Francesca Jette December 9, 2024 18 Essay Breakdowns,Essay Guides 2024-25

How to Write the University of Kansas Essays 2024-2025

The University of Kansas does not have any school-wide supplemental essays. However, students applying for the Honors Program or the Engineering SELF Program must submit written responses to program-specific questions, along with their Common App.

Both of these programs have fairly extensive supplemental essay packages, so if you’re applying to one of them, make sure to decide that early, so that you have enough time to brainstorm for, write, and revise your essays. In this post, we’ll break down how you should approach each prompt, so that you can be sure you’re putting your best foot forward and maximizing your chances of acceptance to these prestigious programs.

University of Kansas Supplemental Essay Prompts

Honors Program Applicants Prompt 1

The KU Honors Program is asking applicants to write a 500-word essay responding to one of three prompts. Each of these prompts explore your intellectual curiosities and aspirations for your future and is designed to evaluate how deeply you reflect on your experiences, values, and educational goals, as well as how you plan to grow within the Honors Program at KU. They all share some elements with the Academic Interest essay archetype, so make sure to familiarize yourself with the expectations of that type of response.

Let’s break down each option.

This prompt asks you to assess the Einstein quote “It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education,” by reflecting on your own educational background and your intellectual curiosity. The emphasis is much less on an analytical approach to the quote itself, of course, and instead is angling at your own innate interests and relationship with education. The goal is to delve into your personal initiative and intellect through the academic topics that draw you in and spur you to do your own research and to demonstrate how you’ll continue this curiosity in the KU Honors Program.

To begin, consider the brainstorming questions below to help you identify a topic.

• When in your education did you feel like your curiosity was limited or enhanced? Was this in a formal school setting, or through self-directed learning?
• Have there been moments where you pursued a topic outside of school because you were genuinely curious?
• What resources, classes, or opportunities at KU Honors are you excited to explore to continue fueling your curiosity?

Make sure that your topic relates to your intended major and career path at KU in order to make your response authentic and engaging. Use storytelling and narrative elements to draw the reader into your personal and intellectual journey.

Examples of topics might include:

• Samiya, an aspiring biochemist, recalls feeling stifled by the rigid curriculum of her high school chemistry class but rediscovered her passion for the subject by reading articles about CRISPR on her own. At KU Honors, she’s excited to work in the Honors Research Development Program to deepen her knowledge in biochemistry and bioethics, ensuring that her curiosity continues to drive her learning.
• Christopher, a history buff, loved studying history in school but found his greatest joy in visiting local museums and reading historical fiction in his free time. He plans to further explore history through KU’s Honors seminars and the university’s connections to primary source archives, where he can ask more in-depth questions about underrepresented historical narratives.
• Marie, who enjoys literature and writing, initially felt restricted by the formulas and processes of responding to AP Language prompts but eventually came to appreciate the foundation it provided her for writing on her own. She wants to major in Literature, Language, and Writing and take advantage of the Pura Vida: Costa Rica & Travel Writing study abroad program to vary her writing skills.

A strong response will reflect on how your approach to curiosity has changed over time and how being a part of KU Honors will help you continue to foster it. You should engage with Einstein’s statement, offering your perspective on whether formal education nurtures or limits curiosity and sharing personal experiences that highlight how curiosity has evolved for you. Include stories or moments from your educational journey—both in and outside of school—where you felt your curiosity was either stifled or ignited. Finally, it’s important to identify specific resources at KU and the Honors Program that will help you keep your curiosity alive. This could include honors seminars, research opportunities, or interdisciplinary programs, but it’s a great way to help the admissions officers imagine you and your place on campus.

Now, let’s check out a couple of example responses.

“Einstein’s quote really resonates with me because I agree that curiosity can sometimes be stifled by school. For example, I’ve always been curious about many topics, but sometimes my teachers didn’t allow me to explore them because we had to stick to the curriculum. However, I still found ways to be curious by reading books on my own. I plan to continue this curiosity at KU by taking a lot of interesting classes and doing research through the Honors Program. This way, I will ensure that my curiosity is never stifled and that I continue to grow academically.”

This response is vague and lacks specific details about the student’s experiences or interests. The language is generic, and the connection to KU resources is superficial, with no concrete plans mentioned. Let’s look into a stronger example below.

“I’ll never forget the day my English teacher handed back our graded essays with a stern frown. My heart sank as I saw a red ‘C’ at the top of the page. Her feedback stung: ‘This is not what I assigned.’ It wasn’t, but I had been too engrossed in a tangent about medieval literature and its connection to modern fantasy novels to follow the guidelines. That moment marked the beginning of a tension I felt throughout high school: my curiosity often led me off the beaten path, leaving me disconnected from formal assignments. Yet, it was outside the classroom where my curiosity thrived. I’d stay up late, researching how Arthurian legends inspired Tolkien’s world-building or how Chaucer’s irony shaped modern satire. Einstein was right—my curiosity often found itself at odds with the constraints of formal education.

At KU, I plan to nurture this curiosity by exploring the overlap between my love for medieval literature and digital humanities. The Honors Program’s interdisciplinary seminars, especially those that connect literature with technology, offer the perfect environment for me to expand my knowledge in areas traditional courses couldn’t. I’m also eager to dive into the Honors Research Development Program to pursue a project on digitizing and analyzing medieval manuscripts. In this way, I will continue to fuel my curiosity beyond the restrictions of formal coursework, creating my own academic journey.”

This example dives into a specific moment where the student’s curiosity clashed with formal education and shows how that experience eventually shaped their academic interests. It also ties those interests to specific opportunities at KU, which helps authenticate their interest and commitment to the university. It uses vivid storytelling to show a specific experience of how formal education felt limiting and connects this to their desire to explore KU’s specific resources and reflects on how their curiosity has evolved.

In this prompt, you’ll reflect on your future plans to improve the world (or the world around you) by drawing from your experiences and background. You should use the quote as a jumping-off point to connect your personal journey with your aspirations for bettering society, both at KU and beyond. You might choose to use some aspects of the Political/Global Issues and Impact on Community/Community Service essay archetypes, so see those breakdowns to get an idea of what you might write about. It’s important to employ a narrative that illustrates how your background motivated you toward the specific aspirations you have to brighten your community and the world.

Think about the questions below to help you brainstorm a topic.

• What are the social, environmental, or political issues you care most about?
• What experiences in your life have made you passionate about improving society or the planet?
• How do you see your college education contributing to your ability to address these issues?
• What specific resources at KU will help you make a difference in your chosen area?

Your topic should explore a tangible path toward improving society based in your academic and intellectual interests or personal passions. Demonstrate your personal connection to the themes you’re focusing on, and show why this is important to you and how it can have a larger impact.

Here are some example topics:

• Alyssa, whose family struggled during the Flint water crisis, wants to use her Chemical Engineering degree to ensure clean water access for marginalized communities. At KU Honors, she plans to participate in sustainability research and work with local communities to find real-world solutions to water contamination.
• Martin grew up in a low-income neighborhood and is passionate about reforming the criminal justice system. He plans to study sociology and law, using KU’s pre-law program and service-learning courses to understand the roots of mass incarceration and advocate for policy changes.
• Nadia, who volunteered at a mental health clinic, wants to be an advocate for the inclusion of mental health curriculum and programs in public schools, so she plans to study psychology and social work and to use the resources at the Center for Service Learning to get more hands-on experience.

Compelling responses will offer specific stories or experiences that inspired passion, such as volunteer work, activism, personal struggles, or an “aha” moment that sparked action. Focus on a cause or issue you genuinely care about, as you need to show why this is important to you and how your background has led you to care about making the world better. Describe the steps you’ve already taken and the ones you plan to take in the future to effect change, whether through research, leadership roles, or involvement in community organizations. Then, explain how you plan to address this issue at KU and beyond. What are your academic and career goals? How will your time in KU’s Honors Program help you make an impact?

Finally, let’s see some example responses.

“Like most everyone, I’ve always wanted to help people and make the world a better place. There are a lot of problems in society, such as pollution, poverty, and inequality, and these are all things I care about and want to change. In my community, there have been a lot of issues with flooding that have caused a lot of devastation and loss. At KU, I plan to study environmental science or geology, so that I can learn how to make a difference in my hometown and address weather challenges. After I graduate, I hope to work in a career that allows me to improve society and solve these problems.”

This example is too broad and generic – it doesn’t provide any personal connection to the issues the student wants to address, and there’s no detailed plan for how the student intends to make a difference. The response also lacks specific mentions of KU resources. A revised version is below:

“Growing up in the rural Midwest, I saw firsthand the environmental challenges my community faced, especially when heavy rains caused devastating floods that wiped out entire fields of crops. My parents, both farmers, would gather around the kitchen table late at night, discussing ways to protect the soil from erosion and salvage what they could of the season. It was during these moments that my passion for environmental sustainability was born. I realized that if we didn’t find innovative ways to manage land use, my community and countless others would continue to suffer.

At KU, I plan to major in Environmental Studies and join the Undergraduate Sustainability Fellows Program, where I can work on local environmental initiatives that address land conservation and flood mitigation. I’m also excited about the Kansas River Restoration Project and hope to contribute to its efforts through research and hands-on work. After college, my goal is to return to my hometown and implement the sustainable farming practices I develop at KU, helping small rural communities adapt to a changing climate. Loral O’Hara’s words deeply resonate with me—I feel a similar sense of urgency to return to my roots and make a tangible difference in the lives of those around me.”

This response provides a much more vivid, personal story about how the student’s background sparked their passion for environmental sustainability. It includes specific goals related to KU’s programs and explains how they plan to use these resources to make a tangible impact.

This prompt asks you to reflect on two of your contrasting academic interests or passions, explain how they interact, and describe how you plan to continue exploring them at KU. Here, the key to a strong response is identifying a combination of contrasting academic interests that is genuinely unique to you. If the overlap you’re thinking of writing about is more along the lines of “student-athlete” or “guitar player-piano player,” you should probably select a different prompt. Not that there’s anything wrong with those interests—they’re just relatively common and logical, which just isn’t what this prompt is getting at.

Consider the following questions to help you think of what you might write about:

• What are two seemingly unrelated subjects that you’re passionate about?
• How do these interests intersect, complement each other, or even create productive tension?
• How will you use KU’s interdisciplinary opportunities to explore these passions further?

The more unique your combination of academic interests, the better. (Although, you definitely shouldn’t force a pairing.) Think about two disciplines or academic areas that might not typically be paired together, but that you find intriguing or novel when combined (e.g., biology and dance, philosophy and computer science).

See some example topics below:

• Ciara has always loved both physics and theater. She’s fascinated by how scientific principles, like light and sound waves, apply to stagecraft and set design. At KU Honors, she plans to major in both physics and theater, using the university’s research labs and theater program to explore the science behind performance.
• James is drawn to both computer science and environmental studies. He wants to create tech-driven solutions for climate change, such as developing algorithms to predict natural disasters. He’s excited to combine these two fields through KU’s interdisciplinary projects and sustainability-focused courses.
• Tomas is interested in psychology and geology. He wants to study the mental and emotional effects of natural disasters in order to provide effective care for survivors who need to process their experiences by participating in offerings like summer field courses and volunteering at the KU Psychological Clinic.

A strong response should explain why these two subjects are meaningful to you and how they’ve impacted your worldview. The intersection of your interests should make sense in the context of your life experiences and also lead toward a clear, interdisciplinary path. Reflect on how combining these interests will help you achieve your future goals. What career or life path could this interdisciplinary thinking open up for you? Finally, identify interdisciplinary opportunities at KU Honors that will allow you to pursue both interests. Mention specific programs, classes, or professors whose work aligns with your academic goals.

Lastly, let’s read some example responses.

“I’ve always been interested in a lot of different subjects, and two of my favorite ones are biology and history. Biology is interesting because it teaches us about living organisms, while history helps us understand the past. I plan to study both subjects at KU because I think it’s important to be well-rounded, and there’s a great opportunity there to explore the historiography of biology, or the process of bringing biology to the point it’s at today. KU offers a lot of opportunities to study different subjects, so I think it’s a great place for me to explore my academic interests.”

This example is pretty weak: it lists two interests without explaining how they intersect or why they are meaningful to the student. It doesn’t provide any personal insight or show how KU’s resources will help the student continue exploring these passions. It also fails to articulate a clear plan for combining these subjects.

“Since I was young, I’ve always been torn between my two great loves: chemistry and music. On the surface, they seem worlds apart—one is analytical, the other expressive—but for me, they’ve always intertwined. When I play the violin, I find myself thinking about the chemical structure of the rosin on my bow, how it helps create the perfect friction for sound. When I’m in chemistry class, I often compare the process of balancing equations to composing a piece of music—both require precision, balance, and creativity.

At KU, I plan to pursue a double major in chemistry and music, exploring the scientific principles behind acoustics. I’m particularly interested in taking interdisciplinary courses that bridge these fields, like ‘Physics of Music.’ I’m also eager to collaborate with professors in the KU Honors Program to research how sound waves can be manipulated to enhance musical performance. By merging my love for chemistry and music, I hope to find new ways to innovate both fields, whether through the development of better sound equipment or experimenting with materials to improve the quality of instruments.”

This response provides a unique and specific intersection of chemistry and music, showing how the student’s interdisciplinary passions are already connected in their mind. It also mentions relevant KU programs, like interdisciplinary courses and research, to highlight how the student will explore these interests at the university.

This prompt asks you to focus on one of the three pillars—leadership, entrepreneurship, or business—and explain how you grow in this area during your time on campus and beyond. It’s about showing both your strategic thinking and your ability to make an impact, while also sharing a future vision for your growth. It uses elements of the Extracurricular and Impact on Community/Community Service essay archetypes, especially through the leadership point.

First, consider the questions below to help you brainstorm your response.

• Which of the three areas (leadership, entrepreneurship, or business) resonates with you the most, and why?
• Have you demonstrated skills or taken actions in this area already? What are they, and what have you learned from those experiences?
• What opportunities or resources do you see in the SELF program that can help you grow in your chosen area?
• What long-term goals do you have in leadership, entrepreneurship, or business? How do you envision yourself developing in these areas both at KU and in your career after graduation?

The topic you focus on should be evident in your academic and extracurricular background. Whichever theme you select – leadership, entrepreneurship, or business – should be clearly woven throughout your entire essay. 

Here are some examples of relevant topics:

• Tanya is a student passionate about entrepreneurship who ran her own 3D printing Etsy store in high school. She plans to expand her product line by collaborating with other engineers at KU, using the SELF program’s entrepreneurial workshops and mentorship to turn her small-scale venture into a full-fledged startup focused on eco-friendly products.
• Sayed, a robotics enthusiast who has led his high school robotics team, selects leadership because he wants to guide large-scale engineering projects. He would take advantage of leadership seminars in the SELF program to refine his skills in leading diverse teams and managing complex, interdisciplinary projects in the future.
• Giana, who has always been fascinated by business, envisions herself creating financial models for engineering firms. She would take courses in engineering management, apply her knowledge to SELF projects, and ultimately grow into a business strategist for cutting-edge technology companies.

A good response will demonstrate how you plan to develop in this area over time, both during your time at KU and in your professional future. First, show how this interest connects to your background and past experiences, but don’t dwell on the past—focus on your future growth. Then, outline concrete steps you plan to take in leadership, entrepreneurship, or business, not just vague aspirations. For example, if you choose entrepreneurship, mention a specific type of startup or venture you’d pursue. Finally, mention resources or opportunities within the SELF program that will support your growth (mentorship, workshops, leadership development initiatives, etc.).

Lastly, let’s check out a couple of examples below.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with teams and being in leadership positions, and I know the SELF program will help me become a better leader. I plan to take advantage of all the leadership opportunities the program offers and become a stronger, more capable person in order to establish a career in business by starting my own venture, most likely in retail since I enjoy creating and designing products. I’m excited to learn more about leadership and business and use these skills in my future career.”

This example is vague and doesn’t offer specific actions or goals. The connection to the SELF program is weak, and there’s no mention of how the student plans to grow. Here’s a stronger response:

“I’ve always been fascinated by technology’s potential to change the world, but it wasn’t until I founded my own small business—selling custom 3D-printed keychains—that I realized my passion for entrepreneurship. The thrill of designing, testing, and selling a product from scratch hooked me immediately. In the SELF program, I want to build on this foundation by participating in the entrepreneurship workshops, learning to pitch ideas to investors, and partnering with fellow students to turn small ideas into scalable ventures. By the time I graduate, I aim to launch a startup focused on affordable, sustainable 3D printing solutions for small businesses.”

This example is specific, forward-looking, and connects a past experience to concrete goals in the SELF program. The student’s passion for entrepreneurship comes through clearly.

This prompt asks you to reflect on an activity you are currently involved in and connect it to why you’re applying to the SELF program. The goal is to show how your current experiences have prepared you for the SELF program and why you see the program as the logical next step. It uses elements of the Extracurricular essay archetype.

Begin with some brainstorming by answering these questions:

• What is an activity you are deeply involved in that has shaped your skills, interests, or goals?
• How did this activity teach you about leadership, entrepreneurship, or business?
• What specific aspects of the SELF program do you see aligning with your experience and helping you continue to grow in these areas?
• How have your current experiences inspired you to seek out further opportunities in the SELF program?

Your response should focus on a specific activity that clearly connects to your future goals in engineering, leadership, entrepreneurship, or business, like a leadership role in a club, a marketing project, or startup venture.

Here are some example topics:

• Zane is involved in his school’s robotics team, where he’s developed problem-solving skills and led his peers through high-pressure competitions. This leadership experience made him eager to join the SELF program to further refine his leadership abilities in engineering projects, particularly with access to high-level mentorship and hands-on learning opportunities.
• Jade has been working on a nonprofit initiative to bring STEM resources to underfunded schools in her area. She realized that she loves creating business models and strategizing ways to expand her initiative’s reach. The SELF program, with its focus on entrepreneurship, would give her the tools to scale this initiative and develop sustainable business strategies for her project.
• Wei is involved in a school-based hackathon club where he leads software development teams. He discovered through this experience that he thrives in competitive environments that push him to innovate. He believes the SELF program’s focus on leadership in engineering projects and exposure to top-tier entrepreneurial opportunities would help him pursue his long-term goal of launching a tech startup.

Strong responses will clearly explain how the SELF program aligns with your experience and will help you grow in a way your current involvement has sparked. You should offer insights into what you’ve learned from the activity and how it led you to pursue the SELF program specifically. It’s especially important to be forward-looking—don’t just focus on what you’ve done but explain how this will prepare you for future leadership, entrepreneurship, or business roles.

Finally, examine the example responses below:

“I’ve been involved in many activities throughout high school, including leadership positions in student council and sports teams. These experiences made me realize that I enjoy being a leader, and I think the SELF program would be a great opportunity to continue leading others. I’m excited about what I can learn and how I can use these experiences in my career.”

This example is not compelling; it’s generic and doesn’t tie the student’s experiences to the SELF program in a meaningful way. The writing lacks detail and depth, which cheapens the student’s ambition and commitment. Here’s a revised version:

“As president of my high school’s engineering club, I organized our first-ever participation in a local robotics competition. What started as a group of friends tinkering with gears and circuits turned into a full-fledged team that worked late nights to perfect our design. Leading this effort taught me the importance of collaboration, quick thinking, and resilience—skills I want to continue honing in the SELF program’s leadership seminars and engineering projects. The program’s focus on teamwork and leadership in real-world engineering contexts is exactly what I need to take my skills to the next level.”

This example shows a specific experience, reflects on what the student learned, and connects it to what they want to achieve in the SELF program. It effectively explains their relevant background and future aspirations.

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