You'll answer two to three prompts. The questions depend on your major and if you select a second choice.
Each response is about 150 words. You'll find the prompts in the "Writing" tab of our supplemental questions on the Common App.
Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you've taken, or through something else.
When my school's website crashed during a virtual event, I volunteered to fix it. As the lead coder in our tech club, I dove into debugging the server, tracing the issue to a memory leak in our outdated CMS. With only hours before the event, I optimized the code and migrated the site to a cloud platform, boosting load speed by 40%. The challenge taught me to stay calm under pressure and deepened my love for problem-solving in coding. This experience solidified my goal to study Computer Science at UIUC, where I can explore courses like CS 421 and work in the Siebel Center to tackle real-world tech challenges.
Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from Illinois and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them.
My goal is to design sustainable energy systems, specifically next-generation wind turbines that reduce costs by 20%. Mechanical Engineering at UIUC will equip me with the tools to achieve this. Courses like ME 470 will teach me finite element analysis to optimize turbine blade designs, while the Energy Systems Lab offers hands-on research opportunities. My high school project designing a small-scale turbine sparked this ambition, teaching me the physics of energy conversion. At UIUC, I aim to join Professor Smith’s renewable energy group to refine my skills and contribute to affordable clean energy solutions, addressing global energy challenges.
What are your academic interests? Please include 2-3 majors you're considering at Illinois and why.
I’m drawn to both Computer Science and Psychology at UIUC to explore human-computer interaction. My psychology class project analyzing user behavior on social media apps sparked my interest in how technology shapes cognition. UIUC’s CS 465 (User Interface Design) will teach me technical skills to build intuitive systems, while Psychology’s Brain and Cognition Lab will deepen my understanding of human perception. Additionally, I’m considering Bioengineering to address healthcare tech challenges, inspired by a hospital volunteering experience where I saw outdated medical interfaces. UIUC’s Bioengineering 415 will let me design user-friendly medical devices. These majors connect through my passion for improving technology’s human impact, and UIUC’s interdisciplinary resources make it the perfect place to explore this intersection.
What are your future career or academic goals? You may include courses you took in high school and how these impacted your goals.
My goal is to develop sustainable urban farming solutions to address food insecurity. My AP Environmental Science project on hydroponics showed me how technology can revolutionize agriculture, sparking my passion. The project required designing a low-cost system, teaching me resource optimization. At UIUC, I aim to explore Agricultural Engineering to learn advanced techniques like vertical farming. Courses like ABE 436 will provide practical skills in renewable energy systems, aligning with my vision of creating scalable, eco-friendly farms. My high school volunteer work at a community garden further solidified this goal, as I saw firsthand the impact of fresh produce access. I want to combine engineering and social impact to build systems that feed communities sustainably.
Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals.
My first-choice major, Environmental Engineering, reflects my passion for sustainable systems, but my second-choice major, Public Policy, complements this by addressing systemic change. My Model UN experience debating climate policies showed me how regulations shape environmental outcomes. I drafted a resolution on carbon taxes, learning the power of policy to drive innovation. UIUC’s POL 386 course on environmental policy will teach me to craft effective legislation, while the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment offers interdisciplinary research opportunities. Public Policy equips me to influence large-scale sustainability, ensuring my engineering solutions reach communities. Both majors align with my goal of creating equitable, green infrastructure, blending technical and societal approaches.
All the best!
