The Admissions Strategist
How to write the uva supplemental essays 2020-2021: the excellent guide.
Housed on a beautiful campus in Charlottesville, VA, the University of Virginia boasts a 27% acceptance rate and brings great students from across the country together based on their shared desire for an excellent education.
One way to stand out among other UVA applicants is to write amazing and unique supplemental essays.
UVA requires you to submit school-specific supplemental essays so they can get to know the parts of you that don’t show through a typical college application. These essays are often one of the ways that admissions committees make their final decisions.
What are the UVA Supplemental Essay Requirements?
There are two types of supplemental essays for the University of Virginia, and both are required for your application.
- The first is the college or program-specific essay, which will ask you to describe or respond to a situation related to the program to which you are applying.
- The second is the general essay, which gives you more creative liberty (but can also be equally as difficult to write).
The supplemental essay prompts can be found under the “University of Virginia” section on the Common Application, as well as on the University of Virginia Office of Undergraduate Admissions Website.
Click above to watch a video on UVA Supplemental Essays.
Worried? Don’t be!
In this guide, we’ll offer specific tips on how to write supplemental essays for the University of Virginia. Then, we’ll go through each of the essay questions individually, providing advice on how to approach them.
Tips from the University of Virginia
To start, UVA’s admissions team offers some advice to applicants:
- Try not to overthink your responses.
- Don’t feel like you have to use academic writing structure.
- Don’t feel like you have to take all of the advice you receive.
UVA notes that the supplemental essay questions are intentionally broad and open-ended in order to give you the opportunity to share your voice through the essay. They recommend that you ignore feedback if it doesn’t fit your writing style.
- Above all else, be sure to write essays that are true to your experiences and values .
Below, we’ll begin looking through each of the University of Virginia supplemental essay questions.
School/Program-specific Questions:
The University of Virginia begins their school/program-specific question prompt list with the following statement:
“We are looking for passionate students to join our diverse community of scholars, researchers, and artists. Answer the question that corresponds to the school/program to which you are applying in a half page or roughly 250 words.”
Keep this statement in mind as you work on the prompt that pertains to the program you are applying to, and be sure to incorporate it into your essay.
UVA College of Arts and Sciences Supplemental Essay
What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or inspired you, and in what way?
If you know the specific major you’re wanting to earn, you can use it to answer this question.
- Did a recent finding in the field of biology have an impact on you?
- Maybe you read a news article on CRISPR and were so amazed that you can’t imagine working in any other field.
- Or, if you’re interested in physics, maybe you saw the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch and are interested in developing the next generation of space flight shuttles.
Whatever your future major is, relating your essay to the general field is a good idea because it shows that you’ve spent some time thinking about what you may want to major in and what kind of impact you’d like to have as an alumnus of the University of Virginia.
It also shows you’ve got a passion for the field you want to enter.
Okay, but what if you aren’t sure what you want to major in?
- Instead, pick something that occurred recently in your life related to art, music, science, math, or literature.
Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem particularly groundbreaking. The important thing is to pick a topic on which you can write 250 well-crafted words.
- Did your favorite band release a new album that doesn’t sound anything like their old music?
- Is there a book or magazine/newspaper column you read that shocked you?
Pick something that inspires your curiosity, and use the essay to show a bit of yourself while you explain why your finding was so awe-striking. After all, the admissions team is wanting to learn about you through your essay submission.
UVA School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Supplemental Essay
Describe an engineering feat that serves the common good and why it inspires you to study engineering.
This question is extremely broad, so you can take it almost any direction you’d like:
Simply think of an engineering feat (which could be basically anything ever built) and why it “serves the common good,” or has made a difference in the lives of people around the world.
If you’re able to, you may want to consider choosing an engineering feat that has affected your life personally. That way, you’re shining a light on various aspects of your life in one supplemental essay, allowing the admissions team to get to know you even better.
- You could talk about the most amazing bridge you’ve ever seen, and what its done for the community its located within
- Maybe you grew up in the most efficient tiny home imaginable, and it gave you an incredible childhood. How does your tiny home (and other tiny houses) affect the lives of the people who live in them?
- If you’re in need of some more inspiration, check out these 25 engineering feats from around the world. Many of them could lead to unique and creative essay prompt responses
Don’t forget the second half of this prompt; why does this specific engineering feat inspire you? Would you like to make a similar difference in the world one day? Does the structure simply blow your mind every time you see it?
Use the second half of the prompt to show your passion for engineering, and even some of your engineering experience and/or knowledge if it fits and flows well.
UVA School of Architecture Supplemental Essay
Describe a significant experience that deepened your interest in studying in the School of Architecture.
Since you’re passionate enough about Architecture to want to major in it, this question should come fairly easy.
However, that doesn’t always make starting a simple process. If that inspiration doesn’t hit right away, try not to worry; You’re still going to write an amazing essay.
First, think back on your life and your experiences with Architecture:
- Was there a “light bulb moment” that inspired your future in the field of Architecture?
- Have you loved intricate buildings since you had the chance to visit a castle on your family trip to Europe?
- Did you walk into an odd building one day and come out with a plan to improve its layout and functionality?
Your experience doesn’t have to be one-of-a-kind (though it’s great if it is). The most important thing is that you bring the admissions team with you to that place through your essay, showing them those specific details that made you fall in love with Architecture.
Show your passion and drive for your future career in the field. Share your curiosity and interests. When the admissions team sees why you love the field and when they can tell you’re truly interested in becoming the next Architectural expert, your essay is sure to stand out.
Get personalized advice!
Uva school of nursing supplemental essay.
Describe a healthcare-related experience or another significant interaction that deepened your interest in studying nursing.
This is an excellent prompt, as it’s not extremely specific. The admissions team simply wants to know why you want to become a nurse, and they want you to show them through a heartfelt or inspiring story.
Don’t worry if your story isn’t specifically related to nursing; just let your essay show why you’re passionate about your future as a nurse.
- Do you have a relative in a nursing home or hospital? How have your interactions with them shaped your ideas on nursing?
- Have you seen media coverage (TV, documentary, etc.) on nursing?
- Why are you interested in going into nursing rather than becoming a doctor? Was there a moment where you chose nursing over becoming a doctor?
Once you have an experience in mind, write it all down. Make bullet-points, make a list, write a three-page story; whatever you have to do to get your passions down onto a page.
Then, take what you’ve written and find the most important parts. Take the words that mean the most (and the ones that tell the story well) and turn them into an essay of no more than 250 words.
Remember to be honest about your experience (in other words, it doesn’t need to be a positive experience) and how it affected your decision to study nursing. Authenticity is unbeatable.
Show the admissions team your heart for nursing, and you’ll give them what they need to make your final admission decision.
UVA Kinesiology Program Supplemental Essay
Discuss experiences that led you to choose the Kinesiology major.
This is the most straightforward of the program-specific essay prompts, in that it tells you exactly what to write about.
If you have trouble answering this prompt, think about why you’re interested in Kinesiology and what you might want to do with a degree in Kinesiology.
- For example, you may have injured yourself playing a sport and needed physical therapy, which introduced you to the field of kinesiology.
- Maybe you’re fascinated by all things needed for athletic performance; joints, muscles, bones, etc.
- You might be passionate about continuing your sports journey without becoming a professional athlete.
Hopefully, this brainstorming will help you connect to experiences that you can write about. If you need more help brainstorming, use this excellent guide .
The UVA General Supplemental Essay Prompts
Now, we’ll take a look at the more general supplemental essay prompts. You only need to pick one of these prompts for your application.
If you are having trouble deciding on a prompt, try writing a rough draft for each of them (or any number of them that you’d like to try out).
Once you read through your drafts, it will become easier to see which prompt provides the best platform for you to make your mark on the admissions committee.
Before diving into the individual prompts, here’s a quick reminder: Try not to overthink these essays. In most cases, they are as straightforward as they seem.
UVA Supplemental Essay 1: Your Favorite Word
What’s your favorite word and why?
Before starting this essay, it might be helpful to perform the following exercise: Over the course of a few days, write down all the words you encounter that seem odd or interesting.
You might ask yourself some questions to help brainstorm as well:
- Are there certain words you use often?
- Are there certain words you use only in specific situations? Why?
- Have you read a book that contained a word you found interesting? What was it?
A problem that students usually have with this essay prompt is that they change their minds mid-essay as other potential words pop into their minds.
One day, you might think that your favorite word is “complacent,” whereas, the next day, it might be “hamster.”
This exercise helps you to list out all of the potential words you could write about. From there, you can pick the word that you like the most or find is easiest to write about.
Then it’s time to write your essay.
Share your word with the admissions team, and possibly a quick definition. Then, explain what it means to you. Remember that the admissions team wants to learn about you. Try making more of the essay about why this word is your favorite, and less about the definition of the word itself.
UVA Supplemental Essay 2: Quirks
We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are.
Similarly to the last essay prompt, you may want to take a couple of days to think about this one, listing out any quirks you might have:
- Do you have any memorable habits or routines?
- Is there a phrase that you use frequently?
- Do your friends or family members comment on any of your positive personality traits? How does this trait manifest in everyday life?
Maybe you wake up every morning and have a glass of water with lemon because it helps you feel refreshed. Write about it!
Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family about your quirks , as it may reveal interesting potential essay topics you may not have considered.
Along with your quirk, share some reasons why it’s great. You are trying to get into a college with this essay, after all.
UVA Supplemental Essay 3: Flash Seminar
Student self-governance, which encourages student investment and initiative, is a hallmark of the UVA culture. In her fourth year at UVA, Laura Nelson was inspired to create Flash Seminars, one-time classes which facilitate high-energy discussion about thought-provoking topics outside of traditional coursework. If you created a Flash Seminar, what idea would you explore and why?
This prompt may seem intimidating because of its reference to a student creating an impressive organization, but try to remember that it isn’t the point of the prompt.
Instead, pick a topic that interests you!:
- What are your hobbies?
- Do you play any sports?
- What is the first random fact that pops into your head?
- What did you do last summer?
- Are there any global issues you care about and want others to know of?
For example, if you spent your last summer volunteering at a soup kitchen, you might create a Flash Seminar on the importance of volunteering based on your experiences.
The essay may even be about a topic that you feel is important for every person to think about and discuss.
The essay does not need to be related to academics. As long as you can write 250 words about the topic and why you think it is important for other people to learn about, it’ll be worth creating an essay about.
UVA Supplemental Essay 4: Beta Bridge
UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. What would you paint on Beta Bridge and why is this your message?
This might be the most difficult essay prompt for most students because of how open-ended it is, but it also gives you a lot of room to leave your own creative or intellectual mark on the admissions committee.
- What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
- What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?
- What is something helpful that you think more people should know about?
- Is there a public issue that you feel needs more awareness?
Even if your idea is small, don’t worry. Maybe you’ve noticed that you don’t carry enough water around, and want to remind everyone to stay hydrated!
Your message does not need to be groundbreaking or related to academics, as long as you can write about it.
Make your response unique, and try to catch the attention of the admissions team.
If your essay shines on who you are, what’s unique about you, or a topic you care about, it’s sure to stand out when it’s reviewed at UVA.
UVA Supplemental Essay 5: An Alternative to Complaining
Rita Dove, UVA English professor and former U.S. Poet Laureate, once said in an interview that “…there are times in life when, instead of complaining, you do something about your complaints.” Describe a time when, instead of complaining, you took action for the greater good.
We all know that complaining isn’t the best way to deal with the problems we encounter; however, it sure is a natural thing to do (and it can be hard to avoid).
Think back on a time you chose to take action instead of complaining.
- Maybe you forgot about an assignment until the night it was due. Instead of complaining and asking for more time, you stayed up late to get it done.
- You may have noticed someone being treated unfairly and stood up for them right there on the spot.
No matter what the situation was, if you chose not to complain, you can turn it into a compelling essay.
Show UVA that you are an initiative taker and a difference maker. Show them you’re responsible and you don’t like to take the easy way out.
When the admissions team sees those qualities shining through the words you write, they’ve got to be impressed.
Conclusion: How to Write the UVA Supplemental Essays
Now that you’ve read through some tips on how to write the supplemental essays, it’s time to get writing!
Be sure to start early with brainstorming and planning. UVA, more so than most universities, asks you to be creative with their supplemental essays.
Even if you don’t like your first drafts, it is much easier to rewrite a draft based on the things you did not like than it is to attempt to revise an essay you haven’t yet written.
Last, remember to keep it real. Authenticity is key.
With an essay written from a place of creativity and authenticity, you’re sure to stand out.
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How to Write Your Way into UVA
In college admissions, essays can serve as the tipping point. Here are some tips, pointers and actual essays that recently made the cut.
To build the 3,974-member Class of 2023, UVA admission deans culled through 40,880 applications. How big a role did the student essays play in the final decision? We asked an expert: Macy Lenox (Col ’94), associate dean of undergraduate admission. Here’s our conversation, edited and condensed.
Virginia Magazine: What carries the most weight in the final admission decision?
Lenox: What we find on the transcript is going to be the first and most important aspect of the application. [Then] we’re going to start looking at impact and contribution, and we get to that through extracurricular activities and teacher recommendations.
The essay is the one time we’re going to kind of sit back in our chair and give students the opportunity to talk to us. So they want to use that time wisely. The best essays are those that you read and you don’t just want to admit the student, you want to take them out for coffee once they get to Grounds.
With that said, will an extraordinary essay make the case for a student who is not qualified? The answer is no. One of my former colleagues used to say: It can heal the sick, but it can’t raise the dead.
Are any essay topics better than another?
There’s no such thing as a golden-ticket topic. What makes the essay is not the topic; it’s how you approach your topic and what it reveals about you.
We read a lot of essays about sports and that sort of thing. And I would say most of them are solid, and they’re grammatically correct, and there are no typos, and they’re well-organized, and they tell me something about a student. It’s going to be confirming that you can write an essay.
But this is a process where you want to stand out. And so it’s a process of not just writing a confirming essay but writing an elevating essay. Don’t tell me everything that soccer has taught you. Tell me the one thing that’s been truly transformative. Tell it to me as a story. Be descriptive. Be reflective.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable—you know, to talk about shortcomings or areas where you felt weak. We all have that. It’s perfectly fine to be normal. And at no point should you say, “Soccer taught me to be a leader.” That should emerge from your essay. You know: Show me, don’t tell me.
What’s one common mistake you see in essays?
So many try to be the person they think we want them to be. Stay in your lane, if you will. If you’re a funny person, write a funny essay. But if you’re not really known as a funny person, don’t write a funny essay. It’s probably not going to be funny. If you write about something you love, it’s probably going to come through.
We are comfortable with a 17-year-old voice. We typically know when we’re hearing a 40- or 50-year-old voice.
Any final piece of advice for essay-writing?
What we caution against is what we call death by committee—where you’ve had so many people contributing little pieces of an essay [that] all of a sudden you’ve got five different voices in your essay.
I definitely recommend you get other people to read your essay for advice. But when you hand it to them, the question you should ask is, “Does this sound like me?” You should never hand a pen or pencil to someone when you give them your essay. Just have them read it, and then sit down with them afterward and talk about it, and you take notes.
We say this all the time: If it dropped out of your backpack and fell on the cafeteria floor, your friend could pick it up and, even if your name wasn’t on it, know it was yours.
Enjoy meeting a few individuals from the Class of 2023. In response to writing prompts with word limits, they each submitted several admission essays (both short and long). The ones published here, lightly edited, reveal a bit of the unique selves they will bring with them to the University of Virginia this fall.
Living Out-of-the-Box
A bead of sweat trickled down my temple. A wave of excitement crashed over me. With nimble fingers I tore the wrapping paper off of the Christmas gift before me. This is it. I was sure the box contained the Razor scooter that I had wanted for months. I envisioned myself skating through the neighborhood, Skechers lighting up with each kick off the ground, low ponytail protruding from my hot pink helmet. I would rule my cul-de-sac.
When I opened the box and dug through mounds of packing peanuts, my eyes finally fell upon the treasure beneath. But I was immediately overcome with paralyzing disappointment. My short life flashed before my eyes. Something had gone very, very wrong at Santa’s workshop. The item within the box had one less wheel than it should have had. In fact, it was not a scooter at all, but a unicycle.
Disappointment faded into acceptance and ultimately enthusiasm as I imagined the possibilities. I could learn to juggle on one wheel. I could unicycle to school. I could join the circus. Abandoning my other Christmas presents, I descended to the basement, which would become my training ground for the next three frozen months. Hugging a wall, straddling the seat and lifting my feet onto the pedals, I was ready to ride. Yet I sat frozen, unsure of how to proceed. I had read the instructions, but they were remarkably uninstructive. Awkward minutes ticked by.
Eventually I built up the courage to rock back and forth. But I never made it forth; instead, the wheel shot out from under me and I landed hard on my face. Pride and dignity extinguished, yet undeterred, I mounted again. I fell again. From dawn till dusk for days on end, I wrestled with that wheel. Eventually I learned to balance, and then to pedal.
When the snow finally melted, I was riding at lightning speed around my cul-de-sac, to the awe of friends and neighbors astride their strangely complicated two-wheeled contraptions.
Yet simply learning to unicycle did not quench my insatiable desire to expand my skillset. Uni-juggling bored me, so I taught myself to play basketball atop the wheel. And thus I developed a habit of concocting unconventional combinations, which would give birth to my most epic brainchildren.
I began performing my trademark magic shows on the unicycle. Using my black top hat, I impersonated Abraham Lincoln on the unicycle, reciting the Gettysburg Address from memory. (I wondered if Honest Abe would have been able to unicycle; considering the length of his legs, I concluded not.) I taught myself to solve a Rubik’s cube on the unicycle, a feat that required utmost focus, unwavering balance, and a street with no potholes.
I began applying that out-of-the-box mentality to my life off the wheel. I fused my love for paradoxes and poetry to create poems that could be read forward and backward to convey two contradictory messages. I layered peanut butter, avocado, and bacon atop toast to create an amalgam of my favorite foods, in the process inventing the world’s most delicious and substantial open-faced sandwich.
Conquering the unicycle made me realize that conventions need to be challenged. Just because some cycles have two wheels does not make them better. And who says that poems can only be read top to bottom? I thrive kinesthetically, learning by doing, dedicating countless hours to master anything that excites me in the slightest. But I believe there is more to life than someone else’s instruction book. I prefer to write my own instructions, try the unconventional, and explore the unknown. I am a unicyclist amongst scooterers. I make my own path, usually on just one wheel.
—Elizabeth Kilgore , Madison, New Jersey
Zoom In, Focus, Get Into the Rhythm
Cap off, shutter on. I am ready. There is a rhythm to it. I stand alone with my camera, surrounded by hundreds of people. I slowly scan the field and the stands, prepared for the unexpected scenes; the irony encourages me. Friday nights offer so many opportunities to focus on one moment, on one frame, blurring out all else around me.
There is excitement in my voice and, I have been told, a notable glimmer in my eyes when I talk about those Friday nights under the lights. These evenings challenge and excite me as I zoom in on one moment at a time, one frame at a time, quickly changing perspective and refocusing as the evening unfolds.
What am I looking for? The quarterback’s nervous focus as he stares down his targets in the face of the impending blitz, drum majors attempting to maintain a determined expression among the cacophony of the halftime festivities, and parents concealing their nerves, seemingly willing the team to a touchdown with the pressure of their clasped hands alone. Through the 200 millimeters of my lens, I am searching for the special moments that prove these are more than just games for everyone in attendance.
Endpin out, rosin my bow, tuned correctly, I am ready. There is a rhythm to it. Staring at the eighth notes that dance across the marked up score, I wait for my cue, blurring out the hushed whispers from the audience. As I anticipate the moment the curtains open, allowing me to pull my bow against the string, I am reminded of last night’s football game. I remember the way I zoomed in on each face, story and play, and now place this focus into my performance. Measure upon measure, the perspectives of the notes change, following the tone of the play, and these instant adjustments exhilarate me.
I play out; I am in the dark, but I am lit up by my desire to move someone with a strong melody that I have rehearsed time after time in my living room, until calluses are built, and I can hear the melody in my sleep.
The music that sits before me and the firm hand of the conductor are the only things I take in. Through the weight of my bow and the articulation in my left hand, I am seeking to give flight to the imagination so that the audience will be as moved as the composer intended.
Cap and gown on, Pomp and Circumstance echoing throughout the room, IB diploma in hand, I am ready. I know the rhythm. I know the rhythm because I’ve practiced all of my life. Focus on what’s important. Zoom in on what is to come. Change perspective and refocus when needed. Blur out the background noise. Through the experiences I seek out, I am invigorated and motivated by the challenges that accompany each new endeavor.
—Khuyen Dinh, Fairfax Station, Virginia
Stories From the Porch Swing
The wooden porch swing at my grandfather’s old house was very talkative. It used to creak and moan, irritated with eight-year-old me for attempting to swing so high I could touch my bare feet to the porch ceiling. It hummed as my mother gently rocked back and forth, drinking coffee. It laughed along with my little sister who used to leap off the swing as it was still moving, landing on her hands and knees with a thud. It took part in the family conversations every Sunday, faintly squeaking behind the noise of us chatting and eating dinner outside on warm nights. But when my grandfather told his stories, the swing didn't make a sound.
I remember the evening I first fell in love with stories. Under the weight of both myself and my grandfather, the swing was completely silent, careful not to interrupt. Listening earnestly with my hands resting in my lap, I was silent as well. The robin that was usually chirping in the front yard was quiet for a minute. The white oak trees with their wise faces and twisted limbs stopped whispering to each other. The world was still and listening; I could hear only my grandfather’s voice and my own soft, measured breath.
My grandfather is a storyteller. He always says that it’s his innate ability to tell a story that makes him good at his job. Whether he’s standing in front of a packed, buzzing courtroom or simply sitting on his creaky porch swing, the world listens when my grandfather speaks. From an early age, this has always been what I admire most about him. He is intelligent and kind. He is fiercely strong-willed in the way he values and fights for social justice. But most of all, he knows how to make people listen. His words inspire action. From him, I developed a strong fascination with stories.
Some of my favorite stories to hear growing up were the ones about my dad’s childhood. Although we’d heard the story hundreds of times already, my siblings and I would beg my grandfather to tell us about when my dad accidentally got stuck in a tree. My grandfather would also tell us about his own childhood during the Great Depression, his time as a drafted soldier in the Vietnam War, and the long hours he worked as a graveyard shift police officer to pay for law school.
Stories can be found anywhere. They are catalysts of social change and vehicles of shared knowledge. I find them in the pages of my history textbook, in the spirited conversations of the lunchroom, and in every person I meet. My avidity for learning has bloomed from my obsession with stories. From the fall of the Romanov Dynasty to how Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accidentally leaving out a moldy petri dish, stories prompt my active, electrified engagement in school. They have given me an unbounded curiosity about our world.
By reading my favorite novels, traveling to unfamiliar places, and even just talking to the stranger in line at the grocery store, I continue in my search for stories. That quiet evening on my grandfather’s porch swing unleashed within me a deep-seated passion for stories that has seeped into and invigorated my intellectual pursuits.
—Audrey Hicks, Fairfax, Virginia
One Small Touch
“J’adoube,” I said, adjusting the placement of my queen to the center of her square.
My opponent looked at me with a puzzled gaze. As the game continued, there came a second time where saying j’adoube became necessary. But this time, after again seeing the puzzled look on my opponent’s face, I said, “It means the same thing as adjust.” This time it seemed to click in his head.
Since I began playing chess competitively, I have heard the word used less and less. J’adoube is announced by a player who is going to touch a piece to adjust its positioning but has no intention of moving it from its square. This one word changes the meaning of touching a piece. Without uttering j’adoube , a player must move the piece they touch, unless moving that piece would result in an illegal move.
The word is not something that you will find in a rulebook or necessarily learn from beginner chess lessons. I imagine that it has developed over time from chess players wanting to associate the beauty of perfectly aligned pieces on the board with the beauty of the French language.
When I hear the word whispered in my direction, I smile because to me it sounds so much better than “adjust.” J’adoube cannot win games, but by saying it, you can prevent yourself from making ill-advised moves. Like in life, saying j’adoube can neither fix the past nor change the future, but it does allow you to control the present.
—Kyle Goldrick, Jamison, Pennsylvania
Sea Creature #3
“Hi, my name is Marin and I’m a piece of coral.” These were my dignity’s last words as I realized I was cast in the ensemble of my high school’s production of The Little Mermaid . In spite of my consistency and experience within the department, I was a lowly sea-creature: a fish on roller blades. As rehearsals commenced, I attempted to decipher a complex emotion: jealousy.
My best friend of 11 years obtained a highly coveted principal role following her maiden high school audition, leaving me with the role of Sea Creature #3. I looked simultaneously something akin to a prepubescent middle school boy and an ’80s jazzercise instructor. I was mercilessly clad in a deep blue unitard, complete with unflattering biker shorts, neon pink fishnet crop top, and swim cap. My insecurities were further manifested in a pair of rollerblades.
My best friend, the mermaid I felt so inferior to, was adorned in a bejeweled crown, which seemed only to further emphasize our distance apart in the hierarchical class system that is high school theater. She was oceanic royalty, and I was a plebian parrot fish. I stood sheepishly in my unitard, in my swim cap, and in the most intense state of jealousy I have ever experienced. My humiliation was complete as I stumbled across the stage, fish puppet in hand, in front of my friends and family, while enviously watching her glide gracefully from stage right to stage left, singing angelic melodies.
Alongside me in this endeavor was someone completely unexpected: a cheeky, cherubic third grader who was cast not in the principal cameo role he’d hoped for, but as a humble sea snail. Wanting to make the most of a mediocre situation, I became the unofficial cast child wrangler for the duration of the show. Rhett and I spent copious amounts of time together doing schoolwork, eating various snack foods, and learning to rollerblade. For safety's sake, I chased him through the most remote stretches of Fairfax High School as he cleared flights of stairs, careened around corners and flung himself down steep ramps in his little plastic red and black roller blades.
We got along swimmingly. Our shared experience connected us. We were inseparable. Rhett was not open to forming friendships with cast members who treated him with condescension. I, however, proved to be a completely honest and consistent friend. I remained by his side, a third grader's loyal sidekick for the entirety of the show. I helped him with his schoolwork and he helped me forget my jealousy. I kept him entertained and he provided me with positive experiences to reflect back on. The attitude he helped me to embrace gave me reason to act with integrity: I assembled a nervous cast for a prayer circle before each performance, comforted mermaids in crisis, and even stepped away from myself to help the former object of my jealousy when she was struggling.
In the end, our small group of fish-wielding jazzercise instructors went on stage and took advantage of each and every moment we had. The tangible evidence that bad situations can reap surprising rewards came in the form of a D.C. area Cappie award for my contribution to our department and our show. My situation went from mildly humiliating to outwardly validating. The jealousy I had toward my friend for her seemingly endless opportunities dissipated daily as I discovered the sometimes hidden blessings found in humility, humor, friendship, and community. My unspoken fear that my value or worth was somehow in part determined by the role I secured in a show was completely and utterly demolished by an extremely sassy, blond, nine-year-old boy, dressed as a sea snail.
—Marin Bronaugh, Fairfax, Virginia
My Mom’s Gifts to Me
The scene is ingrained into my memory. It was 2nd grade, and my teacher asked all of the students in my homeroom to put up pictures of their family on the bulletin board. Kids scrambled to the front of the room to stick on their photograph. I was at the front of the pack, eager to show everyone my picture of my mom and me holding a parrot in Hawaii three years prior.
“Kendall, why don’t you have a dad?” a bewildered Sydney asked, almost skeptical.
Everyone froze and turned to me, expecting an answer. The teacher tried to lessen my humiliation saying, “Sydney, that wasn’t nice,” and some other impotent reprimands, but the damage was done. I looked at the other kids’ photos. Each of them the same: a mother, one kid, two kids, or three, and a father. A part of me was shattered. I believed that the absence of a father would deprive me of something; my life would never compare to kids who lived with two parents.
For a long time, that mindset remained. I was ashamed of having a single mother, so I went out of my way to act like my father was in my life. Talking to friends about “my parents” and fabricating stories about my dad were coping mechanisms I used to fit in. Attending independent schools for most of my life, it seemed like everyone’s family was intact and lived in mansions, so the possibility of people knowing that I never saw my dad was terrifying. It would be something else to set me apart.
Everything changed once I moved from California to Virginia, where I had no family or friends. This forced me to spend more time with my mom, giving me a new perspective on my situation. I began to understand the sacrifices my mom made, raising me on her own, providing me with the best of everything: education, opportunities, experiences, anything a child living with two parents would have.
I now acknowledge the privilege I’ve had growing up with a mother like her. She made a successful career for herself by promoting equity and diversity in education and has passed on her beliefs that all people are worthy of respect. This influenced my love of experiencing new people, cultures, and places. So far, I have traveled to Haiti on a service trip, and France on a cultural exchange. While both experiences had their own challenges, they contributed to my understanding of cultural competence and showed me the value of forming relationships with others abroad.
My mom also instilled in me a dignified work ethic that shows through my academics, athletics, and extracurriculars. I try my best in everything I do, mimicking the strength and perseverance she had while attending college without guidance from anyone. If that means having a softball game at 5pm, tutoring elementary school kids at 7pm, then studying and homework afterward, I do it all with my best effort.
One of my mother’s qualities that I admire most is the support and acceptance she continually shows me. Regardless of our differences or circumstances, I always know that my mom respects my individuality, something that, for many of my peers, is not true. And in turn, I try to treat others with the same amount of respect and compassion. Whether that translates as talking to a patient in distress while volunteering at my local hospital or simply comforting a friend during a difficult time, sympathy and understanding are traits that hold the highest value in my life.
The trust I’ve formed with my mom is something I doubt I would have experienced with my dad. She has taught me everything about what it takes to be a strong black woman.
If I could answer Sydney's question today, my response would be, “Because my single mom is able to fulfill the role better than any father could.”
—Kendall Davis, Arlington, Virginia
Transfixed by My Toaster
I think that the shower has been the birthplace of more innovative ideas than any other location. Maybe it’s the alone time, the aromatherapy, the water washing off the day, or the ability to watch your troubles go down the drain and step out brand new. I don’t know. But I wish I did. Because it is these very moments, times when a light clicks on or an apple falls on your head, that fascinate me. Even the smallest things, the seemingly insignificant details of our reality, carry with them a story that changed the world.
One day, I was making toast, a pretty mundane part of my day. But as I was staring at my toaster, trying to get the bread to the right degree of toastiness, I became captivated by the beauty of the machine that has become a certainty in my life. For months, I had a tab open on my phone about Charles Strite, the inventor of the pop-up toaster, and would read little bits and pieces about him any time I could. All the man wanted was an evenly cooked piece of toast and that quest, distant as it may seem, led him to create something that I now expect in my everyday life.
That’s magical to me. Every step in his life, every burnt piece of toast that he had to endure, led him to that idea. One defining piece of Strite’s life has become a part of so many others. The simple device that I am accustomed to was the result of a lifetime of experience. We may take his idea for granted, but I find it amazing that he managed to change the world in his own way.
Many creations that are now a fact of life were once brave new inventions. So what will be next? Could my writing down the simple phrase “snack pants” in the notes on my phone a little after midnight change the fashion industry forever? Could my restaurant idea “the Porque-sadilla” (a place with Mexican food and trivia) revolutionize the dining experience? Probably not. But one day some goofy idea might develop into something greater: my origin story. And every step that I took, every shower, every note, every essay that I wrote would have led me to that point. Because this is the one story that I get to live, not just read about.
And that’s what fascinates me. The people around me may seem distant at times, but they are each the center of their own story. You never know which one of the people you pass in the hallway or drive past on a busy road is going to change the world. It could be you or the person sitting next to you.
So every time that I see a small invention, I get caught up in the origin story and the beauty of the creation, and how the lives of others become part of our own, and how they connect us and bridge any physical or emotional gaps that arise, and all of this comes and washes over me simply because I wanted a piece of toast.
And so I thank Charles Strite and the inventors, pioneers, iPhone note-takers, and shower-thinkers. I hope one day to be among their ranks, a piece of their stories as they are a piece of mine.
(P.S. I have dibs on both “snack pants” and “the Porque-sadilla,” so don’t get any ideas.)
—Laura Boyle, Falls Church, Virginia
What Would I Paint on Beta Bridge?
“Write your story.” The phrase is printed across the face of a notebook stacked somewhere in my room. It materializes in my mind every time I read a different account of the same historical event. I mutter it under my breath for every word, every page I write of the novel I someday hope to publish. I would paint this phrase on Beta Bridge because I believe the most powerful actions start as words and I know the most intriguing adventures begin with a story.
To write your story is to hold your life in your hands. Your story is wholly yours, but it may impact your community and beyond, in more ways than you can imagine. The #MeToo survivors wrote their stories. The New York Times published them, and then the world reacted.
It’s important to first tell your story before you tell the story of others, and it’s even more pressing to write your story before someone else can write it for you. Winston Churchill once said, “History is written by the victors.” He was right. Someone will always attempt to distort a narrative; there will forever be stories written by liars, and sometimes those stories filled with half-truths will win. But they only have that chance at victory if the real story never makes it onto the page, let alone to the printer.
Write your story, even when the only light that hasn’t flickered out is the brightness from your computer screen.
Write your story, even when you think no one else will read it. Write your story, even when it’s only three words painted across a bridge on a university campus. Write your story, before someone else does.
—Alexa Clark, Vienna, Virginia
I laugh to myself all the time.
My sisters say it’s always the same thing: the near-silent, short puffs of exhalation, the shake of the shoulders, the slight rock back and forth. Realizing that no one else shares my amusement or (in some cases) even noticed that I attempted a joke, I’ll chortle all alone.
I am past wanting others to laugh with me. Quite frankly, it makes me sad how the best-received wisecracking almost always comes at someone else’s expense. I have noticed that it simply is not “cool” to find the joke about the hydrogen atom who was positive it lost an electron as entertaining as an unflattering imitation of a blundering freshman’s faux pas. I have noticed it, and I don’t like it.
I don’t want to renounce my own unique sense of humor simply because my jokes aren’t of the trendy sort.
Why must we laugh at the girl who tripped over her hand-me-down, glaringly yellow shoes on the way in? Who cares if the boy in the front row misspelled “February” and then proceeded to badly mispronounce it? Why can’t they all laugh, instead, at the grammar joke that caused so many in the classroom to collectively roll their eyes?
I want to laugh at the harmless puns and one-liners in life, the ones that make people whoop with laughter without grimacing on the inside. Even if that means looking a tad crazy as I laugh absurdly and all alone.
—Sophia Yi, Derwood, Maryland
Hi, I’m Zainab
Tugging at my shirt sleeves, I shuffle through the empty hallways of the new school. The butterflies in my stomach feel more like wasps, for my anxiety is less a nervous excitement, and more a dreaded anticipation of what’s to come. My backpack is filled with freshly sharpened pencils, new notebooks, and my mom has packed my favorite snack. I am more than prepared to thrive at this new school, but I can’t seem to get past this crushing worry: who will I sit next to at lunchtime?
The teacher pushes open the 4th grade classroom door, and all eyes immediately turn to me. She introduces me to the class, and I suddenly develop a great fascination with my fingernails. I avoid looking directly at any of the students and I quietly seat myself near the back. Midway through the year, all the other students have already created their social circles. Out of curiosity, a couple students approach me and ask for my name. Hesitantly, I introduce myself, “Hi. I’m the new kid.”
Being in a new, unfamiliar place will eventually become a normal situation for me after having changed schools nine times by the end of senior year. It would be incorrect to say that I enjoyed uprooting myself constantly, but it would also be incorrect to say that I never learned anything along the way.
From New Mexico, I learned about the magic in color. Our insufferably quaint town was filled with artwork and culture. The intricate tiles and paintings of local artisans in the Santa Fe Art Galleries, and the swirl of color and light in the sky at sunrise during the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival inspired me to surround myself with color and create art wherever I went.
From Massachusetts, I learned how hard my parents worked to ensure that my brother and I were happy. My mother would frequently come home with bags overflowing with books from the local library to keep us occupied when our one bedroom basement apartment was buried in snow. My love for reading can be traced back to her. She could turn our apartment into a wizard’s lair or a fairy forest during the cold, snowy days.
From Texas, I learned about the fragility of human life. My friend’s dad was battling with cancer, and her family became a big part of our life since they needed our support. He passed away on Christmas Eve, and while the world continued on and most people woke up to presents and holiday festivities, my friend woke up to the reality of her father’s death.
From Virginia, I learned about the importance of family. My social life was nonexistent, so instead of going out on the weekends, I stayed home for movie nights, thought-provoking conversations with my dad, and teaching my little sister her first nursery rhymes. By becoming more present in my family’s daily lives, I was able to escape my own self-centered bubble.
All these places collectively taught me two things. First, never knowing if this is the last time you ever see someone or go somewhere, you begin to appreciate everything more, including the little things in life. Second, I learned how to be adaptable and how to relate to others. In the early moves, I tended to dwell on everything I’d left behind, never stopping to reflect on what I’d gained. I’ve picked up flavors of people and places from all around the country, seeing that there is beauty in change, even if it took me more than a few moves to see it.
So, when I moved to my new school last year, instead of immediately labeling myself as “the new kid,” I started with a smile and “Hi! I’m Zainab. Is anyone sitting here?”
—Zainab Faisal, Ashburn, Virginia
Writing the UVA Supplemental Essays
Written by Karen Spencer on October 17th, 2019
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Painting Beta Bridge: A Tradition of Expression
- By Vinny Varsalona , [email protected]
- By Kaylyn Christopher , [email protected]
The University of Virginia is rich with traditions, though not all of its customs date back nearly 200 years to the founding of the institution.
For instance, one of the most notable landmarks on Grounds, Beta Bridge, has been at the center of its own tradition since just the latter half of the 20 th century.
Often brightly colored with hand-lettered messages spanning its length, the bridge carrying Rugby Road over the C&O railroad tracks over the years has become the place for paintbrush-wielding students to express themselves.
“It provides a public bulletin board for people to showcase event information, club recruiting, declarations of love, birthdays, congratulations and sadly enough, memorials,” Aidan O’Keefe, a member of nearby Beta Theta Pi fraternity, said.
Scroll through the slideshow below to see some of the messages that have been painted on Beta Bridge over the years.
Beta Bridge earned its name in 1927 when Beta Theta Pi’s fraternity house was built on neighboring land. “Since Beta was the closest fraternity to the bridge, it became associated with us and we became the unofficial caretakers of the bridge,” O’Keefe said.
Alexander “Sandy” Gilliam, UVA’s former university protocol and history officer – also a member of Beta Theta Pi during his days as a UVA student in the 1950s – said the tradition of painting the bridge didn’t yet exist while he was in school. But by the time he came back to his alma mater as a professor in 1975, the tradition was gaining steam and popularity.
“It’s a nice custom to have,” Gilliam said. “It lets you see what’s on people’s minds, whether it’s about the previous weekend’s football game or somebody’s 21 st birthday.”
In the 1970s, Beta Theta Pi was removed from Grounds, and Delta Upsilon moved into Beta’s former space. At that time, Delta Upsilon’s members took over the responsibility of overseeing the bridge-painting tradition, although the bridge maintained its original nickname.
In 2009, however, Beta Theta Pi returned to its original home, and today its members are once again the bridge-keepers. O’Keefe said that there are some unwritten rules that UVA students who paint the bridge are expected to honor – like not covering over a freshly painted message for at least a day.
Years of painted messages on Beta Bridge’s surface created a layer of paint several inches deep. This picture was taken just before workers removed all the paint in 2007.
“We have a supply of paint cans, spray paint, paint rollers and paint brushes in the basement of our fraternity that we restock ourselves,” O’Keefe said. “Whenever a brother sees that there is profanity, slurs, insults or any form of graffiti over a message, we get the paint and paint over the vandalism ourselves.”
Most messages written on the bridge include the notation “Thx Beta” to show appreciation for the fraternity’s role.
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UVA Essay Examples
UVA Essay Examples – Introduction
In this guide, we’ll learn about the University of Virginia supplemental essays through several UVA essay examples. We’ve included UVA supplemental essays examples, addressing various UVA essay prompts to teach you what a successful essay looks like. After each, we’ll discuss the parts of these UVA essays that worked. Read on to learn more about writing strong University of Virginia essays.
University of Virginia background
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, today UVA is home to over 27,000 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students. With UVA ranking among the top U.S. public universities, thousands of UVA applications flood the University of Virginia admissions annually. Of all the UVA application requirements, the University of Virginia supplemental essays are perhaps the most important aside from grades.
What are the UVA Supplemental Essays?
Ultimately, applicants to UVA will write three essays. The first has a 100-word limit, while the other two are 50 words or fewer. Since the UVA application is part of the Common Application , you’ll also need a personal statement .
When you apply to UVA through the Common App , you must choose to apply to one of UVA’s five schools and colleges. The school or college you select on your UVA application is an important decision as it will determine one of three essays that you will write. Below is a list of UVA’s five schools and colleges and their respective essay prompts.
University of Virginia- School-Specific Essays (100 words)
I. college of arts & sciences.
If you could create a college course that all UVA students would take, what would it be about and why?
II. School of Engineering
How will you use an engineering degree to change the world for the better?
III. School of Architecture
Describe a significant experience that deepened your interest in studying at the School of Architecture.
IV. School of Nursing
Describe a healthcare-related experience or another significant interaction that deepened your interest in studying Nursing.
V. Kinesiology Program
Describe an experience that has deepened your interest in studying kinesiology.
Mind the word limits
This first University of Virginia essay has a word limit of 100 words. For your second and third essays for the University of Virginia, you will choose from a list of eleven UVA essay prompts. Remember, the last two University of Virginia essays have a word limit of only 50-words. Below are the prompts students must choose from.
UVA Essay Prompts- Choose Two
- What’s your favorite word and why?
- We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. What is one of your quirks?
- About what topic could you speak for an hour?
- Take us to your happy place.
- You can wake up tomorrow and a skill you already have will become expert-level. What skill is that?
- What is the last gift you gave someone that wasn’t bought with money?
- What website is the internet missing?
- After a challenging experience, how do you recharge?
- Tell us about a place you’d like to share with everyone, but also keep to yourself.
- UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. What would you paint on Beta Bridge and why is this your message?
- Tell us about a time when, faced with an opinion or perspective that differed from your own, you responded as an empathetic speaker or generous listener.
Essay prompts do change
If you’ve read our University of Virginia supplemental essays guide from last year, you may be scratching your head. Weren’t there only two required University of Virginia essays? Well, the University of Virginia admissions team has changed the UVA application requirements when it comes to essays. This isn’t uncommon—college essay prompts usually change in some way from year to year. But the University of Virginia supplemental essays and UVA essay prompts have seen a pretty big change.
As a result of this change, the UVA supplemental essays examples we’ve included below may not exactly reflect this year’s UVA essay prompts. However, reading our UVA essay examples and other college essay examples can still help you brainstorm for other essays.
UVA Essay Examples – Prompt #1
To kick off our UVA supplemental essays examples, we have three UVA essays addressing a singular prompt. As mentioned above, the UVA essay prompts have changed pretty drastically this year. Therefore, this prompt isn’t part of this year’s UVA application. However, these UVA essays that worked have some strengths you can apply to any college essay.
Even if these UVA essay examples are different from what you’ll write, it’s good to consider how you might approach different essay prompts .
Our First Essay Example Prompt
So, for UVA essay prompts like the one below, what should strong UVA essay examples have in common? Obviously, the work you choose should have impacted you deeply. However, it doesn’t have to be a world-famous work: it could be a manga, a theorem, or a video game. Most importantly, the impact this work had on you should reflect something about you, your values, or your worldview.
At the end of the day, successful UVA supplemental essays examples share traits with all effective college essays. They address the prompt, tell a compelling story, and shine a spotlight on you. Strong UVA supplemental essays examples, even short ones, add depth to your personal narrative — so make every word count! With that in mind, let’s look at three UVA essay examples for this prompt.
What work of art, music, science, mathematics, literature, or other media has surprised, unsettled, or inspired you, and in what way?
Uva essays that worked #1.
Staring blankly at a black square, I pull on my hair in frustration. As my teacher announces that there are three minutes left on the test, my frustrations turn into rage and I burst out in the middle of class: “How do we analyze this? This isn’t art!”
My love-hate relationship with Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square piece started when my middle school art teacher told us to analyze his work on a test.
Although I wasn’t a renowned artist, I thought Kazimir’s Black Square was nowhere near art. How could someone paint a black square, declare it art, and then call it a day? My dislike for Kazimir’s art, however, changed when I learned about the context behind his artwork. I became fascinated by how Kazimir was able to use his artwork to completely revitalize people’s definition of “art”. As I learned about Kazimir’s motives I had an epiphany: the Black Square was more than just… well, a black square. Instead, it was a revolutionary tool used to deconstruct reality and form a new perception of art.
To this day, Kazimir has taught me to not let my preconceptions of reality shape how I process information. I realized the importance of striving to understand cultures, identities, and ideas that are different from mine rather than reject them because of my preconceptions. With this in mind, I learned that any idea or concept is not static and can be expanded and changed; it’s imperative to not reject any ideas that are different from my own to expand my own understanding of a concept.
It’s safe to say that my 12-year-old self was wrong: black squares can be art too.
Why This Essay Worked
Most essay guides, ours included, will hammer home the effectiveness of narrative essays. This doesn’t make a narrative structure essential—as we’ll see, plenty of UVA essays that worked aren’t narratives. However, UVA essay examples that open with some action or scene have the power to instantly grab a reader’s attention. The vivid language this author uses in their opening to frame their topic quickly conveys their frustration.
Regardless of how they hook readers, strong UVA supplemental essays examples for any prompt will look inward. After the opening, the author talks about how their perspective changed. This is what the prompt asks, and strong UVA essay examples like this clearly define that change. Again, impactful language illustrates how the author’s new understanding of Kazimir’s work widened their perspective on art.
The author concludes by connecting their revelations from Kazimir to their worldview as a whole. All of these UVA essay examples show admissions officers who the author is and what they consider important. Effective UVA supplemental essays examples illustrate your values or background and how you’ll enrich the campus community with them. In your University of Virginia essays, be reflective in your writing to allow your principles to shine through.
Another Response to the First Prompt
Uva essays that worked #2.
I think that this is best answered by sharing the letter I wrote the author after reading A Place for Us :
Reading has always been my favorite escape, my favorite pastime. Only, your book was never an escape, but a mirror: the first time I saw my life truly reflected in literature, and not because you told an Indian-American story. I felt as though you had written my story, because of the raw and honest meditation on family that your book centers on.
As is true with many immigrant families, my family resorts to anger often too quickly. We shy away from expressing love. I have cried out that I hated my father on more than one occasion and passionately believed it to be true each time, just like Amar did to Rafiq. As I read Rafiq’s dying words to Amar at the end of the book, expressing his regret, his love for his son–I couldn’t stop crying because suddenly, I saw my family in a completely different light. Not that we will never disagree or fight again, but I began to consider all that goes unsaid between us. A lack of communication caused their family to fall apart, and it made me examine the cracks in mine.
Behind the anger is almost always love, and while I’ve known this subconsciously, there is something about seeing your struggles outside the context of your own life that forces you to confront the truth about them. I’m endlessly indebted to you, in awe of you, and I needed to say thank you. I cannot begin to express how much this book truly means to me, but I have tried to explain a little portion of my love for it. Thank you, Ms. Mirza, for my new favorite book. I will carry it with me always. Sincerely, [NAME REDACTED]
The second of our UVA essay examples also has a compelling frame: it’s a letter to an author. This opening immediately tells us just how deeply this work moved the applicant. It’s a unique hook among UVA supplemental essays examples. If you have a fresh frame, don’t be shy! This structure works because it allows the author to be emotionally open as well as specific in discussing the work.
By virtue of the subject, this University of Virginia essay is inseparable from the author’s background. Like all good UVA essay examples, this essay reflects on the author’s experiences. Instead of simply praising the book, the author connects it to their place within their family relationships. They describe how it gave them a different perspective on their family and a new awareness going forward.
Ideal UVA supplemental essays examples show readers that the author can reflect on and grow from their experiences. This author checks that box by illustrating the connections among the book, their experiences, and how they’ve reflected on both. Furthermore, they recognize the new ways they view their life and relationships thanks to this book. That’s growth! Take note of these UVA essay examples and include moments of personal growth in your essays whenever possible.
A Final Response to the First Prompt
Uva essays that worked #3.
I’m a firm believer that J.G Quintel’s Regular Show is the only TV series capable of portraying an apocalyptic, flesh-hungry black hole spiraling out of the skies while an anthropomorphic blue jay, Mordecai, and raccoon, Rigby, play nearly one hundred tied games of rock, paper, scissors. I knew that there was only one way for Mordecai and Rigby to preserve the world as they knew it; the tie had to be broken.
Wait a second—How does declaring the victor of a stupid hand game dictate world order? J.G, how did you forget to add “Ir-” in front of your show’s title?
This was just the pilot episode and I had witnessed a revolution in children’s television programming: an animated one that struck an undeniably perfect balance between science fiction and satire. Regular Show fascinates me in that its supernatural occurrences aren’t unreasonably dramatic and its humor is intentionally well-played and witty. I would argue that episodes of Regular Show embrace the beauty of tragicomedies in roughly the same way that Plautus, the Roman creator of tragicomedies, intended to in his famed work, Amphitryon. Quintel, however, captivates me with a compelling twist. He ditches traditional Greco-Roman tragicomic themes of seduction and envy and models his artform around a more bizarre construct: randomness.
The only constant in Regular Show is the mere existence of the main characters; every other component of the show is wildly variable. The structure of the show is liquid as it is free flowing and takes the shape of its container, or the viewer’s interpretation. Although I’ve come to understand most of the conundrums my prepubescent self was unable to comprehend, it still baffles me as to how Regular Show can weave together the most unrelated and paradoxical concepts into an animated, twelve-minute masterpiece.
As exemplified see in our UVA essay examples, a distinct writer’s voice can immediately elevate a supplemental essay. The lines following the first paragraph, where the author asks a rhetorical question, inject some humor. After that, the use of strong language like “revolution,” “undeniably perfect,” and “fascinates” convey the writer’s admiration for Regular Show. Don’t be afraid to embrace expressive words like the ones you’ve read in our UVA supplemental essays examples. Still, remember not to go overboard with a thesaurus to the point where you’re using complex words insincerely.
For this author, the impact of their selected work is creative, like the first of our UVA essay examples. They explore what it is about Regular Show that captivates them, even drawing parallels to Greco-Roman tragicomedy. That’s not to say you have to cite Plautus—most UVA essays that worked probably didn’t mention Amphitryon. But by linking those together, we understand that this author enjoys classical plays as well as finding connections across media.
Rather than telling the reader about their love of classics or literature, this author lets their analysis speak for itself. This University of Virginia essay shows us the author is thoughtful toward the media they interact with, from cartoons to classics. Strong UVA essay examples will show — not tell — the reader what’s important to you.
UVA Essay Examples – Flash Seminar Prompt
Although the three UVA essay examples above responded to an old prompt, we hope they were helpful. Reading various UVA essays that worked can help you write your own, regardless of the prompt. Remember, all good UVA essay examples have something to teach you. The next of our UVA supplemental essays examples is also for an old prompt.
Student self-governance, which encourages student investment and initiative, is a hallmark of the UVA culture. In her fourth year at UVA, Laura Nelson was inspired to create Flash Seminars, one-time classes which facilitate high-energy discussion about thought-provoking topics outside of traditional coursework. If you created a Flash Seminar, what idea would you explore and why?
In truth, this prompt is somewhat similar to the prompt for College of Arts & Sciences applicants. If you could create a college course that all UVA students would take, what would it be about and why? Even though the focus may be somewhat different, effective UVA supplemental essays examples for both prompts should have the same takeaway: what topic do you consider important, and why?
Strong UVA essay examples for this prompt are specific about the topic. Moreover, we still need to consider the tips from our previous UVA essays that worked. The author is personal, referencing and reflecting on their interests, experiences, or goals. With that in mind, let’s look at the next of our UVA supplemental essays examples.
UVA Essays That Worked – Flash Seminar
Before I could even read, The Lorax was my favorite book. When my dad read the book to me, I instantly fell in love with the cotton-like trees and the small orange creature with a mustache. While I still love the cartoonish illustrations, The Lorax remains my favorite book, to this day, because of another reason: it exemplifies how consumerism driven by Capitalism can harm the environment.
So, should the U.S. abandon Capitalism and force everyone to become hunters and gatherers? That would be quite effective, but we don’t have to. My seminar would address how we could use consumerism to protect the environment. For people who think that an individual’s actions to protect the environment are insignificant, this seminar will prove them wrong. People will learn how the money they spend in companies can shape how companies act. While environmental protection is not a priority for most companies, the power of consumerism that individuals have can force companies to care about our environment. Most importantly, the seminar will be a call to action, encouraging people to take initiative for the sake of humanity’s future. The audience would leave the seminar knowledgeable about the ways in which they can use consumerism to create the change that the world needs.
While the damage done to our environment is immense, it’s not too late to change. One small action at a time, I know that humanity can create substantial environmental reform: one that will even make the Lorax proud.
Some UVA essay examples reference the author’s childhood, like this one, to demonstrate a longstanding interest. In their opening paragraph, the author shows how their understanding of The Lorax has grown with them. Where they once saw cute illustrations, they now see an insightful commentary on consumerism and the environment. Already, we see the personal growth that characterizes many of our UVA essays that worked.
Successful UVA supplemental essays examples that address academic topics include the author’s personal thoughts on the topic. After all, the prompt asks why it’s important to you —so what do you think about it? This author briefly outlines their position: consumers can pressure companies to protect the environment. Additionally, they state their goals for the seminar as a call to action for participants as consumers. Effective UVA essay examples for this prompt should also consider the course’s impact on others.
Obviously, there are as many topics as there are UVA essay examples. You don’t have to choose a sweeping topic like environmentally conscious consumerism—maybe you choose accessible design or internet safety. Whatever the topic, UVA essays that worked for this prompt concisely explained why that topic is significant to the author. More importantly, the best UVA essay examples also make a compelling case for why other people should learn about the topic.
UVA Essay Examples – “Quirks” Prompt
For the last of our UVA essay examples, we’re looking at a prompt from the 2022–2023 list.
We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are.
Whereas UVA essay examples in previous years had a 300-word limit, responses to this prompt are limited to 50 words. Keep the limited space in mind when reading the last of our UVA essay examples. Every word counts in college essays, but especially so for short essays. If you’re worried about sticking to the word limit, don’t worry. We’ll talk more about crafting your University of Virginia supplemental essays in the next section.
So, how do you approach UVA essay prompts like this? Well, whatever quirk you choose should be one that is “part of who you are.” What’s a behavior, trait, or habit that anyone who knows you could name? Maybe you sing your way through every day, or perhaps you write exclusively in cursive. Why is it integral to You ? Let’s see what the last of our UVA essay examples has to say.
UVA Essays That Worked – Quirks
While the rest of my body lies in the third dimension, my feet seem to remain entrenched in the second.
Envision prancing through a never-ending bed of thorns; that’s almost how walking with flat feet feels. Essentially robbed of the rewards of exercise, I never became as tall as I once aspired to be. At age seventeen, I stand at a “solid” five foot four: the average height of a middle schooler. With the help of my toes, however, I’ve always been able to propel myself by an extra two inches while creating a temporary arch to relieve my feet of their chronic soreness. In other words, they’re natural stilts. It was the perfect remedy; ever since my years as a toddler, I’ve never fell off from the tips of my toes.
Of course, I have to deal with my fair share of criticism from my others or as I refer to them, my arch-enemies: usually taller people, whose feet were blessed with arches. I hear everything from “You’re not Peter Pan; why are you walking like a fairy?” to “Maybe you should invest in heels instead of tiptoeing.” To their dismay, I pay them no mind; their “advice” only detracts from my walk. Just like the Hulk’s aggressive lunges add to his grotesque demeanor, my light tiptoed gallops never fail to remind my peers of my classiness and jubilance. Not to mention, tiptoeing also upholds my composure even in the most unflattering situations. Although someone might expect stomps and a vulgar confrontation from me, my tiptoes signal a more diplomatic approach to conflicts, maybe even over a cup of chai.
Chances are that my feet will not enter the next dimension any time soon. I’ll still much rather — proudly — teeter 150 pounds over ten feeble appendages.
Again, many impactful UVA essay examples have a distinctive voice—some wry, others poetic. This author’s quirk is flat feet, a condition they describe tongue-in-cheek as very painful. If your quirk is something that bothers you, consider addressing it with humor if that is how you confront it in your life. Well-executed humor can leave a lasting impression on any reader, especially when applied ironically to an otherwise negative subject.
This writer’s cheeky praise of their toe-walking highlights their ability to make the best of their situation. It demonstrates their confidence and comfort with how they are—or perhaps, how they have to be. From this essay, a reader sees someone who faces adversity with humor while not negating their experience. This author frames flat feet as an irritant while using them to illustrate how they deal with negativity.
Effective UVA essay examples for this prompt contain layers: the quirk also says something about the author. As you think of your quirk, consider which ones can be used to illuminate a deeper truth about you. This could be something about how you learn or how you interact with the world around you.
How to write the UVA Supplemental Essays
Now that you’ve read several UVA essay examples, we hope you feel ready to write your own University of Virginia supplemental essays. The first step in writing your University of Virginia essays is choosing from the UVA essay prompts. Luckily, the first prompt is chosen for you based on your school of choice. The second and third ones will come from the list of 11 prompts.
When evaluating the short-answer prompts, you may feel you could write something for all of them—or none of them. Try some different reflection exercises to organize your ideas and get those writing juices flowing. Since our UVA essay examples for these prompts are pretty short, you could try your hand and a handful of the prompts. Then, you can further rewrite and refine the ones that speak to you.
Each of the longer prompts is rather common among supplemental essays , so there’s no shortage of college essay guides out there. In writing your longer essay, you can brainstorm various topics to figure out your focus. Pick what you’re passionate about. Unlike our UVA essay examples, essays that aren’t genuine are really obvious. Go for honesty, and highlight your unique qualities and experiences through your topic.
Don’t forget the editing stage if you really want your essays to shine ! Revising your essays—both on your own and with another person—can weed out errors you may have missed on a first pass.
Additional UVA Essays & the UVA Admissions Process
If you’re looking at the best colleges in the U.S. during your college search , you might consider applying to UVA. UVA ranks highly for both undergraduate and graduate programs every year. The UVA acceptance rate is rather low, at just 21% . Given the high UVA ranking and low UVA acceptance rate, we can tell it’s a selective university. As a result, the University of Virginia supplemental essays are critical for a strong UVA application.
With UVA ranking consistently high and the UVA acceptance rate staying low, acceptance to UVA isn’t guaranteed. To be considered, you need to be sure to meet all of the UVA application requirements.
University of Virginia Application Requirements
- University of Virginia supplemental essays
- One academic teacher recommendation
- Guidance counselor recommendation (optional)
- Standardized test score (optional for 2022–2023 cycle)
- Common Application requirements: activity list , personal statement , etc.
At the time of publication, the Early Decision and Early Action deadlines have already passed for Fall 2023 applicants. The Regular Decision deadline for Fall 2023 applicants is January 1, 2023.
These days, having a high GPA alone isn’t enough. With University of Virginia admissions being test-optional this year, the rest of the application is weighted more heavily, especially for those who don’t submit test scores. Your essays and letters of recommendation provide an important window into who you are and what kind of UVA student you’ll be.
What about additional essays? UVA offers two merit-based scholarships for high-achieving students. One of these, the Jefferson Scholarship, requires two additional essays. While UVA isn’t among the most expensive universities , it still costs five figures per semester. In addition to financial aid, scholarships can help with the cost of college once you enroll .
More University of Virginia Resources to Support You
After reading the UVA essay examples above, maybe you feel ready to jump into the UVA application. Or, you might be looking for more UVA supplemental essays examples and UVA essays that worked. Or maybe you’re still unsure about UVA and just want to learn more. CollegeAdvisor.com has countless resources for you to explore, however you’re feeling.
If you want to hear more about UVA from alumni and current students, check out our webinar panel . The participants talk about their experiences at UVA in and out of the classroom. They also discuss the University of Virginia admissions process and their UVA application experience.
University of Virginia Panel
For more about crafting a successful application overall, we have a how-to get-into UVA guide . The UVA ranking isn’t dropping any time soon, but the acceptance rate will almost certainly stay selective. If you want to maximize your odds of admission, check out our guide.
How to Get Into University of Virginia (UVA) Guide
Lastly, we have an essay guide for the University of Virginia supplemental essays. Instead of providing UVA essay examples, it digs deep into last year’s prompts. You might even recognize some of the prompts from the UVA supplemental essays examples we just read. Although the UVA essay prompts have changed this year, our guide still provides valuable tips that can help you write any college essay.
University of Virginia (UVA) Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022
UVA Essay Examples – Final Thoughts
The UVA acceptance rate makes it a selective school, so every part of your application counts. Writing strong University of Virginia supplemental essays is essential to crafting a stand-out application.
We hope reading our UVA essay examples and discussing areas of these UVA essays that worked has given you an idea of how to get started. Remember, although the essay prompts have changed, these UVA essay examples are still useful. Take some time to review our UVA essay examples, make a list of things you want to incorporate into your UVA essays, and get writing!
This article was written by Chelsea Holley . 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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Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
Notes from under grounds.
The Media Studies Experience: U.Va.’s Beta Bridge
We are pleased to feature a guest post by Garrett Gottesman, who is a Third-Year, d ouble-majoring in Media Studies and American Studies with a concentration in Social Reform, and a blogger for The Media Studies Experience.
Because I’ve seen messages and artwork come and go almost daily on Beta Bridge over the past three years, oftentimes the words and their meaning are lost on me. But this week, Beta Bridge grabbed my attention and made me momentarily put my day on pause.
Beta Bridge painted in support of Venezuelan protests, February 21, 2014. (Photograph by Garrett Gottesman)
Having followed the news coverage of the political unrest in Venezuela, this visual demonstration arranged by Venezuelan students at U.Va. instantly caught and held my attention. This dramatic appeal resonated with me as images of violence and brutality still lingered in my head from the news the night before. Second-Year Student Henrique Sosa, who is from Venezuela and is a leader of U.Va. students demonstrating support for Venezuela, said that their mission is to increase consciousness about the crisis amongst students and also to send strength to the Venezuelans whose voices are being silenced by the oppressive regime.
An example of U.Va. student support for the Venezuelan protests is this picture, which has reached an audience of over 700,000 Venezuelans after it was retweeted by prominent Venezuelan reporter Miguel Henrique Otero, February 23, 2014. (Screen shot taken by Garrett Gottesman)
In addition to accomplishing this mission though, the message also left me questioning the history of Beta Bridge as I realized that I knew so little about it.
Paintings on the bridge commemorating students who have recently died, or the “Hoos for Hokies” message after the Virginia Tech shootings are some of the most memorable Beta messages that resonate with the student body. But largely, the free billboard space is filled with birthday wishes and CIO (student group) advertisements. These more common messages go unnoticed; however, the sanctity of this outlet of expression is worth defending.
Filled with curiosity of the bridge’s history, I visited Special Collections. There, I found dozens of pictures of the bridge over the last 20 years, as well as two Cavalier Daily articles from the 1980s that illustrated Beta’s history and importance.
University of Virginia Beta Bridge, 1969. (RG-30/1/10.11. University of Virginia Visual History Collection. Image by Digitization Services.)
The March 11, 1981 Cavalier Daily article, “Beta: It’s More Than Just a Bridge” explains the history of the bridge. The original wooden bridge was built in 1855 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company, who owned the railroad below, but it wasn’t until the 1960’s that painting it became such a part of U.Va. culture. As a matter of fact, it was illegal to paint it before this time, and the marks seldom on it, which were usually sports scores, were done under the cover of the night.
This tradition blossomed though, and, by the 1980s, the bridge was painted up to five times a day. Reaffirming my sentiments, the Cavalier Daily articles noted how important this outlet of student expression was. In the September 22, 1986 article entitled “Beta Bridge: Layers of University Tradition Live on Rugby,” former professor Raymond Bice explained, “Once in a while someone paints something that raises eyebrows. But really it’s a harmless activity that is very valuable.” Although the instances that he is talking about are ones like the John Lennon memorial that stayed up for ten days, this act still holds value today as some students use it to reach beyond the University community. The bridge poses as a cornerstone for the symbolic value of student voice, and even though it can often be pointless fun, sometimes its impact leaves a lasting mark on those who see it.
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College essay resources
How to ace u. virginia’s supplemental essays: guide & examples | 2022-2023, school supplements.
Brad Schiller
Oh, the quirk!
If you’re anything like us, you love quirk when you find it in Wes Anderson movies , in cool little tea shops , or when hanging out with your favorite aunt.
But in college essay prompts? Quirk can be a little scarier when found there.
Fear not, however! Though U. Virginia has become, after an essay prompt overhaul , the Reigning Lord of College Application Essay Quirk, we have everything you need to get you through this.
Look over the prompts below — don’t despair — and then meet us below the table of contents for a concrete, brisk, and to-the-point method for giving UVA what they’re looking for.
The first prompt has a ~100 word limit (Note: this article just covers the College of Arts & Sciences, though our method should help you with any of these.):
College of Arts & Sciences: If you could create a college course that all UVA students would take, what would it be about and why?
- School of Engineering : How will you use an engineering degree to change the world for the better?
- School of Architecture : Describe a significant experience that deepened your interest in studying in the School of Architecture.
- School of Nursing : Describe a health care-related experience or another significant interaction that deepened your interest in studying Nursing.
- Kinesiology Program : Describe an experience that has deepened your interest in studying kinesiology.
The second prompt (choose two out of 11 options, about 50 words each):
- What’s your favorite word and why?
- We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. [Editorial note: yes, you are!] What is one of your quirks?
- About what topic could you speak for an hour?
- Take us to your happy place.
- You can wake up tomorrow and a skill you already have will become expert-level. What skill is that?
- What is the last gift you gave someone that wasn’t bought with money?
- What website is the internet missing?
- After a challenging experience, how do you recharge?
- Tell us about a place you’d like to share with everyone, but also keep to yourself.
- UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. What would you paint on Beta Bridge and why is this your message?
- Tell us about a time when, faced with an opinion or perspective that differed from your own, you responded as an empathetic speaker or generous listener.
(For help with all aspects of your college application, head to our College Essay Help Center .)
In this article:
The U. Virginia admissions team wants authentic, but unusual answers that showcase your intellectual curiosity
On brand with the “quirk” thing, we get warm fuzzies from U. Virginia’s admissions office.
The Admission Dean’s TikTok page is charming and insightful, and as college essay nerds , we’ve pored over it with interest. By combining what we see there with our knowledge of how admissions offices work , we’re offering some guidance on how to approach these unusual supplements.
All colleges are ultimately looking for students who will succeed in college and beyond . That’s what the essays are for. Essays showcase potential when they talk about experiences, ideally ones that show one or more of the 5 Traits Colleges Look for in Applicants :
- Drive (grit)
- Contribution
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Diversity of Experiences
As the UVA dean talked about how UVA overhauled their recent application questions based on a review, her deciding question was: Which prompts gave them “some of our favorite and most insightful essays?”
What we see from this is that UVA wants two things:
(1) to do the same assessment of students’ potential for success as any other college (“insightful”), and
(2), to have fun in doing so (“favorite”).
In the comment section of the same video , the Dean implies she doesn’t like the “favorite word” question because it “gives us some of the more contrived answers (leadership, dedication, etc).” (Spoiler, though - it’s still there, the first of the 11 options.)
What we’re learning from this exchange is that U. Virginia wants answers that show a lot of personality — answers that reveal what’s unusual, rare, or unique about you. (You might even say, what’s “quirky” about you.) And not answers that make you “look good.”
All that being said, don’t forget the balance you’re trying to strike. The dean notes that academic performance is the most important piece of your application — we at Prompt take this with a grain of salt ( see more here ), but it does indicate that UVA isn’t just looking for a flock of delightful Zooey Deschanels : they want students who love learning (intellectual curiosity), will do well in college and beyond and who showcase real, interesting answers.
Before you choose a prompt, decide what unusual interests/experiences (that show off the 5 Traits) you want to showcase
Despite UVA’s unusual take on essay prompts, our essay-writing method still applies: you must start by figuring out what you want to say.
Only when you have a good idea of which of your high school experiences show off the 5 Traits should you consider the prompts — you want to slot your best stuff into them (not have them distract you from what best shows your potential).
So invest some time in brainstorming. Write down a long list of your:
- Academic interests
- Extracurricular activities and interests
- Self-learning or independent projects you’ve undertaken
- Work experiences or substantial domestic obligations
- Any other skills you’ve developed or meaningful experiences you’ve had
If you create a free Prompt account , you can develop these ideas through our brainstorming modules.
Once you’ve taken that time, you can better navigate what experiences show off your college potential. The very best should go into your personal statement . (Re-write your personal statement if that’s not so!)
But the “next-best” after that should find their way into your UVA answers.
College course prompt — Show off your intellectual curiosity [Example included]
The most important thing in your first answer is to make sure your response focuses on actions you’ve taken that show intellectual curiosity .
Do not speak in the abstract about course material that really might interest you, but for which you don’t have a track record. Also, don’t speak in the abstract about a great college course you’d like, but neglect to add the work you’ve done in that field already!
Instead, use your time to show how you’ve been a curious, interesting, dynamic person in high school (and will likely continue to be one in college).
The prompt again is:
In addition, here’s UVA’s unofficial note on word count:
We want students to answer the prompt in around 100 words. As always, the boxes on the Common App allow students to go a bit over, so we don't expect students to write exactly 100 words.
Every UVA student should take an urbanism course: better-designed cities are our most powerful tool against climate change, against homelessness, and for alleviating poverty. As a housing activist in local elections, so much of my work is to educate my peers (and elders!) on basic facts, such as the “High Cost of Free Parking” (a book by Donald Shoup) and “How Our Government Segregated America” (a book by Richard Rothstein). Yet these facts have an outsized impact on our everyday lives and the world we want to create.
- Word count: 88
- This entry shows a student who is full of intellectual curiosity — they’ve read at least 3 books outside of school! — and a dynamic person who takes initiative (being a housing activist at a young age, trying to educate others, organizing a book club). The student also seems like a contributor with strong values.
- The response also answers every part of the prompt — (a) what would the course be about and (b) why — right in the first sentence.
- In addition, the response focuses on how the course connects directly to work the student has undertaken already.
- Finally, the answer isn’t “quirky” per se, but it’s not your run-of-the-mill stuff either. The student has plainly developed this somewhat unusual interest and runs with it. Your answer can be very different but should have that same whiff of authentic passion or interest.
11 prompt options — Be authentic, but show off the 5 Traits [Examples included]
Here are the instructions again:
Students will … write responses to two prompts out of eleven options in about 50 words each. Again, the Common App boxes allow students to go a little over the stated limit. Some of these are old favorites and some are new.
One tip for deciding which two prompts to answer : write all of them (at least, sketch out your answer) and see which of your answers end up being strongest in terms of showing your potential/the 5 Traits. It shouldn’t take long to dash each answer out, using your brainstormed list of experiences. Then, you can refine the two you think are best.
Caveat : many of our answers use the same content and take it in different directions. This is only to show you how these questions work. Please make sure your answers show off different, if complimentary, facets of your experience . Don’t recycle facts the readers already know from other parts of your application.
Alright — on to the examples.
[1.] What’s your favorite word and why?
My favorite word is “density.” In urban planning, it means “more homes, closer together.” Something magic happens under those circumstances: people can walk places (car usage plummets), people can heat their spaces efficiently (fuel usage plummets), people can support local businesses, racially and economically diverse people can live together (a boon to social mobility).
- Word count: 54
- Important : definitely don’t go for a “contrived” word like “leadership,” or “dedication” (read our first section above if you want to know why!)
- Here, the student chose an unusual word with which they have an authentic relationship.
- This answer shows off intellectual curiosity as well as contribution values like caring for the environment and social equity.
[2.] We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. What is one of your quirks?
Constantly looking up the ownership and value of various properties. Doing this is a great way to see where a city is best using its land — and where it’s wasting resources, such as huge parking lots near subway stops. I also like that looking these facts up educates people on important issues (environmentalism, equity) while showing that we often have more power as citizens than we think.
- Word count: 67
- Again, the answer shows off intellectual curiosity as well as contribution values like caring for the environment and social equity.
- Again, the answer does seem more “authentic” than “contrived.”
[3.] About what topic could you speak for an hour?
On the origins of The Nutcracker . In a recent research paper, I compared the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story to the ballet, defending what many critics dismiss as a saccharine production: in the original, Clara (aged 7) marries the dis-enchanted Nutcracker and is praised as beautiful. In the ballet, Clara bravely kills the Mouse King — and has an exciting, imagination-rich adventure.
- Word count: 62
- Yeah, we got sick of the urbanism thing, too. So, here’s one more thing that might work.
- This essay shows the student’s intellectual curiosity . (And it’s fine that it doesn’t really exemplify another of the 5 Traits, although of course, you might weigh which topics let you show off more than one.)
- One caveat to this choice : it’s really hard to discuss a topic richly in 50 words. In this instance, we had to flatten/elide some details. If you find that you can’t be accurate about your topic in the limited space, see if you can better configure that answer for a different prompt.
[4.] Take us to your happy place.
The Nutcracker ballet has meant “Christmas” to me ever since I danced in our local production as a kid during my parent’s divorce. The production provided a warm, safe, beautiful anchor for me in a rough time. I still love it so much that I devoted a research paper to comparing E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original story to the ballet (arguing in favor of the ballet’s, yes, feminism).
- Word count: 68
- Importantly, this answer ties back to a recent experience — you want all your answers to talk about high school experiences (even if, as with this one, you also touch on your childhood), as that’s what most interests admissions readers.
- As with the answer above, this answer does a nice job of showing intellectual curiosity . It also touches on diversity of experiences .
[5.] You can wake up tomorrow and a skill you already have will become expert-level. What skill is that?
Hair & makeup. My white mom wasn’t up to my hair; I learned from my Black grandmother and I particularly loved that it was bonding time for us. Just like her, I’ve always loved hair and makeup. Today, though my grandmother died, I find that I can bond with friends by doing their hair and makeup (with or for them, whether they’re into it or not). I’d love even greater prowess, though.
- Word count: 71
- This answer shows a student who’s a real contributor , bonding with their grandmother and being someone who seems to make friend groups better. In a more minor way, it also has some diversity of experiences .
- Again, this answer comes off as authentic, not “contrived” as the U. Virginia dean might say.
[6.] What is the last gift you gave someone that wasn’t bought with money?
I noticed a beautiful empty frame in one of the homes where I babysit. I learned from the mom that she just felt too overwhelmed to fill it. My mission was clear: I took her two young kids out to the park for a “photo shoot.” Photographing little kids is hard! But I got a great picture, had it printed, and put it in the frame on Mother’s Day. Big hit.
- This answer also shows a student who’s a real contributor . Actually, this is a great prompt to showcase contribution , especially if you think that’s something lacking in your application elsewhere.
- In addition to contribution, this answer shows creativity , initiative , and drive . This present took some doing, but the student made it happen.
[7.] What website is the internet missing?
There is no website that shows:
- How many people want to live in a city but are priced out;
- How their inability to live there hurts their lives; and
- How much they’d contribute by being able to live there (in reduced emissions, and greater quality of life).
This comes close, but not enough.
- Word count: 53
- This answer shows both intellectual curiosity and contribution . The author is well-informed on an important subject, and shows how much they care about its human costs.
- This answer would be stronger if the student had an activity list description of the work they do that’s related to this knowledge (ie: if they’re part of a housing activist group and it’s listed there) so that the admission readers can place it in greater context.
[8.] After a challenging experience, how do you recharge?
Recently, the “affordable housing” ordinance I pushed for with my activist group failed to pass. We’d put in so much time and effort and were demoralized that affordable housing remains too hard to build. I found that it was hanging out with this group that buoyed me again. They felt what I felt and they soon started having hope that I found contagious.
- This answer shows contribution — a person who loves their group, hanging out with their group, and giving back to it — as well as drive , given the hard work referenced by the challenge and resilience to bounce back.
- Warning: This prompt seems like an easy one to answer without going deep on the 5 Traits. Make sure your answer shows more than how long you can stay in a hot sauna: make sure it shows something strong about your character.
[9.] Tell us about a place you’d like to share with everyone, but also keep to yourself.
There’s a coffee shop where I take the kids I babysit: it has a sandlot they love in the back, great Vietnamese coffee, and used books you can borrow while you sip! I love this place and want it to be hugely popular; sadly, it’s getting that way!
- Word count: 48
- Warning : We struggled with coming up with a (madeup) scenario that would work for this prompt while also showing off the 5 Traits. (This answer isn’t great for that.) This might be one of the more difficult prompts to do well on; or, you might have the perfect experience that this prompt allows you to show off.
- This answer isn’t great, but it does show a creative person who loves to read and seems good at their job (babysitting). All good things to admissions readers.
[10.] UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. What would you paint on Beta Bridge and why is this your message?
I would paint a picture of immigrants being welcomed in Charlottesville with the message “Build homes so immigrants can live here.” An important aspect of the housing crisis and cities’ failure to build enough housing is that cities that consider themselves “welcoming” to immigrants absolutely are not: immigrants can’t afford to live there.
- Word count: 53
- Warning: This answer is okay, but it’s a little combative and it’s also maybe a bit more controversial than you might want to include in an application where you don’t know the political leanings of the reader reviewing your application. While you can touch on political activism (whatever it is), try to keep your answers as uncontroversial and positive as possible.
- That being said, this answer demonstrates intellectual curiosity and contribution .
[11.] Tell us about a time when, faced with an opinion or perspective that differed from your own, you responded as an empathetic speaker or generous listener.
As an activist, opponents regularly enrage me. But I want to listen, learn, and be able to correct my own views or those of others. Recently, I talked with someone who said new homes shouldn’t come at the expense of parking. I’m proud that - for once - I calmly listened, asked a lot of questions to fully understand her views, and was able to correct one meaningful error.
- Word count: 65
- This answer shows intellectual curiosity , as well as great contribution skills - getting along with people and wanting to get along. It shows someone who is humble about their faults but driven to improve.
- Warning: That’s “empathetic” (showing empathy), not “emphatic” (talking loudly)! This prompt is actually pretty good for showing off your valuable “people person” skills.
Helpful info on all the “other” stuff you’ll consider as you apply to UVA (and other schools)
A few helpful resources for the non-supplement parts of your application:
- Common App : UVA requires the Common App. Read our guide to acing everything to do with writing your Common App application .
- Whether to submit test scores: UVA remains test-optional for Fall 2023. Our test-optional article will guide you through the tricky waters of making this decision.
- Early options: UVA offers Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision . Read our Early Admissions article so you know how to approach this decision.
BTW, here’s our guidance for approaching any college supplement + here’s where you can find our guides for almost every college’s supplements .
Feeling inspired? A great place to start is at our College Essay Help Center .
More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:
- Work with a college essay coach
- Strong essays increase your chance of admission by up to 10x
- Don’t let influencers influence your college essays
- Should I apply test-optional?
- Early admissions: Everything you need to know
- College Essay Help Center
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University of Virginia (UVA) Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Prompts & Advice
August 16, 2023
The University of Virginia is one of the handful of flagship public institutions in the United States that attract massive numbers of high-achieving applicants from around the country/globe each and every year. In the most recent admissions cycle, over 56,000 students applied (up 10% from the previous year) and only 16% were accepted. While becoming a Cavalier is challenging for a Virginia resident, out-of-staters and international applicants face an even tougher admissions gauntlet. You’ll likely need a straight A average (or very close) to get serious consideration at the 2023 version of UVA and an SAT in the 96th percentile (or better) doesn’t hurt either. And that brings us to today’s main topic- the UVA supplemental essays.
(Want to learn more about How to Get Into the University of Virginia? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into the University of Virginia: Admissions Data and Strategies for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)
With only one supplemental essay for the majority of applicants (you’ll only need to write more than one if applying to the School of Nursing or the Dance program), UVA’s supplemental section affords applicants the chance to illustrate what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below are the University of Virginia’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with our advice for composing winning essays.
2023-2024 UVA Supplemental Essay (All Applicants)
What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you. (300 words)
This prompt asks you to not only share a particular life experience, element of your background, or perspective but also describe why that experience, element, or perspective will help you serve as a source of strength to either yourself or those around you. Essentially, it’s asking you to take your essay’s reflection one step further—you’ll need to communicate why the experience or element you’ve chosen is important to you as well as why/how you believe it will allow you to thrive at UVA or positively impact the UVA community.
UVA Supplemental Essays (Continued)
First, choose a key aspect of your experiences, background, or identity that reveals something deep and meaningful. (Although you could choose more than one, we’d advise against it, given that you only have 300 words in which to respond.) As you brainstorm, consider the following avenues:
- Your role in your family.
- A challenge you’ve faced.
- A formative experience or realization.
- Important aspects of your upbringing.
- Cultural, religious, community influence.
- Racial background.
- Sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
Second, you’ll need to explain how you’ll use what you’ve learned to persist through future personal challenges or strengthen others at UVA. Will your life experiences allow you to uplift those around you? Will your unique perspective enable you to connect more deeply with others? Lastly, will your background make it possible for you to advocate more effectively for specific populations? Alternatively, has your experience or background provided you with a perspective that will benefit and support you as you move on to college? If you connect with at least one of these questions, you’re headed in the right direction for this essay.
UVA Program-Specific Essays
School of nursing.
Describe a healthcare-related experience or another significant interaction that deepened your interest in studying nursing. (300 words)
“A nurse is not what you do, it is who you are.”
This quote from an anonymous source captures the idea that becoming a nurse is more of a calling than a profession you just stumble into. Nurses are willing to work long shifts in the service of others, be on the frontlines of a pandemic, and deal with life’s toughest challenges (e.g., suffering and death) on a regular basis. Many applicants share stories of caring for sick relatives or going through a tough medical episode themselves as inspiration for wanting to study nursing. This essay is a chance to show the admissions committee that you are a passionate and mature nursing candidate and that nursing is genuinely “who you are.”
Dance Program
Submit a short essay discussing your interest in dance as a practice and/or a form of scholarship. What roles have dance and movement played in your life thus far? What insights and connections have you made in your day-to-day and academic life through the practice and study of movement? What do you hope to explore further by participating in dance program courses upon entry to UVA? (275 words)
Essentially, UVA wants to understand how your participation in dance has impacted your life. How has it benefited, strengthened, and/or challenged you as a person? Moreover, they’d like to understand the connections you’ve made between dance and other academic subjects, if any—what interdisciplinary connections have you observed? How has your academic life been made richer by dance? Finally, in addition to how dance has already impacted you, UVA is looking for a brief discussion of what the future holds in regard to dance, and how you plan to pursue that future at UVA.
How important are the UVA supplemental essays?
The essays (both the Common App essay and the supplemental response(s)) are “important” to the UVA admissions committee. This places them in the same tier of importance as extracurricular activities and talent/ability. Standardized test scores are rated a notch below as “considered.” Read more about the importance of the UVA supplemental essays in the fabulous Notes from Peabody blog .
At UVA, the rigor of your coursework, class rank, GPA, recommendations, character/personal qualities, and state residency status are the most important factors in the admissions process. However, application components like the supplemental essay can serve as a critical tie-breaker between similarly-credentialed applicants.
Want Personalized Essay Assistance with the UVA Supplemental Essays?
Are you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your UVA supplemental essays? We encourage you to get a quote today.
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How to Write the University of Virginia Application Essays 2016-2017
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The University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA, has an incredibly rich history. Established in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, its first two rectors were presidents Jefferson and Monroe. This “Public Ivy” is constantly ranked among the top public universities in the nation, and is a well-respected research university, particularly in the fields of medicine and psychology.
It currently stands at #26 on the U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities ranking. Last year, the university received 30,840 applications and accepted 29% of them.
The UVA has 16,483 undergraduates and offers 48 bachelor’s degrees in five undergraduate programs: the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Architecture, School of Nursing, and Kinesiology. The top five most popular majors for the class of 2014 were Economics, Business and Commerce, Biology, International Relations, and Psychology.
The university has a unique vocabulary: The campus is called “the grounds,” and there are no freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors — in a nod to founder Thomas Jefferson’s belief that learning is a lifelong process, students are referred to as first-, second-, third-, or fourth-years.
The University of Virginia’s lifeblood is its student-run honor system, with three simple requirements — students must not lie, cheat, or steal. The university takes this seriously: When accused, a student stands trial in front of their peers. Fellow students, not faculty, serve as the jury. If a student is found guilty, they are immediately expelled.
Outside of academics, the school also excels in sports. The Virginia Cavaliers have won twelve NCAA national championships in the 21st century alone, and students are often found at basketball and lacrosse games. The Cavaliers also have a long-standing rivalry with the Virginia Tech Hokies.
The University of Virginia asks the applicant to first answer a question pertaining to the the applicant’s school of interest, then to choose a second prompt to answer from a list of four. Each essay is 250 words, or half a page.
Want to learn what University of Virginia will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering University of Virginia needs to know.
University of Virginia Application Essay Prompts
We are looking for passionate students to join our diverse community of scholars, researchers, and artists. Answer the question that corresponds to the school/program to which you are applying in a half page or roughly 250 words.
College of Arts and Sciences
What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?
The College of Arts and Sciences receives the most applications of all of the undergraduate schools, so it’s important that your essay stands out. If you are having trouble thinking of a work to write about, make a list of books, music, movies, art pieces, scientific discoveries, etc. that you’ve encountered in the past few years, paying special attention to the ones that you did not immediately like.
Why did you not like them? What made you feel uncomfortable or surprised? How did this further your understanding of the piece itself and of the art form? After brainstorming, your essay should include the context in which you encountered the work, what specific aspect of the work challenged you, and how your understanding and perception of the piece changed — and maybe how it prompted a change in your world view.
An effective essay on this prompt will show off not only your analytical and comprehensive skills in writing coherently about a significant piece of culture, but also will say something about how your perspective and opinions. The underlying question asked in this prompt is how being unsettled, challenged, or surprised helps you grow as a person.
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
If you were given funding for a small engineering project that would make your everyday life better, what would you do?
As an engineering applicant, you have likely thought about future engineering projects, but probably on a much larger and grander scale than UVA asks you to discuss here. This question asks specifically about a small engineering project for everyday life, so now is not the time to discuss your ideas for space travel.
What minor inconveniences do you experience in your day-to-day life? How might you be able to solve those using your engineering skills? This is as much an opportunity to talk about the challenges of your everyday life as it is to show off your engineering chops, so you do not necessarily need to get too technical. Think simple, think small, and think personal.
School of Architecture
Describe an instance or place where you have been inspired by architecture or design.
This prompt sounds pretty straightforward, but remember that you need to tell a story. While your initial answer might be to rave about a certain stunning place objectively, the whole point of the essay is to get to know you , not another architect.
So in answering this question, think about why it had the effect it had on you, add background to your story (Why were you visiting this place at all? What does it mean to you?), and ask yourself how the architecture or design you saw might inspire you as a future architect. Also, allow yourself to think outside the box: Architecture and design don’t necessarily mean buildings. Think about everyday objects that might inspire you as well.
School of Nursing
Discuss experiences that led you to choose the School of Nursing.
Kinesiology Program
Discuss experiences that led you to choose the kinesiology major.
For the Nursing and Kinesiology programs, the prompts are more straightforward — why do you want to study what you want to study? The prompts also ask for experiences, so think of anecdotes in which you knew that you wanted to study Nursing/Kinesiology. Since you have a whole 250 words, after you come up with a compelling narrative for why you’ve chosen your field, go further and answer why you want to study that field at UVA specifically.
Answer one of the following questions in a half page or roughly 250 words.
What’s your favorite word, and why?
This question tends to show up frequently on supplements, but most other schools don’t ask you to write a full 250-word essay about it. This means that instead of just thinking of a word that sounds cool to you and possibly writing a sentence about it, you will want to write about a word that comes with a story.
Maybe it’s the first word you learned in a foreign language; maybe it’s a word that is an inside joke in your family; maybe it’s a food; or maybe it is just a word that sounds cool to you — but in any regard, you should have background for why you love the word you love.
Describe one of your quirks…
We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are.
This is a more specific version of the “tell us who you are” question. For this, you’ll want to convey your personality, framed by a particular aspect of it (the ‘quirk’). Think of a small personal trait that makes you different — maybe a habit that you learned from your parents or a piece of slang that is used by a community you belong to. Then expand on that quirk into how it influences your personality as a whole.
Student Self-Governance
Student self-governance, which encourages student investment and initiative, is a hallmark of the U.Va. culture. In her fourth year at U.Va., Laura Nelson was inspired to create Flash Seminars, one-time classes which facilitate high-energy discussion about thought-provoking topics outside of traditional coursework. If you created a Flash Seminar, what idea would you explore, and why?
As previously noted, UVA is big on student responsibility, with students acting as the enforcement of the honor code. This is taking that idea of independence and self-governance one step further. The key phrase in this prompt is “outside of traditional coursework” — think out of the box for this one. A good way to approach this prompt is to think of hobbies or interests you have that may not necessarily align with typical subjects in school. Alternatively, think of broader interdisciplinary ideas that span multiple subjects. Then, of course, go into why the topic is of particular interest to you.
Beta Bridge Prompt
U.Va. students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. What would you paint on Beta Bridge, and why is this your message?
For this prompt, you have a couple of choices: words or images . If you choose words, you’ll want to write something succinct that conveys a message. Your hypothetical bridge-writing cannot be too long and should be attention-grabbing. Bear in mind that even choosing words over images, this is still a visually-based question, so you should consider how you want to present the words. How big are the letters, what color are they, and is there any embellishment?
If you choose images, you have a bit more freedom. Choose an image or a symbol and describe what it looks like and what it means to you. Just remember that you need something without too much detail, because again, it’s going on the side of a bridge.
And, as with all of these prompts, while the answer itself is important, the reason behind it is even more so. Why do these words or images matter to you? What do they mean?
Remember that, while all of the second prompts are interesting questions in and of themselves, the end goal is for the university to get to know you, so remember to tie your answers back to yourself. What does your answer mean to you, why did you come up with it, etc.
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Uva beta bridge essay example
Here are some tips, pointers and actual essays that recently made the cut. To build the 3,member Class ofUVA admission deans culled through 40, applications. How big a role did the student essays play in the final decision? Virginia Magazine: What carries the most weight in the final admission decision?
Uva beta bridge essay example - Intro
If you created a Flash Seminar, what idea would you explore and why? You never know which one of the people you pass in the hallway or drive past on a busy road is going to change the world. If you do pick this prompt, tell a story about how you first heard this word, or how this word changed the way you saw something. This is another excellent opportunity to tell a story that adds depth to your application. In this article, we'll break down what the UVA essay prompts are and how you can write responses to each prompt that will make you stand out. For example, if your quirk is having to do a cartwheel every morning before school, you can write a story mapping out your day, with emphasis on your daily cartwheel.
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Uva beta bridge essay example Disadvantages
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Discussion: Uva beta bridge essay example
Uva beta bridge essay example - can.
Want help on your college essays to get into your dream schools? Option B : We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. When answering this prompt, you might feel pressured to write something really impressive, like designing a space shuttle that'll allow humans to travel to Mars or developing a cheap water purification system that can be distributed to the millions of people living without access to clean drinking water. Pride and dignity extinguished, yet undeterred, I mounted again. Elena Shevliakova August 27, The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Uva beta bridge essay example congratulate, seems From New Mexico, I learned about the magic in color. For whichever prompts you choose, be honest and reflective so that your response gives a window of insight into who you are and what matters to you. It answers the prompt while providing valuable personal information about the applicant.
Living Out-of-the-Box
In the application cycle most recent official statsUVA only admitted In addition to academic transcripts and letters of recommendation, all applicants must submit three pieces of writing— the common app essay and two shorter responses that are specific to UVA.
With such competitive rates, it is often intimidating to complete these additional essays. Want to learn what University of Virginia will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? University of Virginia Supplemental Essay Prompts Prompt 1: Answer one of the following questions in a half page or roughly words. Option B : We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are. Option C : Student self-governance, which encourages student investment and initiative, is a hallmark of the UVA culture.
Since the essay is short at words, you want to be fairly straightforward without being too stale or obvious.
UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. Enjoy meeting a few individuals from the Class of You want to choose something that is both personally meaningful to you and something that is attached to a greater story. You never know which one of the people you pass in the hallway or drive past on a busy road is going to change the world.
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Tut an ambivert who enjoys communing with nature and traveling for months at a time just as much as watching movies and playing sim games at home. That also means that she has a lot more avenues to explore in terms of understanding how tech can improve the different aspects of our lives.
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Essay Example #2: School of Architecture. Describe a significant experience that deepened your interest in studying in the School of Architecture. (250 words) During my freshman year, my studio art class arranged a field trip to the National Portrait Gallery. To say I was excited was an understatement.
The key to acing these UVA essays is to be reflective, genuine, and precise. Show them why you are a perfect fit for UVA and how UVA is the ideal place for you to achieve your goals. Good luck, Wahoos! Admit Hero brings you a comprehensive guide to understanding and approaching the University of Virginia's supplemental essays for 2023-2024.
The first prompt requires a response of about 100 words, and the other two recommend 50 words each. So these are definitely more short responses than full-length essays. For the first UVA supplement essay, you're required to write a response based on the school within UVA that you're applying to. For the second and third UVA writing supplements ...
In terms of writing your essay, you want to make it clear what your word is without directly saying "my favorite word is _____."; always start your essay with an interesting opener and a thoughtful conclusion. Since the essay is short at 250 words, you want to be fairly straightforward without being too stale or obvious.
How to write each supplemental essay prompt for UVA. Prompt #1: "Connections" essay. Prompt #2: "Community contribution" essay. The University of Virginia (UVA) is a popular choice for students who want it all—and that means you'll have to make the most of your supplemental essays to set yourself apart. The challenge: distinguishing ...
You could write about your gender, sexuality, ethnicity, or other qualities people often associate with the word "diversity," but you can also broaden your net, and write about, to use UVA's words "any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective.". Our past experiences and backgrounds are not just the ...
The essay does not need to be related to academics. As long as you can write 250 words about the topic and why you think it is important for other people to learn about, it'll be worth creating an essay about. UVA Supplemental Essay 4: Beta Bridge. UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community.
Be descriptive. Be reflective. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable—you know, to talk about shortcomings or areas where you felt weak. We all have that. It's perfectly fine to be normal. And at no point should you say, "Soccer taught me to be a leader.". That should emerge from your essay.
1. Don't overthink the topic. "The questions are broad because we want the students to go in whatever direction makes sense for them," Lalonde said. "The topic is just a vehicle that the student uses. They should pick a topic that lets them be interesting and authentic in their writing.". 2.
When applying to UVA, you'll need to select which undergraduate college you want to study in and write an essay about that school in particular. Once you select the college you're applying to, the school-specific question will pop up. We are looking for passionate students to join our diverse community of scholars, researchers, and artists.
The first is that they are short. A 250-word limit forces you to be really clear about what the take-home is for the reader because you don't have any opportunity to lose focus and meander off topic. The second is the questions reflect UVA's values, and the essay is an opportunity for students to show how they connect with those values.
Alexander "Sandy" Gilliam, UVA's former university protocol and history officer - also a member of Beta Theta Pi during his days as a UVA student in the 1950s - said the tradition of painting the bridge didn't yet exist while he was in school. But by the time he came back to his alma mater as a professor in 1975, the tradition was ...
UVA Essays that Worked #3. I'm a firm believer that J.G Quintel's Regular Show is the only TV series capable of portraying an apocalyptic, flesh-hungry black hole spiraling out of the skies while an anthropomorphic blue jay, Mordecai, and raccoon, Rigby, play nearly one hundred tied games of rock, paper, scissors.
An example of U.Va. student support for the Venezuelan protests is this picture, which has reached an audience of over 700,000 Venezuelans after it was retweeted by prominent Venezuelan reporter Miguel Henrique Otero, February 23, 2014. ... University of Virginia Beta Bridge, 1969. (RG-30/1/10.11. University of Virginia Visual History Collection.
The U. Virginia admissions team wants authentic, but unusual answers that showcase your intellectual curiosity;Before you choose a prompt, decide what unusual interests/experiences (that show off the 5 Traits) you want to showcase;College course prompt — Show off your intellectual curiosity [Example included];11 options prompts — Show off your intellectual curiosity [Examples included ...
The Requirements: Answer two essay prompts of roughly 250 words each. Supplemental Essay Type: Why, Oddball, Community. 1. We are looking for passionate students to join our diverse community of scholars, researchers, and artists. Answer the question that corresponds to the school/program to which you are applying in a half page or roughly 250 ...
University of Virginia (UVA) Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Prompts & Advice. August 16, 2023. The University of Virginia is one of the handful of flagship public institutions in the United States that attract massive numbers of high-achieving applicants from around the country/globe each and every year. In the most recent admissions cycle, over ...
In this reflective essay, a student discusses the specific message she would choose to display on the University of Virginia's Beta Bridge if she had the opportunity to do so. The student wishes to share a message of hope since she herself has faced great hardships in her life. This essay received a C by one of Kibin's paper graders.
The Cavaliers also have a long-standing rivalry with the Virginia Tech Hokies. The University of Virginia asks the applicant to first answer a question pertaining to the the applicant's school of interest, then to choose a second prompt to answer from a list of four. Each essay is 250 words, or half a page.
University of Virginia (UVA) 2023-2024 First-Year Application Essay Question Explanations. The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words, 1 optional essay of 100 words, 1 essay of 250 words for applicants to the School of Nursing only. Supplemental Essay Type (s): Why, Community.
UVA was founded in by Thomas Jefferson and uva beta bridge essay example currently offers 49 majors to its 17, undergrads. When answering this prompt, you might feel pressured to write something really impressive, like designing a space shuttle that'll allow humans to travel to Mars or developing a cheap water purification system that can be ...