Tips for Writing Essays

Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin ─ Madison. In
addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have
selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible
academic interest. (80-650 words)

I. This is a classic “why this school” and “why this major” supplemental essay

prompt. An effective essay for this prompt will achieve the following goals:
 

 Highlight your authentic reasons for wanting to attend the University of

Wisconsin at Madison.
 

 Highlight your authentic reasons for wanting to study your major of choice.

DONTS
 writing a generic essay that could just as easily have been written about the
University of Minnesota at Twin Cities, or the University of Michigan.

NOTE
They also want to ensure that students are passionate about their chosen major,
not just pursuing the one that will lead to the highest paying or most prestigious
jobs after graduation.

Example:
I wasn’t used to the snow. In fact, this was the first time I ever experienced a
snowfall. It doesn’t really happen where I’m from—a small town in Mississippi.
Then again, so much of what I saw at the University of Wisconsin at Madison
during my snowy campus visit doesn’t happen where I’m from either. 
Then, highlight unique aspects of the university that appeal to you, and be
holistic with what you talk about. Study the UW Madison website in detail, watch
videos of campus tours and student reviews, and visit if possible. Find the names
of one extracurricular and one part of campus where you can imagine yourself
spending lots of time. Then, weave them into your writing. The strongest essays
are deeply personal, so connect the campus to yourself. Here is an example:

I am passionate about volunteer work and community service. Throughout high

school, some of my fondest memories have been spent serving food in soup
kitchens and volunteering at clothing banks. At the University of Wisconsin at
Madison, I know I would be able to continue pursuing my passion for community
service because of the integration between the university and the surrounding
town. The University of Wisconsin at Madison feels incorporated into Madison’s
culture, rather than having a closed-off, guarded, and separate campus. The
connection between the campus and the community would enable me to be a
member of a Badger Volunteers team through the Morgridge Center for Public
Service. This program would provide me with new opportunities to give back to
the community and help others.
 
The activist culture in Madison excites me. Living in a small town, I have had few
opportunities to attend political rallies. Since I grew up in the Unitarian
Universalist church, I was raised to value activism and social justice, and it is
important to me that I go to college in a place where people are well-informed
and care about affecting change in the world around them. I hope to join the
Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry, where I would be able to continue my
activism while also building friendships and continuing to explore my religion.  
 
I also love Madison’s surroundings—I would love to join the Wisconsin Hoofers
so I could take full advantage of all the outdoor opportunities in and around
Madison, especially skiing, hiking, and watersports on Lake Mendota. I have
never had the opportunity to try these sports in humid and hot Mississippi, so I
would love to explore new activities in a different environment.

This excerpt clearly shows the student’s specific interest in attending the
University of Wisconsin, and highlights the kind of authenticity you want to show
to admissions officers. It is particularly effective when the applicant connects her
own background to the culture of activism at UW Madison, as that highlights her
personality and positions her to create an authentic connection to UW Madison’s
admissions counselors.
 Next, think about your chosen major or academic interest. Imagine yourself as a
student working toward a specific degree:
 

 What interesting classes would you take? 

 Which professors do you hope to work with? 
 How would the unique opportunities at UW Madison enhance your
background and serve your career interests?

Your specified major should logically stem from your background. Use your
prospective major to structure a logical narrative, even if you aren’t fully
committed to pursuing it. 

Example: theme

The student lived in Minnesota and in middle school became passionate about
history education. In high school, he volunteered as a docent at a local museum
and started a research project on the history of Norwegian and German
immigration to his hometown. He also served as student representative on the
local school board, and led the charge to redesign his school’s history curriculum
to make it more engaging for other students.
 
This student intended to major in history at UW Madison. He planned to take
classes with Professor Smith, a noted expert in immigration history. And outside
of his major, the Center for Pre-Law Advising would help him achieve his dream
of being an immigration lawyer by helping him gain relevant experience.
 
This thematic structure highlights several elements of a successful response to
this prompt. In particular, the student demonstrates specific and deep ties to his
chosen major and career path, and specific ways in which he will leverage UW
Madison as a setting to obtain an education in what he is passionate about. 

Finish the essay with a succinct conclusion that ties back to your introduction.
Summarize how you know that UW Madison is the school for you because its
campus matches your personal values and its academics satiate your intellectual
curiosity. End with a phrase that relates to the school’s philosophy, e.g. “Most of
 all, I would like to attend UW Madison because I want to join the Badgers in their
commitment to make a difference.”
This part is all about you. Tell us about something you’ve done — academically
or personally — and what you’ve learned from it. Was it a success or a
challenge? Did it represent a turning point in your life? How did this particular
moment in your life influence you, and how will it continue to influence you as
you pursue your college education? (300-500 Words Recommended, 650 max)

While this prompt has some parallels to the first one, it is different in its
specificity. It is asking for one moment that had a large impact on your life
direction. Start by brainstorming some of these moments. Examples may
include: 
 

 helping a family member battle pancreatic cancer, which inspired you to

become a medical researcher and never lose hope; 
 

 building a stirling engine in physics class, which made you passionate

about thermodynamics; 
 

 getting lost in the woods, which resulted in your desire to lead and help
others who are lost; 
 

 and losing a chess tournament, which taught you greater perseverance,

not only when it comes to playing chess, but also when pursuing your other
goals. 

NOTE
You’ll notice that these examples demonstrate challenges, and we recommend
that you choose a significant challenge in your own life to write about. However, if
you do choose to write about a success, make sure that it was achieved after
setbacks and hard work. 
 Discussing challenges is a powerful way of conveying your character. They show
your ability to reflect on disappointment and improve yourself, which makes you a
highly appealing candidate. While writing about overcoming a challenge, be open
and allow your reader understand your thoughts as much as possible. Be sure to
discuss your feelings, state of mind, and mental approach at each moment in
order to craft an effective narrative.
 
Begin your essay by recounting your challenge as a story. Imagine yourself as
the main character and paint a picture with words. To write an essay about
getting lost in the woods, you would tell a descriptive account of how you got lost,
what it was like to move through dense, thorny foliage, and how you were found.
This part should take up about a third of the essay.

he next third of the essay should explain what you learned from your experience,
whether it was a success or a challenge, and whether it represented a turning
point in your life. 
 
This would be the portion of your essay where you would talk about how you
learned the power of teamwork as you were building your stirling engine with
classmates. You would tell a story of the difficulties you encountered—the
numbers didn’t make sense at first, there was a leak, you dropped the engine
and had to start over again, etc. Highlight the setbacks and unforeseen obstacles
you faced during this process, regardless of whether your experience was a
success or a challenge. 
 
When trying to determine if your experience was a turning point for you, ask
yourself these questions: 
 

 Did my experience give me a new personal value? 

 Did I gain a new academic, extracurricular, or professional interest? 
 Did it change one of my strong convictions?

 
If you answered yes to one of these questions, say that your experience was a
turning point. If not, mention that while your experience was not a turning point, it
was influential in your personal or academic development. To explain how it was
influential, imagine who you would be today without your experience. 
 
Maybe, before helping a family member battle pancreatic cancer, you were quick
to give up when something became too difficult. However, this experience taught
you to be more persistent and optimistic in the face of even the most daunting
challenges. Additionally, even though you previously had not been interested in
the medical field, you have been inspired to become a medical researcher and
work towards a cure for cancer. 

Finally, structure a logical narrative about how your experience has impacted
your educational goals at UW Madison. Since you’ve already discussed a
possible major, it could be helpful to elaborate on your mindset going into college
and what you hope to accomplish for yourself and others on campus. 
 
For example, you could talk about how losing the chess tournament has made
you more open minded. Now, you aspire to try as many new experiences as
possible, because every loss is a learning opportunity in the quest for
knowledge. 
 
Lastly, conclude with a sentence about how UW Madison, with its [resource
related to your newfound direction], will help you continue to foster the path you
have been on since your turning point occurred.