The University of Virginia (UVA) is a popular choice for students who want it all—and that means you’ll have to make the most of your supplemental essays to set yourself apart. The challenge: distinguishing yourself with just two short prompts, and proving that you are the right person to take advantage of what the University of Virginia has to offer despite no obvious “Why us?” prompt.
You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at UVA’s offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information on its Common Data Set. For deep insights into how this university envisions its role and how it wants to grow and evolve, read its academic strategic plan. Reading through this will give you a strong idea of what UVA values.
If you’re up to the challenge, the tips and examples below will help you make the most of UVA’s two supplemental essay prompts.
What are the UVA supplemental essay prompts?
Prompt #1
Optional: If you have a personal or historic connection with UVA, and if you’d like to share how your experience of this connection has prepared you to contribute to the University, please share your thoughts here. Such relationships might include, but are not limited to, being a child of someone who graduated from or works for UVA, a descendant of ancestors who labored at UVA, or a participant in UVA programs. (100 words)
Prompt #2
In around 250 words, please answer the following question. What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you. (300 words)
How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for University of Virginia
How to Write the UVA Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
If you have a personal or historic connection with UVA, and if you’d like to share how your experience of this connection has prepared you to contribute to the University, please share your thoughts here. Such relationships might include, but are not limited to, being a child of someone who graduated from or works for UVA, a descendant of ancestors who labored at UVA, or a participant in UVA programs. (100 words; optional)
This prompt is all about connection (it’s in the first sentence!), but it’s not JUST about connection. While the essay readers want to know how you’re connected to UVA, the other part of this prompt is about how this connection will help you contribute to their school community.
Here are some tips for how to address both parts of this prompt:
Be very clear about how you’re connected to UVA. Instead of just saying, “my parents went there,” let your readers know about the memories and stories your parents have shared that influenced your decision to apply. What is it that you’ve learned about UVA through your personal connection that’s made you want to spend the next few years of your life roaming its halls? The key is to be detailed and specific.
The second part of the prompt invites you to be self-reflective, so take advantage of the opportunity to do so! Once you’ve established your connection to UVA, let your readers know how you will use this specific connection to make a contribution to the school. Maybe you have a family member who works at UVA in admissions, for example, and through that connection and the things you’ve learned about how students transition into college life you’ve decided you want to work with 1st generation college students in some way. Again, the key is to be specific in connecting your personal connection to the space you want to carve out for yourself.
Wherever you can, shine a light on your values. When discussing how you want to leave your mark on UVA, let your values drive this part of your response. For example, if you participated in a UVA leadership program, explain what you learned, how it shaped you, and why leadership is important to you. Your values will likely emerge organically as you address the second part of the prompt, but just to make sure, read through your draft looking just for your value statements.
Check out the guidance for the next prompt for more details on “how will you contribute” essays.
How to Write UVA Supplemental Essay #2 + Example
In around 250 words, please answer the following question. What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you. (300 words)
This is essentially a “how will you contribute” prompt, specifically focusing on how your background/experiences/etc. will “serve as a source of strength.” Through this essay prompt, UVA wants to understand how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to their diverse student community. Let's break down the key components of the prompt to guide your approach.
Which of your life experiences have had the most impact on your personal development? This essay offers the opportunity to delve into specific experiences that have shaped your perspective on life, education, and more.
How will you contribute? Make sure your answer to this question is clear. How have these experiences positioned you to make an impact at UVA? What do you bring to the school and community (in ways that maybe others don’t)? While it doesn’t have to be truly unique, it’s great to aim in that direction: the best response will highlight a contribution that only you (or maybe you plus a few other applicants) would think to make.
Here’s how to brainstorm possible essays:
Again, one important aspect with this prompt is its focus on your contribution to the UVA community.
Another detail to note is UVA’s encouragement to show where you come from—the people, places, and things that have shaped who you are today. This is your chance to connect your unique upbringing, in a very broad sense of the word, with what has helped make you unstoppable. So take it.
While there are many things outside of “community” that might fit this prompt, if you’re looking for a way to brainstorm ideas, that’s a good place to start. (Especially since “community” and “individual background, perspective, or experience” tend to overlap a lot. But keep in mind that you’ll want to include some “how will you contribute” details in your essay—this isn’t just a “tell us about a community” prompt.)
For a full guide to “community” essays, head there, but here’s the short version:
STEP 1: DECIDE WHAT IDENTITY/COMMUNITY YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT
Create a “communities/identities” chart by listing all the communities you’re a part of. Keep in mind that communities can be defined by...
Place: groups of people who live/work/play near one another
Action: groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (Examples: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)
Interest: groups of people coming together based on shared interest, experience, or expertise
Circumstance: groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations
STEP 2: USE THE BEABIES EXERCISE TO GENERATE YOUR ESSAY CONTENT
You’ll find detail on the BEABIES Exercise + a chart you can use at that link.
STEP 3: DO SOME “HOW WILL YOU CONTRIBUTE” RESEARCH
You’ll want to offer a few specific ways that show how the experience/s you’re discussing in your essay will allow you to contribute to UVA. The easiest way to do this is to do some “Why Us”-like research and find ways you’ll engage with and contribute to the college community.
STEP 4: PICK A STRUCTURE (NARRATIVE OR MONTAGE)
STEP 5: WRITE A FIRST DRAFT!
Example:
I was in 4th grade when I saw Syrian refugees on the side of the highway in Istanbul. There was heavy traffic as usual, so I was able to really take in the scene. There were generations of them: babies held tightly by mothers, siblings holding hands, and elders taking one step at a time along the highway. I could tell they had gone through hardships, but I was too young to understand the complexities of it.
Over time, I’ve learned that the refugee situation is getting worse throughout the Middle East. But I’ve also realized that there is a lack of knowledge about what is really going on. So many people correlate the Middle East with terrorism, but most people forget the impact that terrorism has on civilians. In order to combat this, I started the Middle Eastern Student Association at my predominantly white high school, where Middle Easterners are the smallest percentage of the population. We don’t only educate people on the refugee crisis, but also Middle Eastern culture, and more specific human rights violations like the detaining of Iranian environmentalists. I am now also the co-head of my school’s Senior Diversity Committee, so I can focus my efforts on a wide range of issues as I address our senior class. This will strengthen our class’s understanding of equity and inclusion, ranging from socioeconomic status to diversity in thought, and improve civil discourse.
At UVA, I plan to continue my work with this community by joining Middle Eastern Leadership Council under Turkish Student Association. I’d love to take it even further and start a Queer Middle Eastern Club to provide a space to talk about the complexity of how the culture that we celebrate can clash with being true to ourselves.
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Tips + Analysis
Make sure to clearly identify your background and/or perspective. You might choose to focus on your racial background, your educational background, your socioeconomic background—don’t feel limited here. Maybe you’re going to write from the perspective of being a woman, or being part of the LGTBQ+ community. Whatever it is, just make sure it is clear for your readers. This student clearly identifies themselves as Middle Eastern, so readers know right off the bat that it is this background that will serve as the focus of this essay.
Focus on your strengths! This prompt asks you to discuss both your personal strength and the strength you can provide to others, so make sure you are clear and direct about what “strength” means to you (we encourage you to think creatively about this term). “Strength” has obvious connotations that spring to mind, and it’s not bad to include some of them, but also try to go for the less obvious. Is your strength in working behind the scenes to get things done? Great! Is your strength in bringing people together? Wonderful! Where your strengths lie, identify them, explain HOW your personal experiences have contributed to these strengths, and then explain how these strengths will help people other than yourself.
Show your contribution. Link your experiences to specific opportunities at the school that will allow you to engage with and contribute to the community. UVA values diverse perspectives—help them see how yours adds to the college through specific ways you want to share your world view.
And here’s an example written for Vanderbilt but could easily be adapted to work for UVA.
Example:
Nothing has taught me more about patience than working at RAD Camp last summer, where I was paired with a 12-year-old with Down's Syndrome, Talon.
I learned to maintain a balance between being firm and decisive in my demeanor and remaining fair. Once, Talon refused to get out of the pool after everyone had left. Running short on options, I promised to let him watch monster trucks if he complied, and he finally acquiesced. We bottle-flipped and watched monster trucks for 2 hours. I discovered how to maintain boundaries while being kind.
I also discovered how to divide my responsibilities between the larger group and Talon. Although I was solely responsible for him, I also had to ensure that group activities ran smoothly, so I would ask an adult to watch him while I was away. I realized that the adult staffers quickly resorted to using physical force to get him to comply, but I was determined to find a better way. In an effort to connect with him and build trust, I began to bring him to my camp jobs and took care of him while leading group activities.
I also became more composed in the face of frustrating situations. At night, Talon refused to sleep. He'd run around opening doors, turning on lights, and spitting in the faces of unsuspecting victims. After he spit directly in my face for the fifth time, I breathed deeply and calmly worked with him until he fell asleep underneath my arm. Each night, I laid across the doorway to keep him from running outside and getting lost in the woods.
I'm grateful to Talon for helping me realize the importance in maintaining a balance in my actions and striving to embrace my best qualities.
At Vanderbilt, I could further my passion for helping kids with special needs. I’m amazed at Vanderbilt’s engineering students, who spent three sleepless days designing inventions, such as guitar pick holders and custom fishing equipment, to benefit children with special needs. This project was part of Vanderbilt’s TOM Makeathon, and as a student who seeks to create devices that enhances my community, I could be a critical member of this program. Seeing the smiles on the kids' faces as they explore beyond their boundaries reminds me of the good that comes from taking action. As an enterprising student, I know that I’m a perfect fit for Vanderbilt. (399 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Be vulnerable. It can be hard to talk about the situations you’ve been in that helped you build personal strength because it requires you to be vulnerable. But a successful response to this prompt needs at least a little bit of vulnerability. This student does an amazing job of reflecting on their mistakes and the learning process they had to go through, which in turn shows readers their strengths (resilience, compassion, humility, open-mindedness). You don’t have to share anything that makes you really uncomfortable, but the more personal you can be, the better.
Remember that it isn’t JUST about you. Yes, a lot of your essay should be, but it’s really important to make sure you’re addressing every point the prompt raises. This one isn’t just about your strengths… it’s also about how you will use those strengths to uplift those around you (your fellow UVA students, if all goes well!). This student gives very specific details about how they will use the strength they’ve gained to continue to help children with special needs. Instead of just saying, “I want to help kids,” the writer lets us know they hope to do so by designing devices adapted to the needs of these children.
Show them you know them. The prompt lets you know that UVA’s essay readers want to know how you will help your community at THEIR school, so show them you’ve done your homework. This student references a specific program and then explains how they hope to be part of it, showing their thoughtfulness about why they would be a good fit at THIS school. Whenever you have the chance to show readers you’ve done the work of really learning about their school culture and offerings, grab it.
Special thanks to Jessica for writing this blog post.
Jessica has a Ph.D in English from the University of Southern California and teaches English at a Los Angeles-area independent school, where she has also been English department chair and a class dean. Sandra Cisneros is her hero, and she loves books, her awesomely-sarcastic family, the beach, cozy sweaters, and more books. Oh, and her sweet pitbull/lab mix named Ruby.
Top values: Curiosity, equity, wonder
