UVA’s Supplemental Essay
The University of Virginia has a new essay this year, and so far many of my students have found it intimidating on first glance. The task is to write 300 words on the following:
What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you.
This prompt change, along with many others we are seeing in schools across the United States, is in reaction to the Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action earlier this year. The question offers students the ability to write specifically about how their race impacts their perspective and experiences, but a student can write about a variety of things in addition to or instead of their race.
Digging into this question, we see that this essay has some ties to a typical college supplement - how does something unique about you prepare you to be a contributing member of a particular university?
To brainstorm this questin, I recommend highlighting the key words in the prompt:
What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you.
I know that a successful essay has three components here: my perspective, how it’s a source of strength, and how that will matter at UVA. If you write a draft, you should be able to highlight it for each of those three areas.
To brainstorm this essay, I would probably make a list of all of the possible things I could write about, using those headings:
Community
Is my neighborhood or local community something I’m heavily involved in? What about a sports community? Is a religious community important to me? What about a cultural community, or that of one of my parents?
Upbringing
Did my parent(s)’ professions shape the way I see the world? Did my socioeconomic status impact my perspective? Was I raised in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, or multi-lingual home? Did I go through a difficult situation that might allow me to have compassion for others?
Educational Environment
Homeschool, private school, or niche school programs might apply here. Some students may write about going to a school with less economic resources and opportunities.
Race & Gender
You most likely won’t have to brainstorm what these are for you, but you can ask yourself if your identity has impacted your experiences in a significant way.
To get at perspective + source of strength, I would ask myself, “Is there any skill or quality that I can share with others because of my experiences?” or “How have I grown in a positive way in light of these experiences, even if they were negative?”
Lastly, I would look to find some specifics for what my time would look like “while at UVA” - it may not be required, but I can’t miss a chance to give a nod to a school. A student from Afghanistan may plan to join the Afghan Student Association, while another student may find a way to pursue their faith within the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship.
What questions do you have? Is there another way you would approach this question?
