Breaking News:
The New UT Austin Essay Requirements Have Been Announced!
In a previous blog post, we discussed the rumor that the UT Austin essay requirements could potentially change this summer for students applying to Fall 2018. Today, those changes were announced! You can breathe a sigh of relief, because they are actually decreasing the amount of writing you’ll have to do. Sort of…
Previously, UT Austin required all applicants to submit two essays with their ApplyTexas application. Now, UT Austin is, “implementing some changes to streamline processes for freshman applicants this fall.” So what are these changes?
All freshman applicants will be required to submit one essay, addressing Topic A.
What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.
All of the other essays from previous years (B, C, D, S, etc.) are no longer necessary.
Additionally, you will be answering three short answer questions as part of your ApplyTexas application.
Short Answer 1: Career Plans
If you could have any career, what would it be? Why? Describe any activities you are involved in, life experiences you’ve had, or even classes you’ve taken that have helped you identify this professional path.
Tips to consider: This is an opportunity to describe your academic and future professional interests. You may not yet be 100% certain about what you want to do, but is there a particular field that you think you want to work in, or a certain path you want to pursue after college? How have your interests and experiences influenced your choice of majors or your plans to explore in college?
Short Answer 2: Academics
Do you believe your academic record (transcript information and test scores) provide an accurate representation of you as a student? Why or why not?
Tips to consider: Feel free to address anything you want the Office of Admissions to know about your academic record so that we can consider this information when we review your application. You can discuss your academic work, class rank, GPA, individual course grades, test scores, and/or the classes that you took or the classes that were available to you. You can also describe how special circumstances and/or your school, community, and family environments impacted your high school performance.
Short Answer 3: Leadership
How do you show leadership in your life? How do you see yourself being a leader at UT Austin?
Tips to consider: Leadership can be demonstrated by positions you hold as an officer in a club or organization, but other types of leadership are important too. Leaders can emerge in various situations at any given time, including outside of the school experience. Please share a brief description of the type of leadership qualities you possess, from school and non-school related experiences, including demonstrations of leadership in your job, your community, or within your family responsibilities, and then share how you hope to demonstrate leadership as a member of our campus community.
Keep in mind that applicants to certain majors will have additional, specific writing requirements. Nursing applicants will have to submit one additional long-form essay, and applicants to both Social Work and Art/Art History will have one additional short answer question to answer.
Lastly, the Office of Admissions and UT Austin’s honors programs have announced NEW application deadlines.
Priority Applications are due by November 1st, and will be notified no later than February 1st.
Regular Applications are due by December 1st, and will be notified no later than March 1st.
So now that the wait is over and our questions are answered… it’s time to get writing!
