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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Texas A&M University Supplemental Essay Prompts
By
Cece Gilmore
Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.
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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Texas A&M is located in warm and sunny College Station, Texas. If you are set on becoming an “Aggie,” then crafting winning responses to the Texas A&M supplemental essays will help your application stand out from all other applicants. Keep reading our guide to learn how to best respond to the Texas A&M prompts!
Breaking down the Texas A&M supplemental essay prompts
The Texas A&M supplemental essays may seem overwhelming at first. There is one optional prompt as well as a prompt just for engineering majors. So, be sure to know which prompts to respond to.
Here is a breakdown of the Texas A&M prompts:
- Essay Prompt 1
- Short answer #1
- Short answer #2
- Short answer #3 (optional)
- Prompt for College of Engineering only
Prompt #1
Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
This prompt is an extremely open-ended and broad question. Therefore, you can take this as an opportunity to elaborate on anything you are proud of that was not included in your Common Application or Coalition Application.
To begin, you should create a list to brainstorm ideas. Write down the most impactful opportunities and challenges that you encountered while in high school. Once you have narrowed down your list to two or three of the most important and influential events, it is time to write your response!
The important thing to do when responding to this prompt is not to just simply state the events but expand on the “why” of your prompt.
Think about the following questions to help expand upon the prompt:
- Why is it important to share these experiences?
- What did you learn from this experience?
- Did you grow from this event?
- Why were you proud of yourself during this experience?
- How has this experience shaped you into the person you are today?
Whatever you write, be sure that you are telling your story. You want to be truthful and true to yourself and your interests. Being authentic will help the Texas A&M admissions officers see just how unique you are.
One important thing to remember throughout your response is that you are not just listing facts and details. Rather, you should weave together your thoughts in an organized and easy-flowing way. Your perspective and interpretation of the events that quite literally changed your life is what the admissions officers are looking for.
Before submitting your answer to this prompt be sure to ask yourself these questions:
- Does this prompt tell a story about opportunities or challenges you face while at high school?
- Is this prompt response told in an organized way?
- Did you show how your experience shaped who you are today?
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Short answer section
With a 10 to 250 word limit, these are true “short answer” questions. Therefore, be sure to stay short and sweet with your answers! Your response can be anywhere from a few sentences to a few paragraphs.
Short answer #1
Describe a life event which you feel has prepared you to be successful in college.
This is an extremely broad question. Therefore, try to narrow down your most influential life event.
Consider the following questions when brainstorming for this prompt’s response:
- What challenges have you faced that have changed your life?
- How have you overcome obstacles in your life?
- What are your most dominant traits?
- How are you prepared to become successful in college?
- What do you want to do in the future?
- What skills have you developed over the years?
- How will you thrive at Texas A&M?
- Who has helped you through your academic and social journey in high school?
Once you have narrowed down to your most influential life event, you should then describe this event in a narrative way. After describing said event, detail how it has impacted you. What have you learned that will make your college experience more successful?
Short answer #2
Tell us about the person who has most impacted your life and why.
Right after reading this prompt, someone popped into your mind. Who was it? However, if you are not content with this person try brainstorming impactful people in your life.
Think about the following to help you brainstorm people:
- Family members
- Celebrities
- Authors
- Historical figures
- Musicians
Once you have determined who has had the greatest impact on your life, describe them and your relationship with them. Are they a friend? Did you read their book every night? Are they still alive? Once you have introduced this person and your relationship to them, highlight how they impacted your life.
Questions to consider:
- Did this person teach you anything?
- Would you be the person you are today without this person’s influence?
- How exactly was this person impactful in your life?
Short answer #3
If there are additional personal challenges, hardships, or opportunities (including COVID related experiences) that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, which you have not already written about, please note them in the space below.
This question is completely optional, so therefore, do not feel pressured to answer. Only answer this question if you have suffered academic or other types of hardships from COVID.
Make sure you are not repeating anything that you have already written about in your application. This prompt is the opportunity to elaborate on circumstances that may have affected your grades, clubs, or anything else found on your application.
If you choose to respond to this prompt, make sure that you are divulging the full truth. Do not beat around the bush and be specific with facts. Explain any COVID-related hardships you may have experienced and how they negatively affected you.
Engineering majors only prompt
“Describe your academic and career goals in the broad field of engineering (including computer science, industrial distribution, and engineering technology). What and/or who has influenced you either inside or outside the classroom that contributed to these goals? It is important to spend time addressing this question as it will be considered as part of the engineering review process. If you have chosen an engineering major for both your first and second choice majors, you will see the same question twice and may provide the same response to both questions.
Ultimately this question asks you to narrow down your engineering goals for a better understanding of you as an engineering student. Think about which field of engineering you specifically want to pursue and then think about what future goals you have for yourself.
Consider the following questions:
- What career do you see yourself thriving in?
- Why do you want to pursue this field?
- What has influenced you to fulfill these goals?
- Do you have any figures you look up to in this field?
- How will your interests and talents be put to use in this field?
After addressing the answers to a few of these questions, it is then important to address any experience you have had in this engineering field.
Consider the following questions:
- How did you become interested in this field? (YouTube video, teacher, parent, etc.)
- Were you in any engineering or related clubs in high school?
- Have you volunteered anywhere in the engineering community?
Lastly, you should tie your response back to Texas A&M.
Think about the following questions to help you tie your response back to Texas A&M
- What resources does Texas A&M have to help you reach your future and career goals?
- Are there any organizations you are looking to join?
- What specific classes are you excited to take? (Use the actual names of these classes!)
- How will Texas A&M help you better than other schools?
Final thoughts on the Texas A&M supplemental essays
The Texas A&M supplemental essays might seem a little daunting at first. However, there is no need to worry if you read every prompt carefully and outline your responses prior to writing. This will help you narrow down what to discuss in your prompt responses.
The most important thing is to be authentically you. Texas A&M is looking for unique, creative, and ambitious students to join their incoming freshman class to become part of their Aggie community. So, just be yourself!
Once you complete your Texas A&M supplemental essays, be sure to check over your writing for any mistakes and that you are answering the questions completely. Best of luck on your academic journey, and make sure that you apply for all the scholarships you qualify for!
Additional resources
At Scholarships360, we offer free college admissions information at your fingertips. We understand that the college admissions process is challenging, and have tried our best to provide resources that can help you.
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