UVA Releases Its 2022-2023 Essays


2022-2023 #UVA First Year Application Writing Prompts

UVA did a total re-haul of its essays and word lengths.

College Specific

100 word max.

College of Arts & Sciences: If you could create a college course that all UVA students would take, what would it be about and why?

School of Engineering: How will you use an engineering degree to change the world for the better?

School of Architecture: Describe a significant experience that deepened your interest in studying in the School of Architecture.

School of Nursing: Describe a health care-related experience or another significant interaction that deepened your interest in studying Nursing.

Kinesiology Program: Describe an experience that has deepened your interest in studying kinesiology.

Short Responses (Choose Two)

50 word max per response

Students will then write responses to two prompts out of ten options in about 50 words each. Again, the Common App boxes allow students to go a little over the stated limit. Some of these are old favorites and some are new.

1. What’s your favorite word and why?
2. We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. What is one of your quirks?
3. About what topic could you speak for an hour?
4. Take us to your happy place.
5. You can wake up tomorrow and a skill you already have will become expert-level. What skill is that?
6. What is the last gift you gave something that wasn’t bought with money?
7. What website is the internet missing?
8. After a challenging experience, how do you recharge?
9. Tell us about a place you’d like to share with everyone, but also keep to yourself.
10. UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. What would you paint on Beta Bridge and why is this your message?


About Rebecca

Dr. Rebecca Joseph is the developer of this unique integrated website and mobile application that provides all college application requirements for more than 750 major universities in the US and Canada. She has a PhD from UCLA and is a national expert on writing powerful college application essays.

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