university of florida sample essays

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays 2023-24

September 8, 2023

At the turn of the millennium, the University of Florida welcomed 63% of Gator applicants to Gainesville and functioned as a fairly accessible and highly affordable option for residents of the Sunshine State. However, by 2023, while still extremely affordable, the task of becoming a Gator has become far more difficult. They now receive over 67,000 applications and accept fewer than 30% of those who apply. Incoming freshmen now possess mid-50% weighted GPAs of 4.4-4.6 and ACT scores of 30-34. Another commonality amongst accepted students is that they write an excellent University of Florida supplemental essay.

 (Want to learn more about How to Get Into UF? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into the University of Florida: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

When applying to an institution like the University of Florida that rejects more than 7 of every 10 applicants, you’ll need to put maximum effort into every area of the application, including the Common App and supplemental essay. Below is the University of Florida’s required supplemental prompt for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with our advice for composing a winning essay.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays – Question 1 (Required)

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 Word Limit)

The University of Florida is not necessarily asking you to write about the activity where you earned the most prestigious awards or held the highest position of leadership. The university is going to see all of your activities in that section of the Common App. As such, you want to ask yourself which of your entries is crying out for more explanation and detail? Which one is closest to your heart and most representative of your unique passions? Pick the option that will allow you to deliver additional detail that may be memorable to the admissions reader. Start this process by asking yourself, “What is the most interesting and consequential moment that I have experienced in one of my extracurricular activities?” If you can identify one clear-cut moment, that is likely the activity worth sharing with the UF admissions staff.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays (Continued)

What kind of campus community member will you be?

At the core of this essay prompt, the UF admissions officers are really trying to figure out what you will bring to the Gainesville campus community. Again, what you achieved in a particular extracurricular activity will already be viewable in your Common App Activities Section and the Common App Honors Section , so you don’t want to make that the focus of this essay. Instead, you may want to touch on some of the following areas related to your role as a community member:

• How you function as a member of a team.
• Your leadership ability.
• Your passion, commitment, and drive.
• A commitment to social justice and equity.
• How you respond to challenges and obstacles.
• Illustrate how you have demonstrated maturity and dependability.

How important are the University of Florida supplemental essays?

The University of Florida lists six factors as being “very important” to the admissions committee. They are: GPA, standardized test scores, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, extracurricular activities, and the rigor of your secondary school record and most relevant to this blog—the application essay. It’s important to keep in mind that UF places both the essays and extracurricular involvement in the top tier of importance. Therefore, this essay is something of a two-for-one. Further, the essay is rated as being of greater importance than class rank, standardized test scores, or your state residency status.

Want personalized assistance with your University of Florida supplemental essays?

If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your main Common App essay and University of Florida supplemental essay, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

• College Essay

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

• 2-Year Colleges
• Application Strategies
• Best Colleges by Major
• Best Colleges by State
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Data Visualizations
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Graduate School Admissions
• High School Success
• High Schools
• Homeschool Resources
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Outdoor Adventure
• Private High School Spotlight
• Research Programs
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Teacher Tools
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

College Planning in Your Inbox

Join our information-packed monthly newsletter.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 3 writing tips for the university of florida essay prompts.

College Essays

Are you applying to the University of Florida? You'll need to answer some essay prompts as part of your application.   Read this guide to learn what the University of Florida essay prompts are, what admissions officers are looking for in your response, what you should include and avoid in your answers, and what strong UF college essay examples look like.

What Are the University of Florida Essays?

The University of Florida accepts both the Common Application and the Coalition Application, and applicants must answer one of the Common Application prompts. 

As part of your application, you'll also need to answer an additional UF-specific essay prompt, and you'll have the option of answering three additional essay prompts. Your answer to each prompt can be up to 250 words. Here's the prompt:

• 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

We'll go over how to best answer this supplement question in the next section.

The UF Essay Prompt, Analyzed

In this section, we explain what the prompt is asking for, why UF is interested in this information, what information you should include (and what information to avoid), and what a strong example answer could look like.

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.

What the prompt is asking for: A description of the one extracurricular you feel is most important to you.

Why UF is interested: Students who are dedicated to something show they are passionate, interested in learning, and have a strong work ethic. These are all characteristics colleges want their students to have, so having something you're committed to is a major boost to your application. Seeing what you choose also gives UF a better sense of who you are and what you value.

Potential topics to discuss: What the extracurricular, is how long you've involved with it, how much time per week/month/etc. you dedicate to it, what activities your involvement includes, why you consider it meaningful. 

Topics to avoid: Listing multiple activities or simply describing the extracurricular without explaining why it's important to you.

Example: "The extracurricular most important to me is my involvement in my high school's Model UN team . I've been involved for four years, since I was a freshman. We meet once a week during the school year to prepare for the four conferences we participate in each year. As a Model UN member, I research different political events and international relations topics, then debate the issues with other team members to build my skills in those areas. Model UN is so important to me because, not only did it solidify my choice to major in International Relations, it strengthened me personally. As a result of my participation, I've improved my debate skills, become a more confident public speaker, and have much more experience finding a compromise even between very different groups."

Tips for the UF Essay Prompt

Follow these three tips when completing the University of Florida supplement essays to make sure your answers are as strong as possible.

#1: Keep Your Answers Concise

You only have 250 words per prompt. That isn't that much! This means your responses need to be brief and to the point if you're trying to fit a lot of information in. You likely have a lot of reasons why a particular extracurricular is the most important to you.

#2: Show Your Strengths

Even though the prompt is short, it’s still an opportunity for you to impress the admissions committee. You can dive into how you've been involved in your extracurricular, as well as any leadership roles you may have had. Try to include themes you've mentioned in other parts of your application , such as your longer essay. For example, if you mentioned that your dream is to be a doctor, try to highlight experiences that reflect that, such as volunteering at a hospital.

#3: Be Honest and Passionate

Sometimes students think they need to tell a story that the admissions committee wants to hear...so they make things up. Do not lie in your college essay—admissions counselors are  great  at sniffing out fibs! 

Instead, lean into the passions and experiences that make you unique . For instance, maybe you made a quilt and entered it in the fair. That's awesome! Just make sure you're explaining why it's meaningful for you! Maybe your grandmother taught you how to quilt and you worked on it together, which taught you the importance passing knowledge down from one generation to the next. 

Summary: UF College Essay Examples

There is one main University of Florida essay, and it'll be the Coalition or Common Application (depending on which application you use) prompt of your choice. But there are also additional UF essay prompts to answer. These shorter prompts are a way for the UF admissions committee to learn more about you and have the most accurate look at your application.

Here is where you can discuss extracurricular activities, anything that prevented you from participating in extracurriculars, certain programs you took part in, and anything else you think is important for the people reviewing your application to know. As you answer these UF essay prompts, remember to keep your responses short, don't feel pressured to answer every prompt, and highlight your strengths.

What's Next?

Considering the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship? Our guide to Bright Futures Scholarship programs answers all the questions you're wondering about.

Want to bring up your GPA? Read about four ways to bring up your high school grades fast .

Interested in community service ideas? Check out our guide to 129 great community service projects .

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Home — Application Essay — University — University of Florida

University of Florida Admission Essays

When delving into the University of Florida essay examples, one can truly appreciate the pivotal role these essays play in the college application process. These UF essay examples serve as a canvas for applicants to organically portray their distinctive qualities and aspirations, allowing their individuality to shine through the written narrative. Now, let's unravel the significance and intricacies of these UF essay examples, exploring how they contribute to the holistic evaluation of prospective students.

Main Facts about University Of Florida Essays

Located in Gainesville, Florida, the University of Florida is renowned for its academic excellence, vibrant campus life, and diverse opportunities. Here's a concise overview of key aspects that define the essence of UF:

• Academic Excellence: UF is renowned for its commitment to academic rigor, offering a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs across various disciplines.
• Campus Life: The campus is a dynamic hub of student activities, fostering a lively and inclusive community. From student organizations to cultural events, UF provides a rich and engaging environment beyond the classrooms.
• Research Prowess: As a leading research institution, UF actively contributes to advancements in various fields. Students have the opportunity to engage in groundbreaking research initiatives, aligning with the university's commitment to innovation.
• Diversity and Inclusion: UF values diversity and strives to create an inclusive community that embraces students from various backgrounds. This commitment to diversity enhances the overall learning experience and promotes a global perspective.
• State-of-the-Art Facilities: The University of Florida boasts modern facilities, including cutting-edge laboratories, libraries, and recreational spaces. These resources enhance the overall learning environment for students.

When it comes to essays, here are some key facts:

• UF emphasizes a holistic admissions approach.
• UF essays provide a glimpse into an applicant's character.
• UF seeks students with a passion for learning and community engagement.
• Admission decisions consider both academic achievements and personal qualities.
• UF fosters an inclusive and dynamic learning environment.

Whether it's the pursuit of academic excellence, a vibrant campus life, groundbreaking research opportunities, a commitment to diversity, or state-of-the-art facilities, the University of Florida stands as a distinguished institution that shapes the educational journey of its students.

University Of Florida Requirements

When aspiring to meet the University of Florida requirements, understanding the criteria is crucial for a successful admission journey. Embarking on this path involves addressing five key components:

• High School Transcripts: UF places significance on academic achievement throughout high school. Submitting comprehensive transcripts reflects your dedication to scholastic excellence.
• SAT/ACT Scores: The evaluation process includes a scrutiny of standardized test scores. Adequate preparation for the SAT or ACT is essential to meet UF's criteria and showcase your academic readiness.
• Letters of Recommendation: Crafting a compelling application involves seeking letters of recommendation that provide insights into your character and potential. Choose recommenders who can authentically attest to your academic capabilities and personal qualities.
• Extracurricular Activities: UF values a holistic approach to admissions, considering engagement beyond academics. Highlight your involvement in extracurricular activities, demonstrating a well-rounded profile that extends beyond the classroom.
• Admissions Essay: The UF college essay examples serve as a powerful tool in conveying your narrative. Craft an essay that not only meets the specified requirements but also reflects your unique perspective, passions, and aspirations. Explore UF college essay examples for inspiration on how to effectively articulate your story.

As you navigate the University of Florida requirements, keep in mind that each element plays a crucial role in presenting a comprehensive picture of your capabilities and potential as a student. Delve into UF college essay examples to gain valuable insights into the application process and elevate your chances of securing admission.

Role of University Of Florida Supplemental Essays in Application

University of Florida's admissions process, the supplemental essays play a pivotal role, serving as a unique lens through which applicants can showcase their individuality and depth. These essays go beyond the quantitative metrics of grades and test scores, offering a qualitative dimension to the evaluation process.

Unlike the conventional application components, the University of Florida supplemental essays provide a platform for applicants to delve into their personal narratives. They enable aspiring students to articulate their passions, experiences, and aspirations in a more nuanced manner, fostering a holistic understanding of their character.

The admissions committee seeks to uncover the essence of each applicant, and the supplemental essays act as a vehicle for this exploration. Through these essays, prospective students can highlight not only their academic prowess but also their unique perspectives, resilience, and the distinctive qualities that set them apart.

Moreover, the supplemental essays align with UF's commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community. Applicants are encouraged to share perspectives that contribute to the rich fabric of the university's student body, creating a mosaic of backgrounds, experiences, and ambitions.

In essence, the role of University of Florida supplemental essays transcends the traditional boundaries of the application. They serve as a medium for self-expression, allowing applicants to paint a vivid and authentic portrait of themselves. As you embark on the journey of crafting these essays, remember that each word is an opportunity to not only meet the criteria but also to stand out in the competitive landscape of college admissions.

For inspiration and guidance, consider exploring UF supplemental essay examples and University of Florida supplemental essay examples. These resources provide valuable insights into the types of narratives that have successfully navigated the admissions process, offering a roadmap for crafting impactful and authentic supplemental essays that align with the essence of the University of Florida.

University Of Florida Supplemental Essay Prompts

Engaging with the University of Florida supplemental essay prompts is an opportunity for applicants to articulate their personal narratives and align their aspirations with the values of UF. These prompts are carefully crafted to elicit thoughtful responses, allowing applicants to showcase their unique perspectives and experiences.

When contemplating the supplemental essay prompts, aspiring students can benefit significantly from reviewing UF supplemental essay examples. Examining successful examples provides valuable insights into the effective construction of responses, helping applicants understand the tone, depth, and authenticity expected by the admissions committee.

By exploring UF supplemental essay examples, applicants gain a clearer understanding of how to address the prompts in a compelling manner. This process not only enhances the quality of the responses but also increases the chances of creating a narrative that resonates with the values of the University of Florida.

Let's explore the specific prompts for the University of Florida supplemental essays for 2023.

UF Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2023

1. Reflect on a Personal Challenge: Share a significant personal challenge you've faced and elaborate on how it has shaped your character and resilience. Consider how overcoming this challenge has influenced your personal growth and outlook on life.

Example: Navigating a language barrier, I learned to appreciate diverse perspectives and developed a passion for breaking down communication barriers, influencing my pursuit of linguistics.

2. Contribution to Diversity: Discuss how your background, identity, or experiences have contributed to the diversity of the UF community. Emphasize the value you place on inclusivity and your commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.

Example: Growing up in a multicultural household, I celebrate diversity. As a future Gator, I aspire to create spaces where every voice is heard, fostering an environment that cherishes differences.

3. Academic and Career Aspirations: Articulate your academic and career goals and explain how the University of Florida's programs and resources align with your aspirations. Discuss specific opportunities at UF that will contribute to your professional development.

Example: Aspiring to be a marine biologist, UF's cutting-edge research facilities and partnerships with marine institutes make it my ideal academic home, propelling me towards impactful marine conservation efforts.

How to Write UF Essays That Worked

Crafting compelling UF essays requires a strategic approach that goes beyond meeting the criteria. Delve into the following tips to not only fulfill the requirements but also create essays that leave a lasting impression:

• Understand the Prompt: Before diving into your response, thoroughly comprehend the essay prompt. Identify the key themes and requirements, ensuring that your essay aligns with the essence of the question.
• Show, Don't Tell: Instead of merely stating facts, immerse your reader in your experiences. Use vivid language and concrete examples to paint a detailed picture, allowing the admissions committee to connect with your narrative on a deeper level.
• Be Authentic and Reflective: Your UF essay is an opportunity to showcase your true self. Reflect on your experiences, values, and aspirations genuinely. Authenticity resonates with readers and strengthens the impact of your narrative.
• Connect with UF's Values: Demonstrate a clear understanding of the University of Florida's values and how they align with your own. Showcase how you will contribute to the UF community and embody the university's mission in your academic journey.
• Edit and Seek Feedback: Refinement is key. Edit your essays meticulously for clarity, coherence, and conciseness. Additionally, seek feedback from teachers, peers, or mentors to gain diverse perspectives and refine your essays further.

As you embark on this writing journey, explore UF essays that worked and UF admission essay examples. Analyzing successful examples provides valuable insights into effective storytelling and structure. By combining these examples with the aforementioned tips, you'll be well-equipped to craft UF essays that not only meet the criteria but also resonate profoundly with the admissions committee.

University Of Florida Essay Examples: Crafting Your Narrative

Exploring UF essay examples serves as an invaluable compass for prospective applicants, offering insights into effective storytelling and successful application strategies. These examples, often referred to as UF admission essay examples, provide a firsthand glimpse into narratives that resonated with the admissions committee.

By delving into UF essay examples, aspiring students can gain a deeper understanding of the writing style, tone, and themes that have proven successful. These examples serve as practical guides, illustrating how to effectively address prompts, showcase individuality, and align personal narratives with UF's values.

UF college essay examples, specifically those that have earned admission, illuminate the path toward creating impactful essays. Analyzing such examples aids in deciphering the nuances of successful applications, empowering applicants to craft essays that stand out in the competitive admissions landscape.

Explore the goals of UF essays and discover how to use them effectively. Here are 10 UF essay topics examples to inspire your writing:

• Overcoming a Personal Challenge
• Contributions to Diversity
• Academic and Career Aspirations
• Community Service Impact
• Passion for a Specific Field
• Leadership Experience
• Cultural Identity Reflection
• Lessons Learned from Failure
• Innovation and Creativity
• Extracurricular Journey

These examples not only offer inspiration but also serve as benchmarks for self-evaluation. As applicants embark on their writing journey, utilizing UF admission essay examples becomes a strategic tool for honing their storytelling skills, ensuring that their narratives captivate the attention of the admissions committee and contribute to a memorable and compelling application.

Conclusion for University Of Florida Essays

As you embark on the journey of shaping your University of Florida essays, consider each word as a brushstroke, contributing to a vivid and authentic self-portrait. Let your unique qualities and aspirations shine through, transforming your UF essay examples into compelling testaments of your character. Your authentic voice is the key to creating narratives that resonate. Best of luck as you navigate the intricate process of the UF application, where your narratives have the power to leave an indelible mark on the admissions committee.

Transformative Journey: My Path to UF

I find myself at a pivotal point in my educational journey, eagerly seeking an institution that aligns with my aspirations for personal growth, academic excellence, and community engagement. The University of Florida (UF), renowned for its commitment to innovation and student-centered learning, emerges as the…

University Of Florida: Transforming Perspectives and Inspiring Inclusivity

The people in my community all looked and sounded like me, leading me to believe that this was the norm. However, everything changed when I entered high school. It was there that I had my first real exposure to diversity and it opened my eyes…

University Of Florida: A Journey of Growth and Excellence

Introduction To the esteemed admissions committee of the University of Florida, Since my early years as a student, I have yearned for an educational environment that fosters holistic growth, intellectual exploration, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. It is with great enthusiasm and profound admiration…

Becoming a Physician to Serve Underserved Communities

I always had a passion for helping others and making a difference in the world. This passion led me to develop a strong interest in the field of healthcare. My career goal is to become a physician, specializing in internal medicine, in order to provide…

Environmental Conservation: Pursuing Academic Interest at UF

I have developed a deep passion for environmental conservation and sustainability. This interest was sparked by a biology class I took during my sophomore year, where we learned about the impacts of human activities on the environment. Since then, I have been fascinated by the…

Organizing for Impact: High School Achievement and Future Aspirations

Throughout my high school years, I have strived to uphold the values of academic excellence, leadership, and community involvement. One particular experience stands out as a significant achievement that demonstrates my commitment to these values. This experience not only shaped my character and aspirations but…

A Journey of Learning, Growth, and Impact

Throughout my life, I have always believed that education is the key to unlocking our full potential and achieving our dreams. As a college student, I am eager to further my academic journey at Florida International University (FIU), a renowned institution that values diversity, academic…

Ambitious Applicant Seeking Success at FAMU

As a passionate and ambitious individual, I am excited to submit my application to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). With its rich history, exceptional academic programs, and commitment to diversity, FAMU is the perfect institution for me to pursue my educational and career goals….

How My Mistakes Have Shaped Me

For the longest time I did not know how to write a creative college essay that would get me into the best universities and I was totally overthinking it, but I finally understood that there is no point in finding a perfect gripping story. Every…

Going Through Jaw Surgery: The Lessons I've Learned

1,500,000. That the number of people who get jaw surgery each year. This past year I was one of 1.5 million people. This surgery had been on and off for the whole time that I have had braces, at first I was told I didn’t…

Get professional help in 5 minutes

— EST. 1853 —

55,211 (2022) Students

Gainesville, Florida, United States

Public Land-Grant Research University

Orange and Blue

Selected filters

Universities

Related Universities

• American University
• University of Chicago
• University of Michigan
• University of Miami
• University of Maryland, College Park
• University of Georgia
• Santa Clara University
• Rutgers University
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Wesleyan University

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

University of Florida (UF) Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the University of Florida supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the University of Florida supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging UF supplemental essays and maximize your chances of admission. If you need help responding to the UF essay topics, create your free  account  or  schedule a free advising assessment  by calling (844) 343-6272.

University of Florida Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• UF has an acceptance rate of 31.0%— U.S. News  ranks the University of Florida as a  highly selective  school.
• There is  one  school-specific UF supplemental essay required for all applicants. If you are planning to apply to the UF Honors Program, you will complete an additional  two  UF essays. This means applicants to the UF Honors Program will complete a total of three UF supplemental essays.

Does the University of Florida have supplemental essays?

Yes. Whether you apply through the  Common App  or  Coalition App , you will respond to at least one UF essay prompt. Your UF admissions essay lets the admissions team learn more about you as they review your application.

Any freshman applying through the Common App or Coalition App also can apply to FHP, the University of Florida’s First-Year Honors Program. In addition to the required UF admissions essay, students applying to FHP must complete two additional UF supplemental essays.

While some schools handle honors admissions separately, UF includes all application materials for FHP in the standard UF application. This includes every UF admissions essay. Students completing the UF supplemental essays for the Honors Program, therefore, will submit all three UF essays through the Common or Coalition App. This means that you must complete the UF essays for the Honors Program before you submit your final application.

Need some help writing your Common App essay? Get great tips from our Common App essay  guide .

How many supplemental essays does the University of Florida have?

There are  three  total University of Florida supplemental essays included on the 2021-2022 application.

The University of Florida has  one  UF essay prompt every student is required to complete. Additionally, if you choose to apply to their Honors Program, you must write another  two  UF supplemental essays. The first required UF essay prompt asks about your extracurricular engagements. In contrast, the UF essay topics for the Honors Program ask about your interest in the program and your academic priorities.

Before writing your essays, you’ll want to have an idea of your intended major. If you haven’t already, use our College Search Feature to explore the wide range of majors offered at UF!

How do I write the University of Florida supplemental essays?

Here are some helpful tips to help you get started on the University of Florida supplemental essays!

To begin, the University of Florida supplemental essays give you an opportunity to showcase what motivates you, which academic topics interest you, and how you engage with the world around you. Therefore, think of the UF supplemental essays as your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions team on your own terms.

As you brainstorm the UF essay topics, remember your audience. Admissions officers read thousands of UF supplemental essays. Ultimately, if you are vague, superficial, or misleading, your UF essays won’t help the UF admissions team understand who you are. To maximize your UF supplemental essays’ impact, you’ll want to be as specific, genuine, and authentic as possible.

If you’re having trouble finding topics for your UF essays, don’t worry! We will discuss each UF essay prompt individually below. But first, here are some more technical tips to keep in mind when writing your University of Florida supplemental essays.

Overall, the most important thing your University of Florida supplemental essays should do is answer the UF essay prompt. Even if you write a perfect UF admissions essay, it has failed to serve its main purpose if it doesn’t answer every aspect of the prompt.

Each of the University of Florida supplemental essays has a maximum word limit. In each essay, make sure to stick to the word limit and use your space wisely. For example, if you find yourself quoting someone famous or writing about a friends’ experiences, ask yourself how it relates back to you. In fact, the more “you” that you include in your UF admissions essay, the better!

The admissions team reads countless UF essays every year. This makes it particularly important that your UF admissions essay is as clear and polished as possible. Essentially, the more straightforward and refined your writing is, the more easily your ideas and personality will shine through! For this reason, you’ll want to be sure to give yourself enough time to draft, revise, and proofread your University of Florida supplemental essays.

Below, we have provided the 2021-2022 UF admissions essay prompts. Along with the prompts, you’ll find a breakdown of how to approach each UF admissions essay. As a bonus, we included both the general UF essay prompt and the Honors Program prompts. Additionally, we’ll also discuss tips for narrowing down your UF essay topics. If you follow these tips, you’ll write University of Florida supplemental essays that will help you stand out in admissions.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays – Question 1 (Required)

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 or less).

To start, this UF essay prompt asks you to choose your single “most meaningful commitment.” Even if multiple experiences pop into your head, you must narrow your UF essay topic down to just one commitment. The best University of Florida supplemental essays will use one commitment to reveal fundamental aspects of an applicant’s identity.

If you need help choosing your UF essay topics, try making a list using UF’s suggested categories. These include: Extracurricular, Work, Volunteering, Academic Activity, Family Responsibility, Other. While writing, remember that this list can include a sport you’ve played, a job you’ve held, or even a responsibility toward a sibling. Once you’ve completed your list, circle three to five topics that engage you most. Do a five-minute free-write for each. If there’s a topic you can’t stop writing about, there’s a good chance that might be your most meaningful commitment!

Once you’ve selected your essay topic, you can consider the rest of the UF essay prompt. This first UF essay prompt is quite open-ended, which gives you plenty of opportunities to showcase your identity. While “Please provide more details” isn’t very specific, remember that your UF admissions essay is an opportunity for the admissions team to get to know you. As you write, make sure to always connect your topic back to who you are.

Struggling to answer this UF essay prompt? Here are some questions to guide your response:

What did I do?  Be specific. If your topic is a sport, like basketball, discuss details of playing basketball that your reader might not know. For instance, you might describe waking up at 6 am for practice, practicing drills and collaborating with teammates, or performing under the pressure of a crowd.

Why did I do it?  What was the motivation behind your commitment? Let’s continue with the basketball example. Is basketball something you and your little brother grew up playing together? Does playing a sport help with your anxiety? Were you inspired by a certain professional athlete? Including the reason why you pursue the activity will strengthen your response to this UF essay prompt.

What did I take away from this commitment? Learning happens in all places. While this UF admissions essay asks you to describe an activity outside the classroom, asking “what did I learn?” will help take your response to this UF essay prompt from a summary into a story. Maybe you discovered a new passion, a new skill, or a new way of problem-solving. Maybe your commitment to basketball translated into commitment in your classes? Or maybe the teamwork you cultivated in practice changed the way you helped your family at home?

As you expand upon your UF essay topics, think about how your commitment shaped who you are. This will give you a compelling ending to your UF admissions essay.

UF Supplemental Essay Draft Key Questions:

• Does my UF admissions essay reference one (not two, or three) commitment outside of my classes?
• Does my essay show why this is important to me?
• Do I show how I engaged in this activity?
• Does my essay reflect what I gained from this experience?

University of Florida Honors Program Supplemental Essays – Question 1 (Required)

Why is applying for the UF Honors Program important to you? Which aspects of the program’s three pillars of opportunity, community, and challenge pique your interests? How would you engage with the program to exemplify these pillars yourself? How does the program factor into your long-term goals? Please be specific (400 words or less).

The first step in tackling this UF essay prompt is to read about the UF Honors Program’s  3 Pillars of Value . As you think about your UF essay topics, ask yourself what about these pillars draws you to the program. Why are these ideals crucial to your college experience?

If you’re struggling to find specific details to discuss in your UF essays, think about your current situation. What are you missing in your high school academic career that you want to experience in college? If your classes aren’t challenging enough, you might want to talk about “challenge” and why the Honors Program would give you the academic rigor you need to reach your greatest potential. Or, if you feel you haven’t met many like-minded individuals in your high school, you might want to talk about “community” and why the Honors Program would provide opportunities to support and be supported by peers. If you aspire to do research or attend a graduate school, you might want to talk about “opportunity” and how the Honors Program will connect you with advisors to put you on track for those experiences.

Think about the future

While this brainstorm can help you begin choosing your UF essay topics, the Honors Program  Application Tips  reminds prospective students that this UF essay prompt is meant to be forward-facing. This means the admissions team wants to hear about what you imagine for your future rather than what you’ve completed in your past. This is where the second half of the UF essay prompt comes into play.

Imagine the Honors Program as a stepping-stone: what will you do in the Honors Program, and how will that help you reach your goals? Be sure to answer these questions with specific details about the Honors Program. For example, if your dream is to join the medical field, you might reference the Honors Program’s Pre-Health Coordinator and the Professional Development courses you will take to prepare you for medical school.

No matter what draws you to the Honors Program, remember to be specific, answer all four questions in the UF essay prompt, and proofread, proofread, proofread!

• Does my UF admissions essay reference specific details about the Honors Program?
• Do I include both why I am interested in the Honors Program and what I plan to do if I get in?
• Does my essay communicate why the Honors Program is important in reaching my academic goals?

University of Florida Honors Program Supplemental Essays – Question 2 (Required)

Identify two topics you have previously studied that do not traditionally overlap. How do you envision you might bring these topics together during your time in Honors to engage a pressing societal, medical or technological concern? The concern you wish to engage could be of local, national, or global scope, but you should be clear about the issue you want to address. For the purposes of this essay, the topics you identify need not have been formally studied in high school, but you should have studied them since beginning in high school (300 words or less).

This UF essay prompt asks you to think along interdisciplinary lines to express your unique academic goals. This gives you a crucial opportunity to illustrate why you belong in an intellectually rigorous space like UF’s Honors Program.

Choosing a Topic

The first challenge of this UF essay prompt is to choose two topics that do not traditionally overlap. If you are having trouble choosing your UF essay topics, use your transcript and make a bulleted list of your classes divided into basic high school subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, and the Arts. Think about which classes on this list you most enjoyed, and start combining subjects with seemingly little relation. The more unorthodox your combination, the more unique your UF admissions essay will be. For example, if you first choose Statistics and Chemistry, you may want to keep brainstorming as those have quite a bit of overlap. However, if you choose Chemistry and Music, you’ll have a less traditional pair that will make for a fascinating UF admissions essay. Strong UF essays can come from unexpected places!

Choosing a Concern

Next, turn away from your academic interests and choose the societal, medical, or technological concern you’d like to address. Unlike some other UF essays, this UF essay prompt focuses on how you think rather than who you are. As you choose your concern, therefore, focus on how you will engage the topic rather than why it is important to you. Remember, you’ve chosen this topic because it needs to be addressed, and your reader knows that. If you have a specific, personal connection that impacts the way you view the problem (and will ultimately tackle it), keep your justification brief and always connect back to how you will engage with the topic at hand. The best UF essays will offer concrete, specific details on how an applicant plans to tackle their chosen concern.

As you complete your University of Florida supplemental essays, be sure to reference their Application Tips to ensure you have a strong application.

• Does my essay include two topics that I will combine to solve a problem (not one, not three)?
• Do I show how my two chosen topics inform and relate to one another?
• Does my essay reflect how I plan to engage with this topic (not just why I am interested)?

How hard is it to get into the University of Florida honors program?

The University of Florida Honors Program is a highly challenging and therefore highly competitive program. Last year, the acceptance rate was 13%—well below the University’s acceptance rate. Students who are accepted have excellent scholarly credentials, are leaders in their communities, and plan to push themselves alongside their fellow Honors Gators.

It is important your University of Florida supplemental essays showcase why you belong in the Honors Program. Students accepted to the UF Honors program also have high test scores and GPAs as well as strong UF supplemental essays. You can read more about the 2020 Admitted Student Profile, the Honors review process, and the timeline for the 2021-2022 application cycle  here .

What are the requirements to get into the University of Florida?

Your University of Florida supplemental essays are only one element of your UF application. The University of Florida’s Admissions page provides a list of minimum  requirements for freshman applicants . That means you need to meet or exceed the following benchmarks to have a competitive application outside of your UF supplemental essays:

• Graduation:  You must be on track to graduate from a regionally accredited or state-approved secondary school or the equivalent (G.E.D., etc.).
• Academic Credits:  You need 16 academic units distributed across English, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Foreign Language.
• Grade Point Average:  Your cumulative GPA must be at least a C.
• Conduct:  You must have a record of good conduct. Any major issues may disqualify your application from being considered, regardless of your academic credentials.
• SAT or ACT:  You must submit test scores from the SAT and/or the ACT. If you have taken a test multiple times, UF will take the highest scores for each subsection and superscore to create the highest possible total score.

University of Florida Supplemental Essays: Final Thoughts

As you think about the University of Florida supplemental essays, remember that no single element of your application will determine your admissions results. The UF admissions team uses a  holistic review process , meaning they take everything into consideration: your grades, test scores, extracurriculars, background, and UF supplemental essays. Admissions will consider your UF supplemental essays alongside your other academic credentials to better understand who you are as a student and how you will enrich the University of Florida community. While your transcript and test scores reflect the kind of student you already are, your UF essays will help them see what kind of student you can become.

While writing the University of Florida supplemental essays can be time-consuming, remember your UF essays—including both your Personal Statement and your UF supplemental essays—are the one part of your application where you have complete control. Be sure to take your time and make your University of Florida supplemental essays as strong as they can be! Give yourself time to think about the UF essay topics before you get started. Consider what you’ve already included in the rest of your application and use the UF essays to share something new about who you are.

If the thought of distilling yourself into a few short essays seems daunting, spend some time daydreaming about what going to the University of Florida could mean to your future. Think about the possibilities and opportunities you are excited to take on. Let that excitement shine through in your UF supplemental essays. Good luck!

This 2021-2022 essay guide on UF was written by Stefanie Tedards. For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources, click  here . Want help crafting your University of Florida supplemental essays? Create your free account or schedule a no-cost advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

University of Florida Undergraduate College Application Essays

These University of Florida college application essays were written by students accepted at University of Florida. All of our sample college essays include the question prompt and the year written. Please use these sample admission essays responsibly.

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2361 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11008 literature essays, 2769 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

• Browse College Application Essays
• Undergraduate

College Application Essays accepted by University of Florida

An eye-opening experience josh weiss, university of florida.

On November 18, 2000, a group of my friends and I returned home from my birthday dinner at a local steakhouse. Upon our arrival, it was suggested that we watch the movie Fight Club. As if it were meant to be, we discovered that Fight Club was to...

The Means By Which I Better My Community Josh Weiss

In order to contribute to a community of any size or structure, some aspect of said community must be made better. This can be something as simple as cleaning up refuse or as profound as changing the way people live their lives. Regardless of the...

Experiences and Personality Wes Neuman

Personal Statement Choice #1

Swimming has been the main focus of my life since I was 8 months old, when I first learned how to swim. In 1988, I was part of the Senate Safety Council on whether or not to teach infants how to swim. From learning how...

Individuality Anonymous

Essentially, individuality is a product of nature and nurture. I believe that one's individuality, comprised of many factors, ultimately predicts their later success and influence. A product of my environment, my unique upbringing has affected my...

A loss that has changed me for the better Anonymous

I always looked forward to June 17, the birthday of my only living grandparent. Every year I spent the day composing corny jokes that made her to snort with laughter and murmur loving approval. But in 2002, in a matter of seconds, my associations...

Who I Am Salvador Bou

I credit the development of my personal values to my parents and culture. My parents were raised in Puerto Rico, where they became medical doctors. While my father came from a college educated family, my mother did not. Overcoming deep economic...

Running Child Anonymous

Although my tale is about a basketball player, it is not about a six-foot-eleven athlete whose name is splashed across the sports pages of daily newspapers and whose picture graces the tops of Nike and Adidas boxes. Rather, this is a story of one...

A Journey Through Perdition Hilary Jewel Lange

I stood on the ground where millions of innocent people perished. I walked into a gas chamber, and I walked out. I saw the scratch marks on the walls where people were clawing their way to the top, trying to get one last gasp of oxygen as the...

Crossing the Chasm Anonymous

A crowd of people forms at the entrance of the Eastside High School Gym. A five-foot-eleven, one-hundred-and-sixty-pound, curly-haired freshman shyly makes his way into the sea of faces. Today is tryouts for the Eastside basketball team. Eastside,...

Finding Purpose Anonymous

We were inches from the edge; they were shouting “Dale la vuelta! Dale la vuelta!” (“Go around!”). Unless they moved their truck forward, we would plunge to our deaths, our tires were beginning to slip over the edge of the 2,000-foot cliff.

Pipo Sara Claro Piwko

I’ve lived with my grandparents all my life. My grandfather, whom I call “Pipo,” is like a father to me, and he is absolutely, no-doubt-about-it my favorite person in the world. He is intrigued by everything academic and has a photographic memory....

Warmth of a Smile Anonymous

My annual trips to Pakistan can be summarized with the use of a few basic words, including eating, sleeping, shopping, and complaining. If the car didn't have a fully-operating AC system, I'd curse the people and their lack of technological...

A Modern Holocaust Anonymous

Countless books, documentaries, and museums recount the story of the Jewish Holocaust. Comparatively few people, however, have heard of the modern holocaust that took place in Indonesia twelve years ago in my hometown of Jakarta.

One particular...

Family Builds Character Anonymous

I left my house on the first day of middle school wondering if I would fit in and if my iPod was fully charged. By the end of the day I was wondering if my mother would be alive by the time I got to seventh grade. I still vividly remember parts of...

Becoming One of Them Taylor Dougherty

Kicking rocks as I trudged down the windy path to my undesired destination, I heard my dad loading the obnoxious sounding cars onto the ramp. Every time I looked at the vehicle I was being forced to ride in, I couldn't help but be embarrassed. My...

Spain Awaits Anonymous

I get off of the train into the piercingly cold winter morning, anxious, not knowing what to expect. "So who am I supposed to be looking for?" I think as I nervously scan my surroundings. After a draining 20 hour flight and train ride to get to a...

4'11 Forever Anonymous

When my mom gave birth to me, I weighed in at nine and a half pounds and measured twenty-two inches. One could say I was pretty big for a newborn, but whenever I tell this story, it is soon followed by a: “And that’s pretty much when I stopped...

My Life Jordan Williams

“Jooooorrrrddddannnnn,” my mom screamed with utter fear and panic in her voice. Surprisingly, amongst all of the chaos, her voice was all that I heard. I’m not sure if I was disoriented, bewildered or just in complete shock but at that particular...

Moving Forward Felipe Parodi

As the new student in my sixth grade English class, I was asked where I was from. "Where is your home?" a classmate inquired. As I opened my mouth to answer, I was struck by the sudden realization that there was no particular place that I was able...

The Backyard Anonymous

I remember when the flowers stopped blooming.

All throughout my childhood there was always one thing that would instantly make me happy. I had a beautiful backyard in my childhood home. The smell of the ripe red mango trees and the chirping of the...

Playground Andrew Elsakr

There was one playground not too far from my grandparents' apartment in Cairo (the summer home of my childhood) where I wasn't treated like the quirky, abnormal kid that I was used to being. It wasn't your ideal picture of a playground, though....

The Good Life Nicole Relics

Warm, fluffy bread -- because Romanians cannot eat any meal without it. Pillowy pumpkin spinach ravioli -- a recipe my mother got from a chef in Italy in exchange for her strudel recipe. And apple pie -- because the U.S. makes the best. This could...

St. Elmo's Fire Anonymous

As a child, I was obsessed with 80’s movies. I admired Ferris Bueller’s infectious charisma and fearless confidence. I dreamed of having my own Jake Ryan waiting outside the church, grinning an impish smile while standing by his cool red Porsche....

UF Butterfly Garden Gaitana Jaramillo

The University of Florida's butterfly and moth exhibit houses more than 10 million variations of 10 million species! When I read that fact I couldn’t believe it. Each critter displayed in those glass cases is completely unique; now multiply that...

Recent Questions about University of Florida

The Question and Answer section for University of Florida is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Add Project Key Words

Analyzing the University of Florida Supplemental Essay 2021-2022

Padya Paramita

December 7, 2021

Known for its standout academics, outstanding health care programs and consistent performance in NCAA athletics, the University of Florida continues to be one of the top public universities in the country by U.S. News and World Report. No matter what brings you to the home of the Gators, you must describe what makes you a candidate who is involved in their community through the University of Florida supplemental essay 2021-2022. To guide you through this essay, I’ve analyzed the prompt in greater detail and provided further tips to guide you through writing the best response possible.

Prompt for the University of Florida 2021-2022

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)

The only prompt for the University of Florida supplemental essay 2021-2022 wants you to talk about the most meaningful extracurricular involvement you have. The school has given you flexibility by listing some possible examples of the type of commitment you might write about—as well as saying “any other non-classroom activity” if it’s more applicable. Through this supplemental prompt, U Florida is interested in knowing exactly what you’ll bring from your current life as a high schooler to their campus. 

As you brainstorm, start thinking about all of the ways you participate in activities on a daily basis—school clubs, student groups, sports teams, neighborhood organizations, family commitments, etc. From there, think about what—from any of these communities—that have meant the most to you and why. The list could go on, but may include things like helping your parents with your siblings, or stepping up as a leader to initiate a new community center in your neighborhood. From there, you want to think about how your skills can benefit others, specifically at the University of Florida.  When approaching the University of Florida supplemental essay 2021-2022 , try to be as specific as possible. 250 words is a short essay, so make sure you get straight to the point and explain the unique contributions you would bring from your current life to Gainesville. 

Further Tips for Writing the University of Florida Supplemental Essay 2021-2022

• Let Your Personality Shine - The purpose of the University of Florida Supplemental Essay 2021-2022 is to get to know you. You can’t be a memorable candidate if admissions officers are unable to gauge who you are, sense what you’re passionate about, or identify your goals. Don’t just repeat your personal statement. Instead, exemplify each point as concretely as possible.
• Don’t Repeat Your Activities List - Since this is an activities essay and you’re writing about your most meaningful commitment, chances are you’ve already mentioned this activity in the Common App. Make sure your essay response isn’t repetitive of what you’ve written in the description of the activities list. Admissions officers want to know more information about you.

While there may only be one University of Florida supplemental essay 2021-2022 you shouldn’t take it for granted. Think carefully about a unique activity that you’ve played a pivotal role in. Write about why it matters to you. If you’re genuine and descriptive, you’ll give yourself a strong chance. Good luck!

Tags : University of Florida Supplemental Essay 2021-2022 , university of florida , university of florida essay , uflorida

Schedule a free consultation

to find out how we can help you get accepted.

• What is Career Pathways?
• Architecture, Manufacturing , Natural Resources and Agriculture
• Arts, Communications, Media and Marketing
• Business, Public Service and Tourism
• Healthcare and Health Sciences
• Human Services, Consulting and Education
• Artificial Intelligence
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
• First & Second Year Students
• First Generation Students
• International Students
• Students With Disabilities
• Veteran Students
• Community Based Learning
• Creative & Entrepreneurial Works
• Global & Sociocultural Learning
• Internship, Co-Op & Work Based Learning
• Leadership & Involvement
• Professional Exploration & Development
• Featured Jobs
• Featured Internships
• Expand Your Network / Mentor
• Explore Your Interests / Self Assessment
• Job Market Data
• Negotiate an Offer
• Prepare for an Interview
• Prepare for Graduate School
• Search for a Job / Internship
• Academic Job Search Documents

Create a Resume

• Create a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Create a Cover Letter
• Learn about Portfolios
• Learn all about LinkedIn
• Write a Personal Statement
• Professional Communication
• Molm Family Gator Career Career Closet
• Career Fairs
• Career Planning Appointments
• Career Prep Process
• Career Readiness Check-in
• Express Drop-In
• Industry Connections
• What Can I Do With This Major?

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A RESUME?

A resume is a professional summary that highlights your skills, abilities, and achievements. Resumes provide employers with a unique reflection of your experiences and are used for securing part or full-time employment, gaining admission into a graduate program, being awarded a scholarship, and more. An ideal resume should feature your accomplishments, strengths, and transferable skills.

Your resume should be strategically written to briefly and effectively communicate your experience. Whether you’re applying for a part-time position, volunteer opportunity, internship, or full-time job, you want your resume to professionally reflect your qualifications. Think about experiences you are most proud of and want to highlight to tell your story and how you will add value.

SEVEN QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE BUILDING YOUR RESUME

• Who is my audience? To whom am I writing and why will they care?
• What are my professional career goals?
• What are the unique strengths I bring?
• What experiences am I most proud of?
• Do my descriptions summarize what I’ve learned or accomplished?
• Which competencies and skills do I want to highlight throughout my resume?
• Can the reader visualize my experiences?

WHAT ARE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS?

Transferable skills are skills that you have that can be used in many positions and across multiple disciplines. These are skills that you can develop throughout your collegiate experience that can translate into different areas that are relevant to work and life. On your resume, it is important to think about how your previous skills and experiences could translate into the role you are applying to.

For example, you may be applying to a position that requires “strong communication skills” in the job description. When developing your resume, think about when you might have demonstrated communication skills- maybe it was through a class project? A presentation? A student organization? Think about what experiences would highlight the skill the position is seeking.

Transferrable skills are shared on your resume through strong bullet points under each experience. Bullet points include the following: Action verb + Task + Result. You may want to answer the questions, “What did I accomplish?,” “How did I do this?,” and “Why is this important to share?”. Sharing your transferrable skills through bullet points makes your previous experiences relatable and actionable.

Here are some examples of strong bullet points:

• Supervised the camp population of 100+ persons in water for 24 hours weekly to ensure safety
• Planned annual networking events for active members to meet alumni and build mentoring relationships
• Implemented marketing strategies to promote newspaper to target populations, increasing online readership by 43%

PRO TIPS FOR BUILDING A RESUME

• Avoid using templates online – they can be difficult to revise in the future
• Tailor to the job/program applying for
• When applying for industry positions, keep resume to 1 page
• When applying for graduate programs or those with advanced degrees, resume can be 1-2 pages
• Use 10-12 size font in a professional style
• Margins should be no smaller than 0.5 inches
• Experiences are to be listed in reverse chronological order or by importance/relevance
• Proofread! Check punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure
• Use verbs similar to those found in the job posting or that kind of work
• Use nouns (keywords) that relate to things that are part of the job with which you may have previous experience
• All dates, abbreviations, and formatting should be consistent

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESUME AND A CV?

A curriculum vitae and a resume are similar in that both highlight one’s education and relevant experience. However, a CV tends to be longer and is used more widely when candidates have published works like scientific evidence or journals. Common for graduate students, a CV tends to include any research experience, teaching experience, and publications. CVs are more comprehensive as they are used when applying to positions where specific field knowledge or expertise is required. Like a resume, there is no one correct format for a CV- the key is formatting and organization.

Featured Articles

45 Rare Action Verbs for Your Resume (with Examples)

• Share This: Share 45 Rare Action Verbs for Your Resume (with Examples) on Facebook Share 45 Rare Action Verbs for Your Resume (with Examples) on LinkedIn Share 45 Rare Action Verbs for Your Resume (with Examples) on X

When you outline an accomplishment on your resume, why use a bland (and often meaningless) adjective when you can deploy a powerful action verb to add some depth?

Thoughtful action verbs …

3 Ways to Tailor Your Resume For the Position

• Share This: Share 3 Ways to Tailor Your Resume For the Position on Facebook Share 3 Ways to Tailor Your Resume For the Position on LinkedIn Share 3 Ways to Tailor Your Resume For the Position on X

Tailoring your resume is vital for landing an interview, and ultimately, the job you’re applying for.

You can’t simply write your resume and send that one out to every job opportunity that fits your career goals. You won’t get the …

Should You Use Canva for Your Resume? Here’s What You Need to Know

• Share This: Share Should You Use Canva for Your Resume? Here’s What You Need to Know on Facebook Share Should You Use Canva for Your Resume? Here’s What You Need to Know on LinkedIn Share Should You Use Canva for Your Resume? Here’s What You Need to Know on X

Creating your resume in Canva can feel like manifesting a makeover. What can seem like a plain and boring document suddenly looks colorful and eye-catching.

So as a career coach, when I meet with clients who’ve spiced things up by …

How to Add Extracurricular Activities to Your Resume—So They Actually Help Your Job Search

• Share This: Share How to Add Extracurricular Activities to Your Resume—So They Actually Help Your Job Search on Facebook Share How to Add Extracurricular Activities to Your Resume—So They Actually Help Your Job Search on LinkedIn Share How to Add Extracurricular Activities to Your Resume—So They Actually Help Your Job Search on X

When you’re writing a resume, your education and past jobs are far from the only things that matter. The truth is, the past experiences and skills that employers care about can come from a number of places. And particularly when …

How to Read a Job Description the Right Way—So You Can Stop Sending Resumes Into the Void

• Share This: Share How to Read a Job Description the Right Way—So You Can Stop Sending Resumes Into the Void on Facebook Share How to Read a Job Description the Right Way—So You Can Stop Sending Resumes Into the Void on LinkedIn Share How to Read a Job Description the Right Way—So You Can Stop Sending Resumes Into the Void on X

When’s the last time you read a job description? If you’re currently job hunting, your immediate answer might be something like “last night” or “a few minutes ago.” But ask yourself: When’s the last time you really read a job …

Search Career Connections Center

Stay connected.

Want to stay up to date on opportunities, resources and events?  Subscribe for weekly notification!

Career Resources

Federal resume guide.

• Share This: Share Federal Resume Guide on Facebook Share Federal Resume Guide on LinkedIn Share Federal Resume Guide on X

Resume Sample

• Share This: Share Resume Sample on Facebook Share Resume Sample on LinkedIn Share Resume Sample on X
• Share This: Share CV Guide on Facebook Share CV Guide on LinkedIn Share CV Guide on X

A guide to all things CV (curriculum vitae). Includes a break down of the differences between CVs and Resumes as …

• Share This: Share Sample CV on Facebook Share Sample CV on LinkedIn Share Sample CV on X

A sample CV to reference while creating or revising a CV.

Engineering CV

• Share This: Share Engineering CV on Facebook Share Engineering CV on LinkedIn Share Engineering CV on X

A technical sample CV to reference while creating or revising a CV.

Technical Resume Sample

• Share This: Share Technical Resume Sample on Facebook Share Technical Resume Sample on LinkedIn Share Technical Resume Sample on X

Technical resumes are sometimes constructed differently than general resumes. These sample resumes focus more on technical resumes to provide a …

Contact & Location

J. Wayne Reitz Union Suite 1300 PO Box 118507 Gainesville, FL 32611-8507

Career Service Hours

We are located on Level 1 of the Reitz Union.

University of Miami 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide  

Early Action/Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1

You Have: 

University of Miami 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Diversity

Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the University of Miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. The University of Miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute.

Please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive university community..

Odds are that this isn’t the first “ diversity ” essay prompt you’ve come across this year—even if the prompt doesn’t explicitly use the word. If it is, however, please read on. UMiami wants to accept students from a range of backgrounds who will contribute to a “distinctive” University community, so tell admissions about what makes you you and how you will be a meaningful addition to the UMiami student body. Think about times when people have been intrigued by or curious about your identity, skillset, or background. Maybe you began practicing meditation and Buddhism during your sophomore year and you hope to spread some wisdom and mindfulness on campus next fall. Perhaps you were raised on a farm and have a very special relationship to all living things (plants, animals, people, etc.) around you. What do you hope to share with others about your lived experience? How will you incorporate this element of your identity into your college experience? Show admissions that you’re eager to make your mark in their community. Bonus points if you can reference a specific component of the UMiami experience (think clubs, classes, volunteer opportunities, etc.) to demonstrate interest and fit.

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

Look no further!

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

School Stats:

• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Malone University
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Meredith College
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• The College of Idaho
• The George Washington University
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Williams College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guide
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

Does UCF have specific essay or personal statement topics?

Although optional, an essay can assist the Admissions Committee in knowing you as an individual, independent of test scores and other objective data. If you would like to submit an essay, please select from one of the topics below. Your response should be no longer than a total of 500 words or 7,000 characters.

• Why did you choose to apply to UCF?
• What qualities or unique characteristics do you possess that will allow you to contribute to the UCF community?

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the University of Miami Essay 2023-2024

The University of Miami has one required supplemental essay prompt for all applicants. The prompt asks about how your life experiences, challenges you’ve overcome, or skills you’ve acquired would contribute to the UMiami community.

Since UMiami 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 this required prompt.

Read these UMiami essay examples to inspire your writing.

University of Miami Supplemental Essay Prompt

Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the university of miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. the university of miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute., please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive university community. (250 words).

This prompt is rather open-ended in that you can essentially discuss anything! Unique experiences, challenges overcome, and skills acquired are the three explicitly stated categories of things you might want to discuss. Given the introductory paragraph about diversity, you may want to consider writing about a unique life experience that highlights an aspect of your identity. That said, we will go over writing a diversity essay and an “overcoming challenges” essay so that you can write to your strengths.

Writing a “Diversity” Essay

Note that diversity encompasses several disparate aspects of identity, including ethnicity/race, country of origin, language, gender or sexual identity, geographical location, income class, disability or illness, personality trait, extracurricular interest, or something else entirely!

An aspect of diversity might also be something that taught you or inspired your passions, something that you were born into, or something you’re just now learning that you’re a part of. The life experience you write about simply needs to represent a part of yourself that is genuine.


A quick note if you intend to write about your racial background: In June 2023, the United States Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions. The ruling, however, still allows colleges to consider race on an individual basis, which is one reason many schools are now including diversity prompts as one of their supplemental essay prompts. If you feel that your racial background has impacted you significantly, this is the place to discuss that.

Once you’ve chosen the life experience or aspect of your identity you want to write about, reflect on the impact that it’s had on your life and begin weaving that into your response. Think about the lessons you’ve learned along the way, the people you’ve met, and the skills you’ve learned. Consider this example:

“Ever since I was a little kid, stories have run rampant in my mind. I would make up stories in the car, in the shower, when I would close my eyes to go to sleep. They’d play out like movies in my head, and I got overwhelmed by not knowing what to do with them, so I turned against myself and wished that I would stop. That’s when I found the Creative Writing Club at my school.

Finding other people who shared the same inherent reflex I did not only made me feel normal again but made me feel accepted. I found that my habits were not unhealthy, but inspired. I suddenly found an outlet for 16 years’ worth of pent-up ideas and creativity. I had people to share my stories with, but more importantly, I was a person with whom they could share theirs. Swapping stories became a way for us to learn about different perspectives, cultures, and identities, and in doing so, it has made us all more worldly and empathetic.

I wish to join the Written In My Soul club to share in the experience of using creative writing as an outlet for emotions and ideas. I am excited by the idea of joining a new vibrant community of writers that is so different from the ones I have been in before.”

Writing an “Overcoming Challenges” Essay

Besides life experiences, aspects of diversity, and interests, you can choose to write about a challenge you’ve overcome. This topic can reflect your ability to handle difficult situations and learn from them.

To write an effective response, you’ll want to construct an anecdote that goes through both the challenge and your thought process during and after it. Start with a brief description of the challenge. Next, describe the steps you took to approach the challenge.

Also make sure to discuss the outcome of the situation and show the admissions officer how you matured from this experience, specifically identifying what you have learned from it. The most common mistake students make is to focus too much on the challenge, rather than their thought process, emotions, and growth as a result of overcoming it.

As you brainstorm and begin drafting your response, here are some questions to direct your thinking:

• Why was this challenge so important to you? What is its significance?
• At that moment, what was your reaction to the situation? How did it affect you (thoughts, emotions)?
• Were the steps you took to manage the situation successful? Why or why not?
• How did this challenge allow you to grow and mature as an individual?

Try to avoid “challenges” that are too trivial; although you may be upset that you got a B on that one calculus test, this is not a significant enough challenge to analyze. For this prompt, it’s important to demonstrate personal growth and maturity, as these are traits that will help you contribute to the UMiami community.

You should also avoid challenges that are clichés , such as:

• A sports injury
• Working hard in a difficult class
• Adjusting to a new culture or school
• Facing tragedy (death, illness, abuse)
• Romantic relationships and breakups

To get you thinking, here’s an example of a hypothetical student’s experience:

A student who is passionate about robotics wanted to start a competitive robotics club at her school. She gathered a group of interested students and began the process of getting the club approved by the administration, but to your disappointment, the club was rejected. Instead of accepting defeat, she and her peers petitioned the school in hopes of having the board members reconsider their decision.

While she ultimately didn’t win over the school board, the student discovered her talent for persuasive speaking in the process, and decided to join the Debate Team. She has since won several awards and even got to give a local TED Talk. She wants to major in Communications at UMiami and hopes to share her knowledge and expertise with her future peers on the Debate Team.

A Final Note

Whether you decide to write about an aspect of your identity, a life experience, a challenge you overcame, a skill you acquired, or something else entirely, be sure to describe how your topic served as an opportunity for learning and personal growth. Also don’t forget to address the final part of the prompt by stating how you will contribute to the UMiami community. This contribution can take a variety of forms, but it’s best to find a specific resource or opportunity at UMiami that you can see yourself being a part of.

Where to Get Your University of Miami Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UMiami essays? After rereading your essay over and over again, it can be difficult to determine where your writing might be improved upon. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

latest in US News

Restaurant divides internet over strict age restriction, 35 for...

Terrified woman pleads for help at stranger’s door after...

Shirtless NY Supreme Court judge who shoved cop, brawled with...

50 Cent says Lauren Boebert is ‘making the White House look...

Bystanders outside store trap gang of alleged burglars inside,...

Crossing guard, 26, arrested for smoking weed with middle school...

Crossing guard accused of beating a mom in her car with stop sign...

California Chipotle customers throw food at employees as they...

University of florida employee, students implicated in illegal plot to ship drugs, toxins to china.

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

A University of Florida research employee and students have been implicated in an illegal, multi-million dollar scheme investigated by the Justice Department to fraudulently buy thousands of biochemical samples of dangerous drugs and toxins that were delivered to a campus laboratory then illicitly shipped to China over seven years, according to federal court records.

Among the students tied to the scheme was the president of UF’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association.

The group openly protested a Florida law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year that limits universities from recruiting students and faculty from China — and bans employing such students from working in academic labs without special permission.

That student, Nongnong “Leticia” Zheng, confirmed Friday in an interview that a federal prosecutor notified her last year in writing she was the target of a grand jury investigation, and the Justice Department was preparing to seek criminal charges against her.

She said she has been assigned a federal public defender, Ryan Maguire of Tampa. She said government agents have threatened to imprison or deport her.

It wasn’t otherwise clear whether the UF research employee or other students — identified in court records as co-conspirators — been charged or arrested yet. The UF employee worked in the stockroom of one of the university’s research labs, prosecutors said.

The materials smuggled to China included what the government described as purified, non-contagious proteins of the cholera toxin and pertussis toxin, which causes whooping cough.

Cholera is a generally non-fatal intestinal infection that can cause severe dehydration.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can lead to violent coughing, vomiting and even respiratory distress — but is preventable with a vaccine.

Other materials smuggled to China in the scheme included small amounts of highly purified drugs – known as analytical samples — of fentanyl, morphine, MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, codeine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, acetylmorphine and methadone, court records showed. Such small samples would generally be used for calibrating scientific or medical devices.

The substances can’t legally be exported to China.

Prosecutors described one student involved as a Chinese citizen majoring in marketing in the business college last year, who agreed to change her UF email signature to falsely represent that she was a biomedical engineering student to purchase items without raising suspicions, court records showed.

One line across hundreds of pages of court documents in the case cited an excerpt of an email that her first name was “Leticia.”

Zheng, a senior marketing major in the business school, is president of the Chinese students and scholars group, which describes itself as officially approved by the Chinese embassy. Zheng was enrolled as recently as the spring semester that just ended, university records showed.

Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, identified “Leticia” as Zheng using biographical clues in university records shared by none of the other 58,441 UF students enrolled last semester.

Zheng, who said she lived most of her life in China, said in a tearful interview Friday at her apartment complex she was deceived and victimized by the scheme’s organizers, who she said solicited help finding paid interns from the Chinese student organization.

Foreign students on educational visas are limited in how or whether they can work for pay.

“This case seems to be really big,” she said. “What I was doing was, like, just a little work, and I didn’t get paid that much.”

Zheng said in hindsight, she noticed red flags such as a lack of paperwork or consistent payments for the administrative work she did. She said she wasn’t familiar with the substances she was directed to order.

The man described as the scheme’s ringleader — who has pleaded guilty in the case — reassured her, and she didn’t realize she was in trouble until the Justice Department contacted her, she said.

Zheng said she hopes to be allowed to finish her degree and said she doesn’t understand how the university didn’t have policies in place to protect her.

“I do need help, honestly,” she said, adding: “I would like to see if there’s anything that can help me not get charged and get out of this whole mess.”

Earlier this year, Zheng’s organization issued a statement calling Florida’s new law restricting Chinese students in university labs as “nationality-based discrimination” and said it violates principles of academic freedom and openness and impedes international exchanges.

The scheme’s organizers also paid UF students other than Zheng to allow use of their UF email addresses to order the substances, prosecutors said. Organizers paid the UF research employee with Home Depot gift cards worth hundreds of dollars and paid for trips and loans, court records showed.

Prosecutors said organizers also used the email addresses of two UF researchers who had already left the university by 2015. They were not described as co-conspirators.

The university said in a statement that it has been cooperating with the Justice Department for weeks but declined to answer directly whether anyone has been fired or kicked out of UF.

“We will have more details to share regarding UF’s administrative actions as the DOJ’s criminal case unfolds,” spokesman Steve Orlando said. “Employees who break the law will be separated from employment, and students who break the law will face suspension.”

The scheme ran from July 2016 to May 2023, the government said. Former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse — a leading China hawk on Capitol Hill who once described the threat from Beijing as the “defining national-security challenge of our age” — took over as the university’s president in February 2022.

The plot was sure to supercharge the raging policy debate over countering China’s ascension as a global power and curtailing its influence.

Florida has already banned TikTok from universities and colleges, and prohibited citizens of China and some other countries from owning homes or purchasing property in large swaths of the state.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and said to be under consideration by former President Donald Trump to be his running mate, has warned Florida lawmakers about what he called a foreign interference effort by China targeting universities.

The Chinese Students and Scholars Association’s faculty adviser, Eric Jing Du, a professor in the UF Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, said Friday in an interview that he was unaware of the criminal investigation and Zheng never told him she was ordering biomedical supplies.

Du — who condemned the plot described in court records — said the two have worked together in the two years he has been the group’s adviser. He separately hired her briefly in 2022 to produce some images for an academic proposal, he said.

“It’s like some UF students are trying to make a profit on this without knowing the potential consequences,” he said.

Du said he worried investigations like this could lead to further crackdowns against international students.

The new Florida law targets students from so-called countries of concern: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria.

“This is a very complicated time,” Du said. “I do know the contributions and hard work of the students from the countries of concern, the vast majority of them are doing the right thing and contributing to UF and Florida. I just hope the decision makers, the leadership, the Legislature won’t amplify the impact of this.”

The man who prosecutors identified as the scheme’s ringleader, Pen “Ben” Yu, 51, of Gibsonton, Florida, near Tampa, has already pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on Aug. 2.

Yu provided Zheng, the UF student, with a credit card to place dozens of fraudulent orders last year, the Justice Department said.

At Yu’s direction, she wrote to the biomedical company that she was “working in collaboration with other researchers” in biotechnology and requested “a good price since we will be purchasing these items routinely,” court records showed.

After the biomedical orders arrived at UF, the research employee would bring them or otherwise provide them to Yu, who shipped them to China, prosecutors said.

The UF researcher in charge of the lab – which included the stockroom where the supplies were delivered – was not described as a co-conspirator in legal filings.

“Ben, I believe I have 35 or 36 boxes for you today,” the UF research employee wrote in 2016.

Yu paid for the employee’s gasoline, $10 for every hour he drove to meet him. “I will pump the gas for you at the place where we meet,” he told the research employee, prosecutors said. Yu disguised the shipments to China as legal “diluting agents,” court records showed.

“Faking an affiliation with an academic research lab to obtain controlled biochemical materials, and then sending those materials to China, is not only wrong but illegal,” said Matthew S. Axelrod, the assistant secretary for export enforcement in the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. He said the criminal investigation should put other universities on alert.

Axelrod called it “yet another fact pattern for universities to beware of — the misuse of academic institutions by outsiders who seek to obscure the actual customer of controlled items.”

It wasn’t clear who Yu was working for in China. In intercepted messages, the government said he referred to his superior only as his boss.

Yu and his defense lawyer, Robert Earl Zlatkin of Orlando, did not immediately return a phone message.

A sales executive for Massachusetts-based Sigma-Aldrich Inc., which sold the samples, also has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Gregory Muñoz, 45, of Minneola, Florida, west of Orlando, was set to be sentenced July 23. Muñoz sold products from the company to several universities in Florida, including UF, court records said.

Yu emailed Muñoz in 2020 and said his employer needed 10 boxes of cholera toxin, which he acknowledged was a substance heavily regulated by the US government.

“This is the cholera toxin,” Muñoz replied. “Remember, we had issues in the past and they require a lot of documentation signed by the university.”

Muñoz discovered in December 2022 that his employer was investigating him and warned Yu, who continued to place hundreds of new orders to ship to China in 2023, court records said. “Wow, I am really screwed now,” Muñoz wrote. “Anti-bribery, anti-kickback.”

Last year, in February, Yu emailed Muñoz and asked, “Do you still need Leticia to send you this order?” Muñoz and his lawyer, Fritz J. Scheller of Orlando, also did not immediately return a phone message to Fresh Take Florida.

Start your day with all you need to know

Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

Thanks for signing up!

Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Never miss a story.

A third person, Jonathan Rok Thyng, 47, who lived at the same address as Yu in Gibsonton, agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit a federal crime and faces up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Prosecutors said Thyng ordered some of the biomedical substances and shipped some of the packages to China. He was expected to formally enter his plea June 18.

Thyng and his lawyer, Bjorn Erik Brunvand of Clearwater, also did not immediately return a phone message left by Fresh Take Florida.

Prosecutors said US Customs and Border Protection seized a shipment in April 2023 that Thyng sent from Tampa to China containing biomedical items ordered by the UF marketing student and others.

The Justice Department said orders placed through UF qualified for significant discounts — prosecutors said the scheme’s organizers paid $4.9 million for $13.7 million worth of biomedical supplies — and included free items and free overnight shipping.

Prosecutors said in court records they would recommend leniency for Yu, Muñoz and Thyng because they promised to cooperate with investigators and accepted responsibility for their crimes. Prosecutors said all are American citizens.

The Justice Department asked the judge to order Yu and Muñoz each to forfeit $100,000, which it said was how much Yu and Muñoz had earned over the years.

The scheme unraveled when the company — known as MilliporeSigma, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany — discovered the ruse involving UF and reported its involvement to the US government.

Under new Justice Department rules, such companies that self-report export violations and cooperate can escape prosecution.

The company said in a statement Friday that it fired Muñoz and cooperated with investigators to avoid prosecution. This was the first time those rules were applied, the government said.

“Because of MilliporeSigma’s timely disclosure and exceptional cooperation, a rogue company insider and his accomplice pled guilty to fraudulently diverting millions of dollars’ worth of biochemicals to China, and the company will not be prosecuted,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in Washington.

“As national security and corporate crime increasingly intersect, companies that step up and own up under the department’s voluntary self-disclosure programs can help themselves and our nation,” she said.

Share this article:

Advertisement

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development 

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting  students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page  if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

Social Media

Facebook twitter.

The University of Tampa

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at The University of Tampa?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

The University of Tampa’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Common app personal essay.

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?