unc chapel hill essay prompts examples

Application Prompts for 2024-2025

Your essay and short answer responses help us get to know you.

We’ve selected the following prompts for the UNC-specific portion for the first-year and transfer applications for 2024-2025. We’re proud of the Carolina community and how each student makes us better through their excellence, intellect, and character. In reading your responses, we hope to learn what being a part of the Carolina community would mean to you.

Short answer prompts

We’d like to know how you’d contribute to the Carolina community and ask that you respond to each prompt in up to 250 words.

• Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.
• Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Common Application essay

You’ll choose one Common Essay prompt to respond to in 250-650 words. These prompts are common to all schools who accept the Common Application, and you can view the prompts on the Common Application website. Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don’t feel obligated to do so. The Common Application also has an optional section where you’ll have the opportunity to write about how COVID-19 has affected you.

Your responses will be evaluated not only for admission, but also for possible selection for special opportunities. We look forward to learning more about you!

Advice for Your Application

First-year application, transfer application.

12 UNC Chapel Hill Essay Examples (2024)

If you're trying to get into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2024, you'll need to write college essays that make you stand out from the crowd.

In this article, I've gathered 12 of the best essays that got students admitted into UNC so that you can improve your own essays and ultimately get accepted to UNC.

What is UNC Chapel Hill's Acceptance Rate?

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top public universities, which means every year it's more difficult to get accepted into UNC.

Last year over 53,775 students applied to UNC. UNC at Chapel Hill had an overall admit acceptance rate of 19.2%.

University of North Carolina Acceptance Scattergram

What are the unc chapel hill writing prompt for 2022-23.

UNC Chapel Hill requires all applicants to write two short essays of 200-250 words each and answer four fill-in-the-blank questions.

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

Short Answer Questions

There are four UNC short answer questions to choose from for this year, of which each student must choose two prompts to answer.

Each essay must be between 200-250 words in length.

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

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

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

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

Fill in the Blank Questions

Instructions: Please complete these short fill-in-the-blanks in 25 words or less .

One family, friend, or school tradition I cherish…

If I had an extra hour in every day, I would spend it...

If I could travel anywhere, near or far, past, present or future, I would go…*

The last time I stepped outside my comfort zone, I...

People who meet me are most likely to notice...and least likely to notice...

12 UNC Chapel Hill EssaysThatWorked

Here are 12 of the best essays from admitted students from UNC.

Check out these answers to the UNC short answer questions, as well as several successful Common App personal statement essays , and get inspired.

UNC Chapel Hill Essay Example #1

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Prompt: Describe a peer you see as a community builder. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life? (200-250 words)

I only had one class with Tom, but his soapbox made an appearance almost every day. In every class conversation, he would always have a strong opinion that he would vocalize with no fear of judgment. It astonished me. Though I poured much time into developing my own opinions, I had nowhere near the confidence he had to throw them around freely. I doubted if they could hold up to questioning, and if not, how I would be perceived.

As the year progressed, I was validated in that not all of his opinion stood up to scrutiny. However, I also realized that the only way to amend my own ideas was to put them on the line. The only way to withstand discord was to engage in it. And when coupled with my growing dedication to understanding others’ beliefs, I not only reflected on my own, but shared them, so others could internalize mine. Since then, I consistently draw on his intellectual confidence and the tempered thoughtfulness I have always possessed, to strike a balance between dialogue and introspection. Not until he came along had I realized the absolute importance of sharing imperfect ideas. As I have grown to recognize, my engagement in intellectual discourse not only works to refine my views but also works to constructively challenge those of others, fostering a mutually beneficial discussion, which though occasionally contentious, is always underpinned by tact and respect.

In elementary school, multiplication tables were the ultimate conquest. Each day, students would take their seats, filled with either anticipation or dread of the timed multiplication practice they would inevitably receive. To me, these worksheets were a challenge- an opportunity for me to prove to myself and others that I had mastered the art of third-grade math. However, I did not realize that a fellow classmate would motivate me to achieve ambitions beyond multiplication. Every day, this classmate expertly completed his multiplication with time to spare. As the year progressed, the teachers noticed his mathematical skill and allowed him to attempt the next step—division.

I jealously watched as he attempted division while I continued working through the same monotonous problems, and eventually realized that if he could master multiplication, I could too. I began to practice my multiplication tables at home, and, at school, every timed quiz brought me closer to excellence. Finally, after what seemed like years of hard work, my teacher allowed me to progress to the division worksheets with my classmate. Without realizing it, this classmate pushed me to work my hardest and take my learning outside of the classroom. He motivated me to learn and inspired me to be the best version of myself. Because of this classmate, I work harder in school, always push myself, and, above all, believe that anything is achievable if I try my hardest.

Julia (I’ve changed her name) had always sat behind me in calculus. We traded snippets of our lives in the five minutes between math problems. One Friday night, I answered an unexpected FaceTime from Julia. She told me about her family, how her dad had committed suicide after her mom threatened to leave him. She described how her brother had physically abused her, leaving her bloody on the bathroom floor. She recounted calling the police after her boyfriend threatened to jump off a window ledge. I was left speechless.

The next morning, I remembered the classic Freudian glacier diagrams with only 10% of a person residing above water. Julia was an avid artist, a budding mathematician, yet she was living with pain most adults would find unbearable. Looking at the jeans she had painted herself in Starry Night’s likeness, basking in the warm glow of her wit, there was simply no way of knowing what obstacles she had to overcome. I had always taken having a supportive family for granted, rarely ever considering that for many, home was a punishment and not a sanctuary. While the mild success I had enjoyed in school existed primarily because of my ever-encouraging parents, hers existed in spite of them, making everything she had accomplished all the more remarkable. My respect for Julia is immeasurable. She taught me not only resilience by example, but never to assume, to never disregard what most likely lies just beneath the surface.

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I opened my email on the first day of junior year to these words: “Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Chess Club has returned once more to bless our Halls”. The sender was Donald Hasler, one of the most remarkable people I have ever met. Don and another student decided to revive the dormant Chess Club. Don, however, wanted it to be about much more than chess; he hoped to create a place where all types of students could unite. He succeeded in this goal through a weekly series of hilarious emails and constant outreach to the student body, from the most reserved students to the most rambunctious. A few months into school, Chess Club was not only the most popular club but also one of the most welcoming communities. Regardless of their knowledge of chess, students of different ages and interests come together once a week to play.

Don has become, for me, a model of the take-charge attitude essential to success in today’s world. He has taught me to emulate his leadership with nothing more than determination, a sense of humor, and an open mind, in order to develop a collaborative and cohesive group of students. Over the past year, I have helped bring a host of high school underclassmen into Math Team, helping them find a unique extracurricular interest and a group of fun, caring peers and role-models. Math Team has now joined Chess Club as the only clubs in the school with 100 members.

I am a Democrat, and Jack is as Republican as they come. True friendships are not possible between people with vastly different ideologies. At least that’s what I had originally thought. We have played basketball, done homework, gone out to lunch, laughed at memes, mourned bad grades, gossipped about teachers, and done everything that most friends do.

We have also had some of the most interesting political discussions; passionate, but without rancor or judgment. In the process I have learned many things. All it takes is a mutual willingness to listen intently and not constantly think of a repartee. Productive dialogue is more important than the instant gratification of defeating someone’s argument. The mutual respect Jack and I have for each other’s disparate political opinions is something most people wouldn’t imagine possible.

My political beliefs have only become stronger through our friendship, but so too has my understanding of divergent perspectives. I think that milk should go in before cereal, and that Lebron James is clearly better than Kobe Bryant; but it’s not a big deal if someone disagrees with me. So why is politics an exception? If friendships can only be formed between like-minded people, then democracy is in peril. Let us build that bridge. Jack and I did. It makes a difference.

I have been blessed with so many fantastic friends. I was going to write about my best friend in this essay. But no friendship has taught me more than the one Jack and I share.

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

Thanksgiving is a special time for many in America. It is a celebration of American traditions. Growing up, with parents from Bangladesh, we never celebrated Thanksgiving – my parents always told me it was an American holiday, and we weren’t Americans. Now, we do celebrate Thanksgiving, albeit different from the traditional American holiday that most celebrate.

The cuisine we eat is unique to us – the turkey has spices such as turmeric, giving it a hint of the perceptible Bengali flavor. The mashed potatoes in our house aren’t topped with gravy – they are topped with curry. There are slight nuances to everything we have at the dinner table that combines the essence and cultures of the traditional American style with our own Bengali culture.

I believe that these meals, and our Thanksgiving, describes me personally. The combination of the American society in which I live and Bengali household I reside have a strong influence in my whole being. This clash of cultures blended together for me is something I would in turn contribute to the UNC community.

I also believe that my background gives me a unique perspective on social justice, which allows me to contribute to conversations that others might struggle to contribute to. Because of our Thanksgiving and how it shapes me, I will carry that with me to college where it will provide a model for myself and my peers at UNC.

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

As a global citizen and more literally an American citizen, I hope we find common ground. World affairs, as I understand them, veer wildly between extremes. Though this change can occur over decades, the world as a whole, and our country specifically, experiences radical swings between populism and elitism, far left and far right doctrine.

The natural reaction to an extreme ideology is the rise of its opposite: the process is cyclical. This extreme swing means constant division; one group vehemently fighting to keep their ideas in power and the other willing to sacrifice anything to destroy them. Rarely is their moderation, rarely is their compromise.

This lack of general balance in a countries dogma means little long-term change. Substantive action from one group is later demolished when the other gains power. Nationalism is used to attack the opposition, not to unify the country, and simulated existentialism disenfranchises many. For the good of us all, it’s time for change.

Admittedly this is idealistic, and amending this issue is not in the power of any one world-leader or bureaucrat. But I’m optimistic. In The United States, there is a vocal minority urging compromise, and though their voices are in danger of being drowned out, they have a far more compelling argument than those advocating the extremes. I hope for this change with the understanding that my community is rational and reasonable, and that with mutual respect and moderation, we can make the practical changes that best serve our world.

New England. Apple Cider, Lobster Rolls, Clam Chowder, Fall Foliage. Dead Leaves, N’oreasters, Blizzards.

The unique corner of America where I live raises conflicting feelings in me. New England is a place where beautiful colors envelop you when autumn appears but also where bitter blizzards leave you in despair when winter takes hold. A place with strong values rooted in its deep history but also where change is often rejected in favor of tradition.

As much as I love the possibility of a white Christmas, I despise the sight of muddy slush on the roadside as I drive to school. There is nothing I would love more than to be rid of the biting cold and terrible snowstorms. Of course, we couldn’t do that without discovering some outrageous new technology to shut down Earth’s natural phenomena. But that would create bigger problems, so maybe we should stay away from that idea and just hope for some forgiving weather this year!

Blizzards aside, one of my biggest issues with New England lies in its lack of decent public transportation. Our weather is worse than that of many parts of Europe, but Europe solves this problem with phenomenal public transportation including modern metros, efficient bus systems, and high-speed rail networks. One day, I hope we can emulate that level of interconnectedness and convenience in New England and throughout America. I hope this historically significant region might serve as a catalyst for technological and infrastructural change throughout America, changing history once more.

There aren’t many places where everyone is free from prejudice. One exception is a basketball court. The first time I stepped on a basketball court, I was expecting the usual joke about my race or the judgmental questions about my culture. But they never came. Everyone I met had unique perspectives on everything, from basketball itself to politics, and they were open and willing to share.

I began to open up more about my background – how I couldn’t tie my own shoes until I was 10 and that I’m the only person in my family who loves hip-hop music. I was willing to share my experiences because there were no judgments made about me. Despite living in an ethnically homogenous area, on the court, I met and connected with people who have different backgrounds and interests. Coleman, now one of my best friends, who is in love with Greek architecture, or Gavin, who is the only member of his family who isn’t a Packers fan.

The culture of unity and acceptance that is fostered is not due to the courts themselves, but due to the common goal everyone shares. I hope my community will find ways to build more places that promote what I have experienced on the basketball court – areas where everyone is respected for their perspectives rather than judged by their race, religion, or beliefs.

“Kings have riches widely lain, Lords have land, but then again, We have friends and song no wealth can buy.” - “Here’s to Song” by Allister MacGillivray

Whether it was french horn, singing, or piano, music has been integral to my mental development, and has provided me an enriching outlet to immerse myself in outside the classroom. Sadly, 1.3 million American elementary school students lack access to music classes due to funding cuts. Music should not belong solely to children in privileged, affluent schools; during my college experience, I aim to tackle this issue.

During my UNC visit, I fell into conversation with a current student, Evan Linnett, about Musical Empowerment, an organization that he leads. UNC’s commitment to equipping the next generation with the power of music is inspiring; my vision is to take this a step further. Aspiring applicants attend college-run summer programs for the experience of staying on campus; however, almost all of these programs are academic.

I envision a service-based UNC Music summer program, one that fills up dorms over the summer, provides a service opportunity to high school students from all over the country, and free basic music education to children in the RTP area, who perhaps can’t afford summer camp or music lessons. As a musician, I feel that it is our duty to use the opportunities we have been blessed with to make music accessible to children of marginalized communities across the country.

This isn’t an RTP problem; it’s a national problem. But it starts with one.

Prompt: What is one thing that we don’t know about you that you want for us to know? (200-250 words)

Sharp ambition recedes to a dull afterthought under the vast blue sky. There is nothing to prove, only a trail to be hiked. Human worries have no place here, are as alien as concrete and WiFi. Thoughts of chemistry competitions, English essays, and college loans fade into nonexistence. A stream gurgles nearby, white noise in the greenest of places. Surrounded by unassuming simplicity, I am home.

I started hiking before I could read the trail signs. I’ve been skiing for 12 years. Nature presents an opportunity not just for individual tranquility, but for being with family free from modern distractions. A tradition as ingrained as making cozonac at Christmas, the commitment to spending time outdoors is a rare source of common ground for my family. After eight hours on the trail, we eat at the same cafe, our legs streaked with dried mud. My mom predictably orders the Reuben while my dad orders salad and steals our fries. There is something warmly comforting in our routine; no matter the arguments that inevitably arise after four of us are stuffed in a car together, everything else recedes away once we step outside, slowly disappearing with the fading whoosh of cars on the highway.

I’ve trekked hundreds of miles in the mountains of upstate New York, fished in the cold, salty waters of Talkeetna, marvelled at the sun setting over Arches National Park. No matter the landscape, be it red rocks or blue ocean, I am continually humbled by the natural world and its capacity for fostering human connection.

Prompt: We hope you’ll share with us the activities that you’ve found especially worthwhile. We also hope you won’t feel compelled to tell us everything you’ve ever done or, worse yet, to do things that mean little to you just because you think we expect them.

Low-profile pursuits can be just as meaningful as ones that draw more attention, and fewer activities can be just as good, and sometimes even better, than more activities. For example, although starting a new club can be a great experience and helpful to others, so can caring for siblings, parents, or grandparents, working outside the home to put food on the table, or being a good and caring friend.

For these reasons, although we’re glad to receive complete résumés, we don’t require or encourage them. Instead, if you choose to submit something that goes beyond what you’re providing through your Common Application, keep it brief; focus less on including everything and more on choosing and explaining the things that have meant the most to you; and upload it here. (650 words max)

Everywhere I looked, I saw a sea of white coats and scrubs; there was constant beeping of the heart monitors, and the smell of disinfectant was strong.

There I stood - a diminutive, awkward high school kid - lacking in experience and confidence, ready to begin volunteering at Vidant Medical Center. Perhaps the very same qualities that made me nervous were what put patients at ease. Many patients, especially younger ones who were uncomfortable speaking with medical professionals, seemed much more comfortable in my presence. I have learned this quality is how I have been able to make a difference - by connecting with many of the younger patients who were nervous just like me. I’ll always remember the two eight-year-old brothers who were waiting as their father got an MRI.

In some ways, they were also like me - they loved sports, and had an interest in math and science. As they were waiting, we talked about everything, from who they thought would win the NBA championship title to me giving them tips on how to remember their multiplication tables. This interaction put them at ease and kept them from becoming restless.

Every time I step into the hospital, I strive to connect with people. I find that I am able to make a difference not strictly due to my tasks of escorting and discharging patients but because of connection and rapport that I establish with them.

My initial nervousness about whether or not I would be able to assist sick and injured patients soon gave way to relief and gratification as I learned that I was indeed able to help them, by bringing a smile to those I escort, discharge, or deliver meals . I’ve met people I might never have met otherwise, and we’ve shared our thoughts and talked about our experiences. I have come to look forward to their company, who, despite their conditions, are still able to smile every day and enjoy engaging in conversation with me - and vice versa.

Even when volunteering in areas of the hospital where I’m not in contact with patients as often, such as doing food preparation, I always make sure to visit the patients I escort after my shift, to talk to them and uplift their spirits. Volunteering at a hospital reminds me every day how fortunate I am to be in good health and of the rewards of helping those who aren’t. While my job as a volunteer at the hospital may not result in the discovery of a cure for cancer, I am happy to have had an opportunity to contribute to improving the experiences of the children and young adults coping with their hospital stays.

What Can You Learn From These UNC Chapel Hill Essays?

Getting into UNC Chapel Hill in 2022 is difficult, but you can maximize your chances of acceptance by writing essays that help you stand out.

These 12 UNC essays that worked show exactly how real students got accepted into UNC recently by responding to the UNC short answer questions and Common App personal statement.

What did you think of these UNC Chapel Hill essays?

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Princeton Admitted Essay

People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is... uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable...

MIT Admitted Essay

Her baking is not confined to an amalgamation of sugar, butter, and flour. It's an outstretched hand, an open invitation, a makeshift bridge thrown across the divides of age and culture. Thanks to Buni, the reason I bake has evolved. What started as stress relief is now a lifeline to my heritage, a language that allows me to communicate with my family in ways my tongue cannot. By rolling dough for saratele and crushing walnuts for cornulete, my baking speaks more fluently to my Romanian heritage than my broken Romanian ever could....

UPenn Admitted Essay

A cow gave birth and I watched. Staring from the window of our stopped car, I experienced two beginnings that day: the small bovine life and my future. Both emerged when I was only 10 years old and cruising along the twisting roads of rural Maryland...

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UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays 2024-25 – Prompts and Advice

July 26, 2024

Those hoping to enter the Tar Heel Class of 2026 faced tougher competition than at any previous time in UNC Chapel Hill history. To quantify this assertion, there were 57,219 first-year applicants for the Class of 2026 and the overall acceptance rate was just 16.8%—less than half the figure seen two decades ago. North Carolinians continue to enjoy a sizable advantage. In fact, in-state applicants were accepted at roughly a 40% clip while out-of-state applicants experienced just a 10% admit rate. The mid-50% SAT range for North Carolinians was 1340-1500 while the range for out-of-staters was a more intimidating 1400-1540. For all applicants, the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays will be of great importance.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into UNC–Chapel Hill for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

If you want to have your strongest shot at donning the Carolina blue and white, you’ll need to stand out on your application. Through its two short answer prompts, the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental section affords applicants an opportunity to showcase what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below are the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill’s supplemental prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle. We also include tips about how to address each one.

UNC-Chapel Hill Short Answer Prompts—2024-25

You’ll respond to each of the following two prompts in 200-250 words:

1) Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.

This essay starts with an invitation to share a personal quality that you feel is essential for the admissions committee to know about. Next, you need to take that personal quality, situate it in a true story that involves the larger world, and explain how you made a positive impact on others. You may wish to “work backward” on this one. Think about how you positively helped a community in your life and then try to nail down which quality of yours ultimately had the most impact. This way, the audience will be able to clearly see your favorable quality in action versus you just explaining that you are empathetic, versatile, loyal, trustworthy, resilient, etc.

Additionally, as you consider your approach to this essay, it’s important to look at “community” as a broadly defined concept. Community can encompass anything from your high school, your neighborhood, a place of worship, your family, or even a club or sports team. Some words of warning with this one: this doesn’t need to be a grandiose vision. Be honest about your level of impact.

UNC Supplemental Essays (Continued)

2) Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Here, Chapel Hill is asking you to share your story of how you became interested in your selected discipline. You can structure the narrative of this essay as a soup-to-nuts chronicle of your entire journey toward your discipline of interest. Contrarily, you could share one or two vignettes that illustrate your burgeoning passion for engineering, history, French, computer science, business, psychology, etc. As you begin the prewriting phase, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your first strong memory relating to your future area of study?
• What fills you with wonder?
• What books have you read on the subject?
• Do you consume podcasts or documentaries related to your passions?
• Have certain online or print publications helped to fuel your interests?
• What subtopics of your prospective discipline most intrigue you?
• Did a teacher excite you about this topic or was it a parent/relative or outside mentor?

How important are the UNC Supplemental Essays?

There are eight factors that UNC-Chapel Hill considers as “very important” and the essays are among them. In addition to the essays, UNC-Chapel Hill gives the greatest consideration to the rigor of one’s academic record, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, and state residency.

UNC-Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

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

Need additional writing resources? Check out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Quickly Format Your Common App Essay
• 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

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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3 Tips for Writing Stellar UNC Chapel Hill Supplement Essays

College Essays

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

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

What Are the UNC Essay Prompts?

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

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

Here are the four UNC essay prompts:

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

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

UNC Supplemental Essays, Analyzed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Tips For Mastering Your UNC Essays

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

#1: Use Your Own Voice

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

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

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

#2: Avoid Cliches and Overused Phrases

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

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

#3: Check Your Work

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

What's Next?

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

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

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

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

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How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Essays 2020-2021

Famous for their long standing rivalry with Duke University, the “Tar Heels” boast impressive athletic teams, hundreds of student organizations, and a prosperous artistic community. Situated against the stunning backdrop of Chapel Hill, affectionately referred to as “The Southern Part of Heaven,” UNC at Chapel Hill has a wonderful presence in one of North Carolina’s largest cities and is a part of the famous Research Triangle (the other schools being North Carolina State University and Duke University). 

Its admitted class from the 2019-2020 cycle includes 4,067 students from North Carolina and 935 out-of-state students. The average SAT score from out of state was from 1360-1500. Out of the North Carolina applicants, 41% were accepted—compared to only 13% of out-of-state applicants who were accepted. 

UNC at Chapel Hill is one of the country’s most sought after schools. Have the Southern charms of UNC moved you to apply? Do the overwhelmingly low acceptance rates have you a bit…scared or overwhelmed? We’ll show you how to improve your chances of acceptance by writing standout supplemental essays. Want to know your chances at UNC? Calculate your chances for free right now.  

Want to learn what UNC will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering UNC needs to know.  

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompts 

All applicants, prompt 1: in addition to the essay you provided with your common application, please choose two of the prompts below and respond to each in 200-250 words. your essay responses below should be different from your common app essay response. , carolina aspires to build a diverse and inclusive community. we believe that students can only achieve their best when they learn alongside students from different backgrounds. in reading your responses, we hope to learn what being a member of such a community would mean to you..

• Option A: Expand on an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?
• Option B: If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why?
• Option C: Describe someone who you see as a community builder. What actions has that person taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

Honors College Applicants

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

Global Gap Year Fellowship and Global Carolina Launch Applicants

Prompt 1: When students travel abroad, they become members of new communities. What qualities would you value in new social and cultural contexts and how would you contribute to your new communities? (200-250 words)

Prompt 2: Tell us more about why you want to go abroad. How do you hope to grow, and what skills do you hope you will bring back to Carolina? (200-250 words)

All Applicants, Option A

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

At first glance, this prompt seems extremely similar to the first Common Application prompt : “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.” However, UNC’s prompt has a different objective and a different context. Let’s return to the final sentence of the instructions.

“In reading your responses, we hope to learn what being a member of [the vibrant UNC] community would mean to you.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Maybe you want to further the exploration of your sometimes-contradictory beliefs in Christian Creationism and science.
• Or, perhaps you are looking to pursue your intellectual curiosity in environmental science stemming from your Norwegian culture.
• Or, maybe you long to pursue a degree in music because of its generational importance in your Mexican heritage.

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

• Perhaps you are interested in a career in psychology to combat feeling isolated by your queer identity.
• Or, maybe you want to find ways to explore abstraction and mess in art, film, or literature while your Japanese family champions order and cleanliness.
• Or, possibly, you are feeling discontent in your rural hometown and want to pursue a major in City and Regional Planning.

3. Make a call to action.

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

For example:

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

“I am ready now to share my sexuality, something that I have hidden from my conservative family and small town for my entire life. For me, UNC Chapel Hill stands as a beacon of tolerance and acceptance in a state where I have often felt unaccepted. I want to learn about the omitted history of queerness from our country and the ways that power, gender, and sexuality intersect in our healthcare system. Being able to take classes such as ‘The International Politics of Sexual and Reproductive Health’ with Professor Booth, or ‘Sexuality and Salvation’ with Professor Bloesch would allow me to pursue my intellectual curiosities, while giving me the space and language to articulate and explore my own identity. My education in Sexuality Studies and Healthcare could be supplemented by living in Pride Place—finding a community of people who share my identity and can help me grow in my quest of personal acceptance and self-improvement.”

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

All Applicants, Option B

If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why (200-250 words).

This question has a specific objective in mind. Through asking your criteria for the “ideal place to live,” UNC at Chapel Hill is evaluating whether or not the resources and community the school possesses fit or match the description of your personal utopia. In other words, do your expectations and aspirations match the actual characteristics of the university? You should pick an element of your town to improve that can directly parallel a current (or lacking) aspect of UNC’s community.

1. Identify a problem in your own town.

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

e.g. “We have a running joke in my town of Scotia, California. When you meet someone new, you ask “Does your dad work for the factory?” It is only funny to us, its inhabitants, who know that the answer is always, undoubtedly, and unfortunately, “yes.” When I was younger, I’d trace my father’s hands—scarred by the splicing and sanding of wood—while he shared his dreams for me: to leave the town and pursue my own interests, not those of the factory.”

2. Identify the specific change you want to make.

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

e.g. “As an aspiring entrepreneur, my dreams and ideas are often dismissed in Scotia by laughter or lectures about practicality. While I have a reverence and respect for factory work, my brain has always been fascinated with ideation—the generation of ideas—and creating a team of similar thinkers to help pursue them.”

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

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

e.g. “Not only does UNC provide classes on entrepreneurship, through the Shufford Program, the school also has residential communities where conversations can continue beyond the classroom. My utopia or “dream community” sounds similar to life in the Blue-Sky Innovation residential community: staying up late, having conversations about startups with peers who could eventually become business partners. I crave these conversations and debates—to talk about consumer choice, profit maximization and choice under uncertainty with twenty-one other peers who will challenge and propel me forward as a student, thinker, and entrepreneur.”

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

For example, UNC at Chapel Hill offers a variety of Living-Learning Communities under its Residential Learning Programs. These communities allow you to live on campus while also living among students who share common career aspirations, social interests, or family backgrounds. Pride Place, First Gen, Global Scholars House, and Blue-Sky Innovation are among the variety of residential learning programs offered.

Here are some other helpful tips for this prompt:

• While it is okay to critique your town, stay away from sounding completely negative or disrespectful toward a way of life or being.
• Find a genuine, specific connection to UNC. This can be through clubs, residential services, coursework, etc. Granularity over generality.
• Have fun! Show off your personality. Don’t be afraid to make a joke at your own expense.

All Applicants, Option C

Describe someone who you see as a community builder. what actions has that person taken how has their work made a difference in your life (200-250 words).

Here, UNC hopes to understand what kind of people and ideas you value and assess whether they are comparable to the type of students, faculty, and values found at UNC. In answering this prompt, it is helpful to research the qualities and skills UNC values in its students and faculty. These points can be helpful for you to consider or reference if you are having a hard time pinpointing a specific interaction with a particular community leader. For the most successful essay, it is crucial that you write about an authentic moment.

 1. Identify a community builder. 

To begin the brainstorming process, draft a list of individuals that come to mind immediately. Possible examples include peers, local activists, teachers, club leaders, coaches, directors, conductors, religious leaders, etc. Then reflect upon what values or practices resonate with you. How does this person facilitate community? Can I discuss them for an entire essay?

Begin with an anecdote or an engaging hook, not with a regurgitation of the prompt’s language.

e.g. “We wait in eager anticipation for the slightest movement of his hand. He stands on his podium and gives us a reassuring smile, as if to say, Let’s do it just as we practiced. After briefly glancing down at the stand in front of him, Mr. Grauer’s right hand makes a definitive slash through the stagnant air. We watch as the audience leans forward, to hear the pianissimo of the flute.

As I glance at my sheet music for my entrance, not for another thirty measures, I am reminded of something Grauer said to us.

When asked why music was important, he responded. “People love to talk about how doctors save lives. But you never know when someone is going to walk into this symphony hall, needing for their life to be saved, too.” We sat in a solemn, long silence—perhaps realizing the gravity a single note has. I started my career in music out of obligation. Grauer didn’t care.”

2. How might these values be applied at UNC?

Answering this question could take as little as two sentences or it could be a more prominent part of your essay. Ask yourself:

• What have I learned from this community builder that I want to take with me to my undergraduate experience? 
• Do I admire this person’s charisma and ingenuity?
• How might I implement this person’s values at UNC?

Maybe your mentor taught you the importance of mental health and wellness—you could write about ActiveMinds at UNC. Or, perhaps your community builder taught you fearlessness— you could talk about joining a club that sounds appealing, but slightly intimidates you like a dance ensemble, mock trial, etc.  

e.g. “While imagining my farewell with Mr. Grauer seems a little too painful right now, I am drawn to what an undergraduate mentor in music might teach me and how I might continue to live and espouse the teachings Grauer has taught me at my university. Although I wish to pursue a degree in Public Health, specifically in Health Policy and Management, I do not want to surrender the community music has given me. Having the chance to play in the Carolina Bluegrass Band or the Global Rhythms Ensemble would give me the chance to be a part of community that has taught me the lessons of discipline, practice, and perseverance, and allow me to bring sustained joy to myself, other members of the ensemble, and the audience.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How would the Honors College support your learning, intellectual curiosities, and professional aspirations? Take a look at the Morehead-Cain Alumni Visiting Distinguished Professors. Robert Bach, the 2015 professor, was an ’84 graduate who led the development of the Microsoft Xbox. Sir Christopher Meyer, the 2010 professor, was a former British ambassador to the United States who authored a book on the history of British diplomacy. Go down a wormhole! Explore! Write about it!

Global Gap Year Fellowship and Global Carolina Launch Applicants, Prompt 1

When students travel abroad, they become members of new communities. what qualities would you value in new social and cultural contexts and how would you contribute to your new communities (200-250 words).

This prompt is your opportunity to delve into the reasons you are applying to this specific program at UNC. You should not only discuss your choice to apply for a global year program, but also why you want to experience one under the context of UNC’s community. 

1. Identify qualities that you value in new social and cultural contexts.

Some values may include conscientiousness, openness, extroversion, social harmony, respectfulness, empathy, etc. Once you’ve chosen a few values to focus on, share how these values have existed in your new social and/or cultural contexts. 

Anecdotes are often the best way to quickly and effectively introduce a concept. While writing, make sure you are aware of the distinction between appreciation and appropriation. It is okay to appreciate a different culture, but appropriation can quickly become problematic.

e.g. “ There is a story my mother likes to tell strangers. It goes like this: I am five years old. I walk into the kitchen of our small Brooklyn apartment with my sister’s Barbie suitcase and a bottle of water in a futile effort to make the most dramatic entrance possible. My mother is standing, hunched over the stove, her back turned to me. I stomp my right foot, loudly announcing my arrival. She turns, and I meet her gaze. “I’m leaving, and I won’t be back for a long time” I inform her. She places her hand over her mouth to conceal her laughter, but before she does, I’m out the door. 

My mother reminds me of this memory to show me how precocious I was. ‘You were a sixteen year old in a five year old’s body,’ she’ll tell me.

I think I have always had a hunger for independence.”

2. How would you contribute to your new communities?

Before answering this question, you should identify whether you want to Design Your Gap Year or apply to the Global Citizen Year. 

If you are Designing Your Gap Year, make a specific choice. What community/communities would you want to visit? What do you hope to learn from them? How would you contribute?  

If you are applying for the Global Citizen Year, choose an emphasis: environmental conservation, agriculture, public health, education, or social enterprise. Mention your self-designed final community project and the long-term homestay model.

e.g. “ My insatiable quest for independence has led me to the field of musicology. I want to explore the world and learn the origins, histories, and stories of music. I am drawn to the Design Your Gap Year program because of the independence it grants me to study musical culture in specific geographic areas. If given the opportunity, I would love to have a cultural, musical exchange with different communities around the world: to learn about music, and share my own music —heavily influenced by American gospel music . I am drawn to the rainy Pacific coasts of Colombia, where I can study the inception of currulao and the Marabi style of South Africa, created under the nightly curfews of Johannsberg.” 

Global Gap Year Fellowship and Global Carolina Launch Applicants, Prompt 2

Tell us more about why you want to go abroad. how do you hope to grow, and what skills do you hope you will bring back to carolina (200-250 words).

In this prompt, you should specifically discuss the reasons you want to go abroad. What is it that you hope to experience, learn, or gain from your time abroad?

1. Identify why you want to go abroad.

Do you hope to gain an appreciation for a specific nation’s people or history? Do you want to develop language skills? Are you hoping to gain self-reliance? Whatever your reason is, talk about it! 

Once you select a reason, use an anecdote or a quick metaphor to grab the reader’s attention. Avoid using clichés like “see the world” or “learn from a community.” Be more specific! Describe your reasons as they uniquely relate to you. 

e.g. “ My father is eccentric. His nonconformity extends beyond his wardrobe and music choices. I’ll call for him when I am in bed, struggling to speak with a sore throat. He’ll listen to my ailments and return a few minutes later carrying a brown vial. “This is Belladonna,” he’ll tell me. Later that day, my throat will be less irritated. Insomnia? “Here’s something for that,” he’ll say, before prescribing coffea cruda. A raging pimple? Cured with Calcarea sulphurica. 

The history of homeopathic medicine is a long and complicated one; however, it is something that I want to delve in and explore. Homeopathy is a worldly tradition: spanning from Pakistan to Chile— India to Brazil.” 

2. Identify areas for growth.

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

e.g. “ After eighteen years of learning through rote memorization to obtain specific results, I want to learn how to acquire and enjoy knowledge experientially. If you asked a friend to describe me, they might lead with the words “rigid” and “methodical.” As an aspiring scientist, those words sound like compliments; however, I want to learn how to be more adaptable and persevering — to try to embark on a journey and a project that may yield no traditionally “significant” results.” 

3. How would you impact the UNC community?

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

e.g. “ Although a (hopeful) global citizen, The Tar Heel State, specifically in the Tar Heel community, feels like home to me. After a year of learning about homeopathy abroad, I would have a worldly and more holistic perspective on medicine and treatment and be able to continue my research and intellectual curiosities on campus, hopefully under the guidance of Dr. Susan Gaylord, a professor at the School of Medicine and Public Health.” 

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Application Essays

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise the personal statement required by many graduate programs, internships, and special academic programs.

Before you start writing

Because the application essay can have a critical effect upon your progress toward a career, you should spend significantly more time, thought, and effort on it than its typically brief length would suggest. It should reflect how you arrived at your professional goals, why the program is ideal for you, and what you bring to the program. Don’t make this a deadline task—now’s the time to write, read, rewrite, give to a reader, revise again, and on until the essay is clear, concise, and compelling. At the same time, don’t be afraid. You know most of the things you need to say already.

Read the instructions carefully. One of the basic tasks of the application essay is to follow the directions. If you don’t do what they ask, the reader may wonder if you will be able to follow directions in their program. Make sure you follow page and word limits exactly—err on the side of shortness, not length. The essay may take two forms:

• A one-page essay answering a general question
• Several short answers to more specific questions

Do some research before you start writing. Think about…

• The field. Why do you want to be a _____? No, really. Think about why you and you particularly want to enter that field. What are the benefits and what are the shortcomings? When did you become interested in the field and why? What path in that career interests you right now? Brainstorm and write these ideas out.
• The program. Why is this the program you want to be admitted to? What is special about the faculty, the courses offered, the placement record, the facilities you might be using? If you can’t think of anything particular, read the brochures they offer, go to events, or meet with a faculty member or student in the program. A word about honesty here—you may have a reason for choosing a program that wouldn’t necessarily sway your reader; for example, you want to live near the beach, or the program is the most prestigious and would look better on your resume. You don’t want to be completely straightforward in these cases and appear superficial, but skirting around them or lying can look even worse. Turn these aspects into positives. For example, you may want to go to a program in a particular location because it is a place that you know very well and have ties to, or because there is a need in your field there. Again, doing research on the program may reveal ways to legitimate even your most superficial and selfish reasons for applying.
• Yourself. What details or anecdotes would help your reader understand you? What makes you special? Is there something about your family, your education, your work/life experience, or your values that has shaped you and brought you to this career field? What motivates or interests you? Do you have special skills, like leadership, management, research, or communication? Why would the members of the program want to choose you over other applicants? Be honest with yourself and write down your ideas. If you are having trouble, ask a friend or relative to make a list of your strengths or unique qualities that you plan to read on your own (and not argue about immediately). Ask them to give you examples to back up their impressions (For example, if they say you are “caring,” ask them to describe an incident they remember in which they perceived you as caring).

Now, write a draft

This is a hard essay to write. It’s probably much more personal than any of the papers you have written for class because it’s about you, not World War II or planaria. You may want to start by just getting something—anything—on paper. Try freewriting. Think about the questions we asked above and the prompt for the essay, and then write for 15 or 30 minutes without stopping. What do you want your audience to know after reading your essay? What do you want them to feel? Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, organization, or anything else. Just get out the ideas you have. For help getting started, see our handout on brainstorming .

Now, look at what you’ve written. Find the most relevant, memorable, concrete statements and focus in on them. Eliminate any generalizations or platitudes (“I’m a people person”, “Doctors save lives”, or “Mr. Calleson’s classes changed my life”), or anything that could be cut and pasted into anyone else’s application. Find what is specific to you about the ideas that generated those platitudes and express them more directly. Eliminate irrelevant issues (“I was a track star in high school, so I think I’ll make a good veterinarian.”) or issues that might be controversial for your reader (“My faith is the one true faith, and only nurses with that faith are worthwhile,” or “Lawyers who only care about money are evil.”).

Often, writers start out with generalizations as a way to get to the really meaningful statements, and that’s OK. Just make sure that you replace the generalizations with examples as you revise. A hint: you may find yourself writing a good, specific sentence right after a general, meaningless one. If you spot that, try to use the second sentence and delete the first.

Applications that have several short-answer essays require even more detail. Get straight to the point in every case, and address what they’ve asked you to address.

Now that you’ve generated some ideas, get a little bit pickier. It’s time to remember one of the most significant aspects of the application essay: your audience. Your readers may have thousands of essays to read, many or most of which will come from qualified applicants. This essay may be your best opportunity to communicate with the decision makers in the application process, and you don’t want to bore them, offend them, or make them feel you are wasting their time.

With this in mind:

• Do assure your audience that you understand and look forward to the challenges of the program and the field, not just the benefits.
• Do assure your audience that you understand exactly the nature of the work in the field and that you are prepared for it, psychologically and morally as well as educationally.
• Do assure your audience that you care about them and their time by writing a clear, organized, and concise essay.
• Do address any information about yourself and your application that needs to be explained (for example, weak grades or unusual coursework for your program). Include that information in your essay, and be straightforward about it. Your audience will be more impressed with your having learned from setbacks or having a unique approach than your failure to address those issues.
• Don’t waste space with information you have provided in the rest of the application. Every sentence should be effective and directly related to the rest of the essay. Don’t ramble or use fifteen words to express something you could say in eight.
• Don’t overstate your case for what you want to do, being so specific about your future goals that you come off as presumptuous or naïve (“I want to become a dentist so that I can train in wisdom tooth extraction, because I intend to focus my life’s work on taking 13 rather than 15 minutes per tooth.”). Your goals may change–show that such a change won’t devastate you.
• And, one more time, don’t write in cliches and platitudes. Every doctor wants to help save lives, every lawyer wants to work for justice—your reader has read these general cliches a million times.

Imagine the worst-case scenario (which may never come true—we’re talking hypothetically): the person who reads your essay has been in the field for decades. She is on the application committee because she has to be, and she’s read 48 essays so far that morning. You are number 49, and your reader is tired, bored, and thinking about lunch. How are you going to catch and keep her attention?

Assure your audience that you are capable academically, willing to stick to the program’s demands, and interesting to have around. For more tips, see our handout on audience .

Voice and style

The voice you use and the style in which you write can intrigue your audience. The voice you use in your essay should be yours. Remember when your high school English teacher said “never say ‘I’”? Here’s your chance to use all those “I”s you’ve been saving up. The narrative should reflect your perspective, experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Focusing on events or ideas may give your audience an indirect idea of how these things became important in forming your outlook, but many others have had equally compelling experiences. By simply talking about those events in your own voice, you put the emphasis on you rather than the event or idea. Look at this anecdote:

During the night shift at Wirth Memorial Hospital, a man walked into the Emergency Room wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. He seemed confused and was moaning in pain. One of the nurses ascertained that he had been swinging from tree branches in a local park and had hit his head when he fell out of a tree. This tragic tale signified the moment at which I realized psychiatry was the only career path I could take.

An interesting tale, yes, but what does it tell you about the narrator? The following example takes the same anecdote and recasts it to make the narrator more of a presence in the story:

I was working in the Emergency Room at Wirth Memorial Hospital one night when a man walked in wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. I could tell he was confused and in pain. After a nurse asked him a few questions, I listened in surprise as he explained that he had been a monkey all of his life and knew that it was time to live with his brothers in the trees. Like many other patients I would see that year, this man suffered from an illness that only a combination of psychological and medical care would effectively treat. I realized then that I wanted to be able to help people by using that particular combination of skills only a psychiatrist develops.

The voice you use should be approachable as well as intelligent. This essay is not the place to stun your reader with ten prepositional phrases (“the goal of my study of the field of law in the winter of my discontent can best be understood by the gathering of more information about my youth”) and thirty nouns (“the research and study of the motivation behind my insights into the field of dentistry contains many pitfalls and disappointments but even more joy and enlightenment”) per sentence. (Note: If you are having trouble forming clear sentences without all the prepositions and nouns, take a look at our handout on style .)

You may want to create an impression of expertise in the field by using specialized or technical language. But beware of this unless you really know what you are doing—a mistake will look twice as ignorant as not knowing the terms in the first place. Your audience may be smart, but you don’t want to make them turn to a dictionary or fall asleep between the first word and the period of your first sentence. Keep in mind that this is a personal statement. Would you think you were learning a lot about a person whose personal statement sounded like a journal article? Would you want to spend hours in a lab or on a committee with someone who shuns plain language?

Of course, you don’t want to be chatty to the point of making them think you only speak slang, either. Your audience may not know what “I kicked that lame-o to the curb for dissing my research project” means. Keep it casual enough to be easy to follow, but formal enough to be respectful of the audience’s intelligence.

Just use an honest voice and represent yourself as naturally as possible. It may help to think of the essay as a sort of face-to-face interview, only the interviewer isn’t actually present.

Too much style

A well-written, dramatic essay is much more memorable than one that fails to make an emotional impact on the reader. Good anecdotes and personal insights can really attract an audience’s attention. BUT be careful not to let your drama turn into melodrama. You want your reader to see your choices motivated by passion and drive, not hyperbole and a lack of reality. Don’t invent drama where there isn’t any, and don’t let the drama take over. Getting someone else to read your drafts can help you figure out when you’ve gone too far.

Taking risks

Many guides to writing application essays encourage you to take a risk, either by saying something off-beat or daring or by using a unique writing style. When done well, this strategy can work—your goal is to stand out from the rest of the applicants and taking a risk with your essay will help you do that. An essay that impresses your reader with your ability to think and express yourself in original ways and shows you really care about what you are saying is better than one that shows hesitancy, lack of imagination, or lack of interest.

But be warned: this strategy is a risk. If you don’t carefully consider what you are saying and how you are saying it, you may offend your readers or leave them with a bad impression of you as flaky, immature, or careless. Do not alienate your readers.

Some writers take risks by using irony (your suffering at the hands of a barbaric dentist led you to want to become a gentle one), beginning with a personal failure (that eventually leads to the writer’s overcoming it), or showing great imagination (one famous successful example involved a student who answered a prompt about past formative experiences by beginning with a basic answer—”I have volunteered at homeless shelters”—that evolved into a ridiculous one—”I have sealed the hole in the ozone layer with plastic wrap”). One student applying to an art program described the person he did not want to be, contrasting it with the person he thought he was and would develop into if accepted. Another person wrote an essay about her grandmother without directly linking her narrative to the fact that she was applying for medical school. Her essay was risky because it called on the reader to infer things about the student’s character and abilities from the story.

Assess your credentials and your likelihood of getting into the program before you choose to take a risk. If you have little chance of getting in, try something daring. If you are almost certainly guaranteed a spot, you have more flexibility. In any case, make sure that you answer the essay question in some identifiable way.

After you’ve written a draft

Get several people to read it and write their comments down. It is worthwhile to seek out someone in the field, perhaps a professor who has read such essays before. Give it to a friend, your mom, or a neighbor. The key is to get more than one point of view, and then compare these with your own. Remember, you are the one best equipped to judge how accurately you are representing yourself. For tips on putting this advice to good use, see our handout on getting feedback .

After you’ve received feedback, revise the essay. Put it away. Get it out and revise it again (you can see why we said to start right away—this process may take time). Get someone to read it again. Revise it again.

When you think it is totally finished, you are ready to proofread and format the essay. Check every sentence and punctuation mark. You cannot afford a careless error in this essay. (If you are not comfortable with your proofreading skills, check out our handout on editing and proofreading ).

If you find that your essay is too long, do not reformat it extensively to make it fit. Making readers deal with a nine-point font and quarter-inch margins will only irritate them. Figure out what material you can cut and cut it. For strategies for meeting word limits, see our handout on writing concisely .

Finally, proofread it again. We’re not kidding.

Other resources

Don’t be afraid to talk to professors or professionals in the field. Many of them would be flattered that you asked their advice, and they will have useful suggestions that others might not have. Also keep in mind that many colleges and professional programs offer websites addressing the personal statement. You can find them either through the website of the school to which you are applying or by searching under “personal statement” or “application essays” using a search engine.

If your schedule and ours permit, we invite you to come to the Writing Center. Be aware that during busy times in the semester, we limit students to a total of two visits to discuss application essays and personal statements (two visits per student, not per essay); we do this so that students working on papers for courses will have a better chance of being seen. Make an appointment or submit your essay to our online writing center (note that we cannot guarantee that an online tutor will help you in time).

For information on other aspects of the application process, you can consult the resources at University Career Services .

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Asher, Donald. 2012. Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice , 4th ed. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

Curry, Boykin, Emily Angel Baer, and Brian Kasbar. 2003. Essays That Worked for College Applications: 50 Essays That Helped Students Get Into the Nation’s Top Colleges . New York: Ballantine Books.

Stelzer, Richard. 2002. How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School , 3rd ed. Lawrenceville, NJ: Thomson Peterson.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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University of North Carolina (UNC) 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Oct 15

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC) 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 2 essays of 250 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community , Activity

Short answer prompts: We’d like to know how you’d contribute to the Carolina community and ask that you respond to each prompt in up to 250 words.

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. this could be your current community or another community you have engaged..

UNC Chapel Hill wants to hear about an aspect of your personality that has enabled you to contribute to a community you cherish. Your answer doesn’t have to be connected to your academic goals in any way, so feel free to let your mind wander. Maybe you’ve always been an animal lover, so you bring your therapy dog to your local hospital once a month to spread joy (and dopamine). How do the patients respond? Which of your personal qualities has made this possible? Perhaps you challenged your fear of public speaking to deliver an address at a town hall to advocate for greener public transportation options. Did your local government leaders take what you said to heart? Are you courageous, determined, or creative? When have you gotten involved for the greater good? Take this opportunity to provide admissions with more information about yourself and your contributions to any community to which you belong.

Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Admissions wants to learn more about a topic that has monopolized your thoughts. When was the last time you went down an internet rabbit hole trying to research something? When were you extremely motivated to solve a problem or create something new? What topic are you hoping to be an expert on by the time you graduate college? Discuss an example of what truly fascinates you—the more specific you can be, the better. For example, instead of saying you’re interested in Biomedical Engineering, can you dive deeper? Perhaps you’re really interested in the future of smart prosthetics. Once you identify a topic that is more niche than general, go the extra mile by researching UNC and building a bridge between the topic you’d like to explore and their academic offerings. You’d also be wise to provide some examples of how you’ve already interacted with this area of interest. Did you attend a seminar about the topic? Have you read every book you can find on it? Do you have a personal connection to it? The bottom line here is to write about something that really fascinates you while also touching on how attending this specific school will help you explore your associated academic goals.

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How to Answer the UNC-Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays

Written by Christine Kenyon on October 4th, 2017

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• Tell us about a peer who has made a difference in your life.
• What do you hope will change about the place where you live?
• What is one thing that we don’t know about you that you want us to know?
• What about your background, or what perspective, belief, or experience, will help you contribute to the education of your classmates at UNC?

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 UNC Supplemental Essay Prompts 

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the country’s oldest state university. Apart from its star-studded basketball program, UNC Chapel Hill is known for offering top-notch academics. If you want to become part of the next class of Tarheels, focus on crushing your UNC supplemental essays. Your responses should convey your distinct voice and why you are a great fit for the school. Keep reading to learn more about how to best respond to the prompts! 

The UNC supplemental essay prompts

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wants to know how you’d contribute to the campus community. They ask that you respond to the following two prompts in up to 250 words each. 

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.

Ultimately, this question is asking you to discuss any community service you have done. This could include a wide array of activities ranging from typical community service such as picking up litter around your neighborhood to starting a club at your high school. This prompt also specifies that it can be any type of community that you have engaged in, so feel free to get creative! Some examples of communities can be your high school, your neighborhood, a place of worship or a sports team. Think about any group you have aided and what exactly you did in order to help them. Be sure to pick a story, anecdote or memory that paints you in a positive light and reveals a lot about you as a person! Remember, ultimately UNC asked this question in order to know more about you and your personality so be sure to have it shine through in this response! Once you have described your story and how it impacted your community, take it one step further by detailing how you hope to change your future UNC community in a similar fashion. For example, if you discuss starting a recycling club at your high school, you can end your response with detailing how you hope to start a similar club at UNC to help reduce the environmental impact the university will have. Connecting back to UNC will give you some bonus points with the UNC admissions officer reading over your response! Overall, be sure that you are painting a picture in your response rather than just stating your contributions to a community. 

Questions to consider

• What have you done or participated in in order to benefit your community?
• What do you hope to bring to UNC to help better the UNC community?
• How did helping your community make you feel? Would you do that action again? 

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Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Upon first glance of this prompt, it seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into why you selected your major and what you are passionate about within that field! However, it is encouraged to discuss your major but it is not required! Rather, you can discuss an interest beyond your major. Ultimately, it is a personal preference on what you decide to write about! When selecting a topic to write about, you should try to be as specific as possible. Do not just say “psychology” rather say “developmental psychology, specifically nature vs nurture in children.” Being specific allows you to truly showcase your passion and can allow you to discuss specific UNC classes, clubs and professors that relate to this specific niche interest in a field. Remember, one of the best ways to describe your passion for a subject is through a story! So, provide a natural and captivating response that details your passion through a narrative. Once you complete this narrative, you should then be connecting back to UNC. Try to choose 1-2 UNC resources you are interested in taking advantage of such as a specific club, research lab or professor’s class that connect to your academic interest. 

• What are you academically passionate about? What are you hoping to major in in college? 
• Why are you interested in this field of study? Is there a personal connection? 
• What resources are available that you are excited about at UNC? 

Final pointers for acing the UNC supplemental essays

To know which essays to choose, consider brainstorming bullet points for each question. Strive to share compelling personal anecdotes and also reveal key pieces of your identity not shared elsewhere in your application. With these tips, you should have a great start on nailing your UNC-CH supplemental essays! 

Additional resources

Once you have completed your UNC supplemental essays and revised them to tell your stories succinctly, read up on how to choose a college. Supplemental essays are just one component of the college application process. Scholarships360 has plenty of resources to help with other aspects, such as our articles on everything you need to know about work study   and navigating different types of student loans.   While you are applying to colleges (and before and after too!), make sure that you apply for all the scholarships you are eligible for! 

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, unc chapel hill essay prompts.

Hey guys, I'm planning to apply to UNC Chapel Hill for the upcoming admissions cycle. Can anyone tell me what the essay prompts are? I want to start brainstorming as early as possible! Thanks in advance.

Hi there! CollegeVine has an annually updated article with UNC Chapel Hill's prompts, along with detailed breakdowns for each of them, which you can find here: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-unc-chapel-hill-essays

Good luck with your brainstorming and essay-writing process!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

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.

UNC Supplemental Essay Examples

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top public universities in the United States.  Many students wonder how to get into UNC. Undoubtedly, the UNC application process is competitive, requiring—among other things—strong supplemental essays. In this article, we’ll provide UNC supplemental essay examples like the ones you’ll need to write.

By analyzing UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, we’ll provide insight into strategies for UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked. Our UNC supplemental essay examples address various prompts to better prepare you to write your own essays . With some careful planning and thought, you can write UNC supplemental essays that are authentic and compelling.

Does UNC Chapel Hill have supplemental essays?

Located in the charming college town of Chapel Hill, UNC’s rigorous academics , diversity, and relatively affordable tuition attract many of the nation’s best students. Still, UNC’s ranking of #29 in the nation means gaining admission is competitive. Indeed, the UNC acceptance rate is an average of 19%. For out-of-state applicants, the UNC acceptance rate is closer to 10%.

Admissions at UNC is competitive but holistic , meaning UNC admissions officers evaluate you as a whole person, not just by grades. To do this, they use essays. Though there are many parts to a successful UNC application, the essays are a place for your unique voice and experience to shine.  We’ll share UNC supplemental essay examples in this article. But first, we need to situate the UNC essay examples within the entire application. 

In total, you’ll have to write three essays and answer five fill-in-the-blank responses on your application. The first essay is the personal statement, also sometimes referred to as the Common App essay . The personal statement is a 350–650 word essay that introduces you to UNC admissions officers.

School-specific essays

In contrast, UNC supplemental essay examples are school-specific . This means that they are only sent to UNC; they encourage students to think about and express their connections to UNC values . Like supplemental essays for other colleges, these allow students to expand on their personal narrative and make their case.

Lastly, the five UNC fill-in-the-blank responses are intended to provide space to further showcase your personality and have some fun. You can briefly let the school know who you are in response to specific questions. Responses to these questions are limited to 25 words in length, so you must be concise.

In this article, we’ll focus on the school-specific questions. Specifically, we’ll provide UNC supplemental essay examples and describe what makes them strong. 

What are the UNC supplemental essay prompts?

Before we look at UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked, let’s break down the prompts for the short answer questions. First, good UNC supplemental essay examples get specific about how the writer would fit into the UNC Chapel Hill community. All the questions center around the values of identity, diversity, inclusion, and community. As such, you’ll notice that all three of the UNC supplemental essay examples we provide touch on these themes.

There are four possible questions you may respond to for the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays. You must choose two of them and write 200–250 words.

Here are UNC’s 2023 supplemental essay prompts: 

UNC Supplemental Essay Prompts

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

The prompts can change from year to year. In fact, the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples we provide do not reflect these exact prompts. However, strong UNC supplemental essay examples still have important lessons in essay writing. Their lessons can help you to write your own highly effective UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays.

Now, you may be wondering which of the four prompts to choose for your UNC supplemental essays. Next, we’ll discuss how to choose which questions are the best fit for you. 

Choosing the right Essay Prompts for You

As we shared above, there are four UNC supplemental essay prompts to choose from. You must choose two of them and write no more than 250 words in response. This begs the question: which two are best to write about? 

The short and simple response is that there are no two prompts that are better to respond to. The right choice will depend on your individual circumstances and the person you want to present in the admissions process. To begin making your choice, try the following approaches:

Notice which prompts jump out at you

Read through the UNC essay prompts a few times. Do you find yourself gravitating towards one? Does an idea or a memory pop into your head? Trust that impulse and don’t overthink your choice. As long as you start early enough, you’ll have time to choose a different prompt if necessary. In fact, ideas or even drafts for one prompt may become material for a different prompt later. Nevertheless, you must choose something to start with.

Choose the prompts that showcase your strengths

The college application process is challenging in part because every student has limited space to showcase who they are. A strong application showcases a student’s strengths with clarity and precision. When you read the UNC essay prompts, do you see a space for your strengths to shine? For example, prompt #3 may be a great fit for a service-oriented and compassionate person. If you’re struggling to think of strengths, look at your activities list, considering skills you’ve demonstrated in your extracurriculars.

Brainstorm and get feedback before you choose

Consider spending 15 minutes brainstorming for each of the prompts. Present those ideas to a trusted mentor, teacher, or friend who has knowledge of the college process. Ask them which ideas are most compelling, and which stories would represent you the best on the page. Getting feedback early in the process can help you write highly polished UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays. These people may also be able to give feedback during the revision process once you have completed drafts.

Whichever essays you choose, make sure you write from a place of authenticity and embrace your unique voice. Later on in this article, we’ll discuss how to respond to each of these prompts successfully.

UNC Essay Examples

In this section, we’ll introduce some UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked. Keep in mind that the prompts for these UNC essay examples are slightly different from the current ones. Even so, there is a lot to be learned from these UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples. Strong college essays all share a few core traits, many of which we’ll explore and explain in this article.

The first of our UNC supplemental essay examples is responding to the following prompt:

UNC Essay Prompt:

Tell us a story that helps us better understand a person, place, or thing you find inspiring., example #1: a story about inspiration.

When I was told that because of a fracture in my spine, I had been paralyzed, at first I experienced curiosity. Why is it that any other cell can be regenerated except for the cells in the spine? 

Slowly, through hundreds of questions and hours of searching through the resources available at the hospital, I learned that the neurons in the spinal cord responsible for delivering messages to the brain are so complex, it is almost impossible for the cells to be recreated by the body. Essentially, the spinal cord is like an electrical cord, delivering electrical signals from the body to the brain and back. During a spinal cord injury, this cord is severed. 

However, through further research and independent exploration, I discovered that what the world had once believed about the nervous system and its ability to regenerate was not completely true. Neuroplasticity, for example, may allow victims of neural injuries to regain function by “training” other sections of the brain. 

The possibilities for discovery, especially in relation to human biology and the nervous system, inspire me. Whenever I get to a point where I think I may understand a topic, a new idea emerges that challenges me to ponder new aspects again. There is so much to learn, and I know I will never stop uncovering new topics. I hope to continue this exploration at Chapel Hill, embarking on an endless path of learning. 

Why this UNC Essay Worked

One feature of all successful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays is clearly answering the entire prompt. This prompt asks for a story about something you find inspiring. The writer describes how they are inspired by learning about scientific discoveries because of a severe injury they have. They packed a lot of detail about themselves, their injury, their thoughts, and their future aspirations into a 250-word response.

Secondly, UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked are usually personal, and always individual. That is to say, they talk about the writer’s unique experiences and background, sometimes in a vulnerable way. Strong UNC supplemental essay examples also avoid the trap of talking about someone else and forgetting to showcase the writer. Instead, this author uses their experience of being injured to reveal how they are curious and persistent. The reader can see this writer is resilient, curious, and hopeful for the future.

Effective UNC supplemental essay examples also successfully relate the writer’s experience back to UNC Chapel Hill, even if subtly. All of our successful UNC essay examples demonstrate specific reasons the student is a good fit for UNC. This writer was able to demonstrate how they value UNC’s values of research, diversity, and service. As such, they make a strong case for why they should be admitted.

The second of our UNC supplemental essay examples is responding to this prompt:

University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill Essay Prompt:

What do you hope will change about the place where you live, essay #2: a change in your community.

“Really, surgeries are so much less painful than what I experience every day due to inaccessibility or people’s stereotypes.” 

My friend was paralyzed before she was a year old. She has been through dozens of surgeries, surgeries with the possibility of leaving her blind, even dead. She is the strongest person I know. So, when she told me that the most significant cause of her pain was due to society and not her physical barriers, I was shocked. 

Through my experiences after my spinal cord injury, I started to notice new aspects of the world. Stairs instantly became blockades when I had never even noticed them before. Sometimes, there were cars parked in front of the ramps, making it impossible for me to access the building. When I talk to my peers or school officials regarding issues such as these, I am often met with the same response, “Oh, I never noticed.” 

Repeatedly confronted with these answers, I realized that if I didn’t share my experiences, really, no one will ever notice. In addition to this, if no one is confronted about the stereotypes that one holds against a certain group in society, these biases will continue to be held. 

Today, much of society is inaccessible. It’s just a fact. Also, stereotypes remain a significant obstacle to the development and success of minority communities. However, I hope that through my life, I am able to spread awareness about these issues, helping to bring in greater understanding and accessibility. 

Like all successful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, this essay shows, rather than tells, the author’s main idea. Rather than jumping straight into accessibility issues, the author tells us details about their friends’ life and their own life. Through these details, the author gives context for their concern about this issue. 

Despite the prompt asking writers to look outward, this author doesn’t miss the opportunity to share about themself. After all, strong UNC supplemental essay examples really showcase the applicant’s personality, character, values, and goals. In this essay, we get a clear sense that the author is persistent, caring, brave, justice-oriented, and hopeful. These traits make them an appealing candidate for UNC Chapel Hill.

Many impactful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples open with a strong hook, and this essay is no different. A hook is critical because it catches the reader’s attention, inviting them to stay focused throughout your essay.

While this author uses dialogue, other hooks include setting a scene (i.e., “I stood at the edge of the diving board”). It could be something rare about yourself (i.e., “I’m the only teenager in my class who loves waking up early”).  This essay’s use of dialogue leaves the reader wondering who is speaking, what they meant, and how it relates to the author. Most great UNC supplemental essay examples contain a hook that draws the reader in.

The third and final of our UNC supplemental essay examples responds to the prompt: 

UNC Application Essay Prompt:

Most of us have one or more personality quirks. explain one of yours and what it says about you. , essay #3: personality quirk.

I am a person of more than one personality quirk, some of which can be beneficial and others “not so much.” One of my main quirks, however, is the need for constant movement. Whether it is volunteering to demonstrate a mathematical problem in front of the class or bouncing my knee during a test, I believe that I perform best when I am active. 

Delving further into understanding “my little quirk,” I stumbled upon the label of kinesthetic learner. In other words, I want to experience what I am learning by being a part of the process as opposed to merely hearing about the process. During my high school career, I have found that the knee-bouncing, pencil-tapping, etc. subsides when the opportunity presents itself to participate actively in real life simulations. For instance, as a part of the Academy of Emergency Medical Sciences at Pine Forest High School, I participated in strapping fellow classmates to back boards and transporting them from place to place while maintaining proper alignment of the cervical vertebrae. Of course, when performing this task, my knee-bouncing ceased, and I was completely engrossed in the mission at hand.

My hands-on learning may stem from my more than fourteen years of gymnastics training and dance lessons that required continuous movement to learn. I do not consider this process of learning to be a disadvantage but rather a positive influence. It has allowed me a unique ability to focus, creating a sense of discipline as well as the drive and motivation to succeed. This drive is also evident in my active participation in clubs such as Trojan Mentors and National Honor Society, organizations such as The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville, and community involvement. The enjoyment which comes from working and learning hands-on and helping others is why I am drawn to the field of medicine.

As a kinesthetic learner, I learn what I practice and practice what I learn; therefore, I work well solo and as an active participant in group settings. In my preparation to attend a pre-medicine program, I sense that this type of learning will be a positive attribute to my studies. In a clinical setting, one cannot depend on theory alone but rather the practical application of skills. Although the theoretical understanding of material is of utmost importance, it is during those moments that the knee-bouncing will come in handy, proving “my little quirk” to be beneficial, allowing me to accomplish the task before me.

Without a doubt, these UNC essay examples reveal how you can write about any topic in a compelling manner. Often, when students read essay prompts, they spotlight the most outlandish, rare, and dramatic aspect of their life. In this essay, the student talks about their quirk of needing constant movement. Almost all of us know someone like this, but the student writes about this quirk relative to personal accomplishments and goals.

Secondly, while successful UNC supplemental essay examples don’t necessarily need to list accomplishments, this author folds theirs in seamlessly. Indeed, the Common App has a designated space to list extracurriculars and accomplishments. However, if your activities are thematically coherent and support your essay’s point, by all means, include them. Just be careful to choose accomplishments that relate to your topic and strengthen your arguments, rather than relisting a resume.

A third and final compelling aspect of this essay is the author’s deep understanding of their behaviors and motivations. The writer uses their tapping reflex to segue into an exploration of their passions and dreams. They also reveal that they can turn a challenge into an opportunity, a skill immensely helpful in a college setting. Strong UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples paint the author in detail and in a positive light.

How to answer UNC supplemental essays?

Although these UNC supplemental essay examples don’t respond to the exact prompts used today, they demonstrate the core qualities of good essays. In fact, these students wrote clearly and specifically about how their experiences prepared them to be great UNC undergraduates. They also likely used some key tips to be able to write a strong essay.

Here are some tips for how to write a great essay just like the UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked:

Start Early

Since there are two supplemental essays and five fill-in-the-blank responses in addition to the personal statement, it’s important to start early. The final products of essays usually represent multiple hours of brainstorming, writing, and revising. As such, you need time to process your thoughts and get feedback from many sources.

When planning your timeline for the application season, you should factor in plenty of time, especially if you’re still researching schools. Not only do you need to write several essays , but you should revise several times before submitting. This can mean editing alone, but ideally, you’ll ask trusted friends and mentors to provide feedback.

Answer Authentically and Specifically

As we noticed in the UNC supplemental essay examples above, students wrote about personal experiences that were important to them. To write a successful essay, you don’t have to make up stories or exaggerate your life. You can simply be yourself, and tell stories with specificity. 

For example, in our second example, the student showed how simple everyday tasks like climbing the stairs became impossible after getting injured. Rather than saying “My life got harder,” they showed us how it changed. Narrative details can enliven your writing while still conveying key details. This combination of specificity and authenticity will make your essay shine and stand out amongst the crowd.

Relate Your Experiences to UNC

When students wonder how to get into UNC, they should first understand why they want to go to UNC. Since UNC doesn’t have a “why school” essay, writers must base their essays on experiences, not UNC facilities or offerings. In each of these UNC supplemental essay examples, writers demonstrated how their life experiences and personality traits align with UNC’s values. While they spoke about themselves, their examples ultimately made it clear that they are a good fit for the school. Since the UNC acceptance rate is relatively low, it’s important to make sure your application is a clear fit for the school.

In the next session, we’ll dive into other ways to make your UNC application stand out.

What does UNC Admissions look for?

As we’ve shared, the UNC admissions is holistic in nature. This means that admissions officers are looking at many aspects of your application, not just your UNC supplemental essays. It also means that they are hoping to see whether your whole application shows you’re a good fit for UNC. 

Indeed, the UNC Chapel Hills essays that worked above demonstrate core personality traits like self-awareness and commitment to building community. Other aspects of your application have the potential to do the same. For example, your extracurricular activities are one of the most important indicators of your interests and commitment to growth. A student with a track record of community service and taking on new roles demonstrates not only their compassion but their leadership. 

UNC Core Values

Addressing core UNC values is a good sign for admissions officers. Commitment to community, understanding of one’s own identity, and a passion for learning are strong positives. Effective UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples we provided demonstrate some or all of these attributes. 

Finally, but just as importantly, admissions officers are looking for academic excellence as well. Without a doubt, UNC is looking for high-achieving students who can excel in their rigorous coursework. As such, they have a GPA minimum of 2.5 just to apply. However, the average unweighted GPA is closer to a 4.0—mostly As with some Bs. Strive to achieve the highest GPA possible to overcome the competitive UNC acceptance rate.

Watch the video below for more insight into what UNC Admission wants to see in your essays this application cycle.

Other UNC Chapel Hill Resources from CollegeAdvisor

Hopefully, reading UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked has helped you better understand how to get into UNC. Ultimately, the process is an incredibly individual one and every student’s application will look very different. However, CollegeAdvisor has several resources that can help you write amazing essays like the UNC supplemental essay examples here. 

First, check out this guide to getting into UNC. It examines the UNC application in further detail and provides tips on making yourself stand out on the application. Wondering what SAT scores you’ll need? Curious about when to apply? This guide will outline all of those details so you feel prepared and confident throughout the process.

UNC Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

If you want to read more about the UNC supplemental essay topics, this article discusses each prompt in depth. With this resource, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what the prompts want, how to approach them, and potential topics. This resource also provides insights into how to respond to the five fill-in-the-blank questions. If you’re trying to hone your strategy for the UNC essays, this article is a great resource.

UNC is one of the top schools in North Carolina. Take a look at our map of other best colleges in North Carolina, below!

Finally, for more examples of successful college essays for other schools, read our article on the best college essays. You’ll begin to see the breadth of types of essays that exist as well as the similarities between successful ones. We also have resources about writing a strong personal statement , essential for any school that takes the Common App.

UNC Supplemental Essay Examples- Final Thoughts

In this article, we dove deep into UNC supplemental essay examples. We looked at what makes these UNC supplemental essay examples strong responses to the prompts. In addition to specific strengths, we offered more general advice for writing effective UNC essays.

Additionally, it’s important to put in the time and thought as the students who wrote these UNC supplemental examples did. Ultimately, your UNC essay can only be written by you—individuality and authenticity are crucial to supplemental essays. Nevertheless, these UNC essay examples may offer inspiration for your own unique, compelling responses. 

Identifying strong essays

Our UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples show there are as many similarities among strong essays as there are differences. The UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, while specific to UNC, are in many ways similar to many successful college essays. As such, you might choose to use parts of your UNC essays for other schools on your college list . This can be very helpful when trying to meet tight application deadlines . 

Undoubtedly, getting into UNC is an ambitious goal. UNC Chapel Hill is not only one of the best schools in the state of North Carolina but in the nation. At CollegeAdvisor, we have the expertise, resources, and commitment to help you accomplish your dreams and get the education you deserve. Looking for individual support in the UNC Chapel Hill application process? You can take advantage of CollegeAdvisor’s one-on-one application support by scheduling a consultation today.

Senior advisor, Courtney Ng wrote this article. 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 North Carolina – UNC Secondary Application Essay Prompts & Tips

• Cracking Med School Admissions

University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill (UNC School of Medicine) cares deeply about serving its surrounding community and the citizens of North Carolina. Submitting OUTSTANDING UNC secondary essays is vital to receiving an interview invite, which ultimately can lead to an acceptance. Read our UNC secondary tips down below. Once you get accepted to UNC Med, you can also apply for various UNC School of Medicine Scholarships . 

UNC secondary essay prompts change drastically each year, so we would not pre-write your UNC secondaries. However, there is a suggested two-week turnaround time once you receive the official UNC School of Medicine secondary application. Therefore, you should work on this as soon as you receive the official UNC secondary application from the admissions committee.

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine year after year. Furthermore, we’ve been successful in advising students receive acceptance to the UNC FIRST program , which allows applicants to do one less year of medical school and guarantees residency placement in family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, or surgery.  Work with us through our secondary essay editing packages to STAND OUT in your UNC secondary application!

• 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

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024

Recommended 2-week turnaround time by the UNC School of Medicine Admissions Committee

• Describe an experience where you attempted a task and realized during the process that you were not ready for it. How did this experience impact your approach to trying new things. (250 words max)
• How will your life experiences foster a positive educational environment and benefit your future patients? (250 words max)
• Discuss your involvement in a service activity that has impacted your understanding of healthcare and your desire to pursue a career in medicine. (250 words max)
• What motivates you to apply to UNC School of Medicine? (250 words max)
• (If applicable):  If you are a re-applicant, what has changed about you as a candidate since your last application to medical school? What has made you a stronger applicant?   (200 words max)

Tips to Answer UNC Secondary Essays

UNC Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance:  UNC medical school changes its UNC secondary essay prompts each year, so we would not recommend pre-writing your UNC secondaries. However, this medical school has a very quick turnaround time. Make sure you work on the UNC secondary application as soon as you receive it (all applications are not given out at the same time). Contact us if you need help with editing your UNC secondaries – we will make sure it stands out even with a tight turnaround time! 

>> Get all our secondary essay tips by downloading our FREE Cracking Med School Admissions Secondary Essay Guide

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #1: To answer the “Why UNC School of Medicine” question, read our blog post about how to answer why this medical school ? 

Also, understand what UNC School of Medicine is looking for:

• Desire to serve the North Carolina population, including pursuing a career in medicine in North Carolina
• Diverse and ample clinical experiences and patient care experience

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #2: Given that UNC is a state school, you must discuss your affiliations and prior work in North Carolina. If you want to practice in North Carolina in the future, then you should mention this in your UNC secondary essays. For example, some of our Cracking Med School Admissions students have talked about working as an EMT in North Carolina, patients they met through clinical care in North Carolina, life experiences like growing up in North Carolina, and rural / underserved populations they served in North Carolina. 

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #3: For the “diversity” question, diversity does not necessarily mean your ethnic diversity. We recommend students write about their strengths, including exceptional extracurricular activity endeavors. Make sure to link this to how you will contribute to your medical school class. Because UNC looks for medical students with a strong research background, you can use the diversity essay to discuss your research. 

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #5: Need editing help on your UNC secondary essays? We can help you through our secondary essay packages . 

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #6: If you are a  re-applicant,  it is important to discuss how your application has changed from the first time you applied to this current time you are applying. 

It is very important to discuss the following in the re-applicant essay:

• Reflections about why your application was not as strong last cycle. In your opinion, what were the weaknesses?
• How have you addressed the weaknesses?
• Clinical experience you’ve had since you applied in the last application cycle. Reflect on what you learned about patient care. 
• For UNC, any activities related to research, clinical experiences in North Carolina, patient care, and community service in North Carolina will be a big plus. 

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #7: For the new UNC secondary essay question, “ Discuss your involvement in a service activity that has impacted your understanding of healthcare and your desire to pursue a career in medicine ” understand  why UNC medical school is asking this. The Admissions committee wants medical students who are involved in the North Carolina community, and use these insights to pursue research opportunities for students, community health projects, and clinical opportunities for students that improve the overall health of the local population.

Here are what some of our students discussed in their UNC secondary essays:

• A volunteer experience focused on underserved populations and motivating them to improve the local free clinic for underserved populations.
• Working with individuals in the community who were overweight and motivating them to pursue a career in medicine that incorporates nutrition education with the community and patients.
• Personal experiences with individuals who were addicted to drugs and motivating them to do research related to drug addiction.

UNC Secondary Essays Tip #8: UNC School of Medicine has an extremely tough interview. It has  both Multiple Mini Interviews and traditional interviews. Start reading about Multiple Mini Interviews and stand out using our Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview course created by Dr. Rachel Rizal!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Does UNC screen secondaries? Yes, it does screen AMCAS primary applications for secondary essays. Not all UNC secondaries are sent out at the same time. And, from our experience, in-state applicants receive UNC secondaries before out-of-state applicants. 

Q: What is the UNC FIRST program? We love this program! UNC FIRST is a 3-year accelerated programs that focuses on primary care and serving the population of North Carolina. Read more here . 

Q: Can you help me submit a stellar UNC secondary application even in two weeks? Yes! Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta can help you with your UNC secondary AND all your other medical school secondary essays through our secondary essay editing packages !

[Read More Secondaries:  University of Virginia , Eastern Virginia Medical School , Wake Forest , University of Maryland ]

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UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023

• Tell us about a peer who is deserving of recognition but whose accomplishments may not be acknowledged adequately. Why do you think their accomplishments have gone relatively unacknowledged? (250 words max)
• Please share your thoughts and experiences with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. This could include the barriers you have faced in applying to medical school, creative ways you have overcome those barriers, feelings of grief and loss, thoughts on the role of health care professionals, challenges associated with racial health inequities, or other reflections on living through a global pandemic crisis.   (250 words max)
• How will your values and attitudes foster a positive educational environment and benefit your future patients? Tell us about the sources of those values and attitudes (e.g. family, places you’ve lived in, things you have read, life experiences, etc). (250 words max)
• Tell us about a time when you observed or personally experienced biased behavior. What did you do to address this situation or what would you do in the future? Through either situation we are interested in what you learned.  (250 words max)
• What motivates you to apply to the UNC School of Medicine?  (200 words max)

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UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

• Give an example of how you made a difference in someone’s life and explain what this experience taught you about yourself. (1000 characters max)
• What motivates you to apply to UNC School of Medicine? (1000 characters max)
• UNC School of Medicine values diversity and inclusion across the institution. We believe that education and professional development are enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe how your background and/or experiences would contribute to the UNC SOM community? (1000 characters max)
• Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the COVD-19 public health crisis. Possible topics might include: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic, creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis, hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus, and/or quarantine. (1000 characters max)
• UNC School of Medicine values diversity and inclusion across the institution. We believe that education and professional development are enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe how your background and/or experiences would contribute to the UNC SOM community? (1,000 characters max)

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020 – 2021

• Describe a situation or an experience, you’ve had when you were unsuccessful. Tell us what you learned from this experience. (1,000 characters max)
• Give an example of how you made a difference in someone’s life and explain what this experience taught you about yourself. (1,000 characters max)
• What motivates you to apply to UNC School of Medicine? (1,000 characters max)

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2019 – 2020

Unc medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2018 – 2019.

• We have all tried something and failed. Describe a situation, or an experience, you’ve had when you were unsuccessful. Tell us what you learned from this experience. (1,000 characters max)
• Much of health care delivery involves teamwork. In what endeavor have you engaged that required a team approach? What was your role and what did you learn from working with this team? (1,000 characters max)

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

• We have all tried something and failed, whether it was something big or something small. Describe a situation or an experience you had when you realized that you were not up to the task, and tell us what life-lessons you learned from this experience. (1,000 characters max)
• Much of medical school education is based on team-learning. What important activity have you accomplished that required a team approach, what was your role in the outcome, and what did you learn from it? (1,000 characters max)
• Give an example of how you made a difference in someone’s life-whether it is a patient, friend, classmate, or a family member-and explain what this experience taught you about yourself. (1,000 characters max)

UNC Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2016 – 2017

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University Of Unc Admission Essay Writing Guide

Essay guide

Essay examples, how to write a glowing university of unc essay.

Chartered in 1789, the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill, popularly known as UNC or UNC-Chapel Hill enrolled its first students in 1795. This public research institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina was also the first-ever public university to be charted under the US constitution. UNC, a Public Ivy institution is popular for giving students an academic experience similar to that of an Ivy League. More so, UNC is revered as one of the three oldest public universities in the US, and the only institution that confers degrees in the 18th century as a public institution. These qualities add an edge to UNC over other institutions across the US.

Admission Requirements for Bachelor and for Graduate School

Admission requirements for Bachelor and for master’s degree at UNC are high as the institution is highly competitive and extremely difficult to get into. For students of the class of 2025 for instance, the school admitted a record low of 23.5% or 10,446 students from a total of 44,382 applicants.

The Requirements

• Kenan Flagler undergraduate application requires students to have a pass mark of at least 4 units of English.
• Students must possess 4 units of college preparatory mathematics. In this case; AP Calculus, one geometry, two algebra, and Discrete mathematics.
• Students must have a pass mark of at least 2 units of a single foreign language. Alternatively, applicants can possess American Sign Language for this requirement.
• To apply Kenan Flagler, a student must have a pass mark of at least 3 units in science. In this case, either life or biological science, physical science, and a laboratory course.
• Students must have a pass mark of at least 2 units of social science.
• Applicants are required to show a minimum test score or ACT or SAT 19 and 1010 respectively. Alternatively, students may prove a 2.5 weighted high school GPA.
• The 2020 fall new applicants were required to show an average of 3.1 high school GPA, or an average SAT score of 888.

Why Write an Essay for UNC?

Getting into UNC is hard and essays are meant to play the role of elimination because the vacancies are highly competitive. Through essays for bachelor programs, the institution is in a better position to select self-aware students and those that have a high sense of community. The UNC MBA essays are meant to also highlight students who share the same core values as the institution. If you are unsure how to go about writing the best essay that will get you the attention you deserve, check out the samples online at our site for inspiration.

The essays are curated in prompt design for students to describe various aspects of their life that will help the university understand the personality of each applicant. More so, these prompts have a word limit to ensure that the students are in a position to condense as much of themselves in a summary.

The essays are also meant to gauge each applicant’s identity and to establish how their identity has shaped their opinions, values, and personality. This way, the university is also in a better position to promote cultural diversity by enrolling students from different backgrounds and with different identities.

For university, history is an integral part of an individual, which explains why this question features in one of the prompts. By inquiring about an applicant’s history, UNC is in a better position to understand how a student absorbs history, how much value they attach to history, and how much their life has been shaped by history.

UNC-Chapel Hill Essay Examples/ Types of Essays for Students

For students, the UNC application essay comes in various prompts and applicants have the freedom to choose one and respond in words not exceeding 250.

• Describe a peer you admire in the community and explain some of their actions and how these actions have impacted your life.
• Describe your identity (your sexuality, race, culture, religion, affinity group, or gender). How has your identity shaped you as an individual thus far?
• If you had the power to change your community, what changes would you prioritize and why?
• “We are nothing without our history.” These words were spoken by Esphur Foster, a UNC’s former employee, civil rights activist, and community service member. What does history mean to you and how has it shaped your life?

Prompt 2 questions

• A family tradition that you cherish.
• Your belief system.
• The quality you most admire in yourself.
• The protagonist you most identify with.

Prompt 3: Lessons Learnt from the Community

This prompt seeks to establish how rooted an applicant is to their community and the questions are curated to guide applicants into answering only relevant questions about their community. Prompt 3 is for university to establish how the community has shaped the applicant’s identity, and how their community has formed or shaped them into the individuals they are today.

Prompt 4: Common App Personal Statement

The Common App personal student is for professor reading the essay to note the points of interest of the applicant. In this case, students are accorded the freedom to choose any topic and respond to it in a different prompt either designed by them or by the school.

Prompt 5: Common App “Discuss Accomplishment”

In this prompt, the UNC chapel hill application essay looks for accomplishment that sparked a moment of personal growth for the applicant, which led to a proper understanding of self and those within the community.

These prompts are categorized in a way for students to explain their backgrounds, ambitions, values, personality, and future aspirations, based on their past and the present. The word limit is meant to ensure that the students answer the curated questions using brief yet detailed answers. Often, students are encouraged to first write long answers and shorten these answers to the word limit, while providing only relevant details that will give them an edge to get a position at the university. We have several samples on our site that you may want to check out and buy. You can also pay for the services of a writer who will write a glowing essay from scratch.

Pointers When Writing an Essay for College

UNC Chapel hill essay examples have been likened to the Venn diagram because each prompt comes as a circle filled with details, with circles overlapping. The middle part is a representation of the candidate. These details are meant to give a candidate an aspect of who they are and guide them into providing the necessary information about themselves. Through Common Data Set, applicants can provide deep insights that will improve their chances of joining this public university.

Some of the general tips that applicants must remember when tackling these prompts:

Avoid Receptiveness

These prompts are curated for students to give new information and details about themselves. The prompts are also curated to help applicants brainstorm a list of communities and weigh which ones would be ideal for UNC admission essay.

Pick an Interesting Community to Write About

When choosing the most interesting community to write about, applicants must think thoroughly about the place, identity, action, interest, and circumstance that would be most interesting to write about.

Stay Relevant/Specific

UNC Chapel hill application essays require applicants to stick to the word limit of 200-250 words. Seeing that these are a few words, it is important to get specific and provide as many relevant and attention-capturing details as possible while staying within the word limit.

Prove your Due Diligence about the School

Seeing that UNC is a public school, with highly competitive applications, students should keep their answers school-specific. As such, applicants must prove that they have done their due diligence about the school, to increase their chances of getting in. Even if the prompts are not asking about it, it is important to shed light on why a student picked the school because institutions want to feel wanted.

Be Detail-oriented

While UNC essay examples show that there is a word limit for the prompts, applicants should work within the limit and expand on the impact of their chosen topic. Impact matters because it helps the reader to understand the writer and see the writer’s passion. In this case, the writer should provide qualitative and quantitative statistics about the topic of interest. More so, the writer should provide anecdotal evidence or quotations to back up their narration.

Lessons Learnt

For university, it is helpful if applicants could shed light on personal impact and particularly share some of the lessons learned or skills gained from the impact of their story. More so, applicants must prove how they are applying these lessons in their personal life.

Various (Main) Faculties at the School

UNC has various faculties such as Social Sciences, Psychology, Management, Marketing, Parks, Related Support Services. The most popular majors are media and journalism, biology, computer science, business administration, and psychology.

Through the years, UNC has had thousands of academic and administrative faculty staff. The academic programs are segmented and segregated using alphabetical order. The various programs explain why the institution received tens of thousands of applications from students around the world.

However, UNC has managed to maintain a sane student to instructor ratio. Currently, the student to faculty ratio at UNC is 15:1, with 46.4% of the classes with fewer than 20 students. Through UNC application essays, the institution has managed to maintain this ratio by admitting only competitive students while eliminating incompetent applicants.

Applying to be admitted at UNC Chapel Hill calls for students to write a sum of three essays as part of the application. UNC Kenan Flagler application is a great way for applicants to show the admission committee why they are deserving of a position at UNC and prove their dedication to education. The UNC prompts are a great guide for students to talk about themselves and prove that they have done their due diligence on the institution. Kenan Flagler application is a great opportunity for applicants to use their voice to prove to the admission board why they are deserving of an opportunity at an otherwise competitive institution. Do not forget to check our site for inspirational essay samples, even for scholarships or for internship after school.

UNC-Chapel Hill History

Today, UNC-Chapel Hill offers over 7seventy degree courses and is administratively segmented into 13 schools and a primary unit. The schools include; College of Arts and Sciences (General College), Hussman School of Journalism and Media, UNC Kenan Flagler Business School, School of Education, and School of Information and Library Science. Kenan Flagler business school application is a primary requirement for students looking to join the institution for business courses.

UNC’s undergraduates receive a liberal arts education and have the freedom to pursue a major within the university’s professional schools or the College of Arts and Sciences from the minute they obtain junior status. Such privileges make UNC one of the most preferred higher learning institutions in the US. Kenan Flagler apply is used as a benchmark or an elimination method especially for applicants looking to join the Kenan Flagler Business School.

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• 2024-2025 MD Medical School-Specific Discussions

2024-2025 North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Thread starter wysdoc
• Start date Apr 11, 2024

Plain-spoken Texan

• Apr 11, 2024
• Describe an experience where you attempted a task and realized during the process that you were not ready for it. How did this experience impact your approach to trying new things? (250 words)
• How will your life experiences foster a positive educational environment and benefit your future patients? (250 words)
• Discuss your involvement in a service activity that has impacted your understanding of healthcare and your desire to pursue a career in medicine. (250 words)
• What motivates you to apply to the UNC School of Medicine? (250 words)

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine Interview Feedback

harley_quinn37

• Jul 9, 2024

Has anyone received a secondary yet?  

Full Member

• Jul 10, 2024

Nope not yet.  

• Jul 15, 2024

just got secondaries. same as last year but it looks like no word limit? Can someone else confirm this?  

frankfrog47

Yeah there was no word limit on mine either  

HonorPlant said: just got secondaries. same as last year but it looks like no word limit? Can someone else confirm this? Click to expand...

jasonbourne125

+1 OOS  

octy123 said: when were you verified? Click to expand...

frankfrog47 said: Yeah there was no word limit on mine either Click to expand...

premed13579

+1 IS  

With no word limit, should we write more or keep it around the 250 words from last year?  

premed13579 said: With no word limit, should we write more or keep it around the 250 words from last year? Click to expand...

Tell me why I just spent so long writing more and now there is a word count again. It must've been a glitch that they now fixed  

premed13579 said: Tell me why I just spent so long writing more and now there is a word count again. It must've been a glitch that they now fixed Click to expand...

El_Adelantado

• Jul 16, 2024

Hi guys, I am a 2nd year medical student at UNC. If you guys have any questions about the curriculum, life in chapel hill etc, please feel free to either reply to me here or send me a DM. Good luck to everyone!  

CheeesyBoi said: Dang it what a bummer :/ Click to expand...

bigspender said: OOS verified 5/28 just got secondary Describe an experience where you attempted a task and realized during the process that you were not ready for it. How did this experience impact your approach to trying new things? (250 words) How will your life experiences foster a positive educational environment and benefit your future patients? (250 words) Discuss your involvement in a service activity that has impacted your understanding of healthcare and your desire to pursue a career in medicine. (250 words) What motivates you to apply to the UNC School of Medicine? (250 words) other essays for reapplicants/special programs Click to expand...

SylvaticBridge

wysdoc said: 2024-2025 UNC - Chapel Hill Secondary Essay Prompts: Describe an experience where you attempted a task and realized during the process that you were not ready for it. How did this experience impact your approach to trying new things? (250 words) How will your life experiences foster a positive educational environment and benefit your future patients? (250 words) Discuss your involvement in a service activity that has impacted your understanding of healthcare and your desire to pursue a career in medicine. (250 words) What motivates you to apply to the UNC School of Medicine? (250 words) Good luck to all applying! Interview Feedback: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine Interview Feedback Review of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine Interview Feedback. Get the latest information, opinions of fellow students, and LizzyM and SDN Rankings. www.studentdoctor.net Click to expand...

lonelywoolf

• Jul 17, 2024

SylvaticBridge said: For Q3, when it mentions a service activity, does it have to be a community/volunteer activity or can I mention any clinical experience where I've served patients? (CNA, EMT) Click to expand...

clumsycamel161

• Jul 18, 2024

Hi guys! I interviewed at UNC last cycle and am on the waitlist right now but I am reapplying. I still haven’t gotten my secondary for UNC. Is anyone else in this situation/know what to do or expect?  

@WickedCool98 @clumsycamel161 The supplemental app email says "All applicants who submit a verified AMCAS application receive a supplemental application." So I don't think it'd hurt to call! Here's their contact info: [email protected] or call our office at (919) 962-8331  

• Jul 19, 2024

It is also possible that they are releasing in waves. I just got mine today  

• Jul 22, 2024

+1 INTL secondary received 7/19  

• Jul 26, 2024

Is there any logic to picking who we want to interview with? Am I only supposed to say research faculty or clinical faculty too?  

BlueTuba15 said: Is there any logic to picking who we want to interview with? Am I only supposed to say research faculty or clinical faculty too? Click to expand...

jasonbourne125 said: Are you ED? Click to expand...

• Jul 30, 2024

I was reading on their website they only look at OOS with a minimum of 513 MCAT. How true is this?  

I would believe it. UNC is very very focused on keeping its students in state. Public NC universities in general are that way, it's a large focus of the state (read: ECU literally not accepting anybody from OOS). They want taxpayers' children attending their schools and they want them to graduate as physicians who plan to stay in the state and serve NC residents.  

robot_soup said: I would believe it. UNC is very very focused on keeping its students in state. Public NC universities in general are that way, it's a large focus of the state (read: ECU literally not accepting anybody from OOS). They want taxpayers' children attending their schools and they want them to graduate as physicians who plan to stay in the state and serve NC residents. Click to expand...

KingKiller21

BigSneed said: Damn…didn’t see it till it was too late lol. I sent it as an OOS although I am moving to NC in the early fall. Not sure how I can communicate that to them since residency or ties wasn’t asked on the app Click to expand...

antiquekitkat

BigSneed said: I was reading on their website they only look at OOS with a minimum of 513 MCAT. How true is this? Click to expand...

antiquekitkat said: I thought it was 514? where did you get this info? only asking bc I loved this school but got a 513 on my MCAT. Click to expand...

• Jul 31, 2024

KingKiller21 said: They did have a spot to put your RCN resident number, maybe you can do the online interview and see if you qualify and give them an update over email. Click to expand...

• Aug 5, 2024
• Aug 6, 2024

robot_soup said: You can always communicate it in an update letter or try and work it into another question! Click to expand...

jmflower3 said: Friendly reminder that UNC doesn’t take updates! But they have zoom office hours on Fridays and the link is online and the adcoms are so friendly! If you want to pop in there I’m sure they’d be happy to lyk what to do or email ofc! Click to expand...

Just curious, is there any difference (such as in a negative light) in how a reapplicant is viewed in determination for an interview or acceptance at UNC?  

mannatee22 said: Just curious, is there any difference (such as in a negative light) in how a reapplicant is viewed in determination for an interview or acceptance at UNC? Click to expand...

• Aug 9, 2024

So I completely missed the memo about a hard deadline for UNC, and now I'm locked out of answering their secondary prompts... I hate how this process does this sometimes. Would it be even worth it to reach out to admissions and ask for an exception? They mention if you have a "legitimate" reason, they can make exceptions...  

MiddleEMed said: So I completely missed the memo about a hard deadline for UNC, and now I'm locked out of answering their secondary prompts... I hate how this process does this sometimes. Would it be even worth it to reach out to admissions and ask for an exception? They mention if you have a "legitimate" reason, they can make exceptions... Click to expand...

hopefulfuturedoctor1997

• Aug 13, 2024

hopefulfuturedoctor1997 said: Consider what they might mean by legitimate, when i see this i assume life threatening. Otherwise they may see an email reach out as entitlement where others acted responsibly. Click to expand...

FutureMD2025

• Aug 14, 2024

yuumiplayer

FutureMD2025 said: Dumb question. Is the deadline specified anywhere? Click to expand...

applicant349 said: The deadline was in the email they sent with access to the secondary application Click to expand...

Similar threads

• Apr 12, 2024

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Home to the students, alumni, professors, staff, and fans of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It's a #GDTBATH 🐏

Essays for UNC application co 2025

hi! i’m a junior and i’m looking to apply to unc for next year. i’ve read different things about the application and what unc considers (i’ve read posts on here about their specific admissions process and how they have numbers for different categories like progress and personal qualities) and im just wondering how much dk essays truly matter for unc? many ppl say that unc puts a lot of weight onto them but ive always noticed kids with high stats and average essays get in. im asking because my stats are lower than the avg for unc and im hoping my essays can somewhat boost my application. if anyone can help then i would greatly appreciate it!

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• UNC Libraries
• Course Guides
• HIST 179H: Slavery and the U.S. Civil War
• Books & Articles

HIST 179H: Slavery and the U.S. Civil War: Books & Articles

Finding books, finding journals/secondary analysis, reference works.

• Newspapers & Magazines
• Other Primary Sources
• Evaluating your sources

Start with a keyword search in the catalog . Once you have located a relevant item, you can look at the Subjects in the record and follow those links to find related books.

You can refine your results by using the facets on the left side of the screen. Use the "Available Online" filter to limit to materials that may be accessed remotely. Under "Resource Type" you can restrict your results to books, journals, or government documents.

Sample Subjects:

Enslaved persons -- America -- Social conditions

Slavery -- North Carolina -- History -- 18th century

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Enslaved persons insurrections -- United States -- History

You can also pair these suggested subject headings with additional keywords on specific aspects of your topic.

To find primary resources, you can add keywords to your search, such as: letters, diaries, speeches, newspaper articles, autobiographies, oral histories, government and organizational records, statistical data, maps, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings, advertisements, artifacts, etc

Use the facets on the left side of the catalog to expand your search to Duke, NC State, and NCCU Libraries . 

• America, History and Life An index for North American history consisting of journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations & book reviews. America, History and Life is a complete bibliographic reference to the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. (Source: vendor website.) Note: Limited to 6 users at a time. more... less... Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users.
• JSTOR Provides an image archive of important scholarly journal literature in nearly all the humanities and social sciences disciplines, international and foreign areas studies, and many of the sciences. UNC patrons have access to extensive retrospective holdings of hundreds of journals, starting with the first issues. Excludes the most recent 2-5 years of currently available journals. more... less... Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users. Coverage: Varies. Excludes most recent 2-5 years of currently available journals.
• Oxford African American Studies Center Combines a rich array of historical and cultural information about the African American experience with selected primary documents, web sites, and maps. The material is compiled by Oxford University Press from their many reference works, such as Africana, Encyclopedia of African American History, various Oxford Companions, and the African American National Biography. more... less... Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users.
• Oxford Bibliographies Online Provides sophisticated online recommendations to the core scholarship on a subject as determined by experts in the field. Each module constitutes a convenient and comprehensive introduction to the essential body of literature that has shaped research on a topic. At the click of a mouse, you therefore have 24/7 access to expert recommendations that have been rigorously peer-reviewed and vetted to ensure scholarly accuracy and objectivity. Each OBO subject database allows you to identify the core authors, works, ideas, and debates that have shaped the scholarly conversation so you can find the key literature. All the bibliographic essays have been peer-reviewed, and the specific entries are linked to full-text content available through the web or the UNC Library. The "My OBO" feature also allows you to create a personalized list of citations. more... less... Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill student, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users
• Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History Provides definitive long-form overview articles written, peer-reviewed, and edited by leading scholars, with new and revised articles added each month on a wide array of topics and from international perspectives. Covers both foundational and cutting-edge topics in order to develop, over time, an anchoring knowledge base for major areas of research. more... less... Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users.

Carolina BLU and Interlibrary Loan

ILL and Carolina BLU can help you get a copy of books or articles that we don't own, but it's also where you can place an item on hold or request a scan of an article not available online!

Subject Specific Databases

We have  additional history specific databases , as well as  hundreds of databases covering other fields.

• UNC Databases for United States History A sub-section within general history covering databases with a U.S. history focus.
• UNC databases for History A collection of databases that cover general history. (See E-Research by Discipline for specific areas of focus within History)
• E-Research by Discipline Select a subject area from this list to find the top resources for each discipline.

Searching Within a Journal

If you find a specific journal title that is relevant to your topic, you can search for the title in our catalog.  After clicking on the button for "Full text available via the UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries" button, it will take you to a screen similar to the one above where you can search inside the journal.

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• Last Updated: Aug 22, 2024 10:25 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/HIST179H