does university of washington look at your common app essay

• Faculty & Staff

Students admitted to the UW now have until June 1 to commit, a result of FAFSA delays. We anticipate that financial aid offers will be sent in late April or early May.

Freshman writing section

At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Please note that the UW essay questions must be answered within our application. For the Common App, that means within our UW questions. We do not consider the Common App essay.

Essay prompt [required]

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Maximum length : 650 words

Short response [required]

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW.

Maximum length : 300 words

Tip :  Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances [optional]

You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

Maximum length : 200 words

Format for the essays

• Content is important, but spelling, grammar and punctuation are also considered.
• We recommend composing in advance, then copying and pasting into the application. Double-spacing, italics and other formatting will be lost, but this will not affect the evaluation of your application.
• We’ve observed most students write a polished formal essay, yet submit a more casual short response. Give every part of the writing responses your best effort, presenting yourself in standard, formal English.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread!

Tip :  Write like it matters, not like you’re texting. This is an application for college, not a message to your friend. Get some hints in the video:

All writing in the application, including your essay/personal statement and short responses, must be your own work.  Do not use another writer’s work and do not use artificial intelligence software (ChatGPT, Bard, etc.) to assist or write your statement.

Per Washington state law and University of Washington policy , all admissions staff are mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. Any statements in written materials that give admissions staff reasonable cause to believe abuse or neglect of someone under the age of 18 may have occurred must be reported to Child Protective Services or the police. Learn more about University reporting requirements . 

If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct, RAINN is a national hotline that provides support and referrals. Call 800.656.4673 or visit the website for a chat option. For individuals who have experienced domestic violence or intimate partner violence, the National DV Hotline offers phone, chat, and text options for support.

University of Washington Essay Prompts 2022-2023

University of Washington Essay Prompts Quick Facts :

• University of Washington acceptance rate: 53%— U.S. News ranks the University of Washington as a more selective school.
• 1 (~650 word) essay
• 1 (~300 word) short response
• 1 (~200 word) additional information essay (optional)
• University of Washington application: The University of Washington accepts applications via the Common App or ApplyWeb . The University of Washington Common App essay is not considered in the admissions process. Make sure to check all of the University of Washington application requirements. 
• University of Washington essay tip: Every UW application essay is important when it comes to impressing the UW admissions committee. Make sure to give each UW essay prompt your careful attention, no matter the word count. 

What are the University of Washington essay prompts?

You’ve completed the tedious work of finding your top colleges to apply to and now you’re working on your UW essay prompts. Before you start worrying about the college enrollment process, let’s break down each UW essay prompt so you can begin writing your UW application essays! 

There are three UW essay prompts .

Remember that UW admissions doesn’t consider the Common App essay in their writing section. Two of the UW essay prompts are required and one UW essay prompt is optional. While the University of Washington acceptance rate may not seem so intimidating compared to other colleges , your UW essay prompt responses can still make or break your application. 

We have provided all three UW essay prompts for the 2022-2023 University of Washington supplemental essays below. You’ll find a breakdown of how to approach each of the University of Washington essay prompts as well as tips for writing UW application essays that will stand out.

Importantly, the University of Washington does not review your Common App essay. Although the University of Washington Common App essay isn’t considered in the University of Washington admissions process (it won’t factor into your odds against the University of Washington acceptance rate), the Common App personal essay is still important in other universities’ application process. Check out all you need to know about writing a personal essay for the other schools that made your college list . 

University of Washington Essay Prompts #1 ( Required )

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it (650 words)..

Of all the University of Washington essay prompts, this one is the longest and the most open-ended. This UW application essay should focus on some part of your character: the qualities that determine how you move through the world. In this UW application essay, try to highlight who you are, what you value, and who you’d be on UW’s campus.

Identify your values

To begin your brainstorm for the first of the University of Washington essay prompts, write out your values. List any qualities you care about— honesty, compassion, curiosity, etc. For each characteristic, think of a moment that taught you something about this quality and a moment it was tested. For example, if your characteristic was honesty, you might think about a time when you lied and the consequences of your actions. Or, maybe you think of a moment where you had to choose between lying and being honest.

If you’re not sure which characteristic to highlight for this University of Washington essay, start by brainstorming potential stories. Try to think of a time when you were proud of yourself, when you were challenged, or when you learned a lesson.

You can also check out this list of personal achievements and characteristics from the University of Washington admissions page for ideas of what to discuss in this UW application essay.

Focus on action

Whatever story you tell in this UW application essay, make sure your experience involves you making a decision or taking action. A story with a conflict and resolution will make your essay more engaging . Once you have settled on your topic, without second-guessing yourself, write out what happened and, more importantly, what you got out of the situation. 

A great way to make sure you’ve answered this UW essay prompt is to have another person read your essay without reading the prompt. Then, ask what they learned about you from your essay. If they learned something about your character, then chances are you’ve successfully responded to the question. Then, you can move onto the other University of Washington essay prompts.

University of Washington Essay Prompts #2 ( Required )

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the uw (300 words)..

The second of the required University of Washington essay prompts revolves around community and how it creates unique perspectives. Because the UW essay prompts are quite general, brainstorm before you pick a topic. You’re likely part of many intersecting communities, so start by listing all the communities you belong to. Communities can be as big as a globally practiced religion or as small as a friendship group based on Dungeons and Dragons, so don’t leave anything out.

Focus on impact

Once you have your list for the second of the University of Washington essay prompts, think about how these communities impact your life. Remember, diversity is not just based on categories of identity; it also comes from differences in how we view and experience the world. For each community, do two free-writes : one detailing the important characteristics, beliefs, and events shared within that community and one detailing how that community impacts how you move through the world.

The UW essay prompt then asks you to imagine how you might add to the diversity of UW. Maybe you want to join a specific student group. Alternatively, you might even propose to start a new one. Maybe you want to bring your point of view into a field of study where it’s not typically included. For each community on your list, brainstorm how it would impact your time at UW.

Once you’ve done your brainstorm for this UW application essay, string your ideas together. If you’re having trouble organizing your thoughts, stick to the outline provided by the University of Washington essay prompts. Use the questions “what is your world,” “how are you a product of it,” and “how will you add to the diversity of UW” as guiding questions for the beginning, middle, and end of your University of Washington essay.

University of Washington Essay Prompts #3 ( Optional )

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances (200 words)..

This UW essay prompt is optional. The University of Washington application requirements don’t call for a response to this UW essay prompt. However, you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you and you’d like to share that information with the University of Washington admissions. 

Often, prompts listed as “optional” are still essentially required if you want to be a competitive applicant. This is not the case with the final UW essay prompt. If you don’t have any extenuating circumstances, feel free to disregard this University of Washington essay prompt. 

You may want to answer this optional UW application essay if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education.
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations.
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended.

Of all the University of Washington essay prompts, this one lets you fill in potential gaps in your University of Washington application due to various circumstances. If you have had to overcome challenges to get where you are today, the University of Washington admissions committee wants to hear about it.

Although this is the shortest of the University of Washington essay prompts, it is important you still craft a story and directly connect your experiences to your University of Washington application. For example, if you had to start working at a young age to support your family, be sure to include why it is important for the UW admissions team to know. Maybe you didn’t have time for extracurriculars , or maybe you had to make extra efforts to stay on top of your homework. 

Mention how you’ve grown

You should also make sure you include what the experience means to you if responding to this UW application essay. For instance, maybe your hardships taught you to be more responsible, or maybe you learned how to ask for help when you need it. If you choose to respond to this last of the University of Washington essay prompts, make sure your reader knows why you chose to include it. As with your other two University of Washington supplemental essays, remember to be brief, specific, and honest.

How do I write my University of Washington essays?

To make your essays count, remember to consider your audience. Your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts should convey who you are, how you’d succeed at UW, and what you might bring to UW’s campus. Are you a first generation college student? Did you take a meaningful gap year ? This is your opportunity to show what makes you unique. Remember that your responses to each UW essay prompt shouldn’t read like your college resume . Give each UW essay prompt response some personality and passion . 

Take time with the University of Washington essay prompts, and give the same amount of consideration to each UW application essay. While one of the University of Washington essay prompts is shorter than the other, that doesn’t mean it will be easier to write. Each UW application essay should be clear, concise, and captivating. It should also completely answer the University of Washington essay prompts. 

Follow the checklist below to be sure that you answer the University of Washington prompts to the best of your ability. 

UW Essay Prompts Checklist:

✔️ brainstorm.

Before you begin writing, create a list of topics related to the University of Washington essay prompts. Use the breakdowns of the University of Washington essay prompts above to help you get started.

Once you’ve chosen a topic for each of the University of Washington essay prompts, it is time to get writing. Don’t worry about making your first draft perfect—it doesn’t need to be! Don’t think about things like the University of Washington acceptance rate; just focus on getting your story down on paper

Ask yourself: does my UW application essay specifically answer the UW essay prompt? Am I telling a story? Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end? Does my essay show who I am? Because each UW essay prompt has a specific word limit, it’s important to make every word count.

✔️ Proofread

Read through each essay for any spelling or grammatical errors. The University of Washington admissions team will review thousands of responses to the University of Washington essay prompts, and we want your University of Washington essays to stand out for the right reasons. Make sure your responses to the UW essay prompts are as clear and easy to read so your personality can shine.

✔️ Get a second opinion

Have someone else—a family member, mentor, even a peer—read your essay. A second pair of eyes will notice how your UW essays read, whether your story flows, and how well you’ve addressed the UW essay prompts.

✔️ Repeat steps 3-4 until you are satisfied with your UW essay prompts

Remember, the writing process is a process. Give yourself enough time ahead of the deadline to think about the UW essay prompts. Draft each UW application essay, take a step away, and come back to them with fresh eyes.

After working through the checklist above, evaluate your progress. Keep reworking your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts until you can confidently say that the following statements are true:

• My UW essays tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Each of my essays answers the UW essay prompt.
• All of my UW essays emphasize who I am and what is important to me.
• My UW essays have no spelling or grammatical errors.

Does the University of Washington care about essays?

Yes! As the University of Washington acceptance rate tells us, not everyone gets into UW. Figuring out how to get into UW will be difficult without placing importance on the UW essay prompts. The University of Washington application essays are UW Admissions’ way of learning who you are as a person. 

The University of Washington admissions office uses a holistic review process. This means they consider your UW essays and extracurriculars alongside your academics. So, your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts are a vital part of your University of Washington application requirements. 

Specifically, UW breaks down their review into two categories: Preparation & Performance and Personal Achievements & Characteristics. While the first depends on your grades and courses, your University of Washington supplemental essays are the perfect place to emphasize the second. UW looks for students who will both succeed academically and contribute to campus life. Your UW application essays should capture who you are and how you will shine at UW. Each of the University of Washington essay prompts lets you share different aspects of what matters to you.

University of Washington Admissions Top Tips for Supplemental Essays

While Seattle may not be the stereotypical “college town,” the city certainly has a lot to offer. If you’re set on UW, which is a top ranking university globally, then we know you want to do everything you can to make your responses to the UW essay prompts stand out. 

To save you time as you begin working on your UW essays, we’ve provided the top ten tips from the University of Washington admissions for writing the UW essays below. We’ve also included tips on how to apply them to your University of Washington supplemental essays.

“Write to the prompt.”

Your University of Washington essays will only be successful if they completely answer the University of Washington essay prompts. Be sure to use our breakdowns of the University of Washington essay prompts, and keep each UW essay prompt in mind when editing your drafts.

“Avoid overused topics.”

Be thorough as you brainstorm topics for each of the UW essay prompts. If you read the UW essay prompts and choose to write about a common experience, use specific details in your UW application essays that show what makes your experience unique.

“Use language you can manage.”

When in doubt, always lean towards simple and straightforward language in your University of Washington essays. Your University of Washington application essays should be written in your voice. Don’t try to sound more intelligent as you respond to the UW essay prompts. Authenticity is key. 

“Keep it simple and real.”

Often, the little things in life have the biggest impact. As you brainstorm topics for your UW application essays, don’t feel pressured to construct the most complicated story. Remember, the University of Washington admissions office wants to be impressed by you! Just be yourself and show them exactly who you are when responding to the University of Washington essay prompts.

“Use humor, honesty, and humility.”

Respond to the UW essay prompts in your own voice. If you have a humorous voice, let that shine through, but only use humor if it feels natural. No matter your writing style, all of your University of Washington essays should be honest and authentic. If you choose to write about your accomplishments , try to do so without bragging or showing off.

“Make it memorable.”

Your University of Washington supplemental essays will be memorable if you are passionate about the story you are telling. Don’t worry about whether the UW admissions team will find your story interesting—if your UW application essays are honest, specific, and exciting to you, they’ll be exciting to read.

“Find the sweet spot.”

Each of the University of Washington essay prompts has a specific word count. While your UW application essays should not be over the word count, it isn’t a bad thing if they are under. For example, if you can tell your story in 400 words, don’t add fluff to reach the 650-word limit. Just be sure your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts are specific and detailed enough to paint a complete picture for your reader.

“Proofread.”

The last thing you want UW admissions thinking about as they finish reading your UW application essays is a typo. Make sure to double-check your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts for spelling and grammar. Try to complete your University of Washington essays ahead of the deadline so you can give yourself a few days away from each of your UW application essays before your final proofread. 

“Punctuate properly.”

Punctuation can change the entire meaning of a sentence, so it’s important you punctuate your University of Washington essays correctly. Try highlighting all your commas, periods, etc., and reading your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts out loud. If someone is helping you edit your UW essays, ask them to do a read-through specifically looking at punctuation.

“Write a punchy first line.”

While it is important your University of Washington essays have a strong opening, don’t let this tip trap you into trying to be overly funny or clever. Your UW application essays thrive on specificity, so write an opening line suited to your specific story and voice.

UW Essay Prompts: Final Thoughts

Remember, the University of Washington essay prompts are your chance to introduce yourself to UW admissions. While the University of Washington acceptance rate is not the highest, strong essays can make all the difference. 

Although your academic history is an important part of your University of Washington application requirements, your UW application essays let UW see who you are beyond numbers and statistics. If you feel your GPA or test scores don’t reflect the kind of student you are or hope to become, your University of Washington essays are the place to showcase your best self. And with so many universities deciding to go test-optiona l, your essays are of utmost importance when it comes to maximizing your odds against the University of Washington acceptance rate. 

Each essay is an opportunity

Think of each UW application essay as an opportunity to overcome the University of Washington acceptance rate and impress the University of Washington admissions. Write each UW application essay thoughtfully, passionately, and comprehensively. Each UW essay prompt response should be not only moving, but also mechanically impeccable. 

While the University of Washington essay prompts may seem like a challenge, remember you have complete control over your UW essays. The strength of your responses to each UW essay prompt relies entirely on how much time, effort, and care you put into them. Start thinking about the UW essay prompts early so you can make your essays the best they can be.

This University of Washington supplemental essays guide was written by Sarah Kaminski . 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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How to Write the University of Washington Application Essays 2017-2018

Located just north of the center of Seattle, the University of Washington is an urban public university that boasts highly ranked STEM and business programs, ranks consistently in the top 20 public schools in the nation, and offers 180 majors to undergraduates.

UW uses a quarter system for their academic calendar, meaning that classes are fast-paced, exciting, and consistently intellectually stimulating. And with a class population of 31,418, the undergraduate community is vibrant and diverse.

The average SAT score of admitted students ranges from 1210-1420, with an ACT Composite of 26-32; the average GPA of admitted students ranges from 3.68-3.94; and the admission rate is at about 45%.

Since the University of Washington does not use the Common Application, the admissions process can seem particularly daunting. But don’t worry — we here at CollegeVine are ready to help you put your best foot forward when it comes to the UW essays.

University of Washington Application Essay Prompts

Part a: main essay (500 word limit), at the university of washington, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. some of the best statements are written as personal stories. in general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300 to 400 words in length. (maximum length: 500 words).

The main essay is the biggest, and usually most important, component of the University of Washington’s application. But before you begin to consider how to tackle the specific prompt on which you choose to write the main essay, it’s important to consider how to approach this essay in general, regardless of the prompt.

It’s important to note that since you don’t apply to UW through the Common Application, it’s helpful to consider the main essay as, essentially, a Common Application essay. With that in mind, it’s important to remember that this essay should accomplish the same things as a typical Common Application essay — that is, after reading it, the reader should feel like they just became friends with you and know you in a authentic, genuine way.

So, for example, if you are a prospective engineering major, this essay is not the place for you to list off all of the extracurriculars you’ve done that would make you a perfect fit for the engineering school. But it is an excellent time to talk about your intellectual curiosity and your knack for coming up with innovative solutions to problems.

To brainstorm ideas for this essay, you should follow the exact same strategy you would use to brainstorm for a Common Application essay . Make sure that when choosing the prompt you’re going to write about for the main essay, you select one that allows you to highlight the things about your story that you feel are most important.

If you are a very analytical thinker, choose the prompt that asks about a time that your opinion has changed, or if you’re very involved in your community, choose the prompt that asks you to discuss the meaningful contributions you’ve made. The only difference is that since this essay is slightly shorter than a regular Common Application essay (500 words instead of 650), the organization of this essay should be more compact.

Refrain from overly long introductions and conclusions, make your sentences concise and to the point, and make sure that your story flows coherently from paragraph to paragraph.

Main Essay Options: Specific Strategies for Each Prompt

Main essay prompt #1, tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it..

This prompt is a great opportunity to clue your reader in to your fundamental values. At the heart of it, it’s a prompt that is asking about who you are. What are the things that motivate you? Where are times in your life where people have seen the ‘true you?’

Something to keep in mind while you’re writing this essay is that the story you choose has to be dynamic. It should be a story in which a change occurs — either a change within yourself that helped shape your character, or a change that you enacted that demonstrates your character. For example, a good story for this prompt would be a story of the time you started a food drive after noticing a problem in your local community, or changed your lifestyle to incorporate more recycling and composting into your life after listening to a speech by a climate change expert.

By the end of the essay, the reader should have a clear idea of what your fundamental character and values are, based on how you conducted yourself within whatever situation you choose to tell.

In terms of writing technique, this prompt lends itself well to a more narrative style of writing. Instead of writing this essay like a regular English class essay, you could get inventive and write it more in the style of a novel or, if you’re daring, even a play. Above all, remember to show, not tell.

For example, if you’re writing about a time when you were waiting for results from a doctor, rather than just saying, “I was nervous because I didn’t know what my doctor was going to tell me,” you could say this: “The air was filled with electricity. My heart pounded in my chest, barely giving me room to breathe. What was my doctor going to tell me?”

Every opportunity you get, make an effort to immerse the reader in the story that you’re telling. This gives them more space to empathize and connect with you and your personal story and gives the essay more impact.

Main Essay Prompt #2

Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution..

On its surface, this is a great prompt for people who are very involved in community service and volunteer work. But even if you don’t fly halfway across the world every summer to dig wells in foreign countries, this can still be a great prompt for you.

What’s important to remember is that here, the reader is not necessarily looking for you to list off all the volunteer hours that you’ve ever done — that’s what your extracurriculars section is for. This essay is about how those contributions have impacted you, and your view of the world. For this essay to stand out, you should discuss why making the contribution was important to you, and how you grew and learned from the experience.

This prompt is also implicitly asking you what you think the greater good actually is . This is something to be conscious of as you’re writing. Ask yourself: Why was this a meaningful contribution? Why do I believe that what I did was a good thing? How exactly did I make the world a better place, and for whom? Implicitly answering these questions in your essay will give it more depth, no matter how seemingly trivial the contribution you made was.

For example, if you baked your friend cookies after she had a bad day, you can discuss in your essay that afterwards, you came to the realization that making and maintaining kind and loving human connection is fundamentally important, both on an individual and a global scale.

Even if the contribution is small, if it is meaningful to you, there’s a good chance that it will be a meaningful and powerful essay to the reader as well.

Main Essay Prompt #3

Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged how did you respond how did the challenge affect your beliefs.

This prompt is a great opportunity to talk not only about what your beliefs are, but why you believe what you believe. The reader wants to know that your ideas are a product of careful consideration, not just blindly following the crowd. This essay gives you a chance to show that.

At its core, this question is asking you about your critical thinking skills. The reader wants to understand how you work through problems in your head. What is your thought process when someone challenges you? How do you interact with ideas that are diametrically opposed to your own?

It’s important to understand that there are two different possible outcomes for this essay — either you changed what you believed, or you didn’t. If it was the former, you have to walk the reader through the steps that led you to change your mind. If it was the latter, explain why you didn’t change your mind.

In either case, make sure to walk the reader through your thought processes in an engaging way, adding in specifics to keep them hooked. So rather than saying, “I researched the question and realized I was wrong,” try saying something like this: “The combined force of the statistics published by UC Berkeley and the lengthy economic research paper from Harvard School of Economics convinced me that my beliefs on the San Francisco housing crisis were misinformed. Ultimately, I realized that my opinion had mostly come from the prevailing biases in my school and larger community.”

By the end of the essay, the reader should have a firm grasp on how you handle intellectual conflict and what you believe about the world as a result of the challenges your beliefs have encountered.

Main Essay Prompt #4

What is the hardest part of being a teenager now what’s the best part what advice would you give younger siblings or friends (assuming they would listen to you).

This prompt is interesting because it asks you to draw not only on your personal experience, but also implicitly asks you to draw on your historical knowledge. You have to compare teenagers now to teenagers in some historical era — it could be as recent as the 2000s, or as far back as the 1400s. If you have a strong passion for history, it could be interesting to draw that out in this essay — demonstrate your strong knowledge about teens in the 1600s by crafting an essay that is an extended compare-and-contrast type of essay.

Whichever time period you choose to compare your own experience to, you should make sure that your essay doesn’t just turn into you listing off good and bad things about being a teenager. While that might be a good brainstorming technique when you start writing the essay, tie the hard parts and the best parts of being a teenager to either one or two concrete stories in your life that demonstrate these parts, instead of just telling the reader what they are. This is much more engaging and will create a more powerful essay.

The second part of the question is the most essential part to answer because it’s the part of the essay where you show how you’ve grown and matured. Without answering the second part of the question, your essay just turns into an exposition about all the good and bad things in your life.

If you say that the hardest part of being a teenager is learning how to navigate the structures of school and home without losing your independence, you should also talk about how you and your teacher devised a way for you to self-study history so you could also take orchestra, or how you compromised with your parents so you could stay late after school for robotics and still get home in time to do your chores.  

The advice that you give shows that you are not a passive participant in your own life — you’ve taken the good and bad things in your life and learned meaningful lessons from them. This essay is an amazing way for your reader to see all the growing up you did in high school take place over the course of 500 words.  

An important thing to keep in mind when writing this prompt is that you should remember your audience. You don’t have to try and come up with adult-sounding problems that you don’t have — it will come off as disingenuous — but at the same time, now is not the place to talk about high school parties or your awful ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend. Be yourself, and talk about the highs and lows of your life that are genuine and meaningful to you, but don’t feel compelled to overshare.

Main Essay Prompt #5

Submit an essay on a topic of your choice..

If you are applying to a lot of other schools on the Common Application and are looking to save some time, you might consider taking your Common Application essay and cutting it down to 500 words to fit this prompt. This is a good strategy, especially if your Common Application essay is already answering some other question because it means that the essay you’re submitting here is still targeted and on point.

The biggest pitfall of this prompt is that because it’s so general, you can get lost in your own essay and end up addressing too many things, rather than pinpointing one or two aspects and going in depth with them. To avoid this, a good strategy is to tie your essay to a concrete story in your life, and then build it off of that.

With that being said, this prompt can also produce some of the most amazing essays. Because you aren’t constrained by a question, you can literally write about anything that interests you. This is especially good for people with strong or unique writing skills. You could write an essay about how a specific book changed your view of the world in the same style that book was written, or tell a story about a specific extracurricular that drastically changed who you are throughout the course of high school.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to this essay is that depth is almost always better than breadth. Again, don’t just list out all of your accomplishments. Instead, choose something specific and dive deep into it, writing an essay that shows the reader who you are.

Part B: Community and Diversity Essay

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the university of washington. (word limit: 300 words), tip: keep in mind that the university of washington strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values, and viewpoints..

The first essay prompt was about how you influence the world around you. This short response is about how the world has influenced you. As you write, consider: How have the people and the social structures around me influenced the way that I interact with the world? How does this mixture of influences make me unique?

Many students are scared by this question because they’re not from a background that people would consider conventionally “diverse.” But, as the tip for the prompt says, diversity is not limited to race or ethnicity. It encompasses ideas and life experience.

Keep in mind that no matter who you are or where you’re from, there are inevitably things about you and your experience in the world that make you unique from all of the other applicants. You could write an essay about how much your extended family gatherings at Christmas mean to you, and how they’ve influenced the way that you’ve grown up. Or you could talk about how your co-workers at your summer job taught you about the importance of teamwork and optimism.

It’s fine to write about community in a literal sense, and discuss your neighborhood or your city, but don’t let the textbook definition of the word confine you. Talking about your community can mean talking about your group of friends at school who all come from disparate backgrounds, and how you relate to them. Or it could mean talking about the people that you play video games with online, and what they taught you about how to interact with the larger world.

At its crux, this question wants to know one thing: What unique experience will you bring to the UW campus? Answering that question is the key to writing an impactful short response.

Part C: Additional Information

You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. for example, you may use this space if:, you are hoping to be placed in a specific major soon, a personal or professional goal is particularly important to you, you have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education, your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations, you have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended (word limit: 200).

While this part of the application is not required, it’s probably in your best interest to submit something here, particularly if you want to get directly admitted into a specific major at UW. There are a few majors at the university — particularly Computer Science and most of the Engineering disciplines — that are extremely hard to get into after you’re on campus; most of the people majoring in these were directly admitted from high school.

With that being said, this is a great place to discuss why you are specifically suited to be in that major. For example, if you are applying directly to the Computer Science major, now is the time to bring up the app or website that you built for fun. Make sure to provide concrete connections between what you are doing in high school and what you want to do in college; also include a reason why you think UW would be the best place to further that interest.

If you’re not applying for a direct admission anywhere, this can still be a good place to highlight things that may not have come through in the rest of your application. If you were super involved in Model UN but didn’t get the chance to talk about it in any of your other essays, this is a good place to briefly explain what you did and why it was so important to you. Or if you did something interesting, but not immediately quantifiable, over the summer (like, for example, reading two books a week, or teaching yourself how to code using library books), this prompt would be an appropriate place to discuss that.

Another reason to use this prompt would be to address extenuating circumstances. An appropriate thing to mention would be a sickness that occurred — either to you or to someone in your family — that might explain why your grades slightly slipped during that semester, or that you have to drive your little sibling home from school every day, so you couldn’t do a particular extracurricular as much as you might have liked to.

All of these reasons are good reasons to use the space; however, remember that you don’t have to write anything here. Don’t repeat things that you’ve already gone over in your application. This will only frustrate the reader.

Part D: Further Explanation (if necessary)

You may use this space if you need to further explain or clarify answers you have given elsewhere in this application, or if you wish to share information that may assist the office of admissions. if appropriate, include the application question number to which your comment(s) refer..

This space is mostly for clarifying anything you said earlier in your application that might be confusing — for example, if you went to a school with a strange grading system, or if you studied abroad for a year and so your school transcripts are confusing.

This section can also be used to expand upon other parts of your application: For example, if you said earlier that you did Speech and Debate, you could use this part of your application to list off some of the most prominent awards that you received in that sport. There is no clear word limit here, but don’t take that as an invitation to submit a 1,000 word essay. It’s just a place for you to clearly and concisely clear up any lingering questions that the reader might have after going through your application.

Now, you know everything you need to feel confident and fully prepared to tackle the University of Washington essays!

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Common App announces 2024–2025 Common App essay prompts

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We are happy to announce that the Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2024–2025.

Our decision to keep these prompts unchanged is supported by past research showing that overall satisfaction with the prompts exceeded 95% across our constituent groups - students, counselors, advisors, teachers, and member colleges. Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations and incorporate feedback into future decisions.

While some schools are beginning discussions with juniors and transfer students about college options, it's important to clarify that this doesn't mean students need to start writing their essays right away. By releasing the prompts early, we hope to give students ample time for reflection and brainstorming. As you guide students with their planning, feel free to use our Common App Ready essay writing resource, available in both English and Spanish .

For students who wish to start exploring the application process, creating a Common App account before August 1 ensures that all their responses, including their personal essays, will be retained through account rollover .

Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2024–2025.

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

We will retain the optional community disruption question within the Writing section. Over the next year, we'll consult with our member, counselor, and student advisory committees to ensure we gather diverse perspectives and make informed decisions.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 4 tips for writing perfect university of washington essays.

College Essays

The University of Washington is often ranked among public Ivy Leagues —that is, public schools with the academic clout and selectivity to elevate their reputations. So if you want to be a Husky, it's not just about good grades and test scores. You'll also need to prove yourself with a good University of Washington essay, combining your technical skill with your knowledge of the school and your reasons for wanting to attend to attract attention from admissions officers.

But to do that, you need to know how to write great UW essays. The University of Washington uses the Common Application , which can be submitted to multiple schools and includes an essay section with several different prompts. The supplemental UW essay prompts are pretty standard, but we have all the helpful tips you need to make sure your application is set to impress.

Feature Image: Cody Logan/ Wikimedia

What's Included in the University of Washington Essay Section?

There are two required essays you need to write for the University of Washington, along with an optional third essay. These essays are:

• Common App essay (650 words)
• Short response (300 words)
• Additional information (optional, 200 words)

Part of the Common App includes answering an essay prompt in 650 words or less. While there are seven Common App essay prompts, the University of Washington doesn't allow you to choose which prompt to answer; all applicants must answer the same prompt and submit them as part of their Common Application .  

The University of Washington application also includes a required short response question of 300 words and an optional short essay of 200 words.

Additional space is available, but it's recommended that you don't take it unless you absolutely need it. Show restraint when responding to UW essay prompts; it shows that you can be concise and follow directions , and you won't run the risk of volunteering too much information or making yourself memorable for the wrong reasons. That said, we'll cover some exceptions below!

What Is the Common Application Essay Prompt?

Although there are seven Common App essay prompts , the University of Washington requires you to answer a specific prompt; you don't get to choose. The maximum length of this essay is 650 words, but the University of Washington recommends the essay be closer to 300-400 words.

This is the Common App essay prompt you must answer:

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

This essay prompt is pretty broad; it allows you to focus on any significant experience in your life. To answer it effectively, you'll want to relate a specific anecdote or event that had a strong impact on you as a person and how you define yourself today.

When answering this prompt, you'll want to choose a particularly significant experience. It doesn't need to be super rare, but the experience should hold deep meaning for you. Ask yourself: what defines you? What do you find important? Can you connect a key part of your personality or a goal you have to a specific event in your life?

You should also focus on only one experience. Don't try to cram in as many stories as possible—concentrate on the one incident that's most important to you, and use this essay as a chance to really delve into the specifics of it. How did the experience make you feel at the time? Why did it have such an impact on you?

If you decide to write about a negative experience, try to put a positive spin on it. You don't need to stick with a happy-go-lucky story—maybe you lost a friend because of a heated argument, or forgot to pick up your little brother from school one day. Regardless of the incident, keep the focus on how this situation ultimately taught you something important about life, such as the value of responsibility or the meaning of maturity.

Tips For Brainstorming Topics for Your University of Washington Essay

If you're struggling to come up with an experience to write about, try these brainstorming ideas:

• A time you helped someone in need, such as a friend, a classmate, or a sibling, and how your assistance revealed to you the value of cooperation or compassion. For example, did you tutor a peer in math? Help your sibling recover from a bullying incident?
• A time you made a mistake or acted against your true character and what this taught you about morality and being true to yourself. Perhaps you lied about a grade you got to your parents or said something out of anger to a friend and later regretted it.
• An incident that emphasizes a particular skill or ability you have. For example, you could write about the time you organized a winter holiday food drive at your high school and how it highlights your leadership skills and passion for social work.
• A time you faced a challenge and how you ultimately overcame it. Maybe you struggled severely with geometry and were about to fail your math class, but because of a great friend who encouraged you to keep trying, you eventually raised your grade from a D- to a B.

When writing this essay, make sure to avoid pretending something is more important or unique than it actually is. Don't tell a story the admissions committee has likely heard hundreds of times. Choose an event that speaks to your life and has had a large impact on how you see yourself. Basically, don't write about what you think the admissions committee wants to read. For example, instead of discussing how you've been in Honor Society since 9th grade, it'll be a lot more interesting if you wrote about somebody you met through Honor Society or why you decided to drop out of it.

Also, don't focus too much on the negative part of the story. While it's OK to write about a time when you made a mistake, did something wrong, or faced a challenge, try to avoid writing only about the bad parts. Your story should overall be optimistic and reveal something positive about yourself.

What Is the Short Answer Prompt?

Once you've finished the Common Application essay, the University of Washington has an additional requirement for you—a short response question with a 300 word limit.

The University of Washington suggests that concise writing is particularly valuable, and recommends that the Common App essay be between 300 and 400 words rather than 650. Though they don't offer word count recommendations for the other prompts, it's best to assume they're looking for short answers. Cutting out 100 words might feel excessive, but do try to leave some breathing room within your essay rather than squeaking in right under the allotted 300 words .

Additionally, the University of Washington states that students tend to answer this essay more informally than the longer essay. However, they expect formal, polished essays for both prompts, so don't slack off on proofreading or editing this essay.

For the UW short response essay, here is the required prompt:

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW.

UW offers a helpful tip right below the prompt: "Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints." What this means is that UW wants to see students who are going to be right at home in that diverse student body. When answering this question, consider specifically what you might add to the community. What perspective do you bring? What traits make you a good fit?

Some students might struggle with this, because it's easy to assume that UW means they're only looking for students from diverse backgrounds, such as students of color, LGBTQ+ students, or students of other marginalized identities. But the prompt doesn't at all mean that you have no chance if you don't belong to one of those communities. Students who fit into those groups may have an easier time of identifying what diversity they bring to the school, but belonging to a marginalized group doesn't in any way guarantee admission.

The University of Washington is looking for students who foster and embrace diversity, so be sure to think on those terms. Consider, for example, how your rambunctious family Thanksgiving taught you to embrace chaos, and how your ability to stop Great Aunt Kathy from throwing mashed potatoes at your cousin for bringing up a sensitive political issue translates to a college campus. Think about how having several different friend groups in high school—nerds and jocks, for example—taught you to move between spaces while always being your authentic self.

For students who are of marginalized backgrounds, the same advice still applies. You likely have different lived experiences than other students, but UW wants to know exactly what you're going to bring to the student community . You can discuss advocacy work, for example, or how your less advantageous upbringing taught you to work hard for everything you want. Always come back to that request to "Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW."

Embracing diversity isn't just about being a member of a marginalized community; think about how you participate in your social groups and how your experiences before college will help you have and, more importantly, create a good experience for others. Again, it's not about what identity you do or do not have, but rather about how you build communities and support others. UW is a big school, but you'll still be interacting with people from all walks of life on a daily basis—how will you navigate difference and fit into a student body made up of so many different people?

Let UW know exactly how they're going to help you make a slam dunk.

What Should You Add in the Additional Information Section?

The University of Washington essay prompt offers an additional 200 words for you to talk about yourself and your unique circumstances. This section is optional, and UW advises that the following types of students may benefit from taking the opportunity to expand on their application:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

Even if you don't fall into one of these groups, it's wise to take advantage of this additional space. Everyone has a goal that's important to them, after all, which is explicitly included in the second bullet point. However, you only have 200 words, so you'll need to make them count .

Again, UW mentions earlier in their guidelines for the writing section that they value brevity. Don't try to hit that 200 word mark just because it's there—use only the space that you need. Be succinct and clear about any obstacles you've overcome, what draws you to your major, and what makes you want to attend UW specifically.

For example, say you, like many prospective UW students, are interested in becoming a doctor. The University of Washington is highly ranked among medical schools , so saying you want to go there because it's a good medical program isn't doing any legwork in setting you apart from other students . Instead, use this space to talk about why your major is important to you, and why placement at UW is going to help you achieve more.

Following the medical school example, maybe your primary care doctor was a UW grad, and the depth of care they gave you convinced you it wasn't just what you know as a doctor that matters, but also how you deploy that knowledge. Because you want to make the same difference in somebody's life, you're applying to UW to have access to the same information and instruction that your doctor did. In essence, use this space to explain something you didn't have space to explain elsewhere, but make it count .

Be careful not to retread the same ground! This is an opportunity to flesh out your application, not to hammer something home. If you haven't had a chance to discuss that your grades slipped sophomore year because of a family illness or that your local library has a special box for you because of all the engineering books you keep checking out, now's the time to mention it. Keep it short, direct, and original—the admissions office is reading this supplemental section in the context of your application, so you don't need to revisit anything.

Careful not to fall into the trap of using more space than you need.

Should You Use the Additional Space? How?

It can be tempting to use UW's provided additional space to squeeze a few more words into your application, but resist it . Those word counts are there for a reason, and you should aim to get under, not exceed them.

That said, there are legitimate reasons to use this additional space. The University of Washington mentions clarifying answers from elsewhere on the application or providing extra information to the admissions office.

If you have special considerations as a student that you want to be sure the office is aware of, but that you didn't discuss in the previous additional information section, you could include that here. You could also include relevant awards or distinguishing recognition you've received. If your high school had an unusual grading system, it might be useful to explain how to interpret your grades.

But don't take the lack of a word requirement to mean that you can talk about whatever you want, or that you should use this space to expand on one of your earlier essays . Use only what you need, no more. Try to keep it under 200 words. Brevity is important!

Tips and Advice for the University of Washington Essays

Specific advice for each prompt will help you craft a better essay, but there are some general things to keep in mind, too !

Proofread Your UW Essays

It's a small space, so there should be fewer mistakes, right? Nope . You still need to proofread . Consider writing your essays by hand and then transcribing the drafts—it feels like more work, but turning written words into typed words is a great way to spot mistakes. Go through multiple drafts, and read your essay out loud before you submit it.

Don't let typos get through; no matter how good the rest of your essay is, a typo will make it look as though you didn't edit it at all, suggesting you didn't take your time. Do everything you can to avoid the perception that you wrote it up without thinking! On the UW admission website they are very specific that you should “write like it matters, not like you’re texting. This is an application for college, not a message to your friend.”

Get Editing Help

Seek feedback from those you trust, not just those who are going to tell you your essays are great . You want your essays to be as good as possible, so let people who are going to be truthful with you make suggestions. They'll help you write a better essay, and a fresh pair of eyes can spot holes in your logic and errors you might miss after repeated revisions.

Think about going to teachers or counselors rather than friends or family. Though they undoubtedly want to help you, they might also be worried about hurting your feelings. Someone who's a little more objective but still wants to see you succeed is the kind of editor you want.

Be Specific

Always remember that you're applying to the University of Washington. Don't just write an essay that could impress any college (that's what the Common Application essay is for!); write one that ties into UW's core values . Their vision includes an emphasis on discovery, research, community, optimism, and even celebrating the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. All of these are angles ripe for exploration in your essays . If one of your answers is lacking, try folding a little of this vision into it by finding parts of your essay that match the mission and making them stand out more.

Read Essays That Got Students Into UW

It can be tricky finding essays that got applicants into UW, but it can also be a great indicator of what the school values in an application. Take these essays by Issa Rice . Though written for a different set of prompts, it's not hard to see why Rice was accepted.

Notice how his essays could only come from him; they're so tied to personal experience that it's unlikely anyone else would have the same essay. That's the kind of personalization you want to strive for. Your essay should speak about your own unique experience and leave the admissions office with a clearer picture of who you are as a person, not just as a collection of grades and test scores.

What's Next?

Crafting a perfect essay is just one part of the admissions process to the University of Washington. Because UW is a moderately selective school, you need to be aware of all admissions requirements before applying to be sure that your application is up to snuff .

As you're writing and rewriting your UW essay, be sure that it meets all the guidelines of a good college essay in addition to the UW requirements. A little extra polish will go a long way to cementing your application in the admission office's memory!

If you're struggling to understand why UW uses the Coalition App and what that means, never fear! We have all the information on what distinguishes one application system from another , helping you plan your college applications with less stress.

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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The Seattle campus of the University of Washington, UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are pleased to announce that they have joined the Common App. The Common App is a college application platform used by over 900 universities, including several Washington colleges and universities.

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University of Washington (UW) 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Nov 15

You Have: 

University of Washington 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: One 500 word essay (required), one 300 word essay (required), one 200 word essay (optional). Supplemental Essay Type (s): Oddball ,  Community , Additional Info 

At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Please note that the uw essay questions must be answered within our application. for the common app, that means within our uw questions. we do not consider the common app essay., essay prompt, tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650 words max).

You can think of this prompt as the slightly more general cousin to the Common App’s first prompt, which is about your background. You can write about almost anything in your life experience that has shaped who you are today. But maybe you feel like you used your best story in your personal statement. What to do? Your goal is to reveal a different side of yourself, so try thinking in opposites! If your personal statement was about your family, maybe this essay could focus on school or work. If your personal statement was about your leadership skills, could this essay cover a time when you let someone else lead the way and learned something new? As you begin to zero in on the area of your life that you haven’t tapped into yet, think about how your past experiences still resonate in your life today. Maybe your summer job as a lifeguard taught a new sense of personal responsibility that has made you more attentive in your day-to-day life. Maybe an ill-fated childhood attempt to drink an entire carton of milk taught you how to balance enthusiasm and moderation in every major project you take on. The experience itself can be big or small, but its connection to who you are today must be clear. UW wants to know who you’ll be on campus, so show them!

Short Response

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the university of washington. (300 words).

Ah, the infamous “community” essay. Many schools ask students about their communities because they want to know how applicants relate to the people around them, forge connections, and commune with their peers. In this particular instance, the question calls attention to family as well, so consider how the people who you are related to (or those who you consider family even if they’re not bound to you by blood) have influenced your life and worldview. Maybe you’re very involved in your local synagogue, polka dancing club, or environmental organization. University of Washington wants to know about your life beyond the classroom and how you will continue those activities and interests on their campus. Why do you invest in the people you invest in?

Additional Information About Yourself or Your Circumstances (200 words)

You are not required to write anything in this section, but feel free to include additional information if something has particular significance to you. for example, you may use this space if:, -you have experienced personal hardships in obtaining your education, -your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations, -unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended.

This prompt is an opportunity for you to explain just about anything else that you haven’t covered elsewhere on the application. Usually, we recommend this type of optional essay only to students who have experienced a major academic strain or have had noticeable blemishes on their records. One example could be the explanation of a complication, like an illness that caused you to miss school and impacted your grades. Perhaps your family moved around a lot, which made it hard to transfer grades or connect with your peers. Maybe an undiagnosed learning disability caused you major challenges in school until you learned how to cope with it.  UW’s prompt covers these circumstances, and invites responses from applicants who feel that their unique circumstances are not represented elsewhere in their application. 

Additional Space (Optional) (200 words)

You may use this space if you need to further explain or clarify answers you have given elsewhere in this application, or if you wish to share information that may assist the office of admissions. if applicable, be sure to include the question number to which your comment(s) refer..

Admissions is giving you one more opportunity to address anything that needs to be addressed. If you feel inclined to answer, think about what else might admissions officers might want or need to know about you. You have an additional 200 words at your disposal to speak to them in your own voice, so use them as long as what you’re writing isn’t simply filler — if that’s the case, it’s better just to leave this blank. 

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What to do when the CommonApp Essay is "optional" Answered

As I was finalizing my UPitt application, I realized that the main personal statement was listed as "optional". However, UPitt has 4 other 'supplemental' essay prompts, one prompt in which I could just copy and paste my main commonapp essay into. I was curious as to if I should submit my CommonApp essay normally, or just not submit it under the "optional" policy, and then submit it as the supplemental. The essay is quite strong, so I want it to matter in my application. Which option (submit via personal statement or supplemental) should I choose?

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So this is largely a personal belief but I read optional as strongly encouraged. Only exception is test optional. For essays unless you are not confident in your writing ability I’d always recommend you submit an optional essay.

I am of the opinion that copy and pasting is not a good idea. It should be orginal.

If you had to pick one (supplemental or personal statement) think about how many schools you are applying to and then look up if they want essays or not. Using it as personal statement means you don’t have to write another essay for a school that requires it while if they don’t care about personal statement but have supplemental I’d use it as supplemental.

Hope this helps and please comment if you need clarification as I’d be happy to help clarify!

Pitt states on their website: https://admissions.pitt.edu/forms/short-answer/us-freshman that they have their own short answer questions. They do not want the common app essay as they have their own questions for that. Pitt uses the common app to reach a wider audience, but has their own application without a personal statement.

I agree with you Adri but Jdog asks if he should use it for x or y not both.

In this case, it would be all right to skip the optional Common App essay and use it as a Pitt supplement. In the past, they've stated: "In lieu of an essay or personal statement, we ask interested applicants to answer Short Answer Questions." While "optional" generally means "strongly recommended" for essays, it's a little different here.

Just one thing: Pitt's short answer questions are supposed to be 200-300 words, so if you can copy & paste your Common App essay, you might want to flesh it out a little more for other schools, as you have up to 650 words for that. Also remember to complete 2 of the 4 short answer questions for Pitt, not just one.

Hope this helps, and best of luck!

They have a 750 word limit but say that strong resposes are between 200 and 300 words. There's also another essay prompt for the Honors College.

Yup! If they have a recommended word count, it's best to follow that though, even if they allow more.

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