How to Write the UNC Wilmington Essays 2025-2026
The University of North Carolina (UNC) Wilmington is a public university in Wilmington, North Carolina, that places a strong emphasis on research. It is consistently ranked as one of the top schools in the South.
This year, UNC Wilmington has one supplemental essay prompt that all students are required to respond to, and one prompt required for applicants of the Honors College. Take a look at our breakdowns below to help you write your UNC Wilmington essays!
UNC Wilmington Supplemental Essay Prompts
All Applicants
Prompt: Reflect on your identity, including your background and experiences, and how you envision your identity contributing to the UNCW community. (250 words)
Honors College Applicants
Prompt: After researching the Honors College opportunities at UNCW, explain how the Honors College will enhance your specific experience at UNCW. (300 words)
All Applicants Prompt
Reflect on your identity, including your background and experiences, and how you envision your identity contributing to the UNCW community. (250 words)
This prompt falls under the “Diversity” essay archetype. It’s asking you to reflect on your unique identity—which could include aspects such as your background, culture, values, or personal experiences—and explain how that shapes your worldview. You should then connect these elements of your identity to the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) community, showing how you’ll bring a unique perspective or make a positive impact.
UNCW is looking to understand the experiences, background, and qualities that make you, you. Since your identity could be defined by race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic background, family dynamics, geography, etc, this prompt gives you lots of freedom to decide what to write about.
Brainstorming Your Essay
When it comes to trying to narrow down your identity into a 250 word supplement, you’ll need to do a decent amount of brainstorming to find a specific aspect you want to highlight and then figure out how it has influenced you and how it will influence the type of student you are at UNCW.
It might be helpful to ask yourself the following questions:
- What aspects of your identity are most important to you? This could include your culture, heritage, family background, or any personal experiences.
- How have these aspects of your identity shaped your values, interests, or goals?
- Have you faced any challenges or gained unique insights because of your identity?
- How do you see your identity influencing your interactions with others in the UNCW community? Are there specific organizations, initiatives, or resources that align with your background or experiences?
What Makes a Good Response
The first step is to showcase the aspect of your identity that you determined is the most meaningful. The key to success is to choose one or two defining threads instead of trying to cover everything at once. For example, a student raised in a bilingual household might focus on how translating for their parents taught them to become a careful listener and bridge-builder. Starting with this kind of vivid, specific detail immediately grounds your essay in authenticity.
From there, you’ll want to illustrate your identity with a concrete experience. Think about a moment where your background shaped the way you acted, learned, or saw the world. Instead of saying, “Being from a coastal town taught me resilience,” describe the experience of helping board up windows before a hurricane, or working alongside neighbors to clean debris afterward. A story like that makes your identity come alive for the reader and demonstrates how it has influenced your values.
The final step is showing how this identity will contribute to the UNCW community. Admissions officers want to see that you won’t just keep your perspective to yourself, but that it will shape how you interact with peers and enrich campus life. A student who grew up helping younger siblings with schoolwork might envision joining UNCW’s tutoring center or mentoring program. Or maybe a first-generation student who values perseverance could describe how they plan to support others navigating college for the first time. These forward-looking connections reveal not only who you are now, but also who you will be on campus.
Above all, authenticity is key. This essay isn’t about delivering a polished or “impressive” version of your identity, but about offering a glimpse into the real values and experiences that have shaped you. If you can pair one vivid anecdote from your life with a genuine reflection on how that perspective will shape your role at UNCW, you’ll write a response that stands out as both personal and purposeful.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When writing about your identity, it’s important to avoid vague or generic statements. Saying something like, “I come from a diverse background,” doesn’t give the reader any insight into who you are. Instead, focus on specific details and stories that reveal how your background has shaped your perspective, values, or goals. Concrete examples will make your essay far more memorable and authentic.
It’s also worth noting that while challenges are an important part of many students’ stories, you want to be careful not to overemphasize hardship. An essay that only focuses on adversity can feel one-dimensional if it doesn’t connect back to your growth or contributions. Hardships can be powerful to share, but they should always tie directly into how you’ve learned, changed, or developed strengths that you’ll carry with you to UNCW.
Finally, don’t forget to connect your identity to UNCW itself. Admissions officers want to see how your unique perspective will enrich the campus community. Be sure to mention specific organizations, resources, or opportunities at UNCW that align with your experiences and identity. Showing that you’ve thought carefully about how you’ll engage on campus makes your essay both forward-looking and personal.
Essay Examples
Good Example
“As the child of immigrants from Haiti, I grew up immersed in two worlds: my parents’ vibrant Creole culture and the fast-paced, diverse community of Brooklyn. While it wasn’t always easy to navigate, these experiences instilled in me a deep appreciation for cultural diversity. In high school, I took pride in sharing Haitian traditions with my peers through dance performances and organizing events like “Heritage Day,” where students from different backgrounds could share their cultures. At UNCW, I hope to continue fostering this spirit of inclusion by joining the Black Student Union and creating spaces where students feel empowered to express their identities. I would also like to partner with other multicultural clubs to organize a “Heritage Day” at UNCW. With UNCW’s focus on diversity, I’m excited to engage with other students from all walks of life, working together to build an even more inclusive campus community.”
Why it works: This response provides specific details about the student’s background and how it shaped their values. It connects their experiences to UNCW in a meaningful way by mentioning relevant campus organizations and expressing excitement about contributing to the UNCW community.
Bad Example
“I come from a diverse background and have always been interested in different cultures because my parents are from Haiti. Growing up, I learned to respect different viewpoints based on my own experiences and experiences of those in my community, and I think this tendency to be open-minded will help me at UNCW. I plan to contribute by being a good friend to my classmates, supporting different diversity initiatives on campus, and fostering a tolerant environment for students from all backgrounds.”
Why it doesn’t work: This response is vague and lacks specific details about the student’s background or how their identity shaped them. There’s no clear connection between the student’s experiences and how they will contribute to the UNCW community. It also lacks any mention of specific UNCW resources or organizations.
In summary, focus on how your unique identity has shaped your perspective and how you will bring that perspective to enrich the UNCW community. Make sure to connect your background with specific opportunities at UNCW, showcasing how both you and the campus will benefit from your contributions.
Honors College Prompt
After researching the Honors College opportunities at UNCW, explain how the Honors College will enhance your specific experience at UNCW. (300 words)
This prompt falls under the “Why This College” archetype. It’s asking you to reflect on specific Honors College opportunities that will enhance your academic and personal development at UNCW. You need to show that you’ve researched the Honors College and explain how it aligns with your goals and interests.
UNCW wants to know how you’ll take advantage of the unique opportunities offered by its Honors College. Your response should:
- Highlight specific programs, resources, or experiences within the Honors College that appeal to you.
- Explain how these resources will enhance your academic journey or future career goals.
- Show a strong connection between your background, interests, and what the Honors College offers.
What Makes a Good Response
The most effective essays start with the student. Rather than jumping straight into Honors College resources, begin with your own academic interests, values, or habits of learning. For example, maybe you’ve always loved asking “why” in biology class and that curiosity pushed you into independent science fair projects. Or perhaps you’re fascinated by how literature and history overlap, and you thrive when you can make cross-disciplinary connections. Starting with yourself helps the reader understand why you belong in a program that emphasizes intellectual engagement.
Once you’ve introduced your interests, connect them directly to one or two Honors College opportunities. The key here is specificity. If you’re passionate about research, you might point to the chance to pursue a Senior Honors Project under the mentorship of a specific faculty member, and explain how that would prepare you for graduate school or a career in medicine.
A student drawn to global experiences might highlight the Cultural Study Abroad program and describe how immersion in another culture would shape their future career in international relations. The goal isn’t to list opportunities, but to show why those opportunities matter to you personally.
You’ll also want to emphasize how the Honors College community will enhance your learning. Maybe the smaller, discussion-based Honors seminars appeal to you because you value debate and collaborative problem-solving. A student who thrives in close-knit groups might write about how the Honors College’s Living-Learning Community would provide a supportive environment where they can both give and receive mentorship. Here, it’s important to show not just what you’ll gain but also what you’ll bring—your curiosity, creativity, or leadership.
Finally, end on a forward-looking note. How will the Honors College help you live out your bigger goals at UNCW and beyond? A student interested in sustainability might write about leveraging Honors resources to research coastal ecosystems, then sharing findings with the wider Wilmington community. By connecting personal goals with UNCW’s resources and community, you’ll demonstrate that you see Honors as more than an academic credential—it’s the place where your aspirations and values will take root.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One of the biggest pitfalls is being too generic. Saying “I want to join Honors because it offers small classes and great professors” could apply to countless schools. Admissions officers want to see that you’ve researched UNCW specifically, and that you’re genuinely excited about what makes its Honors College distinctive.
Another common mistake is turning the essay into a résumé recap. The prompt isn’t asking for what you’ve already accomplished; it’s asking how Honors will enhance your future experience. Rather than saying, “I was president of NHS, so I’ll be successful in Honors,” you could write, “My leadership experience in NHS taught me how much I value collaboration, which I look forward to continuing through Honors seminars where teamwork is central.”
Finally, avoid listing opportunities without connecting them back to yourself. It’s tempting to name-drop Honors projects, scholarships, and programs, but without a personal tie, these details feel hollow. Instead, think of each resource as a tool you’ll use to pursue something that already matters deeply to you. By grounding your essay in your own goals and showing how Honors will amplify them, you’ll avoid the trap of sounding generic and instead present yourself as a student who sees Honors as the natural next step in their intellectual journey.
Essay Examples
Good Example
“As someone passionate about environmental sustainability and marine biology, I’m excited about the research opportunities offered by UNCW’s Honors College. The Research Fellowship Competition will provide me the opportunity to begin my research in marine ecology as early as my sophomore year, working alongside esteemed faculty in UNCW’s renowned Marine Science Center. I’ve already read about Dr. Dylan McNamara’s work in ecosystem restoration, and I would love to contribute to his research on phytoplankton blooms. Beyond research, I’m eager to join the Honors Scholars Living-Learning Community. Being surrounded by fellow driven students will create an intellectually stimulating environment, and I can already imagine our late-night discussions about climate change and policy. The flexibility of the Honors curriculum will also allow me to take part in a semester-long study abroad trip to the Galapagos Islands, which aligns perfectly with my goal of conducting field research in diverse ecosystems around the world. The Honors College will give me the academic rigor and personalized guidance I need to pursue a Ph.D. and a future as a marine biologist.”
Why it works: This response is extremely specific. Not only does it list multiple unique aspects of the Honors College, but it connects them back to the student’s background and goals so the reader appreciates why they are excited by those opportunities. It is very clear to see what this student is passionate about and how they will contribute to the UNCW Honors community from reading this essay.
Bad Example
“The Honors College at UNCW will provide me with incredible opportunities to grow as a student and person. The professors are experts in their fields, which ensures that I will be receiving a good education. I look forward to the small class sizes and challenging courses that will push me to do my best. I also want to participate in the many research opportunities that will be available to me as a student in the Honors College, as they will help me in the future as I pursue a graduate degree. Being part of the Honors College will make my time at UNCW more meaningful, and I know it will open up a lot of doors for me.”
Why it doesn’t work: This response is vague and lacks specificity. It doesn’t mention any specific opportunities within the Honors College or show how they align with the students’ interests. This essay could just as easily apply to a dozen other schools, which is something you should never be striving for.
In summary, make sure your response to this prompt highlights specific aspects of UNCW’s Honors College that align with your academic and career goals, and show genuine excitement about how these opportunities will shape your experience at UNCW.
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