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College Essays

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The ApplyTexas college application contains many essay prompts, and each of the most popular colleges in Texas has different requirements for which essays they expect applicants to answer.

So how do you get advice on writing your best ApplyTexas essays, no matter which school you're applying to? Look no further than this article, which completely unpacks all possible ApplyTexas essay prompts. We'll explain what each prompt is looking for and what admissions officers are hoping to learn about you. In addition, we'll give you our top strategies for ensuring that your essay meets all these expectations and help you come up with your best essay topics.

To help you navigate this long guide, here is an overview of what we'll be talking about:

What Are the ApplyTexas Essays?

Comparing applytexas essay prompts a, b, and c, dissecting applytexas essay topic a, dissecting applytexas essay topic b, dissecting applytexas essay topic c, dissecting applytexas essay topic d.

  • Dissecting the UT and Texas A&M Short Answer Prompts
  • Briefly: ApplyTexas Essay Topic E (Transfer Students Only)

The ApplyTexas application is basically the Texas version of the Common Application , which many US colleges use. It's a unified college application process that's accepted by all Texas public universities and many private ones. (Note that some schools that accept ApplyTexas also accept the Common App.)

The ApplyTexas website is a good source for figuring out whether your target college accepts the ApplyTexas application. That said, the best way to confirm exactly what your school expects is to go to its admissions website.

Why Do Colleges Want You to Write Essays?

Admissions officers are trying to put together classes full of interesting, vibrant students who have different backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, goals, and dreams. One tool colleges use to identify a diverse set of perspectives is the college essay .

These essays are a chance for you to show admissions officers those sides of yourself that aren’t reflected in the rest of your application. This is where you describe where you've come from, what you believe in, what you value, and what has shaped you.

This is also where you make yourself sound mature and insightful—two key qualities that colleges are looking for in applicants . These are important because colleges want to enroll students who will ultimately thrive when faced with the independence of college life .

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Admissions staff want to enroll a diverse incoming class of motivated and thoughtful students.

ApplyTexas Essay Requirements

There are four essay prompts on the ApplyTexas application for first-year admission (Topics A, B, C, and D). For Topics A, B, and C, there are slight variations on the prompt for transfer students or those looking to be readmitted. We’ll cover each variation just below the main topic breakdown. There are also several short-answer prompts for UT Austin and Texas A&M , as well as Topic D for art and architecture majors and  Topic E for transfer students only . Although there are no strict word limits, colleges usually suggest keeping the essays somewhere between one and one and a half pages long.

All Texas colleges and universities have different application requirements, including which essay or essays they want. Some schools require essays, some list them as optional, and others use a combination of required and optional essays. Several schools use the essays to determine scholarship awards, honors program eligibility, or admission to specific majors.

Here are some essay submission requirement examples from a range of Texas schools:

  • You are required to write an essay on Topic A .
  • You also have to answer three short-answer prompts (250–300 words each) .
  • If you're applying for a studio art, art education, art history, architecture, or visual art studies major, you'll have to write a short answer specific to your major .
  • UT Austin also accepts the Common App.

Texas A&M

  • If you're an engineering major, you'll have to respond to  a short-answer prompt .
  • Texas A&M also accepts the Common App .

Southern Methodist University

  • You must write an essay on Topic A .
  • You may (but do not have to) write an essay on Topic B .
  • You also have to answer two short-answer prompts .
  • SMU also accepts the Common App and Coalition App and has its own online application, so you have the option to pick and choose the application you want to fill out .

Texas Christian University

  • You must write an essay on any of the topics (A, B, or C) .
  • TCU also accepts the Common App and Coalition App has its own online application, so it's another school for which you can choose the application you want to use.

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The essays required as part of each admissions application differ from college to college. Check each institution's website for the most up-to-date instructions.

essay for apply texas

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Craft Your Perfect College Essay

Three of the ApplyTexas essay topics try to get to the heart of what makes you the person you are. But since Topics A, B, and C all focus on things that are essential to you as a person, coming up with a totally unique idea for each can be difficult—especially since on a first read-through, these prompts can sound really similar .

Before I dissect all of the ApplyTexas essay prompts, let's see how A, B, and C differ from one another. You can then keep these differences in mind as you try to think of topics to write about.

ApplyTexas Prompts

Here are the most recent prompts for Topics A, B, and C on the ApplyTexas application.

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

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

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

How to Tell Topics A, B, and C Apart

One helpful way to keep these topics separate in your mind is to create a big-picture category for each one: Topic A is outside, Topic B is inside, and Topic C is the future .

In other words, Topic A is asking about the impact of challenges or opportunities on you and how you handled that impact. Topic B is asking about your inner passions and how these define you. Finally, Topic C wants to know where you're going from here. These very broad categories will help as you brainstorm ideas and life experiences you can use for your essay .

Although many of the stories you think of can be shaped to fit each of these prompts, think about what the experience most reveals about you. If it’s about how your external community shaped you, that'd probably be a good fit for Topic A. If it’s a story about the causes or interests that you're most passionate about, save it for Topic B. If it’s primarily about an event that you think predicts your future, it'll likely work well for Topic C.

(Note: if you are a transfer student writing the essay variation for Topics A, B, or C, keep in mind that these variations still ask you about the outside, inside, or future respectively.)

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Your years-long passion for performing in theater productions is an appropriate subject for ApplyTexas Topic B essays.

Now, we'll thoroughly deconstruct everything you need to know about Topic A, the first ApplyTexas essay prompt.

What’s the Prompt Asking, and How Should You Answer It?

This prompt wants to see how a particular external experience as a high school student has shaped you . The prompt uses the phrase "your story," signaling that admissions staff want to know what you believe has had the biggest impact on you.

Step 1: Describe Your Experience

The first part of the prompt is about identifying and describing specific experiences you've had as a high school student. You don't want your essay coming across too vague, so make sure you're focusing on one or two specific experiences, whether they've been positive or negative. The prompt suggests zeroing in on something "unique," or something that has affected you in a way it hasn't impacted anyone else.

You'll want to choose an opportunity or challenge that you can describe vividly and that's really important to you. In other words, it   needs to have had a significant impact on your personal development.

It should also be an experience that has been part of your life for a while . You're describing something that's affected you "throughout your high school career," after all.

Step 2: Explain How This Experience Shaped You

You shouldn't just describe your experience—you also need to discuss how that experience affected you as a person . How did this particular opportunity or difficulty turn you into the person you are today?

It's best if you can think of one or two concrete anecdotes or stories about how your chosen experience(s) helped shape you. For example, don't just say that a public piano recital made you a hard-working person— describe in detail how practicing diligently each day, even when you weren't feeling motivated, got frustrated by particular parts of the piece you were performing, and experienced stage fright showed you that working toward your goals is worthwhile, even when it's hard.

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Elaborating on how a specific challenge or obstacle that you faced during your high school career helped shape your current perspective and personality is one option for Topic A essays.

What Are Readers Hoping to Learn About You?

Admission staff are looking for two main things. First, they want to see that you can be mature and thoughtful about your surroundings and events in your life . Are you curious about the world around you? If you've really reflected on your experience, you'll be able to describe the people, places, and events that have impacted you as a high school student in a nuanced, insightful way.

Second, they want to see how you stand out from other applicants . This can be accomplished in one of two ways: (1) you can emphasize how you are somehow different because of your experience and how it impacted you, or (2) you can emphasize how you learned positive qualities from the event that differentiate you from other students. Basically, how did your experience turn you into a special, interesting person?

How Can Your Essay Give Them What They Want?

How can you make sure your essay is really answering the prompt? Here are some key strategies.

#1: Pick a Specific Experience

You'll need to select a particular opportunity or obstacle to zero in on. Opportunities include travel, internships, volunteer or paid jobs, academic events, and awards. Challenges might include competitions, performances, illnesses, injuries, or learning something new. Remember, you'll want to focus on one or two particular events or experiences that have truly contributed to your personal growth .

As you're choosing the experiences you want to write about, think about significant things that happened to you in connection with those events. Remember, you'll need to get beyond just describing how the opportunity or challenge is important to you to show how its impact on you is so significant .

#2: How Did This Experience Shape You?

You then need to consider what about your experience turned you into a person who stands out . Again, this can be about how you overcame the difficulty or how the opportunity fostered positive qualities or traits in you that would make you an appealing member of the college's student body. You want to make sure you have a clear message that links your experience to one, two, or three special traits you have.

Try to think of specific stories and anecdotes related to the event. Then, thoughtfully analyze these to reveal what they show about you. Important adults in your life can help you brainstorm potential ideas.

#3: Think of the Essay Like a Movie

Like a good movie script, a college essay needs characters, some action, and a poignant but ultimately happy ending . When you’re planning out your personal statement, try to think of the story you’re telling in movie terms. Ensure that your essay has the following features:

  • Setting: As you're describing your experience, taking time to give a vivid sense of place is key. You can accomplish this by describing the actual physical surroundings, the main "characters" in your community, or a combination of both.
  • Stakes: Movies propel the action forward by giving characters high stakes: win or lose, life or death. Even if you are describing your experience in positive terms, there needs to be a sense of conflict or dynamic change. In the anecdote(s) you've selected to write about, what did you stand to gain or lose?
  • External conflict resolution: If there's an external conflict of some kind (e.g., with a neighbor, a family member, a friend, or a city council), you need to show some level of resolution.
  • Internal conflict resolution: Inner conflict is essentially about how you changed in response to the event or experience. You'll need to clearly lay out what happened within you and how those changes have carried you forward as a person.

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Describing your feelings before, during, and after the opportunity or challenge is a crucial element of a Topic A college essay.

#4: Add Details, Description, and Examples

Your essay will really stand out if you add effective examples and descriptions.

For example, imagine Karima decides to describe how learning to navigate public transit as a high school first-year student made her resourceful and helped her explore the city she grew up in. She also discusses how exploring the city ultimately changed her perspective. How should she frame her experience? Here are some options:

I was nervous about taking the El by myself for the first time. At the station, there were lots of commuters and adults who seemed impatient but confident. At first, I was very afraid of getting lost, but over time, I became as confident as those commuters.

I felt a mixture of nerves and excitement walking up the Howard red line turnstile for the first time. What if I got lost on my way to the museum? I was worried that I would just seem like a nuisance to all of the frowning commuters who crowded the platform. If I needed help, would they help me? Was I even brave enough to ask? When the metal doors opened, I pressed my nails into my palms and rushed in after a woman with a red briefcase. Success! At least for the first step. I found a sideways-facing seat and clutched my macrame bag with my notebook and sketching supplies. A map hung above my seat. Pressing my finger to the colorful grid, I found my stop and counted how many I still had to go. I spent the entire train ride staring at that map, straining my ears for everything the conductor said. Now, when I think about the first time I rode the El by myself, I smile. What seemed so scary at the time is just an everyday way to get around now. But I always look around on the platform to see if any nervous kids linger at the edges of the commuter crowds and offer them a smile.

Both versions set up the same story plotwise, but the second makes the train ride (and therefore the author) come alive through the addition of specific, individualizing details , such as the following:

  • Visual cues: The reader "sees" what the author sees through descriptions such as "frowning commuters who crowded the platform," "woman with a red briefcase," and "colorful grid."
  • Emotional responses: We experience the author’s feelings: she "felt a mixture of nerves and excitement." She wonders if she's brave enough to ask for help. The train ride was "so scary at the time" but feels "everyday" now.
  • Differentiation: Even though the commuters are mostly a monolithic group, we get to see some individuals, such as the woman with a red briefcase.

ApplyTexas Topic A Essay Ideas

There's no one best topic for this essay prompt (or any other), but I've included some potential ideas below to help you get started with your own brainstorming:

  • Describe a time you organized the people around you to advocate a common local cause.
  • Hone in on a particular trip with one or more family members.
  • Identify a time when you were no longer in your comfort zone. Describe how you adapted and learned from that experience.
  • Discuss being a minority in your school or neighborhood.
  • Describe going through a cultural or religious rite of passage as a high school student.
  • Elaborate on how you moved from one place to somewhere totally different and handled your culture shock.

ApplyTexas Topic A for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

If you are applying to transfer or to be readmitted, you likely already have some college experience. So in this case, ApplyTexas offers a personal statement option that allows you to write about your life beyond your high school years. This option still asks you to demonstrate what in your experience has turned you into a unique individual. But if, for instance, you left college and now are reapplying, you’ll want to address how some aspect of that experience made an impact on who you are now. Otherwise, follow the advice above for the standard Topic A prompt.

Here’s the current Essay Topic A prompt for transfer applicants:

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 or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admissions committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and other application information cannot convey.

essay for apply texas

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Next up, let's go through the same process for ApplyTexas Topic B, taking it apart brick by brick and putting it back together again.

What’s the Prompt Asking?

At first glance, this prompt seems pretty vague. "Tell us about yourself" is not exactly the most detailed set of instructions. But if we dig a little deeper, we can see that there are actually two pretty specific things this question is asking.

#1: What Defines You?

This prompts posits that "most students"—which likely includes you!—have some kind of defining trait . This could be "an identity, an interest, or a talent," so you need to express what that defining trait is for you specifically.

For instance, are you an amazing knitter? Do you spend your free time researching cephalopods? Are you a connoisseur of indie movies or mystery novels? Or maybe you have a religious, cultural, ethnic, or LGBTQIA+ identity that's very important to you. Any of these things could plausibly be the main, framing theme of your essay.

#2: How Does That Defining Trait Fit Into "You" Overall?

Even though you have some kind of defining trait, that's not the entirety of you. Essentially, you need to contextualize your defining trait within your broader personality and identity. This is where the "tell us about yourself" part comes in. What does your defining trait say about you as a person? And how does it fit into your overall personality, values, and dreams?

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In a Topic B college essay, you could potentially describe your knowledge of chess and how it exemplifies your talent for thinking several steps ahead.

Admissions staff are hoping to learn two main things:

#1: What You're Passionate About

It's essential that this essay communicates genuine passion for whatever you write about. College is a lot of work, and passion is an important driving force when things get busy. Therefore, readers are looking for students who are really engaged in the world around them and excited about specific causes and activities!

#2: How You View Yourself (and How Successfully You Can Communicate That)

A strong, well-developed sense of self goes a long way toward helping you weather all the changes you're going to experience when you attend college. Even though you'll change and grow a lot as a person during your college years, having a sense of your own core traits and values will help those changes be exciting as opposed to scary .

Colleges are looking for a developed sense of self. Additionally, they are looking for students who can communicate messages about themselves in a clear, confident, and cohesive way .

The challenge with this prompt is giving a complete picture of you as a person while still staying on message about your defining trait. You need to be focused yet comprehensive. Let's explore the best ways to show off your passion and frame your identity.

#1: Define the Core Message

First, you need to select that defining trait . This could be pretty much anything, just as long as you're genuinely invested in this trait and feel that it represents some core aspect of you.

It should also be something you can describe through stories and anecdotes . Just saying, "I'm a redhead, and that defines me" makes for a pretty boring essay! However, a story about how you started a photography project that consists of portraits of redheads like you and what you learned about yourself from this experience is much more interesting.

Be careful to select something that presents you in a broadly positive light . If you choose a trait that doesn't seem very serious, such as your enduring and eternal love of onion rings, you risk seeming at best immature and at worst outright disrespectful.

You also want to pick something realistic —don't claim you're the greatest mathematician who ever lived unless you are, in fact, the greatest mathematician who ever lived (and you probably aren't). Otherwise, you'll seem out of touch.

#2: Fit Your Message into the Larger Picture

Next, consider how you can use this trait to paint a more complete picture of you as a person . It's great that you're passionate about skiing and are a member of a ski team, but what else does this say about you? Are you an adventurous daredevil who loves to take (reasonable) risks? Are you a nature lover with a taste for exploration? Do you love being part of a team?

Select at least two or three positive messages you want to communicate about yourself in your essay about your key trait.

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In a Topic B essay, a student could connect their long-time passion for cooking to their penchant for adding their unique touch to every project they take on.

#3: Show, Don't Tell

It's much more interesting to read about things you do that demonstrate your key traits than it is to hear you list them. Don't just say, "Everyone asks me for advice because I'm level-headed and reasonable." Instead, actually describe situations that show people asking you for advice and you offering that level-headed, reasonable advice.

#4: Watch Your Tone

It's important to watch your tone as you write an essay that's (pretty overtly) about how great you are. You want to demonstrate your own special qualities without seeming glib, staid, self-aggrandizing, or narcissistic .

Let’s say Andrew wants to write about figuring out how to grow a garden, despite his yard being in full shade, and how this desire turned into a passion for horticulture. He could launch into a rant about the garden store employees not knowing which plants are right for which light, the previous house owner’s terrible habit of using the yard as a pet bathroom, or the achy knee that prevented him from proper weeding posture.

Alternatively, he could describe doing research on the complex gardens of royal palaces, planning his garden based on plant color and height, using the process of trial and error to see which plants would flourish, and getting so involved with this work that he often lost track of time.

One of these approaches makes him sound whiny and self-centered, whereas  the other makes him sound like someone who can take charge of a difficult situation .

ApplyTexas Topic B Essay Ideas

Again, there's no single best approach here, but I've outlined some potential topics below:

  • Are you known for being really good at something or an expert on a particular topic? How does this impact your identity?
  • Discuss how you got involved in a certain extracurricular activity and what it means to you. What have you learned from participating in it?
  • Describe something you've done lots of research on in your free time. How did you discover that interest? What have you learned as a result?
  • What's your most evident personality trait? How has that trait impacted your life? (You can ask friends and relatives for help with this one.)
  • Relate the importance of your LGBTQIA+ identity.
  • Discuss your religious or cultural background and how this defines you.
  • Describe your experience as a member of a specific community.

ApplyTexas Topic B for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

The ApplyTexas variation on Topic B is specifically designed for two different possible application situations. The first is for people who are applying as nondegree-seeking or postbaccalaureate students (aka “transient students”). In this case, they ask you to discuss the courses you want to take and what you hope to accomplish if you are admitted. That means they still want you to focus this essay on what you are passionate about, as mentioned above, but they expect that passion to be based on courses the university offers more directly.  

The second is for students who are reapplying after being suspended for academic reasons. In this situation, they ask you to describe any actions you have taken to improve your academic performance and to give them a reason why you should be readmitted. You’ll still need to focus on your positive traits in this variation, so this can be a tricky task. As in the example above, you’ll need to watch your tone and not come across as whiny. Instead, confront the cause of your academic suspension and what you learned from that experience; then, turn it into a newfound strength. Maybe you learned new study habits you can describe for them. Maybe working full-time while you were suspended improved your work ethic. Whatever you choose, show how a negative situation changed into a positive learning experience for you, and focus on the better person you are now because of it. 

Here’s the current prompt for Essay Topic B for transfer applicants:

If you are applying as a former student and were suspended for academic reasons, describe briefly any actions you have taken to improve your academic abilities and give reason why you should be readmitted. If you are applying as a nondegree-seeking or postbaccalaureate application, briefly describe the specific objectives you wish to accomplish if admitted, including the courses in which you would like to enroll.

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Now, we can take apart Topic C to get a good handle on how to tackle this future-facing essay.

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

If ApplyTexas Topic A and Topic B were all about your past experiences, Topic C wants you to give readers a glimpse of your imagined possibilities .

There are basically two potential approaches to this question. We'll break them down here.

Option 1: Describe Your Long-Term Goals

One approach to this prompt is to use your essay as a chance to describe your long-term goals for your career and life .

For some students, this will be a straightforward endeavor. For example, say you’ve always wanted to be a doctor. You spend your time volunteering at hospitals, helping out at your mom’s practice, and studying biology. You could easily frame your "ticket" as a ticket to medical school. Just pick a few of the most gripping moments from these past experiences and discuss the overall trajectory of your interests, and your essay would likely be a winner!

But what if you’re not sure about your long-term goals yet? Or what if you feel like you really don't know where you're going next week, let alone next year or 10 years from now? Read on for Option 2.

Option 2: Demonstrate Thoughtful Imagination

Although you can certainly interpret this as a straightforward question about your future, you can also use it as a chance to be more imaginative.

Note that this entire question rests on the metaphor of the ticket. The ticket can take you anywhere; you decide. It could be to a real place, such as your grandmother's house or the Scottish Highlands or the Metropolitan Museum. Or it could be somewhere fantastical, such as a time machine to the Paleolithic.

The important point is that you use the destination you select—and what you plan to do there—to prove you're a thoughtful person who is excited about and actively engaged with the world around you .

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The destination you choose to write about, whether realistic or fantastical, should be clearly linked to a specific goal or set of goals that you wish to pursue or are currently pursuing.

If you're on a direct path to a specific field of study or career, admissions officers definitely want to know this. Having driven, goal-oriented, and passionate students is a huge plus for any college. If this sounds like you, be sure your essay conveys not just your interest but also your deep love of the subject, as well as any related clubs, activities, or hobbies you’ve done during high school.

If you take the more creative approach to this prompt, however, realize that in this essay (as in all the other ApplyTexas essays),  the how matters much more than the what . Don't worry that you don't have a specific goal in mind yet. No matter where your eventual academic, career, or other pursuits might lie, every activity you've done up to now has taught you something, whether that be developing your work ethic, mastering a skill, learning from a mentor, interacting with peers, dealing with setbacks, understanding your own learning style, or persevering through hardship. Your essay is a chance to show off that knowledge and maturity.

So no matter what destination you choose for your ticket (the what ), you want to communicate that you can think about future (and imagined!) possibilities in a compelling way based on your past experiences (the how ).

Whether you take the ideas of "where you are going" and "what you are doing" in a more literal or more abstract direction, the admissions committee wants to make sure that no matter what you study, you'll be able to get something meaningful out of it . They want to see that you’re not simply floating through life on the surface but are actively absorbing the qualities, skills, and know-how you'll need to succeed in the world.

Here are some ideas for how to show that you have thoughtful and compelling visions of possible futures.

#1: Pick Where You're Going

Is this going to be a more direct interpretation of your goals (my ticket is to the judge's bench) or a more creative one (my ticket is to Narnia)? Whichever one you choose, make sure that you choose a destination that is genuinely compelling to you . The last thing you want is to come off sounding bored or disingenuous.

#2: Don’t Overreach or Underreach

Another key point is to avoid overreaching or underreaching. For instance, it’s fine to say that you’d like to get involved in politics, but it’s a little too self-aggrandizing to say that you’re definitely going to be president of the United States. Be sure that whatever destination you select for your ticket, it doesn’t come off as unnecessary bragging rather than simple aspiration .

At the same time, make sure the destination you've chosen is one that makes sense in the context of a college essay. Maybe what you really want is a ticket to the potato chip factory; however, this essay might not be the best place to elaborate on this imagined possibility.

While you can of course choose a whimsical location, you need to be able to ground it in a real vision of the kind of person you want to become . Don't forget who your audience is! College admissions officers want to find students who are eager to learn . They also want to be exposed to new thoughts and ideas.

#3: Flesh It Out

Once you've picked a destination, it's time to consider the other components of the question: What are you going to do once you reach your destination? What will happen there? Try to think of some key messages that relate back to you, your talents, and your goals .

#4: Ground Your "Journey" in Specific Anecdotes and Examples

The way this question is framed is very abstract, so ground your thoughts about your destination (whether it's more straightforward or more creative) in concrete anecdotes and examples that show you're thoughtful, engaged, passionate, and driven.

This is even more important if you go the creative route and are writing about an unusual location. If you don't keep things somewhat grounded in reality, your essay could come across as frivolous. Make sure you make the most of this chance to share real-life examples of your desirable qualities.

Imagine Eleanor’s essay is about how she wants a ticket to Starfleet Academy (for the uninitiated, this is the fictional school in the Star Trek universe where people train to be Starfleet officers). Which essay below conveys more about her potential as a student?

My ticket is to Starfleet Academy. There, I would train to become part of the Command division so I could command a starship. Once I was captain of my own starship, I would explore the deepest reaches of space to interact with alien life and learn more about the universe.

I've loved Star Trek since my dad started playing copies of old episodes for me in our ancient DVD player. So if I could have a ticket to anywhere, it would be to Starfleet Academy to train in the command division. I know I would make a superb command officer. My ten years of experience in hapkido have taught me discipline and how to think on my feet. Working as a hapkido instructor in my dojo the past two years has honed my leadership and teaching qualities, which are essential for any starship commander. Additionally, I have the curiosity and sense of adventure necessary for a long career in the unknown reaches of space. Right now, I exercise my thirst for exploration through my photography blog. Using my DSLR camera, I track down and photograph obscure and hidden places I find in my town, on family trips, and even on day trips to nearby cities. I carefully catalogue the locations so other people can follow in my footsteps. Documentation, after all, is another important part of exploring space in a starship.

Both versions communicate the same things about the imagined destination, but the second essay does a much better job showing who Eleanor is as a person. All we really learn from the first excerpt is that Eleanor must like Star Trek .

We can also infer from version 1 that she probably likes leadership, exploration, and adventure because she wants to captain a starship, but we don't really know that for sure. Admissions officers shouldn't have to guess who you are from your essay; your essay should lay it out for them explicitly and articulately.

In the second essay, by contrast, Eleanor clearly lays out the qualities that would make her a great command officer and provides examples of how she exemplifies these qualities . She ties the abstract destination to concrete activities from her life, such as hapkido and photography. This provides a much more well-rounded picture of what Eleanor could bring to the student body and the school at large.

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Eleanor's essay about her desire to explore the final frontier creatively illustrates her curiosity and leadership potential .

ApplyTexas Topic C Essay Ideas

I've come up with some sample essay ideas for the two different approaches to this prompt.

Possibility 1: Your Concrete Goals

  • Describe your goal to pursue a particular academic field or career and discuss how specific classes or extracurricular activities ignited that passion
  • Discuss how your plans to pursue politics, project management, or another leadership role were fostered by a first experience of leadership (this could be a straightforward leadership position in a club or job or a more indirect or unplanned leadership experience, such as suddenly having to take charge of a group).
  • Discuss how your desire to teach or train in the future was sparked by an experience of teaching someone to do something (e.g., by being a tutor or by helping a sibling deal with a particularly challenging class or learning issue).
  • Describe your goal to perform on stage, and discuss how your past experiences of public creativity (e.g., being in a play, staging an art show, performing an orchestra, or being involved in dance,.) led you to this goal

Possibility 2: Creative/Abstract Destination

  • What would you do if you could visit the world of a favorite childhood book, movie, or TV series? What qualities does that show about you?
  • Is there a relative or friend you would like to visit with your ticket?
  • Is there a particular historical period you would like to time travel to?
  • Is there a destination you've always wanted to go to that you've read about, heard about, or only conjured up in dreams or in a moment of creativity?

Remember to tie your imaginative destination to concrete details about your special qualities!

Topic C for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

ApplyTexas offers a Topic C alternative in case there is personal information you want them to consider along with your application, such as why you are transferring to a new school. They still want you to focus on the future, but they encourage discussing any hardships, challenges, extenuating circumstances, or opportunities that have affected your abilities and academic credentials (in a positive way). They also want you to discuss how these circumstances can help you contribute to a diverse college community. In this case, this variation is not fundamentally different from the ticket question; it just asks for a more specific focus. So if this variation applies to you, use the advice above for question C option one. 

Here’s the current prompt for Essay Topic C for transfer applicants:

There may be personal information that you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents, educational goals, or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to creating a diverse learning environment.

feature_apworldhistoryexam

Would you use your ticket to visit Renaissance Italy, a journey you metaphorically hope to take as a history major?

If you're applying to one of several fine arts fields, you might have to write this essay.

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

If you’re applying to study architecture, art, or art history, one of the essays you will likely have to write is this one. This essay topic is trying to ask as broadly as possible about an experience with art that has moved you in some way. This means that your options for answering the question are quite varied. So what are the two different parts of this prompt? Let's take a look.

Part 1: Observation and Reaction

Think of a time you experienced that blown-away feeling when looking at something human made. This is the reaction and situation the first part of the essay wants you to recreate. The prompt is primarily interested in your ability to describe and pinpoint exactly what quality made you stop in your tracks. The huge set of inspiring object options the prompt offers tells us that your taste level won't be judged here.

You can focus on a learning experience, which includes both classes and extracurricular activities, or you can focus on a direct experience in which you encountered an object or space without the mediation of a class or teacher. The only limit to your focus object is that it is something made by someone other than you. Your reaction should be in conversation with the original artist, not a form of navel-gazing.

The key for this part of the essay is that your description needs to segue into a story of change and transformation . What the essay topic is asking you to show isn’t just that you were struck by something you saw or learned about, but that you also absorbed something from this experience that impacted your own art going forward.

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Did seeing the Angkor Wat Temple during a trip abroad with your family foster your intellectual passion for Southeast Asian art or religious monuments?

Part 2: Absorption

This brings us to the second part of the essay prompt: this is where you need to move from the past into the present — and then at least gesture meaningfully toward the future.

It’s one thing to look at a piece of art, such as a sculpture or architectural form, and feel moved by its grace, boldness, or vision. But it’s a sign of a mature, creative mind to be able to take to heart what is meaningful to you about this work and then transmute this experience into your own art or your interpretation of others' creative works.

This essay wants to see that developing maturity in you ; therefore, you should explain exactly how your own vision has changed after this meaningful encounter you've described. What qualities, philosophy, or themes do you now try to infuse into what you create or how you analyze art?

More importantly, this essay prompt asserts that being affected by something once isn’t enough. That’s why in this second part of the essay,  you also need to explain what you’ve been doing to keep having similarly moving encounters with other creative works .

You have some choice, too, when it comes to answering, "What have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?" For example, you could describe how you’ve sought out other works by the same artist who moved you the first time. Or you could describe investigating new media or techniques to emulate something you saw. Or you could discuss learning about the period, genre, school, or philosophical theory that the original piece of art comes from to give yourself a more contextualized understanding.

If you’re planning an academic career in the visual arts or architecture, then you’re entering a long conversation started by our cave-painting ancestors and continuing through every human culture and society since.

This essay wants to make sure that you aren’t creating or interpreting art in a vacuum and that you have had enough education and awareness to be inspired by others. By demonstrating how you react to works that move you—not with jealousy or dismissal but with appreciation and recognition of another’s talent and ability—you're proving that you're ready to participate in this ongoing conversation.

At the same time, this essay is asking you to show your own creative readiness.  For example, describe not only the work you have produced but also your ability to introduce new elements into that work—in this case, inspired by the piece you described. This way, you can demonstrate that you aren’t a one-note artist but are mature enough to alter and develop what you make. Or if you want to major in art history or art education, relate how your perspective on a particular piece of art or architecture is shaped by your unique perspective, based on your experiences, education, and cultural identity.

body_pieta.jpg

A student might write their Topic D essay on how Michelangelo's Madonna della Pietà   has influenced their own artistic renderings of youth and beauty in grief.

What are some best practices for teasing out the complexities of art in written form? Here are some helpful tips as you brainstorm and write your essay.

#1: Pick One Piece of Art or Learning Experience

Once you’ve chosen between these two contexts, narrow down your selection even further . If you're writing about an educational encounter, don’t forget that it can come from an informal situation as well. For example, you could write about something you learned on your own from a documentary, a museum visit, or an art book.

If you're writing about a direct experience with art, don't necessarily fixate on a classic piece . Alternatively, you could discuss a little-known public sculpture, a particularly striking building or bridge you saw while traveling, or a gallery exhibition.

Whatever you end up writing about, make sure you know some of the identifying details . You don’t need to know the answers to all the following questions, but do your best to research so you can answer at least two or three of them:

  • Who is the artist?
  • Where is the piece on display?
  • What kind of work is it?
  • With what materials was it made?
  • When was it made?

#2: Figure Out Why You Were Struck by This Particular Work

The make-it-or-break-it moment in this essay will be your ability to explain what affected you in the object you're writing about . Why is it different from other works you’ve seen? Were you in the right place and time to be moved by it, or would it have affected you the same way no matter where or when you saw it? Did it speak to you because it shares some of your ideals, philosophies, or tastes—or because it was so different from them?

Be careful with your explanation because it can easily get so vague as to be meaningless or so obscure and "deep" that you lose your reader. Before you start trying to put it down on paper, try to talk out what you plan to say either with a friend, parent, or teacher. Do they understand what you’re saying, and do they believe you?

#3: Make a Timeline of Your Own Creative Works

When you think about what you've been making or thinking about making during your high school career, what is the trajectory of your ideas? How has your understanding of the materials you want to work with or study changed? What message do you want your works to convey, or what message in others' works most resonate with you? How do you want your works to be seen or engaged with by others? What is the reason you feel compelled to be creative or involved in the arts?

Now that you’ve come up with this timeline, see whether your changes in thought overlap with the art experience you're planning on describing . Is there a way you can combine what was so exciting to you about this work with the way you’ve seen your own ideas about art evolve?

#4: Use a Mix of Concreteness and Comparisons in Your Description

Just as nothing ruins a joke like explaining it, nothing ruins the wordless experience of looking at art as talking it to death does. Still, you need to find a way to use words to give the reader a sense of what the piece that moved you actually looks like —particularly if the reader isn't familiar with the work or the artist that created it.

Here is my suggested trick for writing well about art. First, be specific about the object. Discuss its colors, size, what it appears to be made of, what your eye goes to first (e.g., bright colors versus darker, more muted ones), what it represents (if it’s figurative), where it is in relation to the viewer, whether or not you can see marks of the tools used (e.g., brush strokes or scrapes from sculpting tools).

Second, step away from the concrete, and get creative with language by using techniques such as comparative description. Use your imagination to create emotionally resonant similes. Is there a form of movement (e.g., flying, crawling, or tumbling) that this piece feels like? Does it remind you of something from the natural world (e.g., a falling leaf, a forest canopy being moved by wind, waves, or sand dunes shifting)?

If the work is figurative, imagine what has been happening just before the moment in time it captures. What happened just after this point? Using these kinds of nonliteral descriptors will let your reader understand both the actual physical object and its aesthetic appeal.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Dissecting the UT and Texas A&M Short-Answer Prompts

Both UT Austin and Texas A&M require short answers as part of their first-year applications. For both schools, some prompts are required by all applicants, whereas others are required by those applying to certain majors or departments. 

We'll go over the UT Austin prompts, followed by the Texas A&M prompt.

UT Austin Short-Answer Prompts

UT Austin requires three short answers from all first-year applicants and also offers an optional prompt. Each short answer should be approximately 250–300 words , or one paragraph.

Short Answer 1: Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

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

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

Optional Short Answer: Please share background on events or special circumstances that may have impacted your high school academic performance.

What Are These UT Austin Short-Answer Prompts Asking?

Obviously, these short-answer prompts are asking four different things, but they do have some similarities in terms of their overall goals.

These prompts basically want to know what you can offer UT Austin and why you'd be a great fit as a student there . They also want to know why you chose UT Austin and your specific major.

In other words, all these prompts essentially work together as a "Why This College?" essay .

How Can You Give UT Austin What They Want?

Admissions officers will be looking for evidence that you're genuinely interested in the school, the major you've chosen, and the career you want to pursue . Make sure to identify features of the program that appeal to you. In other words, why UT Austin? What makes you a good fit here?

Be as specific as possible in your responses. Since you won't have much room to write a lot, try to focus on a particular anecdote, skill, or goal you have.

Admissions officers also want to see that you have an aptitude for your chosen career path , so if you have any relevant work, research, or volunteer experience, they definitely want to know this! It's OK to take a broad view of what's relevant here.

Finally, they're looking for individuals who have clear goals as well as a general idea of what they want to do with their degree . Are you interested in working with a specific population or specialty? Why? What led you to this conclusion?

body-university-of-texas-at-austin-ut

Texas A&M Engineering Prompt

All engineering applicants to Texas A&M must submit an esssay responding to the following prompt:

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

What Is This Texas A&M Engineering Prompt Asking?

The engineering prompt wants to know two essential things:

  • What are your future goals for your specific field of interest (i.e., the kind of engineering field you want to go into or are considering going into)?
  • What environmental or external factors (e.g., a person, a mentor, a volunteer experience, or a paper or book you read) contributed to your development of these goals?

How Can You Give Texas A&M What They Want?

Be as specific as possible in your response. For the engineering prompt, what admissions officers want to know is simply what your biggest engineering ambition is and how you came to have this goal.

You'll want to be as specific as possible. Admissions officers want to see that you have a clear future in mind for what you want to do with your engineering degree. For example, do you plan to go on to a PhD program? Why? Do you have a particular career in mind?

In addition, make sure to specify the main inspiration for or motivation behind this goal. For instance, did you have a high school teacher who encouraged you to study engineering? Or perhaps you decided on a whim to take a computer science class, which you ended up loving.

Remember that the inspiration for your engineering goals doesn't have to be limited to something school-related. If you get stuck, think broadly about what initially got you interested in the field.

body_engineering-1

Briefly: ApplyTexas Essay Topic E (Transfer Students)

US transfer students and international transfer students must typically submit an additional essay responding to the following prompt (or must submit an essay on one of the topic variations listed above ).

Choose an issue of importance to you—the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope⁠—and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

What's the Prompt Asking?

This prompt, which is intended for transfer students, essentially wants to know what hardship, challenge, or social issue has affected you on a personal level (or a larger group you're part of) and why you think this particular issue is so important to you .

For example, maybe you identify as LGBTQIA+ and have personally experienced discrimination in your local community because of your sexual orientation or gender identity. Or perhaps you grew up in a wealthy family but have begun to see recently how widespread the issue of homelessness really is and now are making a more conscious effort to find ways to remedy this problem in your own community.

The issue you choose doesn't have to relate to a wider social issue; it could be a learning disability you have, for instance, or the fact that you no longer share the same religious beliefs as your  family.

The most important part of this question is the connection between the issue and yourself . In other words, why is this issue so important to you ? How has it affected your life, your goals, your experiences, etc.?

This essay is a way for admissions officers to get to know you and what matters to you personally on a much deeper level than what some of the other essay topics allow, so don't be afraid to dive into topics that are very emotional, personal, or special to you .

Furthermore, be sure to clearly explain why this particular issue—especially if it's a broader social issue that affects many people—is meaningful to you . Admissions officers want to know about any challenges you've faced and how these have positively contributed to your own growth as a person.

The Bottom Line: Tips for Writing ApplyTexas Essays

The ApplyTexas application contains four essay prompts (Topics A, B, C, and D), with different schools requiring different combinations of mandatory and optional essays . There are also short-answer prompts for UT Austin, as well as a Topic E only for transfer students.

One way to keep these three similar-sounding essay topics (A, B, and C) separate in your mind is to create a big-picture category for each one:

  • Topic A is about your outside .
  • Topic B is your inside .
  • Topic C is about your future .

Now, let's briefly summarize each essay topic:

Essay Topic A

  • Overview:  Describe any unique experiences you've had as a high school student and how these have shaped who you are as a person.
  • Pick a specific aspect of your experience.
  • Describe how it made you special.
  • Describe the setting, stakes, and conflict resolution.
  • Add details, description, and examples.

Essay Topic B

  • Overview:  Describe a defining trait and how it fits into the larger vision of you.
  • Define the core message.
  • Fit that core message of yourself into the larger picture.
  • Show things about yourself; don’t tell.
  • Watch your tone to make sure that you show your great qualities without seeming narcissistic, boring, glib, or self-aggrandizing.

Essay Topic C

  • Overview:  Describe "where you are going" in either a literal, goal-oriented sense or a more imaginative sense.
  • Pick where you’re going, but don’t over- or underreach.
  • Flesh out your destination. How does it relate back to you?
  • Ground your “journey” in specific anecdotes and examples.

Essay Topic D

  • Overview:  Describe being affected by a work of art or an artistic experience to make sure that you are ready to enter a fine arts field.
  • Pick one piece of art or one specific experience of learning about art.
  • Figure out exactly why this work or event struck you.
  • Examine your own work to see how this artwork has affected your creativity or engagement with art or art history.
  • Use a mix of concrete descriptions and comparisons when writing about the piece of art.

Short-Answer Prompts

  • Overview: Specific to UT Austin applicants
  • Describe your relevant experiences and interests up to this point.
  • Describe what about the program appeals to you and how you will use your degree (i.e., your future goals).
  • Treat the prompts as parts of a "Why This College?" essay.

Essay Topic E (Transfer Students)

  • Overview: Specific to US and international transfer applicants
  • Pick an issue that means a lot to you and has had a clear effect on how you see yourself.
  • Emphasize how this issue or how you've treated this issue has ultimately had a positive impact on your personal growth.

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What's Next?

Curious about the other college essay choices out there? If your target college also accepts the Common Application, check out our guide to the Common App essay prompts to see whether they would be a better fit for you.

Interested to see how other people tackled this part of the application? We have a roundup of 100+ accepted essays from tons of colleges .

Stuck on what to write about? Read our suggestions for how to come up with great essay ideas .

Working on the rest of your college applications? We have great advice on how to find the right college for you , how to write about your extracurricular activities , and how to ask teachers for letters of recommendation .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

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Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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  • Apply Texas College Essay Prompts for Class of 2023

January 17, 2022 By Jolyn Brand

College essay writing

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

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

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

UT Short Answer Question Requirements

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How to Write the ApplyTexas Essays for Transfers, Re-admits, and Transient Students

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Whether you’re transferring from another school, applying for readmission, or looking to supplement your ongoing degree with courses at an ApplyTexas school, this article gives you the information you need to craft stellar application essays.

If you have not read CollegeVine’s How to Write the ApplyTexas Essays (2019-2020) , check it out before you read this article. It offers great general advice for how to approach this application. Keep in mind that your essay prompts are different than those of most applicants. This article offers a detailed breakdown of how to write to the prompts specifically for transfer, re-admission, and transient students.

General Tips for Writing ApplyTexas Essays as a Transfer, Re-admit, or Transient Student

Determine which essays are required before you start writing. While you are welcome to respond to every prompt, only a few are required for each University of Texas school. Check out the requirements for schools on your list before beginning your essays.

Write your essays in a word processor. If you’re typing essays into the ApplyTexas portal directly, you may lose some of your work before you get the chance to submit it. Instead of drafting on the ApplyTexas portal, create a new file in a Word Document, Google Doc, or similar word processor. Many of these softwares have the added advantage of a grammar and spell checking tool.

Explain your unique path to this college application. As a special applicant, you have a little extra work to do in terms of persuading the university that you are a good fit for the school. Admissions officers want to know why you are applying to college now. Whatever your unconventional path to ApplyTexas has been, these essays should weave together your life story into one coherent narrative. You want both your past experience and reason for applying to make sense to those reviewing your application.

The great news is that, in many ways, you are better positioned to wow admissions officers than the typical applicant. While high school seniors are full of potential, you have the added benefit of age. Your dreams and ambitions have already been vetted by experience, and you have a better sense of what good your education will do for you in the long run. With that in mind, be sure to address how your additional life experience has prepared you to succeed.

How to Respond to the ApplyTexas Prompts

Notice that for topics A, B, C, and E (but not D), your prompt is different from that of a traditional applicant. See below for tips and examples on how to tackle each one.

Topic A (U.S. Transfer, Transient, Readmit, International Transfer) Statement of Purpose

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 or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admissions committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and other application information cannot convey.

Explain your situation. For this essay, it’s critical that you address why you are applying at this time in your life. “Extenuating circumstances” refers to any aspect of your life story that does not fit the mold of a traditional college applicant. Maybe you’re applying after taking time off from school. Perhaps you have attended a few semesters of college only to realize it is not the school for you.

Frame your life as a narrative with an admissions theme. Your application presents a series of facts, but you are more than just facts. Use this essay to show how your life experience has made you into the person you are today. Whether you state it outright or imply it, your essay should fill in the blank for, “I am applying to college now because ______________.”

Good answers include:

  • …I have learned from my DUI and want to pursue a career in teaching to help others make better choices than I did.
  • …I discovered my love of science a bit later in life.
  • …the depression I experienced in my current environment has shown me that your school is a place where I can thrive.
  • …only your school provides the specific courses I need to complete my degree in physical therapy.

One thing that should stand out with these admissions themes is that they are very specific. Use the details of your application to weave together a narrative about why college, why now.

The scratch of pencils, a familiar sound, filled my high school gymnasium. Metal dividers separated one watchful student from another, such that for once I did not have to arch my arm over my paper to protect the knowledge I had worked tirelessly to obtain.

We fell into a rhythm as the twin scents of sweat and stress permeated the stale air.

I have always been a straight-A student, and taking that AP Chemistry exam felt like just another notch on my belt at the time. Back when I confused learning with the chronic headache I felt every test day, these moments made me feel like the king of my school. I was the only student in that room to get a five on the AP. When I learned, I was elated—I thought to myself, I deserve it.

Cut to Chemistry 201 at Cornell, and I am in a similar room again. The metal dividers have been replaced by empty air, as gaping holes between the modern desk designs assure students that their answers are protected. My eyes are itchy, as I read, “Draw the Lewis Structure for Isopropyl Acetate.”

I freeze. A jumble of Hs and Os, spills out of my head on the page, but none of it makes sense, even to me. I scribble it out and move on, figuring I can make up the lost points on another question. The next three questions receive similar gibberish, and then time’s up. I cannot make eye contact with my TA when I hand in the exam.

Better luck next time! scrawls an optimistic grader atop the test I have failed. I look down at the correct answers, which appear just as much like gibberish to me as my guesses. Study harder, I think to myself. You know you can do this!  

Eventually I ace the course, but even after I have crammed the right configuration of atoms into my skull, I come to find that this has not been my first taste of failure after all. I cannot remember the last time I called my mother. I cannot remember the last time I had a meal. Of the five hundred students in my class, I do not know the name of a single person. Each of my siblings has had a birthday since I started college, and I have not celebrated any of them. There is a world beyond Chemistry, and I have failed it with my obsession to be the best.

Transferring to Corpus Christi represents my next step in preparing for the only exam I care about anymore—the test of life. Two years ago, I never would have considered applying to a college a mere ten minutes away from my home. I would have flaunted its active student life and connections to the community I love in favor of fame and prestige. But I have learned that my real success was never leaving home. I want my legacy to be building up the people and places that have built me. 

Topic B (U.S. Transfer, Transient, Readmit, International Transfer)

If you are applying as a former student and were suspended for academic reason, describe briefly any actions you have taken to improve your academic abilities and give reason why you should be readmitted. If you are applying as a nondegree seeking or postbaccalaureate applicant, briefly describe the specific objectives you wish to accomplish if admitted, including the courses in which you would like to enroll.

Answer “Why now?” For readmission applicants, explain what will make you a better student now than previously. If your school has asked you to leave, chances are you know why they no longer wanted you on campus. Perhaps disciplinary action was involved for academic integrity, a criminal offence, or disruptive behavior due to an untreated mental illness. This is your opportunity to put the past behind you and move forward.

What have you learned during your time off? What past wrongs have you sought to amend and how? What gives you confidence that this time, your performance at the institution will be different?

For baccalaureate candidates, use the space to explain how you came to realize additional undergraduate coursework was necessary. How will this new degree prepare you for your future career? Why are you pursuing these courses now rather than as part of your undergraduate degree? Paint a picture for your readers about why it is important for you to return to school now.

Incorporate evidence, such as anecdotes and quantitative metrics of your success. This essay is one of the most important you will write, so it has to be polished. If you only request feedback for one essay, do it for this one.

Adopt a more formal tone for this essay. While many other essays invite creative, descriptive responses, this prompt is designed for a direct, persuasive entry.

I hit my personal rock bottom in October 2018, when a campus police officer at UT Austin apprehended me for attempting to sell marijuana to my fellow students at a party. That drug test was my bill come due for the drug abuse I had embraced, ironically, out of fear that I would not succeed at UT Austin. When I faced disciplinary action, it seemed I was on the fast track to a life of drugs and crime, but looking back with a year of perspective, I see that the incident proved to be a blessing in disguise. The past twelve months have provided me with opportunities to get sober, discover my interest in real estate through my first paid position, and address the underlying issues that made me turn to substance abuse in the first place.

Immediately upon vacating my undergraduate dormitory, I checked myself into a thirty-day rehabilitation program, where I experienced a combination of physical pain and mental breakthrough. My AA sponsor, transformed my life through the power of his example. Once mere hours away from losing custody of his children, my sponsor turned his life around and showed me that no one is beyond redemption.

With the help of my sponsor, I secured a position as an administrative assistant with a real estate agency in Houston. The satisfaction of a job well done became my new high as I scheduled meetings, researched listings, and coordinated with clients to help them find the perfect home. Clients fascinated me with the diverse life stories and priorities they brought to their search for a home, and I found myself staying late to conduct research and talk to our realtors about their experiences. As a social person, I loved discovering a profession in which I could be paid for listening carefully and helping someone achieve a dream. Over the summer, I earned my realtor’s license and recently closed escrow on my first deal. Even if I am readmitted to UT Austin, I will continue my real estate work part-time. I see my formal schooling as an opportunity to increase my impact in this sector in the long-term.

But life is more than what one does for a living. This past year gave me the space I needed to dive into the most important thing—my relationships. After ten years of not speaking to my father, I reconnected with him, going so far as to visit him three times in Minneapolis. My time in rehab showed me how much my reliance on substances was escapism from the pain of losing my relationship with my father during my parents’ divorce. I feel as though, in reconnecting with him, I have given myself and my family the gift of an emotionally healed version of me.

Returning to UT Austin next academic year would bring me full circle. My priorities have been upended entirely and in the best sense. Instead of dealing drugs, I would be a source of support and a potential mentor to students facing similar struggles with addiction. Instead of approaching my studies out of fear, I would strive academically, knowing that the foundation I lay now sets me up to have a stronger benefit on others in the real estate industry. Having reconciled with my father, I would enter the campus with a strength and wholeness that I could not even have dreamt I would bring this time last year. Leaving UT Austin has made me a new man, and it would be my honor to bring that new self to campus. Thank you for considering my reapplication.

Topic C (U.S. Transfer, Transient, Readmit, International Transfer)

There may be personal information that you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents, educational goals, or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to creating a diverse learning environment.

Highlight your unusual circumstance. Is there any way in which you do not feel like a typical college applicant? What has been different about your life relative to your peers? These are good questions to keep in mind as you draft your response to this prompt. What makes your application unique may be something negative, like a death in the family, or a positive development, such as an unusual talent you have pursued.

Emphasize your growth and maturity. Regardless of your essay topic, demonstrate how this exceptional circumstance has made you into the person you are today. If you cannot think of any way in which your circumstances have changed you, then that may be a sign you need to choose a different essay topic.

A bit about me: I’ll bet I am your only applicant this year who knows what pigeon meat tastes like, or how to make shoes out of cardboard boxes, how to concoct a Christmas feast out of old tortillas and canned tomato soup. For years after my family immigrated from Juarez, Mexico, I was the only student in my school who needed free or reduced lunch, the only person who could not afford to go on field trips, the only foreigner.

If, four years ago, you had told me I would breathe a word of these aspects of my identity in a college essay, I would not have believed it—me, go to college? Not with a track record like mine. As a stack of statistics, my record was not promising. But I am learning that poverty, ethnicity, and difficult life circumstances are what you make of them.

I have learned to prefer a different list of onlies: I am the only person who was taught to read before Kindergarten by my big sister. Thanks to my mom, I’m the only girl at my school who has met all my city council members, state representatives and congresspeople. I am the only student I know who has met every cousin, aunt, uncle, and been to every grandparent’s grave.

When my school district began an initiative to redraw the boundaries of which neighborhood it served, I was the only student to protest discriminatory redistricting. That led me to become the first student representative to serve on the school board. Though I began school doubting I would graduate from high school, I have gone on to write a bill proposing increased spending on community, which State Senator Juan Hinojosa recently sponsored.

My commitment to education equity is what draws me to apply to Texas A&M, where the degree I earn will empower me to help students in poverty to rise above their circumstances. On campus, I hope to be a first generation student serving in student government, the first Latinx student to earn presidential recognition for my service, the first undergraduate to run for student office.

Progress always starts with an only, a first, but it does not have to end there. Through my activism, I hope to build a legacy of getting involved and advocating for better treatment. My children and grandchildren will inherit a family tradition of strong women who speak up for the marginalized. Applying to Texas A&M is another first for me, but it’s only the beginning of my story.

Topic E (U.S. Transfer, Transient, Readmit, International Transfer)

Choose an issue of importance to you—the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope—and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

Showcase your intellect. If you are drawn to this prompt, that probably means there are a few ideas that matter a lot to you. Your topic can be anything from how to bake the perfect pie to why the national debt crisis is the greatest concern facing our generation. Choose a topic about which you are knowledgeable, then write in such a way that demands your readers consider your point of view seriously.

Make a point. This prompt invites you to talk about something you care about, so don’t shy away from speaking your mind. Rather than summarize the views of others, try to insert your own voice and perspective into an ongoing debate.

Avoid divisive issues. This topic has a difficult balance to strike. On the one hand, you want to write about something that really matters to you. On the other hand, taking a strong stance on a polarizing issue could alienate your readers. Use your best judgement when it comes to selecting your area of interest. Share essay drafts with trusted friends and family members to get a sense of whether your topic will cause the admissions committee to react negatively.

Would you want to wake up to bed sores, feel the dull ache of blisters cracking under your weight? Or to have your only connection to the outside world be a plastic button that worked but sometimes? Would you want to subsist on a diet of mealy muffins served on teetering trays? To hear the demented ravings of your peers as they battled the demons standing between them and the grave?

Most of us don’t like to think about these questions—they make us uncomfortable. That’s why we don’t talk about the approximately 1.5 million Americans currently residing in assisted living facilities. Most do not know, or care, that the assisted living population is expected to double by 2030. We are too busy enjoying our own youth—or else nipping and tucking our own signs of aging—to confront the crisis of apathy we have created when it comes to the elderly.

“Growing old ain’t for sissies,” as my Nanna liked to say. At first as a visitor then as a volunteer at her assisted living facility, I learned about the thousand losses that make advanced aging so difficult. The young do not listen to you, diminishing your autonomy with daily restrictions on your freedom, while the old abandon you as, one by one, they pass away.

I was in the bed with my grandmother when she died. Though she could not form sentences of her own, she could still pray the Catholic prayers she had learned as a child, mouthing the “Hail Mary” with me into morning’s early light. I started another decade, but her voice was not humming to the rhythm of my words. By the time I found my mother and brought her in, my grandmother’s sallow face showed that the end had come.

Witnessing her death, and the grim days that preceded it, had a profound impact on me. Watching a woman who had led our family for so long become dependent and senile taught me that my own independence was fragile and temporary. It gave me a sense of perspective every time I had a setback at school.

But when I tried to talk about my experience with friends, nobody wanted to hear about it. That is not to say they did not want to listen, but they seemed unable to bear the discomfort even of hearing about end of life care. “Won’t you be surprised when it happens to you,” I remember thinking, a callous response even if it does raise a point.

I wish more people cared about the elderly the way I learned to from my time with Nanna. An elder used to mean someone you respected, not ignored. Our choice as a society to distance ourselves from that pain and suffering makes the plight of the elderly even worse. What is more, it denies the next generation the vital perspective that makes them good stewards of their own lives.

Dear reader, if I could persuade you of just one thing, I would ask you to read those first questions I posed to you again. If you live long enough, this will happen to you. And it’s happening to people who need you now. I ask you, if you had to grow old, would you want to go through it alone?

That’s everything you need to know to get started on your own unforgettable essays. Be sure to start early, write often, and review your work before sending it in. Your college essays may not be a walk in the park, but they give you a great opportunity to explain your special circumstance and showcase what makes you a strong candidate. Happy writing!

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

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How to Respond to the ApplyTexas Essay Prompts

essay for apply texas

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

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

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

Related: Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool

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

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

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

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

Questions to consider: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Questions to consider:  

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some questions to consider

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

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

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

Which colleges require which ApplyTexas essays? 

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

Baylor University

  • Essay A, B and C are optional

Southern Methodist University

  • Essay B – optional

Texas A&M University, College Station

Texas christian university, university of texas at austin.

  • Essay A 

Next steps after responding to the ApplyTexas essay prompts

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

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

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

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

Don’t miss: Top Texas scholarships

Additional resources

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

Frequently asked questions about ApplyTexas 

How do i get a waiver for applytexas, does ut austin prefer the applytexas or coalition application, what colleges can you apply to with applytexas, scholarships360 recommended.

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Freshman Admission Essays

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

Essay Topics - ApplyTexas

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

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

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

Writing Essentials

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

Sentence and Paragraph Level

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

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

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

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

Unified Theme or Subject

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

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

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

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

Submit Your Essay

Your essay may be submitted with your application or separately.

With Your Application

Dcoument uploader.

Ultimate Guide to the ApplyTexas Application

🏜 going through the applytexas application.

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

🚦 Starting the Application

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

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

👨‍👩‍👦 Family

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

🎓 Education

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

🛑 Extracurricular and Volunteer Activities

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

📑 Employment Information

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

✍️ Custom Questions

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

✏️ Essay Prompts

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

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

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

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

💗 Getting Familiar with a Prompt

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

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

Guide Outline

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

essay for apply texas

Student Wellness

Stay connected.

If you are a high school senior or a student who has completed high school and has not yet enrolled at another college or university after graduation, you should apply for freshman admission. Domestic freshman are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or students who are graduating from a Texas high school.

If you are an international freshman, visit our International Freshman page .

Online Application

We recommend using the Common App to apply, but you can also apply using the Apply Texas  application.

Key Freshman Admission Dates

Summer/fall enrollment.

  • Application Opens August 1
  • Priority Deadline to Apply November 1
  • Regular Deadline to Apply December 5
  • Priority Decisions Released February 1
  • All Decisions Released March 1

Spring Enrollment

  • Deadline to Apply September 1
  • Decisions Released December 1

Application Requirements

Required for ALL freshman applicants who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or who are graduating from a Texas high school.

Application

Application fee.

Pay the non-refundable application fee of $75 when you submit your application. You can request a fee waiver. Requests can be made in the application, or by submitting the Request for Fee Waiver form via our Document Upload System in MyStatus.

Essay and Short Answers

Applicants must submit at least one essay and the required short answer prompts. The essay topic, requirements and prompts can be found on our website and in the applications.

Essays and Short Answers

High School Transcripts, Class Rank and College Transcripts

Transcripts should list all of your high school coursework (from 9th – 11th grade) as well as your class rank. If your high school does not rank students, include a statement from your school describing its policy, a copy of your school’s profile and a GPA or grade distribution report. If you have earned any college credit (including dual credit) while in high school, request that the college or university send official transcripts to UT Austin.

Transcript Info

High School Prerequisites

You must  complete or be on track to complete certain high school coursework to be competitive for admission.

High School Prerequisites 

Review Optional and Additional Materials

Certain majors may require additional materials after you have submitted your application. You may also wish to submit additional materials to strengthen your application, such as letters of recommendation or an expanded resume.

Additional Materials

The following materials may be required. These items must be received by the appropriate deadline.

Major-Specific Items

Certain majors may require specific items in addition to your application. Please be sure to review any additional items required by your first and second choice majors by visiting their college or school website.

Colleges & Degrees

Student Information Form

If applicable, tell us about your high-school coursework. MyStatus will prompt those who are required to complete the form.

Texas Private High School Certification Form

This form is used to determine qualification for automatic enrollment. Applicable students are:

  • Those who attended a Texas private school and do not satisfy test score requirements.
  • Those who attended a Department of Defense High School and are not exempt based on test scores.

Residency Affidavit

If you aren’t a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident but graduated or will graduate from a Texas high school, you may qualify for residency for tuition purposes. Students who may qualify will be prompted to download the residency affidavit within their application or MyStatus. Email the completed, notarized residency affidavit to [email protected] .

Residency FAQs

Optional Materials

The optional items below are NOT required for admission consideration. However, you may include them as part of your application for admission if submitted by the appropriate deadline.

Expanded Resume

You may submit an expanded resume offering additional information about your achievements, activities, leadership positions and student employment. Submit your resume in MyStatus using the Document Upload System after you have submitted your application. You can also submit your expanded resume in the Common App.

If you submit a resume, you should include:

  • Details about what each activity involved rather than a general description.
  • The number of hours per week and weeks per year you spent on each activity.

Letters of Recommendation

You can submit up to two letters of recommendation with your application or after you’ve submitted your application. These letters may be from teachers, mentors or people who know you well, either within or outside of your high school. The letter should be able to give additional context or information to support your admission that is not already provided in your application or other submitted documents (resume, transcripts).

Submitting Your Recommendations

We do not accept recommendations via email. Submit your recommendations via:

  • The Common App
  • MyStatus using the Document Upload System (accessible only by students after application submission)
  • Parchment, Naviance/Edocs or Scoir

SAT/ACT Scores

SAT and ACT official test scores must be submitted by the appropriate deadline to be considered.

Submitting Scores

Your application will ask if you would like your scores to be considered. If yes, submit at least one set of scores directly from the testing agency. (We do not require the SAT Essay or ACT Writing scores). Scores are only accepted directly from the testing agencies. We do not accept scores in transcripts or copies of score reports. Testing agencies should send your scores using the codes designated for UT Austin:

SAT Subject Tests

Once you’ve submitted your application, you can track the status and submit additional documents in MyStatus. Be sure to regularly monitor MyStatus until your application is listed as complete and submit any to-do items prior to the deadlines.

Check MyStatus

MyStatus is available 24-48 hours after submitting your application. You may be asked for additional information. Check MyStatus to stay up to date.

Complete the FAFSA/TASFA

Completing the FAFSA/TASFA before March 15 will maximize your eligibility for financial aid awards.

Complete Your Housing Application

You can apply for housing before you receive an admission decision. Housing is offered on a first come, first served basis. We recommend applying as soon as possible.

Check Your Email

We’ll alert you about your admission decision, financial aid awards, housing contract and other important details via email. Be sure to check your email regularly.

How to Apply to College in Texas

How to Apply to College in Texas

Blog post banner, reads "How to Apply to College in Texas"

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is applytexas, creating your applytexas account, completing the applytexas application.

  • Before you begin...
  • Step 1: Edit and complete your profile
  • Step 2: Start an application
  • Completing the U.S. freshman questions
  • Completing school-specific questions

Submitting essays

Watching applytexas deadlines.

  • Completing scholarship applications
  • Submitting your applications

Writing the ApplyTexas Essays

Answering topics a and b.

  • Topic A essay example

Answering Topic C

  • Tips for writing the Topic C essay
  • Deleting an application
  • Checking your application status

If you like the ease of applying to multiple schools with a single application (think: the Common or Coalition App), you’re going to love how ApplyTexas makes it easy to apply to more than 60 Texas-based four-year institutions and 50+ two-year institutions. (Okay, maybe love is a strong word, but you’re certain to appreciate not having to type in your address for, like, the millionth time for each new application.) 

Even better, you don’t have to be a Texas resident to use this system. And even better better: Some schools let you apply to available institution-based scholarships directly through ApplyTexas. Two birds, one stone (or application). What more could you ask for?

Now, you don’t have to use ApplyTexas when applying to schools in the Lone Star State. Many accept applications through ApplyTexas and other portals. Baylor , for example, also uses the Common App. Texas State also uses the Coalition App . And Rice goes for the trifecta, making its application available through all three platforms. 

Worried about which platform to use, if you have the choice? Don’t be. It doesn’t matter which you select (really, admission officers don’t care), so make it easy on yourself.

ApplyTexas is trying to make it easier on you, too. It had a bit of a reputation in the past for being clunky and confusing, so its officials underwent a glow-up during summer 2021 and debuted a new-and-improved (and streamlined) website for new accounts and applications for summer 2022 and beyond.

So if all y’all have been wondering how to apply for college in Texas using the new and improved ApplyTexas, keep reading as we walk you through each step.

Note: For the sake of simplicity, we’re focusing only on freshman applications in this guide, but the process for transfer and international students is similar.

To get started with ApplyTexas and create your first Texas college application, you’ll have to (no surprise) create an account .

Important Note: ApplyTexas has moved for applicants applying for summer 2022 and after, so make sure you’re creating an account on the correct version of ApplyTexas ! Those applying for summer and fall 2021 and spring 2022 will use the old site to create accounts and complete applications . This guide walks you through only the new ApplyTexas.

The initial steps are fairly standard. You’ll start by signing up for a new account —entering your username, email, and password, and clicking Sign up. (Don’t forget to use a professional-sounding email, like [email protected]—save your Fortnite4EvahBruh account for friends.)

Once you’ve signed up and confirmed your email, BOOM! You have an official ApplyTexas account, and you’re on your way to submitting your applications.

Pro tip: Bookmark the home page so you can easily navigate to it next time.

Scene: The calendar turns to July 1. ApplyTexas is open and accepting applications.

You: Sit down at your computer and get ready to tackle the three (major) steps to completing an ApplyTexas application:

Edit and complete your profile.

Start an application to a school.

Submit your application and wait for contact.

Note: You can’t start an application until you complete your profile, so don’t try skipping any steps!

Easy-peasy, right? So let’s get ’er done!

Before you begin

You’re going to need some information handy to complete your applications, so take a few minutes to make sure these are easily accessible:

Essays. ApplyTexas uses its own set of essay prompts , so make sure you’ve got the right essay (or version of your essay) ready to go. We go into a little more detail about the prompts and how to respond to them later in this guide. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve got all your supplementals in hand, so review each school’s website to find out what they require (if you’re applying to UT Austin, check out our guide to writing those supplementals ). You definitely don’t want to be surprised by a school-specific essay that shows up at the last minute once you select the school and see its application requirements auto-populate.

Transcripts. Make sure you have them from both your high school and any colleges where you’ve taken classes for credit. (You’ll also want a list of all your senior-year classes, if they’re not already on your transcript.)

SAT or ACT scores. While you may not submit them, it’s good to have them handy.

Resume or activities list. Your list of extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and employment history is important, so make sure you’ve got your accomplishments thoroughly documented. (That’ll be especially important if you’re applying to programs like UT Austin’s Plan II Honors Program, which requires expanded resumes .) 

To make sure your activities list is as awesome as you are, make sure you check out our How to Write a Successful Common App Activities List guide. Here’s the TL;DR version:

Use action-oriented verbs. Not sure which to use? Our Epic List of Activities List Verbs might inspire you.

Be brief. There’s no space for extra, flowery language in the ApplyTexas application (unlike the expanded resume). While the Common App allows you 150 characters to describe your activities, ApplyTexas is not nearly as generous with its 70-character limit.

Be clear, using numbers and specifics. If you raised $50,000 for Meals on Wheels, say so! Don’t just say “participated in fundraiser.”

Recommendations. Recommendations are important, and while you might not think you have any sway over what your recommender says about you—we’re happy to tell you you’re wrong. 

Impress your recommenders (and make their job easier for them) by giving them a copy of your resume (or of the questionnaire we have in our How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation guide) after they’ve agreed to write one.

Now that you’ve got everything ready, grab a seat, a snack, and a drink, and let’s dig in!

What Is the UT Austin Expanded Resume?

The UT Austin expanded resume is an opportunity for students applying to the Plan II Honors Program to elaborate on their activities outside the high school classroom. UT values information over formatting here, so don’t be shy about taking several pages to share your achievements. In fact, UT Austin states:

“It's very important to emphasize here that your expanded resume should be VERY thorough and detailed, making the activity, your duties, responsibilities and the time you spent at the activity crystal clear. The expanded resume absolutely need NOT be limited to one page.”

(How serious are they? The bold, italicized, capitalized emphasis is theirs, not ours.) In fact, many expanded resumes are 3-4 pages long, with the most heavily involved students having even longer resumes.

While we encourage you to refer to UT Austin for its advice on writing the expanded resume, here are our top tips:

  • Throw away what you know about traditional resumes , which are generally grouped by categories and organized by date. Put your most important and relevant-to-your-major activities first.
  • Include participation in every activity in which you are or have been involved in during high school—inside or outside school, paid or volunteer, personal or professional, big or small. Don’t forget to include summer programs, hobbies, interests, community service, religious organizations, volunteer and charity groups, and internships and jobs.
  • Include all the responsibilities for each role and all contributions within each activity (now is no time for modesty).
  • Position your accomplishments to demonstrate fit for your first-choice major (if possible).
  • Describe the activity/organization itself , if it can’t easily be gleaned from the name (e.g., most people are familiar with the Boy Scouts of America, but few likely know about the UPstanders Club and its goal of cultivating empathy and serving as advocates for meaningful causes).
  • Include participation details like grade level, hours per week, weeks per year, and position titles (and whether they were elected or assigned).

Step 1: Edit and Complete Your Profile

As you start entering in your information, remember to take your time. Entering in the information thoroughly and correctly now will make it so much easier to submit your application later and will give you a better chance of getting an “Accepted” back.

You’ve got 10 pages of information to enter here, so let’s buckle up and get down to business.

To avoid repetition, we’ll say it just once here: After you complete everything on a page, click the right arrow to move to the next page. We also encourage you to click Save often—especially if you step away from the computer. Trust us, you don’t want to experience the frustration of having your session time out and losing everything you’ve painstakingly entered while you step away for a stretch break.

Required fields are generally (but not always) marked with a red asterisk (and mentioned below), and you can’t move to the next page until you’ve completed those fields. If you miss any required fields and try to move on, an error message will display and gently point you in the direction of the missing data.

Under Edit your ApplyTexas Profile box on the ApplyTexas home page , click Start/Edit Profile .

On page 1, enter your name.

On page 2, enter your birth date and your city, state, and country of birth, then click the checkbox to confirm you entered them correctly.

On page 3, enter your citizenship status.

On page 4, enter and verify your permanent address.

On page 5, enter and verify the physical address at which you currently reside, only if that’s different from your permanent address on page 4.

On page 6, enter your preferred phone number and phone type. 

On page 7, complete your emergency contact information. 

On page 8, enter your high school/secondary school details, including your expected graduation date. 

On page 9, document any college courses you’ve taken and colleges you’ve attended and give/withhold your consent of emails and texts from ApplyTexas and its partners.

On page 10, complete the Texas Residency Information section. Residency is important to Texas colleges, with some schools automatically admitting students if they meet certain educational criteria (e.g., Texas A&M offers automatic admission to Texas students in the top 10% of their graduating class).

Click Done and you’re, well, done! (With this section, anyway.) If you need to make any changes to the data, simply click on My Profile at the top of the page, click the Profile Pages button, and then select the page on which you need to make a change.

Step 2: Start an Application

Now that you’ve got those pesky personal details out of the way, now it’s time to actually start completing an application.

Pick one of your schools to start with. Deadlines aside, it doesn’t matter which one. 

Good news: Core questions are automatically duplicated and updated among your unsubmitted applications , similar to the Common App, so you don’t have to worry about retyping everything for each new application . But do remember that there will almost always be school-specific application information to complete, so filling out ApplyTexas won’t be a complete one and done (unless you’re applying to just one Texas school).

To get the ball rolling on your application:

Under Apply to a few schools on the ApplyTexas home page , click Start/Edit Applications . 

On the My Applications page, click Start a New Application .

Choose whether you’re applying to a two-year community or junior college or a four-year college or university.

From the drop-down list, choose the institution to which you’d like to apply.

From the new drop-down lists that appear, select your application type and then your semester.

If required, select your first- and second-choice school and major.

A box (in the school’s colors, no less) should appear on your My Applications dashboard with the school, start date, major, application ID, status, deadline, and application fee. Note: Once you select your school, core application questions, custom questions, essays, and any available scholarship options will automatically appear in your application and on your dashboard. 

Click on the + in the box to expand each section and view the different parts of the application.

Completing the U.S. Freshman Questions

Now that you’ve got the application on your dashboard, it’s time to start filling it out. There are seven pages of questions to be answered for the application for freshman prospects.

As you make your way through the application, a checkmark will indicate the section is complete, while an exclamation point means it’s incomplete. Remember: If you have multiple unsubmitted applications, answers to these core questions are automatically shared and updated among those applications. (We do encourage you to confirm they’ve transferred correctly.) You may, however, notice that not all schools require the same information (e.g., Baylor doesn’t ask applicants to complete the Extracurriculars page).

Note: While most required questions are marked with a red asterisk, not all are. To avoid error messages, complete all fields as thoroughly and accurately as possible.

1. On your My Applications page, find the school whose application you want to complete, and click on Admissions application , then U.S. Freshman questions (Page 1 of 7).

Note: As you complete each section, don’t forget to click Save at the bottom of the page.

2. On the Biographical Information page, complete information about your parents/guardians.

3. On the Education Information/Test Information page, answer questions related to standardized testing, homeschooling, and previous college experience.

4. On the Senior Courses page, complete information about the courses you’ll complete senior year.

5. On the Extracurriculars page, list (in priority order) the organizations you’ve participated in during high school (maximum of 10 organizations/activities) and the below details about those activities. Click the I have more extracurricular activities to enter checkbox to add more activities.

Tip: Save often, and don’t use special characters, other than what’s noted in the instructions.

6. On the Community/Volunteer Service page, list (in priority order) other organizations in which you’ve participated during high school that highlight your service and work (maximum of 8 experiences) and the below details about that service. Click the I have more volunteer services to enter checkbox to add more activities.

7. On the Honors/Awards page, list (in priority order) your talents, honors, and awards (maximum of 8 entries) and the below details about those honors. Click the I have more talents/awards/honors to enter checkbox to add more honors and awards received.

8. On the Employment/Internships page, list your employment, internships, and summer activities (maximum of 8 activities) and the below details about those activities. Click the I have more employments/internships/activities to enter checkbox to add more employment.

9. Click Done when finished.

Completing School-Specific Questions

Once you’ve completed the freshman questions, it’s on to the school-specific questions, which will vary widely by school and may include yes/no responses, whether you’ve progressed to National Merit Semifinalist, criminal background information, a roughly 560-word optional response, and/or additional personal information (personal challenges, hardships, COVID experiences, etc.).

Note: Not sure what to put in the Additional Personal Information section? Read our guides on How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section and How to Write About Coronavirus/COVID-19 in Your College Essay & Application.

You may also see a Freshman Application Checklist of required documents (including the Self-Reported Academic Record, required essays, and processing fee) that the school must receive by the application closing date. Other schools will direct you to check your email for additional required documents.

In this section, you’ll also find any school-specific (and major-specific) essays to complete. While we can’t cover all the supplemental essays here, we can do the next-best thing: refer you to our College Application Hub , where we offer step-by-step instructions for completing the most common supplemental essays.

Speaking of essays … you’re on the home stretch of your application, and you get to this: the main admission essay. And you look at it and think, “Topic A? B? C? What the heck?” To which we respond, “Deep breath. You’ve got this.” And we mean really—you might already have this essay.

If you’re applying to other colleges using the Common App or Coalition App , you may already be writing (or have written) this longer essay. If you’re just getting started, we suggest you write your ApplyTexas essay so it answers the same question as you will for the other two application portals.

The good news? This is totally doable, as these prompts are so broad that just about any topic or story will fit. And the reason you want to make this doable is so you have to write and refine only one main essay—giving you more time to make sure this essay and the rest of your application are great.

You may notice that, for some Texas schools, the essay is listed as optional. But if you really knew us, you’d know we don’t view “optional” essays as truly optional. After all, why would you not want to take advantage of any opportunity to showcase who you are and what you’ve accomplished? These schools really do want to know more about you, like how you see yourself integrating into the campus community or how they’ll make you a better person (even how your experience will make them better schools). So give it to them.

Schools using ApplyTexas do prefer you submit your essay electronically, along with the application. If you’re unable to do so, many offer the opportunity to upload it through their applicant portal system.

We go into more detail on how to write the ApplyTexas essays below. But first ...

After all the hard work that’s gone into completing your applications, the last thing you want to do is miss submission deadlines. ApplyTexas makes it easy to see when applications are due: Just click My Applications at the top of the page and confirm deadlines in each school’s box.

We always recommend getting your applications in well before the deadline. Computer glitches and internet outages always seem to happen as the clock ticks closer to midnight on deadline day.

Completing Scholarship Applications

If the school has scholarship opportunities tied to the application, you can click Scholarship Application in the school box on the My Applications page to apply for them.

You’ll be taken to the scholarship application, where, depending on the school, you may be asked to answer a number of questions and submit several short-answer responses, like these for Texas A&M University:

Please explain any special circumstances that could affect your family's ability to pay for your college expenses.

Why have you chosen to apply to this university?

Why have you chosen this major?

Describe any educational plans you have beyond earning your bachelor's degree.

What are some of your life goals? Your answer may include educational, professional, or personal goals.

These A&M responses range in length from two 80-character lines to six 80-character lines, so they’re short but important.

The scholarship section is truly optional, and you can complete or rescind your scholarship application at any time before submitting your admission application, simply by selecting the appropriate button for the first question: Would you like to apply for scholarships?

Submitting Your Applications

When you’ve completed all the sections, you’re ready to submit!

You’ll have yet another set of questions to review and answer, ranging from confirming you’ve read bacterial meningitis information to certifying that your application is accurate.

Finally, enter your selected method of payment, click Submit , and exhale. You’ve done it!

If you realize you’ve made an error in your application or you’ve forgotten to include something, you’ll need to contact the university directly to correct the error or provide forgotten information. (Have your application ID number, which is available on the My Applications page, handy when you do so.)

Whether you’re starting with writing an ApplyTexas essay to fit into the Common or Coalition App, or vice versa, it’s important you pay attention to the prompt. The ApplyTexas essays, while somewhat open-ended, do ask specific questions—so make sure your essay answers those questions.

ApplyTexas suggests your essay be 500-750 words, but those are only suggestions—you’re not penalized in any way for going over or under the suggested word budget. Still, we recommend you spend only the amount of words necessary to tell your story in a concise, complete, and compelling manner, without going to extremes one way or another.

One thing to keep in mind: If you’re also writing essays for the Common or Coalition App, whose word count maximums (or for Coalition App, the recommended maximum) are 650, you'll want to consider keeping your ApplyTexas essay in that same range.

There are three prompts you might be asked to respond to in your essay:

Topic A (U.S. freshmen and international freshmen) for applicants applying through Spring 2022. Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Topic B (U.S. freshmen and international freshmen) for applicants applying through Spring 2022. Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

Topic C (U.S. freshmen and international freshmen) for applicants applying 8 through Spring 2022. You've got a ticket in your hand. Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Consider these written questions (and your responses) to be almost like in-person interviews. In both cases, the goal is for admission officers to learn something about you they don’t already know . We emphasize that for a reason. We know it might be easy to focus your essay on something already in your application (e.g., COVID, challenging courses, leadership opportunities).

We advise you to go deeper.

As we mentioned earlier, chances are good (like, really, really good) that if you’re applying to other colleges using the Common or Coalition App, you’ll already be writing (or have written) one of these essays. But if your essay canvas is blank and you haven’t yet gotten started with either, we suggest you brainstorm topics so that your ApplyTexas, Common App, and Coalition App essays answer the same prompt.

And those prompts are delightfully broad (you can’t get much broader than “share an essay on the topic of your choice”), which means almost any topic you choose (within reason, of course) can work for all three systems. 

“But that doesn’t necessarily make writing it any easier,” you sigh. Luckily, you’re reading this, and we’re going to make it blow-your-mind simple to write your main personal statement with three (count ‘em, three ) can’t-miss approaches:

We’ve created an entire step-by-step video course (bonus: it’s pay-what-you-can) to get you writing. It covers all the steps that go into writing a great college essay—including brainstorming, structuring, and revising.

Time (and money) on the short side? Check out this free one-hour guide . It covers much of the same great information but in a condensed version.

Want to keep it even more casual? Bookmark our College Application Hub , and pay particular attention to the Application Pre-Work and Personal Statement sections.

Any (or all!) of these resources will help you write a killer ApplyTexas essay that will be just as effective for your other applications in other application systems.

Topic A Essay example

Want to read a great Topic A essay from a student applying to UT Austin? Here it is.

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

I am fascinated by the ways that microscopic biomolecules like proteins, fats, sugars, and nucleic acids come together to create an incomprehensibly complex organism. The systems of the body are vast and intricate, and yet, one tiny mistake can be the difference between health and disease. Biology is about searching for that one small missing piece, the single A out of 3 billion, swapped with a T, that can mean the difference between normal hemoglobin and single-cell anemia, a disease that comes with a lifetime of complications. From the little boy hunched over his science kit to labs in AP Bio, my search for that special missing piece has continued to drive me down the many important avenues of my life. My mom signed me up for my first acting class when I was 4, and I jumped right into my role as a male Glinda the Good Witch, complete with sparkly pants and vest. I was hooked. On the day of the show, racked with nerves, I stood in front of the crowd of parents as I did my best to remember what seemed like a bajillion lines. I fell in love with the cheers of proud parents and bored siblings. Afterwards, I ran over to my parents and begged them to sign me up for another show. Although my initial performance was not exactly what one would call moving, as I grew, so did my dedication to discovering how to portray a realistic emotional arc of a complex character. Acting, to me, is about finding the missing, hidden piece and unlocking the mystery of a character's dreams and motivations. Another mystery I’ve come to marvel at is the complex, intricate ways that numbers can model situations. I love looking at a confusing question, seemingly unrelated to anything I’ve learned, and stripping it down to its basic concepts. For example, the limit as x approaches 1 of (4(-2+x)-4)/(x-1) is just asking for the slope of the line y=4x-8, where x is -1. From Algebra I to AP Statistics and AP Calculus BC, math has become a game, as I scavenge for the missing pieces that can turn a dataset of 100 heights into the probability that a randomly selected person is 5-feet tall. When I discovered the world of politics, I became engrossed in the moral dilemmas, ethical trade-offs, and the profound effects the people we elect can have on society. I watched with disgust as same-sex couples were denied the right to marry, migrants were locked in cages, cops shot unarmed Americans, and mass shooters massacred hundreds while politicians offered little more than “thoughts and prayers.” Searching for the missing pieces of justice, I have turned my outrage into action—organizing and attending protests, educating friends and family on current issues like climate change and presidential abuse of power, and leading a voter registration campaign at my high school. From the newsie Davey's righteous anger, to the DNA double-helix, to local linearization, to gun reform, my search for the missing pieces in the world around me comes together to assemble a portrait of the person I am today. But, like the world around me, my portrait is still missing pieces, especially when I try to sort out the puzzle of my future career. Will I be a lawyer, crafting complex arguments, defending the civil liberties of the neglected and abused? Or a lawmaker, working to create a more just system of laws that benefit the masses, not just the top one percent? I’m not sure, but one thing’s for certain: My search for the missing pieces of my life has taught me to look beyond the easy, obvious answers, and instead work to devise multifaceted solutions to intricate world problems As I continue my quest, the question is: What other pieces will I find along the way? — — —

Topic C is most definitely the option that gives you the most creative freedom.

While many students will automatically gravitate to a plane ticket in their response, we encourage you to think bigger (or smaller). Maybe the courtroom you went to in order to fight a parking ticket was right next to the family law court, and seeing foster families waiting outside piqued your curiosity in law and revamping the foster care system. Or after using your ticket to get into Six Flags, you become enamored with roller coasters and travel the country in search of the “perfect” thrill ride. And when you couldn’t find it, you decided to design your own.

Whether it’s a ticket to travel, to taste, to experience, or to meet, the possibilities are almost endless.

Even with the flexibility the prompt affords you, remember that admission officers want to learn about more than just the ticket and what it was for. So don’t get so lost in the creativity of your response that you forget to address the subtext of the prompt. They want to see what’s important to you (our Values Exercise can help you nail that down), what your goals are (from majors to careers to impact), what’s shaped you, and how you’ll shape the world.

Tips for Writing the Topic C Essay

Try to tie the ticket back to a specific value in your life. Rather than just describing what the ticket is for and what you’ll do with it, make it resonate for the reader by connecting it to some aspect of what makes you, well, you. That could be some essential quality of your personality, or it could be a connection to your dream career. In other words, don’t focus on the what so much that you neglect the why .

Build in the imagery. When you think of Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket, you don’t imagine some 5” x 7” piece of white printer paper, do you? No. You see the gold foil ticket with embossed writing and scalloped edges. Be that descriptive throughout your essay to really take your reader on that literal (or figurative) journey with you.

Indulge the creativity the prompt allows you. While many (if not most) essay prompts focus on the real and the logical (what you’ve done, what you want to do), this prompt gives you the chance to throw yourself into the hypothetical. The fantastical (it’s a real word—we checked). The unbelievable. So make up a wild story about your ticket. It’s allowed. Just remember: Even in an essay that journeys into the make-believe, keep ties to who you are, demonstrate your fit, and show your ability to think critically.

Deleting an Application

If you start an ApplyTexas application for a school but decide not to submit it, you’ll find that there’s no way to delete your application and remove it from the My Applications page. A pesky detail, but one not worth worrying about. Applications that have been started on ApplyTexas but not submitted will be deleted 180 days after the last save date.

Checking Your Application Status

Just because you’ve clicked Submit doesn’t necessarily mean you’re done. Once ApplyTexas transmits your application to the school, that school may reach out to assign more action items (which often includes setting up your applicant portal) or to request supporting documentation. 

You can check the status of your applications at any time in ApplyTexas by clicking My Applications at the top of the page. From there, you can filter your applications by:

All my applications

Submitted applications

In-progress applications

While you wait, breathe. It’s out of your hands now. But we’re sending all the good vibes.

It can sometimes take the school a few business days to actually receive the application after you’ve submitted it through ApplyTexas. And then it can take a few days after that for you to receive a confirmation letter or email. And then it can take weeks or months to receive your admission decision. In the meantime, check your applicant portal regularly and celebrate that you’re done ! Yee-ha!

Additional Resources

How to Write the University of Texas-Austin (UT) Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2021/2022

Supplemental essay guides for dozens of schools

College Application Hub

Special thanks to Julia for contributing to this post.

essay for apply texas

Julia published her first “book” on the elusive Pika in elementary school and has been writing fervently ever since. She’s thrilled to unite her quirky love of grammar and master’s in psychology to help students tell their most meaningful stories. Her favorite punctuation mark is the apostrophe because, in the words of Imagine Dragons, it’s “a symbol to remind you that there’s more to see.”

Top values: Collaboration | Family | Productivity

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The ApplyTexas Application: Everything You Need to Know

InGenius Prep

August 30, 2019

essay for apply texas

News flash: not every college accepts the Common Application. While trying to add a Texas school, you might notice that it’s not there! For some colleges, you have choices about which application system you can use, and ApplyTexas might be one of the options. 

ApplyTexas is another online college submission system specifically for certain Texas schools, similar to other platforms like the Common Application or Coalition Application. As one of the biggest states in the country, Texas provides many higher education options, especially for its residents. As a result, ApplyTexas was created through collaborative efforts between the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the colleges and universities represented on that site. 

You might be familiar with top Texas schools such as UT Austin or Baylor, but the ApplyTexas application provides you with nearly 60 colleges to choose from. If you’re a proud Texan or you’re hoping to move to the Lone Star State, it’s good to familiarize yourself with the application so you know what to expect. So, what sets ApplyTexas apart from the Common Application or the Coalition Application? Here is a look, section by section, at the different sections that make up ApplyTexas .

ApplyTexas opens on the 1st of July and applications are due in early December, with different dates for different schools. You can’t start your application without knowing if the schools on your list use the ApplyTexas portal in the first place. Check out the full list of all of the schools that are under the ApplyTexas system, with ApplyTexas-exclusive schools marked in bold, below.

53 Schools That Use ApplyTexas

  • Abilene Christian University
  • Angelo State University
  • Austin College
  • Baylor University
  • Concordia University
  • Dallas Baptist University
  • Hardin-Simmons University
  • Houston Baptist University
  • Huston-Tillotson University
  • Lamar University
  • LeTourneau University
  • McMurry University
  • Midwestern State University
  • Our Lady of the Lake University
  • Prairie View A&M University
  • Sam Houston State University
  • Schreiner University
  • Southern Methodist University
  • Southwestern University
  • St. Edward’s University
  • St. Mary’s University
  • Stephen F. Austin State University
  • Sul Ross State University
  • Tarleton State University
  • Texas A&M University (at College Station, Laredo, San Antonio, Galveston, Central Texas, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Texarkana)
  • Texas Christian University
  • Texas Lutheran University
  • Texas Southern University
  • Texas State University
  • Texas Tech University
  • Texas Wesleyan University
  • Texas Women’s University
  • Trinity University
  • University of the Incarnate Word
  • University of Dallas
  • University of Houston
  • University of North Texas
  • University of St. Thomas
  • University of Texas (at Austin, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Tyler, Rio Grande Valley, Permian Basin)
  • West Texas A&M University

If you’re applying to a school which also happens to use the Common App, it’ll be easier for you to keep all your schools under one portal if possible. But if you’re applying to multiple schools in the state of Texas, chances are, you’re going to have to use this state-specific application system. 

The Application Components

Like all college applications, there are some materials that you will need in order to get started. For the ApplyTexas app, these include:

  • A copy of your high school transcript
  • Your standardized test scores
  • Your extracurricular activities
  • Contact information for your guardians and guidance counselor
  • Parent employment information
  • A personal statement
  • Letters of recommendation

ApplyTexas is divided into different sections, much like other application systems, which ask information about your background and interests. The sections are:

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

These sections help admissions officers learn more about the context in which you grew up, how you spend your time after school, what you hope to study, how to contact you in case they need to ask a clarifying question, and more. All of these components add up to a more holistic picture of you as an applicant. School should be able to use all of this data to understand your background and interests.

Biographical & Education Information

The ApplyTexas application requests all of the standard biographical and educational information, including your contact, school, and demographic details. Admissions officers use your answers to learn more about where you grew up, the resources your schools provided you with, and how you compare to your peers. There is no right or wrong answer to these questions - the schools simply want to understand your circumstances better.

applytexas

You might notice that you’re asked to denote whether you plan to enroll in a pre-professional program. This is a great way to show your future goals so that colleges can understand your ambitions. If you have extracurriculars that align with your interest, that’s even better.

applytexas

Texas-Specific Questions and Automatic Admission

ApplyTexas also asks some questions for Texans specifically. Since ApplyTexas was created for public universities in Texas, some requirements are unique, such as:

applytexas

If you’re confused about whether these apply to you or not due to an unusual case, ask your guidance counselor. As you can see, ApplyTexas asks very specific questions about residency. Like most public universities, UT schools have to admit a certain number of students who are from Texas. For example, the in-state acceptance rate at UT Austin is 48.5%, while the out-of-state acceptance rate is 25.9%. So if you are a resident, your chances of being admitted to a Texas university are much higher. Plus, you receive benefits such as certain scholarships set aside for in-state applicants, reduced in-state tuition, and automatic admission.

Public Texas universities offer automatic admission to students in the top 10% of an accredited Texas high school. UT Austin is the exception to this rule. For this cycle, you need to be in the top 6% of your class. If you reach this threshold, congratulations! You can go through the college application process with much less stress, knowing that you are going somewhere.

Activities, Community Service, and Honors Sections

The ApplyTexas application actually lets you list more activities than the Common App activities list does! You are allowed to submit up to 10 extracurriculars, but these do not include community service/volunteering or job experiences. ApplyTexas splits extracurricular activities from community service, allowing you to describe up to 8 community service activities, and has 8 slots for you to enter honors, awards, and talents - which is more than the Common App honors section.

This gives you valuable space - take advantage of this set up! Say you’re a Girl Scout, but have more than 8 activities for your ApplyTexas application. Something like this could be categorized as community service. Be strategic in how you classify your activities and how you organize your lists. Arrange the order in each section by impressiveness as well as importance to you.

https://ingeniusprep.com/app/uploads/2017/11/Screen-Shot-2019-08-30-at-9.09.11-AM.png

With each entry, you only have 70 characters (including spaces!) to describe your involvement and impact. This barely allows enough space for a couple of words, so be very straightforward and use powerful language. If an extracurricular activity is very important to you, you can consider using one of your essays to elaborate further.

Employment Information

While the Common App asks you to describe work experience on the activities list, the ApplyTexas app has a completely separate employment section. However, you are not allowed to describe your job; you only input your employer, hours per week, and the dates that you worked. You have the opportunity to fill out 8 different jobs. Admissions officers appreciate students who are responsible and hardworking, so carefully filling out this section can work very well in your favor.

applytexas

8 jobs may seem like a lot, but think about what you characterize as a job. Is tutoring considered a job, or an extracurricular, or a volunteering experience? Because ApplyTexas has so many different categories, think critically about where each activity belongs. A good rule of thumb is that if you got paid for your work, no matter how limited, place this experience in the job section.

Custom Questions

Most Texas universities include custom questions - which is the ApplyTexas version of supplemental essays . These essays usually ask why you’ve chosen a certain major or how you hope to contribute to campus. Texas A&M asks spring applicants to write an essay on the environment in which they were raised; UT at Austin asks three 250-word questions, covering your future career, academics, and leadership. Don’t set yourself up for a lot of last minute stress if you find out about extra requirements right before you submit!

While the Common Application requires a 650-word essay, ApplyTexas requirements vary. The prompts that are required depend entirely on the school, although most require at least Essay A. Texas A&M requires Essay A and B, while UT Austin only requires Essay A (but has three smaller custom questions). Your essay must be no longer than 120 eighty-character lines of text (including spaces and blank lines). This roughly converts to 1200-1500 words or three and a half pages, which is a very generous amount. It would be wise to stick to less than 1000 words since admissions officers have a lot of applications to go through. The prompts are below:

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

This essay prompt is similar to a personal statement you might write if you’re using the Common App or Coalition App. What are some things that admissions officers must know about you? Make sure you write a story that’s unique to you. The goal of this essay is to help make you memorable. Don’t write about a math test you scored well on (everyone’s had their fair share of strong test performances) or a person you admire (because they’re not you). The story you narrate should have a deep connection to you, since you’re the one who is applying to college. You could write about adversity that you’ve had to overcome such as an illness, loss of a family member, a natural disaster, etc. 

You can also use this prompt to talk about your opportunities. Have you been able to engage in an activity most of your peers haven’t? Think hard about whether the topic truly separates you or not.

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

With this question, you have free reign. Since there is so little space to describe your activities, this could be a good place to expand on your most meaningful one. Talk about your activity, why it’s important to you, and how you developed that specific interest. The activity could be tied to the theme of your application, to highlight that you’re committed to what you’re passionate about and have actively pursued it.

The prompt also mentions that you can talk about a part of your identity. This could be your ethnic background, culture, languages you speak, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic class, or even an unusual hobby that defines you - anything that you believe has played an essential role in who you are, how you think, and how you act. Make sure you go beyond just mentioning what the identity is. Talk about how it has shaped your perspective and why it is important to you.

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

Writing this essay should be fun! Use your imagination—there are no limits. Wherever you choose to go, think critically about why and try to relate it back to your application. Having an overall theme of your application will help you stand out in the college admissions process. The prompt doesn’t state that you have to go to a real place - so you can even include fictional locations. This question is a great way to show admissions officers how your mind works and what characteristics of a community you value. Don’t pick a common answer such as Antarctica or Hogwarts. Think carefully about why you’ve made the choice and what your personal connection to the place is.

While answering any of these prompts, it’s important to really SHOW who you are. Don’t just say, “I am a nice person;"  show the admissions officers by describing situations when you were kind. Make sure you start ahead of time and have your friends, family, and teachers read your essays for edits. The more feedback, the better!

Scholarship Section

The ApplyTexas app is unique because you can apply to scholarships for select schools directly through it. These are:

  • Texas A&M University
  • UT San Antonio

If your school isn’t on the scholarship drop down menu (which includes the schools in the list above), then check their website and follow directions from there. Again, make sure that you do individualized research for each school on your list! Scholarship deadlines differ at each one. The UT of Austin deadline for a scholarship is December 1st, while the Texas A&M deadline is January 2nd.

It may seem time consuming to have to fill out yet another application besides the Common App, but the ApplyTexas application is pretty similar. So if you’ve already done the Common App, filling out this one should be very straightforward. If you are a Texas resident, applying to a public Texas university could really help your chances of getting accepted. Texas offers various incredible universities, just be aware that they use a different application system!

Tags : college application , activities list , ApplyTexas , ApplyTexas application , college application essay

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Berkeley² Academy

Test Prep | Tutoring | College Admissions

  • Ryan Murphy
  • Jul 10, 2018

Your Guide to Apply Texas Essays

Blog title, cartoon hand with pen

Many universities in Texas use the Apply Texas application, making it easier for students to apply to multiple schools without having to repeatedly submit similar applications. As part of Apply Texas, colleges either require that you submit at least one essay or highly recommend that you send an optional essay that responds to one of the three main prompts.

The Apply Texas essay topics change periodically, but the most recent versions have been the same for the past few application cycles, and this trend seems like it will continue for the next few. (I’ll get to what exactly those topics are a little bit later.) Still, schools have different requirements, so here is a list of the major colleges in Texas and what they require or recommend:

UT-Austin - Topic A required

Texas A&M - Topic A required

Texas Tech - all optional, but recommended that you submit at least one

UT-Dallas - all optional, but recommended that you submit at least one

Texas State - all optional, but highly recommended that you submit at least one

UNT - all optional, but suggested that you submit Topic B (if anything)

What is the General Approach to Writing Apply Texas Essays?

While each of the topics have unique challenges and opportunities, there are still some general guidelines you should follow when writing any of the Apply Texas essays. Here is a list of considerations for all essays:

Length: Aim for 650-750 words (unless your college says something else).

Content: Connect moments in your life into a story that addresses the topic; include a title.

Tone: Have a positive attitude and outlook, even if you describe failures and challenges.

Structure: Include at least 7-8 paragraphs (e.g., Hook, Intro, Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution, Conclusion)

Scope: Write about one event or series of events with depth instead of listing out “your life story.”

Overall, your essays should be a blend of storytelling and traditional essay elements (thesis statements and intro and conclusion paragraphs). Also, since the purpose of the essays is to express yourself on a more personal level, you should feel free to be more informal and authentic with your writing.

How Do You Write the Apply Texas Topic A Essay?

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

Step 1: Think how you define yourself as a person -- or how you want admissions officers to see you.

There are a lot of ways you can define yourself. Are you a problem solver? Are you a leader? Do you like discovering strengths in people? Are you a coding diehard? Does music run through your veins? The options are endless, but you should try to define yourself precisely and not as thousands of other teenagers will.

Example: You come from a city that blends cutting edge technology with appreciation for the environment. This blend has shaped your worldview, allowing you to see the beauty of integrating tech and nature.

Step 2: Determine which environment was most important for shaping you into this person.

A family, home, neighborhood, or community might be …

A biological or extended family, or a family that is a group of friends or members of a club

A literal home, or a home that is metaphorical, such as a place where you feel like you are yourself

A neighborhood where you live, including the people who live or work near you

A community that's a city, or a community that's a group of people who share similar ideas and experiences (physical or online)

Step 3: Develop a narrative to show how the environment shaped you into this person.

Here is an example outline for a hypothetical essay about how a hometown influenced a prospective business major:

Exposition: I grew up in a town that did X.

Rising Action: As I grew up, I decided to start my own Y, based on city influences.

Climax: As part of the company, I was excited that we were finally able to do Z.

Falling Action: We have extended operations into X.

Resolution: By being inspired by my hometown, I now am working on Y.

Step 4: Write the essay.

If you read your essay and think it's boring, then the admissions officers will think the same thing (but multiply that boredom by 1,000).

How Do You Write the Apply Texas Topic B Essay?

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

Step 1: Think of an essential part of yourself that you haven’t described already on your application.

You don’t need to be the stuffy academic on every part of your college application. Topic B is a great time to let loose and reveal the “cool” aspects of who you are.

Step 2: Choose an identity, an interest, or a talent that reveals this essential part of yourself.

An identity, an interest, or a talent might be …

A racial, ethnic, or gender identity

An interest in school-related topics (e.g., medicine, research, business, or programming) or in extracurricular topics (e.g., online videos, figurines and memorabilia, or gourmet cuisine)

A talent for something academic (e.g., leading people, helping others, or discovering things) or for something recreational (e.g., juggling, making clothing, or gardening)

Warning: You should avoid essays about race and ethnicity. Tens of thousands of them are written every application cycle and often do little to make you stand out from your peers.

Surely you have an interest or talent that goes beyond the normal high schooler profile, right? You like singing in the rain? You have an interest in ancient Rome? You collect butterflies?

Example: You are really good at making videos and documenting important events in people’s lives. You have an entire method for shooting and editing videos to make people feel like they belong to a group.

Step 3: Develop a narrative to show how this identity, interest, or talent is an essential part of yourself.

Exposition: My interest in X all began with ...

Rising Action: At first it was hard to do Y ...

Climax: But then I mastered Y, and I was able to ...

Falling Action: I learned how to do Z because of my struggles.

Resolution: Now X is how I … and also ...

This essay should make you think something like, “Wow! I had no idea a pre-med student like yourself also had a talent for breakdancing!”

How Do You Write the Apply Texas Topic C Essay?

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

Step 1: Determine what about your personality you want to add to your application that is not already included.

Topic C is usually meant for fun, especially if you still had some serious things to say in Topic B. At this point, you should definitely be okay with revealing the non-academic parts of your life.

Step 2: Think of what place you could go to that would reveal this side of your personality.

The ticket can go to …

An actual place, such as a country, city, or other physical location (e.g., Paris, China, the moon)

A time period, such as the future (e.g., when we are colonizing other planets) or the past (e.g., medieval times when knights are fighting each other)

An imaginary place, such as inside the body or a place from a novel or television show (e.g., going to your stomach to see how digestion works, going to Hogwarts from Harry Potter )

Warning: While the essay opens the door for creativity, you should NOT go “off the rails” and write a story or an essay that illustrates your abstract musings or philosophical insights. Stick to the essay format, even if you want to take your admissions officers to far off places.

Also, time travel is nice. Don’t be afraid of it.

Example: You go to the set of your favorite tv show from a foreign country, where you speak with the actors and go on adventures in that country.

Step 3: Develop a narrative that addresses where you will go, what you will do, and why all of this is important to you.

Exposition: My sister and I watched X show every since Y time that something happened.

Rising Action: I take my sister and off we go to the set, seeing actor A and actor B, and we do X.

Climax: Along the way, we learn about the country, but we still don’t feel welcome.

Falling Action: Actor A and Actor B teach us their language and we start to feel more at home.

Resolution: We go back to the set, seeing the difference between screen and real life.

So many students write that they go to their home countries to see family. Also, many students choose real locations, which are great, but there are so many missed opportunities for being creative and imaginative.

Final Thoughts

While it is important to show your passion for prospective majors and careers, don’t neglect parts of your personality that typically go unnoticed in college applications.

Remember: You should be the star of these essays. If you start writing too much about grandma or your friend Billy, then you need to revise.

Keep it simple. Keep it fun. There are plenty of other serious parts of your applications.

Do you need help drafting your Apply Texas essays? Consider signing up for one of our college admissions essay services . We can help you brainstorm, outline, rough draft, revise, and/or edit your essays. Get a head start on your applications before senior year becomes too overwhelming!

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Nine Examples of UT-Austin Transfer Apply Texas Essay A Statement of Purpose

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UT requires all prospective external transfer students to write a 600-750 word response to Apply Texas Essay 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 or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admissions committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and other application information cannot convey.

Although the prompt is lengthy, UT-Austin reviewers are looking for you to address directly a few things, more or less in this order:

Your previous academic experiences and development

Your current studies and likes/dislikes of your present college/university

Your future academic and professional goals

How a UT education can help you achieve them

Any special or extenuating circumstances.

I provide a series of blog posts offering tips starting here. You can visit my comprehensive UT external transfer admissions guide here .

Throughout, you should provide specific examples why you are deserving of a space on campus and in your major and what perspectives you bring to the university. Transfer Statements of Purpose tend to follow a fairly predictable sequence. The “stick to the facts” tone is similar to a graduate or medical school admissions essay rather than a creative, narrative, or experimental essay that high school seniors tend to submit for the Common App or the “tell us your story” UT prompt.

Most transfer essays do not need nor benefit from introductions, conclusions, or rhetorical devices. It’s okay to begin and end an essay without overview or summing things up. Since you must address several questions within a confined word limit, there is rarely space for rhetorical flair. Word economy and information density guide the transfer statement of purpose approach.

Below, I provide five different approaches to addressing this question. Each of these applicants gained admission.

Interested in working together? Complete my questionnaire for a free e-mail consultation.

McCombs Business Transfer 3.92 GPA Admit - Older/non-Traditional Applicant

My dad is my role model, best friend, teacher, and financial advisor. In elementary school, I loved watching him repair his truck. If it didn’t start, he checked if the battery connected to the starter maintained a charge. He taught me basic mechanical principles, like how an engine combines spark, air, fuel, and compression to create power. In middle and high school, he taught me the importance of each dollar. We compared prices and product quality. He taught me to manage my finances, and I’m proud to say I’ve built excellent credit. He supervised the ABC rock quarry and inspected XYZ railroad lines. I’ve recently occupied management positions, so he stresses the importance of hiring right. Good help is hard to come by. I owe my success and well-being to him. During high school, one of my favorite courses was anatomy and physiology. The human body fascinates me because I can relate it to the mechanics and movement principles. Like vehicle engines, the human heart pumps blood using electrical impulses and muscle contractions to deliver oxygen and cycle carbon dioxide throughout our lungs and body. Our spines are like the drivetrain in a vehicle’s undercarriage. After graduation, I entered the workforce but soon realized I needed an actual degree to have a financially stable future. In August 2015, I enrolled at San Antonio’s St. Philip’s College, a two-year institution, to pursue a Biomedical Engineering and Technology Associate’s. The biomedical field combines electronics and mechanics with human anatomy. It was close to my grandparents’ house, so I had a place to stay. I kept recalling the summer of 2013 when I worked at an industrial lumber yard for eight hours daily in the blistering heat. Failing a class meant returning to miserable, low-paying manual labor jobs. I set my pride aside and reached out to professors for help when I struggled initially in class. I spent many hours on YouTube learning Organic Chemistry concepts like Ohm’s and Kirchhoff’s laws. I honestly wasn’t expecting A’s, maybe B’s and C’s, but to my surprise, when I logged into Canvas over winter break, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I earned straight A’s. Before I knew it, I graduated from St. Philip’s College Phi Theta Kappa with a 4.0 and multiple President’s Honor Roll awards. My biggest surprise for my parents was earning chords and a golden stole. I kept it a secret until I walked across the graduation stage. My parents cried. I’m the first in our family to attend college and earn an Associate degree. Soon after graduation, I started a Biomedical Field Engineer internship for GE Healthcare. The internship quickly turned into a management position. I was exposed to large-scale inventory management and biomedical operations. I fell in love with network infrastructure; it became an obsession. I made friends who motivated me to aim for higher goals. I’ve noticed a gray area in healthcare delivery. My supervisor, Armando, and I were the only ones with expertise in IT and biomedical sciences for San Antonio. Nurses and doctors are not technical, and IT professionals lack medical knowledge, so I fill this niche. I want to pursue a degree that connects both fields. Since medical devices are transforming into Wi-Fi capable mini-computers, hospital and consumer demand will skyrocket with each more advanced and less expensive technologies. I enrolled at UTSA so I could continue living with my grandparents while pursuing my bachelor’s degree. Two distant cousins were also students, but we rarely met, so I felt alone. UTSA lacks community. I didn’t think I could grow there as a person and a professional. I felt homesick and transferred to ACC to take my McCombs transfer requirements, hoping to earn my MIS degree. It combines my personal, academic, and professional interests. I’m a non-traditional student who will bring unique perspectives to classroom discussions and campus life. I look forward to taking interesting classes like Healthcare Operations Management OM 334M and Communications to Build Sales Relationships CMS 337. I’m most excited to study abroad at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain, to help improve my Spanish for international business. I speak Spanish at home and travel to Mexico twice yearly to visit family, but I’ve never left North America. I took an official tour in February 2019. My favorite part was visiting the McCombs School of Business. Our group guide, Alexander Roland, informed us about a Dinner Etiquette offered by Career Services, so I attended. I wanted to learn how to fit in, but staring down at my utensils made me feel completely lost. I see that these skills are essential because I want to set up a medical consultancy working with doctors, but there must be a way to share these skills in less intimidating ways with first-generation, working-class students like me.

Transfer applicants come from a broader range of backgrounds and experiences. Teenage high school applicants tend to have similar profiles and access to extracurriculars, while transfer applicants come from diverse ages and backgrounds. They include military veterans, non-traditional applicants, international or undocumented students who worked in the US before pursuing studies, mid-career professionals, second bachelor’s degree seekers, adults with kids, and even retirees.

This applicant is a first-generation college student from a working-class background. The UT Statement of Purpose is your opportunity to contextualize your background, academic journey, and resume where necessary. Reviewers look for indicators of hardship where applicable. However, most applicants tend to come from college-educated families without special circumstances, so it isn’t required to demonstrate adversity.

Transfer essays don’t typically require nor benefit from introductions or conclusions. But when you have special circumstances, sharing mini anecdotes can help frame and present your upbringing, learning environment, or lack of educational opportunities. Discussing his dad’s influence in the opening paragraphs helps situate his later interests in business.

The middle paragraphs articulate how and why they pursued their initial college studies at two-year St. Phillip’s College. They provide additional information about their grades to bring their transcript to life and communicate to their reviewers that they did not take their 4.0 for granted. Since they worked for a few years after receiving their Associate’s, particularly at a workplace that helped them explore and refine their future MIS major, it’s essential to discuss these experiences. They effectively identify specific UT resources and campus visit experiences that encourage them UT is their best fit university.

College of Natural Sciences Nutrition Admit 3.87 GPA - ACC

I enrolled at Austin Community College on my parent’s advice. They encouraged me to finish my general studies before pursuing my Nursing degree. Their reasoning about saving money and earning credits that transfer anywhere seemed reasonable at the time. I’ve learned only recently that transferring to UT Nursing is almost impossible. I realize that I’m more interested in studying nutrition anyways, and I can apply for spring entry rather than waiting for the fall. In hindsight, maybe I should have pursued CAP to have a direct pathway to attending my dream school. I’m sure though that ACC isn’t my best fit, and I regret not attending my safety university. I felt left out when my friends seemed to be excited to move away from home. I wanted to pick out the bedding and decorations and choose from a much wider possibility of classes. When I shared that I was staying close to home, some friends greeted me with pitiful looks and doubtful words. My aunt was talking about how much fun my cousin was having at their four-year university. "You will miss out on so much not going to a university!" She might be right. Many of my friends have since moved on, and I honestly feel left behind. Once my first day of college arrived, my doubts and insecurities increased. I looked around at everyone scurrying to class and recognized nobody. Even fewer people seemed close to my age. I assumed my friends’ first days at university were quite different. I acknowledge the opportunities I have here at a much lower price, but the experience isn’t the same. I’ve noticed that, as people get older, they tend to appreciate moments a little bit less. When I was a child, I loved the cheer and joy at birthday parties and big family gatherings. Even when I sat quietly and eavesdropped, I felt giddy.  I’ve even noticed my tendency to take less time for what matters most, family. My softball games replaced Sunday family BBQs. I hear the phrase "Life got in the way" to explain absences. Instead of spending the week with my grandmother and all eight cousins, I started going to school. As a child, you don’t realize that joy is temporary and fleeting. I lost much of my innocence when physicians diagnosed my dad with stage-four cancer the summer before fourth grade. I didn’t understand the severity until a few years later. I only saw that my dad was in pain and lacking in energy and that I wanted to help. Since I wasn’t in school, I frequently checked up on him. I wanted to do everything in my power to help him feel better. I learned to make the most of the many hours we spent at the hospital. I missed our family gatherings even more. Watching the doctors use the equipment and nurses who stopped by fascinated me. I especially liked the ones who took the time to answer my questions and explain what they were doing. Science has been my favorite subject ever since. I’m motivated to make the most of my opportunities here by focusing on my long-term goals to receive a Bachelors of Science from UT.   There are specific resources offered by the Department of Nutritional Sciences that interest me like Susie’s Kitchen Nutrition and Cooking camps. Since my family lives with nutritional concerns, I would love to share the science of eating well with children and young adults that are in a prime time to begin forming good habits. I also like how UT offers different options for a nutrition degree. It’s a surprisingly broad degree, and I’m especially interested in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics. I want to work in a clinical setting with a focus on helping patients with their nutrition instead of being a nurse. Although it’s one of UT’s smallest specializations, their alumni seem to do amazing things like serving as the head of NICU nutrition for Dell Pediatrics Hospital.  Overall, I’m thankful for my experiences at ACC. I’ve become more self-sufficient, and I’m responsible with money. I paid off my tuition in full. Their flexible scheduling also helps me balance my work schedule more easily than if I attended a four-year university. Freshman year seems like the biggest deal when you’re graduating high school, but it’s just one small step towards a life-changing education and future career.

Enrolling at your local community college isn’t most students’ top choice. However, it often makes financial and logistical sense because you can earn inexpensive credits guaranteed to transfer at any Texas public and private university. It helps to speak directly and honestly to your reviewers about feeling regret or what is and isn’t working out about your current educational setting and academic pathway.

Although they experienced trauma in early childhood, it’s usually strategic to “stick to the facts” and not dwell on the distant past unless it detracts from your current opportunities. The Transfer Statement of Purpose isn’t an autobiography or detailed record of your entire life. It’s an argument attempting to persuade your admissions reviewers you’re a capable student who will enrich UT classroom discussions and campus life. Most students do not have special circumstances, and discussing them or making mountains out of molehills isn't required.

Since it’s essentially impossible to transfer into UT Nursing - they accept only one or two transfers each year - the applicant must try for another first-choice major. We talked through varied options, and nutrition fit their science and career interests closest. UT is also one of the only Texas universities that offers a Dietetics certificate pathway at the undergraduate level. They outline how this will further their professional goals. Concluding with a discussion around the context of their college enrollment by paying their own tuition also provides nuance to their reviewer and demonstrates a commitment to their studies.

BS/MD to UT Psychology Admit 3.87 GPA

I sat nervously in front of 100 slips of paper during the second week of my freshman leadership class. Each card read a different value. Dr. Price, the Director of the Buccino Leadership Institute at Seton Hall, instructed, “Now, leaders, your assignment is to sort through each of the cards and find your top ten core values.” I wondered, “How will I ever narrow down to only ten?” I reflected on my high school journey as a student-athlete at Houston’s ABC Private School and how I ended up in South Orange, New Jersey. My early strengths were in math and science. Still, after I took AP English in my senior year, I discovered how much I enjoy interpreting literature and literary developments across time and in different cultures. Literature deals with society and human relationships, so majoring in psychology as a pre-med student, which emphasizes research, writing, and science, integrates my varied interests perfectly. Cross country was a big part of my high school experience. Despite the early morning practices, I stuck with it. Cross country reflects our coach’s philosophy most accurately that you “get out what you put in.” You can only run as far as you’re willing to push. Long runs alone with my thoughts allow me to reflect on my character, decisions, and values. Managing a rigorous course load while practicing most mornings and competing on many weekends requires consistency and balance. Of my ten core values in Dr. Price’s class, moderation resonates most with me. I don’t feel balanced on Seton Hall’s campus. The academics aren’t as rigorous as I had hoped, and student life and extracurricular opportunities are lacking. School spirit and a sense of community are nonexistent, and it frustrates me that I can’t bond with my classmates and professors. Seton Hall also has a large commuter population, so any classmates show up, attend class, and leave. Developing relationships is very important to me, so it’s challenging not to see familiar faces on campus. I also can’t run much because the campus is small and the surrounding area unsafe. I’ve repeatedly contacted faculty members for volunteering or research opportunities, but nobody responded. When I applied to colleges, I preferred smaller, regional universities outside of Texas that would offer generous scholarships. I initially felt I would stand out more among fewer students rather than potentially feeling lost among tens of thousands at a public university. I still intend to apply to medical school, so Seton Hall’s Joint Bachelors/M.D. 4+3 Medical Program and Buccino Leadership Institute seemed like my perfect fit. They offered generous financial aid, so I accepted before I visited campus. My cousin is a Seton Hall sophomore, and she enjoyed her freshman year, so I felt more at ease with my decision. My mom and I scheduled a trip to South Orange a month later for the accepted student orientation. I eventually located an opportunity to volunteer with I THIRST, which supports people of all ages recovering from drug and alcohol abuse. The patients’ lives seem different from the environment in which I was raised and contrasted with volunteering at special needs organizations like Camp Blessing and Outloud Dance Camp. My interaction with patients exposes me to diverse medical needs and patients. I feel confident that medicine will equip me with tools to alleviate the suffering of others and practice servant leadership. I hoped that my involvement in the medical and leadership programs would allow me to grow as an individual and expand my perspectives, but it’s clear to me now that I need to return to Texas. Two of my other ten slips of paper were faithfulness and family. I’m pursuing a B.S. in Psychology in part because my uncle lives with mental illness. I’ve witnessed how it affects his daily life and stresses our family dynamics over the years. His struggles sparked my initial interest. I enjoyed my psychology courses during the first semester of college even though AP Psychology was not offered at ABC Private School. It confirmed my intuition that psychology combines human behavior with a scientific analysis that matches my long-term medical school goals. This winter, after my first semester in New Jersey, I visited the 40 Acres. Immediately when I stepped foot on campus, I felt a sense of belonging and empowerment that I didn’t feel during my initial visit to South Orange. I struggle to find extracurricular opportunities at Seton Hall, but UT’s Psychology department is plastered with club fliers and research opportunities. My ceiling for growth at Seton Hall is low, while UT can allow me to spread my wings and fly higher than ever. Price’s class unintentionally helped me realize that I should live closer to my family while balancing my coursework with outside activities that will help me continue emerging as a faithful student leader.

This example is a rare instance where an introduction and conclusion help to situate their reasons for transferring. It works because the beginning and end tie the essay together and provide a throughline that connects each paragraph. The intro and conclusion are fewer than a hundred words, so it doesn’t cost much to incorporate them. Nevertheless, in 80-90% of transfer essay first drafts, I remove intros and conclusions entirely. Every sentence needs to provide new information.

Especially when you enroll at a private or an out-of-state public university, it’s a good idea to detail what offers you received and why you enrolled. Often, students want to return to UT or a Texas public university to save money on in-state tuition. If you’re ever considering moving far from home or enrolling at a private university, I recommend visiting campus after you gain admission. That way you can ask concrete questions about your courses, degree plan, residence hall, dining, parking, and so on. I’m not a fan of visiting many college campuses while you’re applying or before gaining admission unless you’re a first-generation college student unfamiliar with university settings.

One role that the transfer statement of purpose can play is highlighting and developing one or two meaningful high school experiences, especially if they influence your major and/or you continued similar experiences in college. That can help frame the sort of student you see yourself as at UT or potential related UT student organizations that can help you transition to campus.

The applicant walks a fine line between discussing ways Seton Hall has helped them develop while identifying specific academic and social factors how the experience feels suboptimal. They also articulate why they are opting to leave a prestigious and highly-competitive BS/MD opportunity to change majors while leaving open pathways for a future medical career.

Art History 3.5 GPA Admit

Around this time last year, I started receiving my admissions decisions. I applied mostly to out-of-state larger universities in the southwest and received acceptance letters from all of them. I only wanted to attend UT-Austin, so I didn’t apply elsewhere in-state. I was a decent student who struggled in math and science, but my grades put me outside of the top 7%. I chose not to participate in CAP because I wanted to attend a larger university and start as a freshman so that I could take full advantage of the school culture and "belong." Most students probably don’t begin their studies somewhere, assuming they will transfer, and I’m no different. I enrolled at Colorado State University (CSU) for maybe not the best reason. I thought that, because it had the lowest acceptance rate of my offers, it was the better school. Unfortunately, I wasn't looking at the big picture or anything significant beyond the fall of my freshman year. I just wanted to leave Texas. I felt unsure of my major and stumbled into graphic design. I did design work for my varied high school activities, so it seemed like a logical choice, but a few weeks into my global art history class, a light clicked. I couldn’t wait for the next lecture. We discussed pieces that have more value than merely something beautiful to appreciate. I questioned my graphic design major and drifted towards art history. I began to develop a deep appreciation for how art records stories and beliefs in different cultures. Of particular interest is the art of the Ancient Mesoamerican Formative Period. Archaeologists and art historians record some of the first glimpses of social ranking and religion in the Americas. Had the Olmec people not created art to express themselves, we would have no idea they existed. Most meaningful to me is the way art can capture the human experience and develop connections across generations. I realized I enjoy appreciating and examining art rather than designing. I see now that CSU isn’t my ideal path. I’ve looked for opportunities outside of class or studies beyond lower-division courses, but they’re limited. CSU offers a handful of study abroads, but only one tailored to Art majors and none specifically for Art history majors. I haven’t seen anything about internships in the department newsletter, and, most importantly, there’s no emphasis on college to career success or helpful advising services. The department’s focus seems limited to the CSU campus. I’ve since research the Art History department at UT. Deep down, I know that this is where I belong. Over winter break, I met with Sean Carney, the undergraduate admissions coordinator for the Department of Art History. The varied and extensive opportunities for current students and soon-to-be graduates impresses me. UT has research centers all over the world dedicated to the study of the history of art and culture. For example, Casa Herrera, an extension of The Mesoamerica Center, hosts a study abroad opportunity for undergraduates that intrigues me. The program, Ancient & Colonial Heritage in Latin America: Cultural Treasures of Maya led by Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, provides hands-on experience in the museums of the region and excavation site work. I’m also interested in the "UT in New York" program. Students from the McCombs School of Business, the College of Fine Arts, and the Moody College of Communication are combined to create a kind of "interdisciplinary satellite campus" in New York. I’ve read a few student blogs about their experiences living in the city for a semester and how they’ve developed invaluable professional contacts that help them secure internships and first jobs following graduation. Art history major Carlos Moreno worked at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. He implemented a diversity program to open doors to "young people from historically underrepresented backgrounds." Making art accessible to all is critical to helping people communicate their ideas and inspire the next generation of artists regardless of socioeconomic or cultural background. I intend to graduate with a degree in Art history with a minor in Art Management. I want to work in a museum as a director of learning and public engagement to ensure that art and its narratives remain relevant in our increasingly globalized and multicultural world. I’ve enjoyed my time at CSU, but I realize I need a university with a global scope. UT doesn’t just produce graduates; it creates leaders.

This essay provides an effective example of getting straight to the point. There is no lingering introduction or paragraph that overviews what they are about to write. Since they applied and enrolled mostly out of state, highlighting that context situates why they desire to return to Texas and enroll at UT. One argument against opting out of CAP even as a potential liberal arts arts major is it can feel awkward to enroll at UTSA or UT Arlington with one foot in San Antonio and the other in Austin.

Enrolling at a four-year university with the intent to transfer later on sometimes limits a student’s motivation or buy-in to maximize the opportunities at their current institution. Still, they identify how CSU has helped them explore their interests and provides them opportunities for growth. “Wanting to leave Texas” almost always leads to irrational and costly enrollment decisions. This student probably should have enrolled in CAP. Spending one year away and eventually earning a UT degree through a guaranteed admissions pathway will seem insignificant five years after graduation.

They do an effective job of considering varied majors like graphic design before settling on Art History. This is an especially effective example of identifying niche UT resources that suit their specific interests. Detailing UT opportunities unavailable at your current institution presents a powerful argument about Why UT is your best fit. One upside of UT is they’re generally strong in every major rather than specializing in a handful. Even Harvard isn’t well-known or highly-ranked for engineering. Interdisciplinary opportunities or pursuing certificates and minors present a compelling reason how UT can help customize and tailor degree plans to match your interests.

Four-Year Liberal Arts Admit 4.0 GPA

My decision to enroll at the University of North Texas was ill–informed. Initially, I believed that, far enough away from my family yet close enough to return home every few weeks, I could grow on my terms. This unfortunate decision was fostered by my perspective of academic environments and the “college life.” I believed a university education was something purely academic, never multifaceted. As someone who has never considered myself particularly school–spirited, I did not feel the need to be connected to any larger community. I viewed my transition to college simply as a stepping stone to the next chapter of my life, a means to an end and not something inherently valuable. I chose UNT by process of elimination. I wanted to attend a Texas public university, but not as close as San Marcos and Austin or even College Station or Houston. However, the more time I spent in Denton, the more I realized that there was a low ceiling for my potential to grow. I felt like a “big fish in a small pond” and my development, both intellectual and social, stalled. I have always aspired to something greater, something more challenging, something different. These aspirations, unfortunately, were not able to be experienced at UNT. My courses were stagnant, easy, “go with the flow”––the exact opposite of what I needed. Most students around me, even those within the Honors College, did not study for major exams or complete their assignments on time. It made me restless and uneasy. As time wore on, I concluded I was not finding the challenges I originally sought. I refused to settle into the mediocre routines around me and merely coast along with strong, yet hollow grades. The more I considered and explored my academic goals and future, the clearer it became that only the University of Texas offers the rigor and challenge that I seek. This fall, I visited the 40 Acres and immediately noticed a striking difference. Nearly every other student I came across wore burnt orange; people walked confidently and actually socialized on campus. There seemed to be a school spirit that was conspicuously absent at UNT. The University of Texas felt like a family, a cohesive yet still fiercely individualistic unit. Even with a just a two–hour visit to the 40 Acres, I could already feel its infectious energy creeping up inside me, a feeling I would not soon forget. I had not considered that a university experience could be both academically enriching and spiritually fulfilling. Instantly, I knew where I needed to call home. My fascination and excitement was furthered with the University of Texas when I researched the Anthropology Department. I was amazed at the never–ending opportunities for research. For example, Dr. Courtney Handman’s focus on linguistic anthropology and her examination of recently–converted Protestant indigenous communities in rural Papua New Guinea related to my interests of languages, religion, and their convergence. My passion with linguistic anthropology began when I was nine years old when my parents took me on my first international trip. We traveled throughout Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain, Sicilia, and Croatia. With each country, there was an entire new method of communication, an entirely new way of life. Exposure to different cultures and languages, however, was not an entirely new concept. I live in a bilingual home. My father grew up in Madrid and learned both Spanish and English. My father wanted to share a vital part of his identity and childhood with me, and we communicate primarily in Spanish. Later, I became unsatisfied with only speaking two languages, and self–studied French. By the time I entered high school, I could converse fluently with both my French and Spanish teachers. These experiences continue to shape and inform my desire to balance the arts and sciences by studying linguistic anthropology before enrolling in medical school. 

Since they are applying to a non-STEM program with a 4.0, it isn’t necessary for this applicant to discuss their grades or relevant coursework. Despite having a high chance of gaining admission based on their grades, they leave little room for doubt by submitting a thoughtful essay that honestly describes their decision to attend UNT and why that isn’t working out.

It’s a balanced essay that focuses equally on where they’re coming from and how UT can help them explore their interests and achieve their long-term goals. Any time a transfer applicant comes from a four-year university, its essential to discuss tastefully why they don’t feel their current university is a good fit. We worked for a while on striking the right tone.

Discussing why UT is a great fit and why you want to transfer often requires developing why you’re currently dissatisfied. Their reviewer can no doubt relate to their story of not knowing what they want as a high school student and how attending college gives them an idea of what they don’t prefer moving forward.

UT has extensive study abroad and language programs, and they develop well how UT offers resources not accessible at any other public university. They demonstrate how their current studies and travels abroad inform them that although they want to change universities, they want to continue majoring in Anthropology.

Moody College of Communications Admitted Transfer 3.3 GPA

I am currently enrolled as a first-year student at Collin College in Frisco, Texas, and I want to finish my studies at the University of Texas in Austin majoring in public relations. My decision to attend Collin stemmed from my mediocre grades in high school – I wanted a fresh start at a college close to home.  Though I was accepted at a few well-ranked Texas public universities, I had higher aspirations.  I felt that I could improve my grade point average while completing prerequisite courses transferable anywhere.  I lived at home allowing me to save money, help my family, and continue working at my job. Due to my family’s dire financial situation, I initially wanted to pursue a degree in business and finance solely to be more financially secure and allow me the opportunity to raise my own family someday. I took several business-related classes in high school and college.  My goal has always been to transfer to UT and earn a degree in finance.  In preparation for transfer, I took Algebra, Pre-calculus, and Calculus 1 and 2.  Math is not my strongest subject, and I found Pre-calculus and Calculus to be especially difficult.  Despite joining a study group and meeting with the professor but, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. My low math grades are not for lack of effort.  At the time, I was taking care of my mother, a single parent, and coordinating her transfer to rehab for alcohol addiction. I became the head of household responsible for caring for my three younger sisters. I became a full-time student, employee, and house mom. Instead of getting discouraged by my setback in calculus, I saw it as an opportunity to grow and reconsider my future. I realized that if math isn’t my strong suit, I probably won’t enjoy a career in banking. I feel like many of my friends want to go to business school, but don’t actually enjoy the work or have the skills required to be a successful student. I felt that my decision to pursue finance came not from my own motivations, but pressures from friends, family, and society. I considered my strengths, and now I understand that I love communicating with people and solving problems. I’m the go-to person in my friend group when relationships end or problems happen at school, and I am used to handling family crises at home. I want to help solve problems on behalf of companies, and I feel that public relations is my perfect fit. I learned to communicate effectively at an early age. No matter what situation my family was going through, my sisters and other relatives considered my opinions and often put my suggestions into practice. My survival and quality of life depends on resolving conflicts for work, for my internship, and for relaying messages within a divided family.  Recognizing my strength, I feel that public relations would be the perfect major for me.  To gain firsthand experience and test my decision, I took on a Public Relations/Blogger Relations internship for Conscious Couture.  Through reaching out to bloggers that have PR firms, I am reassured that I made the right decision and have truly found what I love.  Also, I have previous professional experience as an executive assistant for Texas Family Fitness. I was constantly phoning clients, communicating with employees, setting up meetings, proposing new ideas, and managing conflict in the workplace. After doing research, I learned that UT has one of the best public relations departments and employs world-renowned faculty. I especially like the internship requirement and career placement resources. My goal is to begin with a major public relations firm and, ultimately, establish my own firm.  If I decide to continue my studies after my bachelor’s, the LBJ School of Public Affairs seems like an appealing way to transition into government work. 

This student had a 3.0 by the deadline, and since they had less than 24 hours completed, UT waited to decide after receiving their spring grades. They made a D in Calculus, so this essay helps contextualize that grade.

I appreciate that this essay is very straightforward. They get right to the point of why they are at their current university, what they hope to study at UT, and how their goals evolved.

One pitfall of extenuating circumstances essays is they tend towards hyperbole and over-exaggeration. This applicant provides balance and nuance to their issues at home and concrete ways that they’ve developed and matured over time. They also link their special circumstances into their proposed major, Public Relations.

They also develop well how their professional experiences and internship further influence their decision to transfer. Their Essay A complements and provides context to their expanded resume. They argue convincingly that UT is the best fit for them because of its strong academics while still being close enough to home to visit on the weekends.

Putting their poor calculus grade into context, articulating but not going overboard about their special circumstances, and demonstrating their fit for major undoubtedly played a major role in them gaining admission to UT.

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OOS Moody College of Communications Admit 3.41 GPA

It was early in 2016 and I needed a job. Seton Hall – my current university – costs about $14,000 per semester just for tuition. Growing up with the potential to be the first in my family to attend college, I never took college enrollment for granted. I saw the financial burden my decision placed on my parents. I came across a job listing for a Human Resources Policy Management Resource for Johnson & Johnson. After a rigorous interview process, they offered me one of three openings among hundreds of college-educated applicants. It was a long shot since I don’t study business and I lack professional experience. My position was no mere internship; I began working in March as a full-time contractor. With no awareness of the corporate world, I had to learn office politics, bureaucracy, and division of responsibilities on the fly. I updated human resources policies from Johnson & Johnson’s global business holdings and received approval from the policy owner and the legal department. Next, we worked with translators from 30+ languages to convert the documents into their language of origin. Finally, I uploaded the policies onto the HR Portal for the thousands of employees to see. I functioned as the liaison between policy owners and J&J, including those in non-English speaking countries, who were operating in different time zone. Working cross-culturally can be a challenge, but I learned quickly. I stayed organized and met intense deadlines assigned to my team by the Vice President of Global HR Services. I worked thirty to forty hours each week while taking a full course load. Before my Johnson & Johnson contract expired, the Director of Human Resources, impressed with my work, suggested that I interview for another position. I received a job offer; however, Jeffery Vanderbeek, the former Vice President of the Lehman Brothers and former Chairman and Owner of the New Jersey Devils, called me. Nearing retirement, he recently accepted the football head coach position at Somerville High School near my hometown. Jeff heard about an online radio station I started for my alma matter Immaculata High School. He offered me a job on the spot to run the communications efforts for Somerville Football. I accepted with much excitement so I could continue pursuing my communications passion. I began by building a website and managing their nascent social media channels. I started producing a weekly documentary series following their progress during the season. I hired and managed two media interns. I divided responsibilities and maintained our daily schedule to keep our workflow moving smoothly. Some might write this off as merely doing work for a High School team, but I disagree. I answered every day to a man who occupied corner offices atop Wall Street skyscrapers and oversaw operating budgets in the tens of billions of dollars. He asked same of me as with his Lehman Brothers partners. While that could understandably be stressful, working for Johnson and Johnson prepared me for adapting to pressure and navigating powerful personalities. Somerville and Mr. Vanderbeek helped me become a team player and showcase the best side of their football team. Mr. Vanderbeek served as a mentor to me and everyday pushed me to achieve more. I am eternally grateful for his lessons on leadership and how, with ambition and hard work, I can also rise to the top to my future career, broadcasting. I visited UT in October and immediately felt at home. I sat impressed through a taping for Texas Student Television in the Moody College of Communications. I had been around video production for a number of years, but never had I seen such a group of talented professionals my age working so passionately. It really brought about much excitement within me and reignited the fire I have for the profession. The RTF program at UT is a world-class education with deep industry connections. It is where I need to be.

Like the previous example, this straightforward essay addresses all of the things that UT reviewers are looking for. They discuss the context and buyer’s remorse about attending an expensive private university, but they don’t dwell on it.

Instead, they focus on their strengths - pursuing a highly selective and well-paying internship and relevant social media/broadcasting examples. Since they had an influential mentor who also submitted a reference letter, their Essay A develops well their argument that they are prepared to succeed at UT-Austin.

They applied as an out-of-state student from New Jersey, so they also address in their last paragraph how UT can help them achieve their goals. Providing specific observations from their visit let’s the review know that they are making an informed decision to transfer.

Although they changed their major from RTF to Journalism after arriving on campus, they secured a recent, highly prestigious internship at the CBS Morning Show in Manhattan. They are also involved with Texas Student Television, so there’s no doubt UT extending this student an offer pays dividends for the university.

UT-Austin utilizes the transfer process to bring leaders onto campus who can introduce different perspectives to classroom discussions and student organizations.

Liberal Arts Geography 3.65 GPA Admit - ACC

This fall, I moved to Austin, and it was the best choice I ever made. Choosing Austin Community College over other four-year universities was an easy choice. Moving from a small North Texas suburb to the state’s capital of Texas came as a big change. I wanted to live in Austin, develop my sense of self, and explore future opportunities. My parents were much less involved in my life than my friends’ parents, which made me more self-reliant than others. I’ve worked a few jobs that taught me the importance of time management and accountability. Growing up, my family and I took many road trips to Austin because my dad earned his degree from McCombs and became a Texas Ex. He loved showing us “the best school on Earth.” My favorite childhood memories involved visiting the capitol and strolling The Drag. Cheering with other Longhorns at Darrell K Royal at my first football game inspired me to call UT home someday. Austin feels much more vibrant and authentic than my hometown. I’m thankful for the change of scenery; however, living in The Callaway House, surrounded mostly by UT students, sometimes makes me feel sad because I want to be in their position. Living with them encourages me to continue working hard to achieve my goal of earning my UT degree.  Living in Austin helps prepare me for my future at UT. Each day offers new opportunities to learn, meet new people, and explore the city. When I’m not at school or doing my homework, I soak up every second, immersing myself in Austin culture. I go downtown for music shows and hike around Barton Creek Greenbelt. Gaining my bearings here will help me transition to a four-year university rather than potentially changing both cities and universities if I’m not admitted. I’m extremely fortunate that I can afford to live here because other teenagers may not have the same opportunities.  I have effortlessly adapted to the Austin lifestyle thanks to making new friends. Although my goal is to be on the Forty Acres, I’m focusing on my schoolwork and maximizing my opportunities at ACC. I want to major in geography with a possible anthropology minor. My favorite courses cover those subjects; they’ve been my best college professors thus far. They’re unlike any I’ve ever taken because they share how humans interact with the world now and throughout history. It fascinates me to know where we come from.  My time at ACC is essential for my academic growth. This semester has been the most eye-opening of my life. I’ve learned much from my professors, peers, and the city. I’m active in our chapter’s Geology Club, which I joined this semester to further my interest in the natural world. It’s an opportunity to make friends, explore issues in my related major geography, and listen to lectures with area professionals. Geology Club helps me explore possible careers in the classroom or the field.  UT has impressive geography and anthropology departments. One reason I enjoy geography is that it applies to so many fields. I want to take classes with Dr. Troy M. Kimmel, a well-known meteorologist. Climate and weather are essential to understanding how we interact with our planet. One of the enthralling opportunities the university offers is the Geographic Information Science (GIS) program. GIS technology helps scientists and engineers capture, store, and display mapping data. Maps are an essential tool, and studying geography in the 21st century involves cutting-edge technology. I look forward to the challenge of learning new skills and techniques in exciting classes and finding my community in UT student organizations.  

I’m not generally a fan of students moving out-of-county to enroll at ACC. I detail in this post how ACC does not help nor make a difference in UT transfer admissions. Most students are better off attending their local community college unless they come from a rural county with few post-high school options. However, this applicant makes a compelling case for how moving to Austin and living with UT students helped them mature and develop their academic interests. Detailing specific places they visit and how they spend their time in Austin helps the reader visualize how they might be as a UT student.

They do an effective job of detailing specific courses and ACC resources that help them explore their interests in Geography and Anthropology. Identifying specific UT opportunities also demonstrates to the reviewer that they’ve done their research about UT resources specific to them. It’s essential to avoid vagueness like “UT has a top Geography deparetment.”

Psychology 3.7 GPA admit - Special Circumstances

I enrolled at Out of State University (OOSU) to distance myself from a troubled childhood and to start fresh. My parents went through a bitter divorce when I was eleven years old, with effects that linger today. As part of the divorce agreement, my mom forewent money for herself to ensure college tuition was provided for my brothers and me. However, in March, my dad reneged on the legal agreement and informed me that I needed to take out loans to afford my education. My mom and I can’t afford legal representation, so I had no choice but to withdraw and return home to Texas. My dad left Texas my senior year and has been sailing on his yacht. His new fiance, who is not much older than me, rationalizes his behavior. “Your dad isn’t bipolar; he’s just a sociopath.” In middle and high school, I spent time researching the varied diagnoses and labels batted around between mental health professionals and my family: bipolar, sociopathy, addiction, suicide ideation, narcissism, major depressive disorder. Learning that my dad has been diagnosed with Antisocial Personality disorder allows me to see through his manipulations. Acknowledging his abnormal neurology helps me feel more compassionate and occasional pity despite the harm he’s caused to our family. My time at OOSU didn’t go exactly as I planned. I walked what I now realize was an unhealthy path, gravitating to friends who also live with trauma yet handle it poorly. Even in the best circumstances, it’s challenging to opt-out or avoid OOSU’s drug and party culture. I used substances to numb my pain. My time away, however, opened up aspects of my trauma and provided a necessary step in my healing process. I found healing through a meditation class that gave me a new way to examine my emotions and coping mechanisms. Mindfulness has become a centerpiece of my life. I follow interviews and self-compassion research by UT Professor Kristin Neff, who shares the simple but profound practice of self-kindness and cleaning up your internal dialogue. Finding internal balance helps me develop confidence and work towards my goals. I hope to attend her Mindful Self-Compassion workshops and conduct undergraduate research. Knowledge and education are the keys to a more purposeful and sincere life by confronting my mental health struggles and empowering others to do the same. Although I mainly maintained A’s at OOSU, I’m still hard on myself for not earning a 4.0. The many AP credits I accrued in high school may be a disadvantage, as I know that UT prefers students with fewer hours. Despite my stumbles, I’m incredibly grateful for my time at OOSU as a stepping stone for currently living the life that serves my family and me best at this time.  My healing journey and family dynamics motivate me to continue studying psychology. The most influential course I took at OOSU was abnormal psychology because it presented fresh perspectives on depression that helped me confront my anxiety. I’m committed to spending the next two or three years completing my Bachelor’s in Texas. During the pandemic, I have kept myself busy by reflecting on my future and who I want to be. I’ve worked two jobs, including one at my mom’s restaurant, Mason and Dixie, where I’ve worked since middle school. My mom is my rock and best friend. She encourages me to be self-sufficient and not depend solely on someone else. After their divorce, my mom had the courage to start two restaurants. She makes everything from scratch, sources local and organic products, and uses her resources to help charities. One offers jobs to women who have survived and escaped domestic violence. At UT, I hope to join BreadwinnHER to develop my leadership abilities further and connect with other inspirational women. Currently, I find happiness through journaling and my passion for expressing myself through makeup. Making myself and others feel beautiful through artful makeup design is one of my greatest joys in life. I’m incredibly close to my family and am excited to be in Austin with my three older brothers, one of whom is a UT Austin alumnus. Returning to my roots and keeping our restaurant afloat has helped me center myself and reconsider my priorities. The past seven months have involved intense healing and reflection. I feel more at peace than ever before, ready to move on from painful memories and continue my journey to become a mental health professional by earning my UT degree.

UT-Austin has recently removed the requirement to submit a second essay. In the past, all transfer applicants needed to submit an essay about an “issue of importance” or “special circumstances.” As of 2024, the only essay that a student can submit is the Statement of Purpose outlined in this post. For students with special or extenuating circumstances, that requires conveying all of that information and context in this single essay. It doesn’t make sense to me that first-time freshmen can submit an optional special circumstances essay but not transfer.

Regardless, this applicant weaves their reasons for transferring and majoring in Psychology. Their reasons for enrolling out of state stem directly from their troubled home life, and being far from home exacerbated those tensions. They also had almost 90 hours on their transcript, so they addressed this concern directly. Identifying a course that shapes their interests helped demonstrate to reviewers that they’ve pursued their interests in the classroom. The pandemic also necessitated withdrawing from the university and taking time off from school to assist their mom. Concluding with the confidence that they are mentally ready and academically able to excel in their UT studies helps close the loop on their healing journey.

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UTRGV

Undergraduate Admissions Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs

How to apply.

admissions how to apply

As an entering freshman, there are a number of things for you to have organized in order to successfully submit your application for admission to UTRGV. If at any point in the process you have questions, don't hesitate to contact us.

Documents Required to Complete Application:

Fill out your UTRGV application online at https://goapplytexas.org/

Domestic students should apply by submitting a “U.S. Freshman” application.

  • International students must submit an "International Freshman" application (Note: A $50 application fee will apply). 

For the 2024-2025 application cycle, UTRGV remains test-optional. If you have taken the ACT or SAT exams and wish to send us your scores, contact the testing agency. The UTRGV school code for ACT is 6991, and for SAT 6568.

  • While test scores are not required for an admission decision, test scores are required for Tuition Advantage and are highly encouraged for Scholarships, College of Engineering Admissions, Biomedical Program Admissions, etc. 

Submit your high school transcript or high school equivalency certificate. Make sure it indicates your graduation plan, class rank, class size, and GPA (If applicable).

  • Admissions Essay A or B through Apply Texas. Five hundred words are recommended for minimum length.  
  • Although not required for admission, it is strongly recommended that applicants submit official college transcripts reflecting college coursework taken while in high school (dual enrollment) for consideration under Holistic Review.

If you fall under these additional scenarios, you must submit other documents in addition to the standard documents mentioned above.

  • If you attended a high school in a   foreign country:  
  • you must send your transcript to get evaluated by  SPANTRAN ,   Foreign Credentials Service of America (FCSA) , or   World Education Services (WES) . SPANTRAN, FCSA, or WES are the only companies accepted by UTRGV for foreign evaluations.    
  • If you are an international applicant :  
  • you must complete an English Proficiency Exam or qualify for an exemption : 
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL ); or
  • Duolingo English Test
  • The minimum test scores to be considered for admissions 
  • TOEFL 61 (IBT, IBT Home or IBT Paper edition, IBT MyBest Scores)
  • TOEFL Essentials 6.5 (Essentials, MyBest Scores) 
  • Duolingo English Test 95

TPHSC Form-1 : For students who did NOT complete IPC prior to 2010-2011

TPHSC Form-2 : For students who completed IPC prior to 2010-2011

TPHSC Form-3 : For students graduating under the Foundation High School program in 2014-2015 or later

Documents Needed After Admission:

  • Submit Final High School Transcript - Transcript must be sent directly from the school (TREX electronic transcripts preferred) and it must contain graduation date, GPA, ranking, and graduation plan (if applicable).  
  • Texas Success Initiative (TSI)  approved test scores or proof of exemption, if applicable. International students interested in taking the TSI exam in their home country must contact the Testing Center ( [email protected] ).  
  • Proof of meningitis vaccination or exemption -  In accordance with Texas law, UTRGV requires all first-time students, including transfer and returning students under the age of 22, to submit evidence the student has been vaccinated against bacterial meningitis at least 10 days prior to the first class day of the semester or to provide other documentation establishing why such a vaccination is not required. Students will not be allowed to enroll without providing proof of the vaccination or exemption.
  • All first-time students, including transfer and returning students, must provide one of the following documents to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions:
  • A “Bacterial Meningitis Immunization Record” signed by a health practitioner indicating the student has been vaccinated against bacterial meningitis or any other official state or local immunization record. Vaccinations must be administered no more than 5 years and no fewer than 10 days prior to the first day of the semester for which the student is enrolling. 
  • A "Refusal of Immunization for Medical Reasons" signed by a physician who is licensed and registered to practice medicine in the United States that states the physician's opinion that the required vaccination would be injurious to the health and well-being of the student.
  • A " Texas Department of State Health Services Conscientious Exemption " form signed by the student stating the student has declined the vaccination for reasons of conscience, including religious belief. Submit the original form, no copies allowed.

Submit official college transcripts for any college coursework taken while in high school, if applicable.

Submit Official Advanced Placement scores, if applicable. 

Once you're admitted, register for New Student Orientation  

Documents must be sent through one of the following methods:

  • Upload :    https://enrollment.utrgv.edu/documentcentral  *
  • Email :      [email protected]  *

*Transcripts or scores uploaded or emailed directly by the student will be considered unofficial. 

  • Mail :       
  • In-Person : U Central

If you have questions about how to apply to UTRGV, call us at 888-882-4026 or email  [email protected] .

The Campus Security and Fire Safety report includes information on security policies and crime data for the previous three years.

The report is available on the University Police website  https://www.utrgv.edu/police/crime/information/campus-safety-report/index.htm . You can request a hard copy of the report from the University Police Department located at 2671 FJRM Ave. Brownsville, TX 78520 or 501 N. Sugar Road Edinburg, TX 78539, (956) 882-7777.

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Texas Tech Essay Prompts 2023-24

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Texas Tech Essays 2023-24

If you’re a student looking to learn how to get into Texas Tech , this guide is for you. One way to stand out from other applicants is by taking advantage of the Texas Tech essay prompts. While not required, writing stellar Texas Tech supplemental essays will greatly enhance your application and improve your chances of admission.

This guide will walk you through the Texas Tech essay prompts for the 2023-2024 application cycle. We’ll go over the ins and outs of the Texas Tech essays and give you tips on how to answer the prompts effectively. The Texas Tech essay prompts can change from year to year. So, always make sure that your info on the Texas Tech essay prompts is up to date! 

First, let’s go over some quick facts about Texas Tech. 

Texas Tech Admissions: Quick Facts

Texas tech university quick facts.

  • Texas Tech Ranking Among Public Schools: #116 in Top Public Schools
  • Overall Texas Tech Ranking by U.S. News: #216 in College Overall by U.S. News
  • Texas Tech Ranking by Forbes: #159 Top Colleges 2023
  • Acceptance Rate: 67%
  • 2 (~800 word) Optional Essays
  • Application: Students can submit their application through the Common Application or the Apply Texas application. Be sure to have your Texas Tech supplemental essays and other required application materials ready. 
  • Summer/Fall Priority Scholarship Deadline – December 1
  • Summer/Fall Priority Application Deadline – May 1
  • Spring Priority Scholarship Deadline – November 1
  • Spring Priority Application Deadline – November 1
  • Texas Tech Essay Tip: Though there are no required Texas Tech essays, it is highly recommended that you answer at least one of the Texas Tech essay prompts. If you do choose to complete them, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to create compelling, well-written essays.

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 Texas Tech require an essay?

Texas Tech Essays

The short answer? No. Students are not required to respond to the Texas Tech essay prompts to gain admission to Texas Tech. Furthermore, if you choose to apply via the Common Application, you do not need to submit your Common App Personal Statement. However, while there are no required Texas Tech essays, there are two optional Texas Tech essay prompts provided to potential applicants.

Although the Texas Tech essay prompts are optional, Texas Tech states on their Essay Tips page that it’s highly recommended to submit at least one essay. In addition to responding to either Texas Tech essay prompts in the Common App or the Apply Texas application portal, you may also choose to submit your Common App personal statement.

Just because these essays aren’t technically required does not mean that you have a free pass to ignore the Texas Tech essay prompts. The Texas Tech acceptance rate is 67%, meaning that nearly a third of applicants will not be granted admission. By writing Texas Tech essays, you can show the Texas Tech admissions committee exactly why you deserve to be admitted. 

Now, let’s go over the requirements for the Texas Tech essay prompts.

Texas Tech Essay Requirements

Between the Common App and the Apply Texas portal, there are three potential Texas tech essays you can submit. Here are the Texas Tech essay prompts that you’ll have to choose from:

  • Personal Statement (Common App) – Students can choose one of seven unique essay prompts. 650 words max.
  • Essay A (Common App/Apply Texas) –  Students can respond to an essay prompt about the opportunities or challenges they’ve faced. 800 words max.
  • Essay B (Common App/Apply Texas) – Students can respond to an essay prompt about their identity, interests, or talents. 800 words max.

Common App Personal Statement Essay

The Common App essay, also often called the Personal Statement , is a 200-650 word essay. When you hear people talking about writing their “college essay,” this is usually what they talk about! Unlike school-specific supplemental essays, the Common App personal statement asks general questions about who you are so that the schools you apply to can get to know you better. 

Here are this year’s Common App Personal Statement prompts, which you can choose to use as your Texas Tech essay prompts:

Common App Personal Statement 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..

One reason to use these personal statement prompts as your Texas Tech essay prompts is that you might have already written one! Most schools accept or require the Common App and the Common App personal statement. So, if you’re applying to schools outside of Texas, you will likely have already written a Common App essay. If you choose to apply with the Common App, you can submit this essay instead of or in addition to your Texas Tech supplemental essays. 

Texas Tech Essay Prompts

Your other essay options can be accessed on the Common App and a different application portal: Apply Texas. Apply Texas is a different application experience than the Common App, and it is a special application portal used by many Texas schools. 

Some Texas schools require essays on the Apply Texas portal. So, if you’re applying to other Texas schools and have already written Apply Texas essays, you can easily re-purpose those essays for your Texas Tech supplemental essays. 

The Apply Texas Portal has three essay options, each capped at 800 words. Students applying to Texas Tech can choose between prompts A or B:

  • Essay A: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
  • Essay B: Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.

Ultimately, what Texas Tech essay you choose to submit will depend on what portal you apply with. Next, we’ll dive deeper into how to approach each of these Texas Tech essay prompts.

How do I write the Texas Tech essay?

Texas Tech Essays

Let’s say you’ve decided whether you’re applying with the Common App or the Apply Texas app. And you know which of the Texas Tech essay prompts you’re going to follow. How do you actually write your Texas Tech essay?

Answering Texas Tech essay prompts, or any other college admissions prompt, is a pretty big task. Since these questions aren’t specific to Texas Tech, you don’t need to necessarily write a “ Why School Essay,” or focus on what about Texas Tech makes you want to attend. Instead, your essays should give the Texas Tech admissions committee insight into why you’ll be successful in college. In particular, aim to share something about your past experiences and strengths that they won’t see anywhere else on your application.

Personal Statement Essay

Let’s start with some tips on how to write a Common App Personal Statement. Since it is a feature of so many students’ college journeys, you can find lots of CollegeAdvisor resources on how to tackle the Common App essay. 

Each year, the Common App releases prompts that students can choose from, which we listed above. All of these prompts are pretty open-ended, and that’s on purpose! The most important part about writing a personal statement isn’t perfectly answering the question—it’s not an exam—but telling a story about something that matters to you. 

The Common App prompts, or in this case, your Texas Tech essay prompts, are all meant to get you thinking about significant aspects of your life. Periods when you experienced change or growth, something that made you change your perspective, or a part of your identity, an interest, or an event that you feel is central to who you are.

If the prompt was simply “tell me about yourself,” that might feel impossible to tackle. But by asking these questions, the Common App personal essay prompts are encouraging you to reflect deeply on certain aspects of your life. Regardless of which Texas Tech essay prompts you choose to answer, the most important part of writing a great essay is self-reflection.

Texas Tech Essays

Instead, you might choose to complete the Texas Tech supplemental essays. In that case, you can answer one (or both!) of the prompts as recommended by Texas Tech. You’ll notice that these Texas Tech essay prompts have similarities to the Common App essay prompts. 

Essay A asks about “your story.” What experiences have shaped you into who you are today? This prompt is in a similar vein as Common App prompt #2 and even #3 or #5. Essay B asks about something that defines you. What aspects of your identity/personality are central to who you are? This prompt echoes Common App prompt #1.

If you choose to answer one or both of these Texas Tech essay prompts, you’re in luck. Texas Tech has some advice from you here on potential Texas Tech essay topics. 

According to their guide, it looks like Admissions is looking for a combination of personal storytelling and resume points. Your Texas Tech essay should certainly highlight exceptional achievements, leadership experiences, or community service, the kind of thing you could cover on a resume or CV. However, instead of simply listing these details, you’ll want to communicate them in the context of a story. That means focusing on your personal connection to these experiences and the effect they had on you.

Extracurriculars are also a common topic for supplemental essays. When brainstorming ideas for your Texas Tech supplemental essays, your extracurriculars can make for great Texas Tech essay topics! Just make sure to describe the impact you made in your organization, the impact the organization had on you, and any leadership roles you had—not just what the organization does.

If you want to write a more creative essay that dives more deeply into who you are, you could supply Texas Tech with an additional resume. Many colleges require a resume or CV, and if you apply through the Common App you will have to list your extracurricular activities. For Texas Tech, a resume is optional. However, f you have one that goes more deeply into your leadership experience, community service, and extracurriculars, it will only help your application.

Is the Texas Tech essay required?

As previously stated, there are no required Texas Tech supplemental essays. However, we encourage you to reflect on one of the many Texas Tech essay topics and complete at least one Texas Tech essay.

Texas Tech only requires you to submit your high school transcript and a $75 application fee. It’s optional to submit your SAT/ACT scores, Texas Tech essays, letters of recommendation, and resume. While this may seem relatively straightforward, your grades are only one indication of your abilities as a student and individual.

If you want to showcase something meaningful to you outside of your academic performance, you’ll need to submit Texas Tech supplemental essays. If you’re stuck on thinking of a topic, consider something unique about your story that someone couldn’t tell just by looking at your grades. One of those ideas will help you answer these Texas Tech essay prompts.

There are so many great Texas Tech essay topics that you can use to tell TTU more about who you are, there’s really no reason not to explore one of them. In general, even when something is optional on a college application, you should try your best to supply as much information about yourself to the college as possible. The Texas Tech acceptance rate is 67%, meaning that only about 2 out of every 3 applicants get in. To improve your odds, you should enhance your application with well-written Texas Tech supplemental essays.

Is the Texas Tech essay important?

Texas Tech Essays

Absolutely! The Texas Tech supplemental essays are important because they allow you to tell the admissions committee more about who you are. What your background is, what your passions are, what you value–the things that make you, you. Colleges like Texas Tech aim to bring together a diverse and eager student body. Consequently, you want to show the admissions committee that you are a whole, complex person (something your high school transcript cannot do justice to).

Additionally, since these Texas Tech supplemental essays are essays you could submit to multiple schools, chances are that you will have to write some of these essays for other colleges anyway! It’s completely normal to reuse your Common App essay for multiple applications. 

Additional requirements for Texas Tech application

Now that we’ve gone through the Texas Tech essay topics, what else do you need to know about how to get into Texas Tech? Let’s take a look at the requirements for your TTU application. 

Earlier, we mentioned that the only requirements for Texas Tech are a high school transcript and a fee of $75. Other aspects of your application, like SAT/ACT scores, letters of recommendation, any essays, or a resume, are optional.

For students who meet Texas Tech’s assured admission requirements, submitting your transcript and your application fee might feel like enough. However, we would always recommend at the very least exploring one of the Texas Tech essay topics to provide a little more depth to your application. 

However, if you are applying to other schools, you might have already asked teachers for letters of recommendation , created a resume, or written a Common App essay. If you have these things, submit them to Texas Tech! Even though these parts of your application aren’t required, there’s no harm in submitting additional materials.

Five Tips for Writing the Texas Tech Essays

If you choose to write essays for Texas Tech, as we at CollegeAdvisor and TTU recommend, here are some tips to get you started.

Five Tips for Texas Tech Essays

Texas Tech Essays

1. Reflect and Brainstorm

Before you even start your first draft, try some writing exercises to help you brainstorm. Use the Common App prompts as a jumping-off point. Try setting your phone timer for 20 minutes and answer each prompt using bullet points, or whatever style of writing is easiest for you. Just write until the timer goes off, and then move to the next one. Don’t worry about style or grammar—the point of this exercise is just to get you thinking. When you finish, you will hopefully have multiple different threads that could turn into Texas Tech essay topics. 

2. Choose the best prompt for you

Ask yourself: did I enjoy answering one of these prompts more than another? Did I get excited by writing about any of these topics? What patterns can I see in my answers? Look for things you care about or value, things that have made an impact on your life, and things that have driven you to pursue a specific career or major. Reflection is a very important part of the college application process, and you can’t write a good essay without it. 

3. Use a strong hook

Once you have decided on your Texas Tech essay topics, think about how you will pull your reader into the essay. The opening passage that is meant to grab the reader’s attention is called a “hook,” because it hooks you in! A hook can be a quote, an anecdote, a song lyric, or just a creative introduction. Whatever you decide, the best test is whether it makes the reader want to keep reading. 

4. Show, don’t tell

You’ve probably heard this one in English class before—show, don’t tell. This means that when you’re telling a story, focus on trying to make the reader feel like they’re in the story with you. What did it look like, smell like, sound like? Let’s say you’re talking about a moment when you were nervous: Instead of saying “I was so nervous,” think about how your body felt: were your hands shaking? Did your voice waver? Could you see clearly? Was it bright in the room? Were you sweating? Your reader should be able to imagine themselves in your shoes. Little vivid anecdotes like this also make good hooks!

5. Perfect spelling and grammar

This one should be obvious. Do not include any typos or grammatical errors in a college essay. We get it, mistakes happen, but with so many online platforms to help you catch grammatical errors (and of course offline supporters like your parents, teachers, or friends), there’s really no excuse. That brings us to…

Bonus Tip: Don’t rely on ChatGPT to write your essays

It can be enticing: a robot to write your essay for you? What could go wrong! Sure, ChatGPT could potentially create an acceptable essay, but it destroys the whole point of contributing an essay to your application. Letting the admissions committee get to know you, authentically, as more than just grades or test scores. 

ChatGPT’s writing is at worst, cliché and predictable, and at best, intellectually dishonest. If you want to use it to grammar check your essay, or look up information about Texas Tech, go to town. However, keep in mind that ChatGPT is not completely reliable when it comes to facts. So to be honest, it’s better to avoid it altogether.

For more tips on how to write better essays, check out this guide .

Texas Tech Essays Takeaways

We hope that this breakdown of the Texas Tech essays has helped you learn more about how to get into Texas Tech. Before you go, here are 5 main takeaways to remember as you start working on your TTU application:

Texas Tech Essays Final Takeaways

Texas Tech Essays

  • Texas Tech is one of the top 10 best colleges in Texas, and the Texas Tech acceptance rate is 67%. Applicants will want to do everything they can to enhance their application.
  • The Texas Tech application deadlines are December 1 (Summer/Fall Priority Scholarship Deadline), May 1 (Summer/Fall Priority Application Deadline), and November 1 (Spring Priority Scholarship Deadline and Spring Priority Application Deadline). These Texas Tech application deadlines are a little different than other colleges—make sure you research which deadline is right for you.
  • There are no required Texas Tech essays. However, it is highly recommended that you write at least one essay. You can and should use the Common Application or the Apply Texas portal to respond to the Texas Tech essay prompts. 
  • Though there are many optional parts of the TTU application, it’s always better to supply as much material as you can. if you have already written a Common App essay, asked for a letter of recommendation, or created a resume for another school, don’t hesitate to submit these same materials to Texas Tech!
  • When writing your Texas Tech essays, focus on deep self-reflection. Avoid simply listing your accomplishments or providing only general details. Highlight your most important experiences and best qualities in an engaging and well-crafted essay.

For any college application help, don’t hesitate to review CollegeAdvisor’s extensive catalog of Articles and Guides . Good luck!

Texas Tech Essays

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

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A freshman applicant is a current high school student (with or without college credit) or a high school graduate with no college credit earned after high school graduation. 

There's still time to be an aggie in fall 2024  , the application to the higher education center at mcallen is open.  apply now at hecm fall application ., join the aggie family, what location do i want to attend, college station, higher education center at mcallen, texas a&m university at galveston, how to be admitted, in-state students, top 10% admission.

Texas residents who rank in the top 10% of their graduating class qualify for automatic admission to any state school in Texas.

  • Attend a public or private high school in Texas AND
  • Rank in the top 10% of your graduating class on or before the application deadline AND
  • Report Top 10% rank on Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) AND
  • Provide a complete official high school transcript that includes a numeric rank. AND
  • Satisfy the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy AND
  • Make sure all required documents are received by the application deadline.

Holistic Review

If you do not qualify for top 10%, but meet the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy , your application file, which includes all factors you noted, will be reviewed in a holistic manner*.

  • Academic factors include all high school courses attempted and grades earned, rigor of coursework, GPA and class rank.
  • Non-academic factors include involvement in extracurricular activities, community service, leadership, employment and summer activities as well as extraordinary opportunities, challenges and hardships experienced during high school career.

Students applying for fall admission may receive a decision within a month of file completion. However, applying early does not guarantee an early decision. Generally, most students in review will receive a decision between January 1 and late March. * All applicants to the College of Engineering will be reviewed for placement into General Engineering including students who qualify for Top 10% automatic admission.  This includes Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Computer Science, Industrial Distribution, and Engineering Technology.

Non-Resident Students

Out-of-state.

  • Most Out-of-State students are admitted through the holistic review process. Read holistic review qualifications in the In-State Student section above.
  • Texas residents completing high school in another state may qualify for Top 10% automatic admission. Submit a residency questionnaire to determine eligibility.

International

You are an international freshman if you:

  • are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or
  • are not graduating from a Texas high school after three years in residence in Texas (please review  Senate Bill 1528 ) and
  • are a student without college credit or
  • earned college credit prior to high school graduation (dual credit/early college high school)

Learn about your future as an  International Freshman .

What Do I Need to Apply?

Admission application.

Prospective students can submit their applications through ApplyTexas or  Common App . The application you choose will not affect your admission decision.

NOTE : On average, it takes 3-5 business days from the time your application is successfully submitted for Texas A&M to receive it. Monitor your email address which you provided on the application for the Application Acknowledgement communication.

The application essay is your chance to set yourself apart from other applicants. Texas A&M cares about more than your grades and scores, we want to know what makes you you!

REQUIRED Apply Texas and Common App Essay: “Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?"

No additional essays will be reviewed.

Read through our essay and application tips to get a step ahead on the competition.

Essays should be submitted as part of the application or uploaded in the Applicant Information System (AIS) .

Non-Refundable Processing Fee

A $75 non-refundable processing fee is required to complete your application.

The application fee can be paid through ApplyTexas or Common App , or to pay with a credit card by phone, call 979-458-5155.

Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR)

If you need help, see our SRAR FAQs and video tutorials ..

The following applicants are required to submit a high school transcript:

  • Texas residents reporting a Top 10% ranking must submit the SRAR with their rank and also provide verification of ranking by submitting an official high school transcript with a relative numeric ranking via TREx or the upload feature in AIS.  If no Top 10% rank is reported on the SRAR automatic admission will be delayed. (This only applies to Texas residents ranked within the Top 10% of their senior class.)
  • Applicants who have already graduated high school must submit a SRAR and a final high school transcript via TRex or mail .
  • Applicants not completing high school in the U.S.  will not submit a SRAR but   must submit official or certified copies of all secondary school records and/or examination results. All academic records not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Learn more about International Freshman requirements.  
  • GED graduates will not submit a SRAR but must submit their official GED transcript along with official partial high school transcript(s). The original certificate and transcript(s) may be sent by mail or hand delivered to Aggie One Stop.

Note: If a rank is not provided by the high school for students to enter in their SRAR a rank will be assigned.

If Applicable

High school curriculum requirement (texas private high schools only).

Students who do not meet the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy (UAP) must provide Exemption Form 3 .

Best Method: Upload in the Applicant Information System OR  Mail

Permanent Resident Card or I-551

Students who are not U.S. citizens but are permanent residents (or have applied for permanent residency) need to provide a copy of the card.

For information about submitting the Permanent Residency Card, see the Document Submission Page .

Senate Bill 1528 Affidavit

Resumes .

Resumes should only be used if you run out of space on the application. If you've accomplished so much your application can't handle it, this is what a resume is for. Struggling to figure out what belongs? We've got you covered with Accomplishment Tips .

Upload in the Applicant Information System

Official Test Scores

Texas A&M University is test optional and will not require ACT or SAT scores for freshman applicants. We encourage students who have test score to send them. The submission of test scores will not create any unfair advantage or disadvantage for those students who provide them.

For additional information regarding test scores, read our FAQs under "Test-Optional Admissions.".

  • You must send your scores through the testing agency.
  • Your highest total score from a single test date will be considered for admission.
  • SAT and ACT scores expire after five years.
  • Optional essay/writing portion is not required.
  • Allow 2-4 weeks for scores to be received.

Letters of Recommendation 

Once submitted, you will not be able to see your letters of recommendation. We will consider the first two letters received as part of your admission file.  Letters of recommendation should be uploaded via the Applicant Information System or sent through the mail .

When Can I Apply?

What happens after i apply, notification of decision.

We make admission decisions on an ongoing basis throughout an admission cycle. Applying early does not guarantee an early decision. Once a decision is released it will be posted in the Applicant Information System.

Top 10%: Students who qualify for Top 10% admission will typically receive a decision within three weeks of completing their admission file. 

Students in Holistic Review: All students applying for spring admission will receive a decision by early December. Most students applying for fall admission will receive a decision between January 1 and late March.

Applicants who apply to the College of Engineering and have a complete admission file by the Early Action Deadline of October 15 will receive a communication regarding their admission decision by mid-December. The communication will notify the student of admission or deferral to the January-February decision timeline.

Admissions Decision Appeals 

Every applicant who was not admitted through automatic admission criteria to Texas A&M University has had their application file considered through an extensive holistic review  that considers both academic and non-academic factors . T he review process is ve ry thorough — therefore,  it is unusual for an admission decision to be reversed.

F or an appeal to have merit, it must bring to light new  and compelling academic and/or personal information as well as details pertaining to extenuating circumstances that were not addressed in the original application. The appeals process is not a re-review of an existing applicant file and appeals will not be  considered  from applicants who are not submitting new information.

Guidelines for Submitting an Appeal:

  • You are required to speak with an  admissions representative  to have your appeal option “enabled.”
  • You must submit the appeal by April 1. Appeals from parents/guardians or high school officials will not be accepted.
  • Your appeal must be submitted  in AIS . Emails or mailed materials will not be accepted.
  • Your appeal must present new and compelling information not included in your original application.
  • Your appeal should include an explanation of why the new information was not submitted in your original application.
  • Your appeal should include supporting documentation.
  • You will be notified of your appeal decision in  AIS  no later than May 1st.
  • You may only appeal once and the decision is final.

Basis for an Appeal:

  • Grade change — an inaccurate grade was reported on your  Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) or  transcript thus impacting your GPA and class rank
  • Medical condition — you failed to report a medical condition, illness or surgery which negatively impacted your academics and/or personal achievement s
  • Extenuating life circumstance — you failed to report a life-changing circumstance (such as the death of a parent or financial hardship) that negatively impacted your academics and/or personal achievement s

Supporting Documentation:

  • High school transcript showing grade change
  • Documented letter from high school counselor referencing grade change
  • Documented evidence from health care provider referencing medical condition, illness or surgery which shows the compelling reason why your academic s and/ or personal achievement s  were affected

Information Not Considered:

  • Interest in attending Texas A&M
  • Grades earned after admission decision or admission deadline
  • Test scores received after admission decision or admission deadline
  • Recent personal achievements, awards, honors etc.
  • Interviews with admission representatives

Who is eligible to submit an appeal?

Any student who has received an admission decision from Texas A&M and can present new and compelling academic and/or personal information, including extenuating circumstances, that were not addressed in the original application. How do I submit an appeal?

Appeals are submitted  in AIS —  however, you must first contact an admissions representative at a  Prospective Student Center  to activate the appeal option. You will be asked to answer a series of questions to qualify your appeal. If you   present information that quali fies  for an appeal  as  outlined  abov e , the admissions representative will then enable your appeal. You will be required to submit your appeal along with any supporting documents through AIS. All documents should be submitted at the same time. What kind of situations can someone appeal?

You may appeal about a variety of things, including significant academic or personal achievements that were not disclosed  with  the original application. For an appeal to have merit there must be new and compelling information such as a grade change, medical condition or extenuating life circumstance.  You  are encouraged to submit any supporting information  you  feel will help the committee make an informed decision. Can I appeal if I was offered to participate in   TEAM ,   PSA or Engineering options?

You may appeal any admission decision if you meet the criteria to do so — however, since it may take some time for a final decision to be reached, it is not a good idea to put off any required paperwork necessary to participate in   TEAM ,   PSA  or Engineering options  if these are in any way a possibility you would consider. I have been admitted to another university. Should I wait for my appeal decision before accepting the other offer?

Since there is no guarantee that your appeal will be granted, it is always a good idea to have a backup plan. Most universities require students to accept their admission offer by May 1.  How long do I have to submit an appeal?

Appeals must be submitted by April 1. What happens after I submit an appeal?

After submitting your appeal, the committee will consider all new information and make a decision about your request. It’s important to remember that only new information will be considered. The appeals process is not a re-review of an existing file. Once a decision has been made, it is final. How long will it take to receive a decision?

The time it takes for a decision to be made can vary. In some cases, a decision may be reached within a couple of weeks. In other cases, decisions may involve questions that are more complex and so it may take longer. All students will be notified of a decision no later than May 1. Appeal decisions will be posted  in AIS . Who will make the decision?

All appeals are reviewed by an Admissions  Decisions  Appeals Committee  which is comprised o f representatives from Admissions, Financial Aid and the academic colleges . The committee will meet weekly or more often if deemed necessary. May I speak with someone on the Admissions Appeals Committee?

No, members of the Admissions Appeals Committee are not available to speak with applicants by phone or in person. Can someone submit an appeal on my behalf?

Appeals will only be accepted from the student, not a parent/guardian, teacher or alumni. What is the likelihood that my appeal will be granted?

Historically, few admission decisions have been changed through the appeals process. There is no guarantee that any appeal will be approved or that any specific factor will increase the odds for an appeal to be approved. Appeals are considered on a case - by case basis.

Tracking Your Application Status

After you submit your application you will receive an email with your Universal Identification Number (UIN) and instructions to access the Applicant Information System (AIS) at the Howdy Student Portal via the Applicant tab. Check regularly to make sure all your documents have been received.

Allow 2-3 weeks to process each document you submit. Documents you submit within one month of the deadline may not appear on your AIS checklist until after the deadline. Please bring any questions about your file to our attention immediately by clicking "Contact Us" in AIS.

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How to Write a Texas Format Essay

Last Updated: February 16, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 169,265 times.

A great structure which can be used to help write an essay is the TEXAS format. This is actually necessary in the New Zealand system of qualifications. [1] X Research source It's also a great way to structure an essay. However, many people don't know how to use it. If you've missed a few lessons at school, this article can help you catch up.

essay for apply texas

Writing Your Own TEXAS Format Essay

Step 1 Formulate your argument.

  • Mention your individual points. But try not to describe them. Just briefly mentioning them is fine.
  • Banter, a brief sentence that is not quite on topic is a must. Don't make your introduction too long. Try to keep to five lines, seven at the most. An essay I wrote about Overcrowded Roads began thus:
  • "Traffic Jams have become an issue in New Zealand. This is because of overcrowded roads, and is quite a problem in centers such as Auckland. Several government initiatives have been introduced to solve the problem, such as more roads, better traffic management and more public transport. However, I don't think these are the best solutions." Notice how the first line grabs the readers attention. I then go on to elaborate, revealing the actual issue I'm talking about. Then I mention the government initiatives (banter) and then set out my three main points in order of appearance. I tie off the paragraph by expressing my view. Your introduction needs to be a subliminal contents page. The reader has to know where you going before you go there. A common mistake people make in essay writing is saying, "In this essay I will talk about..." You will almost certainly be marked down for this. Be imaginative in replacing this phrase.

Step 3 The Body Paragraphs....

  • T - stands for Topic. Here you state what you'll be talking about in the paragraph. It only needs to be one line, just enough to specify what you're talking about.
  • E - stands for Explain. Here you will elaborate on your Topic, giving the reader more information about what it is. One line will do here, but two is more beneficial for your mark.
  • X - stands for Example. This is where your paragraph comes to the crunch. You will have to use a real example. If you're to a Response to Literature, you'll need a real quote. If you're doing a formal writing essay you'll be able to get away with a looser interpretation of the word 'real'. You necessarily be judged on the content of your quote, but more on how you use it to back up your argument.
  • A - stands for Analysis. Here you discuss how your example backs up your argument. Two lines is a good bet here, the more you show how much you understand your example the better. Feel free to start it off with, 'This shows how..." or "Here we see..." You shouldn't get marked down particularly, but you'll get marked up for a more original link.
  • S - stands for Summary. This often means repeating your Topic statement with more affirmative grammar. Rearranging the words never hurt either. Put all of this together and you get a TEXAS paragraph. A paragraph trying to prove overcrowding on roads might go:
  • "New Zealand roads are seriously overcrowded. Everyone owns a car, and everyone uses them.This has lead to crowded streets and more traffic jams. A government report released in 2006 showed a 20% increase in traffic jams over the last 10 years. This is the direct result of too many cars on the road, and the government is concerned about it. If the government is concerned so should we be. New Zealand roads are far too overcrowded." Notice how my example wasn't accurate; I got a merit for this paragraph despite this. The reason I got merit was because I did not use the more complicated paragraph form TEXAXAS. This is simply where you add in an extra example and analysis. TEXAXAS is not a crucial component of getting an Excellence, but it helps. The real reason I got a merit on this paragraph was because I used a generalization in the second sentence. Try to avoid these, the markers don't like them. I'd have been better off if I'd said " Most people own a car..." instead of everyone.

Step 4 The Summary.

  • "All in all, success is winning. The two words are the same. And anyway, why would you play a sport if you didn't intend to win? Who would rather lose than win? The derogatory term 'loser' is not showered on the successful. Success is winning, so unless you win, you lose." Despite my 'excellence' grade here, I could have done better. If I'd used examples from earlier in the essay to back up the points mentioned here, I'd have done far better. Note how I used questions. Examiners love this, finishing with a question leaves the reader thinking. Although it may not get you extra marks, it will give the examiner a better opinion of your essay. Also note how I tied off, using a slightly rhetorical statement. This brings the impact of the entire essay home in one hit, leaving the reader knowing what my argument was. Writing a TEXAS essay isn't difficult, anyone can do it. Writing one well is the trick.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • Practice is always good. While revising for an exam, write mock essays under mock exam conditions. The more you succeed at this stage, the more you'll succeed at the actual exam. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Relax while writing. Don't feel that just because it says Formal Writing at the top of the page that you have to be rigid in your language. Formal only means you shouldn't use acronyms, abbreviations or colloquialisms like 'Mate'. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

essay for apply texas

  • This guide is just that, a guide. It is not a teaching resource. Trust your teachers before you trust this guide! Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2

You Might Also Like

Write an Essay

  • ↑ https://nzhistory.govt.nz/te-akomanga/skills/communicating-information-paragraph-writing
  • ↑ https://artdaily.com/news/146539/How-to-Write-a-TEXAS-Format-Essay#.Y7y5DHZBxD8
  • ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXakluY3OB4
  • ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6UDOQcMoPM

About This Article

Alicia Cook

One way to structure your essay is to use the TEXAS format, which stands for Topic, Explain, Example, Analysis, and Summary. For the introduction, write a 5 to 7 line paragraph that tells the reader what you’re going to talk about. The first line should state the problem you’re arguing about, like “Teenage drivers are irresponsible.” Then, spend the rest of the paragraph introducing the main points of your argument. After the introduction, you’ll move on to the body paragraphs, which is where you’ll do your arguing. Each paragraph should be organized around the TEXAS format, so start with your topic for the paragraph, explain your topic, give an example of the issue, analyze the example, and summarize the topic for that paragraph. End your essay with a summary that briefly reiterates your main points. You can also include some examples from earlier in the essay to back up the main points you explored or end with a question to leave the reader thinking about your topic. To learn how to create a rough essay plan, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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IMAGES

  1. Apply Texas College Essays

    essay for apply texas

  2. UT-Austin and Texas A&M Join the Common Application

    essay for apply texas

  3. How to Write a Texas Format Essay: 4 Steps (with Pictures)

    essay for apply texas

  4. 🎉 Apply texas essay topic a example. How to Write Perfect ApplyTexas

    essay for apply texas

  5. Essay Prompts For Applytexas

    essay for apply texas

  6. How to Write a Texas Format Essay: 4 Steps (with Pictures)

    essay for apply texas

VIDEO

  1. Apply to Texas A&M Admission with Full Scholarship

  2. STUDY IN USA #Get offer letter in 10days

  3. Supplemental Essays 2023

COMMENTS

  1. How to Write the ApplyTexas Essays 2023-2024 + Examples

    1 short answer for applicants to the College of Engineering. Also accepts the Common App. Baylor University, Waco: Choose between Topic A, B or C (optional). Also accepts the Common App and its own application. Texas Christian University: Any essay topic on the ApplyTexas application (optional)

  2. How to Write Perfect ApplyTexas Essays

    There are four essay prompts on the ApplyTexas application for first-year admission (Topics A, B, C, and D). For Topics A, B, and C, there are slight variations on the prompt for transfer students or those looking to be readmitted. We'll cover each variation just below the main topic breakdown.

  3. Essays & Short Answers

    Transfer Essays (Spring 2024) Transfer applicants must submit two essays responding to Topic A and an additional topic below. (Summer 2024 and beyond) Transfer applicants must submit one essay responding to Topic A.

  4. A Great ApplyTexas Essay Example

    ApplyTexas allows its users to apply to hundreds of Texan colleges on one platform. While each school has its own essay requirements, most students should be prepared to answer either Topic A, B, or C. This article focuses on Topic A. In this post, we'll share an essay a real student submitted for Topic A.

  5. College Essays for Students in Texas

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

  6. Apply Texas Essays- Latest Guide

    Sarah Kaminski Apply Texas Essays 2023 If you live in Texas or plan on applying to schools there, it's likely that you've heard of the Apply Texas portal. At Texas schools, the Apply Texas essays are an important part of the application process.

  7. How to Write the ApplyTexas Essays for Transfers, Re-admits, and

    General Tips for Writing ApplyTexas Essays as a Transfer, Re-admit, or Transient Student Determine which essays are required before you start writing. While you are welcome to respond to every prompt, only a few are required for each University of Texas school. Check out the requirements for schools on your list before beginning your essays.

  8. How to Respond to the ApplyTexas Essay Prompts

    The ApplyTexas essay prompts are a crucial part of the application, and we will walk you through them step-by-step in this guide. ApplyTexas is a common application form used by most Texas public universities and a few private Texas universities.

  9. Freshman Admission Essays : Undergraduate Admissions : Texas State

    Essays may be submitted through your ApplyTexas or CommonApp account or by using our document uploader. Essay Topics - ApplyTexas Topic A Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today? Topic B

  10. Ultimate Guide to the ApplyTexas Application

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

  11. Freshman

    Application Requirements Required for ALL freshman applicants who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or who are graduating from a Texas high school. Application We recommend using the Common App to apply, but you can also apply using the Apply Texas application. Common App Application Fee

  12. How to Apply to College in Texas

    Step 1: Edit and complete your profile Step 2: Start an application Completing the U.S. freshman questions Completing school-specific questions Submitting essays Watching ApplyTexas deadlines Completing scholarship applications Submitting your applications Writing the ApplyTexas Essays Answering Topics A and B Topic A essay example

  13. Thirteen New Apply Texas Essay A Tell Us Your Story Examples

    Thirteen New Apply Texas Essay A Tell Us Your Story Examples — Tex Admissions Check out these Apply Texas Essay A essay examples about identity, culture, leadership, family, art, volunteering, animal welfare, recovering from injuries, moving cities, and founding an organization among others.

  14. The ApplyTexas Application: Everything You Need to Know

    ApplyTexas is another online college submission system specifically for certain Texas schools, similar to other platforms like the Common Application or Coalition Application. As one of the biggest states in the country, Texas provides many higher education options, especially for its residents.

  15. Your Guide to Apply Texas Essays

    What is the General Approach to Writing Apply Texas Essays? While each of the topics have unique challenges and opportunities, there are still some general guidelines you should follow when writing any of the Apply Texas essays. Here is a list of considerations for all essays: Length: Aim for 650-750 words (unless your college says something else).

  16. Six Examples of Apply Texas A "Tell Us Your Story"

    Six Examples of Apply Texas A "Tell Us Your Story" — Tex Admissions I provide seven examples of Apply Texas Essay A for UT-Austin: "Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today? "

  17. Nine Examples of UT-Austin Transfer Apply Texas Essay A Statement of

    UT requires all prospective external transfer students to write a 600-750 word response to Apply Texas Essay 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 ...

  18. How To Apply

    Admissions Essay A or B through Apply Texas. Five hundred words are recommended for minimum length. ... You may be required to submit an additional copy to the Office of Financial Aid if you are applying for Texas Grant or Top 10 Percent Scholarships. TPHSC Form-1: For students who did NOT complete IPC prior to 2010-2011.

  19. ApplyTexas

    Admissions and scholarships applications for Texas institutions of higher education. ...

  20. Texas Tech Essay Prompts

    Essay B (Common App/Apply Texas) - Students can respond to an essay prompt about their identity, interests, or talents. 800 words max. Common App Personal Statement Essay. The Common App essay, also often called the Personal Statement, is a 200-650 word essay. When you hear people talking about writing their "college essay," this is ...

  21. Freshman

    A freshman applicant is a current high school student (with or without college credit) or a high school graduate with no college credit earned after high school graduation. There's still time to be an Aggie in Fall 2024! The application to the Higher Education Center at McAllen is OPEN. Apply now at HECM Fall Application. Join the Aggie Family Texas A&M University is home to more than 70,000 ...

  22. How to Write a Texas Format Essay: 4 Steps (with Pictures)

    Once you have your ideas, create a rough essay plan, detailing where you will put your arguments and what examples you will use to back it up. Once you've done that, you can begin writing the actual essay. [2] 2. The Introduction. This a five line paragraph that tells the reader what you're going to talk about.

  23. ApplyTexas

    [email protected]. Admissions and scholarships applications for Texas institutions of higher education.