university of north carolina supplemental essays 2021

2. Describe an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?

3. If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Why is it important and how would you contribute to this change?

4. Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument . How does history shape who you are?

Before we delve into each UNC supplement essay, let's discuss how to choose which UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays are right for you. Authenticity and telling a good story in your unique voice is key to writing a successful UNC essay. Before we dive in, here are few tips from UNC’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions:

Choosing a prompt

As you consider your UNC essays, think about what stories make you who you are. Essentially, all of the UNC supplemental essays ask you to discuss your identity, background, and community. However, each prompt approaches these topics differently. If one of the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays particularly speaks to you, follow your instinct! However, if you're struggling to choose two prompts (or can't narrow down your options), it might be time for a structured free-write.

Here's how it works: choose a prompt and set a ten-minute timer. Write about that prompt for the full ten minutes without editing, revising, or reading over your work. Once you finish your first prompt, move to the next. Do this for each of the UNC supplemental essays. If you find yourself with a lot to say about a given topic—or you just enjoy writing about it—you've found one of your UNC supplemental essays.

If you still feel stuck after your free-write, don't worry! Look over your free writes and think about how an admissions officer might view them. Which of these stories tell the reader the most about you? What narratives are the most engaging? Which responses showcase your unique traits? The most authentic stories will make the strongest UNC supplemental essays.

Once you've chosen your topics for your UNC supplemental essays, it's time to start drafting. In this section, we'll break down each of the short answer UNC essays. Remember, while we'll discuss all four of the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essay prompts, you will only choose two of these prompts to complete.

UNC Supplemental Essays Prompt 1:

Describe a peer you see as a community builder. what actions has that peer taken how has their work made a difference in your life.

This prompt essentially asks you to define your values through a peer you admire. Keep in mind that the admissions team explicitly asks you to describe a peer—namely, someone your own age who you work alongside. This essay is not your chance to talk about world leaders who inspire you; instead, it asks you to talk about how real change can start in your own communities. Your UNC supplement essay, therefore, should center around a classmate, coworker, or friend whose actions have changed how you see the world.

It might be tempting to spend most of your 250 words discussing the peer you choose. However, remember that this is your application. Above all, your reader should come away from this UNC supplement essay with greater insight into who you are. So, whichever peer you describe, be sure to tie your response back to your identity and your own engagement with your community. In other words, devote a portion of your response to what you’ve done as a result of your peer’s influence.

Define “community builder”

When completing this UNC supplement essay, you should first consider how you define a "community builder." What communities do you occupy, and how do your peers enhance these communities? You can also discuss a peer who may belong to a different community whose actions have inspired you to take action in your own circles. Additionally, keep in mind that this UNC supplement essay asks you to describe particular "actions" your peer has taken to build community. This means you should be as specific as possible when describing your peer's behavior and any traits you hope to emulate.

To structure this UNC supplement essay, begin by describing your chosen peer and the specific actions that make them a "community builder." You might also use an anecdote to illustrate their commitment to their community. However, as soon as you've introduced your peer, you should shift toward your own perception of community. How has the peer you describe changed your worldview? How have they contributed to your own understanding of community?

UNC Essay Draft Key Questions:

UNC Supplemental Essays Prompt 2:

Describe an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). how has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far.

Unlike the previous UNC supplement essay prompt, this question revolves entirely around you and your own identity. While the category of "identity" may be broad, this prompt focuses on "religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity," and "affinity group."

When approaching this essay, therefore, you'll want to reflect mostly on how these attributes influence your life. While other things may be important to your identity—such as a love of reading or a deep-seeded interest in classical music—these interests might not belong in this UNC supplement essay unless they connect back to your core identities.

As you begin this UNC supplement essay, think about how your identities inform the ways you relate to the world. After all, while everyone occupies a variety of identities, these identities will impact every person in different ways. Maybe you've faced difficulties as a disabled student working in a field not designed for you; maybe you've encountered challenges as a BIPOC student working to cross systemic barriers and access educational opportunities. Whatever you discuss, make sure it feels unique to you and your experience.

And of course, make sure to avoid any bigotry or offensive language. The only exception is if you are describing an incident where you’ve experienced bigotry. Then, you could use this incident as a starting point to draw your reader in. However, it shouldn’t be the focus of your response.

UNC Supplemental Essays Prompt 3:

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be why is it important and how would you contribute to this change.

Like some of the other UNC application essays, this prompt emphasizes the value of community. In evaluating your response to this UNC supplement essay, the admissions team is looking to see if you can think critically about community. Successful UNC essays will also demonstrate the applicant’s problem-solving skills. In other words, it’s not enough to identify the problem—you also need to show that you can take steps towards solving it.

Essentially, this UNC supplement essay prompt asks you to describe one thing you would change to make your community a better place. As you consider your response, you should first define the community you wish to improve. Is it your neighborhood? Your school? Your church? Successful UNC supplemental essays could describe many kinds of communities, so while you shouldn't limit yourself, it's still important to be specific about the community that you’d like to change.

Once you've defined your community, it's time to think about how you would make this community a better place. Notice that this UNC supplement essay asks for one action. Make a list of all of the things that you’d like to change in the community that you chose. The changes can be both big and small, but they should be specific. For example, instead of just saying you would like to "solve homelessness,” you could say that you’d like to increase access to affordable housing in your community.

Be specific

Citing a specific objective will help you answer the second portion of the prompt, which asks how you would contribute to the change. Take a look at your list of possible answers to this UNC supplement essay—what are you most passionate about? What do you feel you could make the most contributions toward changing with your skills and talents? Ask yourself these questions to find the one thing you’d like to change.

Now that you’ve identified the one thing you’d like to change, consider why it’s important to change this. Avoid vague language like “homelessness is bad.” Instead, think about concrete effects that the issue has on your community, the individuals it impacts, and its larger effects on society, the nation, and the world. Your UNC supplemental essays should show the admissions team your critical thinking skills.

In the final portion of this UNC supplement essay, you’ll need to address how you would contribute to this change. There are a couple of ways you can tackle this: practically or hypothetically. Let’s revisit the homelessness example. A practical contribution towards increasing access to affordable housing could look like a student volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and helping to build affordable homes in their community. Hypothetical responses can be much larger—you may talk about how you’d like to help to create an organization that builds and manages hotels and halfway homes for the homeless. Whether you dream big or keep it practical in this UNC supplement essay, remember to discuss why your “one change” is important and exactly how you’d contribute to making it happen.

UNC Supplemental Essays Prompt 4:

Former unc-chapel hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist esphur foster once said, “we are nothing without our history.” her words are memorialized on the northside neighborhood freedom fighters monument . how does history shape who you are.

Like the other UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays, this UNC supplement essay prompt revolves around identity and community—even if it doesn't seem that way at first glance. By framing this question about history through a lens of civil rights activism, the UNC essays ask you to understand your identity and background through a historical lens. In doing so, it asks you to reflect on your own position within structures of hierarchy and oppression.

This UNC supplement essay can be a great space to discuss your relationship with your racial, ethnic, or cultural background. It's important, however, to handle these topics delicately. If you're not from a background with a history of marginalization, you shouldn't view this UNC supplement essay as your chance to show the admissions team how accepting you are by describing the conditions that your BIPOC peers might face. Tell your own story—don't try to tell someone else's.

To that end, like the other UNC essays, this response should show the admissions team who you are and how you see the world. Don't describe an interesting family anecdote without telling your reader how your familial background impacts your lived experience. If your topic doesn't relate to your own identity and character, it probably doesn't belong in your UNC essays.

UNC Supplemental Essays: Fill-in-the-blank Questions (25 words each)

So, you've begun your short answer UNC application essays. Congratulations! Now, let's turn to the fill-in-the-blank UNC essays.

These UNC essays aren't essays at all—they're simply short-form questions that aim to help the admissions team learn more about you. Your short answer UNC supplemental essays were the hard part. Now, it's time to have fun.

Here are the prompts for the four fill-in-the-blank UNC application essays:

1. One family tradition I cherish:

2. This I believe:

3. The quality I admire most in myself:

4. The protagonist I most identify with:

Above all, these short UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays should add context to your candidate profile and help the admissions team get to know you. Each of your fill-in-the-blank UNC application essays should supplement the rest of your application, working alongside your longer essays to paint a complete picture of your identity.

With only 25 words for each prompt, you don't have much space. Plan to answer each of these short UNC application essays in just 1-2 sentences. Don't waste space repeating the prompt. For instance, don't start your response to Prompt 4 with "The protagonist I most identify with is..." Instead, cut to the chase. For Prompt 4, you might write, "Kim Possible—I also want to fight for justice while wearing a classic black turtleneck."

Since these are fill-in-the-blank questions, the admissions team doesn't expect you to fully explain your responses in each of these UNC-Chapel Hill essays. You should include one sentence or clause of explanation in each response, but not more. For example, a response to Prompt 3 might read, "My tenacity—if I'm committed to a project, I'll always find a way to make it happen." This response gives admissions officers a bit more context than just writing "my tenacity.”

Save the anecdotes

You also don't need to include additional anecdotes in these UNC essays. Hopefully, your other UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays have already shown the admissions team who you are. Now, you can focus on telling them any additional information. For instance, a 250-word response to one of the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays above might begin with a personal story, but there's no need (or space) for that in these fill-in-the-blank UNC questions. Instead, just give your reader the information. A quick response—such as "My family always makes pierogis on Christmas Eve to celebrate our Polish heritage"—will do just fine.

Finally, don't let the absolute language in these prompts scare you. For example, Prompt 2 might seem overwhelming—after all, it's hard to center your thinking around just one core belief. However, don't be intimidated. At the end of the day, this question simply asks you to talk about one of your core values in 25 words.

Add some (tasteful) humor

Additionally, if the rest of your UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays have demonstrated your depth, you can use these short UNC supplemental essays to add a bit of humor to your application. One response to Prompt 2 might be "All people deserve the right to an education," but another valid response might be, "Cows would make great household pets." Think about your application in context—if you've already shown that you have a vast inner life, you can afford to be cheeky. If you do go this route, however, limit your jokes to just one of the fill-in-the-blank UNC essays. And, as always in your UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays and these short questions, avoid offensive language.

At the end of the day, don't overthink these short answer questions. You should spend most of your time on your UNC application essays rather than deciding which fictional character most resembles you. Go with your gut! If your responses to these fill-in-the-blank UNC essays help your reader learn more about you, you're on the right track.

UNC Supplemental Essays: Final Thoughts

While completing two 250-word UNC Chapel-Hill essays and four short-answer questions might seem like a lot, don't let the sheer volume of UNC application essays discourage you from applying. Your UNC supplemental essays are your time to show off what makes you unique.

Finally, don't forget to revise your UNC application essays multiple times. In fact, you’ll want to start your writing process for these UNC application essays early, a least a few months before the application’s due date. Once you’ve completed a draft, you might also ask a trusted adult to proofread your UNC-Chapel Hill essays for spelling, grammar, and clarity. However, it’s best to stay away from heavy edits that erase your voice from the UNC supplemental essays. Remember, the admissions officers want to know more about you, not the person who helped you edit your UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays. Good luck!

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This 2021-2022 essay guide on UNC - Chapel Hill was written by Abbie Sage, Harvard ‘21. Want help crafting your UNC supplemental essays 2021? Click here to create your free account , or call (844) 343-6272 to schedule your free advising consultation with an Admissions Specialist.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – UNC Essay Guide 2020-2021

In this UNC-Chapel Hill Essay Guide, you’ll find tips on how to best respond to the supplemental essay prompts for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

Founded in 1789, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) is a public research university based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. UNC consistently ranks among the nation’s top public universities, placing #29 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 Best Colleges Rankings. The university’s acceptance rate of 22% also ranks it among the most selective public schools. It has an undergraduate enrollment of 19,117 students, with a 13:1 faculty to student ratio.

Regarding student life, various publications rank UNC, a suburban town surrounding the UNC campus, among the best college towns in the nation. 20% of students participate in Greek life, while many others participate in UNC’s extracurricular offerings, ranging from the Institute of Politics to the student newspaper. UNC-Chapel Hill is also well-known for its sports teams, such as its nationally-renowned basketball team.

Prompt 1 (No word limit, Optional): We hope you’ll share with us the activities that you’ve found especially worthwhile. We also hope you won’t feel compelled to tell us everything you’ve ever done or, worse yet, to do things that mean little to you just because you think we expect them. Low-profile pursuits can be just as meaningful as ones that draw more attention, and fewer activities can be just as good, and sometimes even better, than more activities. For example, although starting a new club can be a great experience and helpful to others, so can caring for siblings, parents, or grandparents, working outside the home to put food on the table, or being a good and caring friend. For these reasons, although we’re glad to receive complete résumés, we don’t require or encourage them. Instead, if you choose to submit something that goes beyond what you’re providing through your Common Application, keep it brief; focus less on including everything and more on choosing and explaining the things that have meant the most to you; and upload it here.

What can you showcase in this prompt.

This prompt is very detailed and mostly self-explanatory. Essentially, UNC is providing you an opportunity to provide more details about your most meaningful activities and experiences.

How is this different from the Activities Section on the Common App? First of all, you are asked only to share the activities that are most meaningful to you. Second, you can share activities that may not typically have a place in the Common Application. For example, the prompt lists caring for your family members and being a good friend as worthwhile experiences to discuss. Finally, you are able to provide some detail about these activities and why they are meaningful to you.

As such, this is different from a resume. Rather than providing a short description of your accomplishments and responsibilities, you are describing your most meaningful activities.

How can you approach writing this essay?

There are multiple ways to approach this prompt. You could do a bullet point list with the activity title, a short description for the activity, what you took away from this experience, and why you find it meaningful.

If being a member of a sports team is meaningful and has helped you develop self-discipline, you can describe that here. If you’ve chosen a work experience, you can describe what you learned from that job and how it has shaped your perspective, or your future career/studies. For example, working as a cashier at a fast food restaurant may have been valuable because it helped pay the bills for your family. Or, working as a camp counselor might have made you passionate about teaching and education.

Despite the lack of a word limit, be sure to write with focus and concision . If you choose to do a list, then keep the description accompanying each activity to a few sentences or less. Aim for a page or less if you are writing single-spaced. Don’t feel pressured to describe too many activities and experiences: focus on the ones that are most meaningful to you.

Prompt 2 (200-250 Words, Mandatory): Please choose two of the prompts below and respond to each in 200-250 words.

1. tell us about a peer who has made a difference in your life., what can you showcase in this essay.

This is an opportunity to discuss your relationship with a peer, whether that be a classmate, friend, or other person who is around your age. Through this, the admissions committee can glean valuable insights about how you interact with and learn from peers. For example, is there a close friend who struggled through difficult personal circumstances and has inspired you? A peer who you work with in a club who has significantly shaped the way that you think today? A classmate who helped you when you were struggling through a class?

Keep in mind that you are the one applying to colleges with this essay, not your peer! Although you should share details about your peer, you also should focus on your perspective as you write this essay: what do you appreciate about this peer? What have you learned from him/her? How has this relationship shaped you?

Ideally, you should discuss peers with whom you have a meaningful degree of familiarity or interaction. For example, if you discuss a classmate who has inspired you, but with whom you have spoken once or twice total, it will be hard to share many meaningful insights. On the other hand, discussing a peer with whom you have worked with for a year or two on the robotics club will likely yield more insights and experiences. Or, a peer who tutored you over several months when you took a difficult science class.

For those who may be wondering, this essay prompt does not limit you to discussing only peers who were a positive presence in your life. While a positive relationship may be the most obvious angle, you also can write about peers who have created negative experiences. The risk in this type of essay is that depending on how you describe your peer, you may come off as overly negative and vengeful. For example, writing about how you find one of your classmates annoying because of a personal dispute may not work. On the other hand, writing about a bully in high school who you stood up to and how you grew from this experience may work better.

2. What do you hope will change about the place where you live?

This is an opportunity to describe your community and your vision for how it can be better. Through this essay, the UNC-Chapel Hill admissions committee can learn more about your values, awareness of your community, and approach for envisioning change.

This is not a policy brief! Don’t worry about providing a bullet point list of your proposals for changing your community. Rather, focus on describing the relevant parts of your community first. You can do so most effectively through specific examples and anecdotes.

For example, if you want to focus on improving civic engagement in your community, you could write about examples of peers struggling to find volunteering opportunities because no community center exists in your area. Or, if you want to write more broadly about attitudes of people in your area on certain issues, you could describe specific conversations you’ve had with these people.

Then, you can describe what you hope can change about these aspects of your community. A general description works, but it’s more helpful to be specific about what you want to change, why, and what impact it could make. For example, if you write about political partisanship in your area, you could supplement this with, “I hope that my community will become more open to discussing difficult political issues together because XYZ. The community that I envision is one where XYZ.”

This essay is also a good opportunity to highlight work you have already done to improve your community. It’s fine if the issue you discuss is not one you have personally worked on, but if you have prior experience, feel free to share it. For example, if you choose to write about lack of access to affordable housing, and you have worked on this issue before, feel free to discuss that briefly.

3. What is one thing that we don’t know about you that you want for us to know?

This is an opportunity to describe any type of perspective, interest, or experience that can show a new side of you to the admissions committee. Do you like collecting different U.S. coins as a hobby? Do you have a particularly close relationship to one of your siblings? Did you move many times in your life to different cities? Do you have specific ideas of how you want to use your UNC-Chapel Hill education in the future? Any of these aspects could help admissions officers paint a fuller picture of you.

Start by mapping out different aspects of your interests and background that are not captured in your Common Application: hobbies, life experiences, etc. As you do this, think about what each of these aspects can demonstrate about you as a person. Once you narrow down on your topic, you can consider a narrative-type essay that uses anecdotes and stories to show the reader the aspect of you that you’d like to share, and how it has shaped you today.

For example, if you choose to write about moving to different places many times in your life, you could start with an anecdote about packing up your belongings (yet again) as you prepare to move out of X city. Then, you could segue into a reflection of how the experience of moving has been one of the few constants in your life, and how this has shaped you.

4. What about your background, or what perspective, belief, or experience, will help you contribute to the education of your classmates at UNC?

These types of “background” essays ask about different aspects of your upbringing, views, and experiences that can offer valuable perspectives to the UNC community. Many of my college peers will attest to the fact that much of our learning took place outside of the classroom: building relationships and learning from our diverse peers. This is your opportunity to showcase what unique value add you can provide to the learning environment at UNC-Chapel Hill, both in and out of the classroom.

First, it may be useful to do some research on UNC-Chapel Hill’s student body to understand if there are parts of your identity and experience that may be unique. But don’t feel a need to limit yourself to demographic diversity.

Are there perspectives, beliefs, and experiences you feel can contribute to your peers’ learning? For example, were you a volunteer firefighter, or worked as a car mechanic as a part-time job? Did you play a large role in helping support your family and raising your siblings due to challenging personal circumstances? Are you the only one in your family who has a particular political or ideological leaning? Focus on the aspect of your background and experience that is most meaningful to you – one you feel can contribute to the UNC-Chapel Hill learning community.

As you write this essay, make sure to offer specific examples when you can! For example, if you write about faith, you can describe specific experiences you have had because of your faith identity, traditions that are meaningful to you, and what insights you would hope to share with your peers at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Second, make sure that what you write about here is not duplicative of your Common App essay. If you already wrote about a particular aspect of your background, such as racial identity or your family circumstances, in the Common App, it may be most useful to describe another aspect of you in this essay.

This UNC-Chapel Hill essay guide was written by Jesper Ke , a UNC – Chapel Hill admit and Harvard Class of 2019 graduate. If you want to get help writing your UNC – Chapel hill application essays from Jesper or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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How to Approach the UNC Essay Prompts

The university of minnesota application essay prompts, and how to nail them (2020-2021)..

You’re just two essays away … two very short essays away not only from having completed your UNC-Chapel Hill application, but also from having made it markedly better.

We’re going to show you how. Check out the prompts below, and our complete guide to nailing these UNC supplemental essays — drawn from our long experience at Prompt helping applicants get in.

And if you’d also like personalized guidance from people who’ve done this thousands of times, get started with us here .

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill prompts for Fall 2021 Application

Choose 2 of the following (200-250 words):

How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays: Guide + Examples 2022/2023

What are the UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompts?

How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for UNC Chapel Hill

Think of the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays as a Venn diagram.

Each prompt is a circle. And each circle is filled with details about some aspect of who you are.

And you know that nice little space in the middle of a Venn diagram where the circles overlap?

Yep, that’s you.

Not sure what all those circles (and triangles, and maybe even pentagons) make you, well, you? No worries, we’re here to help.

Want to get a better sense of what UNC Chapel Hill is looking for before you start writing? You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set . For deep insights into how this public research university envisions student success (and how it wants to grow and evolve), read its strategic priorities . Reading through this will give you a strong idea of UNC Chapel Hill’s values.

What are the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay prompts?

Unc chapel hill supplemental essay prompt #1.

In addition to the essay you provided with your Common Application, please choose two of the prompts below and respond to each in 200-250 words. Your essay responses below should be different from your common app essay response. Carolina aspires to build a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that students can only achieve their best when they learn alongside students from different backgrounds. In reading your responses, we hope to learn what being a member of such a community would mean to you.

Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others? Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life? If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain. Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said “We are nothing without our history.” How does history shape who you are?

UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompt #2

You’ll complete all four of the following fill-in-the-blank Please complete these short fill-in-the-blanks in 25 words or less.

One family, friend, or school tradition I cherish… If I had an extra hour in every day, I would spend it... If I could travel anywhere, near or far, past, present or future, I would go… The last time I stepped outside my comfort zone, I... People who meet me are most likely to notice...and least likely to notice...

UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay prompt #1

As a public university, UNC Chapel Hill puts a lot of value in people and the experiences they bring to the table. Much of what school officials are interested in is how you relate to the world around you. The Common App personal statement is a great way to show off who you are as a person, but the focus of many of these supplemental prompts is everything outside of you. We encourage you to use these two additional short essays to show that you have an awareness about the influence of other people, communities, and perspectives.

General Tips:

Don’t repeat what’s in your personal statement. The prompts are explicitly asking you to talk about something new. Remember the Venn diagram analogy; each essay is a circle, and each circle should contain different details.

Brainstorm a list of communities and see which ones you would be the most excited to write about. Several of these prompts (specifically #1 and #3) are asking you to think about different communities you’re a part of and expand on what they mean to you. Before you start writing, brainstorm. And don’t write about the same community for both your essays. Each one is a chance to showcase a new part of yourself. Here are different ways to approach the idea of community:

Place: Groups of people who live/work/play near one another

Identity: Groups of people who share a common race, sexuality, ethnicity, or other marker of identity

Action: Groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (ex.: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)

Interest: Groups of people coming together based on a shared interest, experience, or expertise

Circumstance: Groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations

Get specific. Don’t just give a generic answer followed by a generic reason for your generic answer. Be creative and use details that give you a distinctive/memorable voice.

Use the space they give you. You only get about 250 words per answer, so try to use it all up. If you don’t have 200-250 words to say about something, consider writing about something else.

When you can, try to make your answers school-specific. Because it’s a big public school, UNC Chapel Hill receives a ton of applications. The more you can do to demonstrate that you’ve done your research, the better chance you have of standing out. Universities want to feel wanted. None of these prompts explicitly mention UNC, but imagine that each of them has an implicit “Why us?” at the end. Even if they aren’t asking you about UNC, you want to give them an idea of how you could fit into their school community.

Expand on the impact of your topic. Why does impact matter? It helps the reader understand why they should care. Hopefully, the topic you’ve chosen is something you’re already pretty jazzed about. The key here is getting your reader to be just as jazzed as you, and showing impact is the way to do it. Here are some ways to think about impact:

Numbers . Perhaps what you choose to talk about has a particularly shocking statistic. Maybe your interest in that topic inspired you to do something that had a significant numerical effect. Consider adding specific numbers to bolster your claims and give your readers a sense of magnitude.

Anecdotal evidence of impact, or quotations . Impact doesn’t have to be quantitative to convey urgency, importance, or power. The more of you that you put in your essay, the better.

Personal impact (on you, the author) in the form of lessons learned, skills gained. It’s especially interesting to note if these skills transferred to other areas of your life.

Write it long first, then cut it. In our experience, this tends to be easier than writing a very short version and then trying to figure out what to add.

Here’s a great example if you’re choosing the first option.

Option 1: Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others?

You wouldn’t think an American Asian Affinity Space would be diverse, after all its whole premise is centered around one specific identity. However, members of the affinity space at my high school come from several different grades, genders and ethnicities. The group included a sophomore from China, a junior from Pakistan, and members from Korea, Japan, and even Israel. We each had unique stories of living as an Asian-American, yet, we had all chosen to come to this affinity group. As we spent time together, we were able to find shared experiences, like our parents preparing packed lunches for us from our country and being too embarrassed to bring them to school. Whether eating humbow or biryani, we all knew what it was like to feel out of place. My work with the AAAS got me thinking about what diversity can look like, and what it means to embrace diversity. On the one hand, you can find diversity even when people appear to be alike. By exploring our differences, we can continue learning from each other even when it seems we have shared backgrounds and values. At the same time, people who seem really different may have shared human experiences, feeling like the "other" or being embarrassed by their parents, that can bring them together. Moving forward, I want to learn about people’s differences, hearing their stories and learning about their backgrounds while also creating spaces for people to have shared experiences that bring people together. — — —

Tips + Analysis

Challenge a misconception or generalization. This applicant does a great job of subverting expectations when it comes to her American-Asian identity. She highlights how her affinity group was more diverse than one might generally expect. By doing this, she demonstrates a compelling ability to self-reflect and see nuance within important cultural spaces. The idea that diversity is more than what meets the eye is a mature and complex insight that makes this essay stand out. This is a prompt that allows you to show off your ability to “see behind the curtain,” so to speak, when it comes to a specific community or identity. Acknowledging an assumption and then challenging it is an excellent way to do this.

Highlight growth. When you answer this prompt, it’s great if you can create a narrative arc by showing how you developed within a specific identity. In this case, the author talks about her growing ability to find common ground with other members of her affinity group. In this way, she’s showing her values of inclusion, culture, and diversity. Although this is a short essay, having a “story” is very helpful. Think of the narrative arc as a rope that you can use to pull your reader through your answer. Showing how you changed over time or learned more about yourself compels people to keep reading.

Use paragraph structure to clarify your main points. The author here uses her first paragraph to expand on a part of her identity (being Asian American) and the second paragraph to expand on how that part of her identity has shaped her values and perceptions. She also touches on how this ties into her ongoing interest in creating inclusive spaces and embracing difference. This is a really nice way to answer the prompt because it’s very clear which part of the question she’s answering in each paragraph. The first paragraph sets the scene of the past, and then the second one speaks more to the present and future. Having a paragraph break also gives the reader a chance to breathe before moving right into the second half of the answer. Try to use the structure of your piece to amplify your content.

Connect to the future. As we mentioned, the author does a nice job of segueing into how the lessons she learned from her American Asian Affinity group have inspired her interest in creating more inclusive spaces. This is something you should do in your essay too. You don’t have to be super specific about what you want to do (although you definitely can!), but giving your reader a sense of how this aspect of your identity would impact what you do or who you’d interact with in college helps them better understand what kind of student you’d be.

Here’s a great example of an essay answering the second option:

Option 2: Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life? (200-250 words)

When I met Bella, my ears didn’t work. I could hear, but not listen. When I conversed with friends, we were in our own universes. There was little empathy, just interruptions and distractions. And because nobody around me seemed to have the desire to listen, I gave up on it too. From the moment Bella and I were crowned co-winners of a middle-school cup-stacking competition, each winning half of a coveted cookie cake, things changed. I soon realized how perceptive Bella was to people’s feelings. Our chats morphed into meaningful conversations and fits of laughter. She was the first friend I came out to as bi. After telling her, I waited nervously for the uncomfortable acceptance and frantic search for other conversation topics. But instead, she looked me in the eye and said she loved me no matter who I loved. Then, she asked curious questions rather than trying to ignore my identity. And I was there for Bella too. When she told me about the emotional distance she felt growing up far away from her dad who lives in South Korea, I supported her, not trivializing her pain with dismissive reassurances. Since our cup-stacking battle, we’ve been strong for each other. Bella unplugged my ears. That’s why she was the first person I interviewed for my podcast, Portraits, about people in my life. I know that as an empathetic listener, I am more vulnerable now, but, thanks to Bella, I understand how to communicate love. (246 words) — — —

Consider starting with a punchy first line. This author’s first line is super strong. All she says is, “When I met Bella, my ears didn’t work.” This raises lots of questions. Who’s Bella? What do you mean your “ears didn’t work?” How did you meet this Bella person? This is the best kind of hook because it elicits more questions than answers. It’s also short and to the point. It’s not overly convoluted. And don’t worry, it’s okay to disorient your reader a bit in the first line. It intrigues people and makes them want to keep reading, particularly when the essay focus isn’t directly on yourself.

Highlight your own values. Think of the peer you choose as an extension of yourself. By writing about what you admire in this person, you are essentially saying that you value those qualities. Although the author of this essay is talking about what a great listener Bella is, she’s also showing us that she cares about empathy and open dialogue. The person you write about becomes your surrogate, so think carefully about how you can represent yourself through the peer you choose.

Showcase your peer’s impact. Share clear actions that demonstrate how your peer is making a difference. Paint a clear picture so readers can understand the tangible effects they’ve had in their school or community. Detailing your peer’s impact emphasizes your own observation skills and offers insight into how you perceive the world around you (and also speaks directly to the new aspect of this prompt, specifying that this peer is someone who is making a difference in your school or community) . When describing actions, remember to include as many specific, sensory details as possible. Consider how your peer’s actions resonated with you and recreate that moment for the reader. Though this response doesn’t exactly address the newly modified UNC Chapel Hill prompt, the topic could have still worked by noting how Bella gave to her community in an inspiring way. Perhaps, the author could have expanded on other ways in which Bella “unplugged ears” at her school. Or maybe Bella is unplugging more ears by speaking on the author’s podcast.

Embrace vulnerability. This essay is chock full of vulnerability. The author talks about her sexuality and her journey toward a greater sense of empathy. A great essay isn’t just about showing off all your great accomplishments. In fact, reflecting on how you’ve changed over time shows that you’re introspective and adaptable. Nobody is perfect, and oftentimes it works to your advantage to embrace that. A great question to ask yourself if you’re writing for this prompt is: How did this person help me grow? Think of the answer to that question as the frame for your essay and fill the details in with the words you have left.

Make your reader want to be friends with this person too. After reading this essay, we want to sit down with Bella and absorb her awesomeness. The author writes about her in such a way that we feel the love she has for her friend. Part of what helps us feel that love is the amount of details she includes. She tells us about the cookie cake competition that started it all and the kinds of topics she talked about with Bella. Those specific moments where she explains what it felt like coming out as bi or listening to Bella talk about her family situation in Korea give us a more visceral sense of what this friendship looked like. Get someone who doesn’t know the person you’re writing about to read your essay when it’s finished. That person should want to meet your peer after they read it. Remember, you might know the person who you choose super well, but your reader has never met them before and needs you to do as much legwork as possible in conveying all the aspects that make them worth writing about.

Option 3: If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.

My earliest memory of orchestra wasn’t about the orchestra, but what happened after. I was ten, and a kind retirement community resident was so enamored by our performance, she invited my family to her apartment for cookies. This was a glimpse of what was to come: standing ovations, the tears in my neighbor’s eyes when my music reminded her of her hometown, the community my fellow string members and I formed over nervous glances before the curtain went up. I knew my peers could benefit from these rewards, so I started a strings club at my high school. The school band teacher agreed to conduct, and I spread the word through social media and flyers. The club started off as a small-but-mighty group of four, but grew as we tutored beginner violinists. At the end of our first concert, I was moved by the shared hugs, the high-fives, and the satisfaction on the students’ faces as they saw a teary family member in the audience. I’m proud of our strings club, but I still have the nagging sense that it isn’t enough. Our school was only the third out of thirty in the county to begin an orchestra club, so there are still hundreds of students who can benefit from being a part of the orchestra community. It would require school administrators to recognize the impacts orchestral music can have on teens’ growing brains, but I hope to one day see many more string clubs at schools across our county. — — —

Be positive about a negative. This applicant skillfully addresses the need for orchestral music while not criticizing administrators or bashing the school for not having a strings club. She paints positive pictures of cookies with a retiree, students bonding over high-fives, and the tearful support of parents. If possible, acknowledge what’s already good or working, then frame what you’d change as something to improve or a way to make your community even better.

Show your advocacy or activism streak. This prompt is an invitation to all those with drive to serve a cause. Maybe you’re an advocate for the environment—could you propose safer crosswalks or more bike racks to encourage pedestrian traffic? Think about what gets you fired up, and how that energy could be used to better your community. What do you care about that hasn’t been addressed elsewhere in your application? Whatever you choose, whether it stems from a cause or a hobby, expressing genuine interest by flexing your values and conveying your enthusiasm will make the reader care too. Speaking of your advocacy work …

Take the opportunity to showcase what you’ve already done. This student reverse-engineered the essay by starting with something she’d already done—established a strings club at her school—speaking to its benefits before advocating for a change for the better: more strings clubs across the district. If you take this approach, though, you’ll probably want to spend a bit more time than this student did on the actual change you’d make, since that’s a key part of the prompt and would allow you to speak to your solutioning skills.

Keep it real(istic). Make sure you address a real issue—with realistic solutions. This author wanted a strings club, got the band teacher on board, started with just four participants, and things grew from there. This probably isn’t the appropriate time to showcase your imagination, unless you have creative and realistic solutions. Notions of solving traffic jams with flying cars or creating a utopian society where everyone sings while they skip to work may be fun, but this question is probing for your values and your problem-solving skills for real-world challenges.

Think in thirds. The 250-word limit may not feel like a ton of space for what’s essentially a three-part prompt—1) what you’d change, 2) why it’s important, and 3) how you’d contribute—so it may be helpful to divide the essay into three parts. In this example, those three parts looked like this: 1) getting wider support for strings clubs, 2) the rewards of standing ovations and community-building, and 3) … um … ? See how breaking it up this way exposes the gap in this essay? It doesn’t really speak to how this student would contribute to the change she wants to see. So try allocating roughly 1/3 of your words to define a unique challenge in your community that you want to address, 1/3 to explain its importance, and 1/3 to showcase your leadership and problem-solving skills. The division doesn’t have to be exact, but this approach will help you ensure you’re addressing all this prompt is asking for.

Option 4: Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said “We are nothing without our history.” How does history shape who you are?

Here are questions and tips you may want to consider as you go to write this essay:

Find a historical moment that influenced you in some way. Maybe it’s a specific period of time, like the Renaissance (we see you, art history buffs), but keep in mind that it’s generally harder to write a strong essay about something that broad. So maybe it’s a specific event, like the first female American astronaut in space. Or you could make it more personal, exploring your family’s own history, like how coming from a long line of musicians shaped your love of the ukulele or clarinet. How you define history is wide open here. The key is to choose something that brings it home to you.

What role(s) does history play in your present? You can touch on a couple of those ways or explore one with greater depth. Does history shape how you interact with others? Does it give you context to appreciate your world in new ways? A cautionary note: It may be wise to avoid polarizing topics, to avoid the risk of offending your reader. But if you do go there, consider asking a few trusted friends/mentors for feedback on how your response made them feel about you.

If you choose a historical moment or event, don’t assume your reader knows as much about the topic as you do, so share enough to provide context. Just don’t get carried away talking about the historical moment and not about yourself. The better approach: As you’re explaining the history, make it personal to you. If it’s about the women’s suffrage movement, for example, maybe you’d share how Susan B. Anthony’s bold stance on labor rights and equal pay inspired you and paved the way for the kind of advocacy work you’re doing today.

What do you hope your reader learns about you? What are the values you hope your essay conveys? If you don’t know, do this Values Exercise , asking yourself that same question, then read your essay over again. Are those values coming through? If not, tweak it to make sure it does. Still not sure? Ask a trusted friend/mentor whether they’re picking up on the values you identified.

Bonus points: Consider taking the essay a bit farther than the prompt asks by considering how you’d use your understanding of this history to help others. Don’t repeat something you’ve already shared on your application, but if you’re on a mission to help others, and if that mission is rooted in some historical context, here’s a chance to share another dimension of who you are and what you value.

Finally, if your response incorporates a quote (as the prompt did), be sure you triple check the authenticity and give credit where credit is due.

Here’s an example we love.

I have a deep adoration for the Golden State, particularly how the diversity due to immigration has added so much to my home. I wouldn’t even be sitting here in Lafayette writing this if it weren’t for immigration; my great grandfather settled in the US, through Ellis Island to Queens, during the Roaring Twenties. Once World War II rolled around, he enlisted in the Navy, and after 36 months at sea, he wound up in golden San Francisco. From that point on, my lineage has been rooted in Northern California. Besides my family’s immigration, Asian and Latin American immigration to the Bay Area, which increased in the early 20th century, has positively impacted my experiences here in many ways. Whether it be Dim Sum in Chinatown, Slanted Door’s Vietnamese food in the Mission District (my all-time favorite restaurant), or Tacos El Patron in Pleasant Hill, the dazzling composition of culture has cultivated my adoration of food. I value living in an area with so many represented cultures, and visiting the traditional pockets of ChinaTown and Japantown broadens my horizons and ability to empathize with others. I also love witnessing classic events such as the acclaimed San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade. I am ready to leave my home and bring my appreciation for diversity, education, and hard work, and obsession with food, to Chapel Hill. In my new home, I am excited to carry the history of California with me as I cultivate new values and advocate for positive change. (250 words) — — —

Identify a personal connection to history. Acknowledge how history has played a role in your life. What historical connections can you draw on? Consider your various identities and their histories: family, cultural, national, etc. This author establishes the theme of immigration and then immediately shares an example from her family history. Drawing on those influences can help demonstrate your unique perspective of the world.

Expand your historical connection to your present self. Show how history has evolved into the present day. One of the main components of this prompt points to how historical factors often define the here and now. In this essay, the author uses geography and culture to connect her history to the present moment. When you go to write, identify ways in which history maintains its threads in your life today. Think of this as an opportunity to demonstrate a side of yourself that may not be revealed elsewhere in your application. Since history informs all aspects of life, you have lots of options to choose a topic you’d like to expand upon.

Emphasize core values. Be sure to spotlight new values or values you’d like for UNC Chapel Hill to recognize in you. The open-ended nature of this prompt can sometimes stump students, but if you begin by identifying additional sides of yourself you’d like to reveal, narrow down the potential topics so you’re not trying to do too much with 250 words. This author clearly states four values of “diversity, education, and hard work, and obsession with food,” each of which is illuminated throughout the essay. She also takes the time to envision herself at UNC Chapel Hill to provide more evidence of how she and the school would make a great fit.

UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay prompt #2

We don’t have any examples to share here, but you can find some great advice on how to write responses to short-answer questions like these in this blog post .

With these tips and examples in mind, you should be ready to start mapping out your own Venn diagram.

Want advice on dozens of other supplemental essays? Click here

Special thanks to Jon for writing to this post

Jon (he/him) knows the value of writing from a place of personal truth. As a classically trained theater artist, he is committed to crafting authentic stories that reflect the range of human experience.

Top Values: Mindfulness | Adaptability | Self-Expression

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How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Essays 2022-2023

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill requires all applicants to write two essays and answer five short answer prompts. Applicants to the Honors College or global fellowship opportunities will also be required to submit an additional essay for their respective program.

Because of how many applicants UNC Chapel Hill gets each year with comparable GPAs and test scores, essays are the chief way admissions officers differentiate between applicants and ultimately decide which student they want at their university. In this post, we’ll cover how you can write a great essay worthy of admission to a top school like UNC Chapel Hill.

Read this UNC Chapel Hill essay example to inspire your writing.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompts

Short answers for all applicants (25 words each).

Essays for All Applicants (200-250 words each)

In addition to the essay you provided with your Common Application, please choose two of the prompts below. Your essay responses below should be different from your common app essay response.

Carolina aspires to build a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that students can only achieve their best when they learn alongside students from different backgrounds. In reading your responses, we hope to learn what being a member of such a community would mean to you.

Option 1: Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others?

Option 2: Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

Option 3: If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.

Option 4: Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said “We are nothing without our history.” How does history shape who you are?

Honors College Applicants

Please submit a short essay that describes your academic interests and the ways you believe Honors Carolina can help you pursue them. (250 words)

Global Fellowship Applicants

Why do you want to participate in the global opportunities you’ve selected, and in what ways are you hoping to grow through the experience(s) (250 words), short answers for all applicants.

The goal of these prompts is to get to know you better in a more casual way. The best responses will be genuine and reveal more about who you are and where you come from. No need to try to impress the admissions officers, and feel free to give more quirky or lighthearted responses if that feels right to you!

One family, friend, or school tradition I cherish… (25 words)

Here’s a chance to describe a meaningful experience you share with your community. What happens during this tradition? What is the story behind it? Why is it special to you?

Here are some examples:

If I had an extra hour in every day, I would spend it… (25 words)

UNC wants to know what your passions are. What is the one thing you love but never seem to have enough time for? (Not in the sense that you aren’t prioritizing it, but that you’re always craving more).

Bonus points if you can share a meaningful activity that isn’t already addressed on your application. This is a great space for more unconventional activities or personal hobbies.

If I could travel anywhere, near or far, past, present or future, I would go… (25 words)

What’s on your bucket list? Are there any historical figures or periods you’d love to witness? What about special memories you’d love to relive?

This prompt is unique in that it involves both physical travel and time travel. You can pick one or the other, or both!

Try not to pick a place that many applicants are likely to give, such as the Eiffel Tower, unless you have a compelling personal reason for that choice. As always, the goal is to reveal more about you, so the more specific or unique you can get, the better.

The last time I stepped outside my comfort zone, I… (25 words)

UNC wants to admit students who can take risks, as people grow the most when they’re out of their comfort zone. The risk you took can be major or more lighthearted, as long as it’s meaningful to you.

While this prompt has two ellipses, the Common App only gives you one answer box, so you’ll have to find a way to respond clearly without restating the prompt.

Reflect on your qualities that are most and least obvious. For the more obvious qualities, are they physical traits or qualities that show up regularly? For the least-obvious qualities, why are they more hidden? Is it because you don’t share them openly, or because they’re only visible in certain situations?

Essay Prompts for All Applicants

All applicants, option 1, describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others (200-250 words).

At first glance, this prompt seems extremely similar to the first Common Application prompt : “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.”

However, UNC’s prompt has a different objective and a different context. Let’s return to the final sentence of the instructions: “In reading your responses, we hope to learn what being a member of [the UNC] community would mean to you.”

Based on this context, the prompt can be reframed to be the following:

Expand upon one aspect of your identity. Reflect on how this aspect has shaped your life experience so far, and how it would benefit or shape your experience at UNC at Chapel Hill.

Remember that identity can mean many things. It can refer to:

This prompt requires you to select one facet of your intersectional, multifaceted identity. Because the word limit is 250 words, it is important to select only one meaningful part of your identity.

1. Clarify and describe the aspect of your identity in an engaging way.

You should briefly show how this aspect of your identity has impacted your life.

For example, if you were writing about your female identity, a forgettable essay might read:

“One meaningful aspect of my identity that I feel is important to share is my female identity. Growing up with only brothers, I was often treated differently and unfairly.”

The writer merely regurgitated the language of the prompt! Boring! How might you make this more exciting? Try adding an anecdote or quick metaphor. A stronger response would look something like this:

“He was only a few paces ahead of me. I began my mental checklist: core—engaged. Shoulders—down and back. Feet—landing softly on the sliding gravel. My brother turns over his shoulder, to give me a sneer and a snide remark. Little does he know, I’m about to pass him. I can see my father waiting, arms outstretched by the oak tree at the end of our street. And I have to win. I must.

As the only woman in my family, pursuing a career in STEM, I feel like I am always a few paces behind. For years, I occupied the shadow of my older brothers, watching their accomplishments be more celebrated than mine, simply because of their male identity. I have worked and studied in androcentric spaces, namely labs and conventions, and felt like my contributions were being swallowed by louder, more masculine voices.”

2. Synthesize the story of your identity and your goals in a college experience.

This can be brief—even one sentence. You should explain what you’re looking for in a college experience. This explanation can be a continuation of your identity and life experience.

This connection can also be a contradiction of an aspect of your identity.

3. Make a call to action.

Show how UNC is the perfect fit for you and your identity. This portion of the essay involves extensive research into the school. What is the history of UNC? What majors or clubs might match your identities? What courses might challenge your identities or make you question them? Whether this is a commentary on Carolina’s values or a specific program UNC offers, you should find a link between your identity and UNC at Chapel Hill.

For example:

“As a Black woman, I see tremendous value and pride in a Tar Heel education. As an aspiring journalist myself, it would be a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Karen Parker, the first African American female journalist to graduate from UNC only 57 years ago. I yearn for a community that champions social justice and equity in and out of the classroom. I want to continue the legacy of powerful, Black women that have changed the face of UNC’s campus.”

Whatever aspect of your identity you choose, make it personal, make it unforgettable, and make it specific. After you write the first draft, ask yourself: how might an admissions officer summarize this essay? Do not forget to reframe your identity to UNC.

All Applicants, Option 2

Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. what actions has that peer taken how has their work made a difference in your life (200-250 words).

Here, UNC hopes to understand what kind of people and ideas you value. Since the prompt specifically asks for you to discuss a peer, make sure you’re picking someone who has similar responsibilities or status as you in a specific community.

Peer most commonly refers to someone of the same age, but someone older or younger can be your peer too, depending on the situation. For example, if you play in a community orchestra, your stand partner could be your peer even if they’re of retirement age.

Here’s how to approach this prompt.

1. Identify someone making a difference in your community.

Someone can make a difference in many different ways. While leadership or service probably first come to mind, your peer could also make a difference by offering emotional support, motivating others, or coming up with innovative ideas.

For example, say you’re part of the bowling team, and you admire how another member is always organizing team bonding events even though they’re not a formal leader on the team.

2. Share the actions they’ve taken and how they’ve impacted you.

Since this essay is short, you’ll likely only have space to share 2-3 specific examples of how this peer has made a difference. Pick the ones that impacted you the most.

Continuing the above example, maybe this peer organized a shopping trip for bowling shoes and planned a fundraiser when some members said they couldn’t afford proper shoes. Maybe he also suggested a new team tradition of spaghetti dinners before the weekly bowling matches against other schools. The team dinners helped you open up more as a shy freshman, and you ended up making your closest friends from those events.

3. Discuss how you might implement this person’s values at UNC.

How has this person changed your perspective or the way you live your life? How will you share these values with others at UNC? Give specific examples of communities you plan to join and how you’ll impact them.

Continuing the bowling example, seeing how this peer brought your team together and looked out for all members, you hope to do the same in your future clubs and communities at UNC. And where there isn’t a formal community, you hope to create one, such as organizing study groups for your future science classes and impromptu outings with your dorm floor.

All Applicants, Option 3

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Why is it important and how would you contribute to this change? (200-250 words)

This question helps UNC distinguish between applicants to find the specific type of student they are looking to admit. UNC wants students who are problem solvers and strive to improve the world around them. They are also looking for dedicated individuals who will contribute to the Chapel Hill community during college and beyond. Your response has to convey that you are not only a dedicated community member, but that you want to find solutions to challenges you’re faced with.

1. Identify a problem in a community you belong to.

This should be presented quickly and uniquely. Because the word count is very limited, anecdotes and quick metaphors are often the best option.

e.g. “Sundays were once my favorite days. My family would beam as we walked into the church and greeted members of the congregation. The very same warm smiles that have greeted me my entire life would turn to icy frowns if they learned of my sexuality.”

2. Identify the specific change you want to make.

What about your community could be changed to solve the problem you identified?

e.g. “Too many people have been ostracized by the religion we grew up loving, and it’s time I make those in my community see the harm in their opinion. As an aspiring politician, I know how important diplomacy is in addressing differences in beliefs. A politician can’t force someone to change their mind, but they can help them discover a new perspective. Years of reciting Bible verses has prepared me to make a substantiated argument using the very text that claims my life is a sin.”

3. Demonstrate how UNC would provide the change in community that you desire.

This aspect of the prompt, similar to the previous one, requires research of UNC. Might you find this community in a specific major? Minor? Club? Residential Community? Be specific! —specifically those geared toward enhancing the quality of student life.

e.g. “I plan to major in Political Science and Religious Studies at UNC so I can pursue a career fighting for others who are torn between their religion and themselves. As I go from classes like Race, Sexuality, and Disability in Western Christianity to Religion and Politics, I’ll learn how my experiences fit into the larger picture of a national struggle. After classes, I’ll head back to Pride Place, a residential community where I’ll find support among students like me. I’ll be better equipped to find solutions to the challenges LGBTQ people face not only in my community, but in others. I crave these tough conversations that will let me grow as a Christian, member of the LGBTQ community, and future politician.”

If you are unsure of where to begin your research, try looking into some of the current initiatives and programs in place at UNC specifically geared toward enhancing the quality of student life.

Here are some other helpful tips for this prompt:

All Applicants, Option 4

Former unc-chapel hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist esphur foster once said “we are nothing without our history.” how does history shape who you are (200-250 words).

This prompt is not just for the history buffs out there. For this prompt you should talk about history—whether that be familial, personal, or global—that has had an impact on your development.

1. Identify the aspect of history that had the biggest impact on you.

There are many different ways you can approach the idea of history, so brainstorm for a bit before you settle on your final answer.

e.g. “My grandma used to stuff my face with food when she came to visit. ‘You’re getting too thin! Eat more dal.’ Spicy curries and stews would pile up on the plate in front of me when all I wanted was chicken nuggets. My American palate was a complete disappointment to my Indian grandma.”

2. Identify how you have been influenced.

Now that you know what topic you are choosing, you need to do some self-reflection to figure out how exactly your life, personality, or actions have been shaped by history.

e.g. “The week after my grandma passed, I found myself longing for one of her home-cooked meals. I snuck down to the kitchen at night and found one of her old cookbooks. Reading through pages smudged with dried dosa dough and stained with oil, I pulled out the coriander, turmeric, and cardamom. My experimentation began that night, but it blossomed into something greater in the years since. With every traditional Indian dish I make, I grow closer to my grandma and our family’s history.”

3. Connect the past to your future at UNC.

The best essays won’t just dwell on the past and present: they look to the future. In this part of your essay, you should discuss how UNC fits into your history and your personality.

e.g. “Luckily at UNC, my journey in the kitchen won’t end. I can’t wait to learn more about the deep cultural impact of food through the Food Studies major. The skills I will acquire through culinary labs will help me infuse other cuisines into my traditional Indian cuisine. With a minor in Business Administration, I’ll open my own restaurant after I graduate. My grandma’s flavors lit the flame, but I’ve kept it burning by incorporating my own American twists. When all my friends from UNC come to Nani’s Table, they will taste the influence of history and ingenuity in each bite.”

Regardless of if you choose to write about something relatively small (historically speaking) or the fall of the Roman Empire, the essay should still be about you. The biggest mistake you can make with this essay is writing a history report. No matter what historical event you pick, the essay won’t be successful if your personality and growth is not the focus.

Honors College Applicants

Please submit a short essay that describes your academic interests and the ways you believe Honors Carolina can help you pursue them . (250 words)

This prompt allows the admissions committee to get a sense of you and what you will contribute to UNC at Chapel Hill.

First, you should begin with your academic interests. The more specific you are when describing your interests, the better.

Instead of just “biology,” perhaps you are passionate about bringing equality to the American healthcare system, specifically shining a light on the intersection of race and gender-identity and its respective effect on patient care.

Instead of “English,” perhaps you are fascinated with the act of translation and adaptation. What is lost through a translation? How might texts be adapted to fit our current political period without losing the author’s intent and the specificities of the zeitgeist of their time.

How did your interest begin? This should be introduced with an anecdote or a quick metaphor, something to grab the attention of the reviewer.

You should conclude your essay with an undeniable argument about how UNC will help you achieve your goals. This involves research of specific academic initiatives, faculty, and majors.

Consider mentioning First Year Honors Seminars. There are a whole host of courses that are offered, including Lynching in American Literature and Culture, Ghettos and Shtetls: Urban Life in East European Jewish History, or Mind, Matter, and Metaphysics: The Philosophy of Experience and Reality.

How would the Honors College support your learning, intellectual curiosities, and professional aspirations? Take a look at the Morehead-Cain Alumni Visiting Distinguished Professors. Robert Bach, the 2015 professor, was an ’84 graduate who led the development of the Microsoft Xbox. Sir Christopher Meyer, the 2010 professor, was a former British ambassador to the United States who authored a book on the history of British diplomacy. The Honors College alumni are proof that you can dream big.

UNC applicants have the opportunity to be considered for four global opportunities, including the Global Gap Year Fellowship, Joint Degree Program with National University of Singapore, Russian Language Flagship Program, and Russian Language Flagship Program.

In this prompt, you’ll need to explain why you selected the program(s) you did. What is it that you hope to experience, learn, or gain from your time abroad?

Take the time to read up on the program(s) you selected and what they entail. Because this essay only gives you up to 250 words, we also recommend applying for no more than two programs.

1. Identify why you want to go abroad.

Do you hope to gain an appreciation for a specific nation’s people or history? Do you want to develop language skills? Are you hoping to gain self-reliance?

For example, a student interested in the Global Gap Year Fellowship might want to visit communities impacted by climate change, volunteer with the locals, and document those experiences in a series of short stories. Since the countries experiencing the worst effects of climate change are outside of North America, going abroad suits the opportunity well.

2. Identify areas for growth.

What would an abroad experience provide you with? What lessons may you learn that you are lacking? Adaptability? Nontraditional experiential learning experiences? Failure? Communication?

Continuing the above example, this student wants to expand their understanding of climate change since they come from an urban community where issues like drought and rising sea levels are just a concept to them. They want to learn to tell the human stories behind climate change to move others to take actions.

3. How would you impact the UNC community?

This could be anything from continued research and connection with a community to major selection. Are you going to start a club? Study with a professor whose expertise aligns with your experience? Be specific and intentional.

Again, the example student could want to take the lessons they learn back to UNC as an Environmental Studies major. While on campus, they hope to continue virtually interviewing people around the world who are impacted by climate change, and maybe with help from the Carolina 360 Club, they’ll share those stories in a podcast.

Where to Get Your UNC Chapel Hill Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UNC Chapel Hill essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Supplement Essays 2020-2021

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Obviously. The school is known for having strong academic programs, and just under 20,000 undergraduates attend. The acceptance rate is around 23%.

UNC changed their supplement this year. You’ll choose two of the three options, and the word count maximum is 250. Keep reading for our tips:

Expand on an aspect of your identity (for example: your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.) How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life thus far?

Before you tether yourself to one of the examples that are given by UNC, make a list of 15 things that make you who you are. Don’t limit yourself! Your list can include anything from being an only child to your role as an active member of your church. You can be a chef, an avid board game enthusiast, or someone who is deeply tied to an aspect of your culture.

Take a look at your list. We like to start here because the word “identity” can be super overwhelming, especially when you’re given examples. So, if after looking at your list, your race or gender is what you feel most tied to do, that’s great. But it’s also just fine if you feel like another aspect of your identity, such as your role as Chief Technology Officer of your house, is better at speaking to who you are.

Once you’ve defined your identity aspect, tell a story. Use as much detail as possible. In fact, you should start by writing down everything you remember about an experience. Expand on the aspect of your identity by taking the reader through a day in the life, a memorable experience, or a series of micro stories that align to paint a picture.

If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why?

This is a slightly updated version of a similar question from last year and we are here for it! This is a great question because you’re able to zoom in on a specific ~thing~ that you care about. The best way to brainstorm is to think about local examples of widespread issues. In order to successfully go from a macro idea to a micro example, you need to explain why you care about the issue that you’re choosing to write about. A student from Flint, Michigan could write about the disastrous water issue in their hometown, using their experience as the framework through which they discuss global issues related to access to clean water.

Keep in mind the UNC is asking you why you want to change things, not how . This is also great news! It means that you don’t need to have a technical fix at the ready, you simply need to be genuine about your desire for change and explain why it matters to you.

Describe someone who you see a community builder. What action has this person taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

Unless someone immediately came to mind, we suggest skipping this prompt. Secondary characters can be great when they’re dropped into a longer essay and are used to reflect your good qualities, but an essay that is **exclusively** about someone else is never a good idea. By definition, this essay will not be about you, the person who is applying to UNC. If you insist to move forward, limit your brainstorm sessions to those people who have inspired YOU to take action. Also, don’t use Barack Obama or anyone else who is Very Famous.

It’s doubtful that all three prompts are going to speak to you. Narrow it down to two, and try brainstorming both. You should move forward when you’re certain you’ve chosen the right one.

Need help streamlining the process? Contact us here .

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 3 tips for writing stellar unc chapel hill supplement essays.

College Essays

If you're applying for admission to UNC Chapel Hill , you'll have to write a total of three essays as part of your application. Your UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays are a great way to tell the admissions committee more about yourself while also showing your interest in UNC and your dedication to your education.

In this article, we'll break down what the UNC essay prompts are, what you should talk about in each, and offer tips for writing great UNC supplemental essays.

What Are the UNC Essay Prompts?

UNC Chapel Hill uses the Common Application for its admissions process. As a first-year applicant, you'll be required to write a total of three essays: one Common Application essay and two UNC-specific essays.

The UNC supplemental essays are two 200-250 word essays that respond to UNC-specific questions. There are a total of four UNC supplemental essays to choose from; you get to pick whichever two you would like to answer.

Here are the four UNC essay prompts:

In the next section, we'll talk about how to answer each of the UNC supplemental essays.

UNC Supplemental Essays, Analyzed

Each of the four UNC essay prompts asks you to share about something in your life that the admissions committee wouldn't know from reading the rest of your application. The key to writing great UNC supplemental essays is to be personal and specific.

Let's take a look at what the admissions committee wants to know in each prompt.

Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others? (200-250 words)

To answer this prompt, you'll have to do three things. First, you need to identify a peer who's active in your community and making a difference. You can interpret the word “peer” loosely here if you want to. It could be someone your age or someone from your school, or just another person in your social group you’ve seen making a difference.

No matter who you choose, you'll have to briefly explain who they are and what they're doing. This will help your readers contextualize why this person is important! And, as usual, it's even better if you can do this in a story format. Maybe you volunteered with someone from your dance class who also happens to be one of the most outspoken advocates for climate change in your city. Telling a story about your personal experience with them would take your essay to another level.

Finally, you need to be very specific about how the community builder you've chosen has impacted your life. While it's great if you have a close relationship with this person, you don't have to in order to write a great essay! Maybe your school’s student body president organized a group that cleans litter out of neighborhoods. While you don't know her personally, her group's hard work makes your life cleaner, and it helps people have more pride in their city.

Keep in mind that even though you're talking about another person, this essay should still showcase something about you. Pick a person who inspires you or shares your values, and explain why you think their work matters. Don't miss the chance to help admissions counselors get to know you better!

Describe an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far? (200-250 words)

To answer this prompt, you're going to have to do a little introspection. The admissions counselors want you to write about one aspect of who you are , then explain how it has impacted your values, ideas, and experiences.

The good news (and maybe bad news?) is that there are tons of facets to your personality. The prompt gives you a few big areas you can focus on, but the trick is going to be to pick an element of your identity that you can tell a story about.

Let's say you identify as trans. That's probably a huge part of who you are! To write this essay, start by telling a story about how your trans identity has shaped you. Maybe you were elected homecoming queen after you transitioned, and it showed you how accepting yourself was the first step in being accepted by others. Whatever the case may be, using a story will be key to connecting with your audience.

And of course, don't forget to answer the second part of the prompt about how this part of your identity has shaped you as a person. Make sure you're making the connection for your reader! Don't just say you're the child of Palestinian immigrants. Explain how that has solidified your commitment to humanitarianism and economic equality.

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain. (200-250 words)

While this prompt may seem serious, it doesn't have to be. You don't need to do in-depth research into your neighborhood and your city's politics, but you do need to pick a change that has personal meaning for you.

For instance, maybe you and your neighbors don't know each other well and you'd like to have a greater feeling of community with the people you live nearby. That reason has nothing to do with legislation, but would still make a big impact!

The key here is to identify the thing you would change, then explain why you would make that change. Going back to our example about neighborhood community, maybe the "why" is because it would help you support one another. Your neighbors could help each other with yard work, child care, and maybe even after school tutoring! By bringing people together, not only do you take some of the burden off of individuals, but it would form the bonds that help make neighborhoods happy, healthy, and safe places to live.

The last crucial detail you need to discuss in your response is how you would contribute to this change. Don't be afraid of dreaming big! You can easily integrate your explanation of how you’d contribute into your description of the change that you want to see.

To the extent that you can, give concrete details about what you’d do to support this change . As much as this prompt is asking about your community, it’s even more interested in finding out how you perceive your role in your community--and whether you take that responsibility seriously.

Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are? (200-250 words)

This prompt is asking you to show your awareness of your place in the world beyond the things that are local to you, like your family, school, and hometown. Understanding how history has shaped who you are helps you be an ethical citizen and member of your communities--qualities that UNC is looking for in its applicants!

But “history” seems a little broad, right? The good news about that is that you can bring your own interpretation of the term “history” to your response here. You could look reflect on aspects of U.S. history, world history, or the history of a set of religious beliefs. You could write about something more personal, like your family history, or something pertaining to your academic interests, like the history of women in computer science!

The key here is to make sure you explain how a specific piece of history has shaped who you are --your identity and your views of the world. To do this effectively, you won’t be able to summarize the entire history of the United States or the legacies of second-wave feminism. You’ll have to incorporate one or two historical details into your story and dive deep into how they have shaped who you are. Because as the prompt says, we are nothing without our history!

3 Tips For Mastering Your UNC Essays

Hoping to write two amazing UNC supplemental essays? Follow these key tips to do so!

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond what's featured in other parts of your application. Your admissions essays are your chance to become more than just a collection of statistics—to really come alive for your application readers.

Make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't just write what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not—it will be really easy for the committee to tell you're lying.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will at best diminish its effectiveness and at worst make the admissions committee think twice on accepting you. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think UNC wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Cliches and Overused Phrases

When writing your UNC essays, don't use cliches or overused quotes or phrases. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." You can write something more original than that!

Each of the UNC essays asks you something specific about your experience or background. Your essay should be 100% you—you don't want the admissions committee to think, "Anyone could have written this essay."

#3: Check Your Work

Your UNC essays should be the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your UNC Chapel Hill application, edit and proofread your essays.

Run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit and ask someone else to read your essays. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

Final Thoughts

Your UNC supplemental essays are your chance to show the admissions committee what makes you special and different from the other tens of thousands of students applying for admission at UNC.

In your essays, make sure you are authentic, well-spoken, and polished so you give the admissions committee the best possible understanding of who you are as a person.

What's Next?

Need more help with your scholarship search? Read our expert guide on how to find college scholarships .

Need help writing your Common App essay? Our tips will show you how to write a Common App essay guaranteed to make you stand out from other applicants!

How does UNC's selectivity compare with those of other top colleges? Get the answer in our guide to the most selective schools in the nation !

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now :

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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Prompt's How-to Guide for the UNC Essays

Our best advice for impressing university of north carolina, chapel hill admissions officers with your short answer essays..

Two essay choices. 500 words (at most). One application to UNC-Chapel Hill.

How are you going to maximize these opportunities and boost your chances? Not to worry, we’ve got a thorough guide for you, drawn from our long experience at Prompt helping applicants succeed.

UNC’s supplemental prompts are below — and here’s that guide to their supplemental essays .

And if you’d also like personalized guidance from people who’ve done this thousands of times, get started with us here .

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill prompts for Fall 2021 Application

Choose 2 of the following (200-250 words):

How to Write Outstanding UNC Essays

We walk you through how to write strong university of north carolina, chapel hill short answer essays for 2020-2021..

We’re excited to share with you that UNC’s supplemental prompts are going to set you up for success. Yes, we mean that - once you write these two essays up - your application is going to get a boost.

How? Well, from our long experience at Prompt helping applicants succeed, we’re going to show you. Take a look at UNC’s supplemental prompts below — and at our in-depth guide to their supplemental essays .

And if you’d also like personalized guidance from people who’ve done this thousands of times, get started with us here .

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill prompts for Fall 2021 Application

Choose 2 of the following (200-250 words):

Add Project Key Words

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The Admissions Strategist

How to write the unc-chapel hill essays 2020-2021: the tarheel guide (with examples).

Did you know that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the first public university in the country in 1789?

Now, ranked #5 in Top Public Schools by U.S. News and World Report, UNC-Chapel Hill has a 26% acceptance rate.

On top of a stellar application, well-written supplemental essays are essential to be a part of that narrow 26%.

UNC-Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Requirements

When you complete the Common Application , you’ll choose one essay prompt to complete.

There are still two supplemental essays to write, for UNC-Chapel Hill specifically, before your application is considered complete.

On the UNC-Chapel Hill website, the admissions staff states that they hope to learn “what being a member of such a community would mean to you.”

UNC-Chapel Hill uses the few hundred words you write in these supplemental essays to select students for admission, and also to select first-year students for merit scholarships and other opportunities. It’s important that you take the time to make every word count.

UNC - Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays: How to Write Them!

Click above to watch a video on UNC-Chapel Hill’s Supplemental Essays.

UNC-Chapel Hill provides three prompts to choose from for your supplement essays.

You will choose two to complete and submit with the rest of your application. Each of the essays must be 200-250 words.

Here are your three options:

UNC Supplemental Essay 1: Your Identity

Expand on an aspect of your identity – for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc. How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?

This prompt shows that UNC-Chapel Hill cares about what’s not going to show up on a piece of paper. They know that you’re so much more than what your application is going to tell them, and your personal identity is a large part of this.

It’s important to note that if you are not comfortable sharing this personal information, you do not have to. You can always choose the other two prompts and leave this one behind.

However, if you are comfortable sharing, there is something special about a person’s identity. Answering this question will show UNC-Chapel Hill a new side of who you are.

It will show them what shapes and forms you, as well as how you will add to the diverse community on their campus.

You may have listed your race, ethnicity, and/or gender on your application, but that doesn’t show the admissions team how this piece of you has affected your life and turned you into who you are today.

To start this essay, choose the piece of your essay that has most prominently affected who you’ve grown up to be.

You can write about more than one of these aspects if you would like to, but with only 200-250 words available, it may be smart to just choose one.

After sharing your religion, race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, or affinity group, it’s time to write about how it has shaped your life so far.

We recommend sharing only a few sentences on the personal aspect of your choosing, and saving the rest of your word count for how it has affected your life.

After all, this is what UNC – Chapel Hill is looking for. If they only wanted to know who you were, they would have just gone off the bubbles you filled in on your application. However, they want to gain a deeper understanding of who you are.

No matter what you choose to write about, make sure it’s a significant part of who you are. Take this opportunity to show UNC-Chapel Hill that your identity is so much more than a label, and that you will be an excellent addition to their wonderfully diverse and accepting college community.

Connect us to your school's principal!

Unc supplemental essay 1 example.

Use this essay as a guide to writing this question. Never plagiarize. It’s a serious offense to copy someone else’s work.

I lived a happy childhood in Mexico. I clearly remember playing soccer in the streets with my neighborhood friends when my dad came outside and told me I needed to hurry in. I didn’t understand, but his tone was stern so I followed. That was the last time I’d ever play soccer in the streets of my small Mexican city. Violence had moved in, and our home was no longer safe. We abruptly moved to the United States to live with my aunts and cousins. I loved my aunt and cousins, but the change was hard. I had to learn a whole new language when I started school, and I missed my friends. I am thankful for my childhood in Mexico and for my family, because these parts of my life allowed me to keep my Mexican culture alive. I still live in the United States today, but I’m proud of where I came from. My culture provides a significant piece of my identity. To my culture, I owe my work ethic, my strong family ties, and my determination to build a better life for myself in the future. My culture will stay with me always, as I hold true to who I am and celebrate all of the things it’s given me so far.

UNC Supplemental Essay 2: Changing Where You Live

What do you hope will change about the place you live and why?

Whether you love or hate the place you currently live, this prompt can be intriguing. It is fairly vague and can be taken in a bunch of different directions.

At first glance, the question seems to be talking about your hometown. However, it literally says “where you live.” This could be about your physical house, your street, your city, your state, or even your country.

Keep in mind that you only have 200-250 words, so you want to make sure that the thing you’d change is extremely specific, even if you choose a large space such as your country or state.

After you choose what area you will write about, choose something you’d love to see change.

There are many ways in which an area can change. Consider choosing a difference that relates to your passions, concerns, or even your individual talents or skills. If you’ve done something to work on this issue already, be sure to include the steps you’ve taken so far.

No matter what type of change you write about in this essay, remember to be creative and showcase your passions, concerns, talents, or skills, and if applicable, one of your past difference-making experiences.

When you take a vague, almost unrelated essay question and turn it into something that reflects who you truly are, UNC-Chapel Hill is sure to take notice.

UNC Supplemental Essay 2 Examples

In my hometown, houses are expensive. The minimum wage is just $7.25 per hour, and a mortgage on a medium-sized home in an average neighborhood starts at $250,000. I live with my parents and my 5 siblings. We share a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home. If I could, I’d change the home we live in by moving us to one that has adequate space for us all. However, I understand why my parents have been unable to move us out of our home. To allow families like ours to afford living in a safe, fitting home, the housing market has to change. I also understand that even though my home is small, it is a safe place to live and that is much more than other members of my community have. If more affordable housing was available, our homeless resident rate would drop instead of rise, and more children could be able to grow up in healthy, stable homes. More affordable housing, whether that be through government housing, significant minimum wage increases, or a drop in the value of new homes, is a necessity in my hometown. On some level, it affects every member of our community. Fixing this issue would lead to better lives for every person around me. No potential change could be better than that.

UNC Supplemental Essay 3: Describe a Community Builder

Describe someone who you see as a community builder. What actions has that person taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

When it comes to college application essays, you are likely expecting to write about yourself. This prompt has a unique twist, as it is asking you to share all about someone else.

Stephen Farmer, the Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions, has said in an admissions blog for the university he “thinks some of the best essays have come from students writing about something or someone other than themselves.”

Since they believe some of the best essays are written about someone else, it’s pretty generous of UNC-Chapel Hill to offer a question like this.

This prompt takes them a step further in figuring out who you are exactly and why you’d make a good fit for the UNC-Chapel Hill community.

It shows that they truly aren’t trying to stump you. They’re trying to give you access to prompts that spark your desires and passions because those aspects of your identity are just as important as the grades you earned and the extracurricular activities you participated in.

While you are writing about someone other than yourself, make sure that the person indirectly displays your passions, interests, or skills. Even though this essay prompt is not about you, your application still is.

This essay is meant to be about someone else, so make sure that you use the majority of your word count to describe your difference-maker. You can consider taking the last 2 or 3 sentences to share how they’ve made a difference in your life (allowing the admissions team to get to know you, your passions, and your beliefs.

You can share these monumental details in just a few sentences when you make every word count, ensuring that the essay’s main focus is still about the community builder, not yourself.

UNC Essay 3 Example

After graduating from MIT with a degree in Computer Science and Molecular Biology, Mr. Smith spent 10 years working in a well-known lab studying evolutionary genetics. Later, he got his Master’s of Education and became our new science teacher at Roosevelt High. From the start, I knew that Mr. Smith was different. He didn’t just come to class and teach us lessons from a textbook. He would find an issue, and tell us to solve it. He would create an imaginary virus, and make us cure it. He shared stories of his real-life experience working in a lab and taught us about the real differences that scientists make in our world today. Mr. Smith also cared more about his students than any teacher I’ve had before. He didn’t care about grades; he cared about the level on which we were learning. He didn’t want us to circle the right multiple choice answer, he wanted to see our brains transforming. Mr. Smith got to school early and invited us for extra study time. If we had an interest, he’d create a lesson to let us learn all about it. He started a club that allowed future science majors to participate in real-life research projects, similar to what we will experience in college. Mr. Smith changed my life, making me the future scientist that I am today. He allowed me to find my passion for changing the world around me, one scientific discovery at a time.

Conclusion: Writing the UNC-Chapel Hill Essays

As has been mentioned a few times, these supplemental prompts are important. Here are a few last-minute tips to help you write your very best essays:

When you follow these tips, you’re sure to write an excellent supplemental essay for UNC-Chapel Hill. Follow the directions, show who you are, and let your passion shine through. Take what some call a challenge and turn it into an opportunity to show this college who you truly are. Your spot in that 26% is waiting for you.

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Analyzing the University of North Carolina Supplemental Essays 2021-2022
Prompts for the University of North Carolina Supplemental Essays 2021-2022 Question 1 In addition to the essay you provided with your Common Application, please choose two of the prompts below and respond to each in 200-250 words. Your essay responses below should be different from your Common App essay response. Option 1
2020-21 University of North Carolina Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
UNC 2020-21 Application Essay Question Explanations The Requirements: 2 essays of 200-250 words each, 1 additional essay Supplemental Essay Type (s): Community, Activity In addition to the essay you provided with your Common Application, please choose two of the prompts below and respond to each in 200-250 words.
University of North Carolina (UNC) 2022-23 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC) 2022-23 Application Essay Question Explanations The Requirements: 2 essays of 200-250 words each, 5 short responses of 25 words each Supplemental Essay Type (s): Community, Activity Short Answer Prompts You'll choose two of the following prompts to respond to in 200-250 words: 1.)
UNC Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-22 Prompts
The UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays come in two categories: short answer UNC application essays (200-250 words each) and fill-in-the-blank UNC essays (25 words each). All students must choose two of the four available short answer UNC essays. Then, every applicant must respond to all four fill-in-the-blank responses.
UNC Supplemental Essays & UNC Chapel Hill Essays- Best Guide
The UNC supplemental essays come in two categories. First, there are the short answer UNC application essays (200-250 words each). Second, there are fill-in-the-blank UNC essays (25 words each). All students must choose two of the four UNC essays available in the short answer category.
College Essay Guides
Founded in 1789, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) is a public research university based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. UNC consistently ranks among the nation's top public universities, placing #29 in U.S. News and World Report's 2020 Best Colleges Rankings. The university's acceptance rate of 22% also ...
How to Approach the UNC Essay Prompts
Check out the prompts below, and our complete guide to nailing these UNC supplemental essays — drawn from our long experience at Prompt helping applicants get in. And if you'd also like personalized guidance from people who've done this thousands of times, get started with us here.
How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Essays 2020-2021
University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompts All Applicants Prompt 1: In addition to the essay you provided with your Common Application, please choose two of the prompts below and respond to each in 200-250 words. Your essay responses below should be different from your common app essay response.
How to Write the UNC-Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay
UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompt #1 In addition to the essay you provided with your Common Application, please choose two of the prompts below and respond to each in 200-250 words. Your essay responses below should be different from your common app essay response. Carolina aspires to build a diverse and inclusive community.
How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Supplement 2021-2022
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The acceptance rate for in-state students for the class of 2025 was 47% and the out-of-state acceptance rate was 13%. There are about 19,000 undergrads.
How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Essays 2022-2023
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill requires all applicants to write two essays and answer five short answer prompts. Applicants to the Honors College or global fellowship opportunities will also be required to submit an additional essay for their respective program.
How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Supplement Essays 2020-2021
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Obviously. The school is known for having strong academic programs, and just under 20,000 undergraduates attend. The acceptance rate is around 23%. UNC changed their supplement this year.
3 Tips for Writing Stellar UNC Chapel Hill Supplement Essays
As a first-year applicant, you'll be required to write a total of three essays: one Common Application essay and two UNC-specific essays. The UNC supplemental essays are two 200-250 word essays that respond to UNC-specific questions. There are a total of four UNC supplemental essays to choose from; you get to pick whichever two you would like ...
Prompt's How-to Guide for the UNC Essays
The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill supplemental essay prompts for 2020-2021, and how to nail them. Prompt's How-to Guide for the UNC Essays Our best advice for impressing University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill admissions officers with your short answer essays. Two essay choices. 500 words (at most). One application to UNC-Chapel Hill.
How to Write Outstanding UNC Essays
Take a look at UNC's supplemental prompts below — and at our in-depth guide to their supplemental essays. And if you'd also like personalized guidance from people who've done this thousands of times, get started with us here. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill prompts for Fall 2021 Application Choose 2 of the following (200-250 words):
Tag: university of north carolina supplemental essays 2021-2022
Analyzing the University of North Carolina Supplemental Essays 2021-2022. November 29, 2021. Whether you've been a lifelong fan of the Tar Heels at March Madness, or you want to attend an undergraduate business school as reputable as Kenan Flagler, you're here because you've g.
Analyzing the University of North Carolina Supplemental Essays 2021
Dec 1, 2021 - The University of North Carolina supplemental essays 2021-2022 also focus on understanding the potential of individual students as part of a community.
How to Write the UNC-Chapel Hill Essays 2020-2021: The Tarheel Guide
There are still two supplemental essays to write, for UNC-Chapel Hill specifically, before your application is considered complete. On the UNC-Chapel Hill website, the admissions staff states that they hope to learn "what being a member of such a community would mean to you."