The University of Texas at Austin

Essay prompts (4)

1. other2026-27650 words

   Applies to: All freshman applicants (required essay; guidance is 500-650 words; the Common App personal essay will complete the UT Austin essay requirement)

   Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt or one of your own design.

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: The University of Texas at Austin has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

2. academic interest2026-27300 words

   Applies to: All freshman applicants (required short answer; no more than 40 lines, or about 250-300 words)

   Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: The University of Texas at Austin has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

3. activity2026-27300 words

   Applies to: All freshman applicants (required short answer; no more than 40 lines, or about 250-300 words)

   Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why?

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: The University of Texas at Austin has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

4. short answer2026-27300 words

   Applies to: All freshman applicants (optional short answer; no more than 40 lines, or about 250-300 words)

   Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.

   This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: The University of Texas at Austin has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

   source

We haven't found a published AI policy for this school yet. When in doubt: feedback and brainstorming are widely accepted; AI-written essay content is not. Second Read only does the former.

How reviews use this page

When you request a review for a The University of Texas at Austin supplement, the feedback is grounded in exactly what you see here: the prompt itself, its word limit, and what the school publishes about its values and programs. That's the whole claim — calibrated to the prompt and the school's own published guidance, scored against a consistent rubric. Not insider knowledge, and never a rewrite: Second Read is a coach, not a ghostwriter. It flags weaknesses and tells you what to fix and why; it never writes a sentence of your essay.

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