<p>I want to go ahead and begin working on essays for my UNC application to get an early start. I heard that the essays are generally the same every year, is that accurate? What were last (this) years essay questions? Would it be a waste of time to start writing about a passion? Thanks.</p>
<p>the unc site posted the new essay questions for 2008:</p>
<p>Please respond to two of the prompts below. One of your essays should be short (about 250 words) and one essay should be longer (about 500 words).</p>
<ol>
<li>If you could solve one of history’s greatest mysteries, what would it be and why?</li>
<li>Tell us about a friendship you have forged with someone from a different race, class, religion, or background. How did this friendship develop? What has it taught you?</li>
<li>Carolina encourages undergraduates to participate in research in any field — including the arts, humanities, social sciences, communications, and sciences. If you could spend one semester researching a specific topic that interests you, in the hope of making at least a small contribution to our understanding of that topic, what would you choose to research and why?</li>
<li>If you were to choose or create a quote or saying that defined you, what would it be and why?</li>
<li>Some scientific advances are so counterintuitive that they completely change the way we think about the world. Examples are the ideas of Isaac Newton or Charles Darwin or Marie Curie. Which scientific discovery made during your lifetime has most significantly affected the world around you?</li>
<li>Carolina students may take advantage of 30,000 internships worldwide. If you were to describe your dream internship, what would it be and why?</li>
<li>Tell us about a time when you had to sacrifice something in order to help a friend or family member.</li>
<li>If you have written an essay for another school’s application that you really like, feel free to use it as your longer essay for us. Please be sure to tell us (a) what essay you are answering and (b) why you think this essay represents you well (your explanation will not be included in the essay word count).</li>
</ol>
<p>i really like the questions this year. and as you can see, unc always offers the final option of sending in an essay from a diff school...aka write whatever you want lol.</p>
<p>Thanks, I already have a plan for 2!</p>
<p>Thanks, misstina. now no excuses at my house.</p>
<p>how important are the essays in admission</p>
<p>very important</p>
<p>I'd say the essays are easily one of the most important parts of your education, especially for scholarships. You will not get in with a terrible essay.</p>
<p>cloying meant to say "parts of your application" lol =D</p>
<p>should the app. be out by August 1?</p>
<p>i guess their relying on essays is understandable for such a liberal art college</p>
<p>Essays are a very critical component to college applications. It is one of the components that sets you apart from other applicants who have similar test scores, grades, and/or extracurriculars as you do. It is your chance to really convey your personality and let the UNC adcoms learn who you really are. </p>
<p>Take your essay, fly with it, show UNC your risky side, shove it in the can for a week, come back a week later and find that you like or don't like your essay, re-write it, perfect it, do whatever. Just convey yourself. Also, when letting others read your essays, don't let their opinions about what may/may not be a good essay deter you from writing what you really want to write about to show who you are. Only you know who you are and only you know your style. Write what you want to even if it may be a bit odd or unconventional, you never know if that might be the reason you get into UNC or some other college for that matter. It all comes down to you leading the life you want to live and not the life that others want you to live. Stay true to yourself in the essay!</p>
<p>And good luck with your essay and I hope to possibly see you if you decide to become a Tarheel!</p>
<p>Yes, the essays are extremely important. I believe that they were what got me into the school because compared with the people on this board my SATs pale in comparison. I think a great essay will be what keeps students with not so good test scores competitive in the admissions process. Good Luck with you application</p>
<p>wow i'm glad i got last years essays... these are tricky! have fun kids! and remember..essays are the KEY to gaining admission, especially OOS, and with $$. Start NOWWW is my advice. :-)</p>
<p>The one most important thing to remember about essays particularly at a school that does not offer interviews; your essays are the ONLY way you can humanize yourself. There will inevitably be numerous candidates with virtually if not the same GPAs, SATs and similar ECs in the application pool.</p>
<p>Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions counselor; how can they possibly decide between two candidates who are identical on paper? If a school comes out and tells you that they highly value the essays, which UNC does, then my focus and time would clearly be spent on crafting the best essay(s) possible. The essays should allow them to see beyond the numbers into the person that you are.</p>
<p>Don't be afraid to be humorous as long as it is appropriate and tasteful. Remember that they are literally reading tens of thousands of essays and anything that will cut through the clutter and be memorable, that will make them stop and say "this person is really interesting, I'd like to meet them" will ultimately be beneficial to you.</p>
<p>Misstina, hahah, thanks for fixing that up for me! It would be neat if our application essays were one of the hardest parts of our education at UNC but I just don't think that's happening.</p>
<p>I honestly... don't like a lot of these topics, compared to what was there last year.</p>
<p>haha no problem cloying</p>
<p>aw really? i liked the questions from last yr too, but unc always comes up with such creative ones every year lol. i really love #4 this year</p>
<p>On question No. 4:
How many essays on "Be the change" will the admissions reps have to read?
I'll advise my kid to run away from that one, unless she can come up with something original....
Maybe Dumbledore's ghost or memory will provide something soon.</p>
<p>calgar.... wow, you want an early start?! Hats off to you! </p>
<p>I began nagging my D 2 wks before the application deadline... She would do this "yeah, yeah, yeah" thing and then 48hrs before the deadline she wrote her essay... and got accepted. Be careful about sending an essay that is just a bit too polished... I think they want your personality to shine through... not a polished college essay!</p>
<p>So would it be best to drop a lot of common formalities like no 1st person to make it more personal and.. well realistic rather than cold and professional?</p>
<p>calgar--yes go with first person, just make the essay sound like YOU. if you're funny, be funny. if you're not funny, dont try and be funny. if you're a serious person, write a serious essay that reflects that.</p>