tiny inscriptions. The next fall, when my wood-working teacher announced our independent projects, there wasn’t a moment of hesitation in my mind when I decided to construct a replica of the Paris Opera House.

At WashU, I will take classes like Architectural History: Antiquity to Baroque and participate in the Sam Fox Florence Architecture study abroad program to continue learning about European architecture. With the skills and knowledge I will gain at WashU, I will be able to combine the splendor of old architecture with the practicality of modern architecture.”

This second response is engaging, descriptive, and it conveys the student’s passion for architecture without them having to say “I like architecture” even once. This student is also able to talk about how their passion developed both inside and outside of the classroom, demonstrating their true passion for the subject.

The other thing this essay does well is connect the student’s interest to WashU by mentioning specific classes and programs that appeal to them. This is much more effective in showing genuine interest to admissions officers than making vague statements about enjoying architecture, as the student does in the first response.

With this in mind, you are equipped to write a stellar response to WashU’s supplement prompt. Good luck! If you’re applying to any special programs, stick around for a breakdown of those prompts.

All Applicants, Optional Prompt Introduction

All applicants, optional prompt, option a, discuss a fresh perspective or opinion you brought to a collaborative setting or project. (250 words).

Choosing this prompt will give you the option to discuss traits like your creativity, teamwork, intelligence, leadership, and ingenuity. If any of these characteristics sounds like you, you should seriously consider responding to this option. Admissions officers are asking this question to learn both about your intellect and problem-solving skills, as well as how you work with others.

When it comes to writing this essay, the best strategy is to tell a story. That doesn’t mean you should just include an anecdote in the hook and then transition away from it—writing like that tends to be less engaging and more focused on telling, rather than showing. In order to fully captivate your readers, you need to pick a specific moment and expand it into a story that encapsulates the entire essay.

To ensure your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end, you can use the following steps as guidance for your writing.

Step 1: Set the scene

Like any good story, you need to start by establishing the equilibrium that exists before any conflict arises. If you think about your essay in the context of a traditional story arc, this would be the exposition.

Show the reader where you are, why you’re there, who you’re with, when it is, etc., so that they have enough imagery to place themselves in the situation. Since this essay is on the shorter side, you won’t have a ton of space to focus on setting the scene. A sentence or two should be sufficient. The examples below demonstrate good hooks that are both enticing and provide context:

“Whoever said group projects are a blast has clearly never endured the cosmic slowing of time, the rhythmic tapping of pencils, and the zoned-out stares that result from Mrs. Green’s third-period English book clubs.”

“Seated criss-cross-applesauce on the lip of the stage in a semicircle, the cast of Hairspray anxiously awaited our director’s notes on our abysmal run-through.”

Step 2: Explain the conflict

The next step in a good story is some sort of conflict—and no, we don’t mean a physical fight. While conflict can be physical, it will probably be emotional or mental in most of the stories you would share with a college admissions committee. You want your essays to be free of any violence or similar questionable subject matter.

This should be pretty straightforward and, like the setting of the scene, shouldn’t take up too much space in your essay. You need to highlight that there was some interpersonal or situational issue that prevented your group from performing at its best—that way, your contribution and solution to the issue can be the main focus of your essay.

It’s possible that you think your story is free of conflict, but conflict can really come up anywhere. Maybe your group just had no ideas about what topic to choose for a presentation—that’s conflict. Or perhaps your entire group agreed on one way to complete a task, but you wanted to try something new—that’s also conflict.

Step 3: Show the reader what you contributed

This is where the bulk of your essay should be focused, but notice the keyword: show . Telling the reader your new idea or opinion would make for a rather straightforward essay that reveals very little about your thought process and interpersonal skills. By showing with imagery and details, you can make much more of an impression on the admissions committee.

You might want to include your internal dialogue to demonstrate your inner thoughts and feelings towards the situation:

“Everyone was talking over one another and not a single word was processed. If we could just discuss this civilly, then we might stand a chance of turning the paper in before the deadline.”

Another strategy to show what you brought to your group is including dialogue. Adding snippets of conversation between you and your team members adds some flow to the essay and can easily demonstrate your attitude towards the situation with the word choice you use. Just be careful not to include too much dialogue, otherwise your essay might read like a novel.

You can also choose to focus on your feelings and your group members’ feelings. For example, maybe everyone was feeling unmotivated and lazy, which made you upset, but rather than accept defeat you decided to use humor to diffuse the tension and started suggesting silly ideas until something stuck.

There’s many ways to go about showing rather than telling, so don’t feel like you’re just constrained to these options. As long as you’re able to communicate what your fresh perspective or idea was and how you presented it to your group, you should be fine.

It’s also important to include where your idea came from. Whether you had a fresh perspective because your background is different from that of other people in your group, or you’re generally a creative person who’s always coming up with new ideas, make sure the admissions committee understands where your contribution came from.

Step 4: Demonstrate your impact

In the conclusion of this essay, you’ll want to demonstrate how your idea or opinion impacted your group. While the impact could be something along the lines of getting a good grade or winning some competition, we’d urge you to dig a little deeper and think about a more personal impact you had.

Did your perspective change your group members’ minds about the topic? Did your solution allow your team to engage in an activity they were unfamiliar with and, in turn, they all learned a new skill? Try and think about the impact you had on others beyond the obvious things that come to mind and you will impress the admissions committee with your astute perspective.

All Applicants, Optional Prompt, Option B

Describe a community you are a part of and your place within it. (250 words).

College is one big community, and WashU is curious to see how you will fit into their campus community. This prompt is very straightforward, but it also gives you a lot of freedom to talk about any community that is meaningful to you and what you do as a part of it. The goal of this essay is to demonstrate that you are an active community member and can fit right in at WashU.

It’s extremely important that you pick a community that is central to your life and that you play a large role in. Here are a few examples of communities you could consider:

• Religious community
• Racial or ethnic community
• Sports teams
• Clubs and extracurricular organizations
• Volunteer organizations
• Political movements
• Apartment building or street block
• Online communities or groups
• Community of people who share a similar hobby or interest

As you can see, there are many different ways to approach this essay. Once you know what community you want to write about, you need to discuss your role within the community.

A quick note if you intend to write about your racial background: In June 2023, the United States Supreme Court  struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions. The ruling, however, still allows colleges to consider race on an individual basis, which is one reason many schools are now including diversity prompts as one of their supplemental essay prompts.

This is not exactly a traditional diversity prompt, and by no means are you required to choose your racial or ethnic community as your topic for this essay, but if you feel that this aspect of your background has impacted you significantly, you may wish to consider choosing the third option for this prompt instead. That said, feel free to write about a racial or ethnic community for this option if you want to.

When choosing a community, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can only talk about one where you were a leader or contributed to some big project—even as a member of the community you could still play a large role. When you’re thinking about the role you played, ask yourself these four questions:

• What actions do I take?
• Why do I enjoy being in this community?
• How do I impact others in my community?
• What do I learn from being a part of this community?

If you can answer these questions, you can write an essay that is personal and informative. Including self-reflection, especially for the third and fourth question, will demonstrate your critical thinking and maturity to the admissions committee.

Finally, the last part of this essay is being able to look beyond your past experiences in your community and apply them to a broader context. The first way you can go about this is by applying a lesson you learned from being a part of the community that you take with you in all other aspects of your life.

For example, a student might have learned the power of collective action from being a part of the March for Our Lives community, which they have applied to other issues they care deeply about so they can achieve results when everyone bands together.

The other way to broaden the horizons of your essay is to talk about WashU. In fact, even if you go the first route and discuss a lesson you learned, you should still consider bringing WashU in to show how you can apply that lesson on campus.

Maybe your Indian community at home is extremely important to you, so you’re looking forward to joining the Indian dance team on campus to stay connected to that community. Or, perhaps you’re planning to start a fashion entrepreneurship club on campus to create a community that currently doesn’t exist.

By the end of your essay, the admissions committee should know exactly what you value in a community and should be able to imagine you in specific WashU communities. Ending the essay with your community involvement at WashU is a nice way to leave the admissions officers with a positive impression of you as an involved student.

All Applicants, Optional Prompt, Option C

Tell us how your life experiences have impacted the way you view or interact with your community. (250 words).

A quick note: As mentioned before, the recent Supreme Court decision striking down the use of affirmative action in college admissions has caused many colleges to implement open-ended prompts like this that allow you to discuss life experiences. Colleges are still allowed to consider race on an individual basis, so if you feel as though your racial background has impacted you significantly, use this prompt to share that with the admissions committee.

Race is by no means the only way to approach this topic; students with any impactful life experience are welcome to choose this option. You might consider answering this prompt with what you think is the most important part of your identity, then continue with a small discussion about how that aspect of your life is relevant to you and your other general experiences.

Such a response might be written about one of the following scenarios:

• Using your fluency in another language to help members of a specific community.
• Interpreting a text in class differently from your classmates because of your ethnic culture.
• Having a friend of a different background who has changed your perspective on something important.
• Having an illness or disability that helps you view accessibility through a different lens than your peers.
• Being part of a niche interest group/fandom and trying to represent the group faithfully when talking to people who aren’t members of it.

Simply listing things that generate diversity should be avoided. Sure, your identity includes your ethnicity/race, gender identity, sexual orientation, country of origin, and even languages you speak, but writing that laundry list out with no elaboration doesn’t contribute much to your application. Instead, pick one or two aspects of your identity, and elaborate on them using anecdotes about your experiences.

Also, bear in mind that the traditional markers of identity listed about aren’t the only ones you might discuss. There are other aspects of identity that can contribute to the ways in which you might interact with the community around you, including your socioeconomic class, your hometown, any illnesses/disabilities you might have, and even your interests or hobbies.

You are the only person who has lived your own unique life, so strive to convey that through individuality and specificity in your response. This prompt, like all the others, is an opportunity to showcase your unique life perspective. You don’t want to waste this opportunity by writing down some bland dictionary definitions.

Think of what life experiences have been meaningful to you, or what you consider to be a particularly significant aspect of your life. From there, think of personal anecdotes or stories about how these experiences have contributed to your growth or development as a person.

Beyond Boundaries Prompt

The beyond boundaries program equips students with a set of tools to critically understand and make a difference in a complicated world where challenges require diverse perspectives and skill sets., what is the big societal issue you would like to tackle who would you need on your team what would you contribute to the team (250 words).

WashU’s Beyond Boundaries program is all about addressing the big issues facing the world and equipping students to be creative, informed problem solvers. Your essay will be an important factor in determining whether or not you are the type of person they are looking for, so your essay needs to emphasize personal qualities like global awareness, problem solving, creativity, curiosity, and collaboration.

This prompt follows a pretty typical structure “Global Issues” prompt , but like other WashU prompts, there is an extra focus on teamwork. Not only do you need to demonstrate what problem you want to fix, but you also need to explain who you will work with and how you’ll work together to achieve the solution.

The first step is to choose a societal issue you want to focus on. It can be global, regional, or local. The key is to choose something that you genuinely care about and have some connection to. Don’t pick a topic just because you think it’s what admissions officers want to hear—that almost never goes well for applicants.

Your connection could be related to your lived experiences. For example, a student who lives in a food desert might choose to write about solving food insecurity. Alternatively, you might have exposure to an issue from a class or club. For example, a student who represented China in a Model UN conference learned about the mistreatment of the Uyghur people during their research, and might want to write about developing a solution to that issue.

In your essay, be sure to explain your connection to the issue you chose. This is where you can build credibility and empathy, while really showing the admissions committee your dedication to addressing problems facing the world. When considering explaining your connection, consider the following example students:

The first student writes: “Addressing rising sea levels before it is too late must be the number one priority of our generation.”

The second student writes: “The deafening crash of the waves drowns out the sounds of my childhood. I can’t bear the thought of the pastel blue houses I’ve known all my life being pulled out to sea as nothing more than driftwood when the sea level rises a mere two inches more.”

The second student very clearly has a personal stake in the issue and is passionate about solving it. Like the second student, you should write about an issue you are truly involved in. Strive to convey what solving this important issue would mean to you personally.

Next, you need to describe who will help you achieve your goals and what everyone involved will bring to the table, including yourself. WashU isn’t looking for you to list out a dozen NGOs or broad political structures like the Senate as your answer. Instead, they want to see that you make thoughtful, informed decisions.

Maybe you pick an established organization like the NAACP that shares your mission and could provide you with resources to solve the problem. Or, perhaps you want to create a team of young, like-minded students you will meet in a particular class or club at WashU. Or, maybe there’s a WashU professor who is an expert on the issue you care about that you would love to work with.

The main takeaway is that you should focus on the depth you go into about why you choose a particular group, rather than the breadth of all the stakeholders who will be useful in solving the societal issue. When choosing members for your team, think quality over quantity.

As you discuss what others will contribute, also include what you will bring to the table. What knowledge or skills do you already possess that make you uniquely qualified to address this issue? Similarly, what knowledge and skills will you acquire with a WashU education that will be useful in tackling the issue? Don’t forget to highlight yourself in your essay—after all, you’re trying to convince WashU to admit you , not the other people helping to solve the problem.

Joint Program in Business and Computer Science Prompt

This is a distinctive degree program that captures the intersection of business and computer science and the growing demand for people with this special and sought-after skillset. graduates of the program will be able to pursue careers in technology, data analytics, finance, consulting and business development, to name a few..

For this prompt, you want to convey how you plan to synthesize two different topics into one passion that you possess. The prompt itself lists possible careers and specifically asks “how you would use this combined degree,” so this essay should focus on your future plans and possible careers you are considering.

Since you only have 200 words, don’t spend half the essay discussing your interest in business and the other half discussing your interest in computer science. In fact, the majority of this essay should be about the fusion of the two subjects.

To successfully write this essay, you should include a discussion of what drew you to the intersection of business and technology, what your career plan post-graduation is and why, and what resources or offerings in the program would be helpful to you. Now, let’s run through what should and should not be included in each part of the essay.

What drew you to these topics?

While this shouldn’t be the majority of your essay, it’s important that you address this question to demonstrate your passion for this unique combination of disciplines. A brief anecdote would be good to include at the beginning of your essay.

For example, a student who was so fascinated by trends in the stock market that she generated detailed charts and graphs could discuss how she organized data and analyzed the graphs she made. Or, a student who coded her own app so customers of the bakery she worked for could order ahead might describe the challenges she overcame to make the app.

What do you plan to do?

Answering this question should be the bulk of your essay as admissions officers want to know what creative aspirations you have that other applicants don’t. For this section, you might want to expand on an experience or project you worked on in the past that you want to delve deeper into. If you don’t already have much experience in these two fields, you can go into detail about your aspirations.

For instance, if you want to start your own technology company, you should discuss your inspirations, how you plan to overcome challenges with the knowledge and skills you’ll acquire at WashU, and why these two disciplines are essential to your future goals. The key is to be specific and exciting. WashU is looking to admit students who will be impressive alumni, so show them how you plan to make an impact down the road.

What resources will you use?

Finally you should mention how the goals you want to accomplish will only be possible if you obtain this education from WashU. You could talk about specific classes that pique your interest, professors you want to conduct research with, and extracurricular opportunities that fit your niche.

It’s important that you intertwine the program’s resources with your future plans and interests to actually demonstrate your passion for these topics. You want to convey specific ways in which WashU will provide you with a fulfilling education. You do not want to simply name-drop random professors or classes without establishing a connection, though. Additionally, the resources you discuss should be unique to this specific program at WashU, and not available anywhere else.

Danforth Scholars Program, Prompt 1

Chancellor danforth and mrs. danforth deeply cared about building trust within the community and being of service to others. as servant leaders, they demonstrated a true passion and commitment to enhancing the experiences of students, staff, and faculty. in the words of dr. danforth, “the achievement of understanding, mutual trust, and appreciation is not only an end in itself, but it is also the prerequisite for major progress” how have you demonstrated your commitment to servant leadership and improving community please provide 1-2 specific examples. (maximum 250 words).

Apart from Dr. Danforth’s quote, this is a fairly standard instance of the community service essay, so check out CollegeVine’s guide dedicated just to this kind of prompt!

Danforth Scholars Program, Prompt 2

Our lived experiences shape our worldly perspectives. as a community, we aim to learn from one another through attentive listening and meaningful dialogue. how will your lived experiences impact the danforth scholars program (maximum 200 words).

Brainstorming Your Topic:

This prompt essentially boils down to its last sentence—how will your lived experiences impact this program? That is a very open-ended question, which you could use as a road into just about any topic. That freedom means that the brainstorming process is crucial to writing a strong response. If you don’t already have a clear sense of what you want to say, your essay may end up all over the place.

One good way to focus your brainstorming is through the prompt’s attention to dialogue. You’re likely going to share anecdotes and advice with your peers at WashU, as you probably already do with your friends and family right now. Questions like the following may help you start figuring out what you want to write about:

• Which stories do you tell most often?
• When you meet someone new, what are some of the first things you usually talk about?
• When you give advice, which experiences do you draw on?
• How have the experiences from the previous question shaped you into who you are today?

Hopefully, thinking through these slightly more targeted questions will give you some ideas about what you might want to include in your essay. You only have 200 words to work with, so you’ll probably have to home in on one experience to use as the foundation for your essay. Once you have an idea of the general structure for your essay, you can then connect bigger picture takeaways to it, which ensures that your essay is cohesive.

One thing you should avoid is rewriting the same essay as the previous prompt. You don’t need to go into another story about your impact on your community here. You have more of a chance to be creative and try to convey a different message from the previous one.

For example, maybe you choose to focus your essay on your tradition of getting an owl-themed trinket anywhere you go on vacation, and how this small, seemingly silly routine has given you something consistent across different periods of your life. Perhaps this consistency is something that grounds you, and you might share this story with your future peers to help them come up with their own ways to order and appreciate the big events in their lives.

Remember, the Danforth Scholars Program , as well as the Ervin Scholars Program and Rodriguez Scholars Program , are centered around the ideas of leadership, community service, and diversity. Try to find a life experience that touches on at least two of those values so you can discuss how you will bring the lesson it taught you to WashU.

Tips for Writing Your Essay:

As noted above, for this prompt, brainstorming is more than half the battle. If you have a clear game plan before you start writing, actually getting the words down will hopefully be more about finding the right phrasing and crafting smooth transitions than actually generating content.

You do want to make sure that, like in any college essay, you’re utilizing the “show, don’t tell” strategy. In other words, rather than telling something to your reader directly, describe a moment or situation that illustrates the point you’re trying to make. To see the benefits of this approach, compare the following two excerpts from hypothetical essays:

Excerpt 1: “For as long as I can remember, I’ve collected owl trinkets on family vacations. In 2009, I got my first one, a ceramic burrowing owl from Tucson, Arizona. The most recent addition to my collection was a dense, bronze owl from Athens, who I was especially excited about since owls are the symbol of Athena, the patron goddess of that city.”

Excerpt 2: “As my family enters the small, dimly lit shop at the end of one of Athens’s many winding streets, my eyes immediately lock onto the shelves upon shelves of owls. Huge, marble ones that cost hundreds of euros, and tiny, wooden ones as spindly as a toothpick. After much deliberation, I select a dense bronze fellow who is barely an inch high. I can already envision how he’ll look on my desk at home, lined up next to all the other owls I’ve collected over the years.”

These two excerpts give us basically the same information, but the first presents it to us in a very dry, factual way. The second, on the other hand, drops us right next to the writer as they pick out their latest owl, and includes vivid descriptions that make this excerpt much more engaging to read.

Since you only have 200 words at your disposal, you should keep your stylistic flourishes limited, but don’t feel like you can’t use them at all. That being said, in your early drafts, don’t focus on this kind of finer detail. Make sure you have a personal, informative, cohesive essay first, then take the time to add the cherries on top later.

To connect your experience and its lesson to the program, visit the program’s web page and do a little research on the values it holds in high regard. Since each of the three scholarship programs offers this as their second prompt, all three program web pages are linked above, just before this tips section.

Mistakes to Avoid:

As we hinted at in the brainstorming section above, the biggest potential pitfall with this essay is that—because of the open-ended, narrative nature of this essay—you may end up adrift, without any clear focus point to anchor you. To avoid that happening, don’t just rattle off a bunch of vague, Hallmark card lessons. Instead, follow the strategies laid out in the previous two sections to ensure that the points you make are clearly connected to your own personal experiences.

The other thing you want to be sure to avoid is repeating information that can already be found elsewhere in your application, namely in your Common App essay. If you already wrote about your owl collection there, you want to pick something else to focus on here. You only get so many opportunities to share your personality with Princeton’s admissions officers, so don’t waste one by telling them things they already know.

Ervin Scholars Program, Prompt 1

Dr. john b. ervin was a nationally renowned black educator and the first african american dean at washington university in st. louis. the ervin scholars program was founded on and continues to live out his legacy and the legacy that scholars have built over 35 years. reflecting on his biography and the history and legacy of the ervin scholars program, how have you taken action to champion diversity in your own life please provide 1-2 specific examples. (maximum 250 words).

At its core, this is a standard diversity prompt . Be sure to check out our linked post for all the tips and examples you need to write a successful essay! That being said, there are a couple of things to note:

First and foremost, you should note that earlier this year, the United States Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions. The ruling, however, still allows colleges to consider race on an individual basis, which is one reason many schools are now including diversity prompts as one of their supplemental essay prompts. If you feel that your racial background has impacted you significantly, this is definitely the place to discuss that.

Second, a typical diversity prompt generally asks about your background, life experiences, or identity, and how these things have shaped you into the person you are now. This prompt is a little bit different in that it’s asking how you’ve “taken action to champion diversity in your own life.”

The act of championing diversity can take many forms. Perhaps you’ve led a march for gender equality after a major institutional injustice occurred, or maybe you do something on a much smaller scale, like teaching kids in your neighborhood your native language. However you support and advocate for diversity is fair game for this prompt.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box—after all, diversity encompasses many things. You might think of a more traditional aspect of identity, such as ethnicity/race, country of origin, first language, gender identity, or sexual orientation. But diversity also includes things like your hometown community, socioeconomic status/income class, illnesses/disabilities, and even interests or hobbies!

Ervin Scholars Program, Prompt 2

Our lived experiences shape our worldly perspectives. as a community, we aim to learn from one another through attentive listening and meaningful dialogue. how will your lived experiences impact the ervin scholars program (maximum 200 words).

Like the Danforth Scholars Program’s second prompt, this is a great example of the classic “Community” essay !

Rodriguez Scholars Program, Prompt 1

Annika lynn rodriguez was born and raised in puerto rico prior to attending washington university. she received a bachelor of science in business administration degree from washu’s olin school of business in 1996, majoring in international business. while a student, she championed awareness for students of all backgrounds, including starting washu’s first latin american awareness week. she joined the peace corps after graduation and was sent to honduras to support and engage with communities in need. tragically, she was killed in a flash flood while serving. in remembering her, a friend said, “annika gave herself wholeheartedly to every person who entered her life.” reflecting on annika rodriguez’ history and legacy, how have you demonstrated your commitment to serving others and championing cultural awareness and understanding please provide 1-2 specific examples. (maximum 250 words).

Looking through the lens of Annika Rodriguez’s enduring legacy at WashU, this prompt asks you how you’ve demonstrated your commitment to two things—serving others and championing cultural awareness and understanding. In order to successfully address both parts of the prompt, you’ll want to incorporate elements of both the community service essay and the diversity essay .

The most effective response to this prompt should reflect on your community service experiences from the perspective of cultural awareness. If you volunteer at a local cultural center—like one that practices and preserves traditional Indian dances, or one that teaches children about traditional Mexican holidays and cultural practices, for example—this is the perfect place to write about that.

Even if you don’t have a service experience that is directly tied to cultural awareness, you can respond to this prompt. For example, you might tutor someone in another language, or perhaps you volunteer at a nursing home and teach the residents a card game from your hometown. Remember, the idea of “cultural awareness” encompasses many things that can be used to respond to this prompt—even something as simple as spreading a tradition that began in your city.

Rodriguez Scholars Program, Prompt 2

Our lived experiences shape our worldly perspectives. as a community, we aim to learn from one another through attentive listening and meaningful dialogue. how will your lived experiences impact the rodriguez scholars program (maximum 200 words).

This prompt is identical to the Ervin Scholars Program’s Prompt 2, apart from the name of the program, so you’ll once again want to tackle this as a traditional “Community” essay !

Where to Get Your WashU Essays Edited

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

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

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Middle East crisis — explained

The conflict between Israel and Palestinians — and other groups in the Middle East — goes back decades. These stories provide context for current developments and the history that led up to them.

As student protesters get arrested, they risk being banned from campus too

Rachel Treisman

Jaclyn Diaz

Dozens of tents are seen on a lawn inside the Columbia University Campus after students refused to take down the encampment by the 2 p.m. EDT deadline given to students protesting by Columbia President Minouche Shafik. Luiz C. Ribeiro/Tribune News Service/Getty Images hide caption

Dozens of tents are seen on a lawn inside the Columbia University Campus after students refused to take down the encampment by the 2 p.m. EDT deadline given to students protesting by Columbia President Minouche Shafik.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators continue to turn out at schools across the country despite the risk of detention and suspension, with nearly 300 more protesters arrested over the weekend .

At Columbia University, where a pro-Palestinian encampment has catalyzed dozens of similar demonstrations across the nation, student protesters face threats of punishment, with some students already receiving word of their suspension.

On Monday morning, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced that in, negotiations over the encampment, faculty leaders and student organizers were not able to reach an agreement .

The university gave students until 2 p.m. ET to disperse and abandon the encampments or else face suspension pending further investigation, according to flyers it distributed on campus .

Columbia University spokesman Ben Chang confirmed to reporters that some students taking part in the pro-Palestinian encampment who refused to leave at that deadline were suspended. It's unclear how many students will receive that punishment.

Chang said the move is required to preserve campus safety.

Hundreds of students at a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University's campus. Brian Mann hide caption

Hundreds of students at a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University's campus.

Students who voluntarily left the encampment and signed a copy of a form committing to abide by university policies will be on academic probation through June 2025, according to the flyers. Those who remained past the deadline were told they will be restricted from all Columbia campuses and property and ineligible to participate in classes and academic or extracurricular activities.

"You are not permitted to complete the Spring 2024 semester, including participate in classes or exams in-person or remotely or otherwise submit assignments or engage in any activities affiliated with Columbia University," the notice dispersed on campus reads. "You may lose the semester. If you are scheduled to graduate, you are no longer eligible."

Dozens of New York police officers gathered outside the campus gates about an hour ahead of the deadline.

Many students remained despite the threats, saying they have no plans to leave unless the university meets its demand to divest from companies they say are aiding Israel's war in Gaza. After the flyers were distributed, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine posted on X urging students not to sign anything.

Roughly 100 officers in uniform gathered at Columbia University's campus in the leadup to its 2 p.m. deadline for students to disperse from the encampment that's been up for nearly two weeks. Brian Mann/NPR hide caption

Roughly 100 officers in uniform gathered at Columbia University's campus in the leadup to its 2 p.m. deadline for students to disperse from the encampment that's been up for nearly two weeks.

"We will not be moved by these intimidation tactics. You can see the students are mobilized. There's hundreds of them here today. They will not be moved. We demand divestment, we will not be moved unless by force," Seuda Polat, a Columbia University graduate student, said during a press conference Monday.

Polat continued, "There has been no violence on this encampment. Students from diverse backgrounds have shared their religious observances together. We've celebrated Passover, we've celebrated shabbat twice. This is a place of community, of community learning, not violence."

Police continue to arrest protesters across the country

On Sunday, pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israeli protesters clashed at the University of California, Los Angeles, leading to what university leaders described as "physical altercations" and prompting them to increase security measures on campus.

Nearly 300 people arrested at campus protests against the war in Gaza this weekend

At Virginia Tech University, police arrested scores of protesters in the early hours of Monday morning. Virginia Tech Police confirmed early Monday evening that 82 individuals, 53 of whom are current students at the university, were arrested and all were charged with trespassing.

The school had warned of "heavy police activity around the Graduate Life Center" in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) starting just after 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, and announced around 3:30 a.m. that the incident " had stabilized ." Social media footage shows protesters chanting at police as they lead people into multiple white vans.

Elsewhere in the state, 12 protesters — including nine students — were arrested at the University of Mary Washington on Saturday evening after refusing to vacate an encampment on its Fredericksburg, Va., campus. University President Troy Paino said in a statement that health and safety concerns had emerged on Saturday after protestors invited the off-campus public to join the encampment.

A man holds up a Palestinian flag as activists and students surround piled barricades at an encampment at at George Washington University early Monday. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images hide caption

A man holds up a Palestinian flag as activists and students surround piled barricades at an encampment at at George Washington University early Monday.

Meanwhile, protests at George Washington University in D.C. are stretching into their fifth day on Monday — the last day of class for the semester — after a tense weekend, culminating in a clash between protesters and police.

Students first set up an encampment on University Yard on Thursday and later launched a second one on nearby H Street after the school put up barricades to restrict access.

The Picture Show

Photos: take a look at campus protests around the country.

Shortly before midnight on Sunday, protesters knocked down the barricades — piling them in a stack in the middle of the lawn — and flooded the lawn, with people remaining there overnight in some 85 tents, the GW Hatchet reports .

GW officials said in a statement early Monday that a group of "approximately 200 protesters from across [D.C., Maryland and Virginia], including professional organizers, activists, and university students, have joined the unauthorized encampment on our campus."

"This is an egregious violation of community trust and goes far beyond the boundaries of free expression and the right to protest," they added. "The university will use every avenue available to ensure those involved are held accountable for their actions."

Schools are alternately threatening and disavowing disciplinary action

Students arrested at Emerson College last week won't face disciplinary action from the school, its president announced. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Students arrested at Emerson College last week won't face disciplinary action from the school, its president announced.

One question on the minds of many is what, if any, disciplinary action student protesters might face from their schools, especially with finals and graduation fast approaching.

Some universities have suspended — or threatened to suspend — students who have been arrested for protesting, while others have said they will not.

Students have been suspended for protesting at George Washington University , Princeton University , Washington University in St. Louis , Pomona College and Vanderbilt University , according to reports.

Barnard College officials announced Friday that it will allow most of the 53 students who were arrested and suspended after protesting at Columbia University to return to campus. The New York Times reports that suspended students who reached agreements with the college have their access to residence halls, dining facilities and classrooms restored, while others are still working to reach agreements.

Across the U.S., pro-Palestinian campus protesters risk arrest and suspension

On Sunday, Jay Bernhardt, the president of Emerson College in Boston — where more than 100 protesters were arrested at an encampment early Thursday morning — said the college will not bring disciplinary charges against protesters, and will "encourage the district attorney not to pursue charges related to encampment violations."

He said it is also taking steps to support students who were arrested, including posting bail for them and providing housing support to those who are required to stay local for court appearances after the closing of their dorms.

"The College has done its best to keep all community members safe every day during these challenging times, but we recognize that we must do more," he added.

In Texas, the Travis County district attorney has dropped misdemeanor trespassing charges against all 57 people arrested during a protest at UT-Austin last week, after a judge found insufficient evidence to proceed.

Law enforcement arrest a pro-Palestinian protestor on April 29, 2024, at the University of Texas at Austin. Michael Minasi/KUT hide caption

Law enforcement arrest a pro-Palestinian protestor on April 29, 2024, at the University of Texas at Austin.

But on Monday, around 100 protesters gathered at UT-Austin and set up a new encampment on the campus' south lawn, according to NPR member station KUT. By mid-afternoon, state, city and university police were on hand, breaking up the gathering.

Elsewhere, some schools are threatening disciplinary action for students who don't comply with directives to leave encampments that they say violate their policies.

Officials at the University of Florida, where students began protesting on Wednesday, said Friday that demonstrators could face suspension and a three-year ban from campus if they violate specific protest rules, reports member station WUFT .

They are prohibited from using bullhorns or speakers to amplify their voices, possessing weapons and protesting inside campus buildings — but also face more vague prohibitions like "no disruption," according to a list circulated late Thursday.

"They also included 'no sleeping' on a campus where students often doze in the sun between classes," per WUFT.

Mass arrests roil college campuses amid pro-Palestinian protests

At Cal Poly Humboldt, officials closed campus to the public on Saturday, several days after student protesters first occupied two academic and administrative buildings. They had previously given protesters until 5 p.m. on Friday to leave with a guarantee of no immediate arrest — but said they would still face consequences.

"This does not, however, eliminate University conduct-related sanctions or legal implications," officials said in a release. "In addition, voluntarily departing in this way will be considered as a mitigating factor in University conduct processes and may reduce the severity of sanctions imposed."

The campus will remain closed until May 10, with work and classes remote through the end of the semester. Officials say they are planning for "various scenarios" for commencement.

At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, president Sally Kornbluth said in a Sunday message to students that their growing encampment violates policies around registering for campus demonstrations and creates a "potential magnet for disruptive outside protestors."

She said rules have been broken, and those who break them — "including rules around the time, place and manner of protest" — will face disciplinary action.

"We are open to further discussion about the means of ending the encampment," she added. "But this particular form of expression needs to end soon."

Northwestern reaches a deal with protesters

Signs are displayed outside a tent encampment at Northwestern University on Friday in Evanston, Illinois. Students and the university reached a deal Monday, allowing the demonstrations to continue, but that mandated the removal of all but one of these tents. Teresa Crawford/AP hide caption

Signs are displayed outside a tent encampment at Northwestern University on Friday in Evanston, Illinois. Students and the university reached a deal Monday, allowing the demonstrations to continue, but that mandated the removal of all but one of these tents.

Northwestern University reached an agreement Monday with students and faculty protesting against the war, as demonstrations continued at other campuses across the country.

The deal was struck five days after students erected an encampment on Deering Meadow, a common area on the university's Evanston campus.

The agreement allows demonstrations to continue until the end of spring quarter classes on June 1, "provided all such activity immediately and continuously complies with University policies," Northwestern officials said in a statement.

The school will allow one aid tent to remain at the encampment on Deering Meadow but is demanding all other tents and sound systems be taken down.

"This agreement also addresses our commitment to protect the safety of our entire community and to ensure the ongoing academic operations of our campus while adhering to our support for free expression," Northwestern President Michael Schill wrote in an announcement posted on the school's website. "The agreement includes support for our Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students. Some of the actions have been discussed for years and some are new. Together, they will strengthen our community."

As part of the agreement, the university has promised to fund two Palestinian faculty members per year for two years and to provide scholarships for five Palestinian undergraduates.

Some faculty are calling for amnesty

Students and faculty at some universities are calling on their administrations not to discipline protesters. Arrested protesters face uncertainty about not only their legal records but the status of campus housing, financial aid and graduation eligibility.

At the University of Pennsylvania , officials say a campus statue was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti and are calling on demonstrators — from Penn and other area schools — to disband.

A group of Penn faculty and Philadelphia-area elected officials signed a letter last week urging university leaders to "respect students' rights to engage in nonviolent protest" by refraining from calling in law enforcement to make arrests and from filing disciplinary and criminal charges against peaceful protesters at the encampment.

"Protesters nationwide face police violence and severe discipline, and the safety and wellbeing of Philadelphia students exercising their rights are among our foremost concerns," they wrote.

In Columbia University's protests of 1968 and 2024, what's similar — and different

Nearly 300 faculty members at Yale University, where 48 protesters were arrested last week, signed a letter condemning what they called "the criminalization of Yale students engaged in recent acts of peaceful protest." They demanded that the university take no further disciplinary action and called on authorities to drop all charges against them.

They said the protesters arrested face Class A misdemeanors under Connecticut law, which carry possible penalties of up to 364 days in jail.

"Threatening students with sanctions of this kind is unconscionable and should not be the means by which Yale responds to peaceful protest," they added.

In a further sign of discontent, faculty members at universities in California, Georgia and Texas have either initiated or passed largely symbolic votes of no confidence in their leadership, according to the Associated Press .

• student protests
• Israel-Hamas war
• campus protests

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