texas a&m essay examples pdf

Texas A&M University Supplemental Essay Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the Texas A&M essay prompts? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Texas A&M application essays will breakdown the Texas A&M essay requirements and show you exactly how to write engaging Texas A&M essays to maximize your chances of admission. If you need help answering the Texas A&M essay prompts, create your free or schedule a free advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

Texas A&M Essay Guide Quick Facts

• Acceptance rate of 63.0%— U.S. News ranks Texas A&M as a more selective school. 
• Every student must submit a Texas A&M essay through ApplyTexas or The Coalition Application . If you are applying as an engineer, you must write an additional Texas A&M essay.

Does Texas A&M have any supplemental essays?

Yes, there are two Texas A&M application essays. The Essay tab of Admission’s Freshman Application Page , lists the Texas A&M essay requirements. You’ll find both Texas A&M essay prompts there. In the first essay, you’ll share a bit about your high school career. The second, is an engineering-specific short answer question.

Does Texas A&M require a supplemental essay?

Yes, the Texas A&M requirements require all applicants to write Texas A&M application essays. While there are two Texas A&M essay prompts, there is only one required Texas A&M essay. Only students applying to the College of Engineering need to answer both Texas A&M essay prompts. 

To summarize, students applying as engineers will write two Texas A&M admissions essays. All other non-engineering students will write one Texas A&M essay. Now that we have established the Texas A&M essay requirements, let’s write those Texas A&M admissions essays!

How do I write my Texas A&M supplemental essay?

After you’ve reviewed the Texas A&M essay requirements, you can begin brainstorming topics for your Texas A&M essays.  Remember, there isn’t a perfect topic or a formulaic approach to writing your essay. Your Texas A&M admissions essays are an opportunity to infuse your application with your life, personality, and voice. Rather than trying to impress Admissions with your Texas A&M essays, go for honesty! That means being true to yourself and your experiences. 

No matter what topic you end up choosing to write about in your Texas A&M essays, it is important you remember your audience. Your Texas A&M application essays are part of an application, so you need to appeal to the needs of your reader: the Admissions team. They are looking to get a sense of who you are and how you’ll add to the vibrancy of their student body.

Here are three questions you should keep in mind when writing each of your Texas A&M admissions essays:

• Have I answered the prompt in my Texas A&M essay?
• Does my Texas A&M essay reflect who I am?
• Do I show how I will be an asset to the school’s community in my Texas A&M essay?

Now that we have our essay goals in mind, let’s move on to the first step: brainstorming. We have provided the 2021-2022 Texas A&M essay prompts below. You’ll find a breakdown of how to approach each question, as well as tips for writing Texas A&M application essays that will help you stand out in admissions. 

Texas A&M essay – Question 1 (Required)

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today? (no word limit).

The Texas A&M essay prompts do not have specified word limits. Because there is only one required Texas A&M essay and this prompt is open-ended, we suggest sticking between approximately 500-700 words. Remember, if your essay is too short, you may not be telling a complete or detailed story. Too long, and you may not keep your reader’s attention.

Generate ideas

This Texas A&M essay is going to be about cause and effect. As you brainstorm , split your page into two columns: “Opportunities/Challenges” and “How I Was Affected.” The first column addresses the “what” part of your Texas A&M essay. The prompt asks about plural opportunities or challenges. Therefore, it is important you write down as many memories you can think of, as you’ll likely be picking more than one to include in your Texas A&M essay. Also, this prompt specifically asks about your high school career . Restrict your brainstorming to high school memories. 

The second column will be the “why” of your Texas A&M essay. Why is it important for the admissions team to hear this story? For each opportunity or challenge, write a corresponding bullet point that summarizes what you learned, how you grew, why you were proud of yourself, or why it was important to you.

Look for patterns

Once you’ve completed your brainstorm, start looking for patterns or ways to group your experiences. Was there a particular class you grew in? Perhaps there was a challenge that later reappeared as an opportunity. Or maybe there’s an aspect of your personality that shined through in multiple situations.

Whatever you settle on, be sure to refer to the three objectives before you start drafting your Texas A&M essay. This breakdown has already helped you be sure you are responding to the prompt, so you need to be sure the story you’ve outlined will reflect something about who you are and how you might positively impact Texas A&M’s community.

Tell your story

All that’s left to do is tell your story. As you begin drafting your Texas A&M application essays, be sure you aren’t simply listing facts or details. Instead, string them together with your thoughts, feelings, and interpretations. Even if the events on paper are simple, your voice is what makes will make you stand out .

Essay Draft Key Questions:

• Does your Texas A&M essay tell a story about opportunities or challenges you faced in high school? 
• Did you show how your experiences helped shape who you are?
• Does your Texas A&M essay have a point of view?

Texas A&M essay – Question 2 (Required for Engineering Applicants)

Describe your academic and career goals in the broad field of engineering (including computer science, industrial distribution, and engineering technology). What and/or who has influenced you either inside or outside the classroom that contributed to these goals? (no word limit).

According to the Texas A&M essay requirements, all applicants to the School of Engineering must respond to a second prompt and write a total of two Texas A&M admissions essays. Neither of the Texas A&M essay prompts has word counts, so there is no specific word limit for your Texas A&M essays. Because this question is more straightforward, we suggest keeping your second Texas A&M essay between 300-500 words.

Although the topics are different, both Texas A&M essay prompts are cause & effect questions. For this brainstorm, split your page into two columns: “Academic and Career Goals” and “Who/What Inspires Me.” List out what you hope to learn and the kind of work and research you might want to do at college as well as the kind of positions or work you’d like to hold or be involved in post-graduation (including grad school if you’re already thinking of attending). Remember, whatever you include on your inspiration list needs to have “contributed to these goals,” so as you list people, topics, or events, also write down how they helped lead you to your goals. 

Focus on what’s important

Once you have all the information and details you’d like to include, all you need to do is write about them in a way that shows who you are and what is important to you. For example, if you already know the kind of job you’d like to have one day, you could start with your academic goals, reflect upon your inspirations, and end with your career aspirations. Or if there was one pivotal moment that has defined your path, maybe start with that moment and tell the story of how that has led you to have the goals you have today.

Everyone’s goals and inspirations will be specific to them. However, a strong Texas A&M essay should focus on your passion for engineering. Let that passion shine through in your writing, and you’ll be sure to have Texas A&M application essays that will blow the admissions team away. 

• Did you describe your academic and career goals in your Texas A&M essay? 
• Have you shown what has inspired you to reach for these goals?
• Does your Texas A&M essay reflect your passion?

What does Texas A&M look for in essays?

To begin, you should think of the Texas A&M essays as a chance to introduce yourself. They’re also an opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants. Therefore, you’ll want to write your Texas A&M application essays in your own voice and show how your unique experiences have impacted how you view the world. The admissions team cares about more than just your grades and test scores; they care about the person behind the numbers.

Although it is not specifically mentioned in the Texas A&M essay requirements, it is expected your essays have the correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. In addition to telling your story, the admissions department is looking for Texas A&M admissions essays that are clear and polished. Excellent editing and proofreading are a must. The less distracted your reader is by little mistakes, the easier it will be to focus on the story your Texas A&M essays are telling.  

Tips for writing Texas A&M essays

In addition to providing the Texas A&M essay requirements, the university has a College Readiness page with resources and tips to help you through the application process. Be sure to review these tips on the website or below.  Approaching the Texas A&M application essays can be daunting. CollegeAdvisor offers 39 Essay Tips from Admissions Experts that will you navigate the writing process.

Answer the question

Our guide has already broken down the Texas A&M essay prompts to be sure you’ve answered the question completely. As you settle on a topic, be sure to use your Texas A&M admissions essays as an opportunity to touch on something not mentioned anywhere else in your application. Although the Texas A&M essay requirements don’t specifically tell you to, providing new information will help give the admissions team a full picture of who you are and the experiences that have prepared you for college.

Be authentic

We’ve said to “use your voice,” which is just another way to say be authentic. While it is important you keep your audience in mind (and specifically use language appropriate to the formality of a college application), it is also important you stay true to who you are. There’s no need to try to sound smarter or funnier or more serious in your Texas A&M essays than you do in real life – Admissions wants you to be yourself. 

Focus on details

The details you include will make your Texas A&M application essays stand out from the rest. Even if your circumstances or experiences seem like everybody else’s, your experience of them is what makes them special and unique to you. Being specific will also help bring your story to life and help drop your reader into your shoes so they can better understand who you are and what you bring to the table. 

Proofread your essay

Proofread, proofread, proofread! Grammar or spelling mistakes aren’t the end of the world. However, they do distract your reader from what is important: your story. Whether or not you are a strong proofreader, have a second pair of eyes on your Texas A&M essays. A teacher, counselor, or guardian is a great place to start. Even a fellow peer can be a good resource. Most importantly, your reader should give feedback on both grammar and story. This will ensure your final draft is as polished as it can be. 

As you begin compiling all the information you’ll need for your application, check out the Admissions blog for prospective students. Additionally, if you’d like more tips from Texas A&M’s undergraduate admissions team on approaching your essays, check out this video on telling your story!

Texas A&M Supplemental Essays: Final Thoughts

If the essay requirements seem daunting to you, remember that the admissions team wants to be impressed by you. There are so many types of students and people in the world. It is impossible to know who a person is by their grades and test scores alone. Consequently, the admissions teams reads the Texas A&M admissions essays to get a better understanding of each candidate as a person. Unlike the other aspects of your application, you have complete control over your Texas A&M application essays. Take that freedom and use your Texas A&M essays to show them your best, most curious self. Start early. Then, you’ll have time to brainstorm, draft, edit, rewrite, and proofread. With a little preparation, your Texas A&M application essays can wow the admissions team.

This 2021-2022 essay guide on Texas A&M was written by Stefanie Tedards. For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources on Texas A&M, click here . Want help crafting your Texas A&M admissions essays? Create your free account or schedule a free advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

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Application Process and Guidelines

The Entry to a Major (ETAM) process uses a priority method that places you in your highest preferred major possible based on your academic performance, your ETAM application and the program’s capacity. 

There’s also an automatic entry pathway to your first-choice major if you complete the required courses for ETAM and maintain the required automatic entry cumulative GPA defined for your class .

During each ETAM cycle, all College of Engineering majors  will accept applications (other than the  Bachelor of Arts in Computing, the Bachelor of Arts in Information Technology Service Management, and the Bachelor of Science in Technology Management  degree programs). On the ETAM application, you must apply to three majors and have the option to select up to five majors. 

Double-check your major choices and rankings before submitting your ETAM application. You will not have the option to decline an offer to a major listed on your application.

Explore Engineering Career Paths Current Degree Programs

Application Guidelines

Below are guidelines for completing your Entry to a Major (ETAM) application. 

• Students are required to apply to three majors with the option of applying to up to five majors.
• Major selections must be   ranked  in order   of preference .
• You cannot select the same major twice.
• It is important to be mindful and intentional with the rank order of your selected majors. You will not have the option to decline an offer to a major listed on your application.
• if you are not willing to immediately leave College Station, then do not select majors outside of College Station such as Ocean Engineering (OCEN)-Galveston, Computer Science (CPSC)-Galveston, Interdisciplinary Engineering (ITDE)-McAllen, etc.
• if you are not willing to immediately leave Galveston, then do not select majors outside of Galveston such as OCEN-College Station, CPSC-College Station, ITDE-McAllen, etc.
• if you are not willing to immediately leave McAllen, then do not select majors outside of McAllen such as OCEN-Galveston, CPSC-Galveston, ITDE–College Station, etc.
• The only allowable deviation from this policy is applicable to students in a co-enrollment program. If needed, refer to the transition requirements for your respective program .
• There are three essay portions to the application. Do not use AI text generators such as ChatGPT to complete your application. For details and guidance to prepare your essays, read more here .
• You cannot update or revise the application once it is submitted. Please review all details carefully before you submit.
• You will receive a confirmation email when you have successfully submitted the application.
• Late applications will not be accepted. If you encounter a technical issue when submitting your application, immediately email [email protected] and include a screenshot to document the issue. Most technical issues can be mitigated and/or avoided by submitting your application early.

Preparing for Entry to a Major

Your academic advisors are here to guide you.  You should consult with your assigned academic advisor ( General Engineering and Engineering at Blinn , Engineering Academy ) as you prepare for the ETAM process. They are considered a primary source for information about ETAM, which can be very helpful as you prepare an application for your preferred majors.

College Policy on Major Changes and Appeal Requests

There is no appeal process for ETAM placement decisions. Once placed in a major through ETAM, any changes to your major must be initiated using a change of major form in Howdy . Requests to change your major within the College of Engineering will not be considered until you have completed at least one semester in the degree-granting major you were placed in through the ETAM process. During that semester, you are required to enroll in courses that count toward degree completion for that major. Work closely with your assigned academic advisor to determine the best options for your desired outcome. Your assigned advisor's name is located in Navigate under the Success Team box located on the bottom right of your Student Home Page .

Housing Prospects Post-ETAM

On-campus housing in College Station is often limited due to high occupancy rates by first-year students. If your ETAM placement may result in a relocation to College Station, we encourage you to consider off-campus housing options in addition to on-campus housing . To prepare for a potential relocation post-ETAM, you may preview the housing options below:

• College Station –  Off-Campus Housing or  On-Campus Housing
• Galveston – Campus Living and Learning
• McAllen –  Off-Campus Housing

Please note: Enrollment in the Bachelor of Arts in Computing program, the Bachelor of Arts in Information Technology Service Management program, or the Bachelor of Science in Technology Management program occurs through:

• An approved  change of major request   for  current students . 
• Official notification from the  Office of Admissions   for  new students.
• Entry to a Major Essays
• Engineering Department Advisors
• Current Degree Programs
• Placement Outcomes

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write perfect applytexas essays.

College Essays

The ApplyTexas college application contains many essay prompts, and each of the most popular colleges in Texas has different requirements for which essays they expect applicants to answer.

So how do you get advice on writing your best ApplyTexas essays, no matter which school you're applying to? Look no further than this article, which completely unpacks all possible ApplyTexas essay prompts. We'll explain what each prompt is looking for and what admissions officers are hoping to learn about you. In addition, we'll give you our top strategies for ensuring that your essay meets all these expectations and help you come up with your best essay topics.

To help you navigate this long guide, here is an overview of what we'll be talking about:

What Are the ApplyTexas Essays?

Comparing applytexas essay prompts a, b, and c, dissecting applytexas essay topic a, dissecting applytexas essay topic b, dissecting applytexas essay topic c, dissecting applytexas essay topic d.

• Dissecting the UT and Texas A&M Short Answer Prompts
• Briefly: ApplyTexas Essay Topic E (Transfer Students Only)

The ApplyTexas application is basically the Texas version of the Common Application , which many US colleges use. It's a unified college application process that's accepted by all Texas public universities and many private ones. (Note that some schools that accept ApplyTexas also accept the Common App.)

The ApplyTexas website is a good source for figuring out whether your target college accepts the ApplyTexas application. That said, the best way to confirm exactly what your school expects is to go to its admissions website.

Why Do Colleges Want You to Write Essays?

Admissions officers are trying to put together classes full of interesting, vibrant students who have different backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, goals, and dreams. One tool colleges use to identify a diverse set of perspectives is the college essay .

These essays are a chance for you to show admissions officers those sides of yourself that aren’t reflected in the rest of your application. This is where you describe where you've come from, what you believe in, what you value, and what has shaped you.

This is also where you make yourself sound mature and insightful—two key qualities that colleges are looking for in applicants . These are important because colleges want to enroll students who will ultimately thrive when faced with the independence of college life .

Admissions staff want to enroll a diverse incoming class of motivated and thoughtful students.

ApplyTexas Essay Requirements

There are four essay prompts on the ApplyTexas application for first-year admission (Topics A, B, C, and D). For Topics A, B, and C, there are slight variations on the prompt for transfer students or those looking to be readmitted. We’ll cover each variation just below the main topic breakdown. There are also several short-answer prompts for UT Austin and Texas A&M , as well as Topic D for art and architecture majors and  Topic E for transfer students only . Although there are no strict word limits, colleges usually suggest keeping the essays somewhere between one and one and a half pages long.

All Texas colleges and universities have different application requirements, including which essay or essays they want. Some schools require essays, some list them as optional, and others use a combination of required and optional essays. Several schools use the essays to determine scholarship awards, honors program eligibility, or admission to specific majors.

Here are some essay submission requirement examples from a range of Texas schools:

• You are required to write an essay on Topic A .
• You also have to answer three short-answer prompts (250–300 words each) .
• If you're applying for a studio art, art education, art history, architecture, or visual art studies major, you'll have to write a short answer specific to your major .
• UT Austin also accepts the Common App.

Texas A&M

• If you're an engineering major, you'll have to respond to  a short-answer prompt .
• Texas A&M also accepts the Common App .

Southern Methodist University

• You must write an essay on Topic A .
• You may (but do not have to) write an essay on Topic B .
• You also have to answer two short-answer prompts .
• SMU also accepts the Common App and Coalition App and has its own online application, so you have the option to pick and choose the application you want to fill out .

Texas Christian University

• You must write an essay on any of the topics (A, B, or C) .
• TCU also accepts the Common App and Coalition App has its own online application, so it's another school for which you can choose the application you want to use.

The essays required as part of each admissions application differ from college to college. Check each institution's website for the most up-to-date instructions.

Three of the ApplyTexas essay topics try to get to the heart of what makes you the person you are. But since Topics A, B, and C all focus on things that are essential to you as a person, coming up with a totally unique idea for each can be difficult—especially since on a first read-through, these prompts can sound really similar .

Before I dissect all of the ApplyTexas essay prompts, let's see how A, B, and C differ from one another. You can then keep these differences in mind as you try to think of topics to write about.

ApplyTexas Prompts

Here are the most recent prompts for Topics A, B, and C on the ApplyTexas application.

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

You've got a ticket in your hand. Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

How to Tell Topics A, B, and C Apart

One helpful way to keep these topics separate in your mind is to create a big-picture category for each one: Topic A is outside, Topic B is inside, and Topic C is the future .

In other words, Topic A is asking about the impact of challenges or opportunities on you and how you handled that impact. Topic B is asking about your inner passions and how these define you. Finally, Topic C wants to know where you're going from here. These very broad categories will help as you brainstorm ideas and life experiences you can use for your essay .

Although many of the stories you think of can be shaped to fit each of these prompts, think about what the experience most reveals about you. If it’s about how your external community shaped you, that'd probably be a good fit for Topic A. If it’s a story about the causes or interests that you're most passionate about, save it for Topic B. If it’s primarily about an event that you think predicts your future, it'll likely work well for Topic C.

(Note: if you are a transfer student writing the essay variation for Topics A, B, or C, keep in mind that these variations still ask you about the outside, inside, or future respectively.)

Your years-long passion for performing in theater productions is an appropriate subject for ApplyTexas Topic B essays.

Now, we'll thoroughly deconstruct everything you need to know about Topic A, the first ApplyTexas essay prompt.

What’s the Prompt Asking, and How Should You Answer It?

This prompt wants to see how a particular external experience as a high school student has shaped you . The prompt uses the phrase "your story," signaling that admissions staff want to know what you believe has had the biggest impact on you.

Step 1: Describe Your Experience

The first part of the prompt is about identifying and describing specific experiences you've had as a high school student. You don't want your essay coming across too vague, so make sure you're focusing on one or two specific experiences, whether they've been positive or negative. The prompt suggests zeroing in on something "unique," or something that has affected you in a way it hasn't impacted anyone else.

You'll want to choose an opportunity or challenge that you can describe vividly and that's really important to you. In other words, it   needs to have had a significant impact on your personal development.

It should also be an experience that has been part of your life for a while . You're describing something that's affected you "throughout your high school career," after all.

Step 2: Explain How This Experience Shaped You

You shouldn't just describe your experience—you also need to discuss how that experience affected you as a person . How did this particular opportunity or difficulty turn you into the person you are today?

It's best if you can think of one or two concrete anecdotes or stories about how your chosen experience(s) helped shape you. For example, don't just say that a public piano recital made you a hard-working person— describe in detail how practicing diligently each day, even when you weren't feeling motivated, got frustrated by particular parts of the piece you were performing, and experienced stage fright showed you that working toward your goals is worthwhile, even when it's hard.

Elaborating on how a specific challenge or obstacle that you faced during your high school career helped shape your current perspective and personality is one option for Topic A essays.

What Are Readers Hoping to Learn About You?

Admission staff are looking for two main things. First, they want to see that you can be mature and thoughtful about your surroundings and events in your life . Are you curious about the world around you? If you've really reflected on your experience, you'll be able to describe the people, places, and events that have impacted you as a high school student in a nuanced, insightful way.

Second, they want to see how you stand out from other applicants . This can be accomplished in one of two ways: (1) you can emphasize how you are somehow different because of your experience and how it impacted you, or (2) you can emphasize how you learned positive qualities from the event that differentiate you from other students. Basically, how did your experience turn you into a special, interesting person?

How Can Your Essay Give Them What They Want?

How can you make sure your essay is really answering the prompt? Here are some key strategies.

#1: Pick a Specific Experience

You'll need to select a particular opportunity or obstacle to zero in on. Opportunities include travel, internships, volunteer or paid jobs, academic events, and awards. Challenges might include competitions, performances, illnesses, injuries, or learning something new. Remember, you'll want to focus on one or two particular events or experiences that have truly contributed to your personal growth .

As you're choosing the experiences you want to write about, think about significant things that happened to you in connection with those events. Remember, you'll need to get beyond just describing how the opportunity or challenge is important to you to show how its impact on you is so significant .

#2: How Did This Experience Shape You?

You then need to consider what about your experience turned you into a person who stands out . Again, this can be about how you overcame the difficulty or how the opportunity fostered positive qualities or traits in you that would make you an appealing member of the college's student body. You want to make sure you have a clear message that links your experience to one, two, or three special traits you have.

Try to think of specific stories and anecdotes related to the event. Then, thoughtfully analyze these to reveal what they show about you. Important adults in your life can help you brainstorm potential ideas.

#3: Think of the Essay Like a Movie

Like a good movie script, a college essay needs characters, some action, and a poignant but ultimately happy ending . When you’re planning out your personal statement, try to think of the story you’re telling in movie terms. Ensure that your essay has the following features:

• Setting: As you're describing your experience, taking time to give a vivid sense of place is key. You can accomplish this by describing the actual physical surroundings, the main "characters" in your community, or a combination of both.
• Stakes: Movies propel the action forward by giving characters high stakes: win or lose, life or death. Even if you are describing your experience in positive terms, there needs to be a sense of conflict or dynamic change. In the anecdote(s) you've selected to write about, what did you stand to gain or lose?
• External conflict resolution: If there's an external conflict of some kind (e.g., with a neighbor, a family member, a friend, or a city council), you need to show some level of resolution.
• Internal conflict resolution: Inner conflict is essentially about how you changed in response to the event or experience. You'll need to clearly lay out what happened within you and how those changes have carried you forward as a person.

Describing your feelings before, during, and after the opportunity or challenge is a crucial element of a Topic A college essay.

#4: Add Details, Description, and Examples

Your essay will really stand out if you add effective examples and descriptions.

For example, imagine Karima decides to describe how learning to navigate public transit as a high school first-year student made her resourceful and helped her explore the city she grew up in. She also discusses how exploring the city ultimately changed her perspective. How should she frame her experience? Here are some options:

I was nervous about taking the El by myself for the first time. At the station, there were lots of commuters and adults who seemed impatient but confident. At first, I was very afraid of getting lost, but over time, I became as confident as those commuters.

I felt a mixture of nerves and excitement walking up the Howard red line turnstile for the first time. What if I got lost on my way to the museum? I was worried that I would just seem like a nuisance to all of the frowning commuters who crowded the platform. If I needed help, would they help me? Was I even brave enough to ask? When the metal doors opened, I pressed my nails into my palms and rushed in after a woman with a red briefcase. Success! At least for the first step. I found a sideways-facing seat and clutched my macrame bag with my notebook and sketching supplies. A map hung above my seat. Pressing my finger to the colorful grid, I found my stop and counted how many I still had to go. I spent the entire train ride staring at that map, straining my ears for everything the conductor said. Now, when I think about the first time I rode the El by myself, I smile. What seemed so scary at the time is just an everyday way to get around now. But I always look around on the platform to see if any nervous kids linger at the edges of the commuter crowds and offer them a smile.

Both versions set up the same story plotwise, but the second makes the train ride (and therefore the author) come alive through the addition of specific, individualizing details , such as the following:

• Visual cues: The reader "sees" what the author sees through descriptions such as "frowning commuters who crowded the platform," "woman with a red briefcase," and "colorful grid."
• Emotional responses: We experience the author’s feelings: she "felt a mixture of nerves and excitement." She wonders if she's brave enough to ask for help. The train ride was "so scary at the time" but feels "everyday" now.
• Differentiation: Even though the commuters are mostly a monolithic group, we get to see some individuals, such as the woman with a red briefcase.

ApplyTexas Topic A Essay Ideas

There's no one best topic for this essay prompt (or any other), but I've included some potential ideas below to help you get started with your own brainstorming:

• Describe a time you organized the people around you to advocate a common local cause.
• Hone in on a particular trip with one or more family members.
• Identify a time when you were no longer in your comfort zone. Describe how you adapted and learned from that experience.
• Discuss being a minority in your school or neighborhood.
• Describe going through a cultural or religious rite of passage as a high school student.
• Elaborate on how you moved from one place to somewhere totally different and handled your culture shock.

ApplyTexas Topic A for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

If you are applying to transfer or to be readmitted, you likely already have some college experience. So in this case, ApplyTexas offers a personal statement option that allows you to write about your life beyond your high school years. This option still asks you to demonstrate what in your experience has turned you into a unique individual. But if, for instance, you left college and now are reapplying, you’ll want to address how some aspect of that experience made an impact on who you are now. Otherwise, follow the advice above for the standard Topic A prompt.

Here’s the current Essay Topic A prompt for transfer applicants:

The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application. You may also want to explain unique aspects of your academic background or valued experiences you may have had that relate to your academic discipline. The statement of purpose is not meant to be a listing of accomplishments in high school or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admissions committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and other application information cannot convey.

Next up, let's go through the same process for ApplyTexas Topic B, taking it apart brick by brick and putting it back together again.

What’s the Prompt Asking?

At first glance, this prompt seems pretty vague. "Tell us about yourself" is not exactly the most detailed set of instructions. But if we dig a little deeper, we can see that there are actually two pretty specific things this question is asking.

#1: What Defines You?

This prompts posits that "most students"—which likely includes you!—have some kind of defining trait . This could be "an identity, an interest, or a talent," so you need to express what that defining trait is for you specifically.

For instance, are you an amazing knitter? Do you spend your free time researching cephalopods? Are you a connoisseur of indie movies or mystery novels? Or maybe you have a religious, cultural, ethnic, or LGBTQIA+ identity that's very important to you. Any of these things could plausibly be the main, framing theme of your essay.

#2: How Does That Defining Trait Fit Into "You" Overall?

Even though you have some kind of defining trait, that's not the entirety of you. Essentially, you need to contextualize your defining trait within your broader personality and identity. This is where the "tell us about yourself" part comes in. What does your defining trait say about you as a person? And how does it fit into your overall personality, values, and dreams?

In a Topic B college essay, you could potentially describe your knowledge of chess and how it exemplifies your talent for thinking several steps ahead.

Admissions staff are hoping to learn two main things:

#1: What You're Passionate About

It's essential that this essay communicates genuine passion for whatever you write about. College is a lot of work, and passion is an important driving force when things get busy. Therefore, readers are looking for students who are really engaged in the world around them and excited about specific causes and activities!

#2: How You View Yourself (and How Successfully You Can Communicate That)

A strong, well-developed sense of self goes a long way toward helping you weather all the changes you're going to experience when you attend college. Even though you'll change and grow a lot as a person during your college years, having a sense of your own core traits and values will help those changes be exciting as opposed to scary .

Colleges are looking for a developed sense of self. Additionally, they are looking for students who can communicate messages about themselves in a clear, confident, and cohesive way .

The challenge with this prompt is giving a complete picture of you as a person while still staying on message about your defining trait. You need to be focused yet comprehensive. Let's explore the best ways to show off your passion and frame your identity.

#1: Define the Core Message

First, you need to select that defining trait . This could be pretty much anything, just as long as you're genuinely invested in this trait and feel that it represents some core aspect of you.

It should also be something you can describe through stories and anecdotes . Just saying, "I'm a redhead, and that defines me" makes for a pretty boring essay! However, a story about how you started a photography project that consists of portraits of redheads like you and what you learned about yourself from this experience is much more interesting.

Be careful to select something that presents you in a broadly positive light . If you choose a trait that doesn't seem very serious, such as your enduring and eternal love of onion rings, you risk seeming at best immature and at worst outright disrespectful.

You also want to pick something realistic —don't claim you're the greatest mathematician who ever lived unless you are, in fact, the greatest mathematician who ever lived (and you probably aren't). Otherwise, you'll seem out of touch.

#2: Fit Your Message into the Larger Picture

Next, consider how you can use this trait to paint a more complete picture of you as a person . It's great that you're passionate about skiing and are a member of a ski team, but what else does this say about you? Are you an adventurous daredevil who loves to take (reasonable) risks? Are you a nature lover with a taste for exploration? Do you love being part of a team?

Select at least two or three positive messages you want to communicate about yourself in your essay about your key trait.

In a Topic B essay, a student could connect their long-time passion for cooking to their penchant for adding their unique touch to every project they take on.

#3: Show, Don't Tell

It's much more interesting to read about things you do that demonstrate your key traits than it is to hear you list them. Don't just say, "Everyone asks me for advice because I'm level-headed and reasonable." Instead, actually describe situations that show people asking you for advice and you offering that level-headed, reasonable advice.

#4: Watch Your Tone

It's important to watch your tone as you write an essay that's (pretty overtly) about how great you are. You want to demonstrate your own special qualities without seeming glib, staid, self-aggrandizing, or narcissistic .

Let’s say Andrew wants to write about figuring out how to grow a garden, despite his yard being in full shade, and how this desire turned into a passion for horticulture. He could launch into a rant about the garden store employees not knowing which plants are right for which light, the previous house owner’s terrible habit of using the yard as a pet bathroom, or the achy knee that prevented him from proper weeding posture.

Alternatively, he could describe doing research on the complex gardens of royal palaces, planning his garden based on plant color and height, using the process of trial and error to see which plants would flourish, and getting so involved with this work that he often lost track of time.

One of these approaches makes him sound whiny and self-centered, whereas  the other makes him sound like someone who can take charge of a difficult situation .

ApplyTexas Topic B Essay Ideas

Again, there's no single best approach here, but I've outlined some potential topics below:

• Are you known for being really good at something or an expert on a particular topic? How does this impact your identity?
• Discuss how you got involved in a certain extracurricular activity and what it means to you. What have you learned from participating in it?
• Describe something you've done lots of research on in your free time. How did you discover that interest? What have you learned as a result?
• What's your most evident personality trait? How has that trait impacted your life? (You can ask friends and relatives for help with this one.)
• Relate the importance of your LGBTQIA+ identity.
• Discuss your religious or cultural background and how this defines you.
• Describe your experience as a member of a specific community.

ApplyTexas Topic B for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

The ApplyTexas variation on Topic B is specifically designed for two different possible application situations. The first is for people who are applying as nondegree-seeking or postbaccalaureate students (aka “transient students”). In this case, they ask you to discuss the courses you want to take and what you hope to accomplish if you are admitted. That means they still want you to focus this essay on what you are passionate about, as mentioned above, but they expect that passion to be based on courses the university offers more directly.  

The second is for students who are reapplying after being suspended for academic reasons. In this situation, they ask you to describe any actions you have taken to improve your academic performance and to give them a reason why you should be readmitted. You’ll still need to focus on your positive traits in this variation, so this can be a tricky task. As in the example above, you’ll need to watch your tone and not come across as whiny. Instead, confront the cause of your academic suspension and what you learned from that experience; then, turn it into a newfound strength. Maybe you learned new study habits you can describe for them. Maybe working full-time while you were suspended improved your work ethic. Whatever you choose, show how a negative situation changed into a positive learning experience for you, and focus on the better person you are now because of it. 

Here’s the current prompt for Essay Topic B for transfer applicants:

If you are applying as a former student and were suspended for academic reasons, describe briefly any actions you have taken to improve your academic abilities and give reason why you should be readmitted. If you are applying as a nondegree-seeking or postbaccalaureate application, briefly describe the specific objectives you wish to accomplish if admitted, including the courses in which you would like to enroll.

Now, we can take apart Topic C to get a good handle on how to tackle this future-facing essay.

You've got a ticket in your hand—where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

If ApplyTexas Topic A and Topic B were all about your past experiences, Topic C wants you to give readers a glimpse of your imagined possibilities .

There are basically two potential approaches to this question. We'll break them down here.

Option 1: Describe Your Long-Term Goals

One approach to this prompt is to use your essay as a chance to describe your long-term goals for your career and life .

For some students, this will be a straightforward endeavor. For example, say you’ve always wanted to be a doctor. You spend your time volunteering at hospitals, helping out at your mom’s practice, and studying biology. You could easily frame your "ticket" as a ticket to medical school. Just pick a few of the most gripping moments from these past experiences and discuss the overall trajectory of your interests, and your essay would likely be a winner!

But what if you’re not sure about your long-term goals yet? Or what if you feel like you really don't know where you're going next week, let alone next year or 10 years from now? Read on for Option 2.

Option 2: Demonstrate Thoughtful Imagination

Although you can certainly interpret this as a straightforward question about your future, you can also use it as a chance to be more imaginative.

Note that this entire question rests on the metaphor of the ticket. The ticket can take you anywhere; you decide. It could be to a real place, such as your grandmother's house or the Scottish Highlands or the Metropolitan Museum. Or it could be somewhere fantastical, such as a time machine to the Paleolithic.

The important point is that you use the destination you select—and what you plan to do there—to prove you're a thoughtful person who is excited about and actively engaged with the world around you .

The destination you choose to write about, whether realistic or fantastical, should be clearly linked to a specific goal or set of goals that you wish to pursue or are currently pursuing.

If you're on a direct path to a specific field of study or career, admissions officers definitely want to know this. Having driven, goal-oriented, and passionate students is a huge plus for any college. If this sounds like you, be sure your essay conveys not just your interest but also your deep love of the subject, as well as any related clubs, activities, or hobbies you’ve done during high school.

If you take the more creative approach to this prompt, however, realize that in this essay (as in all the other ApplyTexas essays),  the how matters much more than the what . Don't worry that you don't have a specific goal in mind yet. No matter where your eventual academic, career, or other pursuits might lie, every activity you've done up to now has taught you something, whether that be developing your work ethic, mastering a skill, learning from a mentor, interacting with peers, dealing with setbacks, understanding your own learning style, or persevering through hardship. Your essay is a chance to show off that knowledge and maturity.

So no matter what destination you choose for your ticket (the what ), you want to communicate that you can think about future (and imagined!) possibilities in a compelling way based on your past experiences (the how ).

Whether you take the ideas of "where you are going" and "what you are doing" in a more literal or more abstract direction, the admissions committee wants to make sure that no matter what you study, you'll be able to get something meaningful out of it . They want to see that you’re not simply floating through life on the surface but are actively absorbing the qualities, skills, and know-how you'll need to succeed in the world.

Here are some ideas for how to show that you have thoughtful and compelling visions of possible futures.

#1: Pick Where You're Going

Is this going to be a more direct interpretation of your goals (my ticket is to the judge's bench) or a more creative one (my ticket is to Narnia)? Whichever one you choose, make sure that you choose a destination that is genuinely compelling to you . The last thing you want is to come off sounding bored or disingenuous.

#2: Don’t Overreach or Underreach

Another key point is to avoid overreaching or underreaching. For instance, it’s fine to say that you’d like to get involved in politics, but it’s a little too self-aggrandizing to say that you’re definitely going to be president of the United States. Be sure that whatever destination you select for your ticket, it doesn’t come off as unnecessary bragging rather than simple aspiration .

At the same time, make sure the destination you've chosen is one that makes sense in the context of a college essay. Maybe what you really want is a ticket to the potato chip factory; however, this essay might not be the best place to elaborate on this imagined possibility.

While you can of course choose a whimsical location, you need to be able to ground it in a real vision of the kind of person you want to become . Don't forget who your audience is! College admissions officers want to find students who are eager to learn . They also want to be exposed to new thoughts and ideas.

#3: Flesh It Out

Once you've picked a destination, it's time to consider the other components of the question: What are you going to do once you reach your destination? What will happen there? Try to think of some key messages that relate back to you, your talents, and your goals .

#4: Ground Your "Journey" in Specific Anecdotes and Examples

The way this question is framed is very abstract, so ground your thoughts about your destination (whether it's more straightforward or more creative) in concrete anecdotes and examples that show you're thoughtful, engaged, passionate, and driven.

This is even more important if you go the creative route and are writing about an unusual location. If you don't keep things somewhat grounded in reality, your essay could come across as frivolous. Make sure you make the most of this chance to share real-life examples of your desirable qualities.

Imagine Eleanor’s essay is about how she wants a ticket to Starfleet Academy (for the uninitiated, this is the fictional school in the Star Trek universe where people train to be Starfleet officers). Which essay below conveys more about her potential as a student?

My ticket is to Starfleet Academy. There, I would train to become part of the Command division so I could command a starship. Once I was captain of my own starship, I would explore the deepest reaches of space to interact with alien life and learn more about the universe.

I've loved Star Trek since my dad started playing copies of old episodes for me in our ancient DVD player. So if I could have a ticket to anywhere, it would be to Starfleet Academy to train in the command division. I know I would make a superb command officer. My ten years of experience in hapkido have taught me discipline and how to think on my feet. Working as a hapkido instructor in my dojo the past two years has honed my leadership and teaching qualities, which are essential for any starship commander. Additionally, I have the curiosity and sense of adventure necessary for a long career in the unknown reaches of space. Right now, I exercise my thirst for exploration through my photography blog. Using my DSLR camera, I track down and photograph obscure and hidden places I find in my town, on family trips, and even on day trips to nearby cities. I carefully catalogue the locations so other people can follow in my footsteps. Documentation, after all, is another important part of exploring space in a starship.

Both versions communicate the same things about the imagined destination, but the second essay does a much better job showing who Eleanor is as a person. All we really learn from the first excerpt is that Eleanor must like Star Trek .

We can also infer from version 1 that she probably likes leadership, exploration, and adventure because she wants to captain a starship, but we don't really know that for sure. Admissions officers shouldn't have to guess who you are from your essay; your essay should lay it out for them explicitly and articulately.

In the second essay, by contrast, Eleanor clearly lays out the qualities that would make her a great command officer and provides examples of how she exemplifies these qualities . She ties the abstract destination to concrete activities from her life, such as hapkido and photography. This provides a much more well-rounded picture of what Eleanor could bring to the student body and the school at large.

Eleanor's essay about her desire to explore the final frontier creatively illustrates her curiosity and leadership potential .

ApplyTexas Topic C Essay Ideas

I've come up with some sample essay ideas for the two different approaches to this prompt.

Possibility 1: Your Concrete Goals

• Describe your goal to pursue a particular academic field or career and discuss how specific classes or extracurricular activities ignited that passion
• Discuss how your plans to pursue politics, project management, or another leadership role were fostered by a first experience of leadership (this could be a straightforward leadership position in a club or job or a more indirect or unplanned leadership experience, such as suddenly having to take charge of a group).
• Discuss how your desire to teach or train in the future was sparked by an experience of teaching someone to do something (e.g., by being a tutor or by helping a sibling deal with a particularly challenging class or learning issue).
• Describe your goal to perform on stage, and discuss how your past experiences of public creativity (e.g., being in a play, staging an art show, performing an orchestra, or being involved in dance,.) led you to this goal

Possibility 2: Creative/Abstract Destination

• What would you do if you could visit the world of a favorite childhood book, movie, or TV series? What qualities does that show about you?
• Is there a relative or friend you would like to visit with your ticket?
• Is there a particular historical period you would like to time travel to?
• Is there a destination you've always wanted to go to that you've read about, heard about, or only conjured up in dreams or in a moment of creativity?

Remember to tie your imaginative destination to concrete details about your special qualities!

Topic C for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

ApplyTexas offers a Topic C alternative in case there is personal information you want them to consider along with your application, such as why you are transferring to a new school. They still want you to focus on the future, but they encourage discussing any hardships, challenges, extenuating circumstances, or opportunities that have affected your abilities and academic credentials (in a positive way). They also want you to discuss how these circumstances can help you contribute to a diverse college community. In this case, this variation is not fundamentally different from the ticket question; it just asks for a more specific focus. So if this variation applies to you, use the advice above for question C option one. 

Here’s the current prompt for Essay Topic C for transfer applicants:

There may be personal information that you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents, educational goals, or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to creating a diverse learning environment.

Would you use your ticket to visit Renaissance Italy, a journey you metaphorically hope to take as a history major?

If you're applying to one of several fine arts fields, you might have to write this essay.

Personal interaction with objects, images, and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image, or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

If you’re applying to study architecture, art, or art history, one of the essays you will likely have to write is this one. This essay topic is trying to ask as broadly as possible about an experience with art that has moved you in some way. This means that your options for answering the question are quite varied. So what are the two different parts of this prompt? Let's take a look.

Part 1: Observation and Reaction

Think of a time you experienced that blown-away feeling when looking at something human made. This is the reaction and situation the first part of the essay wants you to recreate. The prompt is primarily interested in your ability to describe and pinpoint exactly what quality made you stop in your tracks. The huge set of inspiring object options the prompt offers tells us that your taste level won't be judged here.

You can focus on a learning experience, which includes both classes and extracurricular activities, or you can focus on a direct experience in which you encountered an object or space without the mediation of a class or teacher. The only limit to your focus object is that it is something made by someone other than you. Your reaction should be in conversation with the original artist, not a form of navel-gazing.

The key for this part of the essay is that your description needs to segue into a story of change and transformation . What the essay topic is asking you to show isn’t just that you were struck by something you saw or learned about, but that you also absorbed something from this experience that impacted your own art going forward.

Did seeing the Angkor Wat Temple during a trip abroad with your family foster your intellectual passion for Southeast Asian art or religious monuments?

Part 2: Absorption

This brings us to the second part of the essay prompt: this is where you need to move from the past into the present — and then at least gesture meaningfully toward the future.

It’s one thing to look at a piece of art, such as a sculpture or architectural form, and feel moved by its grace, boldness, or vision. But it’s a sign of a mature, creative mind to be able to take to heart what is meaningful to you about this work and then transmute this experience into your own art or your interpretation of others' creative works.

This essay wants to see that developing maturity in you ; therefore, you should explain exactly how your own vision has changed after this meaningful encounter you've described. What qualities, philosophy, or themes do you now try to infuse into what you create or how you analyze art?

More importantly, this essay prompt asserts that being affected by something once isn’t enough. That’s why in this second part of the essay,  you also need to explain what you’ve been doing to keep having similarly moving encounters with other creative works .

You have some choice, too, when it comes to answering, "What have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?" For example, you could describe how you’ve sought out other works by the same artist who moved you the first time. Or you could describe investigating new media or techniques to emulate something you saw. Or you could discuss learning about the period, genre, school, or philosophical theory that the original piece of art comes from to give yourself a more contextualized understanding.

If you’re planning an academic career in the visual arts or architecture, then you’re entering a long conversation started by our cave-painting ancestors and continuing through every human culture and society since.

This essay wants to make sure that you aren’t creating or interpreting art in a vacuum and that you have had enough education and awareness to be inspired by others. By demonstrating how you react to works that move you—not with jealousy or dismissal but with appreciation and recognition of another’s talent and ability—you're proving that you're ready to participate in this ongoing conversation.

At the same time, this essay is asking you to show your own creative readiness.  For example, describe not only the work you have produced but also your ability to introduce new elements into that work—in this case, inspired by the piece you described. This way, you can demonstrate that you aren’t a one-note artist but are mature enough to alter and develop what you make. Or if you want to major in art history or art education, relate how your perspective on a particular piece of art or architecture is shaped by your unique perspective, based on your experiences, education, and cultural identity.

A student might write their Topic D essay on how Michelangelo's Madonna della Pietà   has influenced their own artistic renderings of youth and beauty in grief.

What are some best practices for teasing out the complexities of art in written form? Here are some helpful tips as you brainstorm and write your essay.

#1: Pick One Piece of Art or Learning Experience

Once you’ve chosen between these two contexts, narrow down your selection even further . If you're writing about an educational encounter, don’t forget that it can come from an informal situation as well. For example, you could write about something you learned on your own from a documentary, a museum visit, or an art book.

If you're writing about a direct experience with art, don't necessarily fixate on a classic piece . Alternatively, you could discuss a little-known public sculpture, a particularly striking building or bridge you saw while traveling, or a gallery exhibition.

Whatever you end up writing about, make sure you know some of the identifying details . You don’t need to know the answers to all the following questions, but do your best to research so you can answer at least two or three of them:

• Who is the artist?
• Where is the piece on display?
• What kind of work is it?
• With what materials was it made?
• When was it made?

#2: Figure Out Why You Were Struck by This Particular Work

The make-it-or-break-it moment in this essay will be your ability to explain what affected you in the object you're writing about . Why is it different from other works you’ve seen? Were you in the right place and time to be moved by it, or would it have affected you the same way no matter where or when you saw it? Did it speak to you because it shares some of your ideals, philosophies, or tastes—or because it was so different from them?

Be careful with your explanation because it can easily get so vague as to be meaningless or so obscure and "deep" that you lose your reader. Before you start trying to put it down on paper, try to talk out what you plan to say either with a friend, parent, or teacher. Do they understand what you’re saying, and do they believe you?

#3: Make a Timeline of Your Own Creative Works

When you think about what you've been making or thinking about making during your high school career, what is the trajectory of your ideas? How has your understanding of the materials you want to work with or study changed? What message do you want your works to convey, or what message in others' works most resonate with you? How do you want your works to be seen or engaged with by others? What is the reason you feel compelled to be creative or involved in the arts?

Now that you’ve come up with this timeline, see whether your changes in thought overlap with the art experience you're planning on describing . Is there a way you can combine what was so exciting to you about this work with the way you’ve seen your own ideas about art evolve?

#4: Use a Mix of Concreteness and Comparisons in Your Description

Just as nothing ruins a joke like explaining it, nothing ruins the wordless experience of looking at art as talking it to death does. Still, you need to find a way to use words to give the reader a sense of what the piece that moved you actually looks like —particularly if the reader isn't familiar with the work or the artist that created it.

Here is my suggested trick for writing well about art. First, be specific about the object. Discuss its colors, size, what it appears to be made of, what your eye goes to first (e.g., bright colors versus darker, more muted ones), what it represents (if it’s figurative), where it is in relation to the viewer, whether or not you can see marks of the tools used (e.g., brush strokes or scrapes from sculpting tools).

Second, step away from the concrete, and get creative with language by using techniques such as comparative description. Use your imagination to create emotionally resonant similes. Is there a form of movement (e.g., flying, crawling, or tumbling) that this piece feels like? Does it remind you of something from the natural world (e.g., a falling leaf, a forest canopy being moved by wind, waves, or sand dunes shifting)?

If the work is figurative, imagine what has been happening just before the moment in time it captures. What happened just after this point? Using these kinds of nonliteral descriptors will let your reader understand both the actual physical object and its aesthetic appeal.

Dissecting the UT and Texas A&M Short-Answer Prompts

Both UT Austin and Texas A&M require short answers as part of their first-year applications. For both schools, some prompts are required by all applicants, whereas others are required by those applying to certain majors or departments.

We'll go over the UT Austin prompts, followed by the Texas A&M prompt.

UT Austin Short-Answer Prompts

UT Austin requires three short answers from all first-year applicants and also offers an optional prompt. Each short answer should be approximately 250–300 words , or one paragraph.

Short Answer 1: Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

Short Answer 2: Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.

Short Answer 3: The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate.

Optional Short Answer: Please share background on events or special circumstances that may have impacted your high school academic performance.

What Are These UT Austin Short-Answer Prompts Asking?

Obviously, these short-answer prompts are asking four different things, but they do have some similarities in terms of their overall goals.

These prompts basically want to know what you can offer UT Austin and why you'd be a great fit as a student there . They also want to know why you chose UT Austin and your specific major.

In other words, all these prompts essentially work together as a "Why This College?" essay .

How Can You Give UT Austin What They Want?

Admissions officers will be looking for evidence that you're genuinely interested in the school, the major you've chosen, and the career you want to pursue . Make sure to identify features of the program that appeal to you. In other words, why UT Austin? What makes you a good fit here?

Be as specific as possible in your responses. Since you won't have much room to write a lot, try to focus on a particular anecdote, skill, or goal you have.

Admissions officers also want to see that you have an aptitude for your chosen career path , so if you have any relevant work, research, or volunteer experience, they definitely want to know this! It's OK to take a broad view of what's relevant here.

Finally, they're looking for individuals who have clear goals as well as a general idea of what they want to do with their degree . Are you interested in working with a specific population or specialty? Why? What led you to this conclusion?

Texas A&M Engineering Prompt

All engineering applicants to Texas A&M must submit an esssay responding to the following prompt:

Describe your academic and career goals in the broad field of engineering (including computer science, industrial distribution, and engineering technology). What and/or who has influenced you either inside or outside the classroom that contributed to these goals?

What Is This Texas A&M Engineering Prompt Asking?

The engineering prompt wants to know two essential things:

• What are your future goals for your specific field of interest (i.e., the kind of engineering field you want to go into or are considering going into)?
• What environmental or external factors (e.g., a person, a mentor, a volunteer experience, or a paper or book you read) contributed to your development of these goals?

How Can You Give Texas A&M What They Want?

Be as specific as possible in your response. For the engineering prompt, what admissions officers want to know is simply what your biggest engineering ambition is and how you came to have this goal.

You'll want to be as specific as possible. Admissions officers want to see that you have a clear future in mind for what you want to do with your engineering degree. For example, do you plan to go on to a PhD program? Why? Do you have a particular career in mind?

In addition, make sure to specify the main inspiration for or motivation behind this goal. For instance, did you have a high school teacher who encouraged you to study engineering? Or perhaps you decided on a whim to take a computer science class, which you ended up loving.

Remember that the inspiration for your engineering goals doesn't have to be limited to something school-related. If you get stuck, think broadly about what initially got you interested in the field.

Briefly: ApplyTexas Essay Topic E (Transfer Students)

US transfer students and international transfer students must typically submit an additional essay responding to the following prompt (or must submit an essay on one of the topic variations listed above ).

Choose an issue of importance to you—the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope⁠—and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

What's the Prompt Asking?

This prompt, which is intended for transfer students, essentially wants to know what hardship, challenge, or social issue has affected you on a personal level (or a larger group you're part of) and why you think this particular issue is so important to you .

For example, maybe you identify as LGBTQIA+ and have personally experienced discrimination in your local community because of your sexual orientation or gender identity. Or perhaps you grew up in a wealthy family but have begun to see recently how widespread the issue of homelessness really is and now are making a more conscious effort to find ways to remedy this problem in your own community.

The issue you choose doesn't have to relate to a wider social issue; it could be a learning disability you have, for instance, or the fact that you no longer share the same religious beliefs as your  family.

The most important part of this question is the connection between the issue and yourself . In other words, why is this issue so important to you ? How has it affected your life, your goals, your experiences, etc.?

This essay is a way for admissions officers to get to know you and what matters to you personally on a much deeper level than what some of the other essay topics allow, so don't be afraid to dive into topics that are very emotional, personal, or special to you .

Furthermore, be sure to clearly explain why this particular issue—especially if it's a broader social issue that affects many people—is meaningful to you . Admissions officers want to know about any challenges you've faced and how these have positively contributed to your own growth as a person.

The Bottom Line: Tips for Writing ApplyTexas Essays

The ApplyTexas application contains four essay prompts (Topics A, B, C, and D), with different schools requiring different combinations of mandatory and optional essays . There are also short-answer prompts for UT Austin, as well as a Topic E only for transfer students.

One way to keep these three similar-sounding essay topics (A, B, and C) separate in your mind is to create a big-picture category for each one:

• Topic A is about your outside .
• Topic B is your inside .
• Topic C is about your future .

Now, let's briefly summarize each essay topic:

Essay Topic A

• Overview:  Describe any unique experiences you've had as a high school student and how these have shaped who you are as a person.
• Pick a specific aspect of your experience.
• Describe how it made you special.
• Describe the setting, stakes, and conflict resolution.
• Add details, description, and examples.

Essay Topic B

• Overview:  Describe a defining trait and how it fits into the larger vision of you.
• Define the core message.
• Fit that core message of yourself into the larger picture.
• Show things about yourself; don’t tell.
• Watch your tone to make sure that you show your great qualities without seeming narcissistic, boring, glib, or self-aggrandizing.

Essay Topic C

• Overview:  Describe "where you are going" in either a literal, goal-oriented sense or a more imaginative sense.
• Pick where you’re going, but don’t over- or underreach.
• Flesh out your destination. How does it relate back to you?
• Ground your “journey” in specific anecdotes and examples.

Essay Topic D

• Overview:  Describe being affected by a work of art or an artistic experience to make sure that you are ready to enter a fine arts field.
• Pick one piece of art or one specific experience of learning about art.
• Figure out exactly why this work or event struck you.
• Examine your own work to see how this artwork has affected your creativity or engagement with art or art history.
• Use a mix of concrete descriptions and comparisons when writing about the piece of art.

Short-Answer Prompts

• Overview: Specific to UT Austin applicants
• Describe your relevant experiences and interests up to this point.
• Describe what about the program appeals to you and how you will use your degree (i.e., your future goals).
• Treat the prompts as parts of a "Why This College?" essay.

Essay Topic E (Transfer Students)

• Overview: Specific to US and international transfer applicants
• Pick an issue that means a lot to you and has had a clear effect on how you see yourself.
• Emphasize how this issue or how you've treated this issue has ultimately had a positive impact on your personal growth.

What's Next?

Curious about the other college essay choices out there? If your target college also accepts the Common Application, check out our guide to the Common App essay prompts to see whether they would be a better fit for you.

Interested to see how other people tackled this part of the application? We have a roundup of 100+ accepted essays from tons of colleges .

Stuck on what to write about? Read our suggestions for how to come up with great essay ideas .

Working on the rest of your college applications? We have great advice on how to find the right college for you , how to write about your extracurricular activities , and how to ask teachers for letters of recommendation .

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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How to Write Texas A&M (TAMU) Honors Essays

Texas A&M University, or TAMU, has a separate honors program application for college admissions. For the application, you have to answer a few short honors essay prompts. Today I will provide you some strategies and outlines for writing the best TAMU honors essays.

Prompt #1 :

Thousands of non-honors graduates of Texas A&M are well prepared for and obtain their first choice medical school, law school, graduate school, or employment after they graduate each year. If you were guaranteed the admission or job of your choice without being in the University Honors Program, why would the Honors Program be an essential experience for you? (250 words max.)

What is the the general strategy?

You want to show admissions officers that you have a reason for participating in the University Honors Program (a reason that goes beyond simple prestige).

In other words, they want to know that you have done your homework and know what kinds of opportunities TAMU honors offers students. Then they want to know that you can see yourself using these resources to their full potential.

After all, if they are claiming that regular students have great success, why would they waste a space on someone who doesn’t really know how they’d benefit from the University Honors Program?

You need to identify 1-2 KEY components of the honors program. Maybe there is more access to research. Maybe there are better relationships with professors. Maybe you have to complete a senior thesis. Whatever the case may be, focus only on a couple elements, so you can speak to those program offerings in detail.

What should your outline look like?

Paragraph 1 (50 words): Introduce why you think honors studies are generally important and identify the 1-2 key components of the TAMU honors program. Ex: You could say how you’ve taken honors classes in high school and how this rigorous environment has led to your best thinking. You think that TAMU honors represents the best environment because of its professor-mentored independent projects and access to high-end research materials.

Paragraph 2 (90 words): Describe Key Component #1 and how you would benefit from it. Ex: You talk about the importance of professor-mentored independent projects. You specify what your honors program offers and how this independence will be pivotal for creating cutting-edge technology for medical sciences.

Paragraph 3 (90 words): Describe Key Component #2 and how you would benefit from it. Ex: You talk about the resources that are more readily available to students and how these resources will be essential to applying lessons from the classroom.

Paragraph 4 (20 words): Conclude by restating your thesis and try to include a meaningful image or phrase that calls back the beginning of the essay or some thematic element. Ex: You reiterate the value of independence and research materials, and you call back the notion of pushing yourself as the best way to be successful and engaged.

Note: You may not have enough space to discuss two key components. In that case, simply combine Paragraphs 2 and 3 into a longer 180-word paragraph. My advice is to go deeper on fewer points, so that you can come across more realistically and meaningfully as a person behind the essay.

Prompt #2 :

What force of nature are you and why? To respond to this prompt, you may define “force of nature” as whatever that means to you from a cultural or disciplinary perspective. (250 words max.)

What is the general strategy?

Honors programs are known for their creative thinkers, regardless of discipline. This second question (and any like it) wants to see more of your personality, and more importantly, get admissions officers to understand your thinking. Honors students are typically people who think outside of the box, who conduct groundbreaking research, who found new and exciting businesses, who value both science and humanities, etc. You need to show that you are imaginative as well as mature, creative as well as thoughtful.

What do these traits mean for your essay? Well, there are a couple different approaches. For one, you want to think about what a “force of nature” is generally. Often we consider a force of nature something that breaks through all barriers, that doesn’t listen to directions. It can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It could be someone who gets work done but who also doesn’t care what others want. Obviously you will want to present yourself in the best way, so be mindful that your “force of nature” is one that is constructive and ultimately helpful.

Notice how the prompt also gives you two suggestions on how you could define “force of nature.” There is the “cultural” perspective and the “disciplinary” perspective. So, is a “force of nature” something related to your upbringing, or could it be something related to a field of study, such as researching medicine or creating works of art? And of course there is the literal meaning of “nature.” Could you be an agent of the natural world, out to do its bidding?

Let's think about a “force of nature” as a cultural trait. Maybe as part of your upbringing, your family taught you to be independent and verify the truth for yourself.

Now let's think about a “force of nature” as a term in your science field. Perhaps you can use one of the literal forces, such as gravity, as a way to define yourself. Perhaps people gravitate to you, and you connect others in meaningful ways.

Basically, there is no “wrong” answer to this question, but you should consider how your answer will reveal who you are and what you consider important. You have to make a choice on how you represent yourself.

My recommendation is that you choose something creative and fun, especially since the previous question will cover more “serious” topics. Remember that you want to be able to use each new essay as a way to showcase something different about your personality and background.

Paragraph 1 (50 words): Introduce how you define “force of nature,” providing a thesis that explains what kind of force of nature you are and why you are this particular force of nature. Ex: You define “force of nature” as it relates to your chosen field of study, physics, as one that is gravitational. You say that you are a gravitational force because you bind people to a single core mission.

Paragraph 2 (90 words): Provide the context, or definition, of “force of nature” and how you got to this definition. Then state that you see yourself as this force of nature. Ex: First you explain how, even though it is an essential, regular part of everyday life, gravity has always fascinated you. As a prospective physics major, you see its influence and have even studied it in high school through research and personal projects. With this background, you see yourself as a similar “force of nature.”

Paragraph 3 (90 words): Transition from the type of force of nature you are and say why you think you are this force of nature. Draw on past experiences to do so. Ex: You provide support to back up why you are a gravitational force of nature. You talk about experiences (focus on one good one) that illustrate how you draw people to a single goal.

Paragraph 4 (20 words): Restate the kind of force of nature you are and why, and end on an interesting image or phrase. Ex: You say again what force of nature you are and why. Then you end on an image about keeping Earth grounded (or something like that).

Okay! You should be all set to write TAMU honors essays that make an impression on the admissions officers. Of course, you want to make sure that you have a quality ApplyTexas A essay as well.

Planning to apply to Texas A&M honors and need more personalized feedback on your honors essays? Need help with other essays in your college applications? Get the best advice on how to revise and sharpen your unique image!

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How to Write the Texas A&M Supplemental Essays 2018-2019

For 2019-2020, please read our essay breakdown for ApplyTexas Essays .

Found sprawled across College Station, Texas, a city found between Houston and Austin, Texas A&M University is one of Texas’s flagship public research universities. The university boasts an undergraduate student body of over 50,000 and offers 130 majors.

According to US News, Texas A&M was ranked 4th out of public universities in the “Best Value School” category and is known worldwide for its research output. Notable alumni of A&M include football player Johny Manziel, politician Rick Perry, and actor Rick Torn.

A&M requires applicants to complete two essays, one from the ApplyTexas application and the other from the Coalition Application, and also includes an extra optional essay. Additionally, if you are applying as an arts major, another essay is required. We here at CollegeVine are here to help you navigate through these essays!

Texas A&M Supplemental Essay Questions:

ApplyTexas Application:

1. What was the environment you were raised in? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. (Response required in about a page to a page and a half–no longer than 120 eighty-character lines of text.)

Coalition Application:

1. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (Response required in about a page to a page and a half.)

2. Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture/interior design, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space affected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area? *This essay is only required for Architecture/Interior Design, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education major applicants

3. If there are additional personal challenges, hardships, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, which you have not already written about, please note them in the space below. (Optional – 40 lines will be sent)

What was the environment you were raised in? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. (Response required in about a page to a page and a half–no longer than 120 eighty-character lines of text.)

This prompt is very straightforward but can be quite difficult to not over-exert yourself and dive into an autobiography. Focus on one of the listed examples, either family, home, neighborhood, or community, and then grow it from there (inevitably these categories will blend together, especially family and home—the end goal is simply to have a focused, compelling essay). “Community” is the broadest category by far: this could be a sports team, a band, a religious center, or just a group of friends.

The second part of the prompt is the most important: how your surroundings have shaped you as a person. What did you learn about yourself from the environment you were raised in? What are the values you feel like were cultivated from the people who raised you? What do you want to contribute to the world, and how did what you learned growing up shape it? Be specific here, as it may be cliche to simply say “I want to change and fix the world” or “I learned that my family and neighborhood love me.”

Here are some examples to guide you:

Example 1: If you choose to talk about your family, maybe your mother was a particularly inspirational figure in your life, a lady who worked two jobs and took care of you and your siblings, a lady who could exude great amounts of joy even though you knew she was always dead tired. Maybe for the majority of your life, you didn’t like your mom because other peoples’ moms were always home and cared for their children, while your mom was never home, but eventually, you came to appreciate your mom. However, you don’t want to spend the entire essay talking about your mother. Transition the essay back to yourself, and talk about how you, inspired by your mother’s character, grew within you the same sort of resolve. Talk about how you want to become a nurse and work to help improve the lives of those around you because you want to live your life as fully as your mom did.

Example 2: If you choose to talk about your neighborhood, you could talk about the racial diversity in your neighborhood, where you could find Vietnamese-Cajun food, Nigerian food, and Mexican food in a square mile. You could talk about the food as a lens into the different influences that surrounded you growing up, and how you became much more understanding of all the different ethnic groups in your neighborhood, especially as a daughter of immigrants yourself. You want to spend your life bringing together different types of people in whatever capacity, and you know that delicious food can always bring different types of people together for a good time.

Example 3: If you choose to talk about your community, maybe you were on the school’s basketball team for all four years, moving up from the freshman to the JV to the varsity team. You could talk about an important game you played in, where your team was coming off of a losing streak and morale was incredibly low. As the captain of your Varsity team, you also wanted to quit, but you pushed through and set the example, bringing your team to break the losing streak. You could talk about how you grew your leadership through this experience, how you, just like everyone else, had no gas left in the tank, but through understanding the weight of your position, took it upon yourself to raise up the people around you.

Example 4: Maybe your community is something larger than just a group of people but includes your city, which all went through Hurricane Harvey together. You could talk about how you and your family persevered through the incident and the subsequent recovery efforts, as well as how you came together with others from your city to rebuild what you had lost from the ground up. Maybe this has shaped how you view the world around you: everything and anything can be taken away and destroyed, but you can always get back up and try to rebuild what you lost. Maybe some things will never be recovered, but you know that this experience will forever hold a place in your heart, and will enable you to live stronger each day.

Coalition Application

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (Response required in about a page to a page and a half.)

You want to make sure that your Coalition Essay is different from the ApplyTexas essay. Because you have these two broad essays to talk about yourself, there is a lot of room to sprinkle in different aspects of your personality. If your first essay is serious and heavy in subject matter, you could be thinking about writing a more light-hearted Coalition essay to complement that. If you already have the Coalition essay written, maybe you’d want your ApplyTexas essay to complement the pre-existing Coalition essay.

The actual essay simply tells a story and talks about how you grew as a result. Make sure to always turn the story back to you—don’t spend too much space retelling a narrative. Another key is to not be shy: don’t be afraid to brag about yourself, or talk about some good that you did if you’re the type of person who feels uncomfortable sharing these things. This essay could be something monumental in your life, or something completely ordinary, as what matters is not the event, but how the event shaped who you are today.

You can use either a  first person, present tense, to retell the story in a way that the reader feels like it is happening at that moment or a more reflective past tense. Whatever you feel like fits the tone and plot of your story better.

Example 1: Maybe your story is based on family, specifically around the huge extended family that congregates in your house every month. Through this experience, you have learned, most importantly, how important family is to you, and how you want to remain as connected as you can be. You could talk about how rowdy your family can get, and how sometimes people get into arguments, but how, at the end of the day, there is nothing but love.  Maybe your Uncle Brett taught you the importance of sticking up for others, working as a public defense attorney, and your Grandma Lydia taught you the importance of cooking with love. You could use a specific anecdote from a particular gathering, and then transition it to talking about how exactly the people you raised you influenced how you want to live your life.

Example 2: Maybe this story is a bit more tragic: you experienced your father passing away due to cancer and spent countless nights on the hospital beds by his side. You are still recovering from his death, but through the experience, grew determined in your belief to help those who are suffering from similar inflictions. As a result, you want to study biomedical engineering at A&M to help create medical devices that will lead to better healthcare for patients. From the engineering side, you want to create technology that best allows patients to positively react to the drugs and treatments they may be undergoing.

Example 3: Maybe your passion and character are defined by making people laugh. You love doing performances with your school’s improv team, performing at school open mics, and just goofing around with your friends. You always wanted to perform at a local comedy club, but was always deathly afraid of the potential of failure, or even worse, being heckled. However, through the insistence of your friends, as well as your determination to succeed in comedy, you performed at the club to a few patrons, some who laughed and some who didn’t. The reception wasn’t what you had hoped for, but you gained the confidence to perform in front of strangers, and so you continued to do shows and got better and better.

Architecture/Interior Design, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education major applicants

Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture/interior design, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space affected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

*This essay is only required for Architecture/Interior Design, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education major applicants

If you have taken a class in the field you are intending to study in, you have the option of talking about a specific learning experience you’ve had in the field, such as a particular art lesson you had. If this is the case, you should choose a specific moment, whether it’s an interaction with a teacher or an experience with a certain fabric or the creation of a graphic design poster. And if you haven’t, don’t worry! You can instead talk about a personal interaction you’ve had with art that really piqued your interest in the field, even if you were self-taught.

It’s critical in this essay that you are as vivid as possible in your descriptions—the more senses you utilize the better. Because you are trying to distill a visual item into the written word, diction is particularly important.

Finally, you want the experience you are talking about to have shifted your perception of art or changed how much of your life you want to dedicate to creating art. You want to talk about how art just isn’t a hobby or side interest of yours but has become your primary interest that you would like to pursue long after college ends.

Here are some examples to help guide you:

Example 1: If you are applying as an architecture major, talk about your interactions with a particular building or structure that sparked your passion in the subject. This could be an iconic space like the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth or the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, or something more mundane, such as your house. Talk about how being in that space, feeling out the concrete, observing the cantilevers, seeing the historical cracks in the stone, all helped contribute to you really falling in love with architecture. You began to appreciate how much a physical space impacts the well being of the people inside, no matter what kind of space it is. You also began making your own sketches of buildings, creating models (most of which fell apart), and researching all the different types of buildings and architects in your area.

Example 2: Maybe you are applying as a studio art major and want to eventually become a painter. You could talk about a specific painting you did, maybe of yourself dressed in the clothes of your home country. Before doing this particular painting, art was just a hobby you enjoyed and were good at, but after completing the painting, art entrenched itself as something you wanted to do for the rest of your life. You wanted to paint people who looked like yourself, in ways that you didn’t see being shown in both the media and the art world.

Example 3: You could talk about an interaction with an art teacher you had, where you really wanted to keep doing art but weren’t sure if it was possible for you to live as an artist after graduating from college. Your teacher urged you to seriously consider it, naming all the strong qualities you possessed already as an artist, and how much further you progressed. Inspired by his words, you began to take his words more seriously and began building a portfolio of work you came to be incredibly proud of. You’d love to continue working on art at A&M’s state of the art facilities, especially in its ceramics studios, which your school does not have.

If there are additional personal challenges, hardships, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, which you have not already written about, please note them in the space below. (Optional – 40 lines will be sent)

Here you have the opportunity to talk about something you’d like to mention if you haven’t had anywhere else to talk about it in the essay (you also have the opportunity to submit a resume if you feel like the space on the application is insufficient). However, considering the sheer amount of applications that get sent in to the A&M system each year, you should probably leave it blank unless there is something absolutely necessary you feel the need to talk about, such as an extreme hardship or a special award. If you choose to do so, make sure to keep it brief, as the word count suggests.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Hi there! I'm applying to Texas A&M and I'm trying to write a solid application essay. I was wondering if anyone has come across any well-written sample essays or knows any online resources where I can find examples to get some inspiration? Thanks in advance!

Hi! It's always helpful to have some inspiration when writing application essays. For good sample essays, check out [this post] ( https://blog.collegevine.com/texas-am-essay-examples) from CollegeVine. Not only is it helpful to see the essays, but the commentary that CollegeVine provides is super beneficial as you start writing your essay to make sure you are including important components and leaving out unnecessary info.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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How to Write a Texas Format Essay

Last Updated: February 26, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 172,729 times.

A great structure which can be used to help write an essay is the TEXAS format. This is actually necessary in the New Zealand system of qualifications. [1] X Research source It's also a great way to structure an essay. However, many people don't know how to use it. If you've missed a few lessons at school, this article can help you catch up.

Writing Your Own TEXAS Format Essay

• Mention your individual points. But try not to describe them. Just briefly mentioning them is fine.
• Banter, a brief sentence that is not quite on topic is a must. Don't make your introduction too long. Try to keep to five lines, seven at the most. An essay I wrote about Overcrowded Roads began thus:
• "Traffic Jams have become an issue in New Zealand. This is because of overcrowded roads, and is quite a problem in centers such as Auckland. Several government initiatives have been introduced to solve the problem, such as more roads, better traffic management and more public transport. However, I don't think these are the best solutions." Notice how the first line grabs the readers attention. I then go on to elaborate, revealing the actual issue I'm talking about. Then I mention the government initiatives (banter) and then set out my three main points in order of appearance. I tie off the paragraph by expressing my view. Your introduction needs to be a subliminal contents page. The reader has to know where you going before you go there. A common mistake people make in essay writing is saying, "In this essay I will talk about..." You will almost certainly be marked down for this. Be imaginative in replacing this phrase.

• T - stands for Topic. Here you state what you'll be talking about in the paragraph. It only needs to be one line, just enough to specify what you're talking about.
• E - stands for Explain. Here you will elaborate on your Topic, giving the reader more information about what it is. One line will do here, but two is more beneficial for your mark.
• X - stands for Example. This is where your paragraph comes to the crunch. You will have to use a real example. If you're to a Response to Literature, you'll need a real quote. If you're doing a formal writing essay you'll be able to get away with a looser interpretation of the word 'real'. You necessarily be judged on the content of your quote, but more on how you use it to back up your argument.
• A - stands for Analysis. Here you discuss how your example backs up your argument. Two lines is a good bet here, the more you show how much you understand your example the better. Feel free to start it off with, 'This shows how..." or "Here we see..." You shouldn't get marked down particularly, but you'll get marked up for a more original link.
• S - stands for Summary. This often means repeating your Topic statement with more affirmative grammar. Rearranging the words never hurt either. Put all of this together and you get a TEXAS paragraph. A paragraph trying to prove overcrowding on roads might go:
• "New Zealand roads are seriously overcrowded. Everyone owns a car, and everyone uses them.This has lead to crowded streets and more traffic jams. A government report released in 2006 showed a 20% increase in traffic jams over the last 10 years. This is the direct result of too many cars on the road, and the government is concerned about it. If the government is concerned so should we be. New Zealand roads are far too overcrowded." Notice how my example wasn't accurate; I got a merit for this paragraph despite this. The reason I got merit was because I did not use the more complicated paragraph form TEXAXAS. This is simply where you add in an extra example and analysis. TEXAXAS is not a crucial component of getting an Excellence, but it helps. The real reason I got a merit on this paragraph was because I used a generalization in the second sentence. Try to avoid these, the markers don't like them. I'd have been better off if I'd said " Most people own a car..." instead of everyone.

• "All in all, success is winning. The two words are the same. And anyway, why would you play a sport if you didn't intend to win? Who would rather lose than win? The derogatory term 'loser' is not showered on the successful. Success is winning, so unless you win, you lose." Despite my 'excellence' grade here, I could have done better. If I'd used examples from earlier in the essay to back up the points mentioned here, I'd have done far better. Note how I used questions. Examiners love this, finishing with a question leaves the reader thinking. Although it may not get you extra marks, it will give the examiner a better opinion of your essay. Also note how I tied off, using a slightly rhetorical statement. This brings the impact of the entire essay home in one hit, leaving the reader knowing what my argument was. Writing a TEXAS essay isn't difficult, anyone can do it. Writing one well is the trick.

Community Q&A

• Practice is always good. While revising for an exam, write mock essays under mock exam conditions. The more you succeed at this stage, the more you'll succeed at the actual exam. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
• Relax while writing. Don't feel that just because it says Formal Writing at the top of the page that you have to be rigid in your language. Formal only means you shouldn't use acronyms, abbreviations or colloquialisms like 'Mate'. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• This guide is just that, a guide. It is not a teaching resource. Trust your teachers before you trust this guide! Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2

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• ↑ https://nzhistory.govt.nz/te-akomanga/skills/communicating-information-paragraph-writing
• ↑ https://artdaily.com/news/146539/How-to-Write-a-TEXAS-Format-Essay#.Y7y5DHZBxD8
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXakluY3OB4
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6UDOQcMoPM

About This Article

One way to structure your essay is to use the TEXAS format, which stands for Topic, Explain, Example, Analysis, and Summary. For the introduction, write a 5 to 7 line paragraph that tells the reader what you’re going to talk about. The first line should state the problem you’re arguing about, like “Teenage drivers are irresponsible.” Then, spend the rest of the paragraph introducing the main points of your argument. After the introduction, you’ll move on to the body paragraphs, which is where you’ll do your arguing. Each paragraph should be organized around the TEXAS format, so start with your topic for the paragraph, explain your topic, give an example of the issue, analyze the example, and summarize the topic for that paragraph. End your essay with a summary that briefly reiterates your main points. You can also include some examples from earlier in the essay to back up the main points you explored or end with a question to leave the reader thinking about your topic. To learn how to create a rough essay plan, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Maps elliott stanton, what i have learned in life to help me in college..

Without maps, we all would be lost in life. We rely on road maps, key maps, and even Mapquest to find our way to various destinations. My 4-H career and personal life can be related to a the common Texas road map. I have traveled miles down highways, cruised the main streets, crossed many bridges, and even taken some rather exciting detours. I have ventured down numerous feeder streets, farmer market roads, parkways, expressways, avenues, and county roads. With each and every mile of this journey traveled, a long lasting memory has been created. Every curve, turn, bump, pothole, and detour in the roads along the way have changed me and made me into the person I am today.

A key is an essential component to any reliable map. The purpose of a key is to show direction. In my life, several aspects serve as a key and guide me in my direction. These include family, friends, and 4-H. Each have a profound influence on the decisions and actions I make on an everyday basis. Without these guiding symbols, I would be lost on the road of life.

My parents, Allen and Denise Stanton, serve as the basis to known infrastructure, and relate much to the highway system. Without their everlasting support, wisdom, and advice, getting from one...

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