How to Write the University of Florida Essays 2025-2026
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It’s more than just a laboratory or studio—it’s a full-scale intellectual theme park driven by imagination, dreams, and ambition. Florida is the state’s most comprehensive university, with ties to every Florida county, a top academic medical center, and much more.
The University of Florida has one required prompt for all applicants that asks about your biggest commitment outside of the classroom. There is an additional prompt for all applicants that is only required if you answer “yes” to sharing additional information. UF also has one required prompt for applicants to its Honors Program, as well as one for applicants to its Innovation Academy.
Since UF receives thousands of applications from academically strong students, your essays are your chance to stand out. In this post, we’ll discuss how to craft an engaging response to each of these options.
Read this UF essay example written by a real student to inspire your writing!
University of Florida Supplemental Essay Prompts
All Applicants
Prompt 1: Please provide more details on your most meaningful commitment outside of the classroom while in high school and explain why it was meaningful. This could be related to an extracurricular activity, work, volunteering, an academic activity, family responsibility, or any other non-classroom activity. (250 words)
Prompt 2 (optional): Is there any additional information or extenuating circumstances the Admissions Committee should know when reviewing your application? Please provide more information in fewer than 250 words. (250 words)
Honors Program Applicants
Prompt: In today’s rapidly evolving world, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we learn, work, and interact with one another. It influences everything from the classroom to the workforce and is becoming an integral part of modern education, especially at the University of Florida. As AI continues to advance, however, there is a growing conversation about the need to balance technological innovation with critical thinking, creativity, and human connection – all attributes of an honors education.
Reflecting on this, how do you plan to navigate this evolving landscape during your college experience through your academic study, learning opportunities, and extracurricular activities? How do you hope the Honors Program will impact the way you learn and interact with others? (400 words)
Innovation Academy Applicants
Prompt: Discuss why you are interested in becoming a UF Innovation Academy student and how it will influence your professional career path. (150-300 words)
All Applicants, Prompt 1
Please provide more details on your most meaningful commitment outside of the classroom while in high school and explain why it was meaningful. This could be related to an extracurricular activity, work, volunteering, an academic activity, family responsibility, or any other non-classroom activity. (250 words)
This prompt is a variation of the common Extracurricular Activity prompt since it’s asking you to write about a meaningful commitment you have outside of the classroom.
First, you’ll need to narrow down your list of extracurricular activities to just one to write about. It’s important to choose an activity that you’re passionate about, that you’ve been involved in for a while, and that has helped shape you into the person you are today.
Here are some ideas of the types of topics you might write about:
- Activities where you’ve shown significant commitment
- Clubs or groups that you’ve created, or where you’ve had a leadership role
- Activities that have helped to shape a specific personal aspect of your life
- Experiences that relate to your future goals
- Unique extracurriculars that require an explanation for people to thoroughly understand them
Once you’ve chosen a topic, think about the following questions before you begin writing:
- What is the strongest emotion you feel about this activity?
- What do you think about when you participate in the activity?
- Has the activity helped you strengthen or develop any personality traits?
- Are there any specific skills you’ve developed from participating in this activity?
- How does this activity impact the rest of your life?
Tips for writing your essay
A good response will explain what your activity, responsibility, or experience is, what it entails, and why it is important to you. Make sure to address each of these points, as they are either stated in or implied by the prompt.
Here’s an example of an excellent response to this prompt from Sara, a prospective management major:
“During my sophomore year, I started creating charcuterie boards for parties, events, and other occasions for my friends and family. I loved finding the perfect assortment of crackers, fruit, cheeses, and jams to arrange into beautiful boards, but more importantly, I enjoyed networking with people at each event I worked.
After a few months, I began to receive so many referrals that I decided to start a small business. Managing my schoolwork, sports schedule, leadership roles, and my small business required me to develop excellent time management skills. I also learned about the financial aspects of running a business—managing cash flow, balancing costs, and paying taxes—and the marketing aspects of running a business—leveraging social media, paying for ad space, and utilizing other channels to promote my business.
Before my sophomore year, I had dreams of becoming a doctor. However, after starting my charcuterie business, I realized that my interests in finance, marketing, and business lent themselves to a future in entrepreneurship. I’m grateful for the opportunities my business has given me, and I’m excited to watch my business—and other businesses I might start—grow in the future!”
This example is strong because it very clearly states what the activity is. It then branches off into a discussion of the student’s business, something that was created as a result of the activity. The student also describes her roles in her activity/business throughout the essay, and then ends with a strong argument as to why this passion has become so meaningful to her.
Mistakes to avoid
Choosing the wrong activity. Don’t choose to write about an extracurricular just because you think it sounds impressive, or even just because you’re skilled at it. This essay is a chance to write about an extracurricular activity that is meaningful to you, so you must select an activity you’re passionate about!
Writing a shallow response. It’s not effective to give a detailed history of your participation, or to tell an enticing story about the extracurricular you’ve chosen, if you forget to explain how the activity has affected or changed you. It’s crucial to explain your personal development from participating in the activity.
Listing your accomplishments. Simply listing out your accomplishments with no elaboration will make for an unengaging response that reads like a laundry list. Instead, provide a unique perspective by sharing how the activity impacts your current life as well as your aspirations for the future.
All Applicants, Prompt 2 (optional)
Is there any additional information or extenuating circumstances the Admissions Committee should know when reviewing your application? Please provide more information in less than 250 words. (250 words)
This resembles the Additional Information section listed in the Common App and the exceptional personal circumstances prompt. This is essentially your shot to either explain a lapse in your performance somewhere or to introduce something new about yourself that isn’t evident elsewhere in your application.
You may elaborate further upon an extracurricular activity you feel isn’t clearly explained throughout your application (For example, say you were a Head Designer for your town’s Environmental and Aesthetic Initiative, and admissions officers may not know what that is). You could also talk about a personal story or history that has affected you greatly. You may even discuss a previously unmentioned extracurricular activity that says a lot about you.
This is a wonderfully free space for you to dive into whichever information you feel will give the admissions team the most complete version of your identity. If you don’t think this space is necessary for you, that’s fine too! Just leave it blank.
Honors Program Prompt
In today’s rapidly evolving world, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we learn, work, and interact with one another. It influences everything from the classroom to the workforce and is becoming an integral part of modern education, especially at the University of Florida. As AI continues to advance, however, there is a growing conversation about the need to balance technological innovation with critical thinking, creativity, and human connection – all attributes of an honors education.
Reflecting on this, how do you plan to navigate this evolving landscape during your college experience through your academic study, learning opportunities, and extracurricular activities? How do you hope the Honors Program will impact the way you learn and interact with others? (400 words)
This question asks you to address two big ideas:
- AI + Education: How you will engage with AI’s growing influence — academically, socially, and personally.
- UF Honors Program: How being in the Honors Program specifically will shape the way you learn, think critically, and connect with others.
Admissions officers want to see that you are forward-thinking, reflective, and intentional about your education. They don’t just want you to say “AI is important.” They want you to show how you plan to grapple with its opportunities and challenges at UF.
Brainstorming Your Essay
To spark ideas, ask yourself what excites me most about AI (research, ethics, applications in my field, accessibility, creativity). Do I see AI as a tool to enhance my work, a subject to study, or a societal challenge to solve? What academic interests connect to AI? (engineering, philosophy, medicine, linguistics, art, psychology, etc.). What learning opportunities at UF would let me deepen this interest (courses, research centers, labs, seminars, honors colloquia)?
Outside the classroom, how do I hope to explore AI’s balance with human connection (clubs, service projects, leadership, creative work)? What do I hope the Honors community gives me — like small, discussion-driven classes, access to faculty, interdisciplinary peers?
What Makes a Good Response
A strong essay should:
- Show originality: Go beyond “AI is powerful but we need balance.” Share your unique perspective or stake in the AI conversation.
- Tie AI to your interests: If you’re pre-med, you might talk about AI in diagnostic tools vs. bedside empathy. If you’re into creative writing, you might explore how AI-generated text forces writers to reimagine originality.
- Be specific to UF Honors: Show that you understand how the Honors Program will support your growth (seminars, interdisciplinary focus, close faculty mentorship). Avoid generic mentions like “prestige” or “great opportunities.”
- Connect back to the community: Show how you’ll use the program not just for yourself but to spark meaningful conversations, collaborations, or service.
Hypothetical Student Examples
Here are a few strong topic directions different kinds of students could take:
- Arjun, Computer Science + Philosophy: Arjun is fascinated by both coding and ethics. He hopes to study AI systems design while also engaging in Honors seminars on morality and decision-making. His essay could focus on how he wants to develop ethical frameworks for AI while collaborating with peers who bring humanities perspectives.
- Sofia, Pre-Med + Spanish minor: After shadowing in a hospital, she saw how diagnostic AI tools save time but sometimes distance doctors from patients. She plans to pursue research on AI in healthcare while using Honors classes and cultural studies to keep empathy and human connection at the center of her medical training.
- Jordan, Digital Arts: Jordan uses AI image tools to experiment with design, but also feels uneasy about issues of originality. In UF’s Honors Program, he hopes to take interdisciplinary seminars and collaborate with students across STEM and the arts to explore how creativity can thrive in the AI era.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
As you write, be careful that your essay isn’t too broad. You don’t want to include overarching statements like “AI is changing everything, so I want to be prepared.” For your essay to be more effective and reveal something about you, you’ll need to be more specific.
Another thing to avoid is praising the Honors College in general, without getting specific about why it fits with your vision of your future. Remember, you want to highlight specific seminars, mentorship opportunities, or values in the Honors community that will help you. Students who just praise the Honors College without connecting the dots about how it will help them will have weaker essays.
Good and Bad Examples
Bad Example:
“AI is going to be very important in the future, and I want to learn how to use it responsibly. At UF, I will take classes, join clubs, and make the most of the Honors Program to balance technology with creativity and human connection. I know the Honors Program will prepare me for success in my future career.”
Why it’s bad: This could be copy-pasted into any AI-related prompt for a myriad of colleges. There are no personal stakes, no specifics about UF Honors, and no vivid voice.
Good Example:
“When I taught myself to use ChatGPT to debug my Python code, I was amazed at how quickly it solved a problem that had stumped me for hours. But the breakthrough didn’t feel like mine — it felt borrowed. That moment pushed me to think about how AI can accelerate learning while also eroding the struggle that makes problem-solving rewarding.
At UF, I want to study computer science while engaging in Honors seminars that ask the bigger questions: How do we define originality? What happens when machines can replicate human reasoning? Beyond coursework, I hope to join peers in Honors Think Tank projects, where I could design ethical guidelines for AI in education. Outside the classroom, I’d like to explore student groups like Gator AI, while also leading workshops that help classmates use AI thoughtfully rather than passively.
For me, the Honors Program represents a community where technology and humanity are never seen as opposites but as partners in redefining what learning can mean. I hope to emerge not just as a programmer, but as someone who can guide others to use AI with creativity, empathy, and responsibility.”
Why it’s good: In contrast to the bad example, this essay is anchored in a personal anecdote, it connects to both academics and extracurriculars, references UF Honors opportunities, and reflects deeply on AI’s role in learning. This leaves the reader which a much better sense of who this student is.
Innovation Academy Prompt
Discuss why you are interested in becoming a UF Innovation Academy student and how it will influence your professional career path. (300 words)
This prompt is a narrowed-down example of a “Why This College” essay archetype, as the focus is on the University of Florida’s Innovation Academy (IA) specifically. The admissions committee wants to know two things: why you’re interested in IA in particular, and how it will influence your future professional career. The key is that your essay should be about IA, not UF at large.
As a reminder, UF’s Innovation Academy is a specialized minor program with a hands-on, collaborative curriculum that operates on a spring/summer schedule. Its most recent admissions profile included a total of 644 students, which means that only about 5% of UF is also part of the Innovation Academy.
The uniqueness of IA should be reflected in your essay: emphasize the aspects of the program that can’t be found at any other school, including UF more broadly, and explain how they align with your interests and goals. Think about the following questions to help you get started:
- What about the Innovation Academy appeals to you? — Are specific programs, opportunities for interdisciplinary or experiential learning, or the Innovation minor particularly interesting to you?
- What excites you about innovation and entrepreneurship? — Have you participated in any projects, competitions, or courses related to innovation or entrepreneurship?
- Why is interdisciplinary learning important to you? — How do you envision blending different fields of study to create something new and impactful?
- How does the Innovation Academy align with your career goals? — Which aspects of the IA’s curriculum, like the Innovation minor or spring/summer schedule, are relevant to your plans and long-term goals?
- What specific opportunities or resources within the Innovation Academy will help you grow? — How will the program’s resources, opportunities, and environment help you prepare for your desired career?
A strong essay will demonstrate a clear, personal connection to IA. It should show that you’ve done your research, and that your interest in the program is genuine, not that you just want another thing to put on your resume.
Highlight specific aspects of the program that align with your goals, such as the unique spring/summer schedule, the emphasis on innovation, or the opportunity to work on real-world projects, to illustrate how IA will help you achieve your career goals. Be concrete about how the skills, experiences, and connections you’ll gain from IA will help you in your future profession.
It’s also a good idea to include personal anecdotes or experiences that have led you to your interest in innovation, entrepreneurship, or interdisciplinary studies. That will help your passion for this field come across as deep and authentic.
Now, let’s look at a potential rough draft example and explain how it could be strengthened.
“I’m interested in joining UF’s Innovation Academy because it will give me the skills I need to succeed in marketing and brand creation. I’ve always been creative, and the program’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship seems like a good fit to equip me with the abilities and knowledge to market tech products in a unique way. IA will provide the opportunities I’m looking for to fit my interests, and I’m also excited to work with other students who share my interests in marketing and technology.”
This response is generic and lacks depth. It doesn’t explain why the Innovation Academy specifically is the right program for the writer, or how it will help her achieve her career goals, so it seems like it could apply to almost any school/program. Let’s read an improved version below.
“My fascination with how technology shapes consumer behavior has driven me to explore innovative marketing strategies that captivate audiences, for example, through the social media campaign I launched to market the homemade masks I designed during the pandemic. When I discovered UF’s Innovation Academy, I was thrilled by the program’s unique approach to blending creativity with real-world problem-solving, which aligns perfectly with my goal to use tech to develop cutting-edge marketing campaigns.
I’m particularly excited about the opportunity to work on projects through the Innovation in Action course and present them at the Catalyst showcase. This is a chance for me to pitch my ideas to both my peers and a broader audience, which will give me a more concrete sense of how to incorporate new technology with traditional marketing approaches once I enter the professional world.”
This response, on the other hand, clearly connects the student’s interest in marketing and technology with specific aspects of the Innovation Academy (a particular course and showcase). It demonstrates that she has not only a concrete vision for her future but also a deep understanding of how the program will help her achieve her professional goals.
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