byu college essay prompts 2022

Struggling with your BYU application essays? Get professional help before the December deadline

By college essay builder | posted - nov. 16, 2022 at 7:00 p.m., (college essay builder).

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Does your child have what it takes to get into BYU?

The stakes of getting accepted to BYU are getting higher and higher. It is estimated that over 12,000 students will apply to BYU — Provo this fall. And using last year's acceptance rates , more than 4,000 won't make the cut.

With such a large pool of applicants, the BYU Admissions Committee is often tasked with choosing between highly-qualified applicants who all meet the minimum requirements. And since BYU is not currently requiring standardized test scores, it is even more difficult for applicants to stand out.

With all of these factors, parents want to know:

"Is there anything I can do to improve my child's chances for acceptance to BYU?" The answer to this question is an absolute "yes!"

How the BYU application essays can make or break your child's acceptance

By the time your child begins their BYU application, nearly all of the application criteria (transcripts, activities, awards, etc.) is fixed and can't be influenced or changed — with one notable exception: the essays.

The BYU application essays have become one of the most critical ways your child will be evaluated by the admissions committee. This is because the essays are the best way for the committee to get to know your child on a personal level to determine how well they have demonstrated their preparation and alignment with the Mission and Aims of BYU .

In fact, the BYU essays are the only real controllable factor your child has at this point that can either help or hurt their chances of getting accepted.

The wrong way to write BYU application essays

Just sitting down to "knock out" the essays without understanding what BYU is looking for is a huge mistake. Successful BYU essays require deep introspection, multiple drafts and a good deal of pre-work. Students who don't allow time for these crucial activities end up writing sub-par BYU essays that suffer from one or more of the following issues:

Too generic

It isn't natural for most high-school seniors to be vulnerable and genuine. This often results in superficial essays that don't give enough information about your child for BYU admissions to complete a proper evaluation.

This year, BYU has shortened most of the essays by 500 characters. The lower the character count, the more difficult it is for students to effectively address everything the prompt is asking for. Consequently, students can easily spend too much of their essay telling a story but not allowing enough space for important connections and reflections.

No effective feedback

Most students work on their BYU essays right up to the deadline and don't have the proper time to get feedback and make revisions. If parents do read the essays, they often don't know how to provide the most helpful feedback. This cycle often results in substantial errors in essay structure, content and grammar.

The right way to write BYU application essays: The 3 most important questions

Susie Boyce, founder of College Essay Builder , has been helping students write BYU application essays since 2007. Over the years, she has discovered three fundamental questions that all successful BYU essays must effectively answer. These three questions are:

Do my child's essays show that they value the aims of a BYU education?

Each BYU essay should correlate directly to one or more of the Aims of a BYU Education . It is critical that the stories and examples your child uses in their essays make the connection clear and personal. A close look at the BYU admissions website emphasizes that BYU uses the aims to evaluate all areas of the application — especially the essays.

Do my child's essays help them stand out from thousands of other applicants?

This fall, BYU will receive more than 70,000 essays. Given the sheer volume, how will you ensure your child's essays stand out and are memorable for all the right reasons?

The key to this question is helping your child identify events, people and stories from their life that highlight their genuine and unique experiences. This requires vulnerability; the essays should tell compelling stories showing your child's journey, growth and transformation. These personal stories can become the heart of each essay, connecting the reader to your child in an unforgettable way.

Do my child's essays demonstrate their character, values, testimony and potential as a BYU student?

BYU has provided some direct expectations about what they want to see in your child's essay on their admissions website :

"...make sure you read the prompt and answer what's being asked. If there's something about you we should know, make sure to include it in your essay responses!"

Why does BYU want your child to share so much? Because the essays are the best chance admissions counselors have to understand and evaluate your child's character, values, testimony and potential as a BYU student.

To effectively do this, your child must address each prompt completely and deeply. Take time to identify stories and examples that showcase how they have grown and developed in these four areas and write conclusions that make a powerful connection to what BYU is looking for.

The bottom line

You can do something to improve your child's chances for acceptance to BYU. Helping your child write their best BYU application essays is the most important way you can accomplish this goal.

But you don't have to do this alone. College Essay Builder has created a comprehensive application essay course for BYU that leads your child step-by-step through the process of writing all the BYU application essays. With the help of videos, downloads, templates and examples, your child will be writing their best BYU essays faster and more effectively than any other method.

In this course your child will learn:

• How to personalize the BYU Aims and meaningfully connect them to each essay.
• How to identify and tell compelling personal stories that demonstrate their potential as a successful BYU student.
• How to approach each essay prompt to address BYU's specific expectations.
• How to start each essay to "hook" the reader.
• How to conclude each essay to make a powerful connection.
• How to write clear and concise paragraphs that answer each prompt completely and deeply.
• How to edit and revise their essays utilizing proprietary feedback guides.

The stakes are too high to not do everything you can to help your child get accepted.

And the most controllable thing you can do right now is to help them write their best BYU essays by enrolling them in the "The Complete Guide to Writing the BYU Application Essays" Pro Course today.

And for a limited time, use the coupon code KSL50 to get $50 off the full course price.

Related topics

More stories you may be interested in.

What UEA opposition to a constitutional amendment means for Utah voters

Have You Seen This? Jared Leto pranks 'Wheel of Fortune' contestants

• Taylorsville man faces 7 charges after his pit bulls attacked, killed his mother

Most Viewed

• Jazz lose to Mitchell-less Cavs, but fan wins car after some drama
• Draper couple warns neighbors after concerning encounter with drone
• Going green with artificial grass? Not so fast
• Committee identifies 13 Utah locations to serve as possible 2034 Winter Olympics venues
• Boeing wins $405M to test nuclear missile systems in 'extreme environments' in Utah
• Trooper injured from overpass fall returns home from hospital
• 'Frustrating for sure': Neither Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert play in Utah this season
• 1 killed in single-vehicle crash near Mt. Pleasant
• Democratic state lawmaker loses at county convention; will finish out current term

STAY IN THE KNOW

KSL Weather Forecast

404 Not found

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Get Into BYU: Admissions Stats + Tips

Do you know how to improve your profile for college applications.

See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now — it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free.

Show me what areas I need to improve

What’s Covered:

How hard is it to get into brigham young university, average academic profile of accepted byu students, what is brigham young university looking for.

• How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Brigham Young University  

Brigham Young University (BYU) is the flagship higher education institution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the overwhelming majority of BYU’s student body are members of the church. BYU might not have the name recognition or reputation of some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, however, it’s one of the most popular schools in the country— trailing only Harvard and Stanford in yield (the number of students who chose to enroll after being accepted). 

Gaining admission to BYU is a challenge. The university received 11,292 applications for its Class of 2025 and accepted 7,820 students, giving BYU an overall acceptance rate of 69%

BYU’s acceptance rate is low, but your personal chances of acceptance are tied to the strength of your profile. CollegeVine’s free admissions calculator can help you better understand your odds at BYU. It uses your grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and more to estimate your chance of getting into BYU as well as to provide tips to improve your profile! 

The average high school GPA of BYU’s Class of 2025 is 3.86 .

The middle 50% SAT score of BYU’s Class of 2025 is 1210-1400 . The middle 50% ACT score is 26-32 .

BYU is the flagship university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and religious affiliation is a “very important” factor in BYU admissions. Although you do not need to belong to the church to attend BYU, the vast majority of students are members. Only about 1.5% of the student body does not belong to the Church and those students pay double. In 2021-2022 , the cost per credit for Latter-day Saints was $323, while the cost per credit for non-Latter-day Saints was $646.

For consideration at BYU, applicants must also agree to live by the school’s strict honor code which prohibits everything from premarital sex to using profane language to abstaining from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, vaping, and substance abuse. Students live in sex-separated housing and there are even strict dress and grooming standards—for example, men are not allowed to grow beards and women may have no more than one piercing per ear. 

Lastly, same-sex relationships are in violation of BYU’s honor code. A recent study found that about 1,000 BYU undergraduates identify as LGBTQ, but expect a challenging college experience if they don’t conform to norms. 

How BYU College Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set, Brigham Young University considers the following factors “very important” :

• Course rigor
• Test scores
• Recommendations 
• Extracurricular activities 
• Religious affiliation
• Volunteer work 
• Work experience 

These factors are “important” :

• First generation 

These are “considered” :

• Applicant interest

And these are “not considered” :

• Geographic location 
• State residence 
• Racial ethnic status 

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Brigham Young University 

1. achieve at least a 3.86 gpa while taking the most challenging classes available..

GPA is “very important” to BYU admissions. The average high school GPA of BYU’s Class of 2025 is 3.86 and about one in four students from the class graduated with a 4.0. Selective schools like BYU use a tool known as the Academic Index to assist in admissions decisions. Academic Index is a representation of your entire academic performance by a single numerical score. 

If your Academic Index fails to meet BYU’s standards, you risk being seen as unqualified and not having your application given serious consideration. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to improve your Academic Index. If you’re early in your high school career and your GPA is subpar, the best thing you can do is raise it. Check out our tips for increasing your GPA . If you’re a junior or senior, it’s more difficult to increase your GPA. Instead, the best way to improve your Academic Index is with higher test scores.

Simply possessing great grades at competitive schools like BYU is not enough to wow admissions officials, you’ll need to earn them in challenging classes. BYU also views course rigor as “very important” to admissions. Typically, students at BYU will have completed between five and eight AP classes in high school.   

2. Aim for a 1400 SAT and 32 ACT score. 

BYU considers standardized test scores as “very important” to admissions. The middle 50% SAT/ACT scores of BYU’s Class of 2025 are 1210-1400 / 26-32 . BYU is test-optional through winter 2024, but CollegeVine suggests taking one of the exams if you can do so safely, and submitting scores that meet or exceed the 25th percentile of accepted students (1210/26). Students who submit test scores are accepted at higher rates than those who do not. You can get recommendations on whether or not you should apply test-optional using our free chancing engine . 

BYU does not superscore either the SAT or AC, but it’s still a smart strategy to plan on sitting for one of the exams between two and three times. Research from the College Board —the organization that administers the SAT—found that a majority of students improve their SAT scores by taking the test more than once. 

For other tips to improve your SAT/ACT score, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

3. Cultivate a strong portfolio of extracurriculars.

Extracurricular activities are “very important” to admissions at Brigham Young University. The university also views talent, character, volunteer work, and work experience as “very important” to admissions—all of which are demonstrated through your activities outside of the classroom. Competitive applicants to BYU will have one or two well-developed extracurriculars or a highly developed interest is known as a “ spike .”

The more impressive your extracurricular activities, the better your chances of standing out from other applicants. The four tiers of extracurriculars are a good method for understanding how colleges weigh your activities outside of the classroom. On the spectrum are Tier 1 activities which are rare and prestigious, while on the other side are Tier 4 activities which are common and lack distinction. Make sure you aim for tier two activities to give your application a boost. 

BYU places particular value on church-related activities, recommending “that you regularly participate in church meetings, programs, and activities.” The university also places considerable weight on service, saying “We look for students that already have a love of learning and a sincere desire to serve others.”

4. Write engaging essays.

BYU requires you to respond to a collection of essay prompts that change from year to year. A compelling college essay is written in your unique voice, highlights how you’ll fit at the college in question, and shows how the school will benefit from your presence on campus. 

A strong BYU essay also addresses your preparation in the four key areas the university looks for in applicants: spiritual strengthening, intellectual enlarging, character building, and lifelong service and learning. For more BYU-specific essay advice, check out our article, “ How to Write the Brigham Young University Essays 2021-2022 .”

5. Get really great recommendations.

As part of your application to BYU, you will need to submit a variety of recommendations. You’ll need:

• Ecclesiastical endorsement: a religious recommendation from your clergy
• Seminary recommendation: from your current seminary teacher 
• High school teacher recommendation: Any math, science, or English teacher from your junior or senior year 
• Other recommendation: anyone who is not a relative

If you’re a non-Latter-day Saint applicant, your ecclesiastical endorsement can come from your own religious leader or from a local bishop or mission president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unlike recommendations at other colleges, BYU will send your recommenders a form to complete. 

6. Apply by the Priority Deadline. 

BYU doesn’t have an Early Decision or Early Action admissions process, however, it does have a priority deadline. Meeting BYU’s priority deadline will give your odds of acceptance a boost. It factors into BYU’s holistic review of your application and you’re given extra consideration in the decision-making process. 

How to Apply to Brigham Young University 

Application requirements.

You can apply to BYU through the university’s online application . Other application requirements include:

• High school transcript 
• Ecclesiastical endorsement
• Seminary recommendation
• High school teacher recommendation
• Other recommendation
• Honor code agreement 
• SAT/ACT scores (optional)

Learn more about Brigham Young University 

Interested in learning more about BYU? Check out these other informative articles: 

• A Guide to Religiously-Affiliated Colleges
• Top 10 Most Underrated West Coast Colleges
• The Top 10 Most Underrated Engineering Colleges in the U.S.
• The Top 10 Most Underrated Computer Science Colleges in the U.S.

Want to know your chances at BYU? Calculate your chances for free right now .

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, tips for tackling the byu essay prompt.

As a high school junior, I'm in the process of prepping all my essays for college applications. I'm applying to BYU and I'm wondering if anyone here has any tips for approaching their essay prompt? Does someone who has already applied successfully have any recommendations? Appreciate any help I can get, thanks!

Hey there! I'm glad to hear you're getting a head start on your college essays. While I haven't personally applied to BYU, I can try to give you some general advice on how to approach their essay prompt.

First, take the time to read and understand the prompt thoroughly. Make sure you know exactly what they're asking for before starting to brainstorm ideas. BYU places a strong emphasis on its religious values and being able to contribute to the school's unique community, so do some research to understand what that entails if you aren't familiar with BYU's culture.

Next, brainstorm ideas that relate to the prompt and are meaningful to you. You'll want to tell a story that is unique, showcases your personality, and highlights your values. Remember, admissions officers want to get to know you better through your essay, so make it genuine.

Once you have a draft, ask for feedback from multiple people in your life, like your teachers, family, and friends. Be open to constructive criticism and be willing to revise your essay accordingly. Just ensure you still maintain your genuine, personal voice throughout the revisions.

Lastly, pay attention to details like grammar and word choice, and make sure your essay is well-organized and easy to read. Keep in mind the word limit and edit your essay concisely to stay within the limit while still effectively conveying your message.

A fantastic resource for essay help is CollegeVine's Peer Essay Review platform ( https://www.collegevine.com/essays/review). It allows you to receive feedback from other students who are also working on their college application essays. This can be a helpful way to gain insight and perspectives from your peers who are going through a similar process.

Remember, there isn't a one-size-fits-all template for college essays, but staying true to yourself and clearly communicating your thoughts can go a long way in making your essay stand out. Good luck!

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.

• UP Textbook Guide
• The Writing Process
• Addressing the Prompt
• Originality
• Timed Writing (Expectations)
• Integrated Writing (Writing Process)
• Shape and Organization
• A Shifting Structure
• Introductions
• Body Paragraphs
• Conclusions
• Reference Page
• Example Essay
• Timed Writing (Revising)
• Integrated Writing (TOEFL Task 1)
• Descriptive Writing
• Alternative Project: Creative Writing
• Example Descriptive Writing
• Skill: Word Choice
• Sources: Quoting
• Revise Descriptive Writing
• Timed Writing (Word Choice)
• Integrated Writing (TOEFL 2)
• Personal Statements
• Alternative Project: Formal Emails
• Example Personal Statement
• Types of Personal Statements
• Organization for Comprehensive Personal Statement
• Organization for Prompted Personal Statement
• Skill: Development
• Revise a Personal Statement
• Timed Writing (Audience & Register)
• Integrated Writing (Audience & Register)
• Cause-Effect Writing
• Example Cause-Effect Writing
• Skill: Unity
• Sources: Summarizing
• Revise Cause-Effect Writing
• Timed Writing (The Prompt)
• Integrated Writing (Paraphrasing)
• Alternative Project: Reviews

Persuasive Essays

• Alternative Project: Reflections
• Example Persuasive Writing
• Skill: Cohesion
• Sources: Paraphrasing
• Revise a Persuasive Essay
• Timed Writing (Scope & Scale)
• Integrated Writing (Content)
• Appendix A: Sentence Variety
• Simple Sentences
• Compound Sentences
• Complex Sentences Part 1
• Complex Sentences Part 2
• Compound-Complex Sentences
• Appendix B: Using Sources
• Finding Sources
• In-text Citations
• More about Reference Pages
• Translations

Choose a Sign-in Option

Tools and Settings

Questions and Tasks

Citation and Embed Code

What is an opinion that you have? Why should a reader agree with your opinion? What is a course of action people should take? Why? Questions like these can lead to a persuasive essay. A  persuasive essay is a type of opinion writing that not only gives your opinion and support but also tries to convince the reader to agree with you (WritingCity, n.d.). In this chapter, you will write a persuasive essay that uses research to support your ideas. 

WritingCity. (n.d.). Differences between opinion, persuasive, and argument writing . www.writestepswriting.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022, from http://wjhlibrary.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/1/9/13197742/writing_chart.pdf

This content is provided to you freely by BYU Open Learning Network.

Access it online or download it at https://open.byu.edu/up_writing_winter/opinion_writing .