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4 Tips for Writing Perfect University of Washington Essays

College Essays

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

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

Feature Image: Cody Logan/ Wikimedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Is the Common Application Essay Prompt?

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

This is the Common App essay prompt you must answer:

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

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

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

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

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

Tips For Brainstorming Topics for Your University of Washington Essay

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

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

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

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

What Is the Short Answer Prompt?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Should You Add in the Additional Information Section?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Should You Use the Additional Space? How?

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

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

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

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

Tips and Advice for the University of Washington Essays

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

Proofread Your UW Essays

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

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

Get Editing Help

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

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

Be Specific

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

Read Essays That Got Students Into UW

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

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

What's Next?

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

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

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

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

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University Of Washington Supplemental Essays + Examples

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 12/5/23

The University of Washington supplemental essays play a crucial role in the admission selection process. To learn more about how to write these essays, read on. 

The University of Washington uses essays to see the student behind the transcripts and numbers. With a mission to admit the most diverse, accomplished, and well-rounded students, UW urges all prospective students to consider their essays to ensure they reflect their unique stories.

However, supplemental essays don’t come easy to most students, especially open-ended prompts. You may have no idea where to start, struggle to articulate your thoughts or wonder if your story is worth sharing.

‍ Rest assured, all of these concerns and more will be answered in this guide! By the end, you can write the most compelling supplemental essays.

The University of Washington Supplemental Essay Prompts 2023-2024

Before getting into how to write the University of Washington essays, let’s go over the prompts themselves! 

UW Essay Prompt #1

“Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650-word limit)”

UW Essay Prompt #2

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

UW Essay Prompt #3

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

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended (200-word limit)”

How to Write Each Essay Prompt for the University of Washington 

If you’re still unsure of how to write a good college essay , let’s break down each of these prompts! This way, you’ll have a better understanding of what kind of answers the admissions team is looking for! 

How to Write UW’s #1 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #1 : This first prompt is very similar to a personal statement . It gives you the opportunity to share any story that has made a significant impact on your life. UW wants to know more about what makes you, you. They want to know what makes you tick. 

Start by deciding which traits you want to highlight about yourself, your values, and your unique traits. Brainstorm several stories that you think are worth sharing and use the process of elimination to choose one. 

To make this process easier, consider creating a list of questions to ask yourself about each story so you can eliminate options that do not meet your criteria! Here are the questions we suggest you use: 

• Does this story reflect who I am and/or who I want to be?
• Does this story show development?
• Can I turn this story into a narrative?
• Is this story unique, or does it involve a common experience?
• Does this story share my most important identities?
• Does this story involve my best characteristics?
• Am I the protagonist in this story?
• Do I feel connected to this story, or do I just think it’ll impress the judges?
• Do I think about this story often, other than for applications? Has it truly had an impact on my life?

Here are some other tips to help you tackle this essay prompt: 

• Tip #1: Choose a Significant Story : You should write about something that is truly significant to you and has real meaning. Choose a topic that’s unique to you and your identity, and make sure that the story you choose is focused on yourself and your personal growth! 
• Tip #2: Write Narratively : Tell a story! Start with an intriguing hook , such as the climax of your story or an interesting part of it. Spend the rest of the essay explaining the rest of the story and its impact on you. Use sensory details to show your reader what you experienced; don’t just tell them. 
• Tip #3: Don’t Overwrite : Do not feel obligated to write 650 words if you can tell your story in fewer words. In fact, UW states the most successful essays are typically around 400 words! The admissions committee would rather read a short story that packs a punch than a dragged-out story with little meaning.

How to Write UW’s #2 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #2 : This next University of Washington supplemental essay has a word limit that is almost half of the first prompt. It does not need to be written as a narrative, although it can be if you believe it’s the best way to convey your feelings. 

The main purpose of this prompt is for the University of Washington to learn what your values are and how well you’ll fit into their community. Here are some helpful tips on how to answer this prompt well: 

• Tip #1: Choose a Meaningful Community : As a student, you’ll be part of many communities: your residential area, your group of friends and family, your workplace, your school, and more. Choose one that resonates with you and has had the most impact on your life.
• Tip #2: Express Your Values : Explain how your community has shaped you into the person you are today and how it will continue to impact you at UW. Prove your community has instilled valuable traits in you that will help you become a more productive student at UW.
• Tip #3: Get Specific : Little details can add a lot of power to your essay. Be specific about significant moments that have shaped you in your community. 

UW has also expressed that the tone for this short-answer prompt should be just as formal and polished as your first, longer essay. Make sure to keep your writing professional!

How to Write UW’s #3 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #3 : The final prompt is not required. However, if you have extenuating circumstances that have affected some aspect of your application, this is your chance to explain yourself. This could include a low GPA, a lack of extracurriculars, or other related situations. 

If you choose to write this response, keep the following tips in mind:

• Tip #1: Stick to the Facts : This answer should be straightforward. Unlike your first response, you should not paint a picture using narrative techniques or descriptive or emotional language. Stick to the facts and be honest
• Tip #2: No Pity Parties : It’s important you do not throw a pity party for yourself or try to make the admissions committee feel bad for you. The committee does not admit students out of pity, so don’t waste your time trying. 
• Tip #3: Only Answer If Necessary : This prompt should only be answered if students have experiences they’d like to share with the committee that have not already been discussed in their other responses. This is not an opportunity for students to expand on their responses to the other prompts.

Examples of UW Supplemental Essays That Worked

If you feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start, don’t worry. Take a look and get inspired by these UW supplemental essay examples written by successful applicants to the University of Washington! 

Sample Essay #1

Prompt : “Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650-word limit)”

Here’s a sample response to this question that can inspire you:

“It was the fourteenth rabbit that had come in with bloodshot eyes, curling nails, and patches of discolored fur that resembled my overwatered lawn. He had the same mistrusting gaze that darted from me to the zookeeper. I could see his heart trying to escape his sunken body as I got whiffs of a faint medicinal smell coming from his fur.

In my sophomore year, I joined my school’s animal rights club out of curiosity and passion. I’ve always considered myself to be an avid animal lover, but was unconvinced I could actually make a difference in their wellbeing as a fifteen-year-old teenager—an assumption that could not have been further from the truth, as I was about to learn. 

Our group decided to attend a volunteer brigade in Peru for three weeks in June. I picked up extra shifts at my part-time job at McDonald’s and saved up enough to attend the brigade.

We were stationed with a Peruvian family in a tiny house that seemed to never sleep. The endless creaks and thin walls made it difficult to sleep the first few nights, but it was the experiences I had after settling in that were far more deafening. 

We volunteered at a local animal sanctuary that took in animals that were abandoned or abused by their caretakers. There were old circus bears that slumped in the same position for hours, turtles without shells, monkeys missing digits, and dozens of discarded lab rabbits. 

It was a paradoxical mixture of chaos and tranquility. Among the cries of frightened baby monkeys who were ripped away from their real mothers to be raised as pets were the soothing words and lulls of zookeepers and volunteers trying to undo all the damage these animals went through.

Some of these zookeepers lived in tiny rooms at the zoo with no running water or AC, to provide these animals with around-the-clock care and comfort.  

The majority of them made less than $600 US dollars a month, but still greeted me every morning with warm smiles and unrelenting enthusiasm to love the flock of new animals that would be brought in that day.

I was only in Peru for a few weeks, but over those weeks I saw the immense changes I made in these animals' lives, even as a fifteen-year-old girl. 

Most memorably, I noticed the curiosity of an abused fawn flourish as she remembered what trust felt like. She went from cowering behind fence posts to following me around the zoo, nudging my hands for pets any chance she got.

These transformations stuck with me even when I was miles away in my silent suburban home with overwatered grass. They inspired me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, specifically with exotic animals. 

With a newfound commitment to animal welfare, I recognized all it took for me to better the lives of so many animals in Peru was an unwavering love for animals. I cannot wait to see what a profound impact I have on animals in the future when I combine this passion with advanced veterinarian training .” 

Why Essay #1 Worked

This essay works because it shares a unique story that the student has a deep connection to. It uses descriptive language so that the readers can feel like they’re part of the narrative. They can hear the sounds of the animals, imagine how the lab rabbit looked, and imagine the joy the student felt.

This student’s passion for animals also clearly shines through. It ties into the student’s career aspirations and demonstrates clear drive and intent, two traits that are important for college students to have as they enter challenging programs.

Sample Essay #2

Prompt : “Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300-word limit)”

Consider this response from a student who has an unconventional view of community:

“Growing up in a South-Asian household, the importance of family was instilled in me from the moment I learned the word. I was told my family always came first and they were my community. 

So, I morphed myself to fit my family’s rigid ideals. I remained silent in the face of familial confrontation, gave my respect to older cousins that constantly picked on me for my weight, and remained complacent as my parents planned my entire future for me. 

I completed the majority of my education dreading my future. My parents decided I would become a doctor to continue the long line of successful physicians I come from. There was always a looming sense of anticipation for me because of this. I was always waiting for a future that I knew wasn’t mine. 

That was until I joined my school’s theater club. There, I learned what community really means. I was part of a group that still had a deep respect for one another, but held each other accountable. 

We disagreed with each other sometimes but always encouraged open conversation nonetheless. Often, my group acted as a sounding board for me. I would tell them my true aspirations of becoming a drama teacher, and they would provide me with solutions to achieve my dream without upsetting my parents. 

We taught each other about new perspectives, traditions, and cultures, but what I appreciated most about my community was that we challenged each other. We all came from different backgrounds, had different identities and stories, but pushed each other to do our best in and outside of the classroom.

Through my wonderful club mates, I understood that true community involves the celebration of differences, open intellectual conversation and debate, the embracement of diverse identities, mutual respect, equal collaboration, and sometimes even vulnerability. 

With an understanding of what true community looks and feels like, I hope to join The University of Washington's body of diverse individuals united by the shared collective of bettering themselves and the world, the same value that united my theater community.”

Why Essay #2 Worked

It’s clear this student put a lot of thought into their response. While they could have gone the traditional route by talking about the type of community values their family instilled in them, they take a unique approach by claiming they found a truer community outside of their expected one. 

This unexpected ending makes this response more memorable. Additionally, the response clearly defines community based on this student’s values. It does not use overused or generic definitions of the term. Near the end, this student also ties in UW and affirms they will be a productive member of their community.

Sample Essay #3

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

Here’s a great example of how to answer this optional essay:  

“During the pandemic, my father, the sole provider in my family, was laid off from his full-time position as an assistant manager. The business he worked for had to close its doors because of the pandemic, and he had a hard time finding a new job. 

To keep my family of four afloat as my father looked for a job, I began working at a local restaurant as soon as restrictions were lifted.

I was working 30–40 hours a week for the majority of my junior and senior year, which limited the time I had to pursue extracurriculars. Due to the demands of AP courses, I was able to only take three of these advanced courses in my final two years of high school.

During the first semester of my junior year, in particular, I struggled with my academics as I learned to juggle multiple commitments at once. Fortunately, I was able to manage my time better and adapted to my circumstances quickly. I improved my marks significantly in the remainder of my high school career.”

Why Essay #3 Worked

This essay works because the student sticks to the facts. They explain the situation, give relevant background information, and explain how they tried to resolve the issue. 

This student mentions the measures they took to accomplish their goals despite the obstacles they faced, which demonstrates their resiliency, perseverance, and adaptability.

These University of Washington essay examples will give you a better idea of what to write for your essays. Ensure you put in effort and craft a personalized essay when applying to the University of Washington. 

Get More Sample Essays Here!

If you found these sample essays helpful, great news! You can read many more examples of successful college essays with our essay database down below. 

Insert tool 

For any remaining questions, read on to find your answers.

1. How Many Essays Are Required For the University of Washington?

Students are required to write two essays to apply to the University of Washington. There is an optional third section where students can share more about other life experiences or circumstances that they weren’t able to share elsewhere on their application.

2. How Do I Write An Essay For the University of Washington?

Your personal story and voice should be evident in all of your supplemental essays, so there isn’t a perfect formula or list of topics you can choose from to ace these essays. Choose experiences that had meaningful impacts on your life, show, don’t tell where appropriate, and use language within your abilities.

Avoid overused topics or falsifying stories just to impress the admissions committee. You don’t have to write about tragic or life-changing experiences to have a compelling essay! Address the statement at hand, and don’t forget to proofread your responses several times before submitting them.

3. How Important Are the University of Washington Essays?

While your essays aren’t the most important part of your application, they serve a unique and critical function. These essays are used to learn more about what applicants do outside of the classroom, what their identities are outside of being students, and what their overall principles and values are. 

The admissions committee will evaluate all of these factors to decide whether you’d fit in at UW and your potential to contribute to it. 

4. Are There Any Topics I Should Avoid In My Supplemental Essays?

There are endless topics students can write about in their supplemental essays, but only a few topics they should avoid. If your chosen topic reveals information about you that only your therapist knows, you may want to brainstorm some less personal ideas. You don’t want to make the admissions committee feel uncomfortable.

Similarly, if your topic discusses illegal or unethical conduct, you’ll absolutely want to go back to the drawing board. Even if you’re a changed person now, sharing this information can make the admissions committee hesitant to admit you, especially if the misconduct is not on your record. 

5. How Can I Improve My UW Supplemental Essays?

If you’ve written your essays and feel they are lackluster or fail to share a unique story, there are several ways to improve them:

• Write freely at first : Let your ideas flow for your first draft. Cut down on your essays once you’ve written all of your ideas down so you can choose the best ones
• Add some color : Include sensory details and imagery to engage your readers
• Narrow your scope : Focus on one main experience for each response so you can develop it to its fullest
• Maintain your voice : As people edit your work, their input can weaken your voice! Avoid this by accepting grammar, punctuation, and structural edits instead of content or language suggestions.

If all of these suggestions fail, you may have to start all over again using a different approach! While it’ll be time-consuming, you shouldn’t submit your essays until you feel confident they reflect your most important traits, skills, and experiences in an interesting and insightful way.

This is why it’s important you begin your essays early! Give yourself ample time to create several rough drafts and revise them until you’re satisfied.

Final Thoughts

For students who still doubt their abilities to craft extraordinary essays, we leave you with some inspiring words by the renowned author Sylvia Plath : “Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” 

We believe in you, and you should, too!

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University of Washington Essay Prompts 2022-2023

University of washington essay prompts quick facts :.

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

What are the University of Washington essay prompts?

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

There are three UW essay prompts .

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

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

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

University of Washington Essay Prompts #1 ( Required )

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

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

Identify your values

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

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

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

Focus on action

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

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

University of Washington Essay Prompts #2 ( Required )

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

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

Focus on impact

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

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

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

University of Washington Essay Prompts #3 ( Optional )

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mention how you’ve grown

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

How do I write my University of Washington essays?

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

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

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

UW Essay Prompts Checklist:

✔️ brainstorm.

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

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

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

✔️ Proofread

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

✔️ Get a second opinion

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

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

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

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

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

Does the University of Washington care about essays?

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

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

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

University of Washington Admissions Top Tips for Supplemental Essays

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

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

“Write to the prompt.”

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

“Avoid overused topics.”

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

“Use language you can manage.”

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

“Keep it simple and real.”

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

“Use humor, honesty, and humility.”

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

“Make it memorable.”

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

“Find the sweet spot.”

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

“Proofread.”

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

“Punctuate properly.”

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

“Write a punchy first line.”

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

UW Essay Prompts: Final Thoughts

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

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

Each essay is an opportunity

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

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

This University of Washington supplemental essays guide was written by Sarah Kaminski . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, u washington essay prompts.

Hi everyone! I'm getting started on my University of Washington application and need some inspiration for their essay prompts. What are some ideas or topics that have worked well for you or others you know?

Hello! The key to writing a successful University of Washington essay is to showcase your unique qualities and experiences while addressing the prompt in an engaging and thoughtful way. I've found that this article from collegevine does a great job of breaking down the UW essays and is incredibly helpful for students. Take a look: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-washington-essays

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University of Washington Supplemental Essays 2024-25 — Prompts and Tips

July 22, 2024

The University of Washington’s main campus in Seattle isn’t the type of public school that just services local residents. Rather, UW-Seattle attracts twice as many applicants from out-of-state/country than in-state each year. Top-ranked computer science, engineering, business, and nursing programs, in particular, attract an endless stream of high-caliber applicants from around the globe. Great grades and test scores will put aspiring Huskies on strong footing. However, the University of Washington also requires you to address two supplemental essay prompts.

 (Want to learn more about how to get into UW? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into the University of Washington: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Let’s dive right in and begin examining the one required essay and one required short response.

University of Washington Personal Statement (required)

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

This essay prompt succeeds in being both a) simple and straightforward and b) immensely challenging for many applicants. As you brainstorm, remember that the admissions committee is not looking for a rambling list of things you believe in the abstract. Instead, they are specifically asking for one experience that is revealing of your character and/or life story.

For many students, settling on a singular incident in their lives that will speak volumes about the core of their being is not an easy task. You could write about a moment of individual triumph here, but don’t rule out sharing about an incident where, for example: You are not the hero of the story, you had a humbling experience, or you changed a previously held belief.

University of Washington Supplemental Essays – Continued

The good news is that you have up to 650 words to tell this story, which means you will have plenty of real estate in which to share rich details that will make your essay more compelling.

(Even better news: UW doesn’t read your Common App essay, so you can use it as-is here.)

University of Washington Short Response (required)

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

Straight from the UW admissions staff, “Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.”

Your answer here could be about an ethnic, religious, or neighborhood community/identity or a group of individuals who gather for a club, sport, or service project. Whichever elements you choose to focus on, make sure that you use your writing ability to  show  the admissions officer what type of community member you are rather than merely  telling  them.

You can also discuss how you have engaged with your high school local/community and what you have learned from interacting with people of a different ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual identity, etc. Draw on past evidence of your commitment to being a positive force in your community. You can also speculate how that is likely to manifest on the University of Washington’s campus. Research and cite student-run organizations at UW-Seattle, local nonprofit groups, or anything else you are excited about. The admissions committee wants to understand precisely how you will contribute to their campus community. Drawing the link between your past efforts and future aims is critical here.

How important are the supplemental essays at the University of Washington?

UW-Seattle only labels three factors as being “very important” to the admissions process. Those factors are: the rigor of your high school coursework, GPA, and your application essays. In fact, the essays are rated as being of greater importance than test scores, extracurricular activities, or talent/ability.

Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

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

Need additional writing resources? Consider checking out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topics
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• How to Write the Community Essay
• College Essay

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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University of Washington (UW) 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Nov 15

University of Washington 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

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

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

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

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

Short Response

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

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

Additional Information About Yourself or Your Circumstances (200 words)

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

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

Additional Space (Optional) (200 words)

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

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

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University Of Washington Admission Essay Writing Guide

Application Guide

Essay examples, university of washington entrance essays and admission process.

Different rankings place the University of Washington at different positions — from No.14 in the world (2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities) to No 64. in the 2020 National Universities List — it has always had a flawless reputation, entering the public Ivy League, the highest rating for public schools with profound academic achievements.

The University of Washington becomes the alma mater for students from all over the country each year. Its campus welcomes over 54 000 people annually. The UW site boasts of their ever-present optimism and their belief in human skills and ambitions. The 49% acceptance rate supports this optimism because the applicants have decent chances to become the new UW freshmen.

If you're in the application process for the University of Washington and are up against a tight essay deadline, StudyMoose offers a quick and reliable essay writing service to meet your specific needs.

One of the peculiarities of University of Washington supplemental essays is that you don’t need the standard Coalition Application essay. The university even states it separately at the site, redirecting the applicants to its own admission page. But it doesn’t mean that the enrollment process will become any easier for college applicants. Instead of the standard “Why UW” essay prompt at Coalition App, you need to write the essay on one of the custom University of Washington prompts. You will also need to complete one shorter, community and diversity-related essay. For those who want to say something more, there are 200 extra words of free writing. The aspiring students who want to enter the two Interdisciplinary Honors Program should write yet again an additional UW essay, using one of the two prompts. Now a single Coalition App essay may look way better, but the UW reputation is worth it.

Let’s look closer at each of these essay types and understand what exactly the admission committee wants to see in them. But first, some interesting facts and statistics.

Types of UW Admission Essays

As we said before, the Coalition essay isn’t mandatory, moreover, it won’t be scored by the admission officers. But if the University of Washington isn’t the only one you are going to apply to, you may still write this essay to send it to the other universities later. The Coalition Application essay has one of the biggest word limits: 650 words, so you may use it to combine everything you’d like to say in all the UW essays.

The main University of Washington supplementary essay should consist of 300-400 words. The UW site states that they expect it to be more personal storytelling than just a bunch of facts. It goes along well with the declared principles of attention to every individual student, not only their scores and grades. Keep in mind that you should submit your University of Washington admission essay instead of the standard Coalition one in the Coalition App form.

The short response should be also added to your Coalition App profile. If the first part is about you and your perspectives, vision, and principles, this one shows your ability to work in a community and respect the diversity in it. You don’t have to search for the “right” answers, the WU team isn’t very fond of standardized responses. You may have a look at our list of UW short response examples and see dozens of ways to express your attitude to diversity without being boring and too good to be true.

Additional 200 words are, well, exactly what is said on the tin. You may use it as you please or not use them at all. Don’t try to write something extra if you have nothing to say. This space is reserved for something very important for you that doesn’t fit into the first two prompts. Maybe, you want to share a brilliant idea, maybe you want to express gratitude, or say something else that you want the university to know. They won’t affect your enrollment chances that much, so think of them as bonuses.

The Interdisciplinary Honors program responses are the most understandable of all. You just have to write why you are interested in them and what you are going to do with the knowledge gained. The style of these University of Washington supplement papers is similar to the first essay, just shorter and more specific.

All the essays have similar format requirements and the ones stated separately at the UW site:

They evaluate both the content and grammar, punctuation, and spelling, so consider spell-checking and proofreading your essay first.

To avoid losing the formatting, the UW team advises you to compose the essay separately and then paste it into the application form. The wrong formatting won’t influence the total grade, but the text will simply look better with it.

They ask the students to use formal English, both for the main essay and short responses. Any of the papers you submit are expected to be in the same style, suitable for the application essays.

Statement Essay for Students who Apply after High School

This prompt usually looks a lot like the standard application portal essays, even more general and vague. You have to talk about yourself, your background, personal story, and experience that made you who you are. But there is one major difference: this essay is much shorter than the Common App’s notorious 650-words one. Maybe, it’s better to choose a single aspect of your life, be it family, friends or study. A single powerful event that changed your life and made you inclined towards this university and this major.

Think about the best speeches in history. Often, the speakers start from something small, personal, seemingly irrelevant. But it unwinds slightly, but steadily, and you see a bigger picture that started from that very story. You might be surprised, but a great short speech takes just enough words to fit into an essay word limit.

The broad UW essay topics allow you to choose any experience you want to share, but try to choose the one that the rest of the audience can relate. Something may have a deeply symbolic meaning for you personally but is difficult to understand outside the context. But if you have the time, words, and passion to explain this context, your essay may become a truly outstanding gem in a pile of similar ones. Remember that University of Washington admission essays are all about personality (or so they say at their site).

You may use a great plot twist and start from the negative experience. Sometimes the challenges shape us in a much more prominent way than good times. If you show what great lemonade you can make from life’s lemons, what endurance and integrity you’ve got after the tough times, it may become a very powerful story. You’ll present yourself as a strong and mature personality able to rise and go further towards your goal no matter what. But to achieve this effect you need to focus on the positive sides and lessons learned. The negative experience is just a premise here, not the main reason you need to be accepted into the UW campus family.

UW Diversity Essay

This is a type of a community essay that shows your attitude and relations to the society. The most common approach to it in many schools is to get the “correct” answer about ponies, rainbow, celebrating diversity and being absolutely tolerant to anything. The University of Washington application essay isn’t about that at all.

The UW site gives you a tip: its goal is a diverse students’ community with a rich cultural background and all the range of opinions. So, you can’t just get a wrong answer here. They just want to know what you may add to this metaphorical “cultural soup” and — what is equally important — what are you “allergic”, too.

It’s okay to have a strong personality and be intolerant to something: you may not be involved in social activities and it’s okay. You may not be eager to learn about other cultures and it’s also okay while you still respect them. Respecting others in any aspect doesn’t mean having no borders and accepting everything they give to you. Don’t focus on your borders and issues, but it’s okay to outline them. Remember, each organization chooses its members, but the members also have the right to choose.

On the positive side you may tell the admission committee about your extracurricular activities, your hobbies, your way of finding friends, activities and interests. It isn’t just a waste of your time and keyboard: the UW management wants to know what they can do to make the campus life fancier. Maybe your ideas may contribute to something cool that will happen: students organizations, clubs, parties or other ways to have a good time. With your UW Diversity essay you invest into the university’s life, and these investments may soon pay back.

The Interdisciplinary Honors Program

This part is the most obvious of all. The UW admission officers want to know why they should enroll you in this program. You should briefly (actually as briefly as possible) let them know about your plans and projects. The Interdisciplinary Honors programs aren’t the thing people want to do just for fun: it’s a serious piece of work and research and great time investment from both sides. So it’s fair that the University of Washington wants to know how the effort of its teachers will later pay off to the society, and what are you going to do with the new knowledge gathered during the program.

The advice here is simple: be laconic and honest. Even if you don’t have the explicit draft of your project, give them the idea, outline your plan of making this idea true and show how the university and society would benefit from it. Don’t worry: only a few people have a solid project idea before application. Show them all the cards you have and we’re sure it will be more than enough.

Cover Letter and Additional Information

The additional 200 words are called additional for a reason. They don’t have a great impact on the application process and they will be considered the last. But still, you may use them to explain something that may look odd in the other documents. For example, if you have an unusually low grade on the list that looks good in any other way, there might be a reason for it. Possibly you were ill, or had issues with that particular teacher, or had to focus on any other subject. You are not trying to talk it out of it, the low grade stays low grade. But you may at least show that you are motivated to learn this subject better and will do so when the conditions will be suitable.

A calm and adult explanation may make you a bit more sympathetic and the admission committee may give you an extra chance despite your grade. But be ready to show them the proof if your story looks very unusual. We don’t have to say the obvious things, but telling the truth, without exaggeration and hiding the uncomfortable details is the best strategy here.

Another way to use these 200 words is to talk about your big dream. Not your project with a palpable plan and milestones to achieve, but something bigger. Something you are ready to dedicate your life to. Maybe it’s helping people in a particular way, maybe it’s discovering new worlds in our galaxy — anything you truly believe in. It won’t necessarily get you enrolled, but it will help the admission committee to see your true colors, and, possibly, some of the equally passionate professors will notice you and offer you a project to work together.

But remember: using these 200 words to extend your main essay is a big no. They are left for something very different. Think of them as a cover letter, while the rest of your application is your CV. Your awards, your mindset, everything that can matter for the university — that’s what the extra space is for.

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Head of research and lead admissions expert, table of contents, university of washington essays.

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The University of Washington essays and application evaluate student candidates holistically , emphasizing more than grades and scores. That means that the essays you submit are absolutely critical! Your writing needs to effectively tell your story to reviewers and convince them that you should be at their school.

Let’s take a look at the prompts you’re working with to make sure your essays hit the right note.

Before we dive in, here are some things you need to know:

• The UW application lives on the Coalition Application . That means that you will have to make a Coalition Application account in order to submit. However…
• The actual Coalition-wide essay is not a required element for the University of Washington. It may still be required for other schools, but you do not have to submit it for UW. You only need to answer their specific prompts, which means…
• There are two essays and two optional responses, so roll up your sleeves! It’s not the heaviest stack to work through, but you shouldn’t try to crank these out last minute.

The application specifically states,

“Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.—

When in doubt, aim for meaningful stories about your life that have changed your perspective in lasting ways.

The application website also helps you out with how to allocate your intent. They inform you that:

“We’ve observed most students write a polished formal essay, yet submit a more casual short response.”

Awesome advice! Now, let’s read through the two required prompts and see what that means. Let’s tackle the University of Washington essays.

• Essay Prompt: Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (500 words) For this essay, you will need to address a topic that is close to your heart and will impact your academic life. What’s more, your character should show through with every sentence that you write. This is on the longer side for personal statements, so take the time to incorporate concrete details and put the reader in your shoes. It’s a great chance to talk about your intellectual passions, demonstrate your curiosity or resilience, and showcase your achievements—”but be sure that you are going beyond the resume! Your topic doesn’t have to be the most meaningful experience of your life until now—”but it should be able to encapsulate your personality well.
• S hort Response: Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. // Tip: Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints. (300 words) Remember, the essays on this application are critical to how you are weighed as a candidate, and the reviewers will be looking to see if they can understand your potential as a student outside of the numbers and hard facts. Think about the people in your life that have contributed to your intellectual development. Think about the people you turn to when things are difficult for support. These people (in addition to being wonderful and deserving of a solid thank-you) that you will be able to talk about with ease, and that genuine enthusiasm and love will reach your readers. Since the app also specifically states that they value diversity, think about what makes your community special and unique.

There are also two optional fields. If you’re wondering what to write for these, check out this blog post about optional essays for more context and tips.

So there you have our review of the University of Washington essays. If you know that you need help with your essays, chat with our team to learn how we can support you and your family. The more eyes you have proofreading and providing ideas and feedback on your work, the better.  

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My UW essays

Here are all the essays I wrote for admission to the University of Washington. The UW application actually did not allow unicode characters like smart quotes and em-dashes, nor did it accept italics, so the essays as displayed here are in their intended form, not as they were submitted. Note that I don’t necessarily agree with all of what’s said below anymore (hence the belief tag).

Thanks to KL for the extensive feedback I received while writing these essays. I also received minor feedback from others.

General admission essays

Personal statement.

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

Having lived both in the United States and Japan, I have suffered the common problem of balancing one’s identity: whether to stay essentially in one land and occasionally poke one’s head out to say hello to the other; whether to play the eclectic magician and pull from both roots the cure to the disease of nationalism; whether to proclaim one’s allegiance to humanity and humanity alone, thus avoiding the question altogether. It would be wholly dishonest to say I have dealt with the problem well; but in my personal experience I have seen transformations of my thought, whose culmination isn’t so trite as “I have gained useful experiences from both cultures”!

But allow me to declare that I will approach this topic from the more fragile, Japanese side. My childhood, from years three to ten, was spent in Japan. Strangely, though I lived in Tōkyō—the center of action—my mind recalls almost a pastoral perfection from this period. This does not imply any geographic quality, but rather that life, because of my innocence, seemed detached: the summertime fireworks, with the delicious smoke, were severed from the piling of dark leaves and playing with sticks, and both of these were separate from the long walk along the river with friends, chasing after a milk bottle cap.

Fly forward five years from my last year in Japan, and we are three years behind the present: there is a change; I live in Bothell; the mind is forming an opinion. During a summer visit to Tōkyō, I saw the sultry streets of my old home clearer than in any previous year, with all its ugly connectedness obvious: the odor of cigarettes and urine painted on every surface; people lined up to feed the machines of pleasure with their overtime pay; everyone buying a train ticket to go nowhere and do nothing, only to find a nervous comfort in their own nests again. This impression, almost oddly artistic by now, so thoroughly shattered the idyllic vision of my childhood city that despite the urgings of my family, I did not return to Japan the following year.

Though I would not discover the works of the author Ōe Kenzaburō until much later, I can see now that I was in the process of being uprooted by what Ōe calls the Ambiguous: a dissonance engendered by two contradictory impressions. This particular incarnation of the Ambiguous occupied me for two years, and for these years my only contacts with Japan were conversations with my Japanese mother, and the Japanese school that I attended on Saturdays, which was steadily becoming for me an annoyance. But (if the continued anachronism is to be pardoned) Ōe had spent his life in Japan, so for him the Ambiguous was unavoidable; for me, the situation was quite different: having spent half of my life in the US by this time, I saw myself a refugee, a vehement critic of that derelict nation, who through reason alone had justified the superiority of the country with the global language.

But a slower change came in the autumn of last year: I began to renew my interest in Japan. It is difficult for me to ascertain exactly what caused this change, but two possibilities seem the most likely. First, my increasing frustration with one of my passions, mathematics, convinced me to find an alternative topic of research, so that I could shift back and forth. Second, my interest in literature as an art led me to an obvious starting point: works written in Japanese. But by now the obstacle is obvious: my ability to use the language had thinly escaped destruction. Thus began my intense study of Japan. And here I am, one year later: I am still reading Ōe; I have returned to Japan; I am unsure what the solution is, but endurance—what Ōe calls nintai —is my tentative answer.

Word count: 648/650.

Short Response

Prompt 1. The University of Washington seeks to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. How would you contribute to this community?

The word “contribute” invokes in me a discomfort. On the surface, I see zealous students eager to spread their message, and demanding adults prodding them. And below, there is universal indifference, a kind of despair. But I cannot hold inside of me such ostentatious deceit—at least, not for long. For if I value one thing, it is small honesty.

I like to see myself as a stone, sunk at the bottom of a deep and sedulous river. I am breathless, and yet I ever so slightly hold back the current. This current—call it “intolerance” or “apathy”—swims in each of us, and, if we are unlucky, overtakes us. It cannot but seek the lowest elevation. On this riverbed, I am, by any definition, insignificant: I am just a small salience stuck in the mud. But I shall stand resolutely, open to any lifeless provocation; and given time, some others may join, forming a diminutive dam of detritus. No doubt some will become dislodged, and no doubt of those that are left, each of us is unimportant individually. But there is a chance, perhaps, that a fisherman on the bank will notice the current slowing; if not, all is well: the debris can feel it slowing.

Can one observe this river in reality? To be sure, the river exists, but its current is more chaotic; it is harder, then, to spot a pronounced thread. But one context in which I daily encounter it is what may be termed “educational desperation”. Being at times slightly better at navigating class material, I am sometimes asked questions. It may be a quick clarification for a passage in a novel, or an explanation of some concept in chemistry, or tips in computing a tricky integral. The current of questions is strong, and although I want to help, I know that answering these questions will have no effect on the current. To fight the current, one must strive for true understanding, not just a number. Curiosity is a requirement.

At times also I read a Japanese book at school. Then, occasionally, someone will ask me questions: “What language is this?” “So are you reading Sartre in Japanese?” “And which way do the words go?” Most of the time, the conversation will end quickly, and the inquirer will leave with nothing more than the added knowledge that some languages are written in different directions. But even this I find superior to helping with schoolwork, for I respond to a specific curiosity. These questions, moreover, can turn into more: it can propel someone into a promising study of Japanese writing or culture; this is the “true way”, in Kafka’s sense.

By being a stubborn stone in the river, that is, by quietly assisting those wanting to discover and understand, I believe I accomplish something important. In this sense, “contribute” becomes genuine, and becomes something I want to do in high school, university, and beyond.

Words: 488/500.

Honors essays

Interdisciplinarity essay.

Honors 1. Why do you want to incorporate our interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum into your undergraduate experience? What contributions will you make to our community?

Bertrand Russell wrote in the prologue to his Autobiography of three passions that guided his life: love, intellectual curiosity, and pity for the suffering. In educating oneself, although all three of these passions are important, one’s focus does become more intellectual. What is essential, then, is to allow oneself the freedom of moving between passions while also focusing on specific goals.

Even within intellectual pursuits there are perceived categorizations that can severely limit self-actualization. One such categorization is between the humanities and the sciences. I have always focused my studies on one or the other: when engrossed in the abstract beauty of set theory, I am less aware of literature; when I am engaged in studying James Joyce’s works, I do less mathematical proofs. A certain shift in focus is healthy, but a total severance is catastrophic, for being too narrow renders the mind provincial.

The other harmful categorization I see is between absorption and creation. Intellectual curiosity can mean seeking useful information; however, research is only half of the experience. It is important also to use one’s creativity, to apply one’s learning to bring about something new. Creativity is not simply completing assigned work: it means reading a mathematical proof and trying to attain a more general result; it means reading Joyce and trying to emulate his interior monologues.

Although creativity need not be public, I believe by projecting my work outward I can most contribute. Authors like Ōe Kenzaburō masterfully quote other writers in their works, spreading important insights. But sharing need not be as elaborate; it can be simple, like the illumination of a line of verse, or an obvious yet ingenious trick in proving a theorem. Learning, I believe, is the constant exchange of useful information: one cannot do it alone, for knowledge must be shared.

“Lost its meaning” essay

Honors 2. Identify a word or phrase in common use that you believe has, “lost its meaning.” Explain what you think accounts for the loss of meaning and what might be done to restore appropriate meaning to the word or phrase you have identified.

No word in the English language has more exponentially deteriorated than the word “math”. The word generates an infinite conflict, for its whole geometry is false, and this can be proven algebraically. There are a few factors, but first we must ask “What do we now mean by ‘math’?” The conventional meaning is easy, for we all do “math”: we sit in a “math” class, listen to the teacher talk, scribble with a pen (hello Vi Hart!), “peruse” the “math” book. Now examine the inverse: who are the “mathematicians”? Do they go around reciting the digits of e or solving for the roots of a cubic function? Certainly not: that would be irrational.

The problem is that most people haven’t a clue what “math” really is. People think “math” is what they learn at school. But what they learn at school is … “computation”, which is what computers do (not humans). Real math isn’t a formula; it is an exploration. It is art in its highest form. Real math requires inquiry: how does a computer handle ones and zeroes? How can one deduce an optimal diet? Why does multiplication work in the first place? And so on: all questions that inspire curiosity.

What is in our power to solve this grave matter? To be perfectly honest, there is only an infinitesimal chance that we can contribute. But here is something that almost surely anyone can do: before spitting out, “I’m doing math” (with contempt), ask: “Am I really exploring ideas I am curious about?” If the answer is “No”, stop! Say “I’m doing some computations”. But most importantly: explore! Find an incongruity; seek, and sedulously pursue it. Don’t give up. Report to a friend your progress, and repeat ad infinitum !

Words: 290/300.

Extracurriculars

I believe these were limited to 100 words each.

Seattle Japanese School and Studying Japanese. I have attended the Seattle Japanese School since fifth grade. I have consistently earned good grades, and have also participated in school-wide events like the annual Sports Festival. However, as the school alone is inadequate for leaning Japanese, I also read Japanese literature to increase my knowledge. Most recently, I have been reading the works of Ōe Kenzaburō. It has been stunning to see that the literary techniques I had learned for English could be replicated in Japanese. As Ōe often writes about post-WWII Japan, I have also been influenced by his thoughts on psychological confinement and humanism.

Independent study of mathematics. Not being satisfied by mathematics at school, I have been dedicating my time to understanding the reasons why various concepts in mathematics work. To understand why addition and multiplication work consistently, I read and did exercises in Terence Tao’s Analysis I ; to see why numbers could be defined as sets, I began reading Bertrand Russell’s philosophy of mathematics and Paul Halmos’s Naive Set Theory ; to understand why material implication is defined the way it is, I spent two years reading blogs, PDFs, and various books on logic. Through this, I have trained my mind to be methodical but also creative.

Aikido. I have been participating in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. My current rank is 5th Kyu. Training with the people in my Aikido class has increased my strength and awareness, and practicing the moves in the art has allowed me to react to the various attacks. Psychologically, it has also alleviated my phobias of eye- and bodily-contact. Furthermore the experience has enriched my life even outside of the class. When walking around at school, for example, or when I am in very crowded places, I have an increased awareness of my movements.

Tutoring (various). I have tutored people on various occasions. Last year in school, I tutored students studying Japanese. It is difficult to say how much impact I had, but I was able to help them complete their homework. This year in school I have been tutoring (in Spanish) students that recently arrived from Mexico. Since my command of Spanish is weak, the experience has been refreshing as I fumble for the desired expressions. Outside of school, I have volunteered for the Study Zone program at my local library. Through this I have helped the community by making homework a little more bearable.

Trail party at the Soaring Eagle Park. On three separate occasions, I helped out within a trail party at the Soaring Eagle Park in Sammamish. The work consisted of various trail- maintenance tasks, such as digging trenches to carry eventual rain off the trail, clearing the foliage of a fallen tree, and replacing mud puddles with fresh soil. Learning about trail-maintenance and connecting with the other people there was enlightening. Moreover the raw physical exhaustion on all three days was intoxicating. Philosophically, knowing that all of my accomplishments would soon be washed clean by the rain was disconcerting but also oddly pleasing.

• A few people I know have similarly posted their college application essays online, including Brian Tomasik .

Academic Support Programs

• Academic writing

Effective communication is a significant part of every job, discipline, and career! To help you develop this skill, you may take a UW Composition course from the  Expository Writing Program  (EWP) as well as other courses with a Writing credit. The EWP courses are typically centered around in-class discussions, short assignments, and major papers, and the bulk of the final grade comes from a final portfolio, which includes revised assignments. 

With every assignment, start by focusing on the prompt and its scope, which will give you more direction about the writing task: are you supposed to craft an argument, tell a story, or connect two different texts?

Try this: If you're struggling to come up with a response to the prompt, set a 20 minute timer and start brainstorming ideas or topics that you could explore, and feel free to look back at your class notes for this! If you're still stuck, make an appointment with your professor or discuss your ideas with peers in class.

Writing in college can be different from writing in high school, so here are some tips to keep in mind when structuring academic essays and ensuring that you are keeping audience, conventions of the genre, and use of relevant evidence in mind:

Every paper needs a title, which shouldn't be the name of the assignment. Typically, it should indicate something specific about your argument.

If you're struggling writing a title, it can sometimes be beneficial to leave that step until you're done writing. Look at the themes you've developed in your paper and brainstorm ideas from those.

Two-fold titles are very common, i.e., “Something catchy/interesting/metaphoric: Something that ties to the argument.”

Try out an exercise to help brainstorm ideas for writing a title. 

Most of the writing process will be spent devising your thesis statement, so focus on creating a thesis that is specific, supportable with evidence, and matters to the reader.

Introduction

An introduction will act as the bridge between your readers' lives and your analysis, and it should be a primer for the argument or topic you will explore in subsequent paragraphs.

You can think of the introduction as a "funnel" for your ideas. In other words, the ideas in your introduction will go from being broad (i.e. bilingualism in America) to specifically describing the argument of your paper (As evidenced by the research of XYZ sources, being bilingual is a strength of perspective that empowers students to empathetically understand the needs of their peers).

When writing an introduction, it's recommended to include:

• A brief explanation of general concepts (often course concepts/themes that the essay will deal with)
• An introduction to your sources or the type of evidence you will use.
• A s trong thesis statement that outlines your argument
• A roadmap that outlines the different sections of your argument
• The stakes of your argument - this should answer the question, "why does this argument or topic matter to the reader?"

Beware of Hooks 

Hooks are common in high school writing and often take the form of anecdotes or quotes from famous people, or rhetorical questions. If you've ever read a paper that starts with "According to Webster's Dictionary, culture is defined as.." you know exactly what we're talking about. Try to avoid ledes like this in college writing as they will lead you away from your argument and set the tone of your essay as noticeably conversational. 

Try this: Think about how you can introduce an interesting question or fact that's related to your topic. Is there a common dilemma or discussion related to your topic or the field?

"Argument” vs. “Claim” vs. “Thesis”

There is different terminology for every discipline, class, and instructor: argument, focus, claim, thesis, thesis statement, focus sentence, claim with stakes. However, they all mean same thing —  an academic claim with meaningful repercussions .

Many of the UW Composition/English classes require students to write a complex claim, which should 1) be arguable/nuanced, 2) take a specific stance, 3) be substantiated with evidence, and 4) have stakes and answer the question, "why does it matter?” 

Topic Sentences

In college writing, the main goal of a topic sentence is to communicate what the paragraph will prove/argue/explore, rather than introduce its general focus. Instructors will often call topic sentences “sub-claims” because they support the thesis and introduce different aspects of the assignment's thesis. 

With each topic sentence, focus on building your argument. In other words, each paragraph should support the claim of your thesis and build on the evidence from previous paragraphs.

Evidence, Quotations & Analysis

When picking quotes, use the essential portion of a quote and give it context i.e. “According to So-and-so, XYZ is a common theory.” Quotes must be incorporated grammatically and can be adjusted using brackets to clarify phrases, for example: "[In the case of the Amazon river] water flows uphill" (Miller 14). 

After including a quote, be sure to add an in-text citation, which will look differently depending on the required citation style , and provide specific analysis that connects your quote or evidence with the paper's overall argument. 

Use of Personal Experience

Unless your instructor asks for personal experience, use it sparingly and only to reiterate a point found in other evidence. Personal experience is certainly appropriate for an outcome reflection or writer's memo, but it is typically not included in academic essays. Focus on providing examples and evidence through reputable articles, peer-reviewed sources, or journals - the UW Library Databases are a great place to start looking.

Conclusions

This is the final section of your paper, and it has two main tasks: 

• Give the reader a “take-home message” of the paper that you want them to remember (the point of the paper's analysis, rather than a restatement of the topic sentence) 
• Connect the body of your paper and your overall argument. Instead of just summarizing each paragraph, show how your argument and examples fit together.
• Avoid introducing new information and analysis in your conclusion, but focus on why your reader should care about your topic

If you're struggling to come up with a conclusion, ask yourself, "Why should the reader care?" and see if you start to answer this question in your conclusion. Read more tips for writing a conclusion through this handout on the UNC's Writing Center page .

Topic sentence = what will be proven Concluding sentence = why that matters

Citations are required  and the use of someone else’s work without giving permission is considered plagiarism. Use both in-text citations when using quotes or referencing information that's on your own, and include a Works Cited/Bibliography page at the end of the entire document.

• Check with your professor about what citation style you’re expected to use. Common styles include MLA (humanities, APA, Chicago, and IEEE). Conventions for each of these disciplines can be found on Purdue Owl .
• For each source, start by pulling all the information you can find about the author, title, publisher, etc. You can use a citation machine to put other citations for the Works Cited page, but be wary of citation generators that are out of date!
• Once you pick a citations style, be consistent throughout your paper.
• If you have found the resource you are citing through the UW Library database search, you can use the database citation tool to create a citation for you in many of the most common citation styles.  Simply select “citation” from the “Send to” menu on the resource page on the database search.

Proofreading your paper to ensure that your assignments are free of errors is part of turning in a polished draft. Here are some common grammar mistakes to look for as you work through your paper, as adopted from Harvard's Tips for Grammar, Punctuation, and Style :

• Spell out acronyms the first time you use them , and use the acronym for each reference after e.g. "In 1924, the American Heart Association (AHA) in response to concern about the lack of heart disease information. The AHA continues to expand its education and outreach activities."
• Avoid passive voice:  This will make your writing more concise and ensure that the subject and verb are close together. It's usually better to say "Einstein's theory" than "the theory that was formulated by Einstein."
• Be sure all of your sentences have parallel construction.  This sentence doesn't have it: "Re- reading my first draft, I notice it's trite, repetitive, and with no thesis." This sentence does: Re-reading my first draft, I notice it's trite, repetitive, and lacking in a thesis.
• Make sure your references are clear.  When you say "This theory" or "that point" or, simply, "it," is it clear which theory or point you're referring to? When you use "he" or "she" or "these critics," will your reader have to reread part of your essay to figure out who you are referring to?

Best Practices for Academic Writing

Here are some notes to keep in mind when working on academic writing:

Paragraph Content/Length

2-3 sources of evidence is a good goal for most paragraphs. There is no literal limit on length, but paragraphs exceeding one page usually wander. To avoid this, make sure every paragraph contributes a new piece of analysis.

Audience/Tone

Unless otherwise noted, your audience is an average educated reader. Thus, you should explain jargon/course terms, provide context for examples/evidence, and make explicit connections between your quotes/evidence and the argument of your paper.

Try to maintain a tone that is professional, clear, objective, and makes a clear argument via a logical progression of thought.

When it comes to writing for a specific audience, think about their expectations or familiarity with the topic, and write with that in mind.

Academic papers, especially when referring to literature, are typically written in present tense. This gets confusing in papers that deal with social/cultural phenomena, history, or anything that has literally already “happened.”  In these instances, you can present anything from your sources in present tense, and anything from general knowledge in present perfect, past perfect, or present perfect continuous, i.e. “this has happened,” “this had happened,” or “this has been happening.”

First Person

For most academic essays where you're not presenting your own words or argument, avoid using “I,” “my,” “we,” and “our.” This topic is somewhat debatable; check with your instructor for more information.

Controversial Topics/Ideas

These can be acknowledged, but typically should never contribute to sub-claims or the main claim. It can be helpful to chat with your professor or TA about your claim if it seems controversial, which can be hard to navigate in an academic paper. In general, claims should only speak on controversial topics in terms of what can objectively be proven, as the academic community will not respond to anything else.

Rhetorical Questions 

A rhetorical question is asked in order to make a point, or produce an effect, not provide an answer. These are typically avoided in college-level writing because you as the writer are typically answering a question or forming an argument in the assignment. More importantly, rhetorical questions take for granted that the reader understands your implied answers to the question. As a responsible writer, you should assume that unless made explicit, your points will not be comprehensible to the reader.

On-Campus Writing Resources

The University of Washington’s writing centers are staffed by knowledgeable tutors who can help you workshop your assignments at any point of the process:

• The Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment has a Writing Center with writing tutors available from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on school nights! They can help with every stage of the writing process to brainstorming and drafting to polishing the final draft!
• The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) offers 45 minute appointments on any writing assignment ranging from an academic essay to personal statements.You can also schedule an appointment with a research librarian here!

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How to write an effective academic paper

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Transfer personal statement

All applicants must write a personal statement and submit it with the transfer application for admission. The personal statement should be a comprehensive narrative essay outlining significant aspects of your academic and personal history, particularly those that provide context for your academic achievements and educational choices. Quality of writing and depth of content contribute toward a meaningful and relevant personal statement.

You should address the following topics in your personal statement. Within each subtopic, such as Academic History, write only about what is meaningful to your life and experience. Do not feel compelled to address each and every question.

Required elements

Academic history.

• Tell us about your college career to date, describing your performance, educational path and choices.
• Explain any situations that may have had a significant positive or negative impact on your academic progress or curricular choices. If you transferred multiple times, had a significant break in your education or changed career paths, explain.
• What are the specific reasons you wish to leave your most recent college/university or program of study?

Your major & career goals

• Tell us about your intended major and career aspirations.
• Explain your plans to prepare for the major. What prerequisite courses do you expect to complete before transferring? What led you to choose this major? If you are still undecided, why? What type of career are you most likely to pursue after finishing your education?
• How will the UW help you attain your academic, career and personal goals?
• If you selected a competitive major, you have the option of selecting a second-choice major in the event you are not admitted to your first-choice major. Please address major or career goals for your second-choice major, if applicable.

Cultural Understanding

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

Optional elements (include if applicable)

Educational challenges/personal hardships.

Describe any personal or imposed challenges or hardships you have overcome in pursuing your education. For example: serious illness; disability; first generation in your family to attend college; significant financial hardship or responsibilities associated with balancing work, family and school.

Community or volunteer service

Describe your community or volunteer service, including leadership, awards or increased levels of responsibility.

Experiential learning

Describe your involvement in research, artistic endeavors and work (paid or volunteer) as it has contributed to your academic, career or personal goals.

Additional comments

Do you have a compelling academic or personal need to attend the Seattle campus of the UW at this time? Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Content, as well as form, spelling, grammar and punctuation, will be considered. Suggested length is 750-1000 words.

• Online application: You should write your statement first in a word processing program (such as Word) or a text editor, and then copy/paste it into the text box provided on the application. All line breaks remain. However, some formatting may be be lost, such as bold, italics and underlines. This will not affect the evaluation of your application.
• PDF application (spring applicants only): Type or write your statement on 8.5’’ x 11’’ white paper. Double-space your lines, and use only one side of each sheet. Print your name, the words “Personal Statement” and the date at the top of each page, and attach the pages to your application.

Tell us who you are

Share those aspects of your life that are not apparent from your transcripts. In providing the context for your academic achievements and choices, describe your passions and commitments, your goals, a personal challenge faced, a hardship overcome or the cultural awareness you’ve gained. Tell us your story. Be concise, but tell the whole story.

Be specific

Personal statements too often include sentences such as “I’ve always wanted to be a Husky” or “My whole family attended the UW.” Although this may be important to you personally, such reasons are not particularly valuable to the Admissions staff because they do not tell us anything distinctive about your experiences and ultimate goals.

Write like a college student

Your personal statement should reflect the experience and maturity of someone who has already attended college. It should reflect your understanding of the components of an undergraduate education, such as general education and the major. We want to read how, specifically, your academic and personal experiences fit into your academic, career and personal goals.

Keep in mind

• We want to know about your intended major and career aspirations, and we want to know your plan to get there.
• You have the option of selecting a second-choice major. If you do, be sure to address it in your personal statement.
• The UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.

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

University of Washington Secondary Application Essay Prompts & Tips

• Cracking Med School Admissions

The University of Washington secondary application is not too long and difficult, but it is hard to stand out. The University of Washington secondary essay prompts don’t change too much year to year, so this is a great secondary to pre-write and submit early! The admissions office removed the infamous autobiography essay , which was incredibly tough for premedical students. Now, the UW secondary application essays are open-ended in nature.  It is your job to incorporate your experiences in a personal, non-generic way. University of Washington favors in-state residents of students who have worked & lived in Washington state throughout their premed careers. They also like students who live in the Pacific Northwest United States. Read our tips on how to stand out in your University of Washington secondary application .

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to the School of Medicine at University of Washington year after year.  To learn more about UW medical school interviews, opportunities, and the curriculum, read our Cracking University of Washington Medical School Admissions page.  

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University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024

• We recognize that the world has changed significantly due to the global pandemic. Please share how COVID-19 has impacted you, your family, your community, and/or the patients that you would like to serve.  (250 words max)
• What perspectives or experiences do you bring that would enrich the class? (250 words max)
• What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them? (250 words max)
• How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you have worked with? (250 words max)
• Entering medical students should understand the social forces that shape the health of the individuals and communities they will serve. This includes understanding how social contextual factors and policy operate at the community and national level to impact the health of individuals. Students should be familiar with disparities in health currently present in society and their underlying etiologies. Candidates seeking acceptance to UWSOM  can establish competency in this area through  course work in the social sciences, humanities or related interdisciplinary fields such as public health or ethnic and gender studies, clinical and/or population health research, service learning, lived experience or a combination thereof. Examples of social science/humanities coursework to consider: Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Psychology, Religion, History, Philosophy, Literature.
• Describe your competency by explaining how you’ve explored and come to understand issues in the social sciences and humanities related to the “human condition”.

Out-of-region applicants  must have one of the following WWAMI ties in order to be eligible for consideration:

• Member of a federally recognized tribe whose traditional and customary tribal boundaries include portions of the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and/or Idaho
• Born in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, or Idaho
• Graduated from high school in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, or Idaho
• Have a parent who currently lives in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and/or Idaho
• Currently live and/or have lived in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and/or Idaho FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR
• Active military member who is stationed in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, or Idaho

Tips to Answer University of Washington Secondary Application Essays

University of Minnesota Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance: The University of Washington secondary essay prompts don’t change too much year to year, so this is a great secondary to pre-write and submit early!

• Download  all  our HIGH-YIELD tips for secondary essays:  Cracking Med School Admissions Secondary Essay Guide

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #1: To make your University of Washington secondary essays memorable, write as many stories as possible. 250-300 words is enough space to incorporate stories. For example, in the question, “ How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician, ” you can include a memorable patient encounter. We would also recommend prioritizing stories from community service and clinical experiences in the Washington State region.

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #2: Include stories and experiences in Washington state. Can’t emphasize this enough!

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #3: Convey your knowledge about Washington state’s and the Pacific Northwest’s healthcare issues and current events. For example, you can write the COVID-19 issues you witnessed in Washington state. Stronger essays will include how you tried to improve these healthcare disparities or health issues during the pandemic. 

• You can also read different perspectives about the current events there, helping you to answer the University of Washington secondary application essays!

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #4: Don’t forget to incorporate a little bit about “Why University of Washington” throughout the essay(s) you respond to. Talk about specific projects, community volunteering,  and research you want to do at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Read our University of Washington Medical School Admissions information to answer why this medical school ? 

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #5: Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below. Need editing help on your secondary? We can help you through our secondary essay packages . 

[Read Tips For Other Schools’ Secondary Essays: University of Wisconsin , Oregon Health & Sciences University , University of Utah , University of Arizona – Tucson & Phoenix ]

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Changing the trajectory of people’s lives.

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Undergraduate Johns Hopkins University, Phi Beta Kappa

Residency Stanford, Pediatrics

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University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023

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University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

• Use this opportunity to provide any autobiographical information which you feel would be helpful for the MSTP office. (250 words max)
• If you are not currently enrolled in coursework (nor planning to be enrolled throughout the application process), please describe your activities in this period. (250 words max)
• Please use this space to supplement your AMCAS Personal Comments. (MSTP will consider information provided here as well as your AMCAS Personal Comments) (250 words max)
• How did you find out about the University of Washington’s Medical Scientist Training Program? (250 words max)

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020 – 2021

University of washington medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2019 – 2020.

• Your AMCAS personal statement and experiences are already on file with our office. If your primary AMCAS application hasn’t discussed the origin and development of your motivation to be a physician including insights you’ve gained from exploring a career in medicine, and how your personal attributes would make you a good physician, please discuss those here. If you’ve already written about these items, don’t repeat what you wrote. Instead, use this autobiographical statement addendum to let us know more about who you are in addition to being someone who wants to be a physician. This is another opportunity for you to express what you want the Admissions Committee to know about you. (250 words max)
• How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you’ve worked with? (250 words max)
• How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician? (250 words max)

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2018 – 2019

• The origin and development of your motivation to be a physician
• Your prior experiences in health care
• Steps taken to explore a career in medicine
• Your eventual goals as a physician
• Personal attributes that would make you a good physician
• Remember: Please do not repeat what you wrote in your AMCAS Personal Comments (this will already be on file with our office). If you have already covered all of the above topics in your AMCAS application, use this space to let the Admissions Committee know who you are in addition to being someone who wants to be a physician. 
• How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician?
• What perspectives or experiences do you bring that would enrich the class?
• What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them?
• How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you have worked with?
• For Re-Applicants Only : From your most recent application until now, how have you strengthened your application? (250 words max)

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

• If your primary AMCAS application hasn’t discussed the origin and development of your motivation to be a physician including insights you’ve gained from exploring a career in medicine, and how your personal attributes would make you a good physician, please discuss those here. (250 words max)
• If you’ve already written about these items, don’t repeat what you wrote. Instead, use this autobiographical statement addendum to let us know more about who you are in addition to being someone who wants to be a physician. This is another opportunity for you to express what you want the Admissions Committee to know about you. (250 words max)
• How do you see historical and structural inequities affecting the patients you have worked with and will work with, and how do you as a student and physician address these broader causes of health disparities? (250 words max)

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2016 – 2017

• Remember: The Personal Comments section of the AMCAS application may be used to satisfy this requirement, or an additional autobiography may be submitted with your secondary materials. Your AMCAS personal statement will already be on file with our office.
• How do your experiences match the mission and values of the University of Washington School of Medicine?
• What obstacles to your goals have you experienced and how have you dealt with them?
• For Re-Applicants Only : From your most recent application until now, how have you strengthened your application?

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2015 – 2016

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How To Write The University of Washington Essays

Many applicants to the University of Washington often forget that the essays are not just about answering the question directly, but also about showing how you as a person are a valuable addition to the school ; as such, we will show you how to write the University of Washington essays correctly.

First, let’s go over a few basics. The University of Washington is one of the top public schools in the nation, ranking #62 in US News and World Report’s national universities list . Because of this, you’ll need to write stellar admissions essays to stand out from the competition.

Here’s how competitive UW can get.

University of Washington Freshman Admissions profile.

• High school GPA: 3.72–3.95
• SAT: 1240–1440

To have an average admissions chance, you will need to be in the upper percentile of students. If you meet the average, which is already an impressive feat, you’ll still need something to stand out.

With that said, here’s how to write the university of Washington essays to stand out from the admissions pool and get accepted. Note: they use holistic admissions , so your essays need to be unique.

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Contact us. we'll get to you within 24 hours. , essay prompt [required] . tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. maximum length: 500 words.

This prompt follows the general “tell us how an experience shows your character or changed you” format in a lot of college admissions essays. All topics are open but remember this: you need to make sure it “demonstrates your character” or “helped shape it”. This is the most important part, because you need to have a story that reveals to the admissions officers of the University of Washington your best character trait. Also, don’t forget the experience should shape you in a way that makes you a valuable asset to the school. It’s not just about your benefit, but theirs too! Your structure would therefore start with the story and then how that experience resonates today. For instance, your internship working at JPL showed you how to work in synergy with people instead of only relying on your own brains. Whatever it is you talk about, keep in mind that it is not the content of the story that is important. Rather, it is the lessons learned, the self-growth, or the changes you’ve made over time as a result of your experience that matter. This needs to be written clearly enough such that the University of Washington can see you as a worthy candidate for their campus.

Short response [required] . Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. Maximum length: 300 words

Be very careful with the wording of this question. When thinking of how to write the University of Washington essays, many people tend to answer this incorrectly. Consider this tip from them.

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

“Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. ”

The key word here is “Diverse.” Think in terms of what diversity you can provide to the campus. The admissions officers are not just looking for a candidate with good marks, but also someone with a unique story that will diversify their campus community. No college campus wants to be labeled as “the place where 4.0 students come and go.” Like other schools, they want academically competent applicants who can add their unique story to the community. Think of how you were molded by the community you were in and how your new identity will benefit the University of Washington. For instance, joining an online fiction writing community may be beneficial because your creative talents may resonate in a major that does not have as much creative strength.

Another way to think of this is this: what is your polar opposite or your “other side”. You may be majoring in a STEM field, but also heavily invested in the arts. Or, perhaps you have an affinity for sports while also implementing strategy from military science. Whatever your opposite is, it should be a community or group that you invest in that will add an aspect of diversity to your essay.

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances [optional] Maximum length: 200 words

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

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

The Additional information section of the UW essay prompts is recommended for those with unforeseen circumstances or unusual cases. This means that if you’re adding random extra fluff just to fit the word count and have more words than other applicants, it won’t be considered. Therefore, please be sure to write about relevant information when answering this question, otherwise, ignore it. If you are unsure whether the additional information you want to talk about is considered relevant “particular significance”, we recommend talking to us for a free revision and advising session here.

If you have a minor learning disability, an unusual error in your transcript, or a stressful mental health situation that got in the way of earning a high grade in one of your classes, you may talk about those topics here. Beware not to write, “my teacher was a bad teacher and they were not giving me the grade I deserve,” unless you have proof of discrimination and the problems were kept in record. Admissions officers tend to side with teachers, so you should avoid treading this topic unless you’re very certain.

Lastly, there’s an exception. We know the prompt is asking about “something” of “particular significance”. This can mean anything, which includes writing about how much you want to attend UW. Keep in mind that the example topics for this prompt included mostly emergencies and dire explanations. They already know that you want to apply because you put in the effort of sending in an application. Here’s how to write the University of Washington essays without annoying them –be concise and straight to the point. If you want to write about your future plans to dive into your major and build your career with UW, make it short and sweet. This is only 200 words for a reason. Giving them another section to read when what you say is redundant can hurt your chances.

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

Compared to the third UW essay prompt, we would recommend just about every applicant write this one. Although the third one was optional, this is less so because it essentially asks if there are extra details you would like to add to any of the essays you wrote. This should almost always be a yes because the word count for admissions essays are short enough already. Adding a little bit of extra clarification, detail, and support for your story can shed a light that the admissions officers may not have seen beforehand. If there’s nothing else you feel is necessary to clarify for the admissions officers about your previous essays, you can leave this blank.

 If you feel that there are a few points you need to clarify about your previous essays in order for the admissions officers to fully understand your perspective or story, then you should write this.  

If you feel that you need expert admissions experts to take a look at your essays, we can help you. Not everyone knows how to write the University of Washington essays correctly and effectively so that they can stand out from the rest. Schedule an advising session with us; we will answer your questions and help redirect you to the right path to get you accepted.  

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Writing the Refugee: Labelling, Literature, and the Shifting Imaginary of a Field

This dissertation addresses how the politics of representation and social imaginaries have impacted books by and about refugees migrating to the West since the late 1990s. Beginning with three popular publications from 2006/2007 and moving through today, I argue that the genre of modern refugee literature that coalesced around narratives of flight and a sympathetic appeal has been transformed by Western conventions of co-authorship and demands for authenticity. The result is a near vacuum of novels about recent refugee experiences even as population models for the next twenty five years predict an exponential growth in human migration due to climate change and political instability. To understand this shift, I consider the American publishing industry’s role (and responsibility) in national conversations about migration and nation building by reading refugee novels and nonfiction through lenses of sympathy, trauma-centered care, and humanitarian ethics. Using the work of political scientists and sociologists from Hannah Arendt to Liisa Malkki to Didier Fassin who critique humanitarian intervention as a method of engagement that relates to people who suffer but does not necessarily put an end to suffering or even establish systems that will, I ask what sort of transformational reading is expected from its readers and what sort of futures—both intimate and societal—books about refugees might help Western readers imagine and enact.

T his project also tracks the limits of sympathy as a reader response—despite its role as an authenticating feature of the genre—and follows how history and politics transform what is acceptable for publication. Chapter One presents three books that give voice to a new generation of refugees through layers of publishing and reviewing patterns that, I argue, norm readers to look for certain narratives within refugee stories in much the same way that the process of seeking asylum norms refugees to tell immigration agents the stories of their lives the agents want to hear. Chapter Two interrogates co-authorship and authenticity and discusses how both are bound up in the dangerous process of seeking refuge. Chapter Three centers Behrouz Boochani’s account of seeking asylum in Australia and explains how he marks a shift in the genre by including politics, history, and a demand for Western accountability. Chapter Four looks at texts engaged in genre experimentation that circumvent questions of voice and authenticity and open new narrative possibilities for refugees. My research shows how practices within the publishing industry both produce and replicate narratives that obstruct the fullness of refugee voices and limit readers’ ability or interest in questioning their involvement in the narratives that compel their sympathy.

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How to Write the Brandeis Supplemental Essays 2024–2025

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Brandeis University , located in the Greater Boston area, is known for its strong academics , strong need-based financial aid ( even for international students ), and inclusive community . With the middle 50% of admitted Brandeis students achieving a 1410-1510 SAT composite score or a 31-34 ACT composite score, admissions are competitive. Brandeis’ accomplished alumni include Angela Davis, Michael Horowitz, Thomas Friedman, and Debra Messing. Hoping to join their ranks? First, you’ll need to nail your Brandeis supplemental essays. Let’s dive in.

Brandeis 2024-2025 Prompts

There are two Brandeis supplemental essays. All applicants must answer the first essay question. The second question should only be answered by international students. Both questions require 250 words or fewer.

Required Essay Question

Brandeis was established 75 years ago to address antisemitism, racism, and gender discrimination in higher education, and today, the university remains dedicated to its founding values of inclusivity and justice. how has your educational experience shaped your perspective on these values (250 words or fewer), required international students essay question, what excites you the most about being an international student at brandeis university (250 words or fewer), we’ll review your essay.

Receive edits in as little as 24 hours

General Tips

A great college essay demonstrates that the writer is mature, thoughtful, hard-working, and ready to thrive in a challenging educational environment. But how can you show these qualities in your college essay? Here are a few ideas.

Share a story about yourself.

If your college essay revolves around a story you are share about yourself, then it will naturally show the reader what kind of character you possess. Through your actions in the narrative you share, the reader can interpret the extent of your maturity, understand your work ethic through a description of the fruits of your labors or the effort you expended, and so on. Your thoughtfulness can come through in your reflection at the end of the essay. Your college preparedness will be clear through the demonstration of all these characteristics.

Remember, “show, don’t tell.” This saying refers to when the reader deduces ideas and emotions from your story instead of being directly told what those ideas and emotions are. For instance, instead of writing, “I am more mature than I once was,” you can describe how you behaved in the past versus how you behave now. The contrast between these descriptions will “show” the reader your growth.

Share the lessons you have learned.

Everyone faces challenges in their lives. Everyone makes mistakes. But the people who stand out are those who face challenges, make mistakes, and learn from those experiences. The self-aware individual is able to go a step further and identify what they have learned. If your essay can successfully show how you went from point A to point B and then express your takeaways from this experience, then you’ll have an effective narrative on your hands. The admissions officer reading your essay will then feel that no matter what obstacles you encounter in college, you’ll still come out on top.

Stay humble, but confident.

The college essay requires a delicate balance between humility and confidence. Some applicants avoid sounding arrogant by writing self-deprecating narratives. Other applicants strive to sound confident and end up sounding self-satisfied. You’ll want to avoid both of these extremes.

Try to make factual—rather than subjective—statements about your accomplishments. For instance, if you write, “I recruited 15 volunteers, and together, we raised $1,000,” then the reader will not think you sound self-congratulatory—they’ll just understand what you literally achieved. Feel free to write about the pride you feel when thinking of what you have accomplished and how far you have come. Furthermore, avoid leaning hard into self-critique and focus more on your growth from where you once were.

Now, let’s dive into the Brandeis supplemental essays.

Brandeis Required Essay Question

This prompt seeks to understand how you will fit into the Brandeis community, which lies upon the foundations described in the prompt. In summary, Brandeis values what is colloquially known as “DEI,” or diversity, equity, and inclusion. Looking into your past and understanding how and when you became aware of these values, as well as what your perspective is on them, is the crucial first step in answering this prompt.

The next step in answering this prompt is describing the specific aspects of your educational experience that have shaped your perspective on “inclusivity and justice.” Have been inspired by a specific teacher? Have you ever felt excluded or witnessed a peer being excluded? How did you respond? What did you learn from this experience?

The core of your response to this question should be growth and evolution as a result of your educational experiences, specifically in regard to your perspective on inclusivity and justice. In other words, tell a story of how you changed your mind, let your perspective evolve, gained a new perspective, or developed a more nuanced perspective. Use concrete details where possible, and remember to reflect on the lessons at the end of your essay on the lessons you have learned.

This is your opportunity, if you are an international student, to tell Brandeis why you would like to attend. Your response to this prompt should be full of well-researched reasons. For instance, are there particular courses you hope to take or clubs you intend to join? Is there a professor you want to conduct research under? Are you especially excited to live in the Boston area, and if so, why?

Make a list of all your reasons for hoping to attend Brandeis, and then structure your essay around them. For instance, you could write one paragraph about academic reasons, one about social and personal reasons, and one about culture and value-based reasons. If you’re having trouble coming up with reasons, spend more time looking through the online resources provided by Brandeis and learning about student experiences. At the end of your essay, make sure to include a concluding paragraph that reflects upon how each of these reasons, as well as how they relate to your status as a future international student.

Alternatively, you could write an essay that envisions you as a student attending Brandeis. What are the opportunities you seize each day in the student life you imagine for yourself? Go through your imaginary day and describe it to the reader in detail. Be sure to express why you choose to seize the specific opportunities you do. This is just one of many ways of writing this essay, but if you choose not to go this route in your writing process, feel free to try this as a brainstorming exercise. You might impress yourself with what you come up with!

If you need help polishing up your Brandeis supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.

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WashU Libraries celebrates centenary of acclaimed writer William Gass

One hundred years ago, one of America’s most innovative and influential novelists was born. He also remains one of the form’s most intimidating. That writer is, of course, William H. Gass, author of numerous short stories, novellas, novels and essays. Gass also taught generations of WashU students as the David May Distinguished University Professor in the Humanities. He died in 2017 at age 93.

“William Gass challenges you as a reader,” said Joel Minor, curator of the Modern Literature Collection at WashU Libraries. “You cannot passively read his work. But while some people find his sentences dense and experimental style off-putting, he is widely admired for the philosophical complexity of his work.” 

In celebration of Gass’ life as a writer, critic and educator, WashU Libraries will host the William H. Gass Centenary Celebration from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall. The event includes a panel discussion with Gass’ former students and colleagues followed by an interview between WashU’s Martin Riker, in Arts & Sciences, and novelist Bradford Morrow, who will discuss his long friendship and professional relationship with Gass. WashU Libraries invites the WashU community to share memories of Gass here . The celebration is free, but participants must register.

WashU Libraries also is hosting the new exhibit, “ William H. Gass: Fifty New Acquisitions ,” through Jan. 31 at Olin Library. The exhibit builds on “ The Soul Inside the Sentence ,” WashU Libraries’ 2013 exhibit, which featured published and unpublished writings, recordings, photographs and the essay, “My Memories of the Service,” which Gass wrote specifically for the exhibition.

Here, Minor reveals more about the exhibit and Gass’ lasting impact as a writer and critic.

Tell us more about the new additions to your Gass collection.

Many of the selected items in the new exhibition come from (his widow) Mary Gass, who has continued to generously donate to the collection. That includes a lot of audio tapes of him at events, conferences and during interviews. All of those are digitized and accessible, with excerpts available online. A lot of the recordings are from the ’80s and ’90s, when he was working on “The Tunnel,” which took him three decades to write and is 652 pages long. For Gass fans, there are a lot of new insights in these tapes alone. 

As a reader of Gass’ work, what did you learn from the new materials?

It really deepened my understanding of Gass as a writer and his outlook on literature. He’s often categorized as a postmodern writer. But in one interview, he says he doesn’t consider himself or other “postmodern” writers such as John Barth, Robert Coover and William Gaddis to be postmodern. He really saw them all as building upon the modernist approach. Everyone thinks of James Joyce’s “Ulysses” as the ultimate modernist book. Gass was similar in that he packed so much into his fiction. He says on the tape he has a “baroque imagination.” But he was also postmodernist in that his narrators were often interacting with the reader, and not to be fully trusted — the “metafiction” approach, a term that he coined.

Describe some of the other new materials.

There are proofs and drafts of some of his books, including “Willie Masters’ Lonesome Wife,” which was an illustrated novella from 1968. That book turned a lot of heads at the time because of its use of photographs and other graphics to depict the narrator, Babs Masters, seducing a new lover — i.e. the book trying to seduce its reader. The designer reached out in 2022 and said he had the first numbered, signed edition, which had been in the vault for over 50 years. He also had drafts and correspondences. We didn’t even know that was out there. For a curator, that’s an exciting part of the job. You never know, day to day, who’s going to get in touch with you with something to add to Special Collections.

Gass is probably more widely known than widely read. Are there some gateway works that you would recommend?

You might call him a writer ’ s writer. Literary writers know him and they respect him for the encyclopedic quality of his long novels. But there are works that are more approachable. One fiction collection I would recommend is   “In the Heart of the Heart of the Country,”   from 1968. Another personal favorite is the novel “Middle C,” which came out in 2013 and is about an immigrant who is a music professor and a fraud. Gass wanted to be known for his fiction, but he wrote many more essays than stories, publishing nine volumes of nonfiction. His essays are about literature but also philosophy, architecture, photography and society. Gass actually won three National Book Critics Circle Awards for his criticism, still a record. Actually, most of all I would recommend “The William H. Gass Reader,” which he and Mary compiled shortly before his death and includes a wide sampling of both his fiction and nonfiction. It was published by Knopf in 2018.

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How to Write the Howard University Essays 2024-2025

Howard University has two essays for all applicants: a diversity essay, and a why major essay. While both are optional, we always recommend that you take advantage of any extra opportunities to share yourself with admissions officers, especially at schools that receive thousands of applications from talented students like Howard.

Read this Howard University essay example written by a real student to inspire your own writing!

Howard University Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants, optional.

Prompt 1: Diversity of all kinds is important to enriching the educational experience at Howard University. Please share with us anything in your background or lived experience that has shaped your perspectives and how that would contribute to the classroom and community at Howard. (500 words)

‌ Prompt 2: Please describe the major you intend to study and how you hope to use your Howard education to support you in achieving your passions and goals. Please address your first-choice and second-choice major selections. (500 words)

Prompt 1 (Optional)

Diversity of all kinds is important to enriching the educational experience at howard university. please share with us anything in your background or lived experience that has shaped your perspectives and how that would contribute to the classroom and community at howard. (500 words).

This diversity prompt asks you to reflect on how your unique background and experiences have shaped your worldview, and how you will contribute to Howard’s already diverse academic and social community. Your goal is to demonstrate both self-awareness regarding your own identity, and an ability to engage with those who hold different perspectives.

Understanding the Prompt

While the word “diversity” usually makes people first think of things like race or sexuality, our identities encompass much more than that. Howard places a high value on diversity in all forms —cultural, racial, socioeconomic, intellectual, and experiential. Of course, you can write an excellent essay about one of the conventional markers of diversity, but you could also write about something like an unusual hobby, so long as that thing is a genuinely important part of who you are.

As you evaluate potential topics, keep in mind that this prompt is asking you to:

• Reflect on the parts of your identity or experiences that have most shaped your worldview.
• Show how your unique perspectives will enrich the learning environment and contribute to the inclusive community at Howard.
• Emphasize how you’ve engaged with diversity in the past, and how those experiences will help you fit into Howard’s diverse, vibrant student body.

Brainstorming Questions

To get started, consider these questions:

• What parts of your background (race, culture, family, socioeconomic status, religion, etc.) have influenced your view of the world?
• Have you faced or witnessed challenges related to diversity, inclusion, or equity? How did those experiences shape your perspectives?
• What communities or groups do you belong to that have had a significant impact on your identity?
• How have you engaged with people who have different life experiences from your own? What did you learn from those interactions?
• What values or lessons from your background do you want to bring with you to Howard?

What Makes a Good Response

A good response will:

• Show a unique aspect of your identity : Be specific about the parts of your background or lived experiences that have most shaped your views.
• Provide thoughtful reflection : Explain how those experiences have influenced your worldview, values, or goals.
• Show how you engage with diversity : Offer examples of how you’ve interacted with people from different backgrounds and what you’ve learned.
• Demonstrate what you’ll contribute to Howard : Explain how your perspective will add to specific classes, clubs, or broader campus initiatives at Howard.
• Highlight your eagerness to learn from others : Show an openness to engaging with new perspectives and contributing to an inclusive community.

Hypothetical Student Examples

• Nia, a Black student who attended a predominantly White school : Nia could share how growing up in a community where she was often one of the few Black students taught her resilience and the importance of representation. She might discuss how she used her position on the student council to advocate for Black History Month programming and why she’s excited to see how she grows while being surrounded by mostly Black students at Howard, especially through clubs focused on understanding your identity, like Black Women For Themselves.
• Max, a first-generation student : Max might talk about growing up in a tight-knit, Spanish-speaking household while attending an English-speaking school. He could describe how navigating both worlds gave him a strong appreciation for cultural exchange. At Howard, he looks forward to engaging in conversations about immigration reform through classes like AFRO 301: Racism, Law & Injustice, and continuing to broaden his own perspectives through study abroad programs like “Politics, Social Justice & Language” in Santiago, Chile.
• Angela, an aspiring doctor : Angela could write about the challenges her parents faced in navigating the healthcare system for her aging grandparents. This experience sparked her interest in patient-centered healthcare policy and inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. At Howard, she hopes to build a robust foundation in medical concepts, through opportunities like the Comprehensive Medical Mentoring Program, so that she can start working towards change even early in her career as a physician.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Being too vague : Don’t generalize about diversity or inclusion. Be specific about your experiences and how they have influenced your thinking–don’t fall into the buzzword trap of just saying what you think admissions officers will want to hear.
• Forgetting to reflect : Don’t just tell the story of your background. Make sure to also reflect on how those experiences have shaped you and how they’ll impact your life at Howard.
• Overusing clichés : Avoid common phrases like “we are all the same” or “diversity is important.” While those are nice sentiments, they’re ones many students are likely to touch on, and the point of the essay is to distinguish yourself from other applicants. If you’re going to incorporate them, make sure you can connect them to meaningful personal experiences.
• Missing the connection to Howard : Howard admissions officers are specifically asking you to build a bridge from your past experiences to your potential future at Howard. To do that, you need to include resources or opportunities that can only be found at Howard. Rather than just saying “I’d like to study abroad to continue expanding my perspective,” which you can do at any school, find a particular program that aligns with your personal interests, like Max did.

Excerpts From Good and Bad Examples

Good Example:

“The smell of jasmine flowers and street food—fried plantains, chapati, and marinated goat—fills the air as I walk down the dusty roads of Nairobi. My skin feels the dry heat of the Kenyan sun, but my mind is focused on the rhythm of the Swahili words spilling out of every shop and market stall. The phrase “habari gani” (how are you?) greets me more times than I can count. But I always feel like a foreigner. 

Born in Atlanta to Kenyan parents, I’ve spent much of my life balancing the richness of two worlds—one where I’m seen as “too American” and another where I’m “too African.” In America, I was the girl with the different lunch, my ugali and sukuma wiki earning confused stares from my classmates who had peanut butter sandwiches. In Kenya, my English-tinged Swahili drew skeptical glances from cousins who asked why I couldn’t speak the mother tongue fluently.

This constant duality has shaped me into someone who never sees the world in absolutes. Instead, I see the power of intersectionality, as my dual identity has allowed me to navigate vastly different social and cultural landscapes, which in turn has allowed me to bridge gaps between people from disparate backgrounds. 

At Howard, I would work to ensure students who may not immediately feel like they belong, such as international students and first-generation college students, find community. Student organizations like Howard University International Pals would allow me to both mentor others using my existing skills, and continue refining my perspective by learning from older students. 

Through my experiences straddling two worlds, I’ve learned to be adaptable, empathetic, and open-minded. By drawing on my unique experiences as a Kenyan-American, I look forward to working to ensure all students feel welcome at Howard.”

Why this works : This essay clearly outlines the student’s background and how it has shaped their perspective on inequality. The student reflects on specific experiences that have influenced their worldview and connects those experiences to what they hope to contribute to and learn from Howard, through a specific opportunity that can only be found at this institution.

Bad Example:

“Diversity has always been important to me because it allows us to learn from one another. I grew up in a diverse community where I was exposed to different cultures and perspectives. This experience taught me the importance of inclusion and accepting everyone for who they are. At Howard, I hope to meet people from all walks of life and share my perspective. I believe that my experiences will allow me to contribute to the community, and I’m excited to be part of such a diverse environment.”

Why this doesn’t work : This response is too vague and doesn’t provide specific examples of the student’s background or how their experiences have shaped their perspective. There is no depth or reflection, only generic statements about diversity that have no connection to their personal experiences.

In Conclusion

Start by reflecting on your background and lived experiences. Then, show how they’ve shaped your current perspective on the world. Finish by explaining how your past has set you up to thrive at Howard. If you do those three things, you’ll be well on your way to showing Howard admissions officers what you’d bring to campus that nobody else would.

Prompt 2 (Optional)

Please describe the major you intend to study and how you hope to use your howard education to support you in achieving your passions and goals. please address your first-choice and second-choice major selections. (500 words).

This is a classic “Why This Major” prompt , which asks you to explain your academic interests and how Howard will help you achieve your long-term goals in those fields. Note that, unlike many “Why Major?” essays, you’ll need to discuss both your first-choice and second-choice majors, but fortunately you have 500 words at your disposal, which is plenty to cover two distinct topics.

This essay asks you to:

• Discuss your first-choice and second-choice majors : Why are you drawn to these fields? What experiences or goals have led you to choose them?
• Connect your goals to a Howard education : How will Howard’s specific programs, resources, and opportunities help you grow in your chosen field and pursue your goals?
• Show that you have a clear vision of how your Howard education will support your personal and professional growth.

To get started, consider the following:

• What sparked your interest in your first-choice major? An experience, a class, a book you read?
• Ask yourself the same question about your second-choice major, and reflect on whether the field is related to your first choice, or is entirely different.
• What specific opportunities at Howard (courses, professors, research opportunities, extracurriculars) will help you develop in these areas?
• What are your long-term career goals, and how will these majors prepare you to achieve them?

A strong response to this prompt will:

• Show clear motivation for both majors : Explain why both your first-choice and second-choice majors excite you and how they align with your interests or experiences.
• Be specific and personal : Use examples from your life—such as projects, internships, or personal experiences—that clearly show how you became interested in these fields.
• Demonstrate a connection to Howard’s academic offerings : Reference specific programs, courses, professors, or opportunities that can only be found at Howard that will support your goals.
• Show long-term vision : Clearly explain how your Howard education will help you achieve your career goals or personal aspirations.
• Lila, first-choice: Biology, second-choice: Psychology : Lila became interested in biology after volunteering at a healthcare clinic in an underserved community, where she saw the need for more doctors who understand the challenges of marginalized populations. Her second-choice major, Psychology, stems from her interest in mental health advocacy and understanding the intersection of physical and mental health, especially in underserved populations. She’s drawn to Howard’s focus on health disparities and opportunities for undergraduate research in that area, through programs like the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), as she feels this is exactly the environment that will prepare her to become a doctor herself.
• Isaac, first-choice: Computer Science, second-choice: Mathematics : Isaac’s passion for problem-solving and technology led him to his first-choice major, Computer Science. He’s been coding since middle school, when he began developing small apps to help his parents manage their business. Isaac is excited about Howard’s supportive environment for Black tech innovators, which he feels will help him continue to expand his skills, through opportunities like the Robotics Organization. He’s also interested in Mathematics as a second-choice major because of the overlap in concepts with programming and data science. He plans to use his Howard education to launch a tech startup focused on addressing economic inequality in urban areas through infrastructural initiatives.
• Being too vague : Avoid general statements like “I want to study biology because I like science.” Be specific about what aspects of the major excite you, and how Howard will help you pursue those particular interests.
• Not addressing both majors : Be sure to explain why both your first-choice and second-choice majors appeal to you, even if your first-choice is your primary focus. You can spend more space on your first choice, but make sure to leave at least 150-200 for your second choice.
• Forgetting Howard-specific details : Don’t just talk about your goals—connect them to Howard’s resources, courses, or opportunities, and make sure these things are genuinely unique to Howard. Rather than saying something like “I want to research the origins of democracy,” which you could do at any school, find a particular professor at Howard who is working in that area. Show that you’ve done your research and already have a sense for how Howard will help you succeed.

“I’ve been passionate about understanding global politics ever since I attended a Model United Nations conference in high school. The experience of debating with students from all over the world about pressing issues like climate change and international security sparked my interest in political science, and I quickly realized that I wanted to pursue a career in diplomacy. 

At Howard, I’m particularly drawn to the Political Science department’s emphasis on global perspectives, especially the courses on African politics and public policy. The opportunity to learn from professors like Dr. Ravi Perry, who focuses on political leadership and social justice, excites me, because learning from students who come from such different backgrounds has been key to my own intellectual growth, and I want to explore how political systems can be more inclusive and equitable.

I’m also interested in International Business, as understanding global economics will be essential to my future career in international relations. Howard’s international business program, with its focus on cross-cultural management and global trade, will help me develop the skills I need to navigate complex economic and political landscapes, far better than a more general business degree. I’m also eager to deepen my understanding of international diplomacy firsthand, through study abroad opportunities like the International Affairs program in Geneva, one of the most historically significant cities for international diplomacy there is.

With a Howard education, I hope to combine my passion for politics and international business to become a diplomat focused on promoting human rights and social justice on a global scale.”

Why this works : The essay shows clear, specific passion for both majors and connects those interests to Howard’s resources. The student not only explains their long-term goals, but also why Howard is the right place to achieve them.

“I want to study business because I’ve always been interested in how companies are run and how they can succeed in the modern world. Howard University is known for its strong business programs, and I’m confident that it will help me reach my career goals. In high school, I took several business courses and participated in a business club, which confirmed my interest in the field. I know that Howard will provide me with the tools and knowledge I need to succeed in the business world.

My second-choice major is psychology because I think it would be interesting to learn about how people think and behave. I’m curious about human behavior and how it influences decision-making. Howard’s psychology program will allow me to explore these interests further.

Why this doesn’t work : This essay is too vague and lacks specific details about Howard’s programs or how they connect to the student’s goals. The reasons for choosing both majors are generic, and lack personal insight or reflection.

By explaining the origins of your academic passions, and then connecting them to specific opportunities at Howard, you’ll craft a compelling essay that demonstrates how a Howard education will help you achieve your goals in your first-choice and second-choice majors.

Where to Get Your Howard Essay Edited For Free

Do you want feedback on your Howard 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. 

Need feedback faster? Get a free, nearly-instantaneous essay review from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!

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