UT Austin Essay S Prompt

College Essays
1

Prompt S for UT Austin seems very open-ended, but it also has an emphasis on “exceptional hardships, challenges or opportunities”. I have been painting for over 10 years, and it’s a huge passion of mine. I applied for the Engineering school, so I haven’t been able to discuss it in any other part of the application. Would it be okay for me to submit an essay about what I’ve learned through my ten years of painting and how it’s shaped the way I view and interact with the world? It’d be similar to the essay I submitted for common app prompt 1. I know it also fits Topic D, but I think that essay is major specific.

Prompt S pasted below.

There may be personal information that you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents, educational goals, or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to creating a diverse learning environment.

2

I might email an adviser or counselor before doing so. It seems more like this Prompt is directed towards health issues, people shunned by their family, or extreme circumstances. I would include your painting experience in your resume instead. Again, contact an adviser and ask about this.

3

I disagree with the above poster, but there’s no harm in emailing an advisor. I think that talking about painting is a great idea since it’s rare to have someone so skilled in some form of humanities in the Engineering school. It’d be a great way to differentiate yourself.

You could focus on some specific challenge you faced while painting, or you could talk about how it contrasts with the other things you do and how it gives you a different perspective from other people when approaching problems, etc.

4

I was having the same question, did u get a response?
Also the topic s submission is not showing up on the app.