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Essay Prompts

This document provides sample personal statement prompts and essay topics from the application processes of various universities. The prompts cover a wide range of topics including challenges faced, interests, community involvement, goals, and perspectives applicants can bring to campus. Universities are looking to understand applicants as individuals and what contributions they may make to the student community through these personal statements.

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240 views4 pages

Essay Prompts

This document provides sample personal statement prompts and essay topics from the application processes of various universities. The prompts cover a wide range of topics including challenges faced, interests, community involvement, goals, and perspectives applicants can bring to campus. Universities are looking to understand applicants as individuals and what contributions they may make to the student community through these personal statements.

Uploaded by

xsmartie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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University of Michigan

[A] Describe a setback that you have faced. How


did you resolve it? How did the outcome affect
you? If something similar happened in
the future, how would you react?
[B] Discuss an issue of local concern. Why is this
issue important to you? How do you think it
should be addressed?
[C] Tell us about a book you have read that you
found especially challenging, stimulating, or
provocative.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is interested in learning more about your
background, talents, and experiences and how you plan to apply them to
your MSU education and future. Your statement may be considered as a
positive factor to enhance your admissibility, as well as for scholarship
consideration. Choose one of the personal essay topics below and write a
short essay of up to 400 words. Please indicate clearly which topic you are
writing about by checking the box next to the topic.
-Describe the environment you come from - for example, your family,
community, or school - and how this environment has affected or influenced
your plans for the future.
-Briefly discuss an activity or organization that youre participating in outside
of your own cultural group.
-Describe your experiences promoting global understanding and/or the value
of diversity in society.
University of Texas, Austin
Personal Essay 1
Write an essay in which you tell us about someone who has made an impact
on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you.

Personal Essay 2
Choose an issue of importance to youthe issue could be personal, school
related, local, political, or international in scopeand write an essay in which
you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your
community, or your generation.

Major-specific essay
Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as
to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your
intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art

studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area


or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type
of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking
and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

Central Michigan
Please provide any information we should consider in reviewing your
application and records for admission. You may wish to include extracurricular
and leadership activities, including employment.
Stanford
1. Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual
vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you
find intellectually engaging.
2. Virtually all of Stanfords undergraduates live on campus. Write a note
to your roommate that reveals something about you or that will help
your roommateand usknow you better.
3. Tell us what makes Stanford a good place for you.
University of Florida
In the space provided, please write a concise narrative in which you describe
a meaningful event, experience or accomplishment in your life and how it will
affect your college experience or your contribution to the UF campus
community. You may want to reflect on your ideas about student
responsibility, academic integrity, campus citizenship or a call to service.
Western Michigan University
Please attach a one-page statement detailing the circumstances and your
plan for improving your academic performance.
Grand Valley
Describe your educational achievements in the face of any challenging social,
economic, or cultural circumstances that you have encountered.
At Grand Valley, we feel that a range of thoughtful perspectives is necessary
for open inquiry, liberal education, and a healthy community. Please tell us
what unique perspectives you will bring to our university.
Virginia Military Institute
Please write whatever you think is important about yourself that will help us
in evaluating his/her qualifications for admission to VMI. We are particularly
interested in the applicants motivation, relative maturity, integrity,
independence, initiative, leadership potential, capacity for growth, intellectual
promise, and special talents.
Hope College
1. Write about someone or something in your life that has been inspirational,
and describe the impact made on you.

2. Write about some issue of local, national, or international concern and its
significance to you.
3. Write about a social or cultural experience which furthered your
understanding and appreciation for others.
Washington State University
Your personal statement should describe in detail (about 100 words per
question) some special interest, significant experience, or achievement in
each of the
following areas:
1. Leadership/group contributions: Describe examples of your leadership
experience and share how you have significantly influenced others, helped
resolve disputes,
or contributed to group efforts over time. Consider responsibilities you have
taken for initiatives in or out of school.
2. Knowledge or creativity in a field: Describe any of your special interests
and how you have developed knowledge in these areas. Give examples of
your creativity:
the ability to see alternatives; take diverse perspectives; come up with many,
varied, or original ideas; or willingness to try new things.
3. Dealing with adversity: Describe the most significant challenge you have
faced and the steps you have taken to address this challenge. Include
whether you turned
to anyone in facing that challenge, the role that person played, and what you
learned about yourself.
4. Community service: Explain what you have done to make your community
a better place to live. Give examples of specific projects in which you have
been
involved over time.
5. Handling systemic challenges: Describe your experiences facing or
witnessing discrimination. Tell us how you responded and what you learned
from those
experiences and how they prepared you to contribute to the WSU community.
6. Goals/task commitment: Articulate the goals you have established for
yourself and your efforts to accomplish them. Give at least one specific
example that
demonstrates your work ethic/diligence.
Univeristy of Wisconsin
1. The University of Wisconsin values an educational environment that
provides all members of the campus community with opportunities to grow
and develop intellectually, personally, culturally and socially. In order to give
us a more complete picture of you as an individual, please tell us about the
particular life experiences, perspectives, talents, commitments and/or
interests you will bring to our campus. In other words, how will your presence
enrich our community?
2. Tell us about your academic goals, circumstances that may have had an
impact on your academic performance, and, in general, anything else you
would like us to know in making an admission decision.

Alma
A personal statement helps us get to know you beyond your grades, test
scores and school activities. We are looking for information that will allow us
to understand who you are as a person and as a student.
Why do you hope to get a liberal arts education at Alma College?
What contributions do you hope to make at Alma?
Describe a significant experience, achievement or risk you have
taken in your life and evaluate its impact on you.
Identify and evaluate a current issue of local, national or global
importance and explain why this issue is important to you.
Explain how you interpret diversity and analyze its importance in a
liberal arts education.
Topic of your choice.

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