UNC Supplemental Essays
Tackling UNC supplemental essays may just feel like one more task on your application to-do list. But, as with any other competitive college or university, spending time on them is key to making a compelling case to UNC’s admissions committee. While other school-specific essays are optional, the UNC supplemental essays are required. So, if you want to get into UNC, writing stellar UNC essays needs to be part of your application plan.
In this guide to the UNC supplemental essays, we’ll review both UNC essay prompts and give you our best tips on how to approach them. You’ll also find suggestions for choosing a topic and how to make sure your Common App personal statement and your UNC supplemental essays work together to strengthen your application.
To start, here’s a brief overview of UNC admissions.
UNC Admissions: Quick Facts
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Quick Facts
- UNC Chapel Hill Acceptance Rate: 15% — U.S. News ranks the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill #4 in Top Public Schools.
- UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Requirements: UNC removed their supplemental essays in order to ease their application process. This makes your Common App personal statement the priority when applying to UNC.
- UNC Chapel Hill Application: Students applying to UNC Chapel Hill can do so via the Common Application. In addition to the UNC Chapel Hill essays, students will also be required to complete one Common App essay.
- UNC Chapel Hill Application Deadlines:
- Early Action: October 15
- Regular Decision: January 15
- UNC Chapel Hill Essay Tip: There aren’t multiple UNC Chapel Hill essays, so we recommend writing your personal statement as carefully and authentically as possible. This will help maximize your admissions odds.
Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.
How many essays does the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill require?
This year there aren’t various UNC supplemental essays. The previous UNC application essays have been removed. Therefore, students will only need to write one personal statement from the Common App essay prompts.
While it may feel like a relief to not have additional University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supplemental essays, no supplemental essays means applicants one opportunity to share more about themselves and their writing. This is why your personal statement from the Common App will be so important to your application.
Common App Personal Statement
When applying to UNC, you’ll not only write two UNC supplemental essays, but you’ll also need to write the personal statement found in the Common Application. Luckily, the personal statement can be used for various schools. Most schools will in fact require that you complete the personal statement and their school-specific supplemental essays.
Unlike the UNC supplemental essays, where students write on the same two prompts, the personal statement allows students seven different prompts to choose from. Here are the prompts found on the Common App:
Common App Essay Prompts
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
If one of these prompts jumps out to you and excites you, then that is the prompt you should write on! However, if you’re between a few prompts or are completely unsure of which prompt to choose, you can use our previous tips on choosing a topic for the UNC supplemental essays. Brainstorming and free-writing will allow you to choose the prompt that you have the most to say about.
Additionally, consider any gaps in your overall UNC application. Ideally, your UNC essays will fill in those gaps, adding new information to your application. You most certainly should not simply repeat what’s already been stated. Use the Common App personal statement and the UNC supplemental essays as opportunities to show a new part of your personality, values, and interests to admissions. In the case of UNC, you have three opportunities to do so: two UNC supplemental essays and the personal statement.
Indeed, you can recycle the personal statement. That is to say, you can send the same essay to various schools. In fact, you should do this in order to streamline the application process. The only case in which we wouldn’t recommend reusing your personal statement exactly as it is, is if it repeats information from one of the UNC supplemental essays. However, you can reuse parts or adjust your UNC supplemental essays accordingly. That is to say, if you choose to write your personal statement on prompt #6, and speak about an academic interest, you’ll want to write the second of your UNC supplemental essays on a completely different academic topic. Don’t use the same theme or topic in various essays as this will waste a valuable opportunity to share more about yourself to UNC admissions.
The personal statement is an important part of your UNC application as well as your other college application. Check out this article on how to write the personal statement. In addition to providing you with in-depth information on writing the essay, it also includes 5 personal statement essay examples. Reading these examples can help you see what impresses college admissions. But remember, don’t try to copy essay examples. Simply use them as inspiration to write your own unique story.
How do I write my best personal statement for UNC-Chapel Hill?
Your personal statement should complement the rest of your UNC application to help the admissions team understand who you are and why you belong at UNC. Wondering what it looks like to build a personal narrative in your application? Check out our expert’s dive into the personal narrative.
Remember to use dynamic, descriptive language in your essay. Your reader should be able to sense your passion and enthusiasm for the topic at hand. As a rule, authentic, genuine responses make for the strongest UNC Chapel Hill essays. The UNC admissions team read thousands of applications — it’s easy to spot shallow responses meant only to impress admissions officers.
Show, don’t tell
The golden rule of writing applies to your college essays. The best UNC essays will engage the reader from the start, and take them on a narrative journey. Of course, you only have 650 words to do so. Therefore, you’ll need to use your words wisely. Finding the perfect balance of being descriptive, yet concise, will lead to the most successful UNC Chapel Hill essays.
You’ve probably heard your English teachers talk about showing rather than telling in narrative writing. However, let’s look at this example provided by Reedsy’s blog on the topic:
Tell: Michael was terribly afraid of the dark.
Show: As his mother switched off the light and left the room, Michael tensed. He huddled under the covers, gripped the sheets, and held his breath as the wind brushed past the curtain.
Which has the greater impact and engages the reader? It’s clear that showing is the best way to truly hook your reader and take them on a narrative journey. Remember, you can still be creative and show off your writing skills in college essays. In fact, you absolutely should do so!
Just remember to find the perfect balance when writing your UNC supplemental essays. You need to engage the reader, tell a narrative, and also completely respond to the prompt. Oh, and you have to stick to the 650 word count! Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to write your personal statement. We can assure you that the best college essays weren’t written overnight. They most certainly required multiple drafts to get to their best version. So, do yourself a favor and start preparing your UNC essays early so you can write the best essays possible!
5 Tips for Writing the UNC Essay
The only UNC essay is the Common App personal statement. Even though there aren’t multiple UNC supplemental essays, your essay is an integral part of your overall UNC application. The UNC admissions team has a holistic evaluation process when considering potential applicants. This means they don’t simply look at grades or standardized test scores. They look at the big picture. So, yes, your grades are important, but so is your essay.
Indeed, the UNC essay is an opportunity to share new information about yourself not seen elsewhere in your application. As such, you should place importance on writing the best UNC essays possible! Let’s take a look at some tips you can follow in order to write your best essay.
5 UNC Essays Tips
Start early
There is only one UNC essay you’ll have to write: the Common App personal statement. However, that doesn’t mean you should put it off. In order to write the best version possible, you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Brainstorming, writing, revising, rewriting, and editing will take you some time. Additionally, you have other parts of the application to prepare, such as getting letters of recommendation. Therefore, plan your time wisely and start crafting your UNC essay long before the application deadline.
Be authentic
Of course, you want to impress UNC admissions with your essay. However, that doesn’t mean your essay should read as something you think will impress admissions. This essay should share more information about who you are and what you’ll bring to the campus. Therefore, be authentic and genuine when writing.
Choose topics wisely
The topic you write on should excite you. If it doesn’t, then consider choosing a different topic. The prompts are purposefully rather open-ended. This means that students can tailor their responses to what they are truly most passionate about, and what is an integral part of their story. There is no right or wrong essay topic. In fact, there are thousands of possible topics that students can write on. The best topic for you will be one that shows your passion and authentic self.
Answer the prompt
Choosing a topic is important, but remember that you need to fully respond to the prompt. Find the balance between writing creatively and comprehensively responding to every part of the prompt. At the end of writing your drafts, be sure to ask yourself, “Did I fully and completely respond to the prompt?” This may seem obvious, but when trying to meet the word limit, show your passion, and engage the reader, it’s possible that you may forget the main purpose at hand: responding to the prompts.
Draft, revise, and repeat
You’re not going to get the best versions of your UNC personal statement on your first draft. Instead, you’ll need to write multiple drafts. Give yourself the time to do so! Editing and rewriting are an important part of the writing process, so factor that into your timeline. Additionally, enlist the help of friends, families, or mentors when editing. Having an extra set of eyes on your work can help to avoid careless grammatical and spelling errors. UNC essays should be engaging and impeccably written. Just remember to maintain your unique voice when implementing the feedback of others.
Use these five tips to help you write your best essays possible. And, keep in mind that these tips can be applied to all of your college essay writing. Staying organized is key when it comes to applying to colleges. Essay writing is a time-consuming task, so you’ll need to plan your time accordingly. However, don’t discount the importance of the UNC application essay! It could be what makes or breaks your admissions decision.
Is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill essay important?
Yes! As #26 on U.S. News’ Best Colleges list and with a competitive acceptance rate, UNC Chapel Hill places plenty of emphasis on the Common App essay. It is in fact one of the most important UNC admissions requirements, especially given UNC’s current test-optional policy. For students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or higher, submitting standardized test scores is optional. However, students with a weighted GPA below 2.8 are required to submit standardized test scores and must meet minimum score thresholds.
Whether you have excellent grades or not, don’t let the UNC Chapel Hill essay intimidate you. Think of the UNC Chapel Hill essay as your chance to address the admissions team on your own terms. Use this opportunity to show them what you’ll bring to UNC! Indeed, the personal statement is an important factor in the UNC admissions process. Since admissions uses a holistic evaluation process, every part of your application matters. Therefore, you’ll want to do everything you can to craft the best application narrative possible, including writing your best Common App essay!
More CollegeAdvisor resources
In addition to this UNC Essay guide, CollegeAdvisor has plenty of valuable resources to help you write your best UNC essay. Take advantage of these free resources to give you some guidance on writing college essays. Especially if you are in the beginning stages of the college application process, understanding how to write a college essay will only help ease your application journey.
Remember, a well-crafted personal essay can make a huge difference in admissions. There are many UNC admissions requirements, but the UNC essay is the best way to show your personality and impress admissions. Take your UNC essay seriously — you’ll be glad you did. You may even find inspiration in reading college essay examples. Remember not to mimic other essays, but use them in order to understand how to write your own successful UNC essay.
The UNC essay is just the Common App personal statement. However, writing this essay is an integral part of not only your UNC application, but also your other college applications. Most schools require the Common App personal statement, so writing your best personal essay will go far beyond one college application. You’ll send this essay to multiple schools! Therefore, make sure that your personal statement shares something important about you and your story to the admissions teams. Check out this guide with tips for responding to the Common App prompts.
Finally, sometimes learning about what not to do can provide valuable information in the college essay writing process. Watch our webinar on College Essay Mistakes When Writing About Yourself in order to avoid some common errors that students make. In addition to reviewing some common mistakes, you’ll also learn more about what admissions looks for in essays and how to best tell your story in your unique voice.
Using these free CollegeAdvisor resources, in addition to this essay guide, will give you even more guidance when writing the UNC essay.
More details about UNC Chapel Hill
UNC Chapel Hill is not only a high ranking national university, but is also ranked #1 in value amongst public universities. To many applicants trying to figure out how to pay for college, quality yet affordable universities are at the top of their lists. Check out UNC’s scholarships and financial aid opportunities.
To learn more about how the UNC Chapel Hill essay fits into the UNC application, visit their admissions page for a list of the UNC admissions requirements. When considering how to get into UNC Chapel Hill applicants will need a strong overall UNC application, including their personal statent.
Be sure to check the UNC application deadline and UNC admission requirements in addition to your UNC essay. The UNC essay is important, but at a selective school like UNC Chapel Hill, every part of the application matters.
UNC Supplemental Essays: Final Thoughts
Before diving into the UNC essay first do your research on UNC Chapel Hill. It may be exciting to think about getting your college acceptance letter and figuring out the college enrollment process, but first make sure to be passionate about the schools you apply to. From there, you can build strong essays that focus on who you are and why you want to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
Remember that completing the 650-word UNC Chapel Hill essay (Common App personal statement) is an important part of your application. The UNC application essays are opportunities to share new information about yourself with the admissions team. Indeed, your UNC essay is your time to show off what makes you unique. Don’t be intimidated by the personal statement. Rather, take advantage of the chance to shine!
Don’t forget to revise
Finally, don’t forget to revise your essay multiple times. In fact, you’ll want to start your writing process early, a least a few months before the UNC application deadline. Once you’ve completed a draft, you might also ask a trusted adult to proofread your essay for spelling, grammar, and clarity. However, it’s best to stay away from heavy edits that erase your voice from your personal statement. Remember, the admissions officers want to know more about you, not the person who helped you edit your essay.
After reading this UNC Essay guide we hope that you feel better prepared to tackle writing. However, we know that college essay writing can be a stressful task for many students. If you’re feeling like you need extra help or personalized attention to get started, then College Advisor has plenty of experts that can guide you along the way. From essay writing to applying for financial aid, our advisors are here to help students and families through every step of the application process. Reach out to learn more!
This supplemental essay guide on UNC–Chapel Hill was written by Sarah Kaminski. Want help crafting your UNC supplemental essays? Click here to create your free account, or call (844) 343-6272 to schedule your free advising consultation with an Admissions Specialist.
