What contributions can they, personally, make to their communities—and how can a UT education help them do that? What, specifically, about UT Austin did the student connect with, in terms of how it would help them contribute to the greater good?

Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society

IMPORTANT: Refer to this website: https://giving.utexas.edu/ctw/

Short Answer Prompt

The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate. (300 Words)

HOW TO APPROACH THIS QUESTION

This question offers applicants the chance to tell the committee how studying at UT Austin will help them impact the world for the better. A student’s impact could take the form of a chosen career, service/volunteer work, advocacy, leadership, or other creative or intellectual endeavors.

The key here is to combine two elements:

The student’s reflections on how they want to impact the world (including the lives of others) for the better.

The student’s considerations of how their experiences at UT might enable them to do so.

Particularly when it comes to talking about future opportunities at UT, students should be specific,
demonstrating their knowledge of the university and the possibilities it will afford them to use their education for social good.

If students have done any brainstorming for short answer 2, they’ve already spent a fair amount of time thinking about the role they play in the various communities or groups they belong to. Now they need to think about why they’ve chosen to be involved in those activities. What core values have guided these choices, and in looking to the future, how do those values inform the impact students hope to have on their community—and even the world?

PERSONALIZING THE ANSWER

As students think about how to make their answer to this question stand out, they should keep in mind that certain kinds of social contributions—such as helping underprivileged children or working to end world hunger—may strike the admissions committee as somewhat generic. They’re incredible endeavors, yes, but the goal here is to stand out from other applicants who have similar lofty goals.

For this reason, students should think about how they can frame their potential contributions to society in a way that distinguishes them from the thousands of other students who also want to have a positive impact. Here are some questions to consider:

How has their past experience put them in a position to realize their positive values, in the UT community and beyond?

What contributions can they, personally, make to their communities—and how can a UT education help them do that?

What, specifically, about UT Austin did the student connect with, in terms of how it would help them contribute to the greater good?