uw essay tips

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Freshman writing section

At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Please note that the UW essay questions must be answered within our application. For the Common App, that means within our UW questions. We do not consider the Common App essay.

Essay prompt [required]

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Maximum length : 650 words

Short response [required]

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW.

Maximum length : 300 words

Tip :  Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances [optional]

You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

Maximum length : 200 words

Format for the essays

• Content is important, but spelling, grammar and punctuation are also considered.
• We recommend composing in advance, then copying and pasting into the application. Double-spacing, italics and other formatting will be lost, but this will not affect the evaluation of your application.
• We’ve observed most students write a polished formal essay, yet submit a more casual short response. Give every part of the writing responses your best effort, presenting yourself in standard, formal English.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread!

Tip :  Write like it matters, not like you’re texting. This is an application for college, not a message to your friend. Get some hints in the video:

All writing in the application, including your essay/personal statement and short responses, must be your own work.  Do not use another writer’s work and do not use artificial intelligence software (ChatGPT, Bard, etc.) to assist or write your statement.

Per Washington state law and University of Washington policy , all admissions staff are mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. Any statements in written materials that give admissions staff reasonable cause to believe abuse or neglect of someone under the age of 18 may have occurred must be reported to Child Protective Services or the police. Learn more about University reporting requirements . 

If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct, RAINN is a national hotline that provides support and referrals. Call 800.656.4673 or visit the website for a chat option. For individuals who have experienced domestic violence or intimate partner violence, the National DV Hotline offers phone, chat, and text options for support.

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4 Tips for Writing Perfect University of Washington Essays

College Essays

The University of Washington is often ranked among public Ivy Leagues —that is, public schools with the academic clout and selectivity to elevate their reputations. So if you want to be a Husky, it's not just about good grades and test scores. You'll also need to prove yourself with a good University of Washington essay, combining your technical skill with your knowledge of the school and your reasons for wanting to attend to attract attention from admissions officers.

But to do that, you need to know how to write great UW essays. The University of Washington uses the Common Application , which can be submitted to multiple schools and includes an essay section with several different prompts. The supplemental UW essay prompts are pretty standard, but we have all the helpful tips you need to make sure your application is set to impress.

Feature Image: Cody Logan/ Wikimedia

What's Included in the University of Washington Essay Section?

There are two required essays you need to write for the University of Washington, along with an optional third essay. These essays are:

• Common App essay (650 words)
• Short response (300 words)
• Additional information (optional, 200 words)

Part of the Common App includes answering an essay prompt in 650 words or less. While there are seven Common App essay prompts, the University of Washington doesn't allow you to choose which prompt to answer; all applicants must answer the same prompt and submit them as part of their Common Application .  

The University of Washington application also includes a required short response question of 300 words and an optional short essay of 200 words.

Additional space is available, but it's recommended that you don't take it unless you absolutely need it. Show restraint when responding to UW essay prompts; it shows that you can be concise and follow directions , and you won't run the risk of volunteering too much information or making yourself memorable for the wrong reasons. That said, we'll cover some exceptions below!

What Is the Common Application Essay Prompt?

Although there are seven Common App essay prompts , the University of Washington requires you to answer a specific prompt; you don't get to choose. The maximum length of this essay is 650 words, but the University of Washington recommends the essay be closer to 300-400 words.

This is the Common App essay prompt you must answer:

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

This essay prompt is pretty broad; it allows you to focus on any significant experience in your life. To answer it effectively, you'll want to relate a specific anecdote or event that had a strong impact on you as a person and how you define yourself today.

When answering this prompt, you'll want to choose a particularly significant experience. It doesn't need to be super rare, but the experience should hold deep meaning for you. Ask yourself: what defines you? What do you find important? Can you connect a key part of your personality or a goal you have to a specific event in your life?

You should also focus on only one experience. Don't try to cram in as many stories as possible—concentrate on the one incident that's most important to you, and use this essay as a chance to really delve into the specifics of it. How did the experience make you feel at the time? Why did it have such an impact on you?

If you decide to write about a negative experience, try to put a positive spin on it. You don't need to stick with a happy-go-lucky story—maybe you lost a friend because of a heated argument, or forgot to pick up your little brother from school one day. Regardless of the incident, keep the focus on how this situation ultimately taught you something important about life, such as the value of responsibility or the meaning of maturity.

Tips For Brainstorming Topics for Your University of Washington Essay

If you're struggling to come up with an experience to write about, try these brainstorming ideas:

• A time you helped someone in need, such as a friend, a classmate, or a sibling, and how your assistance revealed to you the value of cooperation or compassion. For example, did you tutor a peer in math? Help your sibling recover from a bullying incident?
• A time you made a mistake or acted against your true character and what this taught you about morality and being true to yourself. Perhaps you lied about a grade you got to your parents or said something out of anger to a friend and later regretted it.
• An incident that emphasizes a particular skill or ability you have. For example, you could write about the time you organized a winter holiday food drive at your high school and how it highlights your leadership skills and passion for social work.
• A time you faced a challenge and how you ultimately overcame it. Maybe you struggled severely with geometry and were about to fail your math class, but because of a great friend who encouraged you to keep trying, you eventually raised your grade from a D- to a B.

When writing this essay, make sure to avoid pretending something is more important or unique than it actually is. Don't tell a story the admissions committee has likely heard hundreds of times. Choose an event that speaks to your life and has had a large impact on how you see yourself. Basically, don't write about what you think the admissions committee wants to read. For example, instead of discussing how you've been in Honor Society since 9th grade, it'll be a lot more interesting if you wrote about somebody you met through Honor Society or why you decided to drop out of it.

Also, don't focus too much on the negative part of the story. While it's OK to write about a time when you made a mistake, did something wrong, or faced a challenge, try to avoid writing only about the bad parts. Your story should overall be optimistic and reveal something positive about yourself.

What Is the Short Answer Prompt?

Once you've finished the Common Application essay, the University of Washington has an additional requirement for you—a short response question with a 300 word limit.

The University of Washington suggests that concise writing is particularly valuable, and recommends that the Common App essay be between 300 and 400 words rather than 650. Though they don't offer word count recommendations for the other prompts, it's best to assume they're looking for short answers. Cutting out 100 words might feel excessive, but do try to leave some breathing room within your essay rather than squeaking in right under the allotted 300 words .

Additionally, the University of Washington states that students tend to answer this essay more informally than the longer essay. However, they expect formal, polished essays for both prompts, so don't slack off on proofreading or editing this essay.

For the UW short response essay, here is the required prompt:

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW.

UW offers a helpful tip right below the prompt: "Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints." What this means is that UW wants to see students who are going to be right at home in that diverse student body. When answering this question, consider specifically what you might add to the community. What perspective do you bring? What traits make you a good fit?

Some students might struggle with this, because it's easy to assume that UW means they're only looking for students from diverse backgrounds, such as students of color, LGBTQ+ students, or students of other marginalized identities. But the prompt doesn't at all mean that you have no chance if you don't belong to one of those communities. Students who fit into those groups may have an easier time of identifying what diversity they bring to the school, but belonging to a marginalized group doesn't in any way guarantee admission.

The University of Washington is looking for students who foster and embrace diversity, so be sure to think on those terms. Consider, for example, how your rambunctious family Thanksgiving taught you to embrace chaos, and how your ability to stop Great Aunt Kathy from throwing mashed potatoes at your cousin for bringing up a sensitive political issue translates to a college campus. Think about how having several different friend groups in high school—nerds and jocks, for example—taught you to move between spaces while always being your authentic self.

For students who are of marginalized backgrounds, the same advice still applies. You likely have different lived experiences than other students, but UW wants to know exactly what you're going to bring to the student community . You can discuss advocacy work, for example, or how your less advantageous upbringing taught you to work hard for everything you want. Always come back to that request to "Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW."

Embracing diversity isn't just about being a member of a marginalized community; think about how you participate in your social groups and how your experiences before college will help you have and, more importantly, create a good experience for others. Again, it's not about what identity you do or do not have, but rather about how you build communities and support others. UW is a big school, but you'll still be interacting with people from all walks of life on a daily basis—how will you navigate difference and fit into a student body made up of so many different people?

Let UW know exactly how they're going to help you make a slam dunk.

What Should You Add in the Additional Information Section?

The University of Washington essay prompt offers an additional 200 words for you to talk about yourself and your unique circumstances. This section is optional, and UW advises that the following types of students may benefit from taking the opportunity to expand on their application:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

Even if you don't fall into one of these groups, it's wise to take advantage of this additional space. Everyone has a goal that's important to them, after all, which is explicitly included in the second bullet point. However, you only have 200 words, so you'll need to make them count .

Again, UW mentions earlier in their guidelines for the writing section that they value brevity. Don't try to hit that 200 word mark just because it's there—use only the space that you need. Be succinct and clear about any obstacles you've overcome, what draws you to your major, and what makes you want to attend UW specifically.

For example, say you, like many prospective UW students, are interested in becoming a doctor. The University of Washington is highly ranked among medical schools , so saying you want to go there because it's a good medical program isn't doing any legwork in setting you apart from other students . Instead, use this space to talk about why your major is important to you, and why placement at UW is going to help you achieve more.

Following the medical school example, maybe your primary care doctor was a UW grad, and the depth of care they gave you convinced you it wasn't just what you know as a doctor that matters, but also how you deploy that knowledge. Because you want to make the same difference in somebody's life, you're applying to UW to have access to the same information and instruction that your doctor did. In essence, use this space to explain something you didn't have space to explain elsewhere, but make it count .

Be careful not to retread the same ground! This is an opportunity to flesh out your application, not to hammer something home. If you haven't had a chance to discuss that your grades slipped sophomore year because of a family illness or that your local library has a special box for you because of all the engineering books you keep checking out, now's the time to mention it. Keep it short, direct, and original—the admissions office is reading this supplemental section in the context of your application, so you don't need to revisit anything.

Careful not to fall into the trap of using more space than you need.

Should You Use the Additional Space? How?

It can be tempting to use UW's provided additional space to squeeze a few more words into your application, but resist it . Those word counts are there for a reason, and you should aim to get under, not exceed them.

That said, there are legitimate reasons to use this additional space. The University of Washington mentions clarifying answers from elsewhere on the application or providing extra information to the admissions office.

If you have special considerations as a student that you want to be sure the office is aware of, but that you didn't discuss in the previous additional information section, you could include that here. You could also include relevant awards or distinguishing recognition you've received. If your high school had an unusual grading system, it might be useful to explain how to interpret your grades.

But don't take the lack of a word requirement to mean that you can talk about whatever you want, or that you should use this space to expand on one of your earlier essays . Use only what you need, no more. Try to keep it under 200 words. Brevity is important!

Tips and Advice for the University of Washington Essays

Specific advice for each prompt will help you craft a better essay, but there are some general things to keep in mind, too !

Proofread Your UW Essays

It's a small space, so there should be fewer mistakes, right? Nope . You still need to proofread . Consider writing your essays by hand and then transcribing the drafts—it feels like more work, but turning written words into typed words is a great way to spot mistakes. Go through multiple drafts, and read your essay out loud before you submit it.

Don't let typos get through; no matter how good the rest of your essay is, a typo will make it look as though you didn't edit it at all, suggesting you didn't take your time. Do everything you can to avoid the perception that you wrote it up without thinking! On the UW admission website they are very specific that you should “write like it matters, not like you’re texting. This is an application for college, not a message to your friend.”

Get Editing Help

Seek feedback from those you trust, not just those who are going to tell you your essays are great . You want your essays to be as good as possible, so let people who are going to be truthful with you make suggestions. They'll help you write a better essay, and a fresh pair of eyes can spot holes in your logic and errors you might miss after repeated revisions.

Think about going to teachers or counselors rather than friends or family. Though they undoubtedly want to help you, they might also be worried about hurting your feelings. Someone who's a little more objective but still wants to see you succeed is the kind of editor you want.

Be Specific

Always remember that you're applying to the University of Washington. Don't just write an essay that could impress any college (that's what the Common Application essay is for!); write one that ties into UW's core values . Their vision includes an emphasis on discovery, research, community, optimism, and even celebrating the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. All of these are angles ripe for exploration in your essays . If one of your answers is lacking, try folding a little of this vision into it by finding parts of your essay that match the mission and making them stand out more.

Read Essays That Got Students Into UW

It can be tricky finding essays that got applicants into UW, but it can also be a great indicator of what the school values in an application. Take these essays by Issa Rice . Though written for a different set of prompts, it's not hard to see why Rice was accepted.

Notice how his essays could only come from him; they're so tied to personal experience that it's unlikely anyone else would have the same essay. That's the kind of personalization you want to strive for. Your essay should speak about your own unique experience and leave the admissions office with a clearer picture of who you are as a person, not just as a collection of grades and test scores.

What's Next?

Crafting a perfect essay is just one part of the admissions process to the University of Washington. Because UW is a moderately selective school, you need to be aware of all admissions requirements before applying to be sure that your application is up to snuff .

As you're writing and rewriting your UW essay, be sure that it meets all the guidelines of a good college essay in addition to the UW requirements. A little extra polish will go a long way to cementing your application in the admission office's memory!

If you're struggling to understand why UW uses the Coalition App and what that means, never fear! We have all the information on what distinguishes one application system from another , helping you plan your college applications with less stress.

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Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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University of Washington Supplemental Essays 2024-25 — Prompts and Tips

July 22, 2024

The University of Washington’s main campus in Seattle isn’t the type of public school that just services local residents. Rather, UW-Seattle attracts twice as many applicants from out-of-state/country than in-state each year. Top-ranked computer science, engineering, business, and nursing programs, in particular, attract an endless stream of high-caliber applicants from around the globe. Great grades and test scores will put aspiring Huskies on strong footing. However, the University of Washington also requires you to address two supplemental essay prompts.

 (Want to learn more about how to get into UW? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into the University of Washington: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Let’s dive right in and begin examining the one required essay and one required short response.

University of Washington Personal Statement (required)

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (maximum length: 650 words)..

This essay prompt succeeds in being both a) simple and straightforward and b) immensely challenging for many applicants. As you brainstorm, remember that the admissions committee is not looking for a rambling list of things you believe in the abstract. Instead, they are specifically asking for one experience that is revealing of your character and/or life story.

For many students, settling on a singular incident in their lives that will speak volumes about the core of their being is not an easy task. You could write about a moment of individual triumph here, but don’t rule out sharing about an incident where, for example: You are not the hero of the story, you had a humbling experience, or you changed a previously held belief.

University of Washington Supplemental Essays – Continued

The good news is that you have up to 650 words to tell this story, which means you will have plenty of real estate in which to share rich details that will make your essay more compelling.

(Even better news: UW doesn’t read your Common App essay, so you can use it as-is here.)

University of Washington Short Response (required)

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the uw. (maximum length: 300 words)..

Straight from the UW admissions staff, “Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.”

Your answer here could be about an ethnic, religious, or neighborhood community/identity or a group of individuals who gather for a club, sport, or service project. Whichever elements you choose to focus on, make sure that you use your writing ability to  show  the admissions officer what type of community member you are rather than merely  telling  them.

You can also discuss how you have engaged with your high school local/community and what you have learned from interacting with people of a different ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual identity, etc. Draw on past evidence of your commitment to being a positive force in your community. You can also speculate how that is likely to manifest on the University of Washington’s campus. Research and cite student-run organizations at UW-Seattle, local nonprofit groups, or anything else you are excited about. The admissions committee wants to understand precisely how you will contribute to their campus community. Drawing the link between your past efforts and future aims is critical here.

How important are the supplemental essays at the University of Washington?

UW-Seattle only labels three factors as being “very important” to the admissions process. Those factors are: the rigor of your high school coursework, GPA, and your application essays. In fact, the essays are rated as being of greater importance than test scores, extracurricular activities, or talent/ability.

Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your University of Washington supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

Need additional writing resources? Consider checking out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topics
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• How to Write the Community Essay
• College Essay

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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University of Washington Essay Prompts 2022-2023

University of washington essay prompts quick facts :.

• University of Washington acceptance rate: 53%— U.S. News ranks the University of Washington as a more selective school.
• 1 (~650 word) essay
• 1 (~300 word) short response
• 1 (~200 word) additional information essay (optional)
• University of Washington application: The University of Washington accepts applications via the Common App or ApplyWeb . The University of Washington Common App essay is not considered in the admissions process. Make sure to check all of the University of Washington application requirements. 
• University of Washington essay tip: Every UW application essay is important when it comes to impressing the UW admissions committee. Make sure to give each UW essay prompt your careful attention, no matter the word count. 

What are the University of Washington essay prompts?

You’ve completed the tedious work of finding your top colleges to apply to and now you’re working on your UW essay prompts. Before you start worrying about the college enrollment process, let’s break down each UW essay prompt so you can begin writing your UW application essays! 

There are three UW essay prompts .

Remember that UW admissions doesn’t consider the Common App essay in their writing section. Two of the UW essay prompts are required and one UW essay prompt is optional. While the University of Washington acceptance rate may not seem so intimidating compared to other colleges , your UW essay prompt responses can still make or break your application. 

We have provided all three UW essay prompts for the 2022-2023 University of Washington supplemental essays below. You’ll find a breakdown of how to approach each of the University of Washington essay prompts as well as tips for writing UW application essays that will stand out.

Importantly, the University of Washington does not review your Common App essay. Although the University of Washington Common App essay isn’t considered in the University of Washington admissions process (it won’t factor into your odds against the University of Washington acceptance rate), the Common App personal essay is still important in other universities’ application process. Check out all you need to know about writing a personal essay for the other schools that made your college list . 

University of Washington Essay Prompts #1 ( Required )

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it (650 words)..

Of all the University of Washington essay prompts, this one is the longest and the most open-ended. This UW application essay should focus on some part of your character: the qualities that determine how you move through the world. In this UW application essay, try to highlight who you are, what you value, and who you’d be on UW’s campus.

Identify your values

To begin your brainstorm for the first of the University of Washington essay prompts, write out your values. List any qualities you care about— honesty, compassion, curiosity, etc. For each characteristic, think of a moment that taught you something about this quality and a moment it was tested. For example, if your characteristic was honesty, you might think about a time when you lied and the consequences of your actions. Or, maybe you think of a moment where you had to choose between lying and being honest.

If you’re not sure which characteristic to highlight for this University of Washington essay, start by brainstorming potential stories. Try to think of a time when you were proud of yourself, when you were challenged, or when you learned a lesson.

You can also check out this list of personal achievements and characteristics from the University of Washington admissions page for ideas of what to discuss in this UW application essay.

Focus on action

Whatever story you tell in this UW application essay, make sure your experience involves you making a decision or taking action. A story with a conflict and resolution will make your essay more engaging . Once you have settled on your topic, without second-guessing yourself, write out what happened and, more importantly, what you got out of the situation. 

A great way to make sure you’ve answered this UW essay prompt is to have another person read your essay without reading the prompt. Then, ask what they learned about you from your essay. If they learned something about your character, then chances are you’ve successfully responded to the question. Then, you can move onto the other University of Washington essay prompts.

University of Washington Essay Prompts #2 ( Required )

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the uw (300 words)..

The second of the required University of Washington essay prompts revolves around community and how it creates unique perspectives. Because the UW essay prompts are quite general, brainstorm before you pick a topic. You’re likely part of many intersecting communities, so start by listing all the communities you belong to. Communities can be as big as a globally practiced religion or as small as a friendship group based on Dungeons and Dragons, so don’t leave anything out.

Focus on impact

Once you have your list for the second of the University of Washington essay prompts, think about how these communities impact your life. Remember, diversity is not just based on categories of identity; it also comes from differences in how we view and experience the world. For each community, do two free-writes : one detailing the important characteristics, beliefs, and events shared within that community and one detailing how that community impacts how you move through the world.

The UW essay prompt then asks you to imagine how you might add to the diversity of UW. Maybe you want to join a specific student group. Alternatively, you might even propose to start a new one. Maybe you want to bring your point of view into a field of study where it’s not typically included. For each community on your list, brainstorm how it would impact your time at UW.

Once you’ve done your brainstorm for this UW application essay, string your ideas together. If you’re having trouble organizing your thoughts, stick to the outline provided by the University of Washington essay prompts. Use the questions “what is your world,” “how are you a product of it,” and “how will you add to the diversity of UW” as guiding questions for the beginning, middle, and end of your University of Washington essay.

University of Washington Essay Prompts #3 ( Optional )

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances (200 words)..

This UW essay prompt is optional. The University of Washington application requirements don’t call for a response to this UW essay prompt. However, you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you and you’d like to share that information with the University of Washington admissions. 

Often, prompts listed as “optional” are still essentially required if you want to be a competitive applicant. This is not the case with the final UW essay prompt. If you don’t have any extenuating circumstances, feel free to disregard this University of Washington essay prompt. 

You may want to answer this optional UW application essay if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education.
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations.
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended.

Of all the University of Washington essay prompts, this one lets you fill in potential gaps in your University of Washington application due to various circumstances. If you have had to overcome challenges to get where you are today, the University of Washington admissions committee wants to hear about it.

Although this is the shortest of the University of Washington essay prompts, it is important you still craft a story and directly connect your experiences to your University of Washington application. For example, if you had to start working at a young age to support your family, be sure to include why it is important for the UW admissions team to know. Maybe you didn’t have time for extracurriculars , or maybe you had to make extra efforts to stay on top of your homework. 

Mention how you’ve grown

You should also make sure you include what the experience means to you if responding to this UW application essay. For instance, maybe your hardships taught you to be more responsible, or maybe you learned how to ask for help when you need it. If you choose to respond to this last of the University of Washington essay prompts, make sure your reader knows why you chose to include it. As with your other two University of Washington supplemental essays, remember to be brief, specific, and honest.

How do I write my University of Washington essays?

To make your essays count, remember to consider your audience. Your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts should convey who you are, how you’d succeed at UW, and what you might bring to UW’s campus. Are you a first generation college student? Did you take a meaningful gap year ? This is your opportunity to show what makes you unique. Remember that your responses to each UW essay prompt shouldn’t read like your college resume . Give each UW essay prompt response some personality and passion . 

Take time with the University of Washington essay prompts, and give the same amount of consideration to each UW application essay. While one of the University of Washington essay prompts is shorter than the other, that doesn’t mean it will be easier to write. Each UW application essay should be clear, concise, and captivating. It should also completely answer the University of Washington essay prompts. 

Follow the checklist below to be sure that you answer the University of Washington prompts to the best of your ability. 

UW Essay Prompts Checklist:

✔️ brainstorm.

Before you begin writing, create a list of topics related to the University of Washington essay prompts. Use the breakdowns of the University of Washington essay prompts above to help you get started.

Once you’ve chosen a topic for each of the University of Washington essay prompts, it is time to get writing. Don’t worry about making your first draft perfect—it doesn’t need to be! Don’t think about things like the University of Washington acceptance rate; just focus on getting your story down on paper

Ask yourself: does my UW application essay specifically answer the UW essay prompt? Am I telling a story? Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end? Does my essay show who I am? Because each UW essay prompt has a specific word limit, it’s important to make every word count.

✔️ Proofread

Read through each essay for any spelling or grammatical errors. The University of Washington admissions team will review thousands of responses to the University of Washington essay prompts, and we want your University of Washington essays to stand out for the right reasons. Make sure your responses to the UW essay prompts are as clear and easy to read so your personality can shine.

✔️ Get a second opinion

Have someone else—a family member, mentor, even a peer—read your essay. A second pair of eyes will notice how your UW essays read, whether your story flows, and how well you’ve addressed the UW essay prompts.

✔️ Repeat steps 3-4 until you are satisfied with your UW essay prompts

Remember, the writing process is a process. Give yourself enough time ahead of the deadline to think about the UW essay prompts. Draft each UW application essay, take a step away, and come back to them with fresh eyes.

After working through the checklist above, evaluate your progress. Keep reworking your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts until you can confidently say that the following statements are true:

• My UW essays tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Each of my essays answers the UW essay prompt.
• All of my UW essays emphasize who I am and what is important to me.
• My UW essays have no spelling or grammatical errors.

Does the University of Washington care about essays?

Yes! As the University of Washington acceptance rate tells us, not everyone gets into UW. Figuring out how to get into UW will be difficult without placing importance on the UW essay prompts. The University of Washington application essays are UW Admissions’ way of learning who you are as a person. 

The University of Washington admissions office uses a holistic review process. This means they consider your UW essays and extracurriculars alongside your academics. So, your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts are a vital part of your University of Washington application requirements. 

Specifically, UW breaks down their review into two categories: Preparation & Performance and Personal Achievements & Characteristics. While the first depends on your grades and courses, your University of Washington supplemental essays are the perfect place to emphasize the second. UW looks for students who will both succeed academically and contribute to campus life. Your UW application essays should capture who you are and how you will shine at UW. Each of the University of Washington essay prompts lets you share different aspects of what matters to you.

University of Washington Admissions Top Tips for Supplemental Essays

While Seattle may not be the stereotypical “college town,” the city certainly has a lot to offer. If you’re set on UW, which is a top ranking university globally, then we know you want to do everything you can to make your responses to the UW essay prompts stand out. 

To save you time as you begin working on your UW essays, we’ve provided the top ten tips from the University of Washington admissions for writing the UW essays below. We’ve also included tips on how to apply them to your University of Washington supplemental essays.

“Write to the prompt.”

Your University of Washington essays will only be successful if they completely answer the University of Washington essay prompts. Be sure to use our breakdowns of the University of Washington essay prompts, and keep each UW essay prompt in mind when editing your drafts.

“Avoid overused topics.”

Be thorough as you brainstorm topics for each of the UW essay prompts. If you read the UW essay prompts and choose to write about a common experience, use specific details in your UW application essays that show what makes your experience unique.

“Use language you can manage.”

When in doubt, always lean towards simple and straightforward language in your University of Washington essays. Your University of Washington application essays should be written in your voice. Don’t try to sound more intelligent as you respond to the UW essay prompts. Authenticity is key. 

“Keep it simple and real.”

Often, the little things in life have the biggest impact. As you brainstorm topics for your UW application essays, don’t feel pressured to construct the most complicated story. Remember, the University of Washington admissions office wants to be impressed by you! Just be yourself and show them exactly who you are when responding to the University of Washington essay prompts.

“Use humor, honesty, and humility.”

Respond to the UW essay prompts in your own voice. If you have a humorous voice, let that shine through, but only use humor if it feels natural. No matter your writing style, all of your University of Washington essays should be honest and authentic. If you choose to write about your accomplishments , try to do so without bragging or showing off.

“Make it memorable.”

Your University of Washington supplemental essays will be memorable if you are passionate about the story you are telling. Don’t worry about whether the UW admissions team will find your story interesting—if your UW application essays are honest, specific, and exciting to you, they’ll be exciting to read.

“Find the sweet spot.”

Each of the University of Washington essay prompts has a specific word count. While your UW application essays should not be over the word count, it isn’t a bad thing if they are under. For example, if you can tell your story in 400 words, don’t add fluff to reach the 650-word limit. Just be sure your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts are specific and detailed enough to paint a complete picture for your reader.

“Proofread.”

The last thing you want UW admissions thinking about as they finish reading your UW application essays is a typo. Make sure to double-check your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts for spelling and grammar. Try to complete your University of Washington essays ahead of the deadline so you can give yourself a few days away from each of your UW application essays before your final proofread. 

“Punctuate properly.”

Punctuation can change the entire meaning of a sentence, so it’s important you punctuate your University of Washington essays correctly. Try highlighting all your commas, periods, etc., and reading your responses to the University of Washington essay prompts out loud. If someone is helping you edit your UW essays, ask them to do a read-through specifically looking at punctuation.

“Write a punchy first line.”

While it is important your University of Washington essays have a strong opening, don’t let this tip trap you into trying to be overly funny or clever. Your UW application essays thrive on specificity, so write an opening line suited to your specific story and voice.

UW Essay Prompts: Final Thoughts

Remember, the University of Washington essay prompts are your chance to introduce yourself to UW admissions. While the University of Washington acceptance rate is not the highest, strong essays can make all the difference. 

Although your academic history is an important part of your University of Washington application requirements, your UW application essays let UW see who you are beyond numbers and statistics. If you feel your GPA or test scores don’t reflect the kind of student you are or hope to become, your University of Washington essays are the place to showcase your best self. And with so many universities deciding to go test-optiona l, your essays are of utmost importance when it comes to maximizing your odds against the University of Washington acceptance rate. 

Each essay is an opportunity

Think of each UW application essay as an opportunity to overcome the University of Washington acceptance rate and impress the University of Washington admissions. Write each UW application essay thoughtfully, passionately, and comprehensively. Each UW essay prompt response should be not only moving, but also mechanically impeccable. 

While the University of Washington essay prompts may seem like a challenge, remember you have complete control over your UW essays. The strength of your responses to each UW essay prompt relies entirely on how much time, effort, and care you put into them. Start thinking about the UW essay prompts early so you can make your essays the best they can be.

This University of Washington supplemental essays guide was written by Sarah Kaminski . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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University Of Washington Supplemental Essays + Examples

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 12/5/23

The University of Washington supplemental essays play a crucial role in the admission selection process. To learn more about how to write these essays, read on. 

The University of Washington uses essays to see the student behind the transcripts and numbers. With a mission to admit the most diverse, accomplished, and well-rounded students, UW urges all prospective students to consider their essays to ensure they reflect their unique stories.

However, supplemental essays don’t come easy to most students, especially open-ended prompts. You may have no idea where to start, struggle to articulate your thoughts or wonder if your story is worth sharing.

‍ Rest assured, all of these concerns and more will be answered in this guide! By the end, you can write the most compelling supplemental essays.

The University of Washington Supplemental Essay Prompts 2023-2024

Before getting into how to write the University of Washington essays, let’s go over the prompts themselves! 

UW Essay Prompt #1

“Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650-word limit)”

UW Essay Prompt #2

“Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300-word limit)”

UW Essay Prompt #3

“You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended (200-word limit)”

How to Write Each Essay Prompt for the University of Washington 

If you’re still unsure of how to write a good college essay , let’s break down each of these prompts! This way, you’ll have a better understanding of what kind of answers the admissions team is looking for! 

How to Write UW’s #1 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #1 : This first prompt is very similar to a personal statement . It gives you the opportunity to share any story that has made a significant impact on your life. UW wants to know more about what makes you, you. They want to know what makes you tick. 

Start by deciding which traits you want to highlight about yourself, your values, and your unique traits. Brainstorm several stories that you think are worth sharing and use the process of elimination to choose one. 

To make this process easier, consider creating a list of questions to ask yourself about each story so you can eliminate options that do not meet your criteria! Here are the questions we suggest you use: 

• Does this story reflect who I am and/or who I want to be?
• Does this story show development?
• Can I turn this story into a narrative?
• Is this story unique, or does it involve a common experience?
• Does this story share my most important identities?
• Does this story involve my best characteristics?
• Am I the protagonist in this story?
• Do I feel connected to this story, or do I just think it’ll impress the judges?
• Do I think about this story often, other than for applications? Has it truly had an impact on my life?

Here are some other tips to help you tackle this essay prompt: 

• Tip #1: Choose a Significant Story : You should write about something that is truly significant to you and has real meaning. Choose a topic that’s unique to you and your identity, and make sure that the story you choose is focused on yourself and your personal growth! 
• Tip #2: Write Narratively : Tell a story! Start with an intriguing hook , such as the climax of your story or an interesting part of it. Spend the rest of the essay explaining the rest of the story and its impact on you. Use sensory details to show your reader what you experienced; don’t just tell them. 
• Tip #3: Don’t Overwrite : Do not feel obligated to write 650 words if you can tell your story in fewer words. In fact, UW states the most successful essays are typically around 400 words! The admissions committee would rather read a short story that packs a punch than a dragged-out story with little meaning.

How to Write UW’s #2 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #2 : This next University of Washington supplemental essay has a word limit that is almost half of the first prompt. It does not need to be written as a narrative, although it can be if you believe it’s the best way to convey your feelings. 

The main purpose of this prompt is for the University of Washington to learn what your values are and how well you’ll fit into their community. Here are some helpful tips on how to answer this prompt well: 

• Tip #1: Choose a Meaningful Community : As a student, you’ll be part of many communities: your residential area, your group of friends and family, your workplace, your school, and more. Choose one that resonates with you and has had the most impact on your life.
• Tip #2: Express Your Values : Explain how your community has shaped you into the person you are today and how it will continue to impact you at UW. Prove your community has instilled valuable traits in you that will help you become a more productive student at UW.
• Tip #3: Get Specific : Little details can add a lot of power to your essay. Be specific about significant moments that have shaped you in your community. 

UW has also expressed that the tone for this short-answer prompt should be just as formal and polished as your first, longer essay. Make sure to keep your writing professional!

How to Write UW’s #3 Essay Prompt: Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #3 : The final prompt is not required. However, if you have extenuating circumstances that have affected some aspect of your application, this is your chance to explain yourself. This could include a low GPA, a lack of extracurriculars, or other related situations. 

If you choose to write this response, keep the following tips in mind:

• Tip #1: Stick to the Facts : This answer should be straightforward. Unlike your first response, you should not paint a picture using narrative techniques or descriptive or emotional language. Stick to the facts and be honest
• Tip #2: No Pity Parties : It’s important you do not throw a pity party for yourself or try to make the admissions committee feel bad for you. The committee does not admit students out of pity, so don’t waste your time trying. 
• Tip #3: Only Answer If Necessary : This prompt should only be answered if students have experiences they’d like to share with the committee that have not already been discussed in their other responses. This is not an opportunity for students to expand on their responses to the other prompts.

Examples of UW Supplemental Essays That Worked

If you feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start, don’t worry. Take a look and get inspired by these UW supplemental essay examples written by successful applicants to the University of Washington! 

Sample Essay #1

Prompt : “Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650-word limit)”

Here’s a sample response to this question that can inspire you:

“It was the fourteenth rabbit that had come in with bloodshot eyes, curling nails, and patches of discolored fur that resembled my overwatered lawn. He had the same mistrusting gaze that darted from me to the zookeeper. I could see his heart trying to escape his sunken body as I got whiffs of a faint medicinal smell coming from his fur.

In my sophomore year, I joined my school’s animal rights club out of curiosity and passion. I’ve always considered myself to be an avid animal lover, but was unconvinced I could actually make a difference in their wellbeing as a fifteen-year-old teenager—an assumption that could not have been further from the truth, as I was about to learn. 

Our group decided to attend a volunteer brigade in Peru for three weeks in June. I picked up extra shifts at my part-time job at McDonald’s and saved up enough to attend the brigade.

We were stationed with a Peruvian family in a tiny house that seemed to never sleep. The endless creaks and thin walls made it difficult to sleep the first few nights, but it was the experiences I had after settling in that were far more deafening. 

We volunteered at a local animal sanctuary that took in animals that were abandoned or abused by their caretakers. There were old circus bears that slumped in the same position for hours, turtles without shells, monkeys missing digits, and dozens of discarded lab rabbits. 

It was a paradoxical mixture of chaos and tranquility. Among the cries of frightened baby monkeys who were ripped away from their real mothers to be raised as pets were the soothing words and lulls of zookeepers and volunteers trying to undo all the damage these animals went through.

Some of these zookeepers lived in tiny rooms at the zoo with no running water or AC, to provide these animals with around-the-clock care and comfort.  

The majority of them made less than $600 US dollars a month, but still greeted me every morning with warm smiles and unrelenting enthusiasm to love the flock of new animals that would be brought in that day.

I was only in Peru for a few weeks, but over those weeks I saw the immense changes I made in these animals' lives, even as a fifteen-year-old girl. 

Most memorably, I noticed the curiosity of an abused fawn flourish as she remembered what trust felt like. She went from cowering behind fence posts to following me around the zoo, nudging my hands for pets any chance she got.

These transformations stuck with me even when I was miles away in my silent suburban home with overwatered grass. They inspired me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, specifically with exotic animals. 

With a newfound commitment to animal welfare, I recognized all it took for me to better the lives of so many animals in Peru was an unwavering love for animals. I cannot wait to see what a profound impact I have on animals in the future when I combine this passion with advanced veterinarian training .” 

Why Essay #1 Worked

This essay works because it shares a unique story that the student has a deep connection to. It uses descriptive language so that the readers can feel like they’re part of the narrative. They can hear the sounds of the animals, imagine how the lab rabbit looked, and imagine the joy the student felt.

This student’s passion for animals also clearly shines through. It ties into the student’s career aspirations and demonstrates clear drive and intent, two traits that are important for college students to have as they enter challenging programs.

Sample Essay #2

Prompt : “Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300-word limit)”

Consider this response from a student who has an unconventional view of community:

“Growing up in a South-Asian household, the importance of family was instilled in me from the moment I learned the word. I was told my family always came first and they were my community. 

So, I morphed myself to fit my family’s rigid ideals. I remained silent in the face of familial confrontation, gave my respect to older cousins that constantly picked on me for my weight, and remained complacent as my parents planned my entire future for me. 

I completed the majority of my education dreading my future. My parents decided I would become a doctor to continue the long line of successful physicians I come from. There was always a looming sense of anticipation for me because of this. I was always waiting for a future that I knew wasn’t mine. 

That was until I joined my school’s theater club. There, I learned what community really means. I was part of a group that still had a deep respect for one another, but held each other accountable. 

We disagreed with each other sometimes but always encouraged open conversation nonetheless. Often, my group acted as a sounding board for me. I would tell them my true aspirations of becoming a drama teacher, and they would provide me with solutions to achieve my dream without upsetting my parents. 

We taught each other about new perspectives, traditions, and cultures, but what I appreciated most about my community was that we challenged each other. We all came from different backgrounds, had different identities and stories, but pushed each other to do our best in and outside of the classroom.

Through my wonderful club mates, I understood that true community involves the celebration of differences, open intellectual conversation and debate, the embracement of diverse identities, mutual respect, equal collaboration, and sometimes even vulnerability. 

With an understanding of what true community looks and feels like, I hope to join The University of Washington's body of diverse individuals united by the shared collective of bettering themselves and the world, the same value that united my theater community.”

Why Essay #2 Worked

It’s clear this student put a lot of thought into their response. While they could have gone the traditional route by talking about the type of community values their family instilled in them, they take a unique approach by claiming they found a truer community outside of their expected one. 

This unexpected ending makes this response more memorable. Additionally, the response clearly defines community based on this student’s values. It does not use overused or generic definitions of the term. Near the end, this student also ties in UW and affirms they will be a productive member of their community.

Sample Essay #3

Prompt : “You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

Here’s a great example of how to answer this optional essay:  

“During the pandemic, my father, the sole provider in my family, was laid off from his full-time position as an assistant manager. The business he worked for had to close its doors because of the pandemic, and he had a hard time finding a new job. 

To keep my family of four afloat as my father looked for a job, I began working at a local restaurant as soon as restrictions were lifted.

I was working 30–40 hours a week for the majority of my junior and senior year, which limited the time I had to pursue extracurriculars. Due to the demands of AP courses, I was able to only take three of these advanced courses in my final two years of high school.

During the first semester of my junior year, in particular, I struggled with my academics as I learned to juggle multiple commitments at once. Fortunately, I was able to manage my time better and adapted to my circumstances quickly. I improved my marks significantly in the remainder of my high school career.”

Why Essay #3 Worked

This essay works because the student sticks to the facts. They explain the situation, give relevant background information, and explain how they tried to resolve the issue. 

This student mentions the measures they took to accomplish their goals despite the obstacles they faced, which demonstrates their resiliency, perseverance, and adaptability.

These University of Washington essay examples will give you a better idea of what to write for your essays. Ensure you put in effort and craft a personalized essay when applying to the University of Washington. 

Get More Sample Essays Here!

If you found these sample essays helpful, great news! You can read many more examples of successful college essays with our essay database down below. 

Insert tool 

For any remaining questions, read on to find your answers.

1. How Many Essays Are Required For the University of Washington?

Students are required to write two essays to apply to the University of Washington. There is an optional third section where students can share more about other life experiences or circumstances that they weren’t able to share elsewhere on their application.

2. How Do I Write An Essay For the University of Washington?

Your personal story and voice should be evident in all of your supplemental essays, so there isn’t a perfect formula or list of topics you can choose from to ace these essays. Choose experiences that had meaningful impacts on your life, show, don’t tell where appropriate, and use language within your abilities.

Avoid overused topics or falsifying stories just to impress the admissions committee. You don’t have to write about tragic or life-changing experiences to have a compelling essay! Address the statement at hand, and don’t forget to proofread your responses several times before submitting them.

3. How Important Are the University of Washington Essays?

While your essays aren’t the most important part of your application, they serve a unique and critical function. These essays are used to learn more about what applicants do outside of the classroom, what their identities are outside of being students, and what their overall principles and values are. 

The admissions committee will evaluate all of these factors to decide whether you’d fit in at UW and your potential to contribute to it. 

4. Are There Any Topics I Should Avoid In My Supplemental Essays?

There are endless topics students can write about in their supplemental essays, but only a few topics they should avoid. If your chosen topic reveals information about you that only your therapist knows, you may want to brainstorm some less personal ideas. You don’t want to make the admissions committee feel uncomfortable.

Similarly, if your topic discusses illegal or unethical conduct, you’ll absolutely want to go back to the drawing board. Even if you’re a changed person now, sharing this information can make the admissions committee hesitant to admit you, especially if the misconduct is not on your record. 

5. How Can I Improve My UW Supplemental Essays?

If you’ve written your essays and feel they are lackluster or fail to share a unique story, there are several ways to improve them:

• Write freely at first : Let your ideas flow for your first draft. Cut down on your essays once you’ve written all of your ideas down so you can choose the best ones
• Add some color : Include sensory details and imagery to engage your readers
• Narrow your scope : Focus on one main experience for each response so you can develop it to its fullest
• Maintain your voice : As people edit your work, their input can weaken your voice! Avoid this by accepting grammar, punctuation, and structural edits instead of content or language suggestions.

If all of these suggestions fail, you may have to start all over again using a different approach! While it’ll be time-consuming, you shouldn’t submit your essays until you feel confident they reflect your most important traits, skills, and experiences in an interesting and insightful way.

This is why it’s important you begin your essays early! Give yourself ample time to create several rough drafts and revise them until you’re satisfied.

Final Thoughts

For students who still doubt their abilities to craft extraordinary essays, we leave you with some inspiring words by the renowned author Sylvia Plath : “Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” 

We believe in you, and you should, too!

Access 190+ sample college essays here

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University of Washington (UW) 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Nov 15

University of Washington 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: One 500 word essay (required), one 300 word essay (required), one 200 word essay (optional). Supplemental Essay Type (s): Oddball ,  Community , Additional Info 

At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Please note that the uw essay questions must be answered within our application. for the common app, that means within our uw questions. we do not consider the common app essay., essay prompt, tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650 words max).

You can think of this prompt as the slightly more general cousin to the Common App’s first prompt, which is about your background. You can write about almost anything in your life experience that has shaped who you are today. But maybe you feel like you used your best story in your personal statement. What to do? Your goal is to reveal a different side of yourself, so try thinking in opposites! If your personal statement was about your family, maybe this essay could focus on school or work. If your personal statement was about your leadership skills, could this essay cover a time when you let someone else lead the way and learned something new? As you begin to zero in on the area of your life that you haven’t tapped into yet, think about how your past experiences still resonate in your life today. Maybe your summer job as a lifeguard taught a new sense of personal responsibility that has made you more attentive in your day-to-day life. Maybe an ill-fated childhood attempt to drink an entire carton of milk taught you how to balance enthusiasm and moderation in every major project you take on. The experience itself can be big or small, but its connection to who you are today must be clear. UW wants to know who you’ll be on campus, so show them!

Short Response

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the university of washington. (300 words).

Ah, the infamous “community” essay. Many schools ask students about their communities because they want to know how applicants relate to the people around them, forge connections, and commune with their peers. In this particular instance, the question calls attention to family as well, so consider how the people who you are related to (or those who you consider family even if they’re not bound to you by blood) have influenced your life and worldview. Maybe you’re very involved in your local synagogue, polka dancing club, or environmental organization. University of Washington wants to know about your life beyond the classroom and how you will continue those activities and interests on their campus. Why do you invest in the people you invest in?

Additional Information About Yourself or Your Circumstances (200 words)

You are not required to write anything in this section, but feel free to include additional information if something has particular significance to you. for example, you may use this space if:, -you have experienced personal hardships in obtaining your education, -your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations, -unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended.

This prompt is an opportunity for you to explain just about anything else that you haven’t covered elsewhere on the application. Usually, we recommend this type of optional essay only to students who have experienced a major academic strain or have had noticeable blemishes on their records. One example could be the explanation of a complication, like an illness that caused you to miss school and impacted your grades. Perhaps your family moved around a lot, which made it hard to transfer grades or connect with your peers. Maybe an undiagnosed learning disability caused you major challenges in school until you learned how to cope with it.  UW’s prompt covers these circumstances, and invites responses from applicants who feel that their unique circumstances are not represented elsewhere in their application. 

Additional Space (Optional) (200 words)

You may use this space if you need to further explain or clarify answers you have given elsewhere in this application, or if you wish to share information that may assist the office of admissions. if applicable, be sure to include the question number to which your comment(s) refer..

Admissions is giving you one more opportunity to address anything that needs to be addressed. If you feel inclined to answer, think about what else might admissions officers might want or need to know about you. You have an additional 200 words at your disposal to speak to them in your own voice, so use them as long as what you’re writing isn’t simply filler — if that’s the case, it’s better just to leave this blank. 

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Writing Courses

Most composition (C) courses are offered through one of the English department's two writing programs, the Expository Writing Program and the Interdisciplinary Writing Program.  

Additional writing (W) courses are offered in a wide range of departments each quarter. The best way to find W courses is to use the Gen. Ed. Requirement Course Search tool (select Writing Courses (W) in the dropdown menu)

Writing & Research Support

There are many ways to get support for your writing on campus, including several tutoring centers:

Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) offers tutoring and coaching on student writing and research, by appointment

Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment (CLUE) offers tutoring and peer-to-peer support on a drop-in basis

The Instructional Center offers drop-in writing support

Student-Athlete Academic Services offers tutoring for student-athletes

The Department of Communication Speaking Center offers space for any student to practice speech-making, and offers feedback

Subject area librarians at the UW Libraries can help you get started on research in a particular field

Discipline-Specific Writing Centers

If you are looking for support writing for a particular course, there are a number of discipline-specific writing centers on campus:

Writing Center for students in Political Science; Law, Societies, & Justice; the Jackson School; and Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies

The History Writing Center supports any student enrolled in a History class

The Philosophy Writing Center supports students writing in Philosophy

The Psychology Writing Center offers consultation for students as well as TAs and instructors developing writing assignments

The Sociology Writing Center provides tutoring support to any undergraduate taking a Sociology course

The School of Social Work Writing Center provides tutoring for Social Work students in the BASW, MSW, and PhD programs

The College of Education Writing Center offers writing support for Education students

Other Writing & Communication Initiatives

College of the Environment's Science Communication & Outreach  offers events, fellowships, and resources related to science communication.

Writing Support on Other UW Campuses

The UW Tacoma Writing Center offers tutoring and support for undergraduates and graduate students, in-person and remotely

The UW Bothell Writing & Communication Center supports all prospective, current, and former UW Bothell students

University of Washington Secondary Application Essay Prompts & Tips

• Cracking Med School Admissions

The University of Washington secondary application is not too long and difficult, but it is hard to stand out. The University of Washington secondary essay prompts don’t change too much year to year, so this is a great secondary to pre-write and submit early! The admissions office removed the infamous autobiography essay , which was incredibly tough for premedical students. Now, the UW secondary application essays are open-ended in nature.  It is your job to incorporate your experiences in a personal, non-generic way. University of Washington favors in-state residents of students who have worked & lived in Washington state throughout their premed careers. They also like students who live in the Pacific Northwest United States. Read our tips on how to stand out in your University of Washington secondary application .

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to the School of Medicine at University of Washington year after year.  To learn more about UW medical school interviews, opportunities, and the curriculum, read our Cracking University of Washington Medical School Admissions page.  

• Personally Tailored Essays
• Edits by Stanford & Harvard-trained Doctors
• We study your application strengths to see what unique attributes we’ll bring to the medical school

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024

• We recognize that the world has changed significantly due to the global pandemic. Please share how COVID-19 has impacted you, your family, your community, and/or the patients that you would like to serve.  (250 words max)
• What perspectives or experiences do you bring that would enrich the class? (250 words max)
• What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them? (250 words max)
• How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you have worked with? (250 words max)
• Entering medical students should understand the social forces that shape the health of the individuals and communities they will serve. This includes understanding how social contextual factors and policy operate at the community and national level to impact the health of individuals. Students should be familiar with disparities in health currently present in society and their underlying etiologies. Candidates seeking acceptance to UWSOM  can establish competency in this area through  course work in the social sciences, humanities or related interdisciplinary fields such as public health or ethnic and gender studies, clinical and/or population health research, service learning, lived experience or a combination thereof. Examples of social science/humanities coursework to consider: Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Psychology, Religion, History, Philosophy, Literature.
• Describe your competency by explaining how you’ve explored and come to understand issues in the social sciences and humanities related to the “human condition”.

Out-of-region applicants  must have one of the following WWAMI ties in order to be eligible for consideration:

• Member of a federally recognized tribe whose traditional and customary tribal boundaries include portions of the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and/or Idaho
• Born in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, or Idaho
• Graduated from high school in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, or Idaho
• Have a parent who currently lives in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and/or Idaho
• Currently live and/or have lived in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and/or Idaho FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR
• Active military member who is stationed in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, or Idaho

Tips to Answer University of Washington Secondary Application Essays

University of Minnesota Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance: The University of Washington secondary essay prompts don’t change too much year to year, so this is a great secondary to pre-write and submit early!

• Download  all  our HIGH-YIELD tips for secondary essays:  Cracking Med School Admissions Secondary Essay Guide

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #1: To make your University of Washington secondary essays memorable, write as many stories as possible. 250-300 words is enough space to incorporate stories. For example, in the question, “ How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician, ” you can include a memorable patient encounter. We would also recommend prioritizing stories from community service and clinical experiences in the Washington State region.

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #2: Include stories and experiences in Washington state. Can’t emphasize this enough!

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #3: Convey your knowledge about Washington state’s and the Pacific Northwest’s healthcare issues and current events. For example, you can write the COVID-19 issues you witnessed in Washington state. Stronger essays will include how you tried to improve these healthcare disparities or health issues during the pandemic. 

• You can also read different perspectives about the current events there, helping you to answer the University of Washington secondary application essays!

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #4: Don’t forget to incorporate a little bit about “Why University of Washington” throughout the essay(s) you respond to. Talk about specific projects, community volunteering,  and research you want to do at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Read our University of Washington Medical School Admissions information to answer why this medical school ? 

University of Washington Secondary Application Tip #5: Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below. Need editing help on your secondary? We can help you through our secondary essay packages . 

[Read Tips For Other Schools’ Secondary Essays: University of Wisconsin , Oregon Health & Sciences University , University of Utah , University of Arizona – Tucson & Phoenix ]

Your medical school application Coaches, Mentors, & Cheerleaders

We Personally Advise Every Student We Work With.

Rachel Rizal, M.D.

Changing the trajectory of people’s lives.

Undergraduate Princeton University, cum laude

Medical School Stanford School of Medicine

Residency Harvard, Emergency Medicine

Awards & Scholarships Fulbright Scholar USA Today Academic First Team Tylenol Scholarship

Rishi Mediratta, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.

Advising students to attend their dream schools.

Undergraduate Johns Hopkins University, Phi Beta Kappa

Residency Stanford, Pediatrics

Awards & Scholarships Marshall Scholar Tylenol Scholarship Global Health Scholar

stand out from other applicants with our secondary essay edit packages

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University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023

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University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

• Use this opportunity to provide any autobiographical information which you feel would be helpful for the MSTP office. (250 words max)
• If you are not currently enrolled in coursework (nor planning to be enrolled throughout the application process), please describe your activities in this period. (250 words max)
• Please use this space to supplement your AMCAS Personal Comments. (MSTP will consider information provided here as well as your AMCAS Personal Comments) (250 words max)
• How did you find out about the University of Washington’s Medical Scientist Training Program? (250 words max)

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020 – 2021

University of washington medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2019 – 2020.

• Your AMCAS personal statement and experiences are already on file with our office. If your primary AMCAS application hasn’t discussed the origin and development of your motivation to be a physician including insights you’ve gained from exploring a career in medicine, and how your personal attributes would make you a good physician, please discuss those here. If you’ve already written about these items, don’t repeat what you wrote. Instead, use this autobiographical statement addendum to let us know more about who you are in addition to being someone who wants to be a physician. This is another opportunity for you to express what you want the Admissions Committee to know about you. (250 words max)
• How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you’ve worked with? (250 words max)
• How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician? (250 words max)

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2018 – 2019

• The origin and development of your motivation to be a physician
• Your prior experiences in health care
• Steps taken to explore a career in medicine
• Your eventual goals as a physician
• Personal attributes that would make you a good physician
• Remember: Please do not repeat what you wrote in your AMCAS Personal Comments (this will already be on file with our office). If you have already covered all of the above topics in your AMCAS application, use this space to let the Admissions Committee know who you are in addition to being someone who wants to be a physician. 
• How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician?
• What perspectives or experiences do you bring that would enrich the class?
• What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them?
• How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you have worked with?
• For Re-Applicants Only : From your most recent application until now, how have you strengthened your application? (250 words max)

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

• If your primary AMCAS application hasn’t discussed the origin and development of your motivation to be a physician including insights you’ve gained from exploring a career in medicine, and how your personal attributes would make you a good physician, please discuss those here. (250 words max)
• If you’ve already written about these items, don’t repeat what you wrote. Instead, use this autobiographical statement addendum to let us know more about who you are in addition to being someone who wants to be a physician. This is another opportunity for you to express what you want the Admissions Committee to know about you. (250 words max)
• How do you see historical and structural inequities affecting the patients you have worked with and will work with, and how do you as a student and physician address these broader causes of health disparities? (250 words max)

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2016 – 2017

• Remember: The Personal Comments section of the AMCAS application may be used to satisfy this requirement, or an additional autobiography may be submitted with your secondary materials. Your AMCAS personal statement will already be on file with our office.
• How do your experiences match the mission and values of the University of Washington School of Medicine?
• What obstacles to your goals have you experienced and how have you dealt with them?
• For Re-Applicants Only : From your most recent application until now, how have you strengthened your application?

University of Washington Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2015 – 2016

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Tips for Applying

Honors essay prompt tips.

• Be yourself and be specific! This is your opportunity to introduce yourself to us. Demonstrate why you are interested in our curriculum and what qualities you would contribute to the Interdisciplinary Honors Program.
• Honors Essays should add additional information to your UW application – don’t repeat what you’ve already written in your general UW essays. Remember that Honors admissions reviews your entire UW application as part of the holistic review process.
• Remember your audience. The UW is a large and diverse public institution. The people evaluating your application may not have the same beliefs or perspective you do. Diverse viewpoints are desired in the academic world. Consider this as you frame your essays.
• Don’t tell us what you think we want to hear! When students do this, they often end up repeating what we’ve said on our website. We want to learn about you and your individual interests – don’t be afraid to be different!
• Use the space wisely! Read the prompts carefully, take the time to learn about our program, then answer the whole question with our curriculum in mind.
• Our essay prompt should not be a list your accomplishments or past achievements
• Do not send transcripts or supplemental materials (recommendations, news articles, resumes, digital media, etc.). These will be discarded upon receipt.
• Proofread! Have someone who knows you proofread your responses, but don’t let your voice and perspective be erased.
• Reflection is a core value and component of our curriculum and we are looking for evidence of self reflection in your essays. Reflection can happen in many different ways, but a helpful place to start is to ask more questions that help you dig deeper into the initial prompt. Below we list some additional questions that you may want to consider.

Interdisciplinary Honors 2025 Essay

We want to understand your enthusiasm for learning unfamiliar things and exploring different ways of thinking. 

Tell us why you are excited to push your education outside the areas of learning you are most comfortable with.

We hope to see students demonstrate that they have done their research and that they understand the program that they are applying for. We want to see evidence of how their values and goals align with those of the UW Honors Program and why they are enthusiastic about joining this community. Here are some questions that may help you reflect more deeply on why you want to be a part of the Interdisciplinary Honors community:

• In your own words, what do you like about learning and pushing yourself outside your learning comfort zone?
• How does interdisciplinary learning enhance your understanding of the world?
• How do you hope to engage with what UW Honors offers to further your education and personal growth?
• How do you individually connect with the goals and values of the UW Honors Program and why are they important to you?
• Why does interdisciplinary learning matter to you personally? Why does it matter for our broader world?
• What have you done in the past that supports what you tell us in your essay? Don’t focus entirely on past experiences, but providing evidence to back up claims you make strengthens your essay.
• Why are you applying for Interdisciplinary Honors (as opposed to only pursuing Departmental Honors through your major)? If you plan to pursue both Honors pathways, explain what you hope to uniquely gain from pursuing a degree with Interdisciplinary Honors.
• Why is community important to you, and who do you hope to meet in the Interdisciplinary Honors community?

FROM THE DIRECTOR

As we enter a new freshman admissions season, the Director of Honors invites students and the communities around them to learn more about the UW Honors curriculum.

Connect with UW Honors:

Mary Gates Hall 211, Box 352800 Seattle, WA 98195-2800 Contact Us Office Hours: Open by appointment only during Summer 2024, as the Honors staff is available online.

© 2024 University of Washington | Seattle, WA

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Advice Topic: Writing

Succeeding in a graduate seminar.

Some of your most important and impression-forming interactions with your classmates and professors occur in graduate seminars. Your stellar performance in graduate seminars is paramount to your success in the graduate program. Graduate seminars are the building blocks for your knowledge in the field and in graduate school.

How to succeed in a graduate seminar

Prepare for class.

Do the reading.  All of it. But don’t stop there. Annotate your reading. Ask questions of the text in the margins. Maybe even type up your notes. Always consider what’s at stake in the reading, how the reading informs your understanding of the class themes, other course materials, the methods, the content. How does the reading relate to your own burgeoning research questions?

Come to class with questions and discussion points.  If you are reticent about speaking in class, recruit a friend to chat about your ideas for five minutes the day before class. Do not, however, memorize one point in the reading so that you make your one perfunctory comment in class. Everyone is on to that game!

Do your part to help foster community.  This means: Listen. Participate fully. Be respectful.

Showcase your intellectual curiosity  by engaging with all types of ideas, not just the ones in your designated area of study.

When you speak, remember to look at your classmates , not exclusively at the professor.

Use your breadth of knowledge  — connect the readings to other readings in your class and other out-of-class readings. Feel free to apply the readings or theme of the day to your project, but don’t be so focused on utilitarian knowledge that you fail to engage fully with all of the issues at hand.

Do not fall into the trap of wholesale skewering the reading of the week.  This is intellectually lazy. The work must have some redeeming value if the professor has chosen to assign it. Even if you want to make a serious critique of the reading you should attempt to articulate its contributions/interventions as well as limitations.

Turn in all writing assignments on time.  Do not save your seminar papers for the last week of class. Begin generating ideas the first week of class. Talk about your ideas with your classmates and your professor. If the professor has not given you a series of deadlines, create deadlines for yourself (i.e., identify paper topic in the third week of class, generate working bibliography in the fourth week of class, create abstract in the fifth week, write your first draft in the sixth week, etc.).

Graduate seminars are your first practice attempts at being a scholar. It should be fun to engage with ideas. Be prepared to spar respectfully — and always be prepared!

by Ralina Joseph, professor, Communication

Turning Your Dissertation into a Book

Interested in publishing your dissertation as a book? You will likely need to revise it extensively so it will appeal to a wider audience and compete in the literary marketplace. Here are some guidelines to help you in this process.

• Allow plenty of time!
• The review process can easily take up to a year, as it entails a peer review of your manuscript, potential revisions, further peer review and then approval.
• The editing process can easily take a year to a year and a half as it entails copyediting, design, typesetting and proofreading, preparation of the index, printing and binding.

Dissertations differ from books in several ways

• Dissertations are highly specialized, while books are geared to general readers.
• Dissertation audiences are usually fewer than 100 readers — books are about 500 or more, in general.
• In a dissertation, the author’s authority must be proven; in books, it is assumed.
• Dissertations contain extensive documentation (to prove authority), while books document to credit sources and help the reader.
• Dissertations can run long; books are often far shorter.

Elements that make a good book

• A concise, memorable and intriguing title that includes essential key words
• Clear and effective organization
• A succinct introduction
• Illustrations that enhance the text
• Sections that are meaningful either alone or as part of the total book
• Navigational aids, such as chapter titles, running heads, subheads, notes, bibliography, index
• A voice (relationship of author to reader) that functions like an invisible tour guide or creative storyteller, and avoids sounding like a lecturer at a podium

The revision process

• Forget your dissertation. Forget your committee.
• Clarify your modified topic and audience.
• Determine how to present it in a dynamic way.
• Remove unnecessary references to yourself.
• Delete conspicuous chapter intros and summaries.
• Make style parallel in chapter titles, captions, chapter openings and closings, subheads.
• Revisit the introduction and conclusion.
• Remove unnecessary notes; condense or combine others.
• Eliminate most cross-references.
• Cut unnecessary examples and data.
• Make chapter openings strong, clear, and inviting.
• Add definitions of jargon, foreign terms, biographical and historical dates.
• Brainstorm several possible titles and subtitles.
• Tighten prose.
• Use active verbs.
• Begin and end sentences with words you want to emphasize.

The Chicago Manual of Style . 15th ed. (2003). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

German, William. (2005).  From dissertation to book . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Harmon, Eleanor, et al., ed. (2003).  The thesis and the book: A guide for first-time academic authors. 2nd ed . Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Lucy, Beth, ed. (2004).  Revising your dissertation: Advice from leading editors . Berkeley: University of California Press.

by Lorri Hagman, executive editor, University of Washington Press

Managing Large Writing Projects

Large projects, such as an master of arts degree thesis, dissertation, book, or just a long paper, can be daunting. For some of us, myself included, project management can be a challenge for any article written from scratch. This memo can help you break down your writing project into smaller, less intimidating parts. I will focus on the writing of a thesis or dissertation, but the same basic logic applies to even smaller writing tasks.

Getting started: Clarify purpose, argument, audience

Purpose:  A thesis or dissertation should yield a high quality document that adds to the body of scholarly knowledge and is worthy, eventually, of publication in a peer- reviewed journal. Or your writing may address a public controversy or develop a creative insight that could change how people view a phenomenon of interest.

Argument:  With your purpose clarified, think about your argument. Create a main argument that carries you through your thesis or dissertation. (There may be many other points along the way, but a core message will help you stay focused from beginning to end).

Audience:  Keep a particular audience in mind. For academic work, identify a target journal. Think about who would want to read your work; this will motivate you to write and clarify your message.

Outlining, setting deadlines

One of the causes of vertigo with large writing projects is the sense that the work before you is too big or too much for you to handle given all your existing responsibilities and pressures. So break the project into manageable parts, and make the immediate task a two- or three-page mini-paper.

How to start:  Outline your project carefully. Start with a one-page handwritten outline that is simply the main sections or chapter titles.

Then move to a more thorough outline, with detail under each of the points in the first version. At this point, each part of the outline is no more than a few pages.

Refine your outline to indicate how many pages and what kind of work each part will require. For instance, I might have a line in my outline that reads, “Introduce self-perception theory (two pages; brief literature review).” Your daunting, massive thesis or dissertation has now been reduced to a series of manageable, “do-able” tasks.

Set a schedule for completing each piece of the outline. Make sure that each chunk is small enough to be do-able in just a week or two, or even just a day or two.

Procrastination

First-time procrastination problems?  You may just be tired, so relax and don’t be hard on yourself.

Persistent procrastination?  Break your task into even smaller pieces.

One option:  Identify a one-hour block of time. Work on your next writing task for just 15 minutes, followed by a five-minute stretching/social break. Repeat two more times, and in one hour you will have done 45 minutes of work. If that works, then schedule your next writing period for 80 minutes, and so on, until you can set aside three hours at a time for writing. You may find that taking the break after 15 minutes is hard to do because you get a rhythm and can’t stop working. That’s a good thing.

Another option:  Schedule writing appointments with fellow students or faculty—or, form a three-to-five person study group that meets every one or two weeks to help keep each other on track.

Other options:  See your adviser, commit to a scholarly conference (to create an external deadline), or set up some other writing-related appointment.

If your large writing project becomes so emotionally upsetting that you find yourself unable to do any of the above successfully,  consider making an appointment for student counseling . It is easy for the different parts of our lives to get entangled, and the fear or stress you experience regarding your writing may have nothing to do with the quality of your ideas or your skill as a writer—but instead be symptomatic of other things upsetting you at home or at work.

And remember—it’s OK to ask for help.

by John Gastil, former professor, Communication

The Literature Review

From seminar paper to master of arts degree thesis to dissertation, the literature review provides both the foundation and the frame for your own research. Its preparation requires careful planning and a well-crafted presentation.

The purpose of the literature review

A literature review tells us what is known by sharing the results of prior studies related to your own.

A literature review places your study within a larger body of work. It shows how your study seeks to fill a gap in, or extend, our knowledge in this area.

A literature review offers a benchmark for assessing your own results. In the conclusion to your study you will revisit the literature review armed with your new findings.

Organizing the literature review

A good literature review is a synthesis of prior research presented in a way that adds value to our understanding of that work. So, it’s important to organize your review in a way that is coherent, relevant to your own study, and useful to other researchers. For example, you might cluster prior research by media type, communication situation, similar findings, key themes, respondent type, or other useful distinction.

Whatever organizing scheme you choose, it is typical to present the most important, relevant, or strongest collection of existing research first, and go from there. If not, there should be a narrative logic to the review presentation.

Another way to add value is to identify conceptual linkages among ideas and authors. Researchers often talk about the same processes — just in somewhat different ways.

It’s tempting to want to include every study that appeared in the key word search of your topic. Don’t. The challenge is to find the right balance between giving the reader confidence in your familiarity with literature and focusing on what’s most relevant for the study at hand.

Writing the literature review

Your synthesis of prior research should focus on key findings or conclusions with just enough information for the reader to discern the question and approach: “In her ethnographic study of Muslim immigrants’ perception of mainstream British media, Gillespie concluded…” The exception being if the study cited is significant because of its methodology — only then would you offer more methodological detail.

Not all ideas in the literature review are used to construct your study’s conceptual framework. So, at the end of each section, tell readers what key concept, finding, definition, or theme is most critical to “carry forward” into their reading of your study.

Don’t over-quote. It slows down your narrative. Direct quotations should only appear if the author said something in a unique, powerful, or precise way (e.g., a definition) that demands repeating in its exact form. Otherwise, use your own words.

Since a good review is a coherent, value-added organization of the literature, provide the reader with clear “signposts” through the instructive use of headings, introductions, transition phrases, and summary statements.

Finally, because people reading your paper or dissertation may not be familiar with your area of research, be careful not to weigh down your literature review in field-specific jargon. It is important that you write in clear and active prose.

by Nancy Rivenburgh, professor, Communication

Collaborating and Co-Authoring

Finding opportunities to collaborate and publish.

Many scholars enjoy co-authoring because doing so affords an opportunity to develop new ideas, extend our methodological toolkit, and share the workload. The first step in finding opportunities to co-publish is to let your faculty mentors know that you are available to help if they ever get such invitations. Faculty sometimes receive unsolicited invitations to write an article or contribute a book chapter. Since faculty often plan long-term writing agendas, they may decline an unexpected invitation. They may be more likely to accept such an invitation if they know they can share the research and writing tasks with a co-author.

If you hear of such an opportunity, or see a call for papers that you would like to answer, you may also pitch a co-authorship opportunity to other students or faculty. Whether or not they accept your invitation will depend on how thoroughly you’ve considered the workload, authorship credits, and of course, the intellectual fit.

Many forms of collaborations

Collaborative work with faculty can take many forms: payment in the form of a stipend without additional acknowledgement; a thank-you in the acknowledgments of a book or an article; a footnote in the relevant section of the published work; gradations of co-authorship; or independent access to the data or field notes.

Across the humanities and social sciences, an author is someone who makes a substantive creative contribution to a project. A research assistant makes a minor creative contribution or a mechanical contribution such as collecting data or organizing archives.

For the most part, being paid as a research assistant does not eliminate the obligation to acknowledge the contribution of a minor or mechanical contribution. The benefit of collaborating is that all parties acquire new experience and skills, and have the creative opportunity to generate and test new ideas.

Discussing the workload

There are several good tools that facilitate co-authorship, such as Endnote, Word’s “track changes” tool, and of course, e-mail. Your discussion of workload should not only include the details of which parts of an article you will author, but the process for editing drafts, for backing up drafts and data, for keeping notes on major edits, and for resolving intellectual differences. But co-authoring doesn’t stop there—you should also talk through the likely division of labor for submitting to journals, corresponding with editors, handling revisions and resubmissions, and reviewing page proofs.

Even though many of these tasks seem far in the future and hypothetical — contingent on acceptance — they are a significant part of the work of publishing and it is best to talk through the hypothetical scenarios. The more you clarify the workload and timeline before the writing starts, the more likely you are to have a successful collaboration. Moreover, writing may not even be the most difficult task for authors: conceptualizing the problem, designing the research project, and collecting data are major tasks that need to be made even before writing begins.

Negotiating authorship credit

We are in an unusual profession in that faculty actively work to make students into colleagues. So many project leaders will err on the side of generosity in negotiating an authorship credit, and there are several possible permutations:

• Listing authors in alphabetical order, which in the social sciences and humanities can indicate equal contributions (if specified in the footnotes);
• Listing authors in the order of substantive contributions made;
• Randomizing the order of authors across multiple papers based on the same project;
• In increasingly rare cases, subdividing authorship, which takes the form of “A with B” or “A and B.”

Journals may also have their own guidelines for how to acknowledge each other’s contribution in a footnote, endnote, or other front matter.

It is best to establish early on—as part of the workload conversation—what the duties and obligations for these credits will be for your particular piece. However, the initially agreed-upon authorship order can change based on the actual contributions realized at the end of the paper.

Personal negotiations

It is best to have face-to-face conversations about the terms of this important relationship, so avoid using e-mail. Unlike writing a paper for a class, collaborating and co-authoring is a long-term personal commitment to being available and amenable to an extended process. This longer-term working relationship means meeting deadlines (and being flexible with them), deferring to your collaborators in the areas in which they have more expertise, and picking up responsibilities when necessary. Ultimately, it can mean celebrating and sharing the reward of successfully publishing and contributing to the advancement of knowledge.

by Philip N. Howard, professor, Communication

Writing Resources & Techniques for Grad Students

Recently we’ve received several letters from students struggling with writing. Students tell us they struggle with focusing on competing projects, managing nebulous deadlines and distilling complicated ideas to in a clear and concise way.

As Your Grad School Guide, I know can be difficult to find motivation and avoid procrastination when faced with such writing projects.

Whether you’re developing a thesis or dissertation, or writing essays for a class, there are a number of resources at the UW for support. Here are some ideas of services to access on campus, and tips for developing as a more productive and effective writer.

Campus-based resources:

• Odegaard Writing & Research Center Drop-in Consultations for Graduate Students . From graduate tutors at drop-in sessions, you’ll receive support for any kind of writing including conference proposals, articles for publication, or your thesis or dissertation.
• Open Writing Circles . These mostly informal meetings for writers working on long-term projects can provide light structure, accountability partners and moral support!
• Bothell’s Writing and Communication Center offers in-person or remote consultations and workshops
• Tacoma’s Teaching and Learning Center offers writing consultations
• Check with your department. Your department may have a Writing Center with tailored resources and workshops, and tutors knowledgeable in your subject or field. See your department’s website or email your advisor for more information.

Looking for ways to beat procrastination or improve your writing on your own? Here are a few ideas:

• The Pomodoro method. Work in 25 minute increments with short breaks in between sessions. This can help you avoid distractions and get down to business. This technique can help academics make the most of their limited writing time.
• Develop a strategic writing plan. Ph.D. student Nue Lee details in this blog post how she plans for effective writing sessions. Lee’s plans include daily writing and scheduling blocks of time for writing in her calendar. Your strategic writing plan may differ based on your schedule and needs.
• Consult a style guide. William Zinsser’s On Writing Well  may be a good place to start for insight or inspiration.

What if you’ve tried any combination of these resources and techniques, and nothing has helped. What should you do?

• Reflect on the things that you’ve tried so far.  Did one or two of them help you manage distractions or write more effectively, even a little bit? Of the things that helped a little, what did they have in common?
• Try dictating your ideas to a trusted friend or a recording device before even bringing pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. It may help take some of the anxiety out of the process and allow you to get your ideas out.
• In some cases, difficulty with productivity in writing and research may be related to other factors , including anxiety or worry. If you think this applies to you, please seek support from a writing tutor, academic advisor or counselor at the Counseling Center .

Any questions? Feel free to shoot me an email.

Happy Writing,

Your Grad School Guide

Ask Your Grad School Guide is an advice column for all y’all graduate and professional students. Real questions from real students, answered by real people. If your Guide doesn’t know the answer, you Guide seeks out experts all across campus to address the issue. (Please note: your Guide is not a medical doctor, therapist, lawyer or academic advisor, and all advice offered here is for informational purposes only.) Ask your Guide a question >

Strategies for Communicating with Faculty

For the past three years, Core Programs has hosted a communication skills workshop with the goal of sharing effective strategies international graduate students can use when communicating with faculty. Below are a just a few of these communication best practices. These tips are useful not only for international graduate students but also all graduate students across the University of Washington.

Be proactive. Faculty panelists at our workshops have stated that despite their busy schedules, they truly appreciate hearing from their graduate students who need guidance or mentoring. As such, it’s important to take initiative if you need to connect with a faculty member. Whether you need feedback on a project or paper, are in the process of searching for a thesis or dissertation advisor, or are seeking letters of recommendation for an internship or job, taking steps to communicate your needs to faculty in advance are steps towards success in graduate school.

Email etiquette. Just like with every mode of communication, there are general guidelines for writing that very first (or fortieth) email to faculty. Some of these tips may seem like common sense to some, but it’s always helpful to remember that all of us start at the beginning, no matter the task. First, have a clear subject line like “Request to Schedule Meeting to Discuss My Research Progress.” Include a professional greeting, and keep your message short and to the point. If you want to convey updates about your work, include an attachment (or ask what the faculty you are contacting prefers) rather than including long updates in the message body. Finally, include a closing statement that thanks the faculty for their time, followed by a closing phrase and your signature. Then proofread your email (with a peer or co-worker if needed) at least one time before sending.

When you are in doubt, clarify. Making a point to clarify what you are discussing in meetings with your faculty advisor is important to being successful in graduate school, whether or not you are an international graduate student. For example, you can use the repeat or rephrase strategy by saying, “I’d like to make sure that I heard you correctly…” If you’re still unclear, you could ask, “Do you mind clarifying what you mean by…?” Finally, it’s always a good idea to take meeting notes and email them to your advisor soon after the meeting, “This is what we discussed… Here is how we are moving forward…” Emailing your notes allows you and your professor to document your meetings and progress.

Letters of Recommendation. Asking for letters of recommendation from faculty can be intimidating, and it’s something that just takes practice. Whether you are seeking a letter of recommendation for an internship, job, or fellowship application, try out these tips. In the body of your email, include a very brief description of the job or fellowship you are applying for. Mention aspects of the job description or fellowship that are relevant to you. Include a bulleted list of the skills or experiences that make you a strong applicant. Make sure to include the deadline for the faculty’s letter of recommendation, the submission link or mailing address, and thank them for their time and efforts. Finally, attach the most recent, updated copy of your resume or CV, proofread your email, and send!

We hope you find these tips useful, and let us know what has worked for you!

Best Regards,

Core Programs Team #UWGradSuccess

Many thanks to Ziyan Bai, graduate staff assistant for Core Programs and PhD Candidate in Education for doing an outstanding job of organizing these workshops. We also extend gratitude to the following faculty who have offered their time and insights as panelists and guests at these workshops over the past three years (in no particular order): Liz Sanders (Education), Sara Goering (Philosophy), Mari Ostendorf (Electrical Engineering), Wendy Thomas (Bioengineering), Xiasong Li (Chemistry), Kelly Edwards (Bioethics), Gino Aisenberg (Social Work), Gojko Lalic (Chemistry), and John Sahr (Electrical Engineering).

5 tips to boost your productivity

All of us struggle with motivation at different times, and winter can be particularly challenging. That said, it can also be a good time to hunker down and get some work done. Whether you plan to stay in academia or not, you will need written products coming out of your postdoc years to demonstrate what you have accomplished. Perhaps you are also finishing up publications from your doctoral research or laying the groundwork for a new research direction. Recently, the  National Center for  Faculty Diversity and Development (NCFDD)’s “Monday Motivator ” featured 5 tips for productivity.

• Create a plan.  How? Dr. Rockquemore writes: “It’s a simple process: 1) list your writing and wellness goals for the remainder of this calendar year, 2) map out all the steps that are needed to complete your goals, and 3) figure out when that work will get done.” While it may not be in your skill set yet, it is truly simple once you start. During your next work week, put “Planning” in your calendar for a 1-2 hour block and work through it.  This is your work . This is a great time to revisit your Individualized Development Plan (IDP).
• Write every day.  We also know that your own writing is the task that will consistently get put aside for other demands (e.g. lab meeting, responding to your advisor, looking up one more article, sifting through Facebook, etc.). Research shows that if you dedicate just 30 minutes a day to writing (really writing), you will make consistent progress toward a writing goal and complete a product faster than if you hope for a half-day or protected Saturday that never does emerge.
• Join a group of daily committed writers . You are not alone. We all have to write and produce. Just like a regular exercise or spiritual practice, if you are connected with others who are also committed, it helps you sustain the practice. You can meet face-to-face for your blocks of writing time or just stay connected online and check-in, which gets to the next point:
• Commit to regular accountability.  Tell someone your goals and plans, and schedule a check-in meeting (virtually or in-person) to see how it is going. In the short-term, this can be yourself. Apps such as Grid Diary can help you self-assess at the end of the day what 3 things you accomplished, and set personal goals for how tomorrow can be better.
• Find dedicated mentors . All of this takes hard work, and sifting through the noise that comes at you on a daily basis. Find mentors—you should have a full team—who genuinely are invested in your success (see  blog posts on mentoring ). They can help hold you accountable, prioritize what needs to happen, strategize where products need to go, and troubleshoot when things fall through the cracks (which they will).

If you are interested in signing up for a weekly email with these Monday Motivator tips from NCFDD, or checking out other writing resources on their website, you can login with the UW membership.

Pushing Through to the End of the Quarter

It’s the home stretch of the quarter and we know you are actively working through your projects, grading, and other milestones, even while looking ahead to the break. We offer a few tips that can help you make the most of these final weeks.

Set Priorities. Look over your schedule for the next two weeks. Block out time slots you know you can’t be flexible on: hard deadlines for school, work, and family time. Hold off on meetings or appointments that can actually wait until after the quarter (and holiday break) is done. You’ll start to see where you have wiggle room for things like self-care. The reality is, there is always time take care of ourselves. This can be a glass of water, a healthy snack, getting up from your desk to stretch, a 10-minute walk outside, or even taking a nap to improve your productivity. Setting priorities allows us to realistically see that we do have control over our schedules, especially when stress makes us feel the complete opposite.

Writing. Carve out 30 minutes of time each day to work on your writing. Set a timer, close your web browsers, and unplug from social media. You’ll find that you’re eventually making progress on that larger writing project. For more support, remember that you can schedule an appointment with a writing tutor at your UW campus. You also have the option of reaching out to a peer or two in your department — or from outside of your program — to hold one another accountable for writing by organizing group writing sessions. If you’re considering something more structured beyond this quarter, here are some tips for organizing a thesis or dissertation writing group.

Connect with your support network. It can be a struggle to stay motivated these last few weeks of the quarter and complete what needs to get done. But as Andrea Zellner from GradHacker states, “Don’t underestimate the power of your cheering section. Maybe all you need to get moving is a pep talk.” Call, Skype, or meet up with a close friend or family member, so they can root you on! Attend a community gathering with like-minded peers, such as the upcoming Holiday Gathering for First-Gen Graduate Students in Seattle, or the Holiday Wine, Beer & Spirits Walk in Bothell, or organize a low-key, small potluck with peers to celebrate one another. If you’re needing mental health support — and there is no shame in this at all — reach out to your campus counseling center for an appointment or for community resource referrals.

Check in with advisors and mentors. Maybe you’re in a 9-month graduate program, about to complete the first quarter of your Master’s degree, or heading into the final months of your doctoral program. Maybe you and your advisor or mentor haven’t checked in with each other in a while (because life happens). Whether you are thinking through your goals for winter quarter or needing guidance on your research or next steps in your graduate program, it might be a good idea to schedule a time to meet with your advisor(s). Check in with them via email to see about scheduling a time to meet during early winter quarter. Just scheduling the meeting can give you piece of mind.

We hope you find these tips useful in helping you push through — and thrive — at the end of the quarter!

Navigating Licensing Options for a Thesis or Dissertation

Which license(s) should I use or create when publishing my doctoral dissertation?  – Anonymous 

This week’s answer is courtesy of Elizabeth Bedford, scholarly publishing outreach librarian, Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Congratulations on getting to the home stretch of your dissertation! As part of your degree requirements , you will be depositing your dissertation into ResearchWorks , UW’s online open repository, and it will be important for you to understand your license options through this process.

Some background: being able to access something online does not mean that readers can use it any way they’d like – US law gives copyright holders a set of exclusive rights over their works, which include distributing or adapting the material. Normally if a reader wants to make use of a work in one of the ways protected by copyright, they have to get explicit permission. But what if a copyright holder is fine with some uses, and wants to communicate that to potential users?

Licenses are the mechanism by which a copyright holder allows uses of their work, and traditionally they have been used for individual permissions. However, Creative Commons licenses work on a broad scale, allowing the copyright holder to let an audience know that they automatically give permission for certain uses under certain conditions. CC licenses make things clear and simple for both the copyright holder and the user, and have been proven legally sound, which is not something you get with a DIY license.

CC licenses can be very restrictive or completely permissive, with many shades in between. If you want something more restrictive than anything-goes CC0 , you can choose one of the ‘BY’ licenses, which require others at minimum to credit your work. You’ll make decisions prohibiting or allowing combinations of three types of use : 1) commercial use; 2) adaptations; and 3) ‘viral’ licensing. This is a very personal decision, but there’s lots online about factors copyright holders should consider and why some copyright holders make the decisions they do .

You’ll notice that I’ve been careful to say ‘copyright holder’ rather than ‘author.’ For UW dissertations, the author always starts out as the copyright holder. But if you enter into negotiations with a publisher, be aware that sometimes publishers ask you to completely transfer your copyright to them. If that happens, you no longer have the right to make licensing choices over the work and the publisher gets the final say. So read the fine print of your publishing contracts!

My office is here to help with this, so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email us .

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University of Washington Essays

Currently working on my application of University of Washington. Their essay prompt for the personal statement is this: "Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. "

I've already written my personal statement for Common App schools and other Coalition schools that don't require a specific prompt, but it's in a montage format. The wording of the prompt says "a story", so I'm not sure if a montage essay would work since it's by nature made of multiple stories.

What do you think?

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What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Get Into University of Washington: Admissions Stats + Tips

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

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

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What’s Covered:

How hard is it to get into the university of washington, average academic profile of accepted washington university students, what is the university of washington looking for, how to improve your chances of getting into the university of washington .

Founded in 1861, the University of Washington (UW) is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast and has grown into one of the world’s preeminent institutions of higher education, ranking 16th on the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities . UW is known for its cutting-edge research and innovation—bubble gum, vinyl, synthetic rubber, and the process that brought about color television were all invented on campus (as was “the wave,” in which people in a stadium rise and cheer in a pattern that resembles a wave).

The University of Washington received 43,778 applications for its Seattle campus and accepted just 24,467 students, resulting in a 56% overall acceptance rate. Although UW admissions are competitive, your actual chances of getting in are tied to the strength of your profile. 

CollegeVine can help you better understand your odds of acceptance at UW. Our free admissions calculator uses a variety of factors—such as your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—to estimate your likelihood of admission and to provide tips to improve your profile. 

The average high school GPA of the University of Washington – Seattle’s Class of 2025 is 3.79 .

The middle 50% SAT score for the University of Washington – Seattle’s Class of 2025 is 1220-1430 . The middle 50% ACT score is 27-33 .

The University of Washington doesn’t publish the average class rank of its accepted students, but you can be sure that those admitted to UW are likely to have graduated at, or near, the top of their class. A little more than 12% of UW’s Class of 2025 graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA. 

The University of Washington is a public institution and being a resident of the state will give your admissions odds a boost— 74% of UW’s student body are Washington residents and all 39 of the state’s counties are represented on campus . In-state applicants are admitted at a higher rate than those from out-of-state ( 60% vs. 51% ). Out-of-staters are in the minority, however, students from all 50 states study at UW, and international students make up 12% of the student population. 

UW practices holistic admissions and takes numerous factors into consideration when making admissions decisions. That said, like other highly selective schools, the university places significant weight on academic performance and favors students who pushed themselves in high school by seeking out challenging coursework.  

How the University of Washington College Evaluates Applications

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

• Course rigor

These factors are “important” :

• Extracurricular activities
• First generation
• Volunteer work 
• Work experience 

These are “considered” :

• State residency 

And these are “not considered” :

• Test scores 
• Recommendations 
• Geographic location 
• Religious affiliation 
• Racial/ethnic status
• Applicant intertest 

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

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

1. Achieve at least a 3.79 GPA while taking the most challenging classes available

GPA is “very important” to admissions at the University of Washington—its Class of 2025 had an average high school GPA of 3.79 . Academic preparation and performance are of primary importance to the UW admissions process and are indicated by “an overall strong level of academic achievement, as demonstrated by grades and rigor of curriculum.” For serious consideration at UW, you’ll need to earn all, or mostly all, As in the most challenging coursework available to you. Students applying to top-tier schools like UW have commonly completed between five and 12 AP classes. 

Selective schools that receive large numbers of applications, like UW, use a tool known as the Academic Index to facilitate admissions decisions. Academic Index is the distillation of your entire academic performance into a single numerical score. If your Academic Index doesn’t meet a school’s standards, you risk being viewed as academically unqualified and your application will not receive a thorough review.  

If your GPA is low, and you’re a freshman or sophomore, you have time to raise it—check out our tips for increasing your GPA . If you’re a junior or senior, it’s harder to increase your GPA, and the best method to improve your Academic Index is with a higher test score.

2. Write engaging essays

Essays are the only factor outside of GPA and course rigor that the University of Washington deems “very important.” All applicants are required to respond to an essay prompt and a short-answer prompt. UW also provides an optional space to include more information about yourself or your circumstances, such as:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

A persuasive college essay shows a college why you belong on its campus and how they’ll benefit from having you there. Essays allow you to show a school who you are and how you’re different from other applicants, so write in your unique voice and be authentic. For more tips on acing the UW essay, check out our article, “ How to Write the University of Washington Essays 2021-2022 .”

3. Cultivate strong extracurriculars

UW views extracurricular activities as “important” to admissions. How does a college value your activities outside of the classroom? The four tiers of extracurriculars provide useful insight:

• Tier 1 activities are the most prestigious and rare, including winning a national award and attending a renowned merit-based summer program. 
• Tier 2 extracurriculars demonstrate great accomplishment and leadership but are more commonly seen by admissions officers than those in Tier 1. These activities include winning state-level recognition in athletics or music and serving in a leadership position like student body president. 
• Tier 3 activities are great for highlighting your interests outside of the classroom but do not exemplify a talent (something UW considers “important” to admissions) in the same way as those in the higher tiers. Tier 3 activities include winning regional recognition in academics, athletics, or music, and holding a minor leadership role in a club. 
• Tier 4 extracurricular activities are those most commonly seen by admissions officials and hold the least sway on your odds of acceptance. These include general volunteer work, participating in a club, or playing an instrument.  

While you probably don’t need a Tier 1 (national-level) activity for UW, having a few Tier 2 or 3 (regional- and school-level) activities will demonstrate your drive.

4. Aim for a 1430 SAT and 33 ACT  

The University of Washington practices test-optional admissions, and promises that students “ will not be disadvantaged for sending low scores or for not sending scores. ” Curriculum quality and performance in courses are the primary ways UW judges your academic preparedness. That said, UW may consider high test scores (1400 SAT/31 ACT or above) for students who may not otherwise be admitted.

UW superscores both the SAT and ACT and a high score can help push you over the top if you’re a borderline applicant. Sitting for either the SAT or ACT two or three times is a smart strategy to maximize your superscore. To improve your SAT/ACT score, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

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

How to Apply to the University of Washington

The University of Washington has just one admissions process—it doesn’t offer Early Decision or Early Action admissions. Applications are due by November 15. 

Application Requirements

The University of Washington accepts the Coalition Application. Other requirements include:

• Supplemental essays
• Test scores (optional) 

Learn more about the University of Washington 

Interested in learning more about the University of Washington? Check out these other informative articles: 

• What is the University of Washington Known For?
• 3 University of Washington Essay Examples by Accepted Students
• How to Write the University of Washington Essays 2021-2022

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How To Write The UW System Essay: What You'll Bring to Campus

This guide has been updated and is accurate for the 2024-2025 essay prompts.

Understanding the Prompt: Each student is unique. Please tell us about the particular life experiences, talents, commitments, and/or interests you will bring to our campus.

Before you start writing your essay, it’s essential to fully understand what the UW System is asking of you. The prompt is an opportunity for you to share the distinctive life experiences, talents, commitments, and interests that set you apart. Here’s how you can break down the prompt and prepare to showcase your unique qualities:

1- Read the Prompt Thoroughly: Ensure you understand exactly what the prompt is asking. Read it multiple times to catch all nuances, ensuring you capture the essence of the question.

2- Highlight Key Components: Identify key words like “unique life experiences,” “talents,” “commitments,” and “interests.” These terms will guide your essay and help you focus on what to share.

3- Analyze the Prompt: Consider the broader implications of the question. The admissions committee is interested not just in what you’ve done but in how these experiences have shaped you and how they will continue to influence your time on campus.

4- Research the University: Understand the University of Wisconsin System’s values, mission, and community. Aligning your response with what the university looks for in its students will help demonstrate your fit.

5- Clarify if Necessary: If any part of the prompt is unclear, don’t hesitate to seek clarification from a guidance counselor or the admissions office.

A clear understanding of the prompt will allow you to develop a focused essay that highlights your individuality and how you will contribute to the UW System community.

Identifying Your Unique Attributes

To effectively respond to the UW System essay prompt, you need to identify what makes you unique. This includes your life experiences, talents, commitments, and interests. Here’s how you can identify and articulate these attributes:

1- Brainstorming: Start by listing all the experiences, talents, and interests that have significantly shaped who you are. Consider activities like volunteering, leadership roles, creative pursuits, academic achievements, and personal challenges.

2- Reflect on Impact: Think about how each item on your list has impacted you. What lessons did you learn? How did these experiences shape your perspectives or goals?

3- Select Key Attributes: Narrow down your list to the attributes that best represent who you are and what you’ll bring to the UW System. Choose aspects of your life that are not only significant to you but also demonstrate qualities that will contribute to the university community.

4- Ensure Relevance: Make sure the attributes you choose align with the prompt and can be clearly connected to what the University of Wisconsin values in its students.

By carefully selecting the experiences and qualities that define you, you’ll be able to craft a compelling narrative that showcases your individuality.

Analyzing Your Unique Attributes

Once you’ve identified the key experiences, talents, and interests you want to highlight, it’s important to analyze them in a way that makes your essay impactful. Here’s how to do that:

1- Determine the Nature of Each Attribute: Is each experience or talent something that came naturally to you, or did it require hard work and perseverance? Did these attributes emerge from challenges or successes?

2- Reflect on the Learning Process: Consider what you’ve learned from these experiences. Have they changed your outlook on life, influenced your goals, or helped you develop specific skills?

3- Assess Their Influence on Your Future: Think about how these attributes will continue to influence you as you enter college. Will they drive your academic and extracurricular pursuits? How will they help you contribute to the campus community?

4- Connect to Broader Themes: Tie your unique attributes to broader themes such as personal growth, leadership, or resilience. This will help convey depth and make your essay resonate with the reader.

Analyzing your unique attributes will enable you to provide a thoughtful and engaging response that captures your essence and demonstrates your potential as a UW System student.

Connecting Your Attributes to Your Future at UW

The next step is to connect your unique attributes to your future college education and life at the University of Wisconsin. This will show the admissions committee how your past experiences will shape your contributions to their campus. Here’s how to do it:

1- Explain the Influence of Your Attributes: Discuss how your unique life experiences, talents, and interests have shaped your values, beliefs, and academic aspirations. Explain how these attributes will influence your approach to your college education.

2- Highlight Relevant Skills and Knowledge: Identify the skills and insights you’ve gained from your experiences that will be relevant to your college education. Discuss how these will help you succeed academically and socially at the UW System.

3- Connect to UW Opportunities: Research specific programs, clubs, or opportunities at the UW System that align with your unique attributes. Discuss how you plan to engage with these opportunities and how your experiences will allow you to contribute to them.

4- Emphasize Your Growth Mindset: Demonstrate your commitment to personal growth by discussing how you plan to build on your unique experiences in college. Show enthusiasm for continuing to develop your talents and exploring new interests.

By connecting your unique attributes to your future at the University of Wisconsin, you’ll create a narrative that shows you’re not only prepared for college but also eager to make a meaningful impact on the campus community.

Writing and Reviewing Your Essay

With your attributes identified and connected to your future goals, it’s time to focus on writing and reviewing your essay. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you craft and polish your final draft:

Essay Basics According to UW

1- Write your essay in a program like Microsoft Word or Google Docs so you can simply copy and paste it into your online application.

2- Keep your essay between 250 and 650 words (UW–Madison requires all essays to strictly follow these guidelines).

3- Ask a friend or teacher to look for inconsistencies, grammatical mistakes, and typos.

4- Proofread, proofread, proofread. You don’t want some small mistake to accidentally make it look like you don’t care.

5- Proofread again.

Structuring Your Essay

1- Introduction: Start with an engaging opening that introduces your unique attributes and sets the tone for the essay.

2- Body Paragraphs: Organize your essay around the key experiences, talents, and interests you’ve chosen to highlight. Ensure each paragraph flows logically and contributes to the overall narrative.

3- Conclusion: Summarize how your unique attributes have prepared you for success at the UW System and express your excitement about the opportunities ahead.

Writing Your First Draft

1- Start with a clear thesis statement that captures the main idea of your essay.

2- Use vivid descriptions and examples to bring your experiences and talents to life.

3- Be authentic and let your personality shine through your writing.

4- Provide specific evidence to support your claims and demonstrate the impact of your experiences.

Reviewing and Revising Your Essay

1- Take a break before revising your first draft to approach it with fresh eyes.

2- Read your essay aloud to catch awkward phrasing or unclear sections.

3- Seek feedback from teachers, mentors, or family members and incorporate their suggestions.

4- Ensure the overall flow of your essay is smooth, with clear connections between paragraphs.

5- Proofread carefully for any remaining errors and make sure your final draft is polished and professional.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to craft a well-structured and compelling essay that effectively communicates your unique experiences and how they will contribute to the UW System. Remember, revising and refining your essay is just as important as writing it, so give yourself plenty of time to perfect your submission.

Final Thoughts

Answering the UW System essay prompt requires introspection and a clear articulation of what makes you unique. Your life experiences, talents, commitments, and interests are key to showcasing your individuality and potential contributions to the UW System community. Focus on authenticity, be thorough in your analysis and connections, and present a narrative that not only highlights your uniqueness but also vividly shows how you’ll make an impact on campus. Best of luck in your application process!

I hope you found this guide useful. Navigating campus life can be daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone. Once you're accepted into college, hop onto MeetYourClass – your go-to platform to find roommates, friends, and your community. Connect with like-minded students, find your perfect roommate, and immerse yourself in campus culture. As you embark on your application journey, remember: your next chapter of friendships and experiences is just a click away. Best of luck, and we hope to see you soon on MeetYourClass!

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, uw essay topics and tips.

Hey guys, I'm applying to the University of Washington and I'm curious about their essay topics and any tips you might have for writing an amazing essay that stands out. Much appreciated!

Hey there! Luckily for you, CollegeVine has a blog post breaking down UW's current supplemental essay prompts, to give you a clear sense of how to tackle each one: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-washington-essays/. Additionally, CollegeVine offers both a free peer essay review tool and paid reviews by expert college admissions advisors - either of these resources lets you get a more objective set of eyes on your essay, which can help you identify areas for improvement that you had previously missed.

There are also some general tips that will lead you to success for any college essay:

1. Be genuine and authentic: Stay true to yourself and your experiences. Honesty resonates with the admissions committee.

2. Focus on one story or aspect: Don't try to cover everything. Choose a specific story or experience that truly represents you and provides insight into your character.

3. Show, don't tell: Use vivid details and descriptive language to paint a clear picture of your experiences. This approach will help the reader feel connected to your story.

4. Break clichés: Avoid cliché topics or generic statements. Instead, find a way to discuss your experiences from a unique angle or write about something uncommon. CollegeVine's blog also contains guidance on generic topics that you'll want to avoid: https://blog.collegevine.com/cliche-college-essay-topics.

5. Edit and revise: Take the time to proofread, edit, and revise your essay to ensure it's polished and well-written. Get feedback from someone you trust, such as a teacher, counselor, or a friend - they can help you evaluate how well your true personality is coming across.

Remember that a great essay is one that represents you well and gives the admissions committee insight into who you are. Good luck with your application to the University of Washington! Break a leg!

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CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Prepare Your Essay

You are more than facts and figures.

It doesn’t get said enough, but your UWs are literally looking for reasons to admit you. That’s why they ask for an essay. They simply want to hear about you. Take your time. Give it some thought, share it with a few people you trust, and revise.

In the end, it’ll be worth it.

The Universities of Wisconsin Application asks the following question of freshmen and transfer applicants: Please note: Essay requirements will vary by university. Some universities may require an essay as part of the application process, while others do not or consider the essay optional. If you are ever in doubt, please check with your UW.

All UWs Each student is unique. Please tell us about the particular life experiences, talents, commitments, and/or interests you will bring to our campus.

If you apply to UW-La Crosse or UW-Madison, you will be required to answer a second question as well:

UW-Madison Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided, please describe your areas of possible academic interest.

UW-La Crosse Please respond to ONE of the following: (1) Tell us about any circumstances that may have had an impact on your academic performance. OR (2) Tell us why you are interested in attending UW-La Crosse and what aspects of the campus are especially important to you.

Tips & Recommendations

We’ve collected some of the best tips and recommendations for writing a great essay.