2008 Out of State College Application Essays



2008 Out of State College Application Essays

Common Application

Short answer – Please briefly elaborate on one of your activities (extracurricular, personal activities or work experience). Attach your response on a separate sheet (150 words or fewer).

Personal Statement – This personal statement helps us become acquainted with you in ways different from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will demonstrate your ability to organize thoughts and express yourself. We are looking for an essay that will help us know you better as a person and as a student. Please write and essay (250-500 words) on a topic of your choice or one of the options listed below.

1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

4. Describe a character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences add much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

6. Topic of your choice.

American University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Arizona State University

No essays or personal statements required or requested.

Auburn University

This additional information is required for all freshman applicants and will assist the Office of Admissions and Records in your admission evaluation. While the primary factors in any admission decision are academic (high school coursework, grade point average and standardized test scores), the Office of Admissions and Records will consider other factors that contribute to your success.

1. Describe academic awards and honors you have received as well as academic organizations and activities in which you have participated, including leadership positions held.

2. Describe non-academic awards and honors you have received as well as non-academic organizations and activities in which you have participated, including leadership positions held. Activities may include but not be limited to athletics, band, community service and/or work experience.

3. In the space provided, please explain why you believe that your unique cultural, educational and/or life experiences will enhance the educational experience of the freshman class at Auburn.

4. Optional – In the space provided, describe any unique circumstances that should be taken into consideration in review of your application (i.e. overcoming personal adversity, first in your family to attend college, financial challenges, etc.).

Boston College

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Boston University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Brigham Young University

Must establish online account before access to application.

Brown University

Personal Statement - This is one of the most important forms in your application. It is your chance to give the Admission Committee the most clear and honest representation of who you are. It is worth the time invested to write complete and thoughtful responses to the questions on this form. This is especially valid for questions pertaining to activities, awards, achievements, and interests.

Your personal essay is your opportunity to tell us about anything you think we should know. Personal essays vary greatly from application to application in terms of form and content. The personal statement is your opportunity to introduce us to who you are, and to show us the personal traits you consider to be the most vital. We only ask that however you choose to represent yourself, your statement is sincere and original. One final suggestion - don't wait until the last day to complete the question.

Bucknell University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essays.

This section is your opportunity to tell Bucknell why you are a good candidate for admission. Below are two questions. One is required and the other is optional. Please keep in mind that Bucknell considers your answers to both questions very important because they will help you distinguish yourself from other candidates.

Required Essay – At Bucknell, learning occurs almost everywhere – classrooms, laboratories, residence halls, athletic fields and the local community; and it takes on many formats – coursework, research, artistic endeavors, spiritual exploration, student-run groups, volunteer projects, and more. Together these learning opportunities are known as the residential learning experience. Please list three or four ways in which you would participate in Bucknell’s residential learning experience. For each item in your list, describe what you might gain from the experience and what you might contribute to the experience. (maximum of four sentences per item)

Optional Essay – Picture yourself as a student at Bucknell. Imagine classes that address important and relevant topics. Imagine living with people having many different backgrounds and ideas. Imagine interacting not just with people on campus – the students, faculty and staff you would see everyday – but also with people from all over the country and all over the world.

Right now, everyone in the Bucknell community is using their imagination just like you. We are focusing on four goals that will help shape the Bucknell education for current and future students. They are:

• Strengthening the Academic Core – Thinking innovatively and achieving success in academic areas important and relevant to the 21st century

• Deepening the Residential Learning Experience – Growing as a person, thinking independently, acting in a socially responsible fashion, and contributing to the greater community

• Enhancing Diversity – Making a commitment to diversity in all its forms and in all aspects of campus life; promoting a civil, supportive, and nurturing environment founded on mutual respect and open exchange

• Building Bridges – Interacting with local, regional and global communities; bringing the world to Bucknell and Bucknell to the world

You described in the Required Essay some of the ways you would contribute to the residential learning experience at Bucknell. Choose one of the other three goals (Strengthening the Academic Core, Enhancing Diversity, or Building Bridges). If you join the Bucknell community, how will you contribute to that goal? How will you measure you success? Feel free to be wildly creative in your answer. (250 words or less)

Carnegie-Mellon University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay.

Please submit a one-page essay that explains why you have chosen your major, department or program. This essay should include the reasons why you’ve chosen the major, any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. If you are applying to more than one college or program, please mention each college or program you are applying to. Because our admission committees review applicants by colleges and programs, your essay can impact our final decision. Please do not exceed one page for this essay.

Catholic University of America

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Clemson University

Optional - Write a brief essay (one or two paragraphs) on a separate sheet of paper and attach it to your completed application. Focus your remarks on any points you believe to be important in the evaluation of your application, including your academic background, other achievements, educational objectives or career goals. If you are an international student, briefly describe your educational goals in the United States and your reasons for choosing Clemson University.

Coastal Carolina University

How can Coastal Carolina University’s educational offerings help you achieve your future goals? Use an additional sheet of paper if necessary. Write your name and address on all attachments.

College of Charleston

Our required freshman essay will allow you to express yourself outside of grades, courses, and test scores. Please choose one of the topics below, or a topic of your choice, and write a 300-500 word essay to help us get to know you better as a person and as a student. If you are applying to the Honors College you may use your Honors essay as your Admissions essay, but you must submit a copy with each application. Please type this essay and attach it to your application. Be sure to include your name and social security number. Also, keep in mind that grammar, spelling, and structure are important to us.

1. Tell us how and why your unique characteristics will enhance the College of Charleston community.

2. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, or risk you have taken, and describe the impact on you.

3. Tell us how the College of Charleston will help you attain your academic, professional and personal goals.

4. Tell us how you will significantly contribute to the efforts to enhance diversity at the College of Charleston.

Columbia University

Write an essay which conveys to the reader a sense of who you are. Possible topics may include, but are not limited to, experiences which have shaped your life, the circumstances of your upbringing, you most meaningful, intellectual achievement, the way you see the world – the people in it, events great and small, everyday life – or any personal theme which appeals to your imagination. Please remember that we are concerned not only with the substance of your prose but with the writing style as well. We prefer that you limit yourself to approximately 250-500 words.

Colorado State University

See Common Application for possible supplemental essay questions

Freshman (First Year) Applicants – Be sure to include an explanation of any deficiencies in required course work units or discrepancies between your academic record and your ACT/SAT results.

Cornell University

Uses Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay.

On a separate sheet of paper, please respond to the essay question below (maximum of 500 words) that corresponds to the undergraduate

college(s) to which you are applying. Be sure to include your full legal name exactly as it appears on passports or other official documents

and date of birth, and attach the page to the back of this form. If you are utilizing the primary/alternate admission option, you must complete

an essay for both colleges; please complete the essays that correspond to your primary and alternate choice.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) develops leaders committed to the

improvement of life. Describe how your interests and related experiences have influenced your selection of major and how CALS will

prepare you to be a leader in your chosen field.

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning: How does the major you would like to study in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

match your intellectual, academic, and career interests? Discuss any activities you have engaged in that are relevant to your chosen

major.

College of Arts and Sciences: Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how

you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of

study.

College of Engineering: Engineers turn ideas (technical, scientific, mathematical) into reality. Tell us about an engineering idea you have

or your interest in engineering. Explain how Cornell Engineering can help you further explore this idea or interest.

School of Hotel Administration: What work and non-work experiences, academic interests, and career goals influenced your decision to

study hospitality management? How will these contribute to your success at the School of Hotel Administration?

College of Human Ecology: What do you value about the Human Ecology perspective and mission as you consider your goals and

dreams? Reflect on our majors as you respond.

School of Industrial and Labor Relations: Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you.

In your essay please address how the ILR curriculum will help you fulfill these interests and your long-term goals.

Dartmouth University

Uses Common Application essay questions.

Davidson College

Uses Common Application essay question plus supplemental short responses.

Short Responses – Please respond to each of the following on a separate sheet of paper.

A. The Davidson community abides by an honor code that governs academic as well as personal life. Please refer to the Honor Code literature included with the application. As a prospective member of our community, discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the Davidson Honor Code and your role in it.

B. What are the qualities and characteristics of Davidson that appeal to you, and what contributions do you anticipate making as a Davidson student?

C. List the books you have read in the past year for school or leisure. Place an asterisk by those books required for classes you have taken.

Dickinson College

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essays.

Self-reflection is an important part of the Dickinson application review process. In addition to curriculum, grades, activities, and testing, the Admissions Committee looks for purpose and potential. We’ll have questions during our review that only you can answer. Responses to the following are critical to our understanding of your candidacy. Please consider carefully these questions and provide answers on an addition page.

A. From what you’ve learned about Dickinson College, why have you chosen to apply? Specifically, how do Dickinson’s character, programs, and campus environment match your own character and aspirations?

B. What would the people in your life describe as most exciting or distinctive about you and how you interact with others?

C. We’re interested in learning about your talents and experiences. Please comment briefly on your involvement in any of the following: academic research; community volunteerism; leadership situations, including lessons learned; the creative arts; and global engagement.

Drexel University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Duke University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essays.

Required for Engineering applicants - Please limit your response to one to three paragraphs and submit a separate sheet. If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke.

Optional – Yes, they truly are optional. If you choose to answer them, please submit your response(s) on a separate sheet. If you choose not to answer them, your chances for admission will not be affected.

A. For Arts & Sciences Applicants Only – If you are applying to Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something in particular at Duke that attracts you? Please limit your response to one to two paragraphs.

B. If you have participated in any significant research activity outside of school, please provide a brief description and limit your response to one to two paragraphs.

C. We seek to understand and appreciate you as an individual. If there is a parent, sibling, other relative, or friend who you think could help us do that, we would be happy to receive a one-page letter from one of them. This optional information will be considered in our understanding of you as a person, but will not be formally evaluated as part of your application.

East Carolina University

No application essays are required or requested.

Elon University

Personal Essay – Required – Please submit an original essay of at least 250 words on a topic of your choice or on one of the topics listed below.

Issues of critical importance to your community, the nation and the world are in the news everyday. Choose one issue you consider important and tell us why it is of concern to you.

Discuss an issue you once thought you knew with certainty and that you have since re-evaluated. What prompted you to change your opinion?

Choose a literary character who experienced a great personal struggle or challenge. Briefly describe this challenge and how the character overcame it. Why did this have an impact on you? Are there ways in which you identify with this character?

Personal Statement – Optional – If there is anything about your background or personal experience that you feel would be helpful for the Admissions Committee to know as we evaluate your application, please attach a personal statement to this application (no more than one page, please).

Emory University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental Short-Answer Question.

Many students decide to apply to Emory based on our size, location, reputation, and yes, the weather. Besides these valid reasons to choose Emory as a possible college choice, why is this university a particularly good match for you?

Florida State University

The essay is a very important part of your application. It assists the University in knowing you as an individual, independent of test scores and other objective data. We ask that you respond to two of the following topics. Your personal statement should be no longer than one page each or a total of two pages for both statements. The best personal statements are not necessarily the longest ones.

a) Describe an activity, interest, experience, or achievement in you life (this could be a book, movie, or an activity or experience at work, home or school) that has been particularly meaningful to you.

b) How has your family history, culture, or environment influenced who you are?

c) What qualities or unique characteristics do you posses that would allow you to contribute to the University community?

Fordham University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

George Washington University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essays.

All applicants - Attach an essay of no more than 500 words indicating what most influenced you to apply to The George Washington University.

Journalism – Write a profile of yourself in news or news feature style, as if you had interviewed yourself.

Political Communication – If you could be any one person who has been active in politics, who would you choose to be and why?

Georgetown University

Short Essay – In the space available discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.

Long Essay - Compose and attach on separate pages two brief essays (approximately one page each) on the topics given below.

All applicants – the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either autobiographical or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Applicants to Georgetown College – Please relate your interest in studying at Georgetown University to your future goals. How do these thoughts relate to your chosen course of study?

Applicants to the School of Nursing and Health Studies – Describe how your experiences or ideas shaped your decision to pursue a health profession and how these experiences or ideas may aid your future contribution to the field.

Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service – Briefly discuss a current global issue, indicating why you consider it important what you suggest should be done to deal with it.

Applicants to the McDonough School of Business – Briefly describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying business.

Georgia Institute of Technology

This portion of the application is extremely important as it gives our review committee a chance to learn more about you as an individual in a manner that statistics cannot convey. As essay that shows careful thought, superior writing skills, and meticulous preparation will increase your chances for admission. Please type or print legibly (neatness counts) in ink and limit yourself to this one page. Use at least 10 pt. type. Attachments will not be accepted. However, it is acceptable to print your statement on another sheet of paper and then paste it to this page as long as it does not exceed the space provided. Finally, please address the topic given. DO NOT use this space to tell u why you want to attend Georgia Tech. Respond to the following:

Describe the personal experience that gave you the feeling of greatest achievement or satisfaction because of the challenges you met.

Optional Short Essays

If you are interested in being considered for the Honors Program or President’s Scholarship, please answer two of the following five questions. Type or print legibly in ink and limit responses to the space provided on this page. (Use at least 10 pt. type.)

1. Describe an intellectual or creative activity for which you feel special passion and commitment, and explain how that activity has affected you.

2. If you could spend a half hour talking with a significant figure, living or dead, from the world of politics, science, or the arts, who would that person be, and what would you talk about?

3. Describe how a work of art, music, dance, theater, or literature has inspired you.

4. Share an experience in which you have confronted intellectual, social, or cultural differences, and explain how that experience has affected you.

5. Describe how someone close to you has influenced the way you see the world.

Gettysburg College

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental short answer questions.

1. Gettysburg College students are engaged learners and “make a difference” both on and off campus through their academic and extracurricular activities. Describe a situation in which you have made a difference in your school or community and what you learned from that experience.

2. How did you become interested in Gettysburg College?

Harvard College

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus optional supplemental essays.

Occasionally, students feel that college application forms do not provide a sufficient opportunity to convey important information about themselves or their accomplishments. If there is something you would like us to know, please inform us in the essay section at the end of the document. If you wish to include an additional essay, you may do so. Possible topics:

• Unusual circumstances in your life

• Travel or living experiences in other countries

• Books that have affected you the most

• An academic experience (course, project, paper or research topic) that has meant the most to you

• A list of the books you have read during the past twelve months

Hofstra University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Indiana University – Bloomington

No application essay is required or requested.

Johns Hopkins University

Students applying as freshmen to Johns Hopkins using the Common Application plus the Johns Hopkins supplement must submit either the Common Application essay OR question 1 below. Question 2 is required.

1. Communities define our lives. Those you are born into, those you make yourself, and those you fall into by accident – communities of all types influence us and help shape us. Describe a defining community in your life and what it means to you.

2. Johns Hopkins offers 49 majors across the schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering. On this supplement, we ask you to identify one or two that you might like to pursue here. Why did you choose the way you did? If you are undecided, why didn’t you choose? (If any past courses or academic experiences influenced your decision, you may include them in your essay.)

Lehigh University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Short Answer

In reading your application we want to get to know you as well as we can. In the space provided (100 words or fewer), use the following questions to give us a sense of who you are and where your interests lie.

1. We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (This isn’t a trick question. We want to see how you bring balance to your life.)

2. Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why?

Essay

Choose essay A or B. Please limit to approximately 500 words.

A. Tell us about an experience which, at the time, really felt like “the end of the world” – but had it not happened, you would not be who you are today. Describe the process through which you discovered value in the negative.

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

Miami University of Ohio

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay question.

Please submit your short answer essay (approximately 250 words) with your application.

“Learning is predicated on embracing our differences so as to challenge our conventional understanding of the world around us. We need to strongly encourage our students to push the envelope of their comfort, to take risks, and to avoid the safe and mundane routes by pushing on into new areas, experiences and development.” – President David Hodge, Miami University Inaugural Address, 2006

Are you up to this challenge from Miami’s new president? Share with us an example from your own life experiences when you have pushed the envelope of your comfort level. How did you benefit from doing so? If you don’t feel that you’ve stretched yourself in this way yet, how do you plan to use the resources and opportunities at Miami to do so? How do you believe that you will benefit by avoiding the “safe and mundane routes?”

New York University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental personal statements. If you apply online, you must use the online supplemental questions. If you use the paper Common Application, you must answer these questions.

1. Describe a trait or characteristic that has been passed along to you by your family. Tell us why you like or dislike this part of yourself.

2. New York City is an essential element of academic and cultural life at NYU. If you could start a club or service organization at NYU, what would it be and how would you envision it impacting the larger community/

3. You have been selected to sing in a talent show. What song would you choose? Why?

4. Please tell us what led you to select you anticipated academic program and/or NYU school/college, and what interests you most about your intended discipline.

North Carolina State University

Please provide a personal statement about yourself so that we may better get to know you. Although this information is optional, this information may assist your admission.

Northeastern University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Northwestern University

Uses the Common Application essay questions and supplemental question.

What are the unique qualities of Northwestern – and of the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying – that make you want to attend the University? In what ways do you hope to take advantage of the qualities you have identified?

Oberlin College

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Ohio State University

Select one question from each group. You may type your response on a separate sheet of paper or use the space provided. Limit each response to 250 words.

Reflect carefully on your answers and be attentive to spelling and grammar. Ohio State does not interview applicants; consider this your opportunity to demonstrate who you are, what you believe, and what you’ve learned. There are no “right” answers to these questions; the best answer is one in which you clearly articulate what you think and what you believe.

Group 1: Choose one

1. How have you been influenced by your family history or culture, or the family environment in which you grew up? You might consider “who you are” as an individual, what values you hold, and what goals you plan to pursue.

2. Describe a close friend. What do you most respect or admire about this person, and why? What do you think your friendship with this person says about you?

Group 2: Choose one

1. What event of the 20th century (NOT 21ST) has been the greatest impact on the world in which we live today? Justify your answer and describe the relationship between the event you choose and the state of global affairs in the 21st century.

2. If time travel were possible, to what time period and place in history would your return to live? Give reasons for you decision to live in this period and location.

3.

Penn State University

Please choose one of the commitments that you listed above (activity, interest, or work experience) and provide a short description of its importance to you. Include why that commitment could be relevant to your student experience at Penn State.

Purdue University

Is there anything you would like to tell the admissions committee that you haven’t been able to address elsewhere on the application? Your response may be related to academic commitment, extracurricular activities, individual honors or certificates, family circumstances, or opportunities/experiences. If necessary, attach a separate sheet with you response. (This question is optional.)

Princeton University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay.

In addition to the 500-word essay you have written for the Common Application, please select one of the following themes and write an essay of about 300 words in response. Please do not repeat, in full or in part, the essay you wrote for the Common Application.

1. Tell us about a person who influenced you in a significant way.

2. Using one of the quotations below as a jumping off point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values.

a. “Princeton in the Nation’s Service” was the title of a speech given by Woodrow Wilson on the 150th anniversary of the University. It became the unofficial Princeton motto and was expanded for the University’s 250th anniversary to “Princeton in the nation’s service and in the service of all nations.” - Woodrow Wilson, Princeton Class of 1879, served on the faculty and was Princeton’s president from 1902 to 1910.

b. “Some questions cannot be answered./They become familiar weights in the hand,/Round stones pulled from the pocket, unyielding and cool.” – Jane Hirshfield poet, Princeton Class of 1973

c. Your own favorite quotation. Please write the quotation at the beginning of your essay.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essays

Choose from the degree-specific guidelines below and include your completed essay with this application form. The essay should be no more than 1-2 pages.

Accelerated Programs (Law and Physician-Scientist) – State your reasons for aspiring to a career in law or medicine.

Architecture – State your reasons for choosing architecture as your profession.

Electronic Arts – Discuss your interests in the field of electronic arts and state how this is reflected in your portfolio.

Product Design and Innovation – State your reasons for choosing the interdisciplinary program in product design and innovation.

All Other Programs – Choose one topic listed below or submit a Common Application Personal Essay.

1. Describe a significant experience or achievement that has special meaning to you.

2. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you and describe that influence.

3. “They’ll say I impacted the 21st century by my work in…”

Rice University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay.

The Committee on Admission is interested in getting to know each candidate as well as possible through the application process. The following essay question is designed to demonstrate your writing skills and facilitate our full appreciation of who you are.

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System is heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What perspective do you feel that you will contribute to life at Rice? (Most applicants are able to respond successfully in two to three double-spaced pages.)

Essays for Architecture Applicants Only – Please respond to each of the following: 1) What aspirations, experiences, or relationships have motivated you to pursue the study of architecture? 2) Outside of academics, what do you enjoy most or find most challenging? (Responses to each section should be approximately one page.)

Rochester Institute of Technology

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Stanford University

Uses the Common Application essay questions. Must register online to receive supplement.

Swarthmore University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay.

Please write a brief statement telling us why you have decided to apply to Swarthmore in particular.

Syracuse University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essays.

Please answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper:

• What are your career and academic aspirations? (several sentences)

• Describe one thing you haven’t yet accomplished in your life that you really want to do. Explain how being at Syracuse University will help you accomplish is. (100 words)

Tufts University

Uses Common Application essay with supplemental essay questions

Short Answer Question

Prepare a 50 word response to the following:

“Education does not accomplish anything if it does not stretch your mind, if it does not force you to think about things in different way, if it does not challenge you to examine some of your assumptions,” says Provost Jamshed Bharucha. Describe the aspects of Tufts’ curriculum or undergraduate experience that prompt your application.

Short Essays

Prepare a 200-word response to each of the following short-answer essays.

1. Describe the environment in which you were raised – your family, home, neighborhood or community – and how it influenced the person you are today.

2. Self-identity and personal expression take many forms. Music, food, art and clothing can make a statement. Politics, religion, nationality and ethnicity often act as defining attributes. Colored wristbands and blogs express opinions and viewpoints while the minutia that adorns a refrigerator or a notebook can be clues to someone’s passions. Are you an oldest child? Do you surf? Are you a vegetarian? Did you wear flip flops to the prom? Do you have a tattoo? Who are you?

Optional Essay

Tufts is dedicated to developing leaders who will address the intellectual and social challenges of the new century. Critical thinking, creativity, practicality and wisdom are four elements of successful leadership, and the following topics offer you an opportunity to illustrate the various elements of your leadership skills. We invite you to choose one of the optional essays found below and prepare an essay of 250-400 words. You may also submit this essay to the Admissions Office separately.

1. The late scholar James O. Freedman referred to libraries as “essential harbors on the voyage toward understanding ourselves.” What work of fiction or non-fiction would you include in a personal library? Why?

2. An American adage states that “curiosity killed the cat.” If that is correct, why do we celebrate people like Galileo, Lincoln, and Gandhi, individuals who thought about longstanding problems in new ways or who defied conventional thinking to achieve great results?

3. History’s great events often turn on small moments. For example, what if Rosa Parks had given up her seat on that Montgomery bus in 1955? What if Pope John Paul I had not died in 1978 after a month in office? What if Gore had beaten Bush in Florida and won the 2000 U. S. Presidential election? Using your knowledge of American or world history, choose a defining moment and imagine al alternative historical scenario if that key event had played out differently.

4. Create a short story using on of the following topics:

a. The end of MTV

b. Confessions of a Middle School Bully

c. The Professor Disappeared

d. The Mysterious Lab

5. Describe a moment in which you took a risk and achieved an unexpected goal. How did you persuade others to follow your lead? What lessons do you draw from this experience? You may reflect on examples from your academic, extracurricular or athletic experiences.

6. A high school curriculum does not always afford much intellectual freedom. Describe on of your unsatisfied intellectual passions. How might you apply this interest to serve the common good and make a difference in society?

7. Using an 8.5x11 inch sheet of paper, create an ad for a movie, design a house, make an object better, illustrate an ad for an object. (NOTE: If you choose to submit this option, you must mail your drawing to the Admissions Office at the address above).

Tulane University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

University of Chicago

Applicants are asked to respond to Questions 1 and 2 with a paragraph of about two hundred words each, and then to choose one of the five essay options and respond to it in a page or two.

1. How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to Chicago.

2. Would you please tell us about a few of your favorite books, poems, authors, films, plays, pieces of music, musicians, performers, paintings, artists, magazines, or newspapers? Feel free to touch on one, some, or all of the categories listed, or add a category of your own.

Option 1 – Chicago professor W. J. T. Mitchell entitled his 2005 book “What Do Pictures Want?” Describe a picture and explore what it wants.

Option 2 – The University of Chicago has a venerable tradition of seminar-based learning, in which students and professors gather around the classroom table to discuss ideas. Less venerable, but no less valuable, is our tradition of conversation around another table – the dinner table. Indeed, on any given night you will find members of our student community breaking bread together, discussing everything from the Symposium to The Simpsons. We in the admissions office would argue that a community can be defined by its table – by its shape, by who finds a seat there, by what transpires there, by what is inspired there. Tell us about your table.

Option 3 – In Jorge Luis Borges’s Labyrinths, he writes a parable entitled “Borges y yo,” which translates as “Borges and I.” In it, Borges writes about “the other one,” his counterpart, who shares his preference for “hourglasses, eighteenth century topography, the taste of coffee, and the prose of Stevenson,” but is not the same as he. “The other one” is the famous author; “the other one” is the one “things happen to.” He concludes this parable with the line “I do not know which one of us has written this page.” Write a page. Who has written it?

Option 4 - Modern improvisational comedy had its start with The Compass Players, a group of University of Chicago students, who later formed the Second City comedy troupe. Here is a chance to play along. Improvise a story, essay, or script that meets all of the following requirements:

• It must include the line “And yes I said yes I will Yes” (Ulysses, by James Joyce).

• Its characters may not have superpowers.

• Your work has to mention the University of Chicago, but please, no accounts of a high school student applying to the University–this is fiction, not autobiography.

• Your work must include at least four of the following elements:

o a paper airplane

o a transformation

o a shoe

o the invisible hand

o two doors

o pointillism

o a fanciful explanation of the Pythagorean Theorem

o a ventriloquist or ventriloquism

o the Periodic Table of the Elements

o the concept of jeong

o number two pencils

Option 5 - Take as a model Options 1 through 4 as you pose and respond to a prompt of your own. If your prompt is original and thoughtful, then you should have little trouble writing a great essay. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, sensible woman or man, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk and have fun.

University of Colorado – Boulder

A personal essay is optional. We recommend that you answer either or both essay questions if you wish to provide additional information to the admission committee. Include your full legal name and birth date at the top of each page. A typed essay of one or two pages is preferred. If you are using our interactive application, you can import you essay from another word processing program, or you can mail it in separately. The essay questions are:

• The Colorado Creed is a set of principles by which students at CU-Boulder live. It was created by a committee of CU students and is based on upholding strong values, making the right decisions, and being responsible for those decisions. It reads:

o Colorado Creed

As a member of the Boulder community and the University of Colorado, I agree to:

▪ Act with honor, integrity, and accountability in my interactions with students, faculty, staff, and neighbors.

▪ Respect the rights of others and accept our differences.

▪ Contribute to the greater good of this community.

▪ I will strive to uphold these principles in all aspects of my collegiate experience and beyond.

Question: Explain the role that the values of the Colorado Creed have played

in your life. Keep in mind your potential contributions to a diverse and

inclusive CU-Boulder campus community in light of the Creed.

• Provide information about any events or circumstances that my have affected your academic record.

•

University of Delaware

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

University of Florida

The Personal Essay

Your essay is a very important part of your application. What you provide helps the university know you as an individual, independent of grades, test scores and other objective data. Please submit one essay. Remember to keep within the 400-500 word maximum length.

In the space provided, please write a concise narrative in which you describe a meaningful event, experience or accomplishment in your life and how it will affect your college experience or your contribution to the UF campus community. You may want to reflect on your family, your school or community activities, or your involvement in areas outside of school.

University of Georgia

In the space provided or as a separate attachment labeled “UGA Short Essays,” please address each of the following four topics in responses of 150-200 words each. Prior to writing your short essays, we strongly encourage you to read the UGA Faculty Statement on Diversity, which is available on our Web site. Please be sure to include your full name and date of birth on each page of the attachment, as well as the essay topic with each of your responses.

1. Choose an intellectual or creative opportunity that you have enjoyed and highlight how you have grown personally because of the experience.

2. Share an experience through which you have gained respect for intellectual, social, or cultural differences.

3. Aliens from another planet have landed in your neighborhood and have asked you to show them around your town for a day in order to learn about life on Earth. Where do you take them and what do you do?

4. Tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself that you have not already shared in your application.

University of Maryland

The essay offers you the opportunity to help us become better acquainted with you, your thoughts, feeling and values. It allows you to demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself thoughtfully and intellectually. Please choose one of the following topics and write and essay two to three double-spaced pages in length. We encourage you to type your essay.

A. At the University of Maryland, we value a diverse community. How have your life experiences and background shaped you into an individual who will enrich the University of Maryland community?

B. If you could meet with any figure in time, historical or otherwise, who would it be and why? Describe your conversation. How has this person had an impact on you and your values?

C. Write a question of your own and respond to it. We encourage you to be thoughtful and creative.

The University of Maryland is a premiere research institution, with a wide range of opportunities in the classroom, the laboratory and the studio. Part of your challenge over the next four years will be to find your niche here at Maryland; part of our commitment is to help you find that niche. Answering the following questions can help you to begin to sort our your own thinking and will help us, on campus, advise you as well. Please respond to the following questions using short answers (e.g. five to seven sentences or a paragraph in length).

A. Write about your academic interests and the personal or academic experiences that have led to or nurtured those interests. What did you enjoy learning about in high school, either through your classes, extracurricular or leisure activities? If you have any career aspirations at this point, explain how your interests match your aspirations.

B. Does multi-disciplinary team research with a faculty member, lasting throughout your undergraduate years and dealing with the social implications of science and technology, appeal to you? If yes, briefly tell us why and what are some of the interests, experiences and skills that you would bring to such a research team.

C. Please explain which of the following you would prefer and why: the opportunity to take a wide range of courses across a range of disciplines including the sciences, social sciences and humanities, or the opportunity to focus on courses in one discipline that deeply interests you.

University of Massachusetts – Amherst

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

University of Miami

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

University of Michigan

Short Answer Questions

Part I - All applicants must answer the following question. Type or print your answer on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure your name and the question text are on each sheet of paper you include. (approximately 250 words).

“We know that diversity makes us a better university – better for learning, for

teaching, and for conducting research.” (U-M President Mary Sue Coleman).

Share an experience through which you have gained respect for intellectual, social

or cultural differences. Comment on how your personal experiences and achievements would contribute to the diversity of the University of Michigan.

Part II - All applicants must answer one of the following questions. Please answer only the question for the school or college to which you are applying. Type or print your answers on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure your name and the question text are on each sheet of paper you include. (approximately 250 words)

School of Art & Design – What do you envision a life of creative work will promise you? How do you think studying art and design at the University of Michigan will prepare you for that life of creative work?

College of Engineering – Please describe your interests and aspirations in engineering. What experiences have influenced you?

Kinesiology – Why is Kinesiology the right choice for you? What do you plan to study and how does that tie in with your career aspirations?

College of Literature, Science and the Arts – What led you to choose the area(s) of academic interest that you have listed on your application to the University of Michigan? If you are undecided, what areas are you most interested in, and why?

School of Music, Theatre & Dance – As you prepare to pursue a career in music, theatre, or dance, what are your thoughts on the relationship between the arts and today’s society? How relevant has your art been to your community and you?

School of Nursing – Describe why you want to be a nurse. Include your specific experiences and abilities related to health care that will make you a good candidate for the nursing profession. Also describe your understanding of nursing’s role in health care and how you see yourself embodying these roles.

Essay

All applicants must answer of one the following questions, either A, B, or C (approximately 500 words).

A. Describe a setback that you have faces. How did you resolve it? How did the outcome affect you? If something similar happened in the future, how would you react?

B. Discuss an issue of local, national, or international concern. Why is this issue important to you? How do you think it should be addressed?

C. Tell us about a book you have read that you found especially challenging,

stimulating, or provocative. Explain why it made an impact on you.

Preferred Admission Supplemental Essay

Only applicants who have applied for a Preferred Admission Program. In addition to the essay above, please answer only the question for the school or college to which you are applying. Type or print your answers on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure your name and the question text are on each sheet of paper you include. (approximately 500 words).

Alfred Taubman College of Architicture & Urban Planning, School of Dentistry, School of Education, School of Information, College of Pharmacy, and School of Social Work – For what reasons do you wish to be considered for Preferred Admission to your school or college of interest? What are your career goals and how will Preferred Admission to your school or college help you achieve these goals?

Stephen M. Ross School of Business – Based on your accomplishments, experiences, and goals, tell why you want to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree at the Ross School of Business and how all that you describe will contribute to your success in the program.

University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Because we can’t meet all of our applicants personally, please help us get to know you better through the following essays. Feel free to be as serious or as humorous as you’d like; feel free also to write abut something other than yourself if you feel that, by doing so, you’ll help us gain a better understanding of who you are and how you think. Please bear in mind that your essays are very important and will be evaluated not only for admission, but also for possible selection for the Honors Program and merit-based scholarships. If you apply on paper, write the essays on separate sheets of paper and enclose them with your application. Please include your full legal name and date of birth at the top of each sheet. If you apply online, be sure to submit these essays with your online application.

Short Answer Questions (Required)

Complete each of the following sentences about yourself. Don’t think too long or too hard; just help us get to know you better. Your responses could be as short as one word or as long as about 20 words –not longer, please.

• The last book I read outside of class was

• It would surprise my friends to know that I

• If I could travel anywhere in time or space, either real or imagined, I’d go to

• The form of communication that I’d most like to ban from existence is

• The question I would most like to have answered is

• My favorite random fact

• My most treasured possession is

Essays (Required)

Please respond to two of the prompts below. One of your essays should be short (about 250 words) and one essay should be longer (about 500 words).

1. If you could solve one of history’s greatest mysteries, what would it be any why?

2. Tell us about a friendship you have forged with someone from a different race, class, religion, or background. How did this friendship develop? What has it taught you?

3. Carolina encourages undergraduates to participate in research in any field – including the arts, humanities, social sciences, communications, and sciences. If you could spend one semester researching a specific topic that interests you , in the hope of making at least a small contribution to our understanding of that topic, what would you choose to research and why?

4. If you were to choose or create a quote or saying that defined you, what would it be and why?

5. Some scientific advances are so counterintuitive that they that they completely change the way we think about the world. Examples are the ideas of Isaac Newton or Charles Darwin or Marie Curie. Which scientific discovery made during your lifetime has most significantly affected the world around you?

6. Carolina students may take advantage of 30,000 internships worldwide. If you were to describe your dream internship, what would it be and why?

7. Tell us about a time when you had to sacrifice something in order to help a friend or family member.

8. If you have written an essay for another school’s application that you really like, feel free to use it as your longer for us. Please be sure to tell us (a) what essay you are answering and (b) why you think this essay represents you well (your explanation will not be included in the essay word count).

Optional Additional Statement – please limit your answer to approximately 250 words

Is there anything else you would like to share with us regarding your background or interests? For example, do you have any exceptional talents or passions? Have you overcome exceptional difficulties or challenges? Have you participated in any programs or activities to help you prepare for college, such as Project Uplift, Gear-Up, AVID, Upward Bound, LEAD, or Summer Ventures?

University of North Carolina – Greensboro

No application essays are required or requested.

University of North Carolina – Wilmington

Every essay is carefully reviewed by the admission committee for content, clarity, mechanics, and effort. Essays may be an important factor in distinguishing admissible candidates within the applicant pool. Please answer the following questions thoughtfully in 100-300 words.

1. Reflecting on your personal and educational goals, please write about how you believe UNC Wilmington will allow you to grow as a student and as a person.

2. How has the media impacted your perception of the world?

University of Notre Dame

On separate sheets of paper, write a response to one of the following topics. Since we do not offer personal interviews as part of our selection process, we ask that you write an essay that helps us get to know you better. Feel free to share with us an influential experience, a motivating idea, or a revealing moment in your life. Present yourself to us in a carefully written, honest reflection.

• Please compost a personal state of 400 to 500 words.

• At the top of each page, please include: “Section7, Personal Statement,” you name, date of birth and home city.

• Please note the topic you have selected.

1. Sir Isaac Newton wrote, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” As you consider your own academic pursuits for your collegiate career, whose work, past or present, would you choose to continue, and why?

2. History continues to play a role in our daily lives – whether in the classroom, books and newspapers, or as stories that are passed down through families. While reflecting on the past, one might imagine what it would be like to grow up in a different era. Tell us about a decade you would choose to live in and why.

3. The Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President of the University of Notre Dame, said in his Inaugural Address that, “If we are afraid to be different from the world, how can we make a difference in the world?” In what way do you feel you are different from your peers, and how will this shape your contribution to the Notre Dame community?

4. Write a personal statement with content of your own choosing. Some past applicants have presented their special talents, unique interests, and socio-economic or cultural backgrounds, and experiences of living in a diverse world. Narrow your focus in order to most effectively share yourself with us. Choose a topic or structure that best suits you.

5.

University of Pennsylvania

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay.

Required – Describe the courses of study and the unique characteristics of the University of Pennsylvania that interest you most. Why do these interests make you a good match for Penn?

Optional – Your intellectual abilities, your sense of imagination and your creativity are important to us. If you would like to further express these qualities, you may include an optional essay on one of the following three prompts. Your essay should not exceed one page.

1. You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217.

2. First experiences can be defining. Cite a first experience you have had and explain its impact on you.

3. Recall an occasion when you took a risk that you now know was the right thing to do.

University of Pittsburgh

If you want your application review to be based on more than just your high school record and SAT/ACT scores, we strongly recommend that you submit any supplemental information that you feel will help the committee get to know you better. The Personal Essay is optional. If you decide to complete the optional essay question, you can chose one of the topics suggested below or select a topic that reflects something about you and your interests.

A. Write about something of particular interest to you – whether that be creative, fantastic, scientific, ethical, personal, political, etc.

B. If you are interested in the arts or feel you have a special skill or talent, tell us what you do and/or enclose photos or slides of you work. Likewise, if you’re involved in sports, student activities, community service, or work, or if a particular person has influenced your life, tell us about it. Note any special awards you’ve received or leadership roles you’ve played.

C. Imagine you’re on the admissions or scholarship committees. Tell us something about yourself that isn’t apparent from your academic records – something that will give us insight about as an individual and might help in the committee’s decision.

D. How has cultural diversity, or the lack of it, impacted your life so far? What is your view or opinion of how diversity fits into your education? Or

The University of Pittsburgh is an institution rich in cultural and ethnic diversity. In what ways do you think this would be of benefit to you as a young, developing adult, and in what ways can you contribute to this?

E. Elaborate on one or more extracurricular activities. Please share experiences and participation in organizations, whether affiliated with or outside of school, that you feel will help the committee to know you better. This could include sports, service to others, work, the arts, or other activities. A description of your experiences over time and how they have affected you as an individual is more helpful to the committee than a list. Include years of involvement, nature of position, any leadership roles, and/or title, if applicable.

F. Some factors that may be taken into consideration in the admissions review are listed below. If any of the following pertain to you, you may wish to address the issue in your essay or as an addendum to your essay. You are: not a native speaker of English; first generation in the family going to college; coming from a single-parent home; home schooled; or an early graduate (students graduating from high school in three years) or early applicant (i.e., planning skip the senior year of high school).

G. If you have experienced special challenges or adversities that you feel should be taken into consideration, please let the committee know.

H. Have you had an international or travel experience that has affected you? Describe it.

University of Rochester

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essays.

• What about the University of Rochester makes you think it is the right school for you?

• The remarkable citizens and numerous pathbreaking scholars who have been a part of our community – such as abolitionist Frederick Douglass, women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony, and philanthropist Joseph C. Wilson – lead us to appreciate the importance ob bringing together students from diverse backgrounds and origins. Describe an experience from your own life that helps you understand and appreciate diversity.

University of South Carolina

No application essay or personal statement required

University of Southern California

Essay

Please write an essay, approximately 500-700 words (typically one page), on one of the following topics. Check the box of your selected topic.

• The 18th-century French philosopher Denis Diderot said, “Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.” Describe one of your passions and discuss its contribution to your personal growth.

• Thomas Edison failed many times before successfully inventing the modern electric light bulb. He said, “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” Reflect on an accomplishment you achieved in an unlikely way.

• Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force. Tell us about an external influence (a person, an event, etc.) that affected you and how it caused you to change direction.

Short Answers

Please answer these questions.

1. Tell us about an activity that is important to you, and why.

2. Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC.

3. Optional – If there is any information you believe is relevant to our consideration on you as an applicant, and is not already contained in your application, feel free to explain on an additional sheet.

Quick Takes

On a separate sheet, please respond to each of the following in one sentence or less. (A single word may suffice.) These questions have no right or wrong answers.

• Three words that describe you

• Favorite food

• Favorite leisure activity

• Last book you read for pleasure

• Role model

• Best movie of all time

• Favorite musical performer/band/composer

• Favorite quote

• Most prized possession

• Dream job

University of Tennessee

Each fall, UT admits a freshman class using a competitive admission process that primarily considers the applicant’s experience and preparation in academic areas, but also considers many other individual factors through holistic review. All applicants receive a thorough individual reading, and a personal state is crucial in the decision making process.

All applicants may include a personal statement with their application. The middle 50 percent of the Fall 2007 admitted class had score ranges of 1090-1270 (SAT Critical Reading + Math) or 24-29 (ACT) and a core high school GPA range of 3.33-3.98. If your test scores fall below a 24 ACT or a 1090 SAT, or if your core GPA falls below a 3.33, you should include a Personal Statement as part of your application for admission.

The University of Tennessee is interested in learning about you. UT is a very diverse environment, and the Office of Admissions is interested in knowing what particular characteristics and interests you will contribute to the quality and diversity of the campus. Additionally, information concerning your academic achievements, involvement in school and the community, important personal experiences, awards and recognition, special talents, obstacles overcome, and other aspects of your background and experience is important in the individualized, holistic review of your application.

Vanderbilt University

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Villanova University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay.

As part of your Preliminary Application for Undergraduate Admission for the Class of 2012, Villanova requires that you submit a Villanova essay, of at least one typed page, for our review. The essay is an important part of your application as it provides us with an opportunity to gain more insights into your candidacy. We thought that it would be helpful to provide you with some guidance on writing an effective, thoughtful, and well-crafted writing sample which addresses our Required Essay Question. 

Villanova University's inspiration is derived from St. Augustine, the great philosopher and theologian of the fourth and fifth centuries.  St. Augustine's early life was a struggle to come to know himself.   However, through many experiences over the course of his life, he had found that his heart and mind had been transformed.

Please detail a time in your life when you have been transformed.

Wake Forest University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essays.

Help us to know a bit more about you by briefly answering these questions in the space provided.

1. Write a brief statement explaining your decision to apply to Wake Forest and what your academic and personal goals would be as a student.

2. What outrages you?

3. What have you read recently that you found enlightening?

4. Make a rational argument for a position you do not personally support.

5. “Science and art belong to the whole world, and before them vanish the barriers of nationality.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Provide a specific example of either instance.

6. Please list significant reading you have completed in order of their interest to you.

Washington University in St. Louis

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

West Virginia University

No application essay is required or requested.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Uses the Common Application essay questions.

Yale University

Uses the Common Application essay questions plus supplemental essay.

You have already told us about your self in the Common Application, with its list of activities, the Short Answer, and the Personal Statement. While we leave the topic of your second essay entirely up to you, we encourage you to use this opportunity to tell us something we could not learn from the rest of your application. Try to pick a topic that will convey some aspect of your experience or outlook that you would like us to understand better. Please keep your essay under 500 words.

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