1. The New ApplyTexas Essay Prompts
For Summer 2017, Fall 2017, and Spring 2018

2. What is ApplyTexas, and how do I know if the college I’m applying to requires the ApplyTexas essays?
On applytexas.com, you can accomplish a multitude of tasks including applying for admission to any Texas public university, as well as participating community and private colleges.
You can even save your application on the site, and send it to another Texas university later.
While some colleges do not have any essay requirements, many universities require at least one of the ApplyTexas essays to be submitted with your application.

3. ApplyTexas Essay Requirements: Four Year University
School Name A B C
Austin College X
McMurry University X*
Schreiner University
Southern Methodist Univeristy
Southwestern University
St. Edward's University
St. Mary's University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Texas Christian University
Texas Lutheran University
Texas State University
Texas Tech University
Texas Wesleyan University
Trinity Universtiy
University of Dallas
University of Houston- Downtown
University of North Texas
University of St. Thomas
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at San Antonio
* Essay optional

4. Let’s look at the essay prompts…
Topic A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.
Topic B: Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.
Topic C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

5. Now let’s break them down…
In the slides that follow, I will attempt to help you understand exactly what is being asked of you by…
Breaking down the prompts
Brainstorming ideas
Providing sample outlines

6. Essay A:
What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.

7. Essay A: The Breakdown…
They are asking you to describe “the environment in which you were raised.”
Take a second to think about your background.
This can also be referred to as your “world” or your “roots.”
Anything about your past experiences that involves your “family, home, neighborhood, or community.”
This prompt is asking you to write about something or someone in your background that has “shaped” or defined you in some way.
Note: There are two parts to this essay
Describe something from your background
Explain how it shaped you

8. Some Pro Tips for Essay A:
Focus your essay.
Be sure not to write about more than one of these parts of your background. Pick one thing, such as “family” or “community” and stay focused.
Do not simply describe! Find something that happened involving those environments that “shaped you as a person.”
Use an anecdote.
Identify a core value that you developed while handling your problem.
Core values: integrity, honesty, truth, generosity, gratitude, kindness, individuality, courage, passion, creativity, open-mindedness, loyalty, etc.

9. A Brief Outline…
Share a moment, incident or “a time” from your background when SOMETHING HAPPENED. Include some type of problem. (One to two paragraphs ONLY!)
Go back and describe what led up to this moment (the “back story”). Then explain how you handled the problem; the steps you took. Include how you felt. (One to two paragraphs)
Share what you learned from handling the problem. Focus on one core quality that it helped you develop or that was tested. What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about the world. What was the upside? (One to two paragraphs)
Conclusion: Give a status update on the problem you shared. Explain again what you learned in one sentence. Then share how you intend to use what you learned to help you meet your future goals. (One paragraph)

10. Essay B:
Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.

11. Essay B: The Breakdown…
This is going to be the best place to showcase your area of expertise or what you want to major in or study in college, so try to work that in.
They are asking you to describe an identifying trait, interest or talent that defines you.
Identifying trait- Something that defines you in a big way, this could be considered your identity. They want to know how you see yourself.
Ex: LGBTQ, bi-racial, a triplet, raised by your grandmother, etc.
Interest- Something that you’re passionate about.
Ex: Orchestra, baking, soccer, painting, etc.
Talent- Something that you’re good at.
Ex: Golf, writing music, art, origami, sewing, etc.

12. Some Pro Tips for Essay B:
Focus your essay.
Be sure not to write about more than one thing. Pick an identifying trait, interest or talent, and focus on that.
Do not simply describe! Write an anecdote about something that happened involving one of these things.
Note: When writing about an interest or a talent, pick something that is central to your life, and then find an interesting way to write about it. If you just spell out your “interest” in piano, talking about how to took lessons, gave recitals, and are really awesome at it, that could be dull.
If you decide to write about an interest, find a way to show how that interest reveals more about you than why you like to do it.
The best trick to writing about a talent is to think of a time it involved some type of problem (failure, challenge, obstacle, mistake, etc). That’ll keep your essay from sounding too braggy.

13. A Brief Outline…
Start your essay by writing about a specific example or “time” you can use to illustrate something about the identity, interest, or talent you have. This should be a “moment” when something happened. (One to two paragraphs ONLY!)
Go back and describe what led up to this moment (the “back story”). Then explain how you handled the problem (failure, challenge, obstacle, mistake, etc.); the steps you took. Include how you felt. (Two to three paragraphs)
Then you can write about what you learned from this. Write about both the good and the bad, and why it matters to you. (one to two paragraphs)
Be sure that, if you do know what you want to study in college, you find a way to tie it in somehow. This is the perfect platform.

14. Essay C:
You’ve got a ticket in your hand- Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

15. Essay C: The Breakdown…
This prompt is different than a normal ApplyTexas essay in that they are allowing you to show your creative side…FINALLY!
They want you to use your imagination and think outside of the box.
The awesome thing about this essay is that you finally have a chance to show your sense of humor, as well as your personality and dreams.
Note: the most creative part of this prompt is the last question- what will happen when you get there?
Yes, you get to make up a story!!!

16. Some Pro Tips for Essay C:
Focus your essay.
Do not simply describe! Write an anecdote about something that happens when you get there.
Elaborate on your ideas!
Note: This is another perfect opportunity to remind the admissions committee what you want to study at their university.
Ex: When I was applying to colleges, I knew that I wanted to study English. So, I would have written about wanting to travel back in time to visit Edgar Allan Poe, my all-time favorite author.
Remember to introduce some type of problem. You’re telling a story.

17. A Brief Outline…
Start your essay by introducing the setting. You have a ticket. What type of ticket is it? Are you taking a plane, a train, a hot air balloon, or a time machine? Then tell the reader where you’re going. Anywhere in the world! Is it the past, present or future? Set the stage (one to two paragraphs ONLY!).
Then, start your story. What happens when you get there? What problem arises? Who are you with? This is both the rising action and climax, so make it interesting (two to three paragraphs ONLY!)
Next, tell how you solve the problem. Who helps you? What happens? Be descriptive.
Then, you can write about what you learned. What will you take away from this? Remember those core values we talked about in Essay A? Pick one and incorporate it here.
Note: Don’t forget, this isn’t about merely telling a story. You are showing your creativity, and tying in what you want to study in college. This is your chance to wow them with your wonderful sense of humor!

18. More information on college essay writing can be found at essayhell
More information on college essay writing can be found at essayhell.com GOOD LUCK!