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Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX

Main Essay

Choose 1 of 7 prompts. 650-word limit.

Prompt 1650 words

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Prompt 2650 words

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Prompt 3650 words

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea important to you or others. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Prompt 4650 words

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Prompt 5650 words

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Prompt 6650 words

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Prompt 7650 words

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

All Applicants (Common App)

Optional. Answer if applicable.

Prompt 1

TCU values individuality and believes that students are more than just a GPA and test score. To help us get to know you even better, consider this opportunity to further express yourself. The only limitations are the boundaries of your imagination. Please upload an essay, poem, work of art or a URL that showcases another side of you.

All Applicants (TCU Application)

Choose 1 of the following 4 prompts. Response should be 300-500 words.

Prompt 1500 words

At TCU, our mission statement is very important to us. "The mission of Texas Christian University, a private comprehensive university, is to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community through research and creative activities, scholarship, service, and programs of teaching and learning offered through the doctoral level." This is integrated into all aspects of the TCU experience. If you were to write a mission statement about your life, what would it be and how does this mission direct your life and goals?

Prompt 2500 words

Tell us about the most significant person, experience, or circumstance which has shaped your life thus far. How has he, she, or it influenced your character? How might you use what you have learned to achieve your goals?

Prompt 3500 words

Those we call great will usually point to some failure in their lives as a pivotal moment leading them to their successful path. Tell us about a time in your life in which failure propelled you toward success.

Prompt 4500 words

In her best-selling novel The Secret Life of Bees, TCU alumna Sue Monk Kidd wrote, "The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters." What matters to you?

John V. Roach Honors College

Required for Roach Honors College applicants. Choose 1 of the following 3 prompts. 800 words maximum.

Prompt 1800 words

TCU's Chancellor, Daniel Pullin, often encourages students to 'Dream big, be bold, and lead on.' In this essay, explain a pivotal time in your life when you did at least two of the three. What did you learn from this moment and what will you do with this knowledge?

Prompt 2800 words

Chef José Andrés of World Central Kitchen visited the Honors College in Spring 2025. In his most recent book, Change the Recipe, Chef Andrés encourages readers to 'serve something greater than yourself.' Why and how have you embraced or embodied this motto?

Prompt 3800 words

What essential quality or experience will you bring to the Milton Daniel community? How does that quality or experience define you, and how might it influence your leadership style on campus and/or in Roach Honors?

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