UT Austin Essays Guide (DON'T MAKE THESE CRUCIAL MISTAKES!!)

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

Are you working on supps? Comment below. would love to help!

[@ameyatiwari1833]

for the main essay I have talked about a condition I have had that has disrupted my journey with playing sports that I love playing and how battling it has taught me resilience but I find the essay to be weak because I find my topic a bit weak, and I feel I have focused too much on the hardships the condition has caused. Could you please give your insight in the topic I have chosen to talk about and how I can make my essay balanced

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

Main thing you want to consider is how much of the essay is something that happens to you (meaning passive) and how much of the essay are experiences you set out to experience so active…you want to leave enough space to share this active aspect because it is where you show what you learned… for me it’s not enough to say in a line or two - this experience made me resilient…it’s stronger to show this through action Hope this helps. Good luck

[@ameyatiwari1833]

Thank you so much for the advice@@WriteYourAcceptance

[@maytesoares702]

I think the second short question is a little bit tricky. I wrote about my exchange student experience and basically said that all I lived helped me to deal with and value different cultures, so now I can help international students and share my knowledge about other countries to decrease prejudice and increase unity. I didn't like my answer though... I think something is missing :( What do you think?

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

Hi, your answer definitely has promise. I would make sure it has an anecdote/ mini story that shows you immersed in a new cultural experience...I like the reflection at the end that you have but I also think it could go 'bigger' in the sense of how learning about people, culture, traditions and being open to difference is a type of valuable learning that happens both within and beyond the classroom. good luck!

[@maytesoares702]

@@WriteYourAcceptance Hey!! Your answer helped me so much!! Thank you :)

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

@@maytesoares702 You're welcome!! good luck!

[@mustafazaidi957]

And also for my short answer questions should I write about my culture and traditions. Also for the third short answer question, you said to write about something that I have already done to maybe make a change. When I was in Pakistan I did open my own charity program but I already added that in my essay so there will be an overlap. I hope that’s not an issue.

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

Remember you want to share new info about yourself whenever possible. So if you repeating a topic make sure it was just like a couple lines in one of the other essays so if you make it a focus in another essay it is complementary and not repetitive. You want to share different sides of who you are - intellectual curiosity, cultural awareness, diverse perspectives (this could be your cultural background), community engagement (your service). You don't cover all of them in all the essays...you spread it out so the info is balanced. If you shared your charity work in your main essay then share another aspect of you in the short answers. good luck!

[@fangbite]

my prompt 4, and my main essay has so much repetition, because of the similarity of this prompt

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

That definitely happens but make sure you find a different angle to write on, a new anecdote to share a slightly different lesson or takeaway even if it is the same main topic. Good luck! What’s the main topic you’re overlapping?

[@fangbite]

@@WriteYourAcceptance i still havent written essay A, but my prompt 4 is about my educational obstacles and how i overcame em. However, everytime i sit down to write i only think of the same ideas

[@fangbite]

@@WriteYourAcceptance I slightly changed my common app essay to highlight how my hobby helps fight obstacles I face through childhood, but I'm afraid what I'm trying to show isn't very explicit. Is there a way i can get you to have a look at my essay?

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

@@fangbite yeah I hear you. So one thing I would consider would be to write essay A about 1 educational or personal accomplishment that you have experienced/ reached because of the obstacles you overcame...so you can mention you overcoming an obstacle for like a line or 2 and then go into new info that is 1. showing positive content about you and 2. that is new. hope this helps!

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

@@fangbite check out the comment I made below...but yes you want to be detailed...better to be explicit and detailed on one example and experience than vague on a few points. Thanks for the ask but I am not taking anyone new before your UT essays are due. Good luck!

[@Sooooooooooorya]

heyy, I am pretty stuck with the "change the world essay", i have read the other comments but wanted to get some inputs from you, I want to write about improving financial literacy for high school students in my city after i graduate by starting my own organisation, how do i go with this? what do you think about talking about something which u have already started instead of saying what u want to do in the future? by the way i want to do a major in finance and computer science

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

first the topic of improving financial literacy sounds great. so what I am confused about is whether you have started this work or not...it's always better to reflect on something you have started currently working on already because you have taken the time to learn about the specific need and do something about it....then end the essay with how you would deepen your impact in the future.

[@mustafazaidi957]

Hi, I had a few questions. So I moved to the United States about a year ago from Pakistan, during my high school. And I have already written my essay. But I included both the challenges and the opportunities I had during my school years. Would that be an issue.

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

Hi, thanks for watching. For what prompt exactly? and what is the overall message of the essay? Do you show growth in your experiences?

[@boyka235]

My main common app essay is about my passion for chess but I'm having trouble recycling it. It's more of a hobby than a challenge and lots of my development was in middle school even though it asks for my high school experience. How can I make it fit the prompt better?

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

so it is opportunities or obstacles in the prompt - you can do either one of the other; however, it should definitely be throughout high school. honestly I dont really recommend writing the entire essay on anything that happened solely in middle school because you have matured so much during this time and you want to show them who you are now and how you value opportunities, experiences etc. I would consider 1 of 2 things - either 1. you start with the beginning of the chess essay you have but then go into how chess has allowed you to 'read' the room, the board, the moment, the family dynamic differently, then the second part can be adapted to who you are more recently and taking the lessons from chess to other dimensions of your life. or 2. you can consider using this essay as a shorter response and write something new for this prompt. Hope this helps.

[@boyka235]

@@WriteYourAcceptance by "beginning of my essay", do you mean my experience before high school or something else?

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

@@boyka235 I mean what you have as the first half of the original main essay. It sounded to me like it was about middle school experience. that's the only place I would add middle school material

[@jenny-xq5fg]

Hi! For some reason, I cant find the 500-700 word essay anywhere on MyCoalition... I have my Coalition essay and then my four short answer essays for Austin and that's it. Is it located somewhere particular?

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

Hi if you’re applying through coalition maybe the 500 word essay is the main essay they let you upload? Not sure where it is in coalition but make sure you can upload all essay including that one. Have you drafted the other responses?

[@jenny-xq5fg]

@@WriteYourAcceptance thanks for responding! Besides the four short answers (which I'm currently working on! your video was very helpful!), there's the main Coalition essay in the profile section that might be what I need to submit instead.

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

@@jenny-xq5fg yeah exactly!!! good luck on the responses...let me know if you need any specific guidance as you write.

[@jenny-xq5fg]

@@WriteYourAcceptance thanks! i'm a little stuck on the "change the world" prompt... i want to write about my interest in public health and how i want to do healthcare work in local communities after i graduate but im not sure how to approach that in this essay. should i start with an anecdote and connect that to organizations at UT im interested in?

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

@@jenny-xq5fg yes I would start with an anecdote especially if you have worked (or have experience) in the space in any capacity...that's what I would use as material for my anecdote then state what you said here that you are interested in public health and working in local communities...then end with UT Austin orgs that will help you 'change the world' maybe add somewhere about what change the world means to you...could be something smaller than it sounds but the world to someone else especially if it means their health and well being.