UNC Complementary Essays and UNC Chapel Hill Essays: The Ultimate Guide (2023)

UNC 2022-23 Supplemental Essays

How many essays does the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill require?

The UNC Supplemental Trials fall into two categories. First, there are the short answer UNC application essays (200-250 words each). Second, there are UNC essays to fill in the blanks (25 words each).

All students must select two of the four available UNC essays in the Short Answer category. Each candidate must then answer all five answers in full. This means that each student will write a total of seven UNC essays and short supplements.

Students must also write aPersonal opiniongeneral application test indications.

What are the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays?

UNC requires all applicants to complete several UNC Supplement Essays in addition to the UNC Supplement EssaysPersonal opinionnot foundCommon application. For full instructions for the UNC enrollment essays, seeLocation yes UNCand in joint application. We will also detail each of the UNC Companion Assays in this guide.

The two short answer prompts and the five full answers that each candidate must provide are part of theUNC-Chapel Hillholistic evaluation process. According to UNC, the goal of the university is to build a diverse and inclusive community. They hope to learn from each candidate what it means to be a member of a community.

Community emphasis

As you read the following UNC supplemental essays, you will find that all four short answer questions relate to aspects of community. As we discuss how to approach each nomination, we'll show you how to review your community settings. The best answers to these UNC essays demonstrate that the student has a deep understanding of whatcommunitymeans to her. They will also address how the community affects them. UNC Chapel Hill's Supplementary Success Essays also discuss how student actions in one community affect others.

If writing seven essays for UNC at Chapel Hill sounds like a lot to think about, don't be discouraged! Instead, consider the UNC Supplemental Essays your opportunity to introduce yourself to the UNC Admissions team. With seven supplemental UNC assays forwrite, you have even more opportunities to show what makes you unique. Use each answer to show UNC shots why UNC-Chapel Hill should include you.

UNC Supplemental Essays: Short Essays

As part of the UNC admissions requirements, all UNC applicants select two out of four UNC Chapel Hill short-answer essays. While each of these UNC essays is 250 words or less, these are the longest UNC supplement essays you will ever write!

As you may have noticed, each of the prompts focuses on identity and community. As you ponder how to write UNC Chapel Hill essays, you need to think about your communities and how they have shaped you. Start brainstorming for these essays well before the UNC application deadline. So you can be sure to choose the most meaningful topics possible.

Now let's take a look at each of these ads so you know how to deal with them.

UNC Supplemental Essays #1

Describe an aspect of your identity and how it has shaped your life experiences or influenced your daily interactions with others.

The first of UNC's companion short-answer essays is all about you and your own identity. The category "identity" is quite broad. Therefore, successful UNC studies will look very different for each candidate.

As you approach this essay, you can focus on a number of aspects that can shape your identity: religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, or affinity group. While other things may be important to your identity, such as For example, a love of reading or a deep interest in classical music may not belong in this companion UNC essay unless they relate to your core identity. Successful UNC Chapel Hill essays should show how this aspect of your identity has affected your life.

beginning

As you begin the first of UNC Chapel Hill's Supplemental Essays, consider how your identities affect your relationship to the world. Because while everyone holds a variety of identities, those identities affect each person in different ways. Perhaps as a student with a disability you had trouble working in a field that wasn't meant for you; You may have faced challenges as a BIPOC student working to overcome systemic barriers and access educational opportunities. Whatever you discuss, make sure it's unique to you and your experience.

And, of course, avoid bigotry or offensive language. The only exception is when you are describing an incident where you experienced intolerance. You can use this incident as a starting point to engage your reader. However, this should not be the focus of your answer.

complete answers

Be sure to fully respond to this communication. The aspect of your identity you mention is not as important as the impact it has on your life. So when you choose which aspect of your identity to focus on, make sure you can expand its influence into your life experiences and everyday life.

If you have multiple options, try to consider the implications of each. Then choose what seems most important to you. If you are passionate about your subject, your essay is more likely to impress UNC approval. Remember, successful UNC essays do more than just tick another box on your UNC admissions requirements. It also shows the admissions committee who you are.

UNC Supplementary Essays #2

Describe a colleague who makes a difference in your school or community. What actions has this partner taken? How has your work changed your life?

The second of the UNC companion essays essentially asks you to define your values ​​through a colleague you admire. Please note that UNC's admissions team specifically asks you to describe a peer, someone your own age with whom you work. This essay is not your opportunity to talk about the world leaders who inspire you; Instead, you are invited to speak about how real change can begin in your own communities. Therefore, successful supplemental UNC essays should focus on a classmate, colleague, or friend whose actions changed the way you view the world.

It can be tempting to spend most of your 250 words talking about your partner of choice. However, remember that this is the casethey areUNC application. Above all, your reader should leave this essay with a better understanding of who you are. Whatever partner you describe, be sure to tie your response to their identity and your own commitment to the community. In other words, devote part of your answer to what you did because of your peers' influence.

Define "Community Builder"

When completing the UNC Supplementary Essays, students should first consider how they would define a "community builder." What communities are you occupying and how are your peers improving those communities? You could also talk about a colleague, perhaps from another community, whose actions have inspired you to become active in your own circles.

Also remember that in this essay you will be asked to describe specific "actions" your partner has taken to build community. This means that you should be as specific as possible in describing the behavior of your peers and any traits you wish to emulate.

To structure this UNC Companion Essay, begin by describing your chosen partner and the specific actions that make them a "community builder." You could also use an anecdote to illustrate your commitment to your community. However, once you introduce your partner, you must switch to your own perception of the community. How did the partner you describe change the way you see the world? How have they contributed to your own understanding of the community?

focus not effect

It is important to note that this essay is less about the partner and the actions you take and more about their impact on you and the community. Make sure your essays focus on that. Has this person motivated you to do something that is important to you? Or did they influence the course of your studies? Or maybe their work has a direct impact on you and your community? Whatever it is, just make sure that after describing your partner and their work, you focus on the effect they had on you.

Remember, you only have 250 words to fully respond to these supplemental UNC essays. Make sure you answer carefully and fully to impress the UNC shots.

UNC Supplemental Essays #3

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

Like some of UNC's other accompanying essays, this message emphasizes the value of community. In evaluating your response to this supplemental UNC essay, the UNC Admissions team wants to see if you can think critically about the community. Successful UNC essays also demonstrate the candidate's problem-solving skills. In other words, it is not enough to identify the problem, you must also show that you can take steps to solve it.

Essentially, this accompanying message from UNC asks you to describe one thing you would change to make your community a better place. When considering your answer, you must first define the community you want to improve. is it your neighborhood His school? your church? Successful UNC companion essays can describe many types of communities. So don't limit yourself, but it's important to be specific about the community you're trying to change.

Now that you've defined your community, it's time to start thinking about how you could make that community a better place. Please note that this UNC Addendum is a call for action. Make a list of all the things you would like to change in your chosen community. Changes can be big and small, but they have to be specific. For example, instead of simply saying you want to “solve homelessness,” you could say you want to improve access to affordable housing in your community.

if specific

Quoting a specific goal helps you respond to the second part of the message, which asks how you would contribute to the change. Take a look at your list of possible answers to this companion UNC essay: What are you most passionate about? What do you think could make the greatest contribution to change with your skills and talents? Ask yourself these questions to find out what you want to change.

Now that you've identified the one thing you want to change, think about why it's important to change it. Avoid vague phrases like "homeless is bad." Instead, think about the specific impact the issue is having on your community, the people it affects, and its broader impact on society, the nation, and the world. Your supplemental UNC essays should demonstrate your critical thinking skills to the UNC admissions team.

You must address how you would contribute to this change. There are a couple of ways to approach this: practical or hypothetical. Let's look at the example of the homeless. A practical contribution to improving access to affordable housing could be as a student volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and help build affordable housing in your community. Hypothetical answers can be much longer: you could talk about how you would like to help start an organization that builds and operates hotels and temporary shelters for the homeless. Whether you dream big or keep it practical in this companion UNC essay, be sure to discuss why your "one change" matters and how exactly you would help make it happen.

UNC Supplemental Essays #4

Former UNC-Chapel Hill staffer, community service worker and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, "We are nothing without our history." Her words are engraved on theMemorial to the Northside neighborhood freedom fighters. How does history shape who you are?

Like the other companion essays at UNC Chapel Hill, this essay is about identity and community, even if it doesn't appear so at first glance. By framing this question about history through the lens of civil rights activism, this message challenges you to understand your identity and background through a historical lens. It asks you to reflect on your own position within hierarchical and oppressive structures.

The last of the UNC Chapel Hill essays can be a great place to discuss your relationship to your racial, ethnic, or cultural background. However, it is important to be careful with these issues. Unless you come from a marginalized background, do not take this UNC supplemental essay as your chance to show the admissions team how accepted you are by describing the conditions your peers at BIPOC may be facing. Tell your own story, don't try to tell someone else's.

Show your view of the world

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

Remember, UNC prepares its students for thisCreators, explorers, innovators and leaders. This essay could be a good opportunity to show how you would fit into the UNC community by sharing an important part of your history or background.

There are several ways to respond to this notice. Don't feel limited to only using great historic movements. In fact, they can come off as fake and cliche. For example, instead of writing about the women's rights movement and its impact on your life today, you could write about coming from an all-female household. These strong, independent women have probably had the greatest direct impact on your life. As you consider how to respond to this communication, remember that the story may relate to personal history and family history.

Choosing your UNC write prompts

As you think about your UNC essays, think about the stories that make you who you are. In essence, all UNC companion essays ask you to discuss your identity, background, and community. However, these issues are handled differently in each message. If one of UNC-Chapel Hill's companion essays catches your eye, go with your gut! However, if you're having trouble choosing two UNC supplemental essays to answer (or can't narrow down your choices), it might be time for a structured free essay.

How it works: Choose a reminder and set a timer for ten minutes. Write about this message for a full ten minutes without editing, proofreading, or reading your work. After you finish your first message, move on to the next. Do this for each of the supplemental UNC assays. If you have a lot to say about a particular topic, or just enjoy writing about it, you've found one of your UNC Companion Essays.

The power of free writing

If you still feel stuck after yourfree writing, no worries! Review your free papers for each of the UNC supplemental essays and consider how a admissions officer would view them. Which of these stories tells the reader the most about you? Which narratives are the most compelling? Which answers show your unique selling propositions? The most authentic stories will make the strongest UNC supplements.

Once you've chosen your topics for your UNC Supplementary Essays, it's time to start writing. Please refer to the sections above as we detail each of the UNC short answer essays. Keep in mind that while we discuss the four UNC supplemental essays at Chapel Hill, you will only select two of these UNC supplemental essays to fill out.

If you're still having trouble choosing topics for supplemental UNC essays, review (or write) yoursCollege application letter. You may recall key moments in these letters that might inspire some ideas for UNC Chapel Hill essays.

How do I respond to supplemental essays at UNC-Chapel Hill?

Your supplemental UNC essays should complement the rest of your UNC application so the admissions team understands who you are and why you belong to UNC.

Want to know what it's like to create a personal narrative in your app? Check out our expertImmerse yourself in the personal narrative.

Remember to use dynamic, descriptive language in each of your UNC Chapel Hill Supplementary Essays. Your reader should be able to feel your passion and enthusiasm in your UNC companion essays. Typically, authentic and candid answers are the strongest essays at UNC Chapel Hill. The UNC admissions team has reviewed thousands of applications; It's easy to spot superficial answers designed only to impress admissions officers.

Not sure where to start when it comes to UNC Chapel Hill essays? Finding out how to get into UNC Chapel Hill requires a strong general UNC application. Start reading this about getting into UNC Chapel Hillguide. Once you fully understand the process, come back to this guide as it will provide you with the tools to craft solid answers to the UNC supplement essays.

UNC supplement essays: fill in the blank

So you've started your UNC Short Response Supplemental Essays. Congratulations! Well, before you start dreaming about the opportunity to live and study in one of thebest college citiesLet's move to UNC studies in the US to fill in the gaps.

These UNC essays are not essays, just short questions designed to help the admissions team learn more about you. His blunt response to the UNC's supplemental essays was the hardest part.

If you're answering these UNC Chapel Hill essays, you don't have to worrychoose a specialtyor write the Why School Essay. Now it's just fun.

Most importantly, these short supplemental essays from UNC Chapel Hill should add context to your candidate profile and help the admissions team get to know you. Each of your completed UNC essays at Chapel Hill should complement the rest of your UNC application and work in conjunction with your longer UNC supplemental essays to paint a complete picture of your identity.

be precise

With only 25 words for each message, you don't have a lot of space. Plan to answer each of these short UNC application essays in just 1-2 sentences. Don't waste space repeating the message. For example, don't start your response to prompt 4 with "The last time I stepped out of my comfort zone…” Instead, get straight to the point. For question 4, you could write, "I made a bowl of soup in pottery class, but found a fun new hobby."

Because these are fill-in-the-blank questions, the admissions team does not expect you to fully explain your answers in each of these UNC Chapel Hill essays. You must include an explanatory phrase or phrase in each answer, but no more. For example, a response to Prompt 3 might be, "Early 1990's: I've always wondered what a world with dial-up Internet access and no smartphones would be like." This response gives admissions officers a little more context than just admitting "early 1990's." write.

Save the anecdotes

You also don't have to include additional anecdotes in these UNC essays. Hopefully your other UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays have already shown the admissions team who you are. Now you can focus on sharing additional information with them. For example, a 250-word answer to one of the UNC Chapel Hill Supplementary Essays above might start with a personal story, but there's no need (or place) for that in these UNC fill-in-the-blank questions. Instead, just give your reader the information. A quick answer like “My family always makes pierogi on Christmas Eve to celebrate our Polish heritage” will suffice.

Finally, don't be put off by the absolute language in these prompts. However, don't be intimidated. At the end of the day, these UNC Chapel Hill essays are simply asking for 25-word answers that tell you a little more about who you are.

Add a little humor (in good taste)

If the rest of your UNC-Chapel Hill Supplement Essays have shown your depth, you can use these short UNC Supplement Essays to add some humor to your application. An answer to Prompt 2 might be “I would learn Portuguese”, but another valid answer might be “I would sleep. I'm a nine-hour-a-night guy.” Consider the context of your request: if you've already proven you have a great inner workings, you can afford to be cheeky. However, if you go this route, limit your jokes to just one of UNC's fill-in-the-blank essays. And as always in your companion essays to UNC Chapel Hill and these short questions, avoid offensive language.

At the end of the day, don't think too much about these UNC short answer supplement essays. You should spend most of your time on your UNC application essays rather than deciding which year in the future you would like to visit. Go with your gut feeling! If your answers to these UNC fill-in-the-blank essays help your reader learn more about you, you're on the right track.

Are Supplemental Essays from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Important?

Yes! If#29in the list of Best Universities in USA What's New and with a competitiveacceptance level, UNC Chapel Hill places great emphasis on the UNC Supplemental Trials. In fact, it is one of the most important admissions requirements at UNC, especially since UNC has expanded theirsoptional examPolicy for this admission cycle. However, don't be intimidated by the UNC rehearsals at Chapel Hill. Consider UNC Chapel Hill essays your chance to approach the admissions team on your own terms. Take this opportunity to show them what you will bring to UNC!

Remember that a well-crafted set of UNC Chapel Hill essays can make a world of difference in admissions. There are many UNC admissions requirements, but UNC essays are the best way to show your personality and impress admissions. Take your UNC essays seriously; You will not regret it. You might even find inspiration by reading.Sample college essays. Remember not to imitate other essays, but use them to understand how to write your own successful UNC supplement essays.

More details on UNC Chapel Hill

UNC Chapel Hill is not only a top-ranked university nationally, but also#1 in valueamong the state universities. For many applicants trying to find outhow to pay college, quality yet affordable colleges top their list. Check the UNCsScholarships and Financial Aidoccasions.

To learn more about how UNC Chapel Hill's Supplementary Essays fit into the UNC application, visit theirapproval pagefor a list of UNC admission requirements. When considering how to get into UNC, Chapel Hill applicants need a strong general UNC application, including supplemental UNC essays.

Be sure to check the UNC application deadline and UNC admission requirements, as well as your UNC supplemental essays. UNC essays are important, but at a selective school like UNC Chapel Hill, every part of the application is important.

UNC Supplementary Essays: Concluding Reflections

Before diving into the UNC Supplemental Trials, do some research firstUNC Chapel Hill. It can be exciting to think about how to get itAdmission letter from the universityand discovering thecollege enrollmentprocess, but first make sure you're passionateSchools you apply to. If you think about how to write UNC essays at Chapel Hill, you understand the universityMissionand values ​​is the key. From there, you can create powerful essays that focus on who you are and why you want to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

Completing two 250-word UNC essays at Chapel Hill and five short answer questions may seem like a lot, but don't let the sheer volume of UNC application essays put you off. Your complementary UNC essays are your time to show off what makes you unique.

don't forget to check

Finally, proofread your UNC application essays multiple times. In fact, you should start your writing process for these UNC application essays well in advance, at least a few months before the UNC application deadline. Once you've completed a draft, you can also ask a trusted adult to proofread your UNC Chapel Hill essays for spelling, grammar, and clarity. However, it's best to stay away from heavy edits that will erase your voice from the supplemental UNC essays. Remember, admissions officers want to know more about you, not the person who helped you edit your UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays. Much luck!

This 2021-2022 writing guide about UNC–Chapel Hill was written by Abbie Sage, Harvard '21. Need help writing your UNC 2021 Supplemental Essays? Click here to create your free oneAccount, or call (844) 343-6272Arrange your free consultation appointmentwith an admissions specialist.