unc application essays

Application Essays

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise the personal statement required by many graduate programs, internships, and special academic programs.

Before you start writing

Because the application essay can have a critical effect upon your progress toward a career, you should spend significantly more time, thought, and effort on it than its typically brief length would suggest. It should reflect how you arrived at your professional goals, why the program is ideal for you, and what you bring to the program. Don’t make this a deadline task—now’s the time to write, read, rewrite, give to a reader, revise again, and on until the essay is clear, concise, and compelling. At the same time, don’t be afraid. You know most of the things you need to say already.

Read the instructions carefully. One of the basic tasks of the application essay is to follow the directions. If you don’t do what they ask, the reader may wonder if you will be able to follow directions in their program. Make sure you follow page and word limits exactly—err on the side of shortness, not length. The essay may take two forms:

• A one-page essay answering a general question
• Several short answers to more specific questions

Do some research before you start writing. Think about…

• The field. Why do you want to be a _____? No, really. Think about why you and you particularly want to enter that field. What are the benefits and what are the shortcomings? When did you become interested in the field and why? What path in that career interests you right now? Brainstorm and write these ideas out.
• The program. Why is this the program you want to be admitted to? What is special about the faculty, the courses offered, the placement record, the facilities you might be using? If you can’t think of anything particular, read the brochures they offer, go to events, or meet with a faculty member or student in the program. A word about honesty here—you may have a reason for choosing a program that wouldn’t necessarily sway your reader; for example, you want to live near the beach, or the program is the most prestigious and would look better on your resume. You don’t want to be completely straightforward in these cases and appear superficial, but skirting around them or lying can look even worse. Turn these aspects into positives. For example, you may want to go to a program in a particular location because it is a place that you know very well and have ties to, or because there is a need in your field there. Again, doing research on the program may reveal ways to legitimate even your most superficial and selfish reasons for applying.
• Yourself. What details or anecdotes would help your reader understand you? What makes you special? Is there something about your family, your education, your work/life experience, or your values that has shaped you and brought you to this career field? What motivates or interests you? Do you have special skills, like leadership, management, research, or communication? Why would the members of the program want to choose you over other applicants? Be honest with yourself and write down your ideas. If you are having trouble, ask a friend or relative to make a list of your strengths or unique qualities that you plan to read on your own (and not argue about immediately). Ask them to give you examples to back up their impressions (For example, if they say you are “caring,” ask them to describe an incident they remember in which they perceived you as caring).

Now, write a draft

This is a hard essay to write. It’s probably much more personal than any of the papers you have written for class because it’s about you, not World War II or planaria. You may want to start by just getting something—anything—on paper. Try freewriting. Think about the questions we asked above and the prompt for the essay, and then write for 15 or 30 minutes without stopping. What do you want your audience to know after reading your essay? What do you want them to feel? Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, organization, or anything else. Just get out the ideas you have. For help getting started, see our handout on brainstorming .

Now, look at what you’ve written. Find the most relevant, memorable, concrete statements and focus in on them. Eliminate any generalizations or platitudes (“I’m a people person”, “Doctors save lives”, or “Mr. Calleson’s classes changed my life”), or anything that could be cut and pasted into anyone else’s application. Find what is specific to you about the ideas that generated those platitudes and express them more directly. Eliminate irrelevant issues (“I was a track star in high school, so I think I’ll make a good veterinarian.”) or issues that might be controversial for your reader (“My faith is the one true faith, and only nurses with that faith are worthwhile,” or “Lawyers who only care about money are evil.”).

Often, writers start out with generalizations as a way to get to the really meaningful statements, and that’s OK. Just make sure that you replace the generalizations with examples as you revise. A hint: you may find yourself writing a good, specific sentence right after a general, meaningless one. If you spot that, try to use the second sentence and delete the first.

Applications that have several short-answer essays require even more detail. Get straight to the point in every case, and address what they’ve asked you to address.

Now that you’ve generated some ideas, get a little bit pickier. It’s time to remember one of the most significant aspects of the application essay: your audience. Your readers may have thousands of essays to read, many or most of which will come from qualified applicants. This essay may be your best opportunity to communicate with the decision makers in the application process, and you don’t want to bore them, offend them, or make them feel you are wasting their time.

With this in mind:

• Do assure your audience that you understand and look forward to the challenges of the program and the field, not just the benefits.
• Do assure your audience that you understand exactly the nature of the work in the field and that you are prepared for it, psychologically and morally as well as educationally.
• Do assure your audience that you care about them and their time by writing a clear, organized, and concise essay.
• Do address any information about yourself and your application that needs to be explained (for example, weak grades or unusual coursework for your program). Include that information in your essay, and be straightforward about it. Your audience will be more impressed with your having learned from setbacks or having a unique approach than your failure to address those issues.
• Don’t waste space with information you have provided in the rest of the application. Every sentence should be effective and directly related to the rest of the essay. Don’t ramble or use fifteen words to express something you could say in eight.
• Don’t overstate your case for what you want to do, being so specific about your future goals that you come off as presumptuous or naïve (“I want to become a dentist so that I can train in wisdom tooth extraction, because I intend to focus my life’s work on taking 13 rather than 15 minutes per tooth.”). Your goals may change–show that such a change won’t devastate you.
• And, one more time, don’t write in cliches and platitudes. Every doctor wants to help save lives, every lawyer wants to work for justice—your reader has read these general cliches a million times.

Imagine the worst-case scenario (which may never come true—we’re talking hypothetically): the person who reads your essay has been in the field for decades. She is on the application committee because she has to be, and she’s read 48 essays so far that morning. You are number 49, and your reader is tired, bored, and thinking about lunch. How are you going to catch and keep her attention?

Assure your audience that you are capable academically, willing to stick to the program’s demands, and interesting to have around. For more tips, see our handout on audience .

Voice and style

The voice you use and the style in which you write can intrigue your audience. The voice you use in your essay should be yours. Remember when your high school English teacher said “never say ‘I’”? Here’s your chance to use all those “I”s you’ve been saving up. The narrative should reflect your perspective, experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Focusing on events or ideas may give your audience an indirect idea of how these things became important in forming your outlook, but many others have had equally compelling experiences. By simply talking about those events in your own voice, you put the emphasis on you rather than the event or idea. Look at this anecdote:

During the night shift at Wirth Memorial Hospital, a man walked into the Emergency Room wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. He seemed confused and was moaning in pain. One of the nurses ascertained that he had been swinging from tree branches in a local park and had hit his head when he fell out of a tree. This tragic tale signified the moment at which I realized psychiatry was the only career path I could take.

An interesting tale, yes, but what does it tell you about the narrator? The following example takes the same anecdote and recasts it to make the narrator more of a presence in the story:

I was working in the Emergency Room at Wirth Memorial Hospital one night when a man walked in wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. I could tell he was confused and in pain. After a nurse asked him a few questions, I listened in surprise as he explained that he had been a monkey all of his life and knew that it was time to live with his brothers in the trees. Like many other patients I would see that year, this man suffered from an illness that only a combination of psychological and medical care would effectively treat. I realized then that I wanted to be able to help people by using that particular combination of skills only a psychiatrist develops.

The voice you use should be approachable as well as intelligent. This essay is not the place to stun your reader with ten prepositional phrases (“the goal of my study of the field of law in the winter of my discontent can best be understood by the gathering of more information about my youth”) and thirty nouns (“the research and study of the motivation behind my insights into the field of dentistry contains many pitfalls and disappointments but even more joy and enlightenment”) per sentence. (Note: If you are having trouble forming clear sentences without all the prepositions and nouns, take a look at our handout on style .)

You may want to create an impression of expertise in the field by using specialized or technical language. But beware of this unless you really know what you are doing—a mistake will look twice as ignorant as not knowing the terms in the first place. Your audience may be smart, but you don’t want to make them turn to a dictionary or fall asleep between the first word and the period of your first sentence. Keep in mind that this is a personal statement. Would you think you were learning a lot about a person whose personal statement sounded like a journal article? Would you want to spend hours in a lab or on a committee with someone who shuns plain language?

Of course, you don’t want to be chatty to the point of making them think you only speak slang, either. Your audience may not know what “I kicked that lame-o to the curb for dissing my research project” means. Keep it casual enough to be easy to follow, but formal enough to be respectful of the audience’s intelligence.

Just use an honest voice and represent yourself as naturally as possible. It may help to think of the essay as a sort of face-to-face interview, only the interviewer isn’t actually present.

Too much style

A well-written, dramatic essay is much more memorable than one that fails to make an emotional impact on the reader. Good anecdotes and personal insights can really attract an audience’s attention. BUT be careful not to let your drama turn into melodrama. You want your reader to see your choices motivated by passion and drive, not hyperbole and a lack of reality. Don’t invent drama where there isn’t any, and don’t let the drama take over. Getting someone else to read your drafts can help you figure out when you’ve gone too far.

Taking risks

Many guides to writing application essays encourage you to take a risk, either by saying something off-beat or daring or by using a unique writing style. When done well, this strategy can work—your goal is to stand out from the rest of the applicants and taking a risk with your essay will help you do that. An essay that impresses your reader with your ability to think and express yourself in original ways and shows you really care about what you are saying is better than one that shows hesitancy, lack of imagination, or lack of interest.

But be warned: this strategy is a risk. If you don’t carefully consider what you are saying and how you are saying it, you may offend your readers or leave them with a bad impression of you as flaky, immature, or careless. Do not alienate your readers.

Some writers take risks by using irony (your suffering at the hands of a barbaric dentist led you to want to become a gentle one), beginning with a personal failure (that eventually leads to the writer’s overcoming it), or showing great imagination (one famous successful example involved a student who answered a prompt about past formative experiences by beginning with a basic answer—”I have volunteered at homeless shelters”—that evolved into a ridiculous one—”I have sealed the hole in the ozone layer with plastic wrap”). One student applying to an art program described the person he did not want to be, contrasting it with the person he thought he was and would develop into if accepted. Another person wrote an essay about her grandmother without directly linking her narrative to the fact that she was applying for medical school. Her essay was risky because it called on the reader to infer things about the student’s character and abilities from the story.

Assess your credentials and your likelihood of getting into the program before you choose to take a risk. If you have little chance of getting in, try something daring. If you are almost certainly guaranteed a spot, you have more flexibility. In any case, make sure that you answer the essay question in some identifiable way.

After you’ve written a draft

Get several people to read it and write their comments down. It is worthwhile to seek out someone in the field, perhaps a professor who has read such essays before. Give it to a friend, your mom, or a neighbor. The key is to get more than one point of view, and then compare these with your own. Remember, you are the one best equipped to judge how accurately you are representing yourself. For tips on putting this advice to good use, see our handout on getting feedback .

After you’ve received feedback, revise the essay. Put it away. Get it out and revise it again (you can see why we said to start right away—this process may take time). Get someone to read it again. Revise it again.

When you think it is totally finished, you are ready to proofread and format the essay. Check every sentence and punctuation mark. You cannot afford a careless error in this essay. (If you are not comfortable with your proofreading skills, check out our handout on editing and proofreading ).

If you find that your essay is too long, do not reformat it extensively to make it fit. Making readers deal with a nine-point font and quarter-inch margins will only irritate them. Figure out what material you can cut and cut it. For strategies for meeting word limits, see our handout on writing concisely .

Finally, proofread it again. We’re not kidding.

Other resources

Don’t be afraid to talk to professors or professionals in the field. Many of them would be flattered that you asked their advice, and they will have useful suggestions that others might not have. Also keep in mind that many colleges and professional programs offer websites addressing the personal statement. You can find them either through the website of the school to which you are applying or by searching under “personal statement” or “application essays” using a search engine.

If your schedule and ours permit, we invite you to come to the Writing Center. Be aware that during busy times in the semester, we limit students to a total of two visits to discuss application essays and personal statements (two visits per student, not per essay); we do this so that students working on papers for courses will have a better chance of being seen. Make an appointment or submit your essay to our online writing center (note that we cannot guarantee that an online tutor will help you in time).

For information on other aspects of the application process, you can consult the resources at University Career Services .

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Asher, Donald. 2012. Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice , 4th ed. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

Curry, Boykin, Emily Angel Baer, and Brian Kasbar. 2003. Essays That Worked for College Applications: 50 Essays That Helped Students Get Into the Nation’s Top Colleges . New York: Ballantine Books.

Stelzer, Richard. 2002. How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School , 3rd ed. Lawrenceville, NJ: Thomson Peterson.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• Global Opportunities This section of your application is optional. In addition to considering applicants for fall enrollment, we are looking for students who want to go abroad before enrolling at Carolina through either the Global Gap Year Fellowship or Carolina Global Launch.  If you’d like to be considered for either, indicate your interest and submit two additional short answer responses that share your interest in global experiences.
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UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

July 28, 2023

Those hoping to enter the Tar Heel Class of 2026 faced tougher competition than at any previous time in UNC Chapel Hill history. To quantify this assertion, there were 57,219 first-year applicants for the Class of 2026 and the overall acceptance rate was just 16.8%–less than half the figure seen two decades ago. North Carolinians continue to enjoy a sizable advantage. In fact, in-state applicants were accepted at roughly a 40% clip while out-of-state applicants experienced just a 10% admit rate. The mid-50% SAT range for North Carolinians was 1340-1500 while the range for out-of-staters was a more intimidating 1400-1540. For all applicants, the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays will be of great importance.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into UNC–Chapel Hill for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

If you want to have your strongest shot at one day donning the Carolina blue and white, you’ll need to find ways to stand out on your application. Through its two short answer prompts, the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental section still affords an opportunity to showcase what makes you uniquely qualified for admission. Below are the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays: Short answer prompts 2023-24

You’ll respond to each of the following two prompts in 200-250 words:

1) Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.

This essay starts with an invitation to share a personal quality that you feel is essential for the admissions committee to know about. Next, you need to take that personal quality, situate it in a true story that involves the larger world, and explain how you made a positive impact on others. You may wish to “work backward” on this one. Think about how you positively helped a community in your life and then try to nail down which quality of yours ultimately had the most impact. This way, the audience will be able to clearly see your favorable quality in action versus you just explaining that you are empathetic, versatile, loyal, trustworthy, resilient, etc.

Additionally, as you consider your approach to this essay, it’s important to look at “community” as a broadly defined concept. Community can encompass anything from your high school, your neighborhood, a place of worship, your family, or even a club or sports team. Some words of warning with this one: this doesn’t need to be a grandiose vision. For example, you single-handedly solved the climate crisis and eliminated global poverty. You don’t have to be the lone hero in this tale!

UNC Supplemental Essays (Continued)

2) Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Here, Chapel Hill is asking you to share your story of how you became interested in your selected discipline. You can structure the narrative of this essay as a soup to nuts chronicling of your entire journey toward your discipline of interest. Contrarily, you could share one or two vignettes that illustrate your burgeoning passion for engineering, history, French, computer science, business, psychology, etc. As you begin the prewriting phase, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your first strong memory relating to your future area of study?
• What fills you with wonder?
• What books have you read on the subject?
• Do you consume podcasts or documentaries related to your passions?
• Have certain online or print publications helped to fuel your interests?
• What subtopics of your prospective discipline most intrigue you?
• Did a teacher excite you about this topic or was it a parent/relative or outside mentor?

How important are the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental Essays?

There are eight factors that UNC Chapel Hill considers as “very important” and the essays are among them. In addition to the essays, UNC-Chapel Hill gives the greatest consideration to the rigor of one’s academic record, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, and state residency.

UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

Lastly, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your UNC supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote today.

• Application Strategies
• College Essay

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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College Essays

If you're applying for admission to UNC Chapel Hill , you'll have to write a total of three essays as part of your application. Your UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays are a great way to tell the admissions committee more about yourself while also showing your interest in UNC and your dedication to your education.

In this article, we'll break down what the UNC essay prompts are, what you should talk about in each, and offer tips for writing great UNC supplemental essays.

What Are the UNC Essay Prompts?

UNC Chapel Hill uses the Common Application for its admissions process. As a first-year applicant, you'll be required to write a total of three essays: one Common Application essay and two UNC-specific essays.

The UNC supplemental essays are two 200-250 word essays that respond to UNC-specific questions. There are a total of four UNC supplemental essays to choose from; you get to pick whichever two you would like to answer.

Here are the four UNC essay prompts:

• Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others?
• Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?
• If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.
• Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are?

In the next section, we'll talk about how to answer each of the UNC supplemental essays.

UNC Supplemental Essays, Analyzed

Each of the four UNC essay prompts asks you to share about something in your life that the admissions committee wouldn't know from reading the rest of your application. The key to writing great UNC supplemental essays is to be personal and specific.

Let's take a look at what the admissions committee wants to know in each prompt.

Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others? (200-250 words)

To answer this prompt, you'll have to do three things. First, you need to identify a peer who's active in your community and making a difference. You can interpret the word “peer” loosely here if you want to. It could be someone your age or someone from your school, or just another person in your social group you’ve seen making a difference. 

No matter who you choose, you'll have to briefly explain who they are and what they're doing. This will help your readers contextualize why this person is important! And, as usual, it's even better if you can do this in a story format. Maybe you volunteered with someone from your dance class who also happens to be one of the most outspoken advocates for climate change in your city. Telling a story about your personal experience with them would take your essay to another level.

Finally, you need to be very specific about how the community builder you've chosen has impacted your life. While it's great if you have a close relationship with this person, you don't have to in order to write a great essay! Maybe your school’s student body president organized a group that cleans litter out of neighborhoods. While you don't know her personally, her group's hard work makes your life cleaner, and it helps people have more pride in their city.

Keep in mind that even though you're talking about another person, this essay should still showcase something about you. Pick a person who inspires you or shares your values, and explain why you think their work matters. Don't miss the chance to help admissions counselors get to know you better!

Describe an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far? (200-250 words)

To answer this prompt, you're going to have to do a little introspection. The admissions counselors want you to write about one aspect of who you are , then explain how it has impacted your values, ideas, and experiences.

The good news (and maybe bad news?) is that there are tons of facets to your personality. The prompt gives you a few big areas you can focus on, but the trick is going to be to pick an element of your identity that you can tell a story about.

Let's say you identify as trans. That's probably a huge part of who you are! To write this essay, start by telling a story about how your trans identity has shaped you. Maybe you were elected homecoming queen after you transitioned, and it showed you how accepting yourself was the first step in being accepted by others. Whatever the case may be, using a story will be key to connecting with your audience.

And of course, don't forget to answer the second part of the prompt about how this part of your identity has shaped you as a person. Make sure you're making the connection for your reader! Don't just say you're the child of Palestinian immigrants. Explain how that has solidified your commitment to humanitarianism and economic equality.

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain. (200-250 words)

While this prompt may seem serious, it doesn't have to be. You don't need to do in-depth research into your neighborhood and your city's politics, but you do need to pick a change that has personal meaning for you.

For instance, maybe you and your neighbors don't know each other well and you'd like to have a greater feeling of community with the people you live nearby. That reason has nothing to do with legislation, but would still make a big impact!

The key here is to identify the thing you would change, then explain why you would make that change. Going back to our example about neighborhood community, maybe the "why" is because it would help you support one another. Your neighbors could help each other with yard work, child care, and maybe even after school tutoring! By bringing people together, not only do you take some of the burden off of individuals, but it would form the bonds that help make neighborhoods happy, healthy, and safe places to live.

The last crucial detail you need to discuss in your response is how you would contribute to this change. Don't be afraid of dreaming big! You can easily integrate your explanation of how you’d contribute into your description of the change that you want to see. 

To the extent that you can, give concrete details about what you’d do to support this change . As much as this prompt is asking about your community, it’s even more interested in finding out how you perceive your role in your community--and whether you take that responsibility seriously. 

Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are? (200-250 words)

This prompt is asking you to show your awareness of your place in the world beyond the things that are local to you, like your family, school, and hometown. Understanding how history has shaped who you are helps you be an ethical citizen and member of your communities--qualities that UNC is looking for in its applicants!

But “history” seems a little broad, right? The good news about that is that you can bring your own interpretation of the term “history” to your response here. You could look reflect on aspects of U.S. history, world history, or the history of a set of religious beliefs. You could write about something more personal, like your family history, or something pertaining to your academic interests, like the history of women in computer science!

The key here is to make sure you explain how a specific piece of history has shaped who you are --your identity and your views of the world. To do this effectively, you won’t be able to summarize the entire history of the United States or the legacies of second-wave feminism. You’ll have to incorporate one or two historical details into your story and dive deep into how they have shaped who you are. Because as the prompt says, we are nothing without our history!

3 Tips For Mastering Your UNC Essays

Hoping to write two amazing UNC supplemental essays? Follow these key tips to do so!

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond what's featured in other parts of your application. Your admissions essays are your chance to become more than just a collection of statistics—to really come alive for your application readers.

Make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't just write what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not—it will be really easy for the committee to tell you're lying.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will at best diminish its effectiveness and at worst make the admissions committee think twice on accepting you. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think UNC wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Cliches and Overused Phrases

When writing your UNC essays, don't use cliches or overused quotes or phrases. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." You can write something more original than that!

Each of the UNC essays asks you something specific about your experience or background. Your essay should be 100% you—you don't want the admissions committee to think, "Anyone could have written this essay."

#3: Check Your Work

Your UNC essays should be the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your UNC Chapel Hill application, edit and proofread your essays.

Run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit and ask someone else to read your essays. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

Final Thoughts

Your UNC supplemental essays are your chance to show the admissions committee what makes you special and different from the other tens of thousands of students applying for admission at UNC.

In your essays, make sure you are authentic, well-spoken, and polished so you give the admissions committee the best possible understanding of who you are as a person.

What's Next?

Need more help with your scholarship search? Read our expert guide on how to find college scholarships .

Need help writing your Common App essay? Our tips will show you how to write a Common App essay guaranteed to make you stand out from other applicants!

How does UNC's selectivity compare with those of other top colleges? Get the answer in our guide to the most selective schools in the nation !

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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Strong UNC Chapel Hill Essay Example

UNC Chapel Hill is a pretty selective school, especially for out-of-state students, so it’s important to write strong essays to help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share an essay a real student has submitted to UNC Chapel Hill. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our UNC Chapel Hill es say breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Prompt: If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why? (200-250 words).

Sitting behind the loaded plates on our dinner table, I predicted my mom’s first question with 100% accuracy: “So, how did you do on the trigonometry test today?” Notorious for failing math classes, my brother paused from chewing his chicken wing. 

I knew he’d be in trouble. 

Indeed, after hearing his grade, my mom scolded: “Look at our neighbor’s kid; then look at you! She never gets anything below a 90!”

There it is again: “the neighbor’s kid,” a Chinese concept that I wish would serve a different purpose. Upon learning about their children’s unsatisfactory academic performance, Chinese parents often bring up a so-called perfect neighbor’s kid for comparison. It saddens me to see individuals raised under the shadow of “the neighbor’s kid” not able to simply enjoy exploring knowledge. They toil through years of schooling for good grades and a prestigious college’s acceptance letter at the cost of their mental well-being. Worse, some measure their self-worth by grades alone: my brother believes he’s not good enough, despite all his admirable traits outside of academics. 

Instead of “the neighbor’s kid who got a good grade” at the dinner table, I suggested my parents discuss “the neighbor’s kid who sells bracelets to raise money for charity”  or “who had a hot discussion with the teacher about whether animals have consciousness.” I look forward to a more vibrant and colorful dinner conversation, where families talk about their roses and thorns of the day, rather than a neighbor’s kid defined by numbers.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay does a great job of opening with a strong anecdote and seamlessly transitioning the anecdote into an answer to the prompt. The reader feels the suspense of sitting at the dinner table with the student and their family waiting for the response to their mom’s question, and might even relate to hearing the student’s parents complain about their grade. It’s a simple and quick story, but everyone can find something in it they relate to, which makes the reader want to keep reading.

The essay was also successful at transitioning from a personal anecdote to a broader topic that addresses the prompt. The anecdote is connected to the larger issue the student has with their home environment and provides context for their reasoning that growing up surrounded by this mentality is harmful. The use of the anecdote bolsters the entire essay by perfectly setting up the student’s response to the prompt, rather than being an out-of-place inclusion to add some empathy or imagery, which is a common mistake with anecdotes.

Another positive aspect of this essay is how the student’s passion for the issue shines through. The reader learns a good deal about the student’s family life and familiarity with the “the neighbor’s kid.” The student’s expressed sadness and disapproval at not being able to enjoy learning because the immense amount of stress their parents place on them to get good grades is evident when they said, “ They toil through years of schooling for good grades and a prestigious college’s acceptance letter at the cost of their mental well-being.” The inclusion of the student’s brother also shows how close this issue is to the student’s heart because they are watching stereotypes harm someone they love. The details and direct language included provide strong evidence for why the student wants to change this aspect of where they live, which is the most important part of the prompt to address.

What Could Be Improved

For the most part, this is a great essay. The one thing that could be improved is the last paragraph that explains what the student wants to change. As far as the reader knows, the suggestions the student makes to discuss “the neighbor’s kid who sells bracelets” or “the neighbor’s kid who had a hot discussion with the teacher” are random topics the student chose to contrast with the idea of valuing a kid for a numerical grade. Since these appear as random topics, it distracts from other qualities the student and their brother might possess and want to showcase to their parents.

In an essay that is focused on changing the norm of equating worth with a grade, it would reveal more about what the student wants to be recognized for if they mentioned topics of conversation that related back to their interests. For example, if the student liked to ice skate and play the trumpet they could say: “Instead of the dreaded question about my grades, my parents would ask about how my axel is coming along or what new song I’m considering for the winter concert.” An ending more like this, that discusses the student’s interests rather than randomly mentioning other students, still achieves the same goal of the student not wanting to solely be measured by a number, but conveys the idea while also providing more insight into the student and what they value.

Where to Get Your UNC Chapel Hill  Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UNC Chapel Hill essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Prompt's How-to Guide for the UNC Essays

Our best advice for impressing university of north carolina, chapel hill admissions officers with your short answer essays..

Two essay choices. 500 words (at most). One application to UNC-Chapel Hill.

How are you going to maximize these opportunities and boost your chances? Not to worry, we’ve got a thorough guide for you, drawn from our long experience at Prompt helping applicants succeed.

UNC’s supplemental prompts are below — and here’s that guide to their supplemental essays .

And if you’d also like personalized guidance from people who’ve done this thousands of times, get started with us here .

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill prompts for Fall 2021 Application

Choose 2 of the following (200-250 words):

• Expand on an aspect of your identity – for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc. How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?
• If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why?
• Describe someone who you see as a community builder. What actions has that person taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 UNC Supplemental Essay Prompts 

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the country’s oldest state university. Apart from its star-studded basketball program, UNC Chapel Hill is known for offering top-notch academics. If you want to become part of the next class of Tarheels, focus on crushing your UNC supplemental essays. Your responses should convey your distinct voice and why you are a great fit for the school. Keep reading to learn more about how to best respond to the prompts! 

The UNC supplemental essay prompts

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wants to know how you’d contribute to the campus community. They ask that you respond to the following two prompts in up to 250 words each. 

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.

Ultimately, this question is asking you to discuss any community service you have done. This could include a wide array of activities ranging from typical community service such as picking up litter around your neighborhood to starting a club at your high school. This prompt also specifies that it can be any type of community that you have engaged in, so feel free to get creative! Some examples of communities can be your high school, your neighborhood, a place of worship or a sports team. Think about any group you have aided and what exactly you did in order to help them. Be sure to pick a story, anecdote or memory that paints you in a positive light and reveals a lot about you as a person! Remember, ultimately UNC asked this question in order to know more about you and your personality so be sure to have it shine through in this response! Once you have described your story and how it impacted your community, take it one step further by detailing how you hope to change your future UNC community in a similar fashion. For example, if you discuss starting a recycling club at your high school, you can end your response with detailing how you hope to start a similar club at UNC to help reduce the environmental impact the university will have. Connecting back to UNC will give you some bonus points with the UNC admissions officer reading over your response! Overall, be sure that you are painting a picture in your response rather than just stating your contributions to a community. 

Questions to consider

• What have you done or participated in in order to benefit your community?
• What do you hope to bring to UNC to help better the UNC community?
• How did helping your community make you feel? Would you do that action again? 

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Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Upon first glance of this prompt, it seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into why you selected your major and what you are passionate about within that field! However, it is encouraged to discuss your major but it is not required! Rather, you can discuss an interest beyond your major. Ultimately, it is a personal preference on what you decide to write about! When selecting a topic to write about, you should try to be as specific as possible. Do not just say “psychology” rather say “developmental psychology, specifically nature vs nurture in children.” Being specific allows you to truly showcase your passion and can allow you to discuss specific UNC classes, clubs and professors that relate to this specific niche interest in a field. Remember, one of the best ways to describe your passion for a subject is through a story! So, provide a natural and captivating response that details your passion through a narrative. Once you complete this narrative, you should then be connecting back to UNC. Try to choose 1-2 UNC resources you are interested in taking advantage of such as a specific club, research lab or professor’s class that connect to your academic interest. 

• What are you academically passionate about? What are you hoping to major in in college? 
• Why are you interested in this field of study? Is there a personal connection? 
• What resources are available that you are excited about at UNC? 

Final pointers for acing the UNC supplemental essays

To know which essays to choose, consider brainstorming bullet points for each question. Strive to share compelling personal anecdotes and also reveal key pieces of your identity not shared elsewhere in your application. With these tips, you should have a great start on nailing your UNC-CH supplemental essays! 

Additional resources

Once you have completed your UNC supplemental essays and revised them to tell your stories succinctly, read up on how to choose a college. Supplemental essays are just one component of the college application process. Scholarships360 has plenty of resources to help with other aspects, such as our articles on everything you need to know about work study   and navigating different types of student loans.   While you are applying to colleges (and before and after too!), make sure that you apply for all the scholarships you are eligible for! 

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UNC Supplemental Essay Examples

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top public universities in the United States.  Many students wonder how to get into UNC. Undoubtedly, the UNC application process is competitive, requiring—among other things—strong supplemental essays. In this article, we’ll provide UNC supplemental essay examples like the ones you’ll need to write.

By analyzing UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, we’ll provide insight into strategies for UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked. Our UNC supplemental essay examples address various prompts to better prepare you to write your own essays . With some careful planning and thought, you can write UNC supplemental essays that are authentic and compelling.

Does UNC Chapel Hill have supplemental essays?

Located in the charming college town of Chapel Hill, UNC’s rigorous academics , diversity, and relatively affordable tuition attract many of the nation’s best students. Still, UNC’s ranking of #29 in the nation means gaining admission is competitive. Indeed, the UNC acceptance rate is an average of 19%. For out-of-state applicants, the UNC acceptance rate is closer to 10%.

Admissions at UNC is competitive but holistic , meaning UNC admissions officers evaluate you as a whole person, not just by grades. To do this, they use essays. Though there are many parts to a successful UNC application, the essays are a place for your unique voice and experience to shine.  We’ll share UNC supplemental essay examples in this article. But first, we need to situate the UNC essay examples within the entire application. 

In total, you’ll have to write three essays and answer five fill-in-the-blank responses on your application. The first essay is the personal statement, also sometimes referred to as the Common App essay . The personal statement is a 350–650 word essay that introduces you to UNC admissions officers.

School-specific essays

In contrast, UNC supplemental essay examples are school-specific . This means that they are only sent to UNC; they encourage students to think about and express their connections to UNC values . Like supplemental essays for other colleges, these allow students to expand on their personal narrative and make their case.

Lastly, the five UNC fill-in-the-blank responses are intended to provide space to further showcase your personality and have some fun. You can briefly let the school know who you are in response to specific questions. Responses to these questions are limited to 25 words in length, so you must be concise.

In this article, we’ll focus on the school-specific questions. Specifically, we’ll provide UNC supplemental essay examples and describe what makes them strong. 

What are the UNC supplemental essay prompts?

Before we look at UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked, let’s break down the prompts for the short answer questions. First, good UNC supplemental essay examples get specific about how the writer would fit into the UNC Chapel Hill community. All the questions center around the values of identity, diversity, inclusion, and community. As such, you’ll notice that all three of the UNC supplemental essay examples we provide touch on these themes.

There are four possible questions you may respond to for the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays. You must choose two of them and write 200–250 words.

Here are UNC’s 2023 supplemental essay prompts: 

UNC Supplemental Essay Prompts

• Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others.
• Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?
• If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.
• Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the  Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument.  How does history shape who you are?

The prompts can change from year to year. In fact, the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples we provide do not reflect these exact prompts. However, strong UNC supplemental essay examples still have important lessons in essay writing. Their lessons can help you to write your own highly effective UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays.

Now, you may be wondering which of the four prompts to choose for your UNC supplemental essays. Next, we’ll discuss how to choose which questions are the best fit for you. 

Choosing the right Essay Prompts for You

As we shared above, there are four UNC supplemental essay prompts to choose from. You must choose two of them and write no more than 250 words in response. This begs the question: which two are best to write about? 

The short and simple response is that there are no two prompts that are better to respond to. The right choice will depend on your individual circumstances and the person you want to present in the admissions process. To begin making your choice, try the following approaches:

Notice which prompts jump out at you

Read through the UNC essay prompts a few times. Do you find yourself gravitating towards one? Does an idea or a memory pop into your head? Trust that impulse and don’t overthink your choice. As long as you start early enough, you’ll have time to choose a different prompt if necessary. In fact, ideas or even drafts for one prompt may become material for a different prompt later. Nevertheless, you must choose something to start with.

Choose the prompts that showcase your strengths

The college application process is challenging in part because every student has limited space to showcase who they are. A strong application showcases a student’s strengths with clarity and precision. When you read the UNC essay prompts, do you see a space for your strengths to shine? For example, prompt #3 may be a great fit for a service-oriented and compassionate person. If you’re struggling to think of strengths, look at your activities list, considering skills you’ve demonstrated in your extracurriculars.

Brainstorm and get feedback before you choose

Consider spending 15 minutes brainstorming for each of the prompts. Present those ideas to a trusted mentor, teacher, or friend who has knowledge of the college process. Ask them which ideas are most compelling, and which stories would represent you the best on the page. Getting feedback early in the process can help you write highly polished UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays. These people may also be able to give feedback during the revision process once you have completed drafts.

Whichever essays you choose, make sure you write from a place of authenticity and embrace your unique voice. Later on in this article, we’ll discuss how to respond to each of these prompts successfully.

UNC Essay Examples

In this section, we’ll introduce some UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked. Keep in mind that the prompts for these UNC essay examples are slightly different from the current ones. Even so, there is a lot to be learned from these UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples. Strong college essays all share a few core traits, many of which we’ll explore and explain in this article.

The first of our UNC supplemental essay examples is responding to the following prompt:

UNC Essay Prompt:

Tell us a story that helps us better understand a person, place, or thing you find inspiring., example #1: a story about inspiration.

When I was told that because of a fracture in my spine, I had been paralyzed, at first I experienced curiosity. Why is it that any other cell can be regenerated except for the cells in the spine? 

Slowly, through hundreds of questions and hours of searching through the resources available at the hospital, I learned that the neurons in the spinal cord responsible for delivering messages to the brain are so complex, it is almost impossible for the cells to be recreated by the body. Essentially, the spinal cord is like an electrical cord, delivering electrical signals from the body to the brain and back. During a spinal cord injury, this cord is severed. 

However, through further research and independent exploration, I discovered that what the world had once believed about the nervous system and its ability to regenerate was not completely true. Neuroplasticity, for example, may allow victims of neural injuries to regain function by “training” other sections of the brain. 

The possibilities for discovery, especially in relation to human biology and the nervous system, inspire me. Whenever I get to a point where I think I may understand a topic, a new idea emerges that challenges me to ponder new aspects again. There is so much to learn, and I know I will never stop uncovering new topics. I hope to continue this exploration at Chapel Hill, embarking on an endless path of learning. 

Why this UNC Essay Worked

One feature of all successful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays is clearly answering the entire prompt. This prompt asks for a story about something you find inspiring. The writer describes how they are inspired by learning about scientific discoveries because of a severe injury they have. They packed a lot of detail about themselves, their injury, their thoughts, and their future aspirations into a 250-word response.

Secondly, UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked are usually personal, and always individual. That is to say, they talk about the writer’s unique experiences and background, sometimes in a vulnerable way. Strong UNC supplemental essay examples also avoid the trap of talking about someone else and forgetting to showcase the writer. Instead, this author uses their experience of being injured to reveal how they are curious and persistent. The reader can see this writer is resilient, curious, and hopeful for the future.

Effective UNC supplemental essay examples also successfully relate the writer’s experience back to UNC Chapel Hill, even if subtly. All of our successful UNC essay examples demonstrate specific reasons the student is a good fit for UNC. This writer was able to demonstrate how they value UNC’s values of research, diversity, and service. As such, they make a strong case for why they should be admitted.

The second of our UNC supplemental essay examples is responding to this prompt:

University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill Essay Prompt:

What do you hope will change about the place where you live, essay #2: a change in your community.

“Really, surgeries are so much less painful than what I experience every day due to inaccessibility or people’s stereotypes.” 

My friend was paralyzed before she was a year old. She has been through dozens of surgeries, surgeries with the possibility of leaving her blind, even dead. She is the strongest person I know. So, when she told me that the most significant cause of her pain was due to society and not her physical barriers, I was shocked. 

Through my experiences after my spinal cord injury, I started to notice new aspects of the world. Stairs instantly became blockades when I had never even noticed them before. Sometimes, there were cars parked in front of the ramps, making it impossible for me to access the building. When I talk to my peers or school officials regarding issues such as these, I am often met with the same response, “Oh, I never noticed.” 

Repeatedly confronted with these answers, I realized that if I didn’t share my experiences, really, no one will ever notice. In addition to this, if no one is confronted about the stereotypes that one holds against a certain group in society, these biases will continue to be held. 

Today, much of society is inaccessible. It’s just a fact. Also, stereotypes remain a significant obstacle to the development and success of minority communities. However, I hope that through my life, I am able to spread awareness about these issues, helping to bring in greater understanding and accessibility. 

Like all successful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, this essay shows, rather than tells, the author’s main idea. Rather than jumping straight into accessibility issues, the author tells us details about their friends’ life and their own life. Through these details, the author gives context for their concern about this issue. 

Despite the prompt asking writers to look outward, this author doesn’t miss the opportunity to share about themself. After all, strong UNC supplemental essay examples really showcase the applicant’s personality, character, values, and goals. In this essay, we get a clear sense that the author is persistent, caring, brave, justice-oriented, and hopeful. These traits make them an appealing candidate for UNC Chapel Hill.

Many impactful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples open with a strong hook, and this essay is no different. A hook is critical because it catches the reader’s attention, inviting them to stay focused throughout your essay.

While this author uses dialogue, other hooks include setting a scene (i.e., “I stood at the edge of the diving board”). It could be something rare about yourself (i.e., “I’m the only teenager in my class who loves waking up early”).  This essay’s use of dialogue leaves the reader wondering who is speaking, what they meant, and how it relates to the author. Most great UNC supplemental essay examples contain a hook that draws the reader in.

The third and final of our UNC supplemental essay examples responds to the prompt: 

UNC Application Essay Prompt:

Most of us have one or more personality quirks. explain one of yours and what it says about you. , essay #3: personality quirk.

I am a person of more than one personality quirk, some of which can be beneficial and others “not so much.” One of my main quirks, however, is the need for constant movement. Whether it is volunteering to demonstrate a mathematical problem in front of the class or bouncing my knee during a test, I believe that I perform best when I am active. 

Delving further into understanding “my little quirk,” I stumbled upon the label of kinesthetic learner. In other words, I want to experience what I am learning by being a part of the process as opposed to merely hearing about the process. During my high school career, I have found that the knee-bouncing, pencil-tapping, etc. subsides when the opportunity presents itself to participate actively in real life simulations. For instance, as a part of the Academy of Emergency Medical Sciences at Pine Forest High School, I participated in strapping fellow classmates to back boards and transporting them from place to place while maintaining proper alignment of the cervical vertebrae. Of course, when performing this task, my knee-bouncing ceased, and I was completely engrossed in the mission at hand.

My hands-on learning may stem from my more than fourteen years of gymnastics training and dance lessons that required continuous movement to learn. I do not consider this process of learning to be a disadvantage but rather a positive influence. It has allowed me a unique ability to focus, creating a sense of discipline as well as the drive and motivation to succeed. This drive is also evident in my active participation in clubs such as Trojan Mentors and National Honor Society, organizations such as The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville, and community involvement. The enjoyment which comes from working and learning hands-on and helping others is why I am drawn to the field of medicine.

As a kinesthetic learner, I learn what I practice and practice what I learn; therefore, I work well solo and as an active participant in group settings. In my preparation to attend a pre-medicine program, I sense that this type of learning will be a positive attribute to my studies. In a clinical setting, one cannot depend on theory alone but rather the practical application of skills. Although the theoretical understanding of material is of utmost importance, it is during those moments that the knee-bouncing will come in handy, proving “my little quirk” to be beneficial, allowing me to accomplish the task before me.

Without a doubt, these UNC essay examples reveal how you can write about any topic in a compelling manner. Often, when students read essay prompts, they spotlight the most outlandish, rare, and dramatic aspect of their life. In this essay, the student talks about their quirk of needing constant movement. Almost all of us know someone like this, but the student writes about this quirk relative to personal accomplishments and goals.

Secondly, while successful UNC supplemental essay examples don’t necessarily need to list accomplishments, this author folds theirs in seamlessly. Indeed, the Common App has a designated space to list extracurriculars and accomplishments. However, if your activities are thematically coherent and support your essay’s point, by all means, include them. Just be careful to choose accomplishments that relate to your topic and strengthen your arguments, rather than relisting a resume.

A third and final compelling aspect of this essay is the author’s deep understanding of their behaviors and motivations. The writer uses their tapping reflex to segue into an exploration of their passions and dreams. They also reveal that they can turn a challenge into an opportunity, a skill immensely helpful in a college setting. Strong UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples paint the author in detail and in a positive light.

How to answer UNC supplemental essays?

Although these UNC supplemental essay examples don’t respond to the exact prompts used today, they demonstrate the core qualities of good essays. In fact, these students wrote clearly and specifically about how their experiences prepared them to be great UNC undergraduates. They also likely used some key tips to be able to write a strong essay.

Here are some tips for how to write a great essay just like the UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked:

Start Early

Since there are two supplemental essays and five fill-in-the-blank responses in addition to the personal statement, it’s important to start early. The final products of essays usually represent multiple hours of brainstorming, writing, and revising. As such, you need time to process your thoughts and get feedback from many sources.

When planning your timeline for the application season, you should factor in plenty of time, especially if you’re still researching schools. Not only do you need to write several essays , but you should revise several times before submitting. This can mean editing alone, but ideally, you’ll ask trusted friends and mentors to provide feedback.

Answer Authentically and Specifically

As we noticed in the UNC supplemental essay examples above, students wrote about personal experiences that were important to them. To write a successful essay, you don’t have to make up stories or exaggerate your life. You can simply be yourself, and tell stories with specificity. 

For example, in our second example, the student showed how simple everyday tasks like climbing the stairs became impossible after getting injured. Rather than saying “My life got harder,” they showed us how it changed. Narrative details can enliven your writing while still conveying key details. This combination of specificity and authenticity will make your essay shine and stand out amongst the crowd.

Relate Your Experiences to UNC

When students wonder how to get into UNC, they should first understand why they want to go to UNC. Since UNC doesn’t have a “why school” essay, writers must base their essays on experiences, not UNC facilities or offerings. In each of these UNC supplemental essay examples, writers demonstrated how their life experiences and personality traits align with UNC’s values. While they spoke about themselves, their examples ultimately made it clear that they are a good fit for the school. Since the UNC acceptance rate is relatively low, it’s important to make sure your application is a clear fit for the school.

In the next session, we’ll dive into other ways to make your UNC application stand out.

What does UNC Admissions look for?

As we’ve shared, the UNC admissions is holistic in nature. This means that admissions officers are looking at many aspects of your application, not just your UNC supplemental essays. It also means that they are hoping to see whether your whole application shows you’re a good fit for UNC. 

Indeed, the UNC Chapel Hills essays that worked above demonstrate core personality traits like self-awareness and commitment to building community. Other aspects of your application have the potential to do the same. For example, your extracurricular activities are one of the most important indicators of your interests and commitment to growth. A student with a track record of community service and taking on new roles demonstrates not only their compassion but their leadership. 

UNC Core Values

Addressing core UNC values is a good sign for admissions officers. Commitment to community, understanding of one’s own identity, and a passion for learning are strong positives. Effective UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples we provided demonstrate some or all of these attributes. 

Finally, but just as importantly, admissions officers are looking for academic excellence as well. Without a doubt, UNC is looking for high-achieving students who can excel in their rigorous coursework. As such, they have a GPA minimum of 2.5 just to apply. However, the average unweighted GPA is closer to a 4.0—mostly As with some Bs. Strive to achieve the highest GPA possible to overcome the competitive UNC acceptance rate.

Watch the video below for more insight into what UNC Admission wants to see in your essays this application cycle.

Other UNC Chapel Hill Resources from CollegeAdvisor

Hopefully, reading UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked has helped you better understand how to get into UNC. Ultimately, the process is an incredibly individual one and every student’s application will look very different. However, CollegeAdvisor has several resources that can help you write amazing essays like the UNC supplemental essay examples here. 

First, check out this guide to getting into UNC. It examines the UNC application in further detail and provides tips on making yourself stand out on the application. Wondering what SAT scores you’ll need? Curious about when to apply? This guide will outline all of those details so you feel prepared and confident throughout the process.

UNC Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

If you want to read more about the UNC supplemental essay topics, this article discusses each prompt in depth. With this resource, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what the prompts want, how to approach them, and potential topics. This resource also provides insights into how to respond to the five fill-in-the-blank questions. If you’re trying to hone your strategy for the UNC essays, this article is a great resource.

UNC is one of the top schools in North Carolina. Take a look at our map of other best colleges in North Carolina, below!

Finally, for more examples of successful college essays for other schools, read our article on the best college essays. You’ll begin to see the breadth of types of essays that exist as well as the similarities between successful ones. We also have resources about writing a strong personal statement , essential for any school that takes the Common App.

UNC Supplemental Essay Examples- Final Thoughts

In this article, we dove deep into UNC supplemental essay examples. We looked at what makes these UNC supplemental essay examples strong responses to the prompts. In addition to specific strengths, we offered more general advice for writing effective UNC essays.

Additionally, it’s important to put in the time and thought as the students who wrote these UNC supplemental examples did. Ultimately, your UNC essay can only be written by you—individuality and authenticity are crucial to supplemental essays. Nevertheless, these UNC essay examples may offer inspiration for your own unique, compelling responses. 

Identifying strong essays

Our UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples show there are as many similarities among strong essays as there are differences. The UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, while specific to UNC, are in many ways similar to many successful college essays. As such, you might choose to use parts of your UNC essays for other schools on your college list . This can be very helpful when trying to meet tight application deadlines . 

Undoubtedly, getting into UNC is an ambitious goal. UNC Chapel Hill is not only one of the best schools in the state of North Carolina but in the nation. At CollegeAdvisor, we have the expertise, resources, and commitment to help you accomplish your dreams and get the education you deserve. Looking for individual support in the UNC Chapel Hill application process? You can take advantage of CollegeAdvisor’s one-on-one application support by scheduling a consultation today.

Senior advisor, Courtney Ng wrote this article. 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 Outstanding UNC Essays

We walk you through how to write strong university of north carolina, chapel hill short answer essays for 2020-2021..

We’re excited to share with you that UNC’s supplemental prompts are going to set you up for success. Yes, we mean that - once you write these two essays up - your application is going to get a boost.

How? Well, from our long experience at Prompt helping applicants succeed, we’re going to show you. Take a look at UNC’s supplemental prompts below — and at our in-depth guide to their supplemental essays .

And if you’d also like personalized guidance from people who’ve done this thousands of times, get started with us here .

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill prompts for Fall 2021 Application

Choose 2 of the following (200-250 words):

• Expand on an aspect of your identity – for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc. How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?
• If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why?
• Describe someone who you see as a community builder. What actions has that person taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

Writing Application Essays

Conquering the UNC - Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

The journey to becoming a Tar Heel starts with a compelling application – a key part of which is the supplemental essays. Here's how you can best approach the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

UNC-Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompts

• Tell us about a peer who has made a difference in your life.

This prompt asks you to reflect on a peer's impact on your life. Focus on a specific event or experience and discuss how it influenced your growth or perspective. Show the committee that you are able to learn from others and appreciate their impact.

Example Essay

Emma and I became friends in sophomore year during a school science fair project. She had a relentless curiosity about the world, delving into intricate theories about the universe's origin or attempting to unravel the mystery of black holes. It was her passion for astronomy that kindled an interest in me for the subject. She taught me to see beyond the obvious, to question the nature of things, and to always yearn for understanding. Her profound influence sparked a passion in me for astronomy, leading me to major in Astrophysics, and I hope to bring this enthusiasm to UNC's vibrant scientific community.

• What do you hope will change about the place where you live?

To answer this prompt, first describe the current situation of your community, city, or country, focusing on the issue you wish to see changed. Then, discuss why this change is important to you, the steps that could be taken to facilitate this change, and how you hope to contribute to it.

I live in a small rural town in North Carolina, where opportunities for higher education are limited due to a lack of resources. I hope to see a change in the accessibility of quality education in my town. I wish for more tutoring centers and educational programs that can help students aspire for higher studies and break the cycle of limited educational attainment. As a future Tar Heel, I plan to give back to my community, leveraging UNC's resources and networks to develop educational initiatives that can make a real difference in my town.

• What is one thing that we don’t know about you that you want us to know?

Here, you have a chance to share something that hasn't been covered in your application yet. It could be a hobby, a personal anecdote, a significant experience, or a unique perspective. It should provide further insight into your character or interests.

Something not visible in my application is my love for beekeeping. My grandfather introduced me to this art, and it has since become a cherished hobby. Caring for the hives, understanding the intricate bee communication, and the joy of harvesting honey - these experiences have taught me patience, responsibility, and the importance of environmental conservation. I hope to share this passion with the UNC community and contribute to its sustainability efforts.

• What about your background, or what perspective, belief, or experience, will help you contribute to the education of your classmates at UNC?

This prompt wants you to show how your unique experiences or viewpoints can contribute to the diversity and richness of the UNC community. Discuss your background, beliefs, or experiences and how these will influence your contribution to classroom discussions and the broader UNC community.

Growing up in a military family, I have lived in six different states and attended five different schools. This nomadic lifestyle was challenging but also enriching, as I experienced a myriad of cultures, traditions, and viewpoints. I believe this background has equipped me with adaptability and an open mindset. At UNC, I look forward to sharing these experiences and perspectives, contributing to the diversity and inclusivity of the classroom discussions and the broader UNC community.

UNC-Chapel Hill is renowned for its strong emphasis on undergraduate research, commitment to public service, and vibrant athletic and arts scene. The supplemental essays are your chance to show how you can contribute to this culture. Each response should be well-researched and tailor-made for UNC, revealing a deep understanding of the school's values and offerings.

Take time to brainstorm and outline your essays. Reflect on your experiences, identify what makes you unique, and how your journey aligns with UNC’s ethos. Be honest, authentic, and clear. Don’t try to write what you think they want to hear. Instead, let your true self shine through your essays.

Finally, don’t forget to proofread. Your essays should be free of grammatical errors and typos, ensuring that your brilliant ideas and passion for UNC come across as clearly as possible.

In the world of college applications, there's a Tar Heel born every application cycle. With these tips in mind, you're one step closer to becoming one of them. Good luck!

Related posts

Demystifying Dartmouth College's 2023-2024 Supplemental Essays

Unlocking the Boston College Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Unraveling the 2023-2024 Cornell University Supplemental Essays

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Application Essay

Choosing an Essay Prompt

• You may choose from any of the Common App prompts to provide supplemental information for the review of their application. Regardless of which prompt you choose, all essays are reviewed equally.

Common Application Essay Prompts

• 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.

Why are we requiring an essay?

• We get a lot of information about your academic accomplishments from your application and transcripts. The essay gives us a little more insight into your experiences, interests and talents outside the classroom. It gives you a “voice” in our review. What do you want us to know about you that isn’t courses and grades? Choose the prompt that allows you to express yourself.

How are we evaluating your essay?

• We aren’t using a red pen to “grade” your essay, and your essay will never be the sole factor for an admission decision. We’re most interested in what you have say – not in how exactly you say it. So we’ll be looking for you to address the question or prompt (if you choose a specific one), and we’ll want to see that you gave it enough time and effort to ensure minimal mistakes and an understanding of appropriate essay structure.
• Regardless of the topic you choose, your response should demonstrate your academic promise and readiness for the rigor of a college classroom. For more tips about the essay, check out our blog .

How do I submit my essay?

• If you applied through the Future 49er Portal or CFNC, it is preferred that you upload your essay to the Future 49er Portal in the “Upload Materials” section. If you experience any issues uploading it in your portal, you may email it to [email protected] . If you applied through CommonApp, your essay is already submitted to us and no further action is needed.

Special Consideration

• If there are circumstances that make essay writing a hardship, please reach out to your Admissions Counselor for assistance. This requirement is not intended to present a barrier and we are committed to working with students who need special consideration.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Jun 1

You Have: 

University of North Carolina at Charlotte 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanation

The Requirements: Why

Supplemental Essay Type(s): 1 essay of 250 words

Please describe why you are interested in attending UNC Charlotte. Your statement lets us get to know you beyond your coursework and test scores. Your response will distinguish you from other qualified candidates within the applicant pool. (250 words)

The admissions department at UNC Charlotte wants to get to know you beyond your GPA, test scores, and classes. Admissions essays are a way to humanize your application, to let admissions know who you are and what it’s like to spend time with you, so in your response to this prompt, you’re going to want to do exactly that. What is it about University of North Carolina at Charlotte that lead you to apply? Does UNC Charlotte offer a major that most other schools in the region do not? Has your older sibling been talking nonstop about what a blast they’re having on campus, and you want in on the fun? Which clubs and organizations can you see yourself joining when you get to campus? Let your authentic voice shine through and admissions is bound to be impressed.

About Kat Stubing

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University of North Carolina – UNC Secondary Application Essay Prompts & Tips

• Cracking Med School Admissions

University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill (UNC School of Medicine) cares deeply about serving its surrounding community and the citizens of North Carolina. Submitting OUTSTANDING UNC secondary essays is vital to receiving an interview invite, which ultimately can lead to an acceptance. Read our UNC secondary tips down below. Once you get accepted to UNC Med, you can also apply for various UNC School of Medicine Scholarships . 

UNC secondary essay prompts change drastically each year, so we would not pre-write your UNC secondaries. However, there is a suggested two-week turnaround time once you receive the official UNC School of Medicine secondary application. Therefore, you should work on this as soon as you receive the official UNC secondary application from the admissions committee.

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine year after year. Furthermore, we’ve been successful in advising students receive acceptance to the UNC FIRST program , which allows applicants to do one less year of medical school and guarantees residency placement in family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, or surgery.  Work with us through our secondary essay editing packages to STAND OUT in your UNC secondary application!

• Personally Tailored Essays
• Edits by Stanford & Harvard-trained Doctors
• We study your application strengths to see what unique attributes we’ll bring to the medical school

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024

Recommended 2-week turnaround time by the UNC School of Medicine Admissions Committee

• Describe an experience where you attempted a task and realized during the process that you were not ready for it. How did this experience impact your approach to trying new things. (250 words max)
• How will your life experiences foster a positive educational environment and benefit your future patients? (250 words max)
• Discuss your involvement in a service activity that has impacted your understanding of healthcare and your desire to pursue a career in medicine. (250 words max)
• What motivates you to apply to UNC School of Medicine? (250 words max)
• (If applicable):  If you are a re-applicant, what has changed about you as a candidate since your last application to medical school? What has made you a stronger applicant?   (200 words max)

Tips to Answer UNC Secondary Essays

UNC Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance:  UNC medical school changes its UNC secondary essay prompts each year, so we would not recommend pre-writing your UNC secondaries. However, this medical school has a very quick turnaround time. Make sure you work on the UNC secondary application as soon as you receive it (all applications are not given out at the same time). Contact us if you need help with editing your UNC secondaries – we will make sure it stands out even with a tight turnaround time! 

>> Get all our secondary essay tips by downloading our FREE Cracking Med School Admissions Secondary Essay Guide

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #1: To answer the “Why UNC School of Medicine” question, read our blog post about how to answer why this medical school ? 

Also, understand what UNC School of Medicine is looking for:

• Desire to serve the North Carolina population, including pursuing a career in medicine in North Carolina
• Diverse and ample clinical experiences and patient care experience

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #2: Given that UNC is a state school, you must discuss your affiliations and prior work in North Carolina. If you want to practice in North Carolina in the future, then you should mention this in your UNC secondary essays. For example, some of our Cracking Med School Admissions students have talked about working as an EMT in North Carolina, patients they met through clinical care in North Carolina, life experiences like growing up in North Carolina, and rural / underserved populations they served in North Carolina. 

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #3: For the “diversity” question, diversity does not necessarily mean your ethnic diversity. We recommend students write about their strengths, including exceptional extracurricular activity endeavors. Make sure to link this to how you will contribute to your medical school class. Because UNC looks for medical students with a strong research background, you can use the diversity essay to discuss your research. 

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #5: Need editing help on your UNC secondary essays? We can help you through our secondary essay packages . 

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #6: If you are a  re-applicant,  it is important to discuss how your application has changed from the first time you applied to this current time you are applying. 

It is very important to discuss the following in the re-applicant essay:

• Reflections about why your application was not as strong last cycle. In your opinion, what were the weaknesses?
• How have you addressed the weaknesses?
• Clinical experience you’ve had since you applied in the last application cycle. Reflect on what you learned about patient care. 
• For UNC, any activities related to research, clinical experiences in North Carolina, patient care, and community service in North Carolina will be a big plus. 

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #7: For the new UNC secondary essay question, “ Discuss your involvement in a service activity that has impacted your understanding of healthcare and your desire to pursue a career in medicine ” understand  why UNC medical school is asking this. The Admissions committee wants medical students who are involved in the North Carolina community, and use these insights to pursue research opportunities for students, community health projects, and clinical opportunities for students that improve the overall health of the local population.

Here are what some of our students discussed in their UNC secondary essays:

• A volunteer experience focused on underserved populations and motivating them to improve the local free clinic for underserved populations.
• Working with individuals in the community who were overweight and motivating them to pursue a career in medicine that incorporates nutrition education with the community and patients.
• Personal experiences with individuals who were addicted to drugs and motivating them to do research related to drug addiction.

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #8: UNC School of Medicine has an extremely tough interview. It has  both Multiple Mini Interviews and traditional interviews. Start reading about Multiple Mini Interviews and stand out using our Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview course created by Dr. Rachel Rizal!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Does UNC screen secondaries? Yes, it does screen AMCAS primary applications for secondary essays. Not all UNC secondaries are sent out at the same time. And, from our experience, in-state applicants receive UNC secondaries before out-of-state applicants. 

Q: What is the UNC FIRST program? We love this program! UNC FIRST is a 3-year accelerated programs that focuses on primary care and serving the population of North Carolina. Read more here . 

Q: Can you help me submit a stellar UNC secondary application even in two weeks? Yes! Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta can help you with your UNC secondary AND all your other medical school secondary essays through our secondary essay editing packages !

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UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023

• Tell us about a peer who is deserving of recognition but whose accomplishments may not be acknowledged adequately. Why do you think their accomplishments have gone relatively unacknowledged? (250 words max)
• Please share your thoughts and experiences with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. This could include the barriers you have faced in applying to medical school, creative ways you have overcome those barriers, feelings of grief and loss, thoughts on the role of health care professionals, challenges associated with racial health inequities, or other reflections on living through a global pandemic crisis.   (250 words max)
• How will your values and attitudes foster a positive educational environment and benefit your future patients? Tell us about the sources of those values and attitudes (e.g. family, places you’ve lived in, things you have read, life experiences, etc). (250 words max)
• Tell us about a time when you observed or personally experienced biased behavior. What did you do to address this situation or what would you do in the future? Through either situation we are interested in what you learned.  (250 words max)
• What motivates you to apply to the UNC School of Medicine?  (200 words max)

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UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

• Give an example of how you made a difference in someone’s life and explain what this experience taught you about yourself. (1000 characters max)
• What motivates you to apply to UNC School of Medicine? (1000 characters max)
• UNC School of Medicine values diversity and inclusion across the institution. We believe that education and professional development are enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe how your background and/or experiences would contribute to the UNC SOM community? (1000 characters max)
• Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the COVD-19 public health crisis. Possible topics might include: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic, creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis, hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus, and/or quarantine. (1000 characters max)
• UNC School of Medicine values diversity and inclusion across the institution. We believe that education and professional development are enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe how your background and/or experiences would contribute to the UNC SOM community? (1,000 characters max)

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020 – 2021

• Describe a situation or an experience, you’ve had when you were unsuccessful. Tell us what you learned from this experience. (1,000 characters max)
• Give an example of how you made a difference in someone’s life and explain what this experience taught you about yourself. (1,000 characters max)
• What motivates you to apply to UNC School of Medicine? (1,000 characters max)

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2019 – 2020

Unc medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2018 – 2019.

• We have all tried something and failed. Describe a situation, or an experience, you’ve had when you were unsuccessful. Tell us what you learned from this experience. (1,000 characters max)
• Much of health care delivery involves teamwork. In what endeavor have you engaged that required a team approach? What was your role and what did you learn from working with this team? (1,000 characters max)

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

• We have all tried something and failed, whether it was something big or something small. Describe a situation or an experience you had when you realized that you were not up to the task, and tell us what life-lessons you learned from this experience. (1,000 characters max)
• Much of medical school education is based on team-learning. What important activity have you accomplished that required a team approach, what was your role in the outcome, and what did you learn from it? (1,000 characters max)
• Give an example of how you made a difference in someone’s life-whether it is a patient, friend, classmate, or a family member-and explain what this experience taught you about yourself. (1,000 characters max)

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2016 – 2017

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Essays That Worked

The essays are a place to show us who you are and who you’ll be in our community.

It’s a chance to add depth to something that is important to you and tell the admissions committee more about your background or goals. Below you’ll find selected examples of essays that “worked,” as nominated by our admissions committee. In each of these essays, students were able to share stories from their everyday lives to reveal something about their character, values, and life that aligned with the culture and values at Hopkins.

Read essays that worked from Transfer applicants .

Hear from the class of 2027.

These selections represent just a few examples of essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. We hope these essays inspire you as you prepare to compose your own personal statements. The most important thing to remember is to be original as you share your own story, thoughts, and ideas with us.

Ordering the Disorderly

Ellie’s essay skillfully uses the topic of entropy as an extended metaphor. Through it, we see reflections about who they are and who they aspire to be.

Pack Light, But Be Prepared

In Pablo’s essay, the act of packing for a pilgrimage becomes a metaphor for the way humans accumulate experiences in their life’s journey and what we can learn from them. As we join Pablo through the diverse phases of their life, we gain insights into their character and values.

Tikkun Olam

Julieta illustrates how the concept of Tikkun Olam, “a desire to help repair the world,” has shaped their passions and drives them to pursue experiences at Hopkins.

Kashvi’s essay encapsulates a heartfelt journey of self-discovery and the invaluable teachings of Rock, their 10-year-old dog. Through the lens of their companionship, Kashvi walked us through valuable lessons on responsibility, friendship, patience, and unconditional love.

Classical Reflections in Herstory

Maddie’s essay details their intellectual journey using their love of Greek classics. They incorporate details that reveal the roots of their academic interests: storytelling, literary devices, and translation. As their essay progresses, so do Maddie’s intellectual curiosities.

My Spotify Playlist

Alyssa’s essay reflects on special memories through the creative lens of Spotify playlists. They use three examples to highlight their experiences with their tennis team, finding a virtual community during the pandemic, and co-founding a nonprofit to help younger students learn about STEM.

More essays that worked

We share essays from previously admitted students—along with feedback from our admissions committee—so you can understand what made them effective and how to start crafting your own.

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UNC School of Law Presents 2024 Student Awards

At the end of each academic year, UNC School of Law presents awards to students recognizing writing, leadership, service and practice interest. This year, members of the Class of 2024 received the Bane Outstanding Writing Award, the Coates Rule of Law Essay Award, the Winston Crisp Award for Student Leadership, the Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Outstanding Student Award, and the Jerry B. and Callie Irene Stone Constitutional Law Award.

Bane Outstanding Writing Award

The Bane Outstanding Writing Award recognizes the importance Carolina Law places on writing. Faculty members nominate papers they feel are exceptional. It is an honor based solely on the merit of faculty-nominated work, regardless of the student’s GPA, that reflects passion for a particular topic and the ability to translate that passion into exceptional written work.

Written work is eligible for nomination if it was part of a faculty-evaluated course for credit, including courses, seminars, and independent studies. Winners receive a monetary prize.

This year, there were two winners. Kate Bock won for her paper, “Abortion Access for Incarcerated Women Post-Dobbs,” and Daniel Steenkamp won for his paper, “Closer to Heart: A Proposal to Reduce Police Involvement in Involuntary Commitment in North Carolina.”

Millard S. Breckenridge Prize in Law

Brittany Huang is the recipient of this year’s Millard S. Breckenridge Prize in Law. Named for a former Carolina Law faculty member, the award is presented to a graduating 3L who has demonstrated excellence in the study of tax law. This honor is accompanied by a monetary award and is chosen by the tax law faculty. It is awarded to a student with outstanding overall performance in tax law courses.

Coates Rule of Law Essay Award

The Coates Rule of Law Essay Award is given to the student that writes the best essay on the rule of law. The winner receives a monetary prize.

This year’s recipient is Lauren Hubbard for her essay on the state of Oregon’s constitutional right to affordable health care.

Winston Crisp Award for Student Leadership

The Winston Crisp Award for Student Leadership was initiated by the Student Bar Association during the 2005-2006 school year to recognize excellence in student leadership. Winston Crisp ’92 served the law school as associate dean of student services for 13 years. He demonstrated extraordinary leadership ability throughout his time at Carolina Law, both as a student and as an administrator. The Crisp Award seeks to recognize students who exemplify the same outstanding leadership. The winner receives a monetary prize.

This year’s recipient is Jamie Marsicano. Marsicano has consistently embodied the values and characteristics of a strong student leader during their time at Carolina Law. As the President of the UNC Law Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Marsicano reinvigorated the organization by planning and organizing key events such as Disorientation Week, Lefty Lunches, and the Week of Abolition. They also served as a board member of Outlaw, the LGBTQIA+ student organization, focusing on cultivating a safe and welcoming space for students to be themselves. Additionally, Marsicano prioritized the wellbeing of other students as a member of the Wellness Committee and as a Dean’s Fellow, providing mentorship to 1Ls in their first year of navigating law school.

Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Outstanding Student Award

Morgan Hoyt received the annual Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Outstanding Student Award for her work in the Military and Veterans Law Clinic. CLEA is the primary national organization dedicated to clinical education in law schools across the country, and the award honors one student or student team at each law school who has excelled in a clinical course. At Carolina Law, the CLEA Outstanding Student Award recipient is selected based on excellence in clinical work, particularly in development of the attorney-client relationship; in case planning and development; efficiency and reliability in time management; polished oral and written communications; overall significance of casework contributions; and contributions to the clinical community at large.

Jerry B. and Callie Irene Stone Constitutional Law Award

This award is given to 1Ls who excel in Constitutional Law and includes a monetary prize. Faculty members who teach Constitutional Law select students from their spring classes.

Joel Gillison 1L was nominated by Professor Mary-Rose Papandrea . Adam Henry Webster 1L was nominated by Professor Gene Nichol . Carley Cook 1L and Sabrina Callahan 1L were nominated by Professor Eric Muller. Emily Alice Golin Kaplan 1L and Kristina E Smith 1L were nominated by Professor Michael Gerhardt .

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College Essay Format: Top Writing and Editing Tips for 2024

A good college essay format, with the right topic, goes beyond describing your academic accomplishments and extracurriculars. Learn how to make your college essay stand out with these tips.

You want to stand out in a crowd, particularly when you’re applying to the college of your choice. As part of the application process, many schools ask for an essay to accompany the standard academic and personal information they require.

At its core, your college application essay tells a story that offers admissions officers a glimpse into who you are, beyond your grades, extracurricular activities, and test scores. Your college essay, often called a "personal statement," is your opportunity to reveal your personality and give an idea about the kind of student you'll be in college.

So how should a college essay be formatted? This article covers formatting best practices, how to choose a compelling topic for your essay, and tips to help you craft an essay that captures your reader's attention, clearly communicates its message, and is free from errors.

College essay format best practices

Your personal statement should tell a compelling story that effectively demonstrates your unique values and personality. While the format of your college essay is largely up to you, consequently, it can be helpful to have a sense of how you might format your essay before composing it.

Consider the following college essay format to organize your writing and craft the most compelling story possible.

1. Think about using a title.

A title for your college essay isn't necessary. But, including one could make your essay intriguing to readers. That said, if you're low on word count, skip a title altogether and just jump into your narrative. You can also wait until after you write your essay to decide. It's often easier to come up with a fitting, compelling title after you've told your story.

2. Open with a hook.

Your opening sentence is one of the most important parts of your essay. It's what you'll use to capture the attention of the reader and compel them to continue reading. The start of your essay is your opportunity to make an impactful first impression, so make your opening a good one.

Here are two examples of how you might craft an interesting hook for your essay:

Start in the middle of your story: Call out the most interesting point of your story, and then backtrack from there. For example, "And there I found myself, surrounded by baby sea turtles on the hazy shores of Virginia Beach."

Make a specific generalization: This is a sentence that makes a general statement on what your essay will be about but gives a specific description. An example: "Each year on our family vacation out of the city, I contemplate the meaning of life as we cross the Golden Gate Bridge."

3. Use your introduction to set up your story.

While your hook will spark the reader's curiosity, the rest of your introduction should give them an idea of where you're going with your essay. Set your story up in four to five sentences, making sure to only include information that is absolutely necessary to understand your story.

4. Tell your story in the body of your essay.

The Common Application has a 650 word limit for personal statements. That means, if both your introduction and conclusion are roughly 100 words each, your body will most likely end up being about 450 words. Think of that as three to five paragraphs, with each paragraph having its own main idea or point. 

Write in a narrative style—closer to how you might write a short story than an instruction manual. Tell your story in a way that’s logical, clear, and makes sense for what you're trying to convey about yourself.

While you should pay strict attention to using proper grammar and sentence structure, you have the freedom to make your essay a reflection of your personality. If you're a humorous person, use humor. If you're an eternal optimist or love getting into the minute details of life, let that shine through. But, keep in mind that your essay is fundamentally about highlighting the qualities that you'd bring to a college community, so keep your anecdotes focused and on point.

5. Use the conclusion to clarify your essay's core idea. 

Finish your story with a conclusion paragraph, where you clarify the value or idea you're trying to convey. What is the main thing you want the college to know about you through this story? Is it what you've learned, a value that's important to you, or what you want to contribute to society? Finally, use the last line of your personal statement to reinforce this central idea, so that your reader leaves with a clear impression about who you are. After the "hook" of your personal statement, the concluding line is the most important of your essay.

How to develop your college essay story

Now that you know how to format your college essay, we'll explore how to develop the story you'll tell in it. Here are some steps to get started:

1. Explore past college essay prompts

Over 900 colleges use Common App essay prompts, which means you may be able to write one essay for several college applications. Some past Common App college essay prompts—which are announced publicly each year—include the following topics:

Share a story about your background, interest, identity, or talent that makes you complete as a person.

Describe a time when you faced a setback, failure, or challenge and what you learned from it.

Tell about a topic, concept, or idea that is so captivating to you that you lose all track of time.

Write about something that someone has done for you that you are grateful for, and how gratitude has motivated or affected you.

These are broad topics that give you the freedom to tell all kinds of different things about yourself. Explore these questions to start brainstorming ideas of stories you may be able to tell about yourself.

There are a lot of potential prompts out there. Some of the other college essay prompts you might encounter include:

Describe a person you admire and how that person has influenced your behavior and thinking.

Why do you want to attend this school?

Describe your creative side.

Name an extracurricular activity that is meaningful to you and how it has impacted your life.

Tell about what you have done to make your community or school a better place.

2. Pick a topic.

Choose a topic that allows you to best highlight what you want the college to know about you. A good start is to list three positive adjectives that describe you. Then, see if you can write two or three real-life examples of each trait that demonstrates that you possess that characteristic.

If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, think about the stories other people tell about you or the positive words they use to describe you. Consider asking people who know you well the following questions:

What do you think sets me apart from others? 

What are my strengths? 

How would you describe my personality? 

What are my quirks?

These ideas can become the inspiration to develop material for a good college essay. You don't have to write about a major life-changing event. It can be a mundane or ordinary situation—like a dinner table conversation, a day at school, or a conversation with a friend. Often, slightly unusual topics are better than typical ones because they hold a reader's attention.

Regardless of the topic you choose, remember that the true topic of your college essay is you, and the purpose of it is to show how you are unique. It highlights an important piece of who you are and where you want to head in life.

3. Consider length.

Consult your college application instructions to see how long your essay should be. Typically, personal statements are between 500 and 650 words long, while supplemental essays are often around 250 to 300 words. Use the required essay length to help you determine what you will share. You won't be able to tell your life story within these few paragraphs, so choose the most impactful examples as your content. 

4. Outline your essay.

An outline helps you plan your essay's key points, including its beginning, middle, and end. Use your outline to stay on topic and get the most out of your word count.

The most effective outlines are usually the simplest. For instance, a good story has a beginning, middle, and end. Likewise, your essay will have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Unless the college requests a specific admission essay format, use the format you've been using to write essays in high school that you're likely to be the most comfortable with.

If you're stuck on how to open your essay, write the middle of your story first. Then, go back and write a compelling introduction and a concise conclusion.

Tips for writing your college essay

Your college essay format and writing should be both compelling in clear. So, as you're writing your college essay, keep these tips in mind:  

1. Be authentic.

One of the most essential parts of how to format a college application essay is to be authentic. The college wants to know who you are, and they will be reading dozens of essays a day. The best way to make yours stand out is to just be yourself instead of focusing on what you think they want to hear. 

Imagine you’re speaking to an actual person as you write. Be honest and accurate, using words you normally use. Your essay is a personal statement, so it should sound natural to the reader—and to you too.

2. Show you can write .

While the most important part of your personal statement is showcasing who you are, you'll also be judged on your writing ability. That's because knowing the fundamental principles of writing is important to college success. Show that you understand the structure of an essay and proper use of the English language.

3. Stay on topic.

If you're using a specific question as your writing prompt, answer the question directly in the opening paragraph. Then, use the rest of the essay to elaborate on your answer. Make good use of your word count limit by being concise and coherent. Stay on topic and refrain from adding any information that doesn't add to the main idea of your essay. 

4. Use concrete details to make your story come to life.

Your essay should describe a real-life event that you've experienced. And, to make that experience as vivid as possible for your reader, you'll want to lean into concrete details that effectively convey it through the written word. This adds color and validity to your personal statement. Personal examples will show you embody the characteristics or values you claim to, rather than merely saying you do.

5. Follow directions.

Read and understand the specific instructions set by the college for your essay. Then, review them again before you submit your essay to make sure you've met all of the requirements. Only once you're confident that you've followed them correctly and that your essay is free from any errors should you submit your essay.

How to edit your college essay

Once you've written your essay, you'll want to edit it until you’re satisfied it conveys your message and is free of errors. Let your first draft be as messy or pristine as it comes out. Then, go back later—several times if needed—to clean it up. Ask yourself these questions as you edit your essay:

Is my essay free of grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors?

Is it the proper word length assigned by the college?

Have I answered the question in the prompt?

Does the introduction make me want to read more?

Are there any vague statements I can replace with more specific details?

Do any parts drone on or feel boring?

Does it feel too formal?

Are any parts or words repetitive?

Have I misused any words (such as there, their, and they're)?

Are my sentences varied in length?

Have I shared with the college what I most want them to know about me? 

It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust to read your essay and give you constructive feedback. This might be a trusted teacher, parent, school counselor, or college student. It's best to choose someone who is familiar with the purpose of a college essay.

Ask them to give feedback about your essay using the same questions as above. But they should never try to rewrite your essay. And never let others edit out your voice. Ask them to focus on grammar and mechanics and to give suggestions on items to add in or leave out. 

Above all, ask your guest editor what point they think you were trying to make with your essay. If they get it right, you know you've crafted a college essay that reflects you and your intended message. 

PSA: Save your essay drafts!

Instead of writing your essay directly in the online application, draft and save your essay in a document like Google Docs or Word—or start out on paper and pen if that's what you're most comfortable with. That way you can make edits and use helpful online spelling and grammar checkers. And, you won't risk losing your essay if the application times out or you navigate away from it by mistake.

When you copy and paste your essay into the application, make sure your formatting, such as line spacing and bolding for headings, remains intact.

Enhance your writing skills on Coursera

Bring out your best in your college essay with a course in Writing a Personal Essay from Wesleyan University. Learn how to find your voice, structure your essay, choose relevant details, and write in a way that pulls in your readers.

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