Tackling the UT Austin Short Answer Application Prompts

When UT Austin introduced three short answer essays to their application in 2017, many students felt panicked. Applications are already writing-intensive, so adding even more required writing was an overwhelming prospect. But when it comes down to it, these questions are intended to help students. How? By giving them more opportunity to showcase their fit for UT and their first-choice major.


A student's expanded resume provides the “data” on their achievements and experiences. Their essay and short answers, in contrast, show that they're a living, thinking, feeling human being, someone who cares about what they do and has big dreams for their future. No admissions committee expects a student to have their life 100% planned out right now—the whole point of college is to give students time, space, and resources to learn and explore. But they do want to know that if they admit someone, that student is going to take advantage of everything they offer.

General Tips for the UT Austin Short Answer Application Essays


  • Just answer the question. Seems simple, but it's important to keep in mind: these are not trick questions. UT Admissions is asking students exactly what they want to know. Students should read the question carefully and be sure they're addressing it directly.
  • Be succinct. Students should absolutely use illustrative examples where appropriate, but they can save their creative juices for Essay A. The short answers are more about providing extra information to the admissions committee.
  • Always keep first-choice major in mind. The short answers are a great place to provide additional evidence for why a student is a good fit for their first-choice major.



The short answers on the UT application fit together to create the perfect opportunity for a student showcase themselves as an active, engaged future member of the UT community. Here, we'll walk you through each short answer question and offer some tips on how to tackle them.


REQUIRED SHORT ANSWER 1: First-Choice Major


Short Answer Prompt


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


HOW TO APPROACH THIS QUESTION


In this short answer response, students need to communicate to the admissions committee what they personally find engaging and exciting about their proposed field of study. The admissions committee does not expect student to already be an expert in their field or to have their future career in this field planned out. But they do want to know that the student didn't just open the course catalog and pick a major at random.

Remember, the student should demonstrate how they specifically—not just a generic student—will take advantage of the opportunities available to them.


So rather than writing a dry sentence like “I plan to apply for Department X's summer research grant,” a student should write a sentence or two describing a burning question they hope to answer through their research: “With the support of Department X's summer research grants, I could deepen my understanding of [insert specific topic you're passionate about] and finally discover an answer to [burning question]—something I've been fascinated by since my sophomore year internship at [relevant workplace].” The first sentence could just as easily apply to a thousand different applicants. The second is focused, detailed, and could only have been written by—and about—one student.


Students' responses to this question should demonstrate the following:


  1. They have already begun exploring this subject on their own, independently and/or through organized opportunities (e.g., classes, summer programs, internships).
  2. They have a sense of how this major fits into their long-term goals.
  3. They have thought about why UT would be an excellent place to study this subject.


QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND FREEWRITING


Students should be careful not to simply relist classes, activities, and awards from their resume. Instead, they can highlight two or three experiences they found especially meaningful, and reflect on how those experiences shaped their interest in their major. Here are some questions they can ask themselves as they brainstorm:


  • How did this learning experience change the way you understand the world? Did you learn about new problems you hadn't been aware of? Gain a new perspective on your own life, culture, or community? Learn new skills or methods for solving problems?
  • How did you grow from this learning experience? Did it spark new realizations or spark you to take action in some way? Give you new creative outlets for expressing yourself? Open doors to careers or fields of study you hadn't previously considered?


PERSONALIZING THE ANSWER


If a student hasn't had the opportunity to participate in summer programs or take coursework directly related to their first-choice major, they might need to get a little more creative here. Remember: learning experiences don't have to be formally organized. Taking the initiative to explore a topic independently can demonstrate to colleges that a student is self-motivated and intellectually curious. Here are some ways students might independently explore their interests:


  • Reading books and other publications related to their interests
  • Watching relevant lectures on YouTube or listening to podcasts
  • Starting conversations with friends, family, or classmates about what they're learning
  • Finding ways to incorporate interests into assignments (e.g., researching famous social psychology experiments for an AP U.S. History project)
  • Talking with a teacher or reaching out to a professional in their field to learn more
  • Gathering information from real world experiences, even if they don't seem directly connected to the major. (For example, if a student is an aspiring accounting major who currently works a retail job, they might pay close attention to how a small business handles expenses compared to a large chain. Or, if they're an aspiring education major who cares for younger siblings, they might help their siblings with their homework assignments and come up with creative ideas to teach them difficult concepts.)



Bottom line: Students should be sure that their answer to this question doesn't regurgitate information from their resume and instead offers new insight into their personal connection with their first-choice major.


The college essay & resume for UT Austin process can feel overwhelming. Our program provides an experienced coach and a proven framework, working one-on-one to reduce the stress so the student can tell a compelling story.


Our program for students applying to UT Austin includes:

  • Guiding students through the UT expanded resume development process
  • Managing your student’s essay timeline for one long essay and four school-specific supplemental essays
  • Coaching students through a targeted set of college essays, including one long essay  and four school-specific supplemental essays
  • Providing students with suggested edits and proofing for this targeted set of college essays
  • Review of essays and application by our internal admissions committee

Your student will be carefully matched with a coach based on personality, working style, and first-choice major—it’s just one of the many ways we modify our proven process to meet individual student needs


REQUIRED SHORT ANSWER 2: Leadership


Short Answer Prompt


Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT. (300 Words)


HOW TO APPROACH THIS QUESTION


The trick to answering this question: don't get too hung up on conventional definitions of "leadership." American popular culture tends to define leaders as people who have official titles, including Class President or Varsity Captain. We associate leadership with particular character traits, like self-confidence or charisma. And we may expect leaders to feel comfortable doing things like giving orders, delivering speeches, and making high-stakes decisions.


But there are only so many official titles to go around—and the truth is, many of us have talents and temperaments that are better suited to different (though equally important) social roles. A community or team requires many kinds of people and many varied skill sets to function effectively.

Think of it this way: if a varsity football team had 20 captains, or a senior class had 400 class presidents, it would be utter chaos. Nothing would ever get accomplished because there would be no one to fill other roles that are vital to the group's functioning.


A university community is the same way. UT doesn't want to admit thousands of leaders who are all carbon copies of one another. They want to create a heterogeneous community whose members contribute different strengths, experiences, and perspectives. So, if the traditional definition of leadership doesn't resonate with a student, they shouldn't try to fit their experiences into that mold. If they do, they'll likely wind up with a response that's vague on details and padded with generic statements. At best, they'll come off as a somewhat mediocre leader by traditional standards; at worst, they risk distorting or misrepresenting what they have actually achieved.


Instead, students should use this short answer response to explore what they personally contribute to the communities they belong to. They can create their own definition of leadership—one that is unique to their values, their experiences, and their way of walking in the world. Then, using examples drawn from their life, they can help the admissions committee understand why their impact on their communities is so important.

In the last part of the prompt, students are asked explicitly to explain how they'll "make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT." It's critical for the student to speak directly to this part of the prompt and to explain how their past experiences, talents, perspectives, or involvement will help them make UT a better place—both in the classroom as well as in the dorms, in student organizations, and in any other area the student might be involved.


PERSONALIZING THE ANSWER


Remember that leadership doesn't have to be assertive, confrontational, or even especially vocal. Yes, it can be difficult to quantify quieter, less showy forms of leadership on a resume (there's no "Presidential Gold Award for Listening"). But if you've ever been in a meeting where everyone constantly interrupts each other, or started a job where nobody has bothered to explain to you what you're supposed to be doing, you'll understand just how vital these skills are.


Students may not be able to quantify these experiences or contributions on their resume, but their short answer can help the admissions committee understand what the student's own version of leadership looks like and how it positively impacts the communities to which they belong.


Note: If your student is still stuck or having a hard time describing their own leadership style, taking the Belbin Team Roles Test can be a good starting place.


If a student's version of leadership does match up with traditional definitions of leadership, that's great. In that case, their short answer response should highlight moments in their leadership career that were especially significant or meaningful to them. These might be challenges or setbacks they had to tackle, conflicts they had to resolve, or opportunities they embraced, even if it meant stepping out of their comfort zone.



Remember, the goal here isn't for students to rattle off a list of achievements from their resume. Instead, they should demonstrate that they've reflected thoughtfully on their past experiences, and that they've learned something from those experiences that will help them be a good member of the UT community.


FINDING THE RIGHT HONORS PROGRAM OF UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN

REQUIRED SHORT ANSWER 3: Why UT?


Short Answer Prompt


The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, "To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society."  Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to "Change the World" after you graduate. (300 Words)


HOW TO APPROACH THIS QUESTION


This question offers applicants the chance to tell the committee how studying at UT Austin will help them impact the world for the better. A student's impact could take the form of a chosen career, service/volunteer work, advocacy, leadership, or other creative or intellectual endeavors.


The key here is to combine two elements:


The student's reflections on how they want to impact the world (including the lives of others) for the better.


The student's considerations of how their experiences at UT might enable them to do so.


Particularly when it comes to talking about future opportunities at UT, students should be specific,

demonstrating their knowledge of the university and the possibilities it will afford them to use their education for social good.


If students have done any brainstorming for short answer 2, they've already spent a fair amount of time thinking about the role they play in the various communities or groups they belong to. Now they need to think about why they've chosen to be involved in those activities. What core values have guided these choices, and in looking to the future, how do those values inform the impact students hope to have on their community—and even the world?


PERSONALIZING THE ANSWER


As students think about how to make their answer to this question stand out, they should keep in mind that certain kinds of social contributions—such as helping underprivileged children or working to end world hunger—may strike the admissions committee as somewhat generic. They're incredible endeavors, yes, but the goal here is to stand out from other applicants who have similar lofty goals.


For this reason, students should think about how they can frame their potential contributions to society in a way that distinguishes them from the thousands of other students who also want to have a positive impact. Here are some questions to consider:


How has their past experience put them in a position to realize their positive values, in the UT community and beyond?


What contributions can they, personally, make to their communities—and how can a UT education help them do that?


What, specifically, about UT Austin did the student connect with, in terms of how it would help them contribute to the greater good?


REQUIRED SHORT ANSWER: Academics


Short Answer Prompt


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


HOW TO APPROACH THIS QUESTION


This question provides students with the opportunity to explain any academic missteps, family circumstances, or medical issues that may have impacted them during high school, particularly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.


The student shouldn't go into every detail of what happened. Instead, they should state the basic facts—just enough to convey the relevant circumstances—and then explain the impact and what they learned from the experience (at least a third of the answer should be about what the student has learned).


The most important thing to remember is: no matter what the situation, frame any answer to this question in a positive way.


PERSONALIZING THE ANSWER



A student's answer to this question will likely already be personal—it is, after all, describing a unique event or set of circumstances. But students shouldn't let the unique experience be the only "personal" part of the answer. By personalizing their reflections on the lessons they've learned as a result of hardship, students can demonstrate growth and self-knowledge.



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