UT Austin Supplemental Essays
As one of the top public universities in the United States, the University of Texas Austin (UT Austin) is a popular choice for many students. Housed within the University of Texas System, UT Austin attracts students from all over the world. An integral part of any application is the UT Austin supplemental essays. Impactful and well-written essays will help your application stand out and allow UT Austin admissions officers to better understand your unique qualifications and personality.
The UT Austin supplemental essays may be only one part of your larger UT Austin application, but they should be taken seriously. This means that you’ll want to carefully and comprehensively respond to each of the UT Austin essay prompts.
The UT Austin essay prompts are designed to give admissions officers a deeper look into your motivations and goals. Your UT Austin essays can help paint a holistic picture beyond your Common App essay and resume. With UT Austin ranking highly across multiple lists (including U.S. News and Forbes), ensuring that your essays stand out is crucial.
For many students, starting the UT Austin essays can feel intimidating. However, we’re here to help! This guide will detail the UT Austin essay prompts and help you work through the University of Texas supplemental essays. Keep reading to learn more about the UT Austin supplemental essays and the best way to help your essays stand out.
UT Austin Admissions: Quick Facts
University of Texas at Austin Quick Facts
- UT Austin Acceptance Rate: 27%
— You can read more about UT Austin’s acceptance rate here. - UT Austin Supplemental Essay Requirements:
- 1 (~500-650 word) long essay
- 2 (~250-300 word) short answer essays
- 1 (~250-300 word) optional essay
- *Applicants to UT Austin’s honors programs will have to write additional supplemental essays.
- UT Austin Application: Students can submit their application through the Common App or through the Apply Texas application.
- UT Austin Application Deadlines:
- Early Action: October 15
- Regular Decision: December 1
- UT Austin Essay Tip: Start your UT Austin supplemental essays early! With so many UT Austin essay prompts, you’ll want to make sure you have enough time to edit and receive feedback. Give yourself several weeks at a minimum, and start earlier if you can!
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.
Does UT Austin have supplemental essays?
Yes, there are several required UT Austin supplemental essays. Students will need to submit a long-form essay, as well as two short-answer essays unique to UT Austin. These UT Austin supplemental essays help admissions officers understand your application on a deeper level. Therefore, they can help your UT Austin application stand out.
The UT Austin essay prompts are designed to help you showcase your academic interests and proudest achievements. By inviting you to elaborate on your experiences, the University of Texas Austin supplemental essays help give admissions deeper insight into your personal story. Think of the UT Austin essays as an opportunity to demonstrate who you are and what you’re passionate about. We’ll detail the UT Austin essay prompts later in this guide, so keep reading!
UT Austin Essay Requirements
Applicants are required to submit three UT Austin essays: two shorter supplemental essays and one longer essay. Most applicants can submit their Common App personal statement as the long essay. Students not using the Common App will need to write an additional essay or choose a previously written school essay to submit.
For first-year students applying for the Fall semester, the UT Austin supplemental essays include one 500-650-word essay and two 250-300-word short answer essays. There is also an additional optional essay. The UT Austin supplemental essays will differ if you are a transfer student (we’ll cover that later in this guide).
You can find the UT Austin essay prompts on the Common App, the Apply Texas portal, and on UT Austin’s website, but we will also detail them in this guide. Let’s start with the long essay prompt.
The UT Austin Essay
UT Austin Long Essay Prompt
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt or one of your own design.
Please keep your essay between 500-650 words (typically two to three paragraphs).
The Common App personal essay will complete the UT Austin essay requirement.
This essay will need to be between 500-650 words, but there are many ways to approach this prompt. You can share a particularly meaning essay you’ve already written, make up your own prompt and highlight something new and unexpected about yourself, or simply use the same essay you’ve been using for your Common App personal statement.
Submitting your Common App personal essay for this long essay will alleviate the pressure of coming up with a completely new essay. And, since your Common App essay is sent to various schools, it should be one of your best UT Austin essays, meaning you’ll definitely want to submit it!
As you now know, this isn’t the only essay you’ll need to write — it’s simply the longest! Next, let’s check out the school-specific essay prompts.
UT Austin Short Answer Essays
In addition to the long-form essay detailed above, students will need to complete at least two UT Austin supplemental essays. These essays have a word count of 250-300 words, so it’s important to be efficient with your answers.
Think of these UT Austin supplemental essays as part of a collective whole — try to build themes between each prompt that will help with your overall application narrative. Each essay should add new information to your application. Here is the first UT Austin essay prompt:
UT Austin Supplemental Essays: Prompt #1
Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major? (300 words)
This prompt is best described as a “Why Major” essay. You’ve most likely seen similar prompts in other college apps. Our guide on Why Major Essay Examples will allow you to see how these essays should be written. Check it out before tackling your University of Texas supplemental essays. Reading essay examples can help inspire you when writing your essays!
Keep in mind that out of all the UT Austin application essays, this essay requires the most research on UT Austin’s programs. Be specific in your reasons for applying to your chosen major at UT Austin. Before writing, search for relevant coursework, professors, and research opportunities. However, don’t let your essay become a sales pitch on UT Austin. Remember, the primary focus of this essay (and any supplemental essay) should be you.
UT Austin Supplemental Essays: Prompt #2
Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why?
Guidance for students: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work or a family responsibility. (300 words)
This essay is an opportunity to highlight an extracurricular activity, job experience, or leadership role for the UT Austin admissions officers. Resist the urge to simply recount your resume or spend too long describing the activity itself. The meaning behind the activity you choose to highlight is the most important part of this essay. You need to choose something that you are truly proud of, and make sure you explain why.
For example, did the activity challenge you? Were you able to grow from the experience? You’ll want to choose an activity and reflect on its meaning: what makes you proud of partaking in that particular club, job, or activity? What did it mean to you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Ideally, you’ll write about a new activity in this essay. However, as the University of Texas Austin supplemental essays help build a cohesive narrative, you can connect this essay to your long-form essay. Just be sure to have a fresh perspective and reflect on how you’ll make an impact at UT Austin.
UT Austin Supplemental Essays: Optional Prompt
Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.
If your response to this question is similar to one of the Common App Personal Essays, feel free to simply copy and paste the important parts of your essay here.
The last of the short UT Austin supplemental essays is completely optional. This prompt asks you to provide context for your academic performance. Many schools include a similar optional prompt to give students the chance to round out their applications.
Some students have experienced disruptions to their high school academics, or want to provide context to a dip in grades. If you had a rough semester, this essay prompt allows you to address it formally. Other students explain difficult situations at home that impacted their performance or detail a difficult class or two.
It’s up to you if you’d like to complete this essay. But if you’ve had a drop in grades, it can be a good idea to use this opportunity to explain the circumstances. Responding to this optional essay if it pertains to you, will allow admissions to better understand your application as a whole.
UT Austin Honors College Essays
Applicants to UT Austin’s Honors Program must complete one to two additional UT Austin essays. However, the prompts you’ll respond to vary by school and by major.
There are 15 UT Austin essay prompts for honors applicants, spread across 12 programs:
| Honors Program | Essay Requirements |
|---|---|
| Canfield Business Honors | 1 (~300 word) essay |
| Civic Honors | 2 (~200 word) essays |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering Honors (ECE) | 1 (~500 word) essay |
| Engineering Honors | None |
| Honors Electrical and Computer Engineering and Business (ECB) | 1 (~500 word) essay |
| Liberal Arts Honors | 1 (~250 word) essay 5 sentences |
| Moody College Honors | 1 (~250 word) essay |
| Natural Sciences Honors | 1 (~250 word) essay 1 (~250 word) essay for Human Ecology Honors |
| Plan II Honors | 1 (~250 word) essay 5 sentences |
| Texas Honors Computer Science and Business (Texas CSB) | 1 (~500 word) essay |
| Texas Robotics | 1 (~500 word) essay |
| Turing Scholars | 1 (~500 word) essay |
As you can see, each honors program has its own unique, program-specific prompts. However, as with other UT Austin supplemental essays, there are some general tips you can apply to all of them. Specificity and depth are key: If you read your essay back and feel like anyone else could have written it, dig deeper. What is the unique road that has led you to this point? Why is enrolling in this particular honors college so important to your future success?
These essays can be challenging, but they’re a great way to explore your goals and show how you want to grow in college. If you’re on the fence, spend some time exploring UT Austin’s unique honors programs. Then, check out the UT Austin prompts for your particular major.
UT Austin Transfer Essays
It’s important to note that if you are a transfer student, your UT Austin essay prompts will differ slightly. The University of Texas supplemental essays are designed to encapsulate a student’s experiences and qualifications. So, it’s understandable that transfer students have different UT Austin application essays.
Transfer students must complete one to two UT Austin supplemental essays, both between 500-650 words. The UT Austin essay prompts are different for transfer students, but they offer the same opportunity to directly address the admissions committee. These UT Austin essays will help determine if you are a good fit, so it’s important to spend adequate time and energy on them.
All prospective transfer students must respond to “Topic A” in their UT Austin supplemental essays:
UT Austin Transfer Essay: Topic A
The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application. You may also want to explain unique aspects of your academic background or valued experiences you may have had that relate to your academic discipline.
The statement of purpose is not meant to be a listing of accomplishments in high school/college or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admission committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and the other application information cannot convey. (650 words)
Out of all the University of Texas Austin supplemental essays, this prompt is the most open-ended. The personal statement is meant to help you communicate directly with the admissions office and provide a narrative around who you are as a student. Your UT Austin essays can help explain aspects of your resume or transcript and provide a more holistic sense of your accomplishments.
Focus on 2-3 aspects of your resume or transcript, and try to build a cohesive narrative around them. Discuss what you studied at your previous university, and talk about your goals at UT Austin. Ideally, use the University of Texas supplemental essays as a way to break down your accomplishments so they stand out in your application.
Transfer students applying to the School of Architecture will need to write an additional essay. Here is the prompt:
UT Austin Transfer Essay: Topic D (School of Architecture majors only)
Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study, describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?
Clearly a “Why Major” essay, the second of the transfer essays allows architecture majors to reflect more deeply on their intended area of study. In this essay, students need to reflect upon the impact that architecture has made on other areas of their life. How has studying architecture affected you personally? What perspectives or ways of thinking has it influenced?
How to write UT Austin Supplemental Essays
Writing your UT Austin supplemental essays can feel daunting, so we’ve compiled some tips to help! Most importantly, give yourself the time to prepare and map out your answers. This will make the writing process easier, and ideally, less stressful! Additionally, it will ensure that you write your best UT Austin essays possible.
Here are five tips on how to write your University of Texas Austin supplemental essays:
Five Tips for Writing University of Texas at Austin Supplemental Essays
1. Answer all parts of the prompt
The UT Austin essay prompts are designed to add valuable information to your application. Therefore, it’s important to touch on all aspects of the question. Many students will only address one part of the prompt; however, UT Austin’s admissions team requires applicants to respond to the UT Austin essay prompts for a reason. This means you need to address every part of each prompt. When reading through your first draft, ask yourself “Does this answer all parts of the question?”. If it doesn’t, be sure to expand!
2. Rank your accomplishments
With so many UT Austin essays, it can be easy to keep focusing on your top achievements. However, you want to use each essay strategically — the UT Austin essay prompts allow you to expand on many different aspects of your resume. Alternatively, you may want to write on a topic that hasn’t been seen elsewhere in your application. With so many possible paths to take in your responses, a good place to start the essay writing process is to rank your top accomplishments or most meaningful experiences. Then, match them with the different UT Austin essay prompts. This will ensure your UT Austin supplemental essays cover a wide range of experiences.
3. Create a cohesive narrative
While you may write them one at a time, the admissions officers will read your University of Texas Austin supplemental essays all at once. The most impressive UT Austin essays build a cohesive narrative around a student’s accomplishments and goals. If you want to become a doctor, make sure your essays echo this — bring up any experience you have in the medical field or connect your essays to your passion for medicine. You don’t want to be too repetitive, but think of 1-2 major themes you want your UT Austin application essays to convey.
4. Do your research!
Many of the UT Austin essay prompts want to know how you’ll contribute to the overall campus environment. Therefore, it’s important to conduct extensive research for your University of Texas supplemental essays. Spend ample time on the UT Austin website, or consider booking a visit if you’re able. Use specific examples in your UT Austin supplemental essays to help the admissions officers understand your interest. Through these essays, admissions officers should be able to envision the positive impact you’ll have on the UT Austin campus.
5. Plan ahead
With so many UT Austin essay prompts, it’s important to plan ahead to make sure you’re able to craft the best University of Texas supplemental essays. You’ll have to spend significant time and effort on your UT Austin supplemental essays. Don’t wait until the day before the admissions deadline to write your UT Austin essays. Create a calendar for yourself to help you stay on track. The earlier you start your essays, the better! Stay organized and focused to ensure you give all of the UT Austin supplemental essays the time they deserve!
It’s important to differentiate your UT Austin application essays to avoid redundancy. Make sure you’re discussing different ideas, experiences, and accomplishments in each essay. Most importantly, write on topics that you’re passionate about. The only way to write an authentic, moving essay is if you truly care about the theme.
Additionally, you can use the UT Austin supplemental essays to build on a common theme in your application. But, be sure to use the UT Austin supplemental essays to cast a wide net. The more you’re able to communicate across your University of Texas supplemental essays, the better you’ll be able to explain why you’re a good fit for UT Austin!
Does UT Austin care about essays?
Given the high amount of UT Austin essay prompts, it’s fair to say that your UT Austin supplemental essays matter. The University of Austin supplemental essays allow admissions officers to better understand your application. The UT Austin essays should paint a holistic picture for the admissions office of you as an applicant. Therefore, it’s important that they are an authentic reflection of your accomplishments and personality. With the competitive UT Austin acceptance rate, your University of Texas supplemental essays will need to stand out.
It’s hard to say exactly how the UT Austin essay prompts factor into the admissions process, but we know that they can greatly add to your application. The UT Austin essays are the best chance you have to speak directly with the admissions office, so it’s crucial that you develop a unique voice. Ensuring that your UT Austin essays reflect your personality and experiences will help your application significantly!
How to make your UT Austin essays stand out!
Overall, crafting your UT Austin supplemental essays to highlight your proudest accomplishments will help your application stand out. The UT Austin essay prompts are designed to help bring out what you’re most proud of, so be sure to answer all aspects of the prompt for each question. And, most importantly, choose your topics carefully!
For your Why Major essay, make solid connections between your extracurricular experiences and your intended major — this will help your University of Texas Austin supplemental essays feel cohesive. For example, if you’re planning to major in business, be sure to discuss any entrepreneurial experiences you’ve had or focus on how you’ve developed an interest in business through clubs. Making strong connections in each of your University of Texas supplemental essays will help make your case for admission even stronger.
Resources on the Best Schools in Texas from CollegeAdvisor
In addition to helping you with your UT Austin supplemental essays, CollegeAdvisor has many resources to help you on your college journey. Be sure to read our guides on the Apply Texas Essays and the Best Colleges in Texas. We also have extensive guides on UT Austin, including UT Austin Scholarships and How to Get Into UT Austin.
Our guides can help you as you answer the UT Austin essay prompts and craft your University of Texas supplemental essays. The University of Texas Austin supplemental essays are only one part of the overall application, so it’s important you’re prepared! Researching the university and application process will allow you to have the best chances of gaining admission to your dream school. Preparation is everything when it comes to writing college essays.
UT Austin Supplemental Essays – Final Thoughts
Your UT Austin supplemental essays can help admissions officers understand you on a deeper level. Additionally, they should explain why you’re interested in attending UT Austin. The UT Austin essay prompts are designed to round out your application, providing valuable context to your resume and activities list. It’s important to plan your University of Texas Austin supplemental essays ahead of time in order to avoid repetition and to make sure that they highlight all of your proudest accomplishments.
Think of your University of Texas supplemental essays as a single assignment, rather than many different essays. They should build off of each other, reflect common themes, and provide a detailed overview of your accomplishments and interests. The University of Texas Austin supplemental essays are the best way to showcase your talents and make your application shine. Be intentional with each essay, and see each UT Austin essay prompt as part of a larger whole.
Writing about yourself can be challenging; however, the more practice you have, the better. It’s important to use the UT Austin supplemental essays to your advantage, as they can provide a great boost to your application. Write many drafts for each essay, and be sure to collect robust feedback. These essays are your canvas — decide what kind of picture you want to paint!
This essay guide was written by senior advisor, Jess Klein. 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.
