How to Write the University of Evansville Essays 2020-2021

University of Evansville is a private liberal arts university in Evansville, Indiana. It is one of the top ten regional universities in the Midwest. University of Evansville offers over 80 majors, including well-known physical therapy and physician assistant programs. Students also have the opportunity to study at University of Evansville’s second campus in the United Kingdom. 

University of Evansville has an acceptance rate of 69%. UE accepts both the Common Application and their school-specific application. If applying via the school-specific portal and not the Common App, University of Evansville requires applicants submit a response to one of four essay prompts in addition to other application materials. Students applying to the Direct Entry Physical Therapy program or the Direct Entry Physician Assistant program will need to submit an additional essay. 

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For Applicants Applying via the University of Evansville Portal

Required (250-500): Please submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Topic choice is crucial in successfully responding to this prompt. Choose a book or movie that will allow you to create meaningful explanations as to why it had an influence on you. For example, although you may love the stunning graphics in the latest Avengers movie, do not select this movie unless you have a substance-based explanation. 

You will need to briefly describe the book or movie you select. Do not give an in-depth synopsis of everything that happens in the work. Instead, aim to describe however much your reader needs to understand why the work is meaningful to you. 

For example, instead of describing all of Holden Caulfield’s New York adventures in The Catcher in the Rye, you can simply explain Holden Caulfield’s background and the purpose of his trip to New York. Instead of going over all of the examples Jared Diamond provides in Guns, Germs, and Steel, explain the main thesis of his book.

Once you have succinctly explained the premise of your book or movie, explain how the book or movie influenced you. Stay away for general explanations such as saying that the movie left you in awe or that it inspired an interest in magic. Instead, choose specific ways the book or movie changed your thinking. 

For example, you could discuss how reading Harry Potter inspired your interest in creative writing by showing you the power of an all-encompassing fantasy world. Alternatively, you could discuss how watching The Crown sparked your interest in World War II-era history.

You will become familiar with “Why This College” prompts as you complete more college applications. Use this prompt as an opportunity to showcase your interest in University of Evansville. This prompt asks you to help achieve your personal and professional goals, so you should attempt to discuss both academic and non-academic aspects of UE.

Your answers should focus on school-specific programs or features that you could not easily find at other universities. For example, saying you want to attend University of Evansville to join a service club would not be compelling because most universities have some form of a service club. However, you could talk about how UE’s Change Lab would allow you to participate in various service-related projects in over 60 disciplines. 

Your personal goals should focus on the student experience you want to have at the University of Evansville. You can discuss clubs, sports, or other student-related experiences you want to engage in to better further your personal goals. For example, you could say that you look forward to participating in community service through Greek Life, or that you want to expand your leadership capabilities by serving on the executive board of a club. 

Although “professional goals” can sound daunting, you do not need to talk about your lifelong career goals with exact precision. Instead, you could explain how UE’s academic programs will help you get into graduate school, or how your desired major at UE will help you advance your career. 

For example, a premed student could talk about how University of Evansville’s Baccalaureate to Doctor of Medicine program, which would allow you to gain provisional admission to the IU School of Medicine-Evansville. You could also discuss how UE’s relationships with local businesses such as Atlas World Group will allow you to secure an internship and advance your career. 

If you are writing about your major, try to include information about specific courses or professors to showcase your specific interest in the school. University of Evansville’s course rosters and faculty profiles are available on their website. For example, if you want to study physical therapy, you could talk about your desire to take neurological rehabilitation courses with Doctor Liang.

If you have not decided on your major, you could talk about how UE’s major discovery program will help you explore career options through a specialized academic advisor and a flexible liberal arts program. You could also discuss how your interest in participating in career-related clubs such as the PT Club or the Chemistry Club. 

Once again, topic choice is crucial in responding to this prompt. Avoid discussing controversial topics such as drug or alcohol use, as they could isolate your reader. If your topic has sensitive subject matter, be cautious in the extent of detail you choose to share. Although your reader should understand the extent of your circumstances, you do not need to share particularly disturbing or gory details. 

However, do not shy away from writing about a negative experience, such as a personal failure or a major life challenge. Showing humility or overcoming adversity demonstrates a great deal of personal growth and maturity, and can help your piece stand out among a slew of essays.

Opening with a narrative anecdote will allow you to attract your reader’s interest in your subject matter. For example, instead of writing you won a cross country race, place the reader in your shoes in the last few seconds. Describe your tired body as you approached the finish line, and the feeling of excitement and disbelief when you crossed it before your competitor. 

Once you have decided on your situation, explain why this experience was significant.  For example, instead of simply writing that it felt good to win your cross country race, explain that this win represented years of hard work and dedication to training. Instead of writing that failing your math test upset you, explain that after your setback you became motivated to work harder and learned stronger study skills. 

Although you may have many people whose company you enjoy, choose someone that you changed your way of thinking or helped you grow. You should be able to succinctly explain how this person meaningfully impacted your life.

A personal anecdote will help draw your reader into your story and make your essay more concrete. Open your essay by recounting a meaningful experience you had with your person. For example, if your grandfather influenced your love of geology, you could write about visiting the Museum of Natural History with him when you were in second grade. If your sophomore Algebra teacher motivated you to work harder in math, you could write about the time you got an A on a difficult test.

You should also be able to specifically explain how your person impacted you. For example, saying you admire your mother’s work ethic is too vague. Why has your mother’s work ethic influenced you? Are you inspired by her ability to manage a successful career while being present for you? What influence has her work ethic had on your life? Does your mom inspire you to work harder in your schoolwork?

For example, you could write about how your mom volunteers every month at the soup kitchen despite her busy career as a lawyer. You could further explain her hard work and dedication inspire you to put in full effort in anything you do, ranging from your schoolwork to personal service.

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