nc state supplemental essays 2023 24

NC State Supplemental Essays 2024 | Strategies and Insights for Success

In the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina, lies North Carolina State University, a prestigious public research institution that serves as a magnet for top high school achievers nationwide. Renowned for its exemplary STEM and business programs, NC State boasts a rigorous admissions process, rejecting more applicants than it accepts. With the average enrolled student boasting 90th percentile SAT/ACT scores and nearly perfect GPAs, it’s evident that NC State has become significantly more selective over the years.

The 250-word essay prompt provided by NC State holds substantial weight in the admissions process. Therefore, prospective Wolfpack members must devote ample time and effort to craft compelling responses. Below, we outline NC State’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle, accompanied by expert advice to help applicants craft winning essays.

Also read NC State University Acceptance Rate | Strategies and Insights for Admission Success 2024 

NC State Supplemental Essays

Prompt 1: Why NC State and Your Chosen Program? (250 words)

Crafting an effective response to this prompt requires a blend of showcasing your genuine interest in NC State and your selected academic program. Here’s a breakdown of what to include:

• Personal Journey : Share the experiences, interests, or activities that led you to choose your academic program.
• Alignment with NC State’s Mission : Highlight how your goals resonate with NC State’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Specific Opportunities : Discuss relevant academic programs, professors, research, and internship opportunities that excite you.
• Contributions to the Community : Explain how you envision yourself contributing to the vibrant academic community at NC State.
• Fit with NC State : Articulate why NC State is the ideal fit for you, connecting its resources and values to your aspirations.

Prompt 2: Overcoming Obstacles (250 words)

While optional, this prompt offers an opportunity to showcase your resilience and determination in the face of challenges. Here’s how to approach it:

• Selecting a Relevant Challenge : Choose a significant obstacle or hardship that you haven’t discussed elsewhere in your application.
• Demonstrating Resilience : Share how you dealt with the challenge, highlighting qualities like grit and perseverance.
• Emotional Honesty : Be open and nuanced in your response, avoiding clichés and platitudes.
• Personal Growth : Reflect on how overcoming this obstacle has impacted you personally and academically.

Prompt 3: Commitment to Inclusivity (250 words)

In response to this prompt, demonstrate your commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment at NC State:

• Personal Reflection : Define what justice and inclusivity mean to you personally.
• Contributions to Diversity : Share experiences where you’ve advocated for inclusivity or addressed injustices.
• Global Perspective : Discuss your beliefs in inclusivity on both a local and global scale.
• Future Contributions : Explain how you plan to contribute to a more diverse and inclusive community at NC State.

Importance of NC State Supplemental Essays

While the Common App essay and supplemental essays are not the most critical factors, they hold significant weight in the NC State admissions process. As the fifth most important factor, they provide an opportunity for applicants to showcase their unique qualities, experiences, and commitment to NC State’s values.

Also see NC State Transfer Acceptance Rate 2024 | Strategies and Insights for Success

Crafting compelling responses to the NC State supplemental essays is crucial for applicants aiming to stand out in the highly competitive admissions process. These essays provide an opportunity to not only demonstrate academic qualifications but also to showcase personal experiences, values, and contributions to the university community. By carefully addressing each prompt with authenticity, depth, and clarity, applicants can effectively communicate their fit for NC State and their potential to thrive in its diverse and inclusive environment. As the essays hold significant importance in the admissions evaluation, applicants should devote ample time and effort to crafting thoughtful and engaging responses that leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applying for the park scholarships program.

• How do I apply?

Are official ACT or SAT scores required?

Is there a minimum gpa that students must have in order to apply, what are the park scholarships application essay prompts what tips do you have for writing essays, what information will you use from my nc state/commonapp, who should write my letters of recommendation, what tips do you have for preparing my application, are there additional resources available to help me with my application, what happened to endorsements, if i no longer wish to be considered for the park scholarships program, what must i do, selection process, how are park scholars selected, is financial need taken into consideration, when are park scholars selected when will i know about my status, can the park scholarship be deferred, what are park scholarships interviews like.

• May I reschedule my interview if I have a conflict?

The Park Scholarships Program

What is the park scholarships program, what is the park foundation.

• What are the conditions for renewal of the Park Scholarship?

Am I able to receive scholarships in addition to the Park Scholarship?

Can park scholars receive additional funding for activities, does being a park scholar take a lot of time, what are park faculty scholars, what are learning labs, where do park scholars go after they graduate, how do i apply for the park scholarships program.

• Submit a complete Park Scholarships application by Nov. 1.
• Submit an application for admission to NC State by Nov. 1.

The Park Scholarships program will not evaluate ACT or SAT scores as part of our selection process in 2023-2024.

A minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5 and/or a minimum weighted GPA of 4.0 is required to apply for the Park Scholarships program. A successful Park Scholar applicant is also a competitive applicant to NC State University.

The Park Scholarships application essay prompts change annually. The two essay prompts for the 2023-2024 selection cycle (the Class of 2028) are listed below. Each essay response is limited to 600 words.

Instructions from the application: The Park Scholarships  selection criteria  are scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Park Scholars are intellectually curious students who seek learning experiences beyond the classroom. They dedicate themselves to making a positive difference in their communities. Park Scholars listen well, lead by example, take risks, and champion original ideas. They demonstrate the highest levels of integrity, honesty, and conscientiousness.

Strong applicants describe their experience and potential in the four criteria in these two essays. As you write your responses, we welcome you to include any settings that have been part of your high school experience – school, community, work, family, etc.

Essay Prompts

• Critical and creative thinking are valuable skills in problem solving. Tell us about a time in which you used one or both of these skills to address a problem or a need, in or out of the classroom.
• How do you serve and/or lead others? Why do you engage in this service and/or leadership? What impact have you made? 

Your essays should delve beneath the surface and reveal insights about your candidacy based on our four  selection criteria : scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Essays that go beyond merely describing an experience, person, or project help our Selection Committee learn more about you.

From your NC State admission application we will also review your:

• Activities and honors
• Personal essay
• NC State’s short-answer essays
• NC State’s  optional  short answer essays
• We do NOT have access to general recommendations submitted to the NC State application.

The best recommendation letters are from people who know you well and can provide specific examples of how you meet the  selection criteria . At least one of your recommenders should be someone who is familiar with your academics. This could be a high school teacher, community college instructor/faculty member, counselor/advisor, or principal.

The Selection Committee will only see the recommendation letters submitted as part of your Park Scholarships application. They will not see recommendation letters submitted as part of your application for admission to NC State. You may use the same recommenders if at least one meets the criteria above. Remember to select recommenders familiar with your accomplishments and potential in scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

Recommendations are due by 11:59pm, November 1. If recommendations are not submitted by the Nov. 1 deadline your application will not be eligible for consideration in our process.

Applications offer our first picture of Park Scholarships candidates. To paraphrase Park Scholar Sam Dotson ’24: “The Park Scholarships Selection Committee wants to get to know each candidate as a person, so dig deep into who you are and present your most authentic self to the Selection Committee.” Answer the essay prompts the way you want to answer them, not with words you think someone else wants to hear. Stay true to yourself and focus on the four pillars of the Park Scholarships program: scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

Park Under-Resourced Assistance (PURA) is a student-run initiative to help under-resourced candidates through each phase of the selection process. PURA works exclusively with under-resourced applicants, defined under a broad scope of identities including, but not limited to, applicants who are first-generation, are from low-income backgrounds, attend overpopulated schools, are from rural areas, and who identify with other marginalized populations. PURA essay submission instructions and resources will be available in October. Learn more about PURA .

Prior to fall 2022, counselor and self-endorsements were a part of the Park Scholarships application process. To reduce burdens on prospective students and counselors, the Park Scholarships program has discontinued the endorsement process. Prospective students may access the application as soon as it is available and are encouraged to start it as early as possible.

Should you opt not to continue in the Park Scholarships selection process at any point, please email  [email protected]  with your request to withdraw from consideration.

At every stage of the process, the Selection Committee evaluates all candidates on the following  criteria : scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Applications are reviewed by Regional Selection Committee members. Approximately 450 Semifinalists are selected each year to participate in Semifinal Interviews. After those interviews, 112 Finalists are selected and invited to participate in Final Selection Activities in February. For more detail, visit the Selection Process page .

The Park Scholarship is a merit-based award and financial need is not a selection criterion. Park Scholarships candidates should also apply for need-based aid if they think they may be eligible. For more information, visit Student Services’  Financial Aid website .

All applicants will be notified at each stage via email, but they can also check their status in their  wolfPAW portal . In general, candidates are notified of their Semifinalist status in late December and their Finalist status in late January. Park Scholarships recipients are notified in March. The new class of Park Scholars is announced in early May. See the “Important Dates”  sidebar  for specific notification dates.

Yes; in fact, we encourage students to defer their university studies for one year to travel or work abroad or to engage in some other “gap year” activity. Incoming students may request a deferral in writing.

Our interviews usually last 20-30 minutes and are conducted by a panel of 2-4 alumni and faculty  Selection Committee  members. Students should expect questions related to the selection criteria and their applications. Candidates do not need to study for interviews but should review their applications beforehand. Interviews also provide candidates an opportunity to ask questions about the Park Scholarships program and NC State.

Semifinal Interviews are held via Zoom. Finalist Interviews are held in-person during our Final Selection Activities weekend.

May I reschedule my Semifinalist or Finalist interviews if I have a conflict?

We regret that we cannot reschedule interviews. Hundreds of alumni, faculty, and current Park Scholar volunteers are involved with Semifinalist and Finalist interviews; thus, we are unable to arrange alternate dates. We announce interview dates approximately 6-8 months in advance. See the “Important Dates”  sidebar  for the current selection cycle’s interview dates.

The Park Scholarships program brings exceptional students to NC State, based on outstanding accomplishments and potential in scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The program develops and supports Park Scholars in these areas, preparing them for lifelong contributions to the campus, state, nation, and world. The scholarship is a four-year award that covers tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, travel, and personal expenses. An academic enrichment program complements the financial award.

The Park Scholarships program was established to honor the legacy of the late Roy H. Park ’31, a distinguished alumnus of NC State and founder of Park Communications. The charitable  Park Foundation  helped launch the Park Scholarships program through a series of grants and a  $50 million gift to start an endowment  for the program. Today, students, alumni, families, faculty, and friends have joined the effort to fully endow the Park Scholarships program. Find out how you can  invest in exceptional students  dedicated to scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

What are the conditions for renewal of the Park Scholarships?

The Park Scholarship is renewable for a total of eight semesters at NC State. Scholars must meet high standards in academic performance, character, conduct, and participation in program and service activities while completing at least 12 credit hours per semester.

Per  university policy , Park Scholars are eligible for additional merit scholarships from North Carolina State University provided they do not receive funds that exceed the  Cost of Attendance  as defined by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, unless the awarding department stipulates otherwise.

If you have received scholarship money from outside the university, it is up to that funding source whether or not you are eligible for its scholarship. If you are still eligible, and the total of the outside scholarship(s) and the Park Scholarship is higher than your Cost of Attendance in a semester, NC State will adjust the Park Scholarship to reflect other funds received so that the total amount of funds a student receives is not more than the Cost of Attendance.

With respect to need-based financial aid, we highly encourage Park Scholars to complete the  Free Application for Federal Student Aid  (FAFSA) annually so they may receive the need-based aid for which they are eligible. Park Scholars who have applied for and receive Federal Pell grants, grants from the state of North Carolina, or university grants to meet their demonstrated need will have the Park Scholarship reduced appropriately to keep the student within the Cost of Attendance. For additional questions, please call the  Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid  at 919-515-2421.

Yes. Park Scholars may apply for  Park Enrichment Grants  to support professional and personal enrichment experiences in the U.S. and abroad. Scholars have the opportunity to apply for travel grants awarded by the  Park Alumni Society  in order to cover airfare for fall and spring study abroad experiences.

Park Scholars are also eligible to apply for the supplemental funding resources available to all students at NC State, including:

• Grants for entrepreneurial ventures through  NC State Entrepreneurship  
• Grants for internship and research opportunities through  NC State’s University Fellowships Office
• Grants for research through  NC State’s Office of Undergraduate Research  
• Grants for sustainability projects through  NC State’s Sustainability Fund
• Study abroad awards through  NC State’s Study Abroad Office

Park Scholars spend time on service and program activities. A student should expect to spend about the same time on Park Scholarships activities as might be spent on a three credit-hour university course.

Park Faculty Scholars are two NC State professors who meet regularly with each class of Park Scholars and assist them in organizing their enrichment activities. For a list of the current Park Faculty Scholars, visit the  Staff and Faculty  section of this site.

Park Scholars participate in two  Learning Labs  – trips for scholars to learn about challenges facing leaders at the state, national, and global levels. The first trip is to a region of North Carolina during spring of the first year. Learning Lab II takes place in Washington, D.C., during fall break of the sophomore year.

Park Scholars attend prestigious graduate and professional programs at institutions including Cambridge, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Oxford, and Stanford. They work for Fortune 100 companies, launch their own businesses, and engage in public service through programs like Teach For America and the Peace Corps. See the  Park Alumni  page for more details.

If you have a question that is not answered on the Park Scholarships website, you can contact the Park Scholarships office by email at [email protected] or by phone at 919-515-3794.

NC State Supplemental Essay Examples

North Carolina State University is a highly-ranked public research university in Raleigh, North Carolina . Holding the #72 spot on the U.S. News Best National Universities list, NC State is known nationwide. Accordingly, NC State admissions is competitive, meaning applicants must craft strong NC State supplemental essays for a chance of acceptance. Reading effective NC State supplemental essay examples can help you learn how to craft your own.

NC State essay examples, like any well-written sample college essay, each work for their own reasons. This guide will delve into three NC State supplemental essay examples, starting with a why this major essay example. Then, we’ll analyze an obstacle essay. Finally, we’ll closely read a cultural diversity essay. By breaking down NC State supplemental essay examples, we’ll help you prepare to write your own NC State supplemental essays.

How many essays does NC State require?

Before approaching any NC State supplemental essay examples, you should know how many you’ll have to write. To put it simply, there are three required essays and one optional essay. If you know how to get into NC State, you know that all your essays should be as strong as possible. But what exactly are the NC State supplemental essays?

Applicants can complete the NC State application on either the Common Application or Scoir (also known as the Coalition Application). The NC State personal statement is the essay required by these application platforms. As it’s so common, there is no shortage of sample college essay resources for this NC State personal statement. In this guide, however, we will only review NC State supplemental essay examples for the NC State-specific prompts.

It’s important to note that while the NC State admissions page only lists one required prompt, there are indeed three. You can confirm which NC State supplemental essay examples are required on the Common App website . We’ll further explore the essay prompts for the NC State application soon.

Applicants may also indicate their interest in the prestigious NC State University Honors Program. There are additional required NC State supplemental essays for applicants to the UHP.

NC State University Honors Program

The NC State University Honors Program challenges highly motivated students with unique opportunities, including Honors seminars and the Honors Forum. Additionally, Honors students can engage in special research, creative, and academic pursuits both on- and off-campus. The application process is correspondingly challenging, requiring more NC State supplemental essays.

There are two additional NC State supplemental essays you must write for the UHP . We don’t have NC State supplemental essay examples for these two, but the prompts are similar to those of other Honors programs nationwide.

Here are the UHP essay prompts:

1. one of the key components of the university honors program is a special set of courses called honors (hon) seminars. you can learn more about them here. these discussion-based seminars are designed to expose students to the ways multiple disciplines approach and solve problems. review the courses we have offered in recent years and write a 250-350 word essay in which you explain why one particular course will be of interest, furthering your academic, professional, and personal goals while engaging you and your peers., 2. another key component of the university honors program is the honors forum. the honors forum is designed to help students become active, informed, and engaged citizens. it delivers debates and discussions about contemporary social, political, and scientific issues; lectures from people with compelling stories to tell; and performances from a diverse collection of artists. you can learn more about it here. as a uhp student, imagine you are tasked with helping select speakers and topics for the honors forum. in an essay of 250-350 words, tell us what speaker, creative figure, or topic would you promote how did you make your choice how does your choice educate, challenge, and inspire others.

In general, these essays should be particularly strong, featuring introspection on your experiences and your future. You should emphasize academic curiosity, particular offerings of the program , and, if possible, concrete aspirations. Make sure to highlight your thirst for knowledge and willingness to engage with the world and people around you. Check out our guides for Boston , Brown , Purdue , and Clemson Universities for some advice on similar essays.

NC State Supplemental Essay Prompts

As stated above, our three NC State supplemental essay examples will cover the three NC State supplemental essay prompts. All NC State supplemental essays have a 250-word limit. The prompts are:

1. Explain why you selected the academic program(s) above and why you are interested in studying these at NC State.

2. nc state university is committed to building a just and inclusive community, one that does not tolerate unjust or inhumane treatment, and that denounces it, clearly and loudly. please describe what those words mean to you and how you will contribute to a more diverse and inclusive nc state environment., 3. discuss any other obstacles and/or hardships that you have encountered that have affected you personally or academically and how you dealt with them..

Of course, the wording of the prompts can change between admissions cycles. As a result, NC State supplemental essay examples that worked may look different from year to year. In fact, two of our NC State supplemental essay examples address slightly different versions of the current prompts. However, the best approach for NC State essay examples is still the same.

NC State Supplemental Essay Prompts Breakdown

Let’s briefly discuss the best way to approach each prompt. Keep these tips in mind as you read our NC State supplemental essay examples and our specific commentary on each one. How can you implement these in your own essays?

Why this major essay

The first prompt is a fairly standard why this major essay example combined with a why school essay example. When applying to NC State, first-year applicants are required to choose a first- and second-choice major . There are scores of NC State majors but no undecided option. So, even if you aren’t entirely sure, do your best to choose a major you’re interested in.

NC State essay examples that answer this prompt well are clear about their interest in a specific field of study. Equally important is specificity regarding the school. You’ve probably heard this advice a thousand times: talk about programs, professors, or courses you like. It’s cliché, but it’s true. Doing your research on a school never hurts, and the best NC State essay examples leverage that research.

Cultural diversity essay

The next prompt is essentially a cultural diversity essay, asking about your contribution to a diverse community. NC State essay examples answering this will have an extra point to consider: denouncing injustice. There are infinite ways to approach this one, as everyone brings something unique to campus. But it’s important to address the prompt’s question of what a “just and inclusive community” means to you.

Obstacle essay

Lastly, there is the optional obstacle essay. At first, “any other obstacles” may make it seem like this is a space to detail extenuating circumstances. Indeed, writing about personal hardships is absolutely acceptable, especially if you’re explaining a dip or gap in your academic history. On the other hand, if you have a more general academic or personal challenge, write it. Knowing how to get into NC State means knowing how to deepen your personal narrative . These 250 words can do just that. In other words, don’t think of this as just an optional essay.

Finally, before we look at some NC State supplemental essay examples, remember that they’re broadly useful. Even if you’re not completing an NC State application, these NC State supplemental essay examples answer common essay prompts. In other words, the NC State supplemental essay examples and advice we give may prove helpful with other college essays.

NC State Essay Example #1 – Why Major/Why School?

The first of our NC State supplemental essay examples answers the following prompt:

Discuss your reasons for pursuing the Major/Academic Program selected above.

You’ll notice it’s a reworded version of the first prompt. Here is the sample college essay:

NC State Essay Example #1

As an innovator and creative thinker with a love of math and science, I am interested in pursuing a career in engineering. I will contribute my natural curiosity to the NC State learning community while developing critical thinking skills and collaborating with my peers. 

Why this NC State essay worked

First of all, you’re may be thinking, “Is that it?” Remember that prompts can change from year to year. When this essay was submitted, this prompt had a 50-word limit. However, even short NC State essay examples have something to teach us—especially for other short-answer essays. In essays this short, every word counts.

When writing NC State supplemental essay examples, it can be challenging to stay concise. With a prompt this short, you have no choice. Short NC State supplemental essays have no room for the anecdotes and dialogue found in an NC State personal statement. This writer states clearly what kind of student they are, their areas of interest, and aspirations for college and beyond. Although stylistically different from a narrative why this major essay example, it still checks all the boxes of an effective sample college essay.

In fact, it’s not a far leap to adapt NC State essay examples like this for the current prompt. The author could write about a time they demonstrated the qualities laid out so neatly in this essay. If you’re getting lost in the weeds drafting an essay, take a step back. Can you write what you want to say in 50 words? Give it a try—you may find that you just need to clarify your vision.

NC State Supplemental Essay Example #2 – Obstacle Essay

The second of our NC State supplemental essay examples is about obstacles. Specifically, it answers this prompt:

Discuss any obstacles and/or hardships you have encountered and how you dealt with them.

This is nearly identical to the current third prompt, except that the current version specifies that obstacles can be personal or academic. Let’s read the essay, which also had a different—longer—word limit when it was submitted:

NC State Essay Example #2

A familiar sense of dread washed over me as I contemplated suffering through yet another group project. My AP Language class was essentially a yearlong exercise in collaboration. The groups always consisted of a leader personality and a few follower types, and I had come to expect directing projects assuming all responsibility. This time, I would have to lead my team in creating a video and website, while resisting the temptation to do the project myself. I struggled to make myself vulnerable by releasing control. 

I was always placed with two students who consistently saved their work until the night before it was due. My mind went on autopilot, organizing my time to complete the entire project myself. I tirelessly researched facts and wrote a script for our video, individually bearing the load of an assignment designed for three people. As the deadline approached, my stress level and workload increased. I realized something had to change. I embraced the different learning styles and work ethics of my group. Typically, I would choose to collaborate with students I know well, but it can prove deadly for creativity. While working on the website, I assigned each person a specific task so that everyone was invested in the outcome. Leading this diverse team by delegating produced better results. In the past, my classmates had depended on me, but this time, I insisted on equal contributions. Our website was much better as a culmination of everyone’s ideas instead of a reflection of only my own. Through this and future projects, I learned to thrive on collaborating for a common purpose. 

I have translated my delegation skills directly into my life. When I paint houses with Habitat for Humanity, I have seen how effective collaboration helps others who are less fortunate. Even though it can be challenging to entrust the outcome to others, each person in our group has a different skill set to aid in the completion of the house. Whether working at school or in the community, I have learned that delegating the work is essential to successful collaboration.

Why this NC Supplemental Essay worked

Effective NC State supplemental essays for this prompt will be both retrospective and introspective. That is to say, they reflect not only on the obstacle, but how you navigated it with your tools and knowledge. What did you learn about yourself in the process? Did overcoming this obstacle change you?

This author is frank about their control issues and how this character flaw was hindering their group work. Clearly, they have thought a lot about their approach to group projects, as well as their struggles with leadership. Additionally, they acknowledged their history of working with the same people and why that is often unproductive. Acknowledging personal flaws and growing with them is welcome in NC State supplemental essays.

Good NC State essay examples like this one are also full of specific details. Here, the writer delineates their process of realizing the problem, then delegating tasks. The reader can see into the writer’s thought process, following their shift in perspective. Details help to root NC State essays examples in reality and keep the reader engaged.

Finally, the writer draws connections between this experience and other areas of their life. This is a great strategy for showing that you can apply lessons to different situations and recognize those links. Good NC State supplemental essay examples are able to illustrate the relationships among various skills, experiences, and activities. Moreover, great NC State State essay examples can show those through time: how could this challenging experience inform your future?

NC State Essay Example #3 – Diverse Community Essay

The last of our NC State supplemental essay examples addresses the following prompt:

NC State is a community that is strong because of the diversity of our perspectives and experiences. Please describe how you could contribute to or benefit from campus diversity. 

This prompt looks the most different from its current version, though it’s still very similar. The current prompt includes NC State’s vision for an inclusive community and asks for a response. With that said, let’s read the last of our NC State essay examples.

NC State Essay Example #3

Diversity is the culmination of experiences and backgrounds within a community. 

Through my diversity of opinion, I have contributed to my high school classroom as well as [NAME OF SCHOOL REDACTED]. In my AP Literature class, I look beyond the literal meaning of a poem and into the deeper meaning, often suggesting a contrasting interpretation. I play the Devil’s advocate in an AP Government debate to explore the many facets of an issue. In my AP Spanish class, I apply my grammatical knowledge to our class discussion of the differences between the Mexican and American education systems. While attending [NAME OF SCHOOL REDACTED] for instrumental music, I had a unique perspective as a French horn player in a large orchestra. I will continue to seek out opportunities to provide various perspectives in a classroom setting, respect differences of opinion, and promote intellectual curiosity. 

Why this essay worked

By opening with their definition of diversity, the writer provides a frame for understanding the rest of their essay. This can be helpful for prompts that could have multiple different interpretations depending on the individual. Even more, it can help you set the theme for your essay.

This writer centers the intellectual diversity they bring to the table, from poetry analysis to debate. By providing several discrete examples, they evoke both the multitude of things they do and the various perspectives they hold. They show the reader that they consider topics from all angles and try to find new points of view.

Aside from the wealth of examples, the writer strikes a balance between showing and telling. Another piece of advice college applicants never stop hearing, showing-not-telling is important. However, it’s also critical to arrive at your point. What are these examples and anecdotes for? This writer closes by looking to the future and how their intellectual curiosity will underpin their approach to college.

Are NC State Supplemental Essays important?

As you cannot submit your application without NC State supplemental essays, yes, they’re important. But more than just fulfilling a requirement, NC State supplemental essays show NC State admissions officers who you are. In addition to the NC State personal statement, NC State supplemental essays demonstrate your personal and intellectual character. 

Even if you know all about how to get into NC State, an acceptance letter is never guaranteed. As one of the top schools in North Carolina , NC State is in high demand, especially among North Carolina residents. In light of that, highly polished and intentional essays are a must.

Another confounding factor is test-optional admissions . NC State has gone test-optional through fall 2024 in response to the challenges of testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the most recent admissions cycle, 53% of students applied without submitting test scores. In such cases, the rest of an NC State application is weighed more heavily. Especially for students applying without test scores, strong NC State essays can make or break your NC State admissions chances.

If you’re banking on financial aid and scholarships, applying early with well-crafted NC State supplemental essays is the best strategy. Early deadlines usually yield higher acceptances and more financial aid, no matter what school. The NC State Early Action deadline is November 1st , so make sure you start writing early to get ahead.

Getting Started on your NC State Essays

By now, you’ve read some NC State supplemental essay examples and are ready to start writing your own. Right? Or maybe you’re not sure what to write about. Choosing a topic is the first step to writing college essays. Reflection and brainstorming exercises can help you think of potential topics. Start your college admissions process early to give yourself plenty of time to think, draft, and edit.

For example, you might try a free write. Pick a prompt, set a ten-minute timer, and write anything that comes to mind. These could be isolated words or whole sentences spanning a wide range of possible topics. After the timer goes off, you may have the seeds for a few drafts.

You could also try making a mind map. Choose a prompt and a topic, like an extracurricular activity or experience, then make a web of ideas around it. This can be helpful if you already know your subject but aren’t sure about what exactly you want to say.

If you’re having trouble with the first prompt, try reading another why school essay example or two. Think about what you know about NC State, why you like it, and why it’s on your college list. There should be reasons beyond high rankings , like programs, location, or campus culture. Try to link those to your academic interests in your NC State supplemental essays.

However you approach your essays, make sure to edit your drafts with the help of others. Revise your NC State personal statement thoroughly , since you’ll likely send it to multiple colleges. Even before closely proofreading your essays, you should edit them for clarity—do they address the prompt? Also, you should ask a trusted peer or adult for feedback to further refine your essays.

More CollegeAdvisor Resources to Support You

CollegeAdvisor.com has no shortage of resources for you to use in your college admissions journey. If you’re still researching colleges, take a look at our college finder series. This series covers the college search , college list , and comparing colleges . If you’ve narrowed your scope to North Carolina, we have a list of the best colleges and universities in the state .

In addition to these NC State supplemental essay examples, we have sample college essay articles for dozens of colleges. Whether NC State is your dream school or you’re applying to other great universities, our essay guides can help you.

In particular, we have a whole guide to the “ why this school ” essay, featuring longer essay examples and detailed analysis. For help with the cultural diversity essay prompt, check out our webinar on highlighting your own diverse perspective. Finally, we have more general guides to writing outstanding supplemental essays, as well as a wide array of essay examples .

As for the NC State personal statement, we have a ton of panels and advice straight from Admissions Officers. We even have a webinar entirely on personal statement revision . And if you’re starting early (smart!), we have tips on using the summer to draft your personal statement.

NC State Supplemental Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

We looked at three different NC State supplemental essay examples and why they worked. Good NC State supplemental essays address the prompt directly and concisely. While narrative NC State supplemental essay examples are common, we saw that you don’t always need an anecdote. Rather, you should focus on clearly conveying the qualities that will help you succeed at and contribute to NC State.

NC State University is one of the best universities in North Carolina, and among the top universities nationwide. As a renowned research university, NC State offers a top-tier education for those who can impress NC State admissions. A successful NC State application needs polished NC State supplemental essays. Reading NC State essay examples is a good place to start.

As part of our mission to demystify college admissions, all of our articles and webinars are free to use. We also have an extensive network of Admissions Experts who can provide personalized, one-on-one support on your schedule. Whether you’re wrapping up sophomore year or about to become a senior, we’ll work with you on your admissions strategy.

This essay examples guide was written by senior advisor, Gina Goosby . 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.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

• Digital Viewbook
• Pre-College Programs
• Majors and Minors
• Campus Life
• High-Impact Experiences
• Preprofessional Programs
• Career Development
• Graduate and Accelerated Programs
• Virtual Tour
• Schedule Your Visit
• Group Visits
• Parking and Directions
• Admissions Events
• Discover Raleigh, NC
• Admissions Fast Facts

Dates and Deadlines

• Credit Opportunities
• International
• Early College
• 2-yr Agricultural Institute
• Admitted Students
• Admitted Student Events
• Connect With Us
• Let Us Know You’re Interested
• Frequently Asked Questions

Never miss a deadline - mark your calendar with the dates below to apply on time.

Application Deadlines

With both spring and fall admission, you can apply when you are ready.

Interested in starting classes in Summer Session I or Summer Session II? Apply for fall admission , and if you are admitted, email us at [email protected] to request your application be updated to summer entry. We will then consider you for a Summer Session II entry which begins at the end of June.

Applying for a studio-based major or the Agricultural Institute?

Make sure to review their application deadlines and notification dates – they differ from our other programs.

know the deadlines

Spring entry, studio-based majors, agricultural institute.

First-Year Applicants

Our best advice is to apply early. We don’t necessarily give priority to early action applicants in the review process, but first-year early action applicants receive priority consideration for scholarships and financial aid as well as our Honors Program. Decisions are released on the corresponding notification date as long as your application is complete by the deadline.

Early Action

Application deadline – november 1.

• Notification Date – January 30

Regular Decision

• Application Deadline  – January 15
• Notification Date – March 30

Enrollment Confirmation Deadline

• May 15 or within 10 days if you are accepted after May 15

International applicants must apply by the deadline and will have their admissions decisions released on a rolling basis once their application is complete.

Transfer Applicants

Transfer applicants only have one decision plan option for spring and fall – Regular Decision. Once you review our recommendations for competitive applicants and have made a plan, go ahead and submit your application. We will consider courses in progress as long as they are successfully completed prior to you enrolling.

• Application Deadline  – February 15
• Decision Notification – Rolling beginning April 15

Students who submit and complete their application on time can expect to receive a decision in mid-April.

First-year and transfer applicants interested in applying for the spring semester should apply by the deadline below.

• Application Deadline  – October 1
• Decision Notification – Rolling beginning November 15

Students who submit and complete their application on time can expect to receive a decision in mid-November.

• December 1 or within 10 days if you are accepted after December 1

A few majors do not accept applications for spring entry:

• Applied Math*
• College of Design studio-based majors
• Exploratory Studies
• First-year applications to the College of Engineering*
• Fashion and Textile Design
• Mathematics*

Music Technology

*Spring applications are open only to transfer students.

The following programs are considered studio-based majors and are fall entry only:

• Architecture
• Art + Design
• Graphic & Experience Design
• Industrial Design

Both first-year and transfer students applying for one of the majors above must apply by November 1 to be considered.

Portfolio and Additional Essay Due – November 1

To complete an application for a studio-based major, there are supplemental requirements in addition to the first-year or transfer admissions application. You are required to submit a 10-piece portfolio and additional essay through your wolfPAW account (Fashion and Textile Design applicants will submit a portfolio through SlideRoom) by November 1 to complete your application.

We encourage you to submit your application by mid-October in order to gain access to your wolfPAW account by the November 1 deadline.

Although music technology is not a studio-based program, it requires submission of a portfolio and additional essay . 2024 first-year applicants to music technology can apply Early Action or regular decision. Learn more about the music technology program here .

additional information

College of design.

Architecture, Art + Design, Graphic & Experience Design and Industrial Design 

Wilson College of Textiles

Fashion and Textile Design 

Create Your Application

NC State’s two-year Agricultural Institute (AGI) accepts first-year and transfer applicants hoping to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree in one of six academic areas. Decisions are posted on your wolfPAW account on a rolling basis, once your application is completed and reviewed.

• Application Deadline – June 1
• Application Deadline – October 1

Apply to AGI

Submit an application to begin pursuing a career in agriculture. 

AGI Admissions Requirements

View what’s needed to complete your application. 

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Essays 2023-2024

The flagship institution for the University of North Carolina is consistently ranked as one of the best public universities in the country. Because of its high caliber of academics, wide array of extracurricular activities, internship and research opportunities in the Research Triangle of North Carolina, and dedicated fan base, it’s no wonder tens of thousands of highly qualified applicants apply each year.

In order to stand out from the crowd, you will need to write exceptional essays that blow the admissions committee away. This year, UNC Chapel Hill requires all applicants to submit two short responses under 250 words. Students interested in going abroad through the Global Fellowship program will be required to submit an additional essay. We’ll cover how to write each of these essays in detail, sharing our expert tips to help you stand out.

Read this UNC Chapel Hill essay example to inspire your writing.

UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants:.

Prompt 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. (200-250 words)

Prompt 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. (200-250 words)

Global Fellowship Applicants

Why do you want to participate in the global opportunities you’ve selected, and in what ways are you hoping to grow through the experience(s) (200-250 words), 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. (200-250 words).

This prompt puts a spin on the traditional community service essay that asks about your involvement and impact on a community you are a part of. While you still need to address your impact on a community, you have to do it through the lens of a personal characteristic.

In order to fully answer this question, you will need to pick a character trait and a community you are part of and then find a story that blends the two together. There are two main ways you could go about brainstorming.

The first method is to start with a personal trait and work outwards to find an example that demonstrates that characteristic. This is a good approach if you have a character trait that contributes to your application theme. For example, if the theme of leadership is running throughout your application, you might want to write about your leadership and then find an example of a time when you exhibited it in one of your extracurricular or volunteer communities.

The other approach is to pick a community that is important to you and work backwards to find a characteristic. This method will require more introspection as you will need to consider the role you play in the community, how you typically act, how you interact with other community members, etc. If you have a community that is a foundational part of your personality, this might be the approach for you.

As you go about brainstorming, remember that there is no right or wrong character trait or type of community. In fact, you could even spin a “negative” trait like being impulsive or anxious into a positive story—if you go down this road, be careful to show how you had a positive impact on the community and maybe how you fixed the negative trait through being part of the community.

Once you’ve thought of a characteristic and a community you want to focus on, the next step is to come up with a story that highlights how your chosen personality trait led to a positive outcome in your chosen community. Ask yourself some guiding questions to remind yourself of important details that will make your story more engaging:

• Where were you?
• Who was involved?
• What types of conversations took place?
• Did you feel confident in your contribution or did you go outside of your comfort zone?
• What actions did you take? What were you hoping to accomplish?

Now it’s time to start writing! Since you only have 250 words, you’ll want to get right to the heart of the story. A good tactic to accomplish this is to start in media res , or in the middle of the action. For example:

“‘A little more to the right. Up a little. No, dow—there! Perfect!’ The large white tarp hung over the gym entrance, prepared to greet every student attending the rally, perfectly straight thanks to my razor-sharp eyesight and impeccable judgment.”

As you write, make sure you emphasize the story—after all, the prompt explicitly asks for a story or anecdote—by showing the reader through vivid imagery. Place the reader in the moment with active language (“running” instead of “I ran”), use sensory descriptors (“the sweet smell of cinnamon and clove warmed the biting chill in the air”), and avoid generic adjectives like “happy” or “excited.”

Another crucial thing to show (not tell) in this essay is your character trait. Readers like to feel like they are playing an active role in a story, meaning they want to pick up on clues and come to conclusions by themselves. If a student starts her essay by saying, “My positive attitude inspired my lacrosse teammates to shake off defeat and keep training,” we immediately know exactly what her trait is, which leaves us less engaged.

Instead, she can hint at her positivity without explicitly stating it by saying something like this: “Seeing the fallen faces and shaking heads of my teammates, I called for a huddle before they trudged back to the bus. I countered with a toothy smile and determination gleaming in my eyes. ‘So it wasn’t our day. Guess what? That’s why we have tomorrow!’”

This example demonstrates her positivity and, because of the imagery, we can see other traits like leadership and determination shine through as well.

It’s important that your reader be able identify what your character trait is and how it enabled you to positively impact your community. Looking at your essay, it should be easy to point to a change in the community for the better as a result of your involvement. Once you think you’re done writing, go back and ask yourself if that change is obvious. If not, keep revising until it’s clear.

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. (200-250 words)

While you might be tempted to approach this prompt in the way you would approach a traditional “Why This Major?” essay , hold on for a second and reread the prompt. Rather than being asked why you are pursuing a particular major or area of study, you’re being asked about “an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college.”

Yes, you will probably be most excited to study the topic of your major, but this prompt gives you the chance to look beyond your major and demonstrate the nuances of your interests.

A Good Response Versus a Great One

A good response will focus on a student’s major—”biology,” for example—but a great response will either home in on a specific facet of the major or delve into interdisciplinary interests.

For instance, a student who wants to home in on a specific topic within biology might discuss her fascination with CRISPR genome editing and its ability to potentially cure leukemia. Although her major is technically just “biology,” she is able to focus her essay on this niche topic within biology because this prompt doesn’t box you into discussing your major as merely a school curriculum.

A different student might go down the interdisciplinary route by writing about his interest in gene expression and how environmental factors caused by housing and urban policy can influence what genes are turned on and off. While this essay would still be discussing concepts related to the student’s biology major, it would also demonstrate to the admissions committee the student’s multifaceted interests and his ability to connect seemingly unrelated topics.

Whether you choose to drill down into a specific topic or to make connections between different topics, your essay should still be related to your major. If you’re deciding to major in biology but submit an essay to UNC about your love for American history without a single mention of science, it might raise some questions from the admissions committee.

Find an Anecdote

One of the best ways to show admissions officers your passion for a subject is through a story—in fact, when it comes to college essays, the best way to show anything is through a story!

Anecdotes provide a natural and captivating introduction to your essay, can be used as supporting details for a point you are trying to prove, and can give the essay a common unifying theme. Whether you use your anecdote as a hook in the beginning or write the whole essay around it, it’s important to have a strong personal story when using an anecdote to demonstrate your interest in a topic.

Some good sources of inspiration to get you started might include:

• Your first experience with the topic
• An independent project you conducted on the subject
• A time you struggled with the subject material
• Key questions you have about the topic
• A piece of media you consumed (podcast, book, TV show, etc.) that discussed or challenged your ideas on the topic
• Your personal connection to the topic

Demonstrate Your Interest

The next important part of this essay is demonstrating your interest to show the admissions committee why you want to study this topic in further detail. Your anecdote will help accomplish this goal, but let’s break it down a little more.

In order to successfully demonstrate your interest, you will need to show what, in particular, excites you about this topic. Is it a personal connection? Perhaps your goal is to cure a disease your family member suffers from. Alternatively, is it a chance for you to let your imagination and creativity run wild? If so, how does that feel? Will understanding this topic open doors for you to tackle even more complex issues? Whatever your point of interest in the topic is, you need to make it clear to the reader.

A generic way of demonstrating your interest might look like this:

“I first learned about CRISPR technology in my freshman year biology class. The thought of modifying genes to fight diseases was so exciting to me. Ever since then, I’ve been interested in curing diseases like leukemia.”

Those sentences tell us very little about the interest, and they don’t really show us anything. Saying it was “exciting” and that she was “interested” isn’t descriptive enough to show the reader why the student is pursuing it. Compare that with this example:

“A blue and red helix swirled around the screen as nucleobases were cut and spliced. Within minutes the sequence was inserted and the DNA began replicating without a second thought to its new appendage. My eyes shot open and my jaw grew slack. Images of pristine, white hospital walls clouded my vision. The strong smell of disinfectant permeated the air. All those hours sitting with my mom, holding her cold hands through the chemo, and it could have been solved in minutes with CRISPR?”

This version shows the reader infinitely more about the wonder and disbelief surrounding the topic with imagery like “my eyes shot open and my jaw grew slack.” Then, by detailing the images, smells, and feelings of sitting with their mom through chemotherapy, the student fully conveys her personal stake in this technology and why she is drawn to the topic.

Why Should UNC Care?

Okay, so you know what topic you are interested in studying in college and you have a good story to go with it. So what? Why should the UNC admissions officers care? The final step is to connect your interest to the academic and extracurricular offerings at UNC Chapel Hill.

Although this isn’t a “Why This School” essay that specifically asks for you to mention school resources, the best way to make your essay stand out is to go beyond what you are explicitly asked for and demonstrate the level of research you have done.

The word count is limited for this essay, so the majority of your focus should be on telling the story and demonstrating your interest in your chosen topic. However, try and reserve a sentence or two to weave in school-specific offerings.

When you are including these opportunities, it’s important to ensure that they are both unique and supported by your personal connection. In other words, don’t just say you’re excited to take Biology 101 at UNC, since every university offers that class—instead, find a more distinctive offering that would be harder to find elsewhere, like Molecular Genetics .

Similarly, tie each resource you mention back to yourself. Don’t just say that you want to work with a specific professor; add what you hope to learn from their work with gene replication in mice and how you think you might apply that work to humans, for example.

The UNC admissions officers will read thousands of essays where students simply tell their stories and forget to connect their previous experiences to their future ones. When they come across an essay that is able to tell the student’s story and incorporate the school’s offerings, they will be impressed. Everyone loves a little flattery—even colleges.

That said, make sure that the one or two school resources you mention naturally flow in the essay. The easiest solution is to add a sentence at the end about how you’ll explore your interests on campus, but this tends to disrupt the flow of the essay and make it feel forced. Below is an example of how to make this idea less jarring:

“If only I could tell my mom about the hours I’ll have spent researching with faculty at the CRISPR Screening Facility at Chapel Hill to develop a new drug that would make chemotherapy a bad dream, and not a reality, for those suffering from leukemia.”

If you can successfully unite the topic you’re interested in with the classes, professors, programs, or extracurriculars at UNC, your essay will likely resonate more with the admissions committee.

Global Fellowship Prompt

UNC applicants have the opportunity to be considered for four global opportunities, including the Global Gap Year Fellowship, Joint Degree Program with the National University of Singapore, Russian Language Flagship Program, and the Summer Study Abroad Fellowship.

In this prompt, you’ll need to explain why you selected the program(s) you did. What is it that you hope to experience, learn, or gain from your time abroad?

Take the time to read up on the program(s) you selected and what they entail. Because this essay gives you a maximum of 250 words, we recommend applying for no more than two programs (unless you have a genuinely strong interest in being considered for all four).

1. Identify why you want to go abroad.

Do you hope to gain an appreciation for a specific nation’s people or history? Do you want to develop language skills? Are you hoping to gain self-reliance?

For example, a student interested in the Global Gap Year Fellowship might want to visit communities impacted by climate change, volunteer with the locals, and document those experiences in a series of short stories. Since the countries experiencing the worst effects of climate change are outside of North America, going abroad suits the student’s goals well.

2. Identify areas for growth.

What would an experience abroad provide you with? What lessons may you learn that you need to or want to learn? How to adapt to changing circumstances? How to learn in nontraditional experiential experiences? How to deal with failure? How to communicate better or in a different language?

Continuing the example from the first point, this student wants to expand their understanding of climate change since they come from an urban community where issues like drought and rising sea levels are just a hazy concept to them. They want to learn how to tell the human stories behind climate change in order to inspire others to take action.

3. How would you impact the UNC community?

This could be anything from continued research and connection with a community to major selection. Are you going to start a club? Study with a professor whose expertise aligns with your experience? Be specific and intentional.

Again, the example student might want to take the lessons they learn abroad back to UNC as an Environmental Studies major. While on campus, they might virtually interview people around the world who are impacted by climate change, and maybe with help from the Carolina 360 Club, they’ll share those stories in a podcast.

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!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

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

Regular Decision Deadline: Feb 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

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

We have school-specific prompt guides for almost 100 schools.

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Malone University
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Meredith College
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• The College of Idaho
• The George Washington University
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guides
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

• Search All Scholarships
• Exclusive Scholarships
• Easy Scholarships to Apply For
• No Essay Scholarships
• Scholarships for HS Juniors
• Scholarships for HS Seniors
• Scholarships for College Students
• Scholarships for Grad Students
• Scholarships for Women
• Scholarships for Black Students
• Scholarships
• Student Loans
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Scholarship Winners
• Scholarship Providers

Apply to vetted scholarship programs in one click

Student-centric advice and objective recommendations.

Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here .

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

Ginny Howey is a former content writer at Scholarships360. Ginny graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2022 with a degree in Media and Journalism (Advertising/PR focus) and minors in Entrepreneurship and Spanish. Ginny’s professional experience includes two summers as a writer intern at global creative consultancy BCG BrightHouse. More recently, Ginny worked as a content marketing intern for Durham-based software engineering bootcamp Momentum, where she gained SEO skills. She has also written freelance articles on emerging tech for A.I. startup Resultid.

Learn about our editorial policies

Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.

Cari Schultz is an Educational Review Board Advisor at Scholarships360, where she reviews content featured on the site. For over 20 years, Cari has worked in college admissions (Baldwin Wallace University, The Ohio State University, University of Kentucky) and as a college counselor (Columbus School for Girls).

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

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? 

Apply to these scholarships due soon

$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship

“Get Inspired” TikTok Scholarship

Niche $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

“Jump for Joy” InstaScholarship

$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

“College Here I Come” Essay Scholarship for High School Seniors

“Scholar Dollars” Essay Scholarship for Black Students

$2,000 No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship

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! 

Start your scholarship search

• Vetted scholarships custom-matched to your profile
• Access exclusive scholarships only available to Scholarships360 members

Frequently asked questions about writing the UNC supplemental essays

How important are the unc chapel hill supplemental essays, when are the application deadlines for unc chapel hill, can i get creative with my unc chapel hill supplemental essay answers, scholarships360 recommended.

10 Tips for Successful College Applications

Coalition vs. Common App: What is the difference?

College Application Deadlines 2023-2024: What You Need to Know

Trending now.

How to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale

PSAT to SAT Score Conversion: Predict Your Score

What Are Public Ivy League Schools?

3 reasons to join scholarships360.

• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
• Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
• Quick apply for scholarships exclusive to our platform

By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

• College Essay
• 2-Year Colleges
• Application Strategies
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Graduate School Admissions
• High School Success
• High Schools
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Private High School Spotlight
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

March 26, 2024

Examples are integral to the learning process in just about every subject. In writing, they’re particularly important, especially when working with abstract concepts or attempting to master a new...

January 29, 2024

No matter the discipline, college success requires mastering several academic basics, including the body paragraph. This article will provide tips on drafting and editing a strong body paragraph before...

December 29, 2023

When applying to any of the University of California schools, you’ll face a series of supplemental essays in which you are asked to quickly and, with sufficient detail, provide...

September 27, 2023

Founded in 1693, the College of William & Mary is the second oldest institution of higher learning in the entire United States. With an acceptance rate that was 32%...

With an acceptance rate of just 10%, getting into the United States Naval Academy and officially becoming a midshipman in Annapolis is no easy task. After all, how many...

September 25, 2023

Getting accepted into Swarthmore College, one of the very best liberal arts schools in the country, is equivalent to gaining acceptance into an Ivy League school. With sub-7% acceptance...

September 13, 2023

Admission is highly competitive at Wake Forest University, a mid-sized private school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They accept only one-fifth of applicants and standards are high. In fact, almost...

The University of Illinois — Urbana Champaign is one of the top public universities in the entire United States. Top-ranked computer science, engineering, and business programs, in particular, attract...

September 12, 2023

For the Class of 2027, the WashU acceptance rate remained low at just 12%. As Washington University in St. Louis appears to be marching toward the single-digit admit rate...

Emory’s 16% acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 came after they received approximately 33,000 applicants for admission, numbers that have held steady over the past several years. Whether...

September 11, 2023

If you blinked at some point during the 2010s, you may have missed Tulane’s meteoric rise in selectivity that resulted in a 13% acceptance rate for the Class of...

The nation’s oldest Jesuit institution of higher learning is also its most selective, as Georgetown University welcomed just 13% of applicants to the Class of 2027 onto its historical...

September 8, 2023

When applying to MIT, a school with a 4% acceptance rate where a 1500 SAT would place you below the average enrolled student (seriously), teens should be aware that...

Situated in the state capital of Raleigh, North Carolina State University is a stellar public research institution that attracts droves of high school stars from around the country. Known...

With more than 56,000 applicants per year, you might think that the University of Maryland—College Park admissions committee would want to create a fast-paced assembly line for application reviews...

At the turn of the millennium, the University of Florida welcomed 63% of Gator applicants to Gainesville and functioned as a fairly accessible and highly affordable option for residents...

When applying to a school like Carnegie Mellon that only accepts 11% of applicants, it’s important to keep in mind that the other 89% of applicants will ultimately be...

Rice University, the STEM powerhouse in Houston, Texas, accepted just under 8% of applicants into their Class of 2027. Given that the applicant pool—including the 92% who are ultimately...

The University of Notre Dame is a famed Catholic institution located outside the city of South Bend, Indiana. It is a dream college for many brilliant high school students...

September 6, 2023

Students applying to college this year will inevitably confront the community essay. In fact, most students will end up responding to several community essay prompts for different schools. For...

Join our information-packed monthly newsletter.

College Planning in Your Inbox

Sign Up Now

Go to Charlotte.edu

Prospective Students

• About UNC Charlotte
• Campus Life
• Graduate Admissions

Faculty and Staff

• Human Resources
• Auxiliary Services
• Inside UNC Charlotte
• Academic Affairs

Current Students

• Financial Aid
• Student Health

Alumni and Friends

• Alumni Association
• Advancement
• Make a Gift

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.

« RETURN TO NEWS

Doctoral Student Selected for 2023-24 Research Scholar Program

By Renee Douglas / 03/26/2024 College of Health and Human Sciences , Social Work , The Graduate College

• 4-H and Youth Development News
• Academic Affairs News
• Accounting and Finance News
• Administration and Instructional Services News
• Admissions News
• Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education News
• Agricultural and Natural Resources News
• Alumni News
• Animal Sciences News
• Applied Engineering Technology News
• Athletics News
• Biology News
• Built Environment News
• Business and Finance News
• Business Education News
• Chancellor's Speaker Series
• Chancellors Town Hall Series
• Chemical, Biological, and Bio Engineering News
• Chemistry News
• Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering News
• College News
• Community and Rural Development News
• Computational Science and Engineering News
• Computer Science News
• Computer Systems Technology News
• Cooperative Extension News
• Counseling News
• Criminal Justice News
• Deese College News
• Economics News
• Educator Preparation News
• Electrical and Computer Engineering News
• Employees News
• Energy and Environmental Systems News
• English Department News
• Family and Consumer Sciences News
• Graphic Design Technology News
• Hairston College News
• Headlines News
• History & Political Science News
• Honors College News
• Human Resources News
• Industrial and Systems Engineering News
• Information Technology Services News
• Innovation Station News
• Journalism & Mass Communication
• Kinesiology News
• Leadership Studies and Adult Education News
• Liberal Studies News
• Library News
• Magazine News
• Management News
• Marketing News
• Mathematics News
• Mechanical Engineering News
• Media Spotlight News
• Natural Resources and Environmental Design News
• News Categories
• Nursing News
• Psychology News
• Research and Economic Development News
• Social Work News
• Student Affairs News
• Students News
• The Graduate College News
• Transportation & Supply Chain
• University Advancement News
• Visual & Performing Arts News

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 22, 2024) – A student from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been chosen as a scholar for the 2023-24 All of Us Research Scholar Program. 

This initiative, backed by the National Institutes of Health, pairs early career investigators with health research professionals to advance precision medicine research. The program is dedicated to high school, undergraduate, or graduate/professional students who aspire to pursue careers in the health field. 

Dawson, a Ph.D. candidate in the Joint Program in Social Work between N.C. A&T and with the University of North Carolina Greensboro, is passionately committed to paving her path as a future health researcher. She holds an MSW from East Carolina University and a B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She successfully defended her dissertation in February and will graduate in May from A&T.

Prior to embarking on her doctoral degree, Dawson established herself as a licensed clinical social worker and clinical addiction specialist, with experience across various clinical, leadership and administrative roles. She is also a minority fellow of the Council of Social Work Education Program who is committed to furthering the mission of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to diminish the impact of substance abuse and mental illness in American communities.

Dawson will learn how to conduct scientific research using the All of Us Data Browser and Research Workbench, creating a specific project and poster, while sharpening the skills needed to support the future of biomedical research.

Her research interests span health equity, digital health interventions, social determinants of health and disparities among marginalized groups with chronic illnesses and mental health disorders.

Media Contact Information: [email protected]

Latest News

03/26/2024 in College of Health and Human Sciences , Social Work , The Graduate College

A&T, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Partner to Establish Early Assurance Program

03/26/2024 in Academic Affairs

Warren, Cumberland County Farmers Finalists for N.C. Small Farmer of the Year

03/25/2024 in Cooperative Extension

North Carolina A&T State University | N.C. A&T

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at North Carolina A&T State University | N.C. A&T?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

North Carolina A&T State University | N.C. A&T’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Common app personal essay.

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

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.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?