University of Texas at Austin

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.

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?

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?

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?

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

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?

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.

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance. If your response to this question is similar to one of the Common App Personal Essays, feel free to simply copy and paste the important parts of your essay here.

Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why? (Guidance for students: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work or a family responsibility.)

Short answer: Inherent in the design disciplines the capacity to impact the world around us. What does the opportunity to develop such capacity mean to you and your approach to your college education?

Reflect upon how your personal experiences have led you to your choice of major. Provide three (3) images that visually tell that story. Images may include personal photographs, drawings, creative content and mixed media, or other visual materials from your creative or life experience. AI generated submissions are acceptable but must be clearly identified as such. IMPORTANT: You must convert your three images into one PDF document before uploading it. Provide a written narrative that supports your reflection.

Your study at UT Austin would enable you to think deeply about serious questions that arise as we consider what it means to live well and lead well. What is one significant question you want to answer through your study in UT Austin Civics Honors? Why does this question matter?

The American founders thought carefully about what it means to build a legacy. The legacies they built have shaped American culture and law. How can a person build a worthy legacy today? How do you want people to remember you?

In art history classes, one might hear the line "Art has structured—and continues to structure—our world." Why, in your opinion, does studying the art of the past and present matter in today's global world?

Discuss the factors that have influenced your desire to pursue a career in Nursing.

How have your academic and extracurricular activities prepared you to pursue a degree in Nursing?

Teamwork and community are pillars of the Canfield Business Honors Program. When reviewing your resume, is there a particular aspect that reflects these values? Tell us more about this experience and how you will bring these values to Canfield Business Honors.

Describe your significant activities, employment, and achievements, particularly those relevant to the study of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Also describe your educational and career goals.

Texas Honors Electrical and Computer Engineering and Business (Texas ECB) is a powerful dual degree program looking for students who are dedicated to both an electrical and computer engineering and business honors education. Why do you see this as a combination of skills for your career goals? What have you done in high school, in the classroom and outside, to prepare you for honors engineering and business course work?

Prospective students cite many reasons for pursuing education in the liberal arts, and we would like to know why you want to do so. In 250 words or less, tell us why you want to study the liberal arts. Consider (but don't feel obligated to answer all) questions like: Why should anyone study liberal arts at all? Why does the world need the liberal arts? What does your liberal arts degree get you? What will you do with your liberal arts education?

Help us get to know you better. Please write five sentences (numbered 1–5) that give us some insight into you, your life, your interests and your experiences. There are no right answers — feel free to be creative and think outside the box.

Communication is a fundamental part of human life, influencing every aspect of the world around us. Future communicators like yourself must wrestle with the question of whether communication is motivated by self-interest or cooperation. Discuss an example from a communication discipline (advertising, communication studies, communication and leadership, journalism, public relations, radio-tv-film or speech language hearing sciences), that supports one of the two perspectives.

Each of the three CNS Honors Programs has a distinct profile. Why are you a good fit for the Dean's Scholars, Health Science Scholars, or Polymathic Scholars program? How will you contribute to that community?

Briefly describe why you have chosen to apply to the School of Human Ecology Honors Program, specifically Nutritional Sciences or Human Development and Family Sciences Honors.

Analyze the ways in which technology (you can determine the technology you want to focus on) impacts critical thinking and community in higher education. How can an interdisciplinary education like Plan II Honors best equip students to thrive in this environment?

Help us get to know you better. Please write five sentences (numbered 1-5) that give us some insight into you, your life, your interests and your experiences. There are no right answers — feel free to be creative and think outside the box.

Texas CSB is an innovative dual degree program looking for students who are dedicated to both computer science and business. Why do you see this as a powerful combination of skills for your career goals? What have you done in high school to prepare you for computer science and business course work?

Why are you interested in robotics? How will this undergraduate robotics program help you achieve your personal and/or career goals? What impact do you hope to make in the field of robotics?

Describe your significant activities, employment, and achievements, particularly those relevant to the study of computer science. Also describe your educational and career goals.