essay prompts for texas tech

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Texas Tech University | TTU’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Overcoming challenges essay.

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Additional Info Essay

Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

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?

Apply Texas Essays 2022‒2023

Apply texas essays 2023.

If you live in Texas or plan on applying to schools there, it’s likely that you’ve heard of the Apply Texas portal . At Texas schools, the Apply Texas essays are an important part of the application process. In fact, the Apply Texas essays are the best way to let your personality, experiences, and interests impress admissions teams. 

In many ways, Apply Texas—including the Apply Texas essays—resembles the Common Application. So, you can likely repurpose plenty of information from the Common Application as you complete the Apply Texas application. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to tackle each of the Apply Texas essays. We’ll discuss:

• General information about the Apply Texas portal 
• How to respond to each of the Apply Texas essay prompts
• Different Texas college requirements
• The importance of the Apply Texas essays
• More useful essay resources from CollegeAdvisor

Now, let’s start our deep dive into the Apply Texas essays. But first, let’s talk about the Apply Texas application more broadly. 

What is Apply Texas?

Apply Texas is a college application portal where students can apply to higher education institutes in Texas. The portal was created in order to allow students to fill out one application for all Texas schools. Students will create an Apply Texas login in order to access their applications. 

However, while many of the best colleges in Texas require an Apply Texas login to complete their application, some don’t. So, make sure to check the application requirements for every school. 

Apply Texas essay vs. the Common Application essay

You may be wondering, what’s the difference between the Apply Texas essay and the Common Application essay? Well, logically, Apply Texas can only be used to apply to schools in the state of Texas. However, some Texas schools may also accept applications through the Common Application or Coalition Application. If that’s the case, then you can decide which portal to use. 

Overall, the Apply Texas essay format is similar to the Common Application essay format. This means that many of the tools you’ve used for your Common Application essay will help you complete your Apply Texas essays. You can also look at Common App essay examples to help you write the Apply Texas essays. 

Understanding the Apply Texas essay requirements

Different schools will have different requirements when it comes to the Apply Texas essay prompts. Some schools may not even require an essay at all. 

For example, Texas State University applicants will complete their applications using the Apply Texas login. While Texas State only lists their essay as “highly recommended,” you should still complete it. You can also check out some Apply Texas essays examples to bolster your application. 

The Apply Texas application also has its own unique Apply Texas essay prompts, which differ from the prompts on the Common App. So, while you might be able to repurpose your Common App essay for one of the Apply Texas essay prompts, you should think carefully about your choice of topic. 

What schools use Apply Texas?

Many two- and four-year universities in Texas use Apply Texas. This includes the majority of public universities as well as some private colleges. 

However, you should always double-check each school’s admissions site to see which application portal you should use. Each school’s requirements will vary. 

You can use Apply Texas to apply to some of the best colleges in Texas , including UT Austin and Texas A&M University. However, Rice University—the top college in Texas, according to U.S. News—does not use Apply Texas. 

Understanding the Apply Texas essay format

If you’re planning to apply to multiple Texas schools, you should create an Apply Texas login. However, all schools’ requirements will be different. This means the Apply Texas essay format could slightly vary.

While you’ll find one Apply Texas essay word limit on the application itself, different schools will recommend different word counts. You may also not complete all of the Apply Texas essays for every school.

So, top Texas universities such as the University of Houston , Texas Tech , and TCU will have slightly different requirements, even though you’ll use the same Apply Texas login to access their applications. Use our College Search Feature below to learn more about each school’s unique features!

What are the Apply Texas essays?

Next, let’s check out the Apply Texas essays. 

There are three Apply Texas essay prompts. You’ll complete different Apply Texas essays depending on which schools you apply to. For example, some schools may require that students respond to the Apply Texas essay A, while others may let you choose your prompt.  

Below, we’ve provided a chart with each of the Apply Texas essay prompts. 

Applicants should also note that Apply Texas word limits will vary by school. In this chart, we’ve provided the word limit suggested by the portal itself. However, you should adapt your word count to each university’s requirements. 

Remember to consider school supplements 

Additionally, note that some universities will require other short essays as well as one of the Apply Texas essay prompts. 

For example, the UT Austin application will differ from the Baylor application even though both will use an Apply Texas login. Likewise, the UT Austin application requirements aren’t exactly the same as the UT Dallas application requirements. So, always be sure to double-check the admissions sites for school specifics. 

Before tackling your Apply Texas essays, try to read some Apply Texas essays examples. This will give you an idea of the different ways to approach the essay. The Apply Texas essay format can vary, so looking at Apply Texas essays examples can help you think outside of the box. 

How long should Apply Texas essays be?

As you tackle the Apply Texas essays, you should keep the word count in mind. According to the Apply Texas application portal, you have 800 words for each of your essays. 

However, when it comes to the word limit, you’ll want to see what each university requires or recommends. Every school’s requirements will be different. 

Let’s check out a couple of schools in Texas and compare their approach to their Apply Texas essay word limit. 

The University of Texas Austin requires its applicants to respond to Apply Texas Essay A if using the Apply Texas application. Their word limit is 500-700. Additionally, students will complete three required short answer essays with word limits of 250-300 words. They can also choose to complete a fourth optional essay (also 250-300 words). 

Alternatively, Texas Tech does not require applicants to complete an essay. However, the essay is “highly recommended.” So, as usual, consider this optional essay a requirement. If using the Apply Texas application, Texas Tech gives students the option to respond to Apply Texas Essay A or B. They have placed a 500-word limit on this essay. Check out some tips from Texas Tech admissions to write your Apply Texas essays. 

Texas Christian University

The TCU admissions office requires applicants to complete one essay. However, which of the Apply Texas essays students write is up to them. The word limit is 300-500 words, so you’ll need to impress TCU admissions with a concise, authentic, and passionate essay. 

As you begin your Apply Texas essays, check out Common App essay examples and Apply Texas essays examples to help you prepare.

Apply Texas Essay A

Tell us your story. what unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today.

The Apply Texas Essay A seems to be the overwhelming favorite among universities using the Apply Texas essays. This prompt asks students to “tell us your story.” Simple enough, right? 

Of course, a prompt this broad can feel overwhelming. However, it’s a great opportunity to show admissions who you are. This is your chance to really make your application stand out by sharing something that you haven’t yet revealed (or expanded upon) in other parts of your Apply Texas application. 

This prompt is quite similar to one of the Common Application prompts. So, if you want some inspiration, you can check out Common App essay examples. 

Which Texas colleges require it?

Surprisingly, many universities in Texas do not require applicants to submit an essay. However, if a school includes an “optional” essay requirement, you should still submit one. The Apply Texas essays are a great way to stand out and enrich your application narrative. 

That being said, some universities in Texas do require applicants to submit Apply Texas Essay A. For instance, Texas A&M requires applicants to respond to Apply Texas Essay A. And, as we mentioned, the UT Austin application also requires Apply Texas Essay A.  

Remember, while going through the Apply Texas application, double-check the essay requirements. They will vary depending on each school. 

How to write Apply Texas Essay A

Like many college essays, Apply Texas Essay A asks you to share experiences that have made you who you are. Whether you have a million ideas or are drawing a complete blank, don’t worry. We’re here to help.

Let’s check out the best way to respond to Apply Texas Essay A.

You could probably tell many stories. Apply Texas Essay A asks you to share just one. This leaves a lot of room for interpretation. 

So, think about significant moments in your life. It could be easier to focus on the last few years, as you’ve probably grown a lot throughout high school. 

Make a list of moments that have changed or shaped you as a person. No moment is too small to include. As long as it shows some growth—and you can write authentically and passionately about it—then it’s a good topic. 

Answer the prompt completely

Now, the prompt mentions an opportunity or challenge. Don’t blatantly point out this in your draft by stating “this was a huge challenge/opportunity.” Most likely, if you’ve chosen a story that shows your personal growth, then it’s probably an opportunity or challenge. And, if you tell your story well, this will come through. 

You will need to clearly show how that moment that you’re sharing has shaped who you are today. For example, let’s say that you want to discuss the day you went to your first protest. From that moment forward you’ve been passionate about activism. That clearly shows how pivotal this moment was in your life. Maybe it’s even shaped what you’d like to study or your future career. 

Remember to research your school, too. Well-written Apply Texas essays will be specific to each individual school. For example, if writing an essay for Southern Methodist University , check out their specific programs and offerings. Even though this isn’t a “why school” essay, you can still link your interests and growth to the school.

Write passionately

This isn’t the time to write vague statements that could apply to any high school student. Your story should be unique to you. Make sure to choose your topic wisely to highlight your passion and authenticity. 

Don’t be afraid to get creative. Set the scene. Remember that it’s much more impactful to show rather than tell when writing. If we continue with our protest example, you might open your essay by describing the atmosphere using descriptive language that puts the reader right there with you. Then, you can reflect back on how this moment has affected you to date. 

Apply Texas Essays – Topic B

While a few schools require applicants to answer the Apply Texas essay A, some may ask you to choose which essay to respond to. Let’s review the second of the Apply Texas essay prompts:

Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.

Again, the goal of this prompt, like all of the Apply Texas essays, is to let you show each school what makes you unique. You should also aim to relate it back to your aspirations. For example, how does who you are shape what you want in your future?

Approaching Apply Texas Essay B

Topic B asks you to explore a part of your identity. Is there something you can point out that shows your values, character, and personality?

For example, maybe you’ve been dancing ballet since you started walking. Maybe it’s become a form of meditation or a way for you to express yourself. Perhaps it’s taught you discipline. It doesn’t matter how it’s shaped you (although it should be in a positive way)—you just need to show how it has impacted you. 

If you decide to focus on an “identity” instead of an “interest,” then you’ve got even more options to choose from. You can choose to highlight your background, experiences, family, values, or other key features. 

Overall, your topic should be unique to you. And, again, don’t be afraid to get creative in writing this essay. Your Apply Texas essays shouldn’t read like a resume; they should be engaging while still answering the prompt. 

Apply Texas Essay Prompts – Topic C

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a university that requires students to respond to the last of the Apply Texas essays. However, you may be given the option of which Apply Texas essay prompts you’d like to respond to. So, let’s check out Essay C.

You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

You may notice that this essay seems quite different from the other Apply Texas essays—it gives you a lot more freedom. So, you can really dive into the creativity of this topic. However, remember to not get too carried away and forget that, in the end, you’re still writing a college essay. The main goal, like the other Apply Texas essay prompts, is to show who you are as a person and an applicant. 

Crafting a response to Essay C

For Essay C, your process doesn’t have to be wildly different than it was for the other Apply Texas essay prompts. First, decide what you’ll write about. Start by brainstorming options if nothing comes to mind right away. 

Maybe you have a topic in mind immediately. That’s great! If you can write passionately about your ticket destination and activity, then that’s the topic for you.

Once again, get creative. You could go to a magical land, back in time, outer space, or to a remote island. The ticket and the destination don’t matter—it’s what they show about who you are. 

Most importantly, make sure to tie in your career goals or future aspirations. How will this trip impact you and your future? What experience will you have that will shape you?

Exploring Texas college’s essay requirements

When it comes to factors such as the Apply Texas essay word limit or Apply Texas essay prompts, requirements will vary by school. While the general Apply Texas application will be the same, the Apply Texas essay format will be different. Namely, each school will request different Apply Texas essay prompts. 

Let’s look at some of the essay requirements for the best colleges in Texas:

As you can see, while the Apply Texas application is uniform, the essay requirements vary greatly by school. For instance, you’ll see the Apply Texas essays for the Baylor application vs the University of Houston application are not the same. So, always double-check with your university’s admissions sites for all requirements. 

And, don’t forget, when it comes to “optional” essays, treat them as though they are required. While Texas A&M admissions requires an essay, Texas Tech does not. However, strong essays will impress both Texas Tech and Texas A&M admissions. After all, Apply Texas essays are the best way for schools to get to know you better. 

How important are the Apply Texas essays?

When it comes to the admissions process, the Apply Texas essays are extremely important. In general, college essays let applicants share a part of their personality that they haven’t highlighted elsewhere in their application. 

Additionally, most schools use a holistic admissions approach when evaluating students. That means that they review all parts of the application: GPA, essays, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and more. In fact, with more schools going test-optional, essays are an even more significant piece of your application puzzle. 

All to say: strong Apply Texas essays can make a huge difference. So, give yourself ample time to write them.

5 Tips to Make Your Apply Texas Essays Stand Out

Since the Apply Texas essays are so important in the admissions process, you’ll want to do everything you can to make yours stand out. 

5 tips to write Apply Texas essays that impress 

1. meet the requirements.

This may seem obvious, but you need to make sure that you understand the requirements for each school. Double-check the word counts and requirements for each to make sure that you hit all targets. 

2. Choose a topic carefully

Your topic is the most important part of the process. If you choose a topic that you aren’t authentically passionate about, it will show. Don’t think about what admissions wants to hear. Instead, choose a topic that you can easily write about. Then go back and fine-tune your essay to answer every aspect of the prompt. 

3. Get creative

Your Apply Texas essays should be engaging and unique. Don’t feel like you need to stick to a certain format. Set the scene and capture your audience. This is your opportunity to show who you are as well as your writing chops. So, as long as you answer each prompt fully, get as creative as you’d like!

4. Show personal growth

Your Apply Texas essays should show how you’ve evolved. Ideally, you should connect your personal growth to future aspirations in college and beyond. No matter the prompt, this is your opportunity to shine. These are college essays, so you want to show what you’ll bring to campus with your responses. 

5. Start early!

The last thing you want to do when it comes to your Apply Texas essays is wait until the last minute. Creating impactful essays will take time. You’ll brainstorm, draft, edit, and redraft. You should also leave enough time to have someone else proofread your essay for mechanical errors. Likewise, if they don’t understand the narrative, you’ll want to rework your story and message so that it makes sense to a reader. 

Apply Texas Essays & More Essay Resources from CollegeAdvisor

Writing the Apply Texas essays can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve compiled many essay resources to help you create your best essays. While admissions requirements and essay prompts will change, the overall goal of your college essays stays the same: show admissions who you are and why you belong at that university. 

Before writing essays, you’ll also want to research specifics about the school. We have college pages that outline acceptance rates, enrollment, majors, and more to give you some quick facts on different schools in Texas. To jumpstart your research, check out the Baylor University , Texas A&M University , and University of Texas Austin pages . However, make sure to also do a deep dive into each university’s website to learn more about specific programs and campus life. 

Essay guides and other resources

Follow up by checking out our essay guides. These guides are specific to individual universities. You may even find it helpful to look at past essay guides such as our Baylor , Texas A&M , or UT Austin essay guides. Again, while prompts may change, the end goal of the essays stays the same. 

Additionally, check out the most recent guides such as this 2022-2023 Texas Christian University guide for the most up-to-date tips on making your essays stand out to TCU admissions. Looking at example essays can also help you get inspired. 

CollegeAdvisor has a wealth of resources to help you on your college journey. No matter if you’re trying to create the best Baylor application or impress Texas A&M admissions, our team can help. For expert guidance on the Apply Texas essays and more, schedule a meeting with our team here .

This essay guide was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Texas Tech University Undergraduate College Application Essays

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

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College Application Essays accepted by Texas Tech University

Watch jessica monk, texas tech university.

There’s no way that it’s morning already. I hear footsteps running down the hall; eight hours ago this would have been considered typical, but now, it’s completely ludicrous. The door to my dorm room swings open with a nauseating kind of reality,...

My Safe Haven Alyx Andra Horace

Ernest Hemingway once said, “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” From going through twelve years of schooling so far, I’ve learned things far beyond the realm of the classroom setting...

Archeology and the Law Anonymous

As sweat dripped down my nose and mixed with the dirt, I yelled, "I found glass!" Glass is considered a rare find, and upon hearing my announcement the excavation team stopped digging. Later, as I sat under the overhang on the laboratory roof...

The Invisible Bully Anonymous

The screen glowed brightly in her face as she would check her Facebook, and wonder why people did this to her. “Who would be mean enough to treat a person like this?”, she would always ask me. The cruel, menacing, and terrifying words that some of...

The Mothers from Hell Noelle Simon

We have a saying at work: “Dealing with an angry mom is like dealing with a burglar; just give her what she wants, and no one gets hurt.”

I see it almost every day at the pool - a mother’s desperate desire to have everyone acknowledge her son as...

Surfacing from Stress Noelle Simon

Diving in a pool is an experience like no other. It’s like immersing yourself in a world with no sound and no communication. Underwater you can do things that would be so much more difficult to do on land, for example: a backflip or a handstand....

Lifetime goals Noelle Simon

The athlete-to-captain relationship is the lifeblood of any functioning sports team. After all, the team captain essentially acts as a mediator between the other players and the coach. Some other jobs of a team captain include, but are not limited...

The Arroyo Car Anonymous

Here in New Mexico, when a car is no longer wanted, it may not go to the junkyard. Instead, cars may end up in a place we call the “arroyo.” “What is an arroyo?” you ask. Some might call it a ditch, but to me it is closer to a car dealership...

Snow Day Addie Stone

At 8:35 AM, on a Tuesday during the school year, November 29, 2011 to be exact, I not-so-vividly recall shuffling around under the covers as a young teenager often does after waking up in the morning and looking over at the clock. After seeing...

How Not to Fit In Dream Artemis Lynx

I sleep in on Sunday, I stay home on Wednesday nights; I don’t belong to any youth groups, and if you walk into my house there’s not a single cross to be found. Instead a big blue candle bearing the star of David is perched on the mantle, and two...

Augusta National Kelton Clearman

March 22nd, 1934. I arrive to the course, designed by Bobby Jones, in a 1933 silver Studebaker Dictator at 8am sharp. The wheels squeal in the hot gravel. The grass, still glazed with morning dew, smells fresher and more fragrant than a bouquet of...

Recent Questions about Texas Tech University

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

Texas Tech University Guide

The Ivy Scholars guide to Texas Tech’s culture, admissions, and other essential information for prospective students and their families.

Location:  Lubbock, Texas

Mascot:  The Masked Rider

Type: Public Research Institution

Population: 38,000 (32,000 undergrads)

Jump to Section:

Statistics  

Natl. Rankings  

Admissions Info

Academics  

Special Programs

Student Life  

Financial Info  

Fun Facts     

About Texas Tech

Texas Tech Statistics

Year Founded:  1923

4 Year Graduation Rate:  35%

Gender Distribution: 55% male, 45% female

Acceptance Rate:  71%

Residency:  91% in state, 1% out of state, 8% international

Location Type:  Urban

Schedule System:  Semesters

Student/Faculty Ratio:  20:1

Average Class Size: 30

Demographics: 56% Caucasian, 28% Hispanic, 7% Other or Unknown, 6% Black, 3% Asian

National Rankings

US News Rankings:

• #93 Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
• #105 Top Public Schools
• #218 National Universities

Independent Rankings:

• #28 Best Colleges for Agricultural Sciences per Niche
• #72 Top Public Universities per Niche
• #80 Colleges with the Best Student Life per Niche
• #107 Public Colleges per Forbes
• #116 Best Value Colleges per Forbes
• #311 National Universities per Forbes

Texas Tech Admissions Information

Application Deadlines:

• Priority: December 1st
• Regular Decision: August 1st
• Transfer Deadline: May 1st

Notification Dates:

• Priority: Rolling
• Regular Decision:  Rolliing

Acceptance Rates:

• Priority: 71%
• Transfer:  82%

Average Applicant Pool:  25,200

Average Number of Applicants Accepted:  17,400

Average Number Enrolled: 5,900

Application Systems:  Apply Texas, Common App

Average GPA: 3.57 weighted

SAT Scores:  25th percentile – 1070, 75th percentile – 1240

ACT Scores:  25th percentile – 22, 75th percentile – 27

*Test mandatory. Writing sections optional.

Demonstrated Interest: Texas Tech considers demonstrated interest.

Read more about  demonstrating interest .

Recommendation Letter Policies:  While no letters are required, up to three letters (2 teachers and 1 counselor) are suggested for students who do not meet the cutoff for automatic admission.

Texas Tech Essay Prompts:

• Essays are not required, but they are recommended for students who do not meet the cutoff for automatic admission.
• Common App Personal Statement (650 words) OR Apply Texas Prompt A.

Texas Tech Essay Writing Tips

Special Notes:

• Texas high school students in good standing may gain automatic admission if they are in the top 10% of their class, or if they meet test score minimums , which vary depending on a student’s class standing.
• The colleges of Business and Engineering exclusively admit students who meet the automatic admission criteria.
• All students must submit proof of immunization .
• Students applying for art, music, or performing arts are required to submit a portfolio of work or audition. More information here .

Need assistance with the college admissions process?

Texas tech academics.

• College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
• College of Architecture
• College of Arts and Sciences
• Jerry S Rawls College of Business
• College of Education
• Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering
• College of Human Sciences
• College of Media and Communication
• J.T. and Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts

Core Requirements:

• All students are required to take classes in core areas: Written Communication (6 hours), Oral Communication (3 hours), Mathematics (6 hours), Life and Physical Sciences (8 hours), Language, Philosophy, & Culture (3 hours), Creative Arts (3 hours), Social and Behavioral Science (3 hours), American History (6 hours), Political Science/Government (6 hours), Multicultural Requirements (3 hours)
• Comprehensive General Education Information

Courses of Study: 

• 150+ Majors Offered
• Option to double major
• Popular majors include Interdisciplinary Studies, Health & Physical Education, Business Administration, Marketing and Psychology
• Minors Offered

AP Credit Policies:

• Texas Tech awards credit for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on most AP exams and scores of 4 or above on most IB higher-level exams.
• Comprehensive AP Credit Information

Honors Programs:

• The Honors College is a small community with its own programs, housing, and advising, offering a community of scholars for high-achieving students. Students must apply to the honors college separately as an extension of their university application. However, students will not be considered for honors until they are accepted into the university. The honors program requires the submission of two additional essay questions, and two letters of recommendation. 
• Departmental Honors (contact individual departments for more information)
• Graduation Honors : Students may earn honors (including Latin honors) based on GPA
• Academic Honors Societies

Research Availability:

• There are many research opportunities available for students on campus.

Study Abroad: 

• Study Abroad Options

Business Options: 

• Rawls College of Business offers seven majors , along with a number of certificate programs and minors for students who wish to specialize further. 
• There are dual degree programs, offering a joint BBA/MSA , BBA/MS in finance, or the STEM pathway, which offers a MBA program for undergraduate STEM majors.
• Students in the business school can also double major in other schools at the university.
• Scovell Business Leadership Program provides additional opportunities to high-achieving business students.

Pre-Med Options:

• Pre-med is considered a designation , and not a major. There is a set track of courses for pre-med students to take to prepare them for med school. Otherwise, pre-med students can major in any program they prefer.
• See Texas Tech’s Pre-Health Advising page for more information on planning a pre-health academic programme.
• Automatic admissions program for Honors College students to the medical school. They also offer an early acceptance program.
• Pre-Law Advising Program
• Early Decision Plan Available through the Honors College.

Additional Specialty Programs: 

• Undergraduate to Pharmacy Initiative
• Architecture Dual Degree Programs

Student Life at Texas Tech University

School Motto: From here, it’s possible.

Mission and Values:

• Mission: As a public research university, Texas Tech advances knowledge through innovative and creative teaching, research and scholarship. The university is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. The university is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation and world.
• Additional Information
• Student Testimonials: Niche , Unigo , Grad Reports

House System:

Freshmen are required to live on campus, although they may apply for an exemption. The school offers traditional dormitories, and an Honors College-specific residence hall. The halls also offer optional learning communities for students who want to socialize with students of similar academic interests. There are both apartment-style and traditional residence halls available.

Housing Statistics:

• 84% of freshmen live on campus
• 20% of undergraduates live on campus at any given time

Campus & Surrounding Area :  

• Featuring Spanish Renaissance-style architecture, the campus is considered one of the most beautiful in the country.
• Points of interest on and around campus include the Museum of Texas Tech, the Lubbock Lake Landmark , and the National Ranching Heritage Center . The campus is also considered a historic site .
• Safety information: ( Texas Tech , College Factual )

Transportation:

• Most transit happens via car, but there is a bike clinic on campus with several programs to support bike riders on campus. 
• Parking Information

Traditions:

• Carol of Lights – Each December, the campus is festooned with lights to celebrate the holiday season. This event celebrates the first lighting of the year with singing and other celebratory, seasonal activities. 
• Riding into the Sunset – Students wrap this iconic statue in red crepe paper before each home football game to protect it from pranks by visiting teams.
• Raider Gate – A school-sanctioned tailgating event for students. It starts four hours before every home football game.
• Arbor Day – Students and faculty gather each year to plant trees and flowers in an ongoing project to further beautify Texas Tech’s campus. 

Student-Run Organizations:  

• Organization Database
• Sample Organizations ( Saddle Tramps , Goin’ Band From Raiderland , The Daily Toreador )
• D1 Athletics Big 12 Conference (Good Football and Women’s Basketball)
• Intramural Sports
• Club Sports
• Main Rival: UT Austin

Greek Life: 20% of undergraduates participate in greek life, including social, academic, and service organizations.

• The town of Lubbock has a small but vibrant nightlife scene, and many bars and restaurants . 
• Sporting events are also very social, and often revolve around tailgating plans and after-parties.
• Frat and house parties are a common weekend occurrence. 
• The #4 party school in Texas, according to Niche.

Financial Information

Yearly Cost of Attendance:

• Total: $27,156/$39,426
• Tuition and Fees: $11,600/$23,870
• Room & Board: $9,956
• Books: $1,200
• Transportation: $2,400
• Personal Expenses: $2,000

Financial Aid:

The Red Raider Guarantee is a program which guarantees students meeting the given criteria will have their education funded by a variety of grants, without needing to take out loans. All students are considered for the program once they submit their financial aid paperwork. Students who apply and submit paperwork by the priority deadline are given first consideration for financial aid.

Additional Financial Aid & Student Loan Information

Scholarships:

57% of students receive some form of grant aid or scholarships. There are a number of merit based and competitive scholarships available. Students are automatically considered for scholarships when they apply. The school stops giving awards when funding runs out, so students are encouraged to apply early for the best possible aid package.

• The largest collection of documents on the Vietnam War in the nation is the Vietnam Center and Archive at the school. It is the first archive of its kind in the country to sign an exchange agreement with the state archive in Vietnam.
• Raider Red is the school’s alternate mascot, as some schools don’t allow the masked rider’s horse on campus.
• The “Tech” in the university’s name isn’t an abbreviation.
• John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan, attended the university sporadically but never graduated. 
• Notable alumni include quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and former President of Panama Demetrio B. Lakas.
• Students wishing to be the Masked Rider mascot must audition and hold the position for 1 year, during which they make 300+ appearances. 
• The statue “Riding into the Sunset” originally faced due West, but this meant visitors to campus were greeted by the rear end of the statue. Texas Tech decided to rotate the statue by 23 degrees so the rear end cheekily faced Texas A&M instead.

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CEA’s Anson L. Clark Scholars Program 2022 Application Essay Guide

The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is an intensive seven-week summer research program hosted by Texas Tech University for twelve highly qualified high school juniors and seniors.

Deadline: February 16, 2022

Requirements: Four essays of 2,000 characters, one essay of 1,500 characters

Program Dates: June 20, 2022 to August 3, 2022

The application essay prompts are provided below, allowing students to work on essays prior to the opening of the online application.

Research Interest Essays:

1.) describe your primary research interest, being very specific. this will help with matching you to a research professor. (2,000 characters including spaces).

Since 2,000 characters is approximately 300-500 words, you should aim to be succinct as you describe your primary research interest. You’ll want to address (1) when you first became interested in this subject, (2) why you’re interested in it, and (3) what you hope to gain from researching it (hopefully at Texas Tech this summer). The more detailed information you can provide, the better. A successful response will show not only your passion and ambition, but also your writing skills and field expertise.

2.) Optional – Describe your secondary research interest, being very specific. (2,000 characters including spaces)

Your approach to this prompt should be the same as the previous. Be sure to clearly differentiate between the two research interests and express why you believe the subject is important to study.

3.) Required for 2022 – Should the program need to be held online due to the current pandemic, describe how your research interests could be pursued online with a mentor and still provide a meaningful research experience. (2,000 characters including spaces)

The powers that be want to accept applicants who are determined to reap the most from this research experience as humanly possible no matter the circumstances. They’re also cognizant of the fact that we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, with new variants wreaking havoc on in-person plans and events. So, show admissions that you’re committed to the program regardless of your ability to attend in-person and can visualize your success even in a virtual environment. You might address how you acclimated to virtual learning in 2020/2021 or how you can create and build connections over Zoom. You might mention your ability to execute projects independently or manage the distractions associated with working remotely. Finally, think about your particular field of interest and add an example of how it can be studied/researched successfully online to demonstrate your interest in the topic and ability to adapt. 

Personal Essays:

1.) tell the selection committee about yourself and your reasons for applying to the clark scholarship program. please include your future goals and how becoming a clark scholar would contribute to achieving those goals. (2,000 characters including spaces).

This is a classic “ why ” essay, the likes of which you’re bound to see when it comes time to start your college applications, which makes this perfect practice! A stellar response will address: (1) your background and interest in the program, (2) your future goals, and (3) how the Clark Scholarship Program will help you achieve said goals. This is your opportunity to speak to the person reviewing your application in your own words, revealing relevant information about your vision. Do some research about the program and its offerings on their website and be specific about how a few of them will propel you to success. The Selection Committee is going to select just twelve applicants, so this is not an essay you can write at the last minute . Take time to consider what you’d like to express and convey about yourself, then edit and revise until your response is the most polished it can be.

2.) Tell us about your most fulfilling service experience. (1,500 characters including spaces)

To finish off your application, the selection committee wants to hear about a particularly meaningful service experience you’ve had, which is also another opportunity to share your passions and give them a peek into how your mind works. You can write about a formal community service experience like organizing a coat drive or Habitat for Humanity trip, but you can also consider less formal moments when you felt compelled to help someone in need simply because it was the right thing to do. (Maybe you’ve taken on the responsibility of cooking dinner two nights a week so your single parent can have some much-needed downtime.) 

Beware: humblebragging can easily turn into blatant bragging. To stay safe, don’t get too wrapped up in the outcome of your experience. Instead, focus on the process: What motivated you to action? Why does a particular issue, person, or community matter to you? What did you learn and how has it informed the way you relate to the world? Why was it fulfilling for you? 

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First, let’s find the right application

Before you begin an application, complete Step 1: Find the right application. Answer a few questions to find the right type of application for you and see schools to consider. 

Application guide

What to expect from applytexas.

With ApplyTexas, you can apply to any Texas public university or community college, and many private universities.

To begin the application process, you will create an account. Once logged in, you will see a prompt to find the right application for you. You will answer a few questions and we will tell you which applications you will use to apply to college. Next, you can start your Core Questions. Core Questions allow you to answer questions one time and share your responses with all the schools you apply to. Finally, use the school search function to find and save the schools you wish to apply for. Answer the school specific questions and you are ready to submit your application!

Before you start

Before creating an ApplyTexas account, there are a few things you can do to set yourself up for success.

Explore programs on My Texas Future

Ask for help, preview application questions, create an account.

To begin your college and university applications, you need to create an ApplyTexas account. You will use this account to apply for admission or transfer to schools. Not ready to apply? Start searching for and saving schools that interest you. 

To create an account, you will need: 

• Your name 
• Date of birth 
• Phone number 
• ZIP code 

With an account, you can login and view resources on My Texas Future as well as ApplyTexas. 

Find the right application

Once you create and log in to your account, it’s time to start your college journey!  

Before you start an application, you will need to answer a few questions and we will tell you which applications you’re eligible for. Your answers to these questions also help us recommend some additional schools to consider applying to. 

Start your application

Once you know which applications you are eligible for, it’s time to start your college journey!  

You can begin your Core Questions from your dashboard. Your Core Questions are part of every college application you submit. ApplyTexas shares your responses to Core Questions with all colleges and universities you apply to. 

Because this is an important part of your application, keep these tips in mind as you begin: 

Save your progress and come back later

Review your answers.

Once you finish your Core Questions, visit the “Core Questions” page to review your answers. Next, use the “School search” page to select the schools you would like to apply to.

Select a school

Once your Core Questions are complete, select the school(s) you would like to apply to using the “School search” page. 

Here you can filter by school, application type, and preferred semester to find the program that is right for you. In the search results you will see deadlines, application fees, essay requirements, and more.  

If you are not ready to begin a school application, favorite the school to save it for later. These applications will show up on your dashboard.  

You do not need to complete your Core Questions or create an account to see what school applications are available on ApplyTexas. Simply visit the “School search” page to see available applications.

Finish and submit your application

You may need to answer more questions from each school to submit your application. Once you have selected the schools you want to apply to, the dashboard shows your progress with each school’s application. If you have any remaining questions to answer for schools, you will know from checking your progress on your dashboard. Remember, ApplyTexas sends both Core Questions and school-required questions as a part of your application to each school.

Write essays

Writing application essays is often challenging. Take time to review prompts, outline, and draft your essay. Have someone review your responses to ensure your essay is the best reflection of your writing abilities.  

Essays are not a requirement for every school. You can f ind details on essay requirements for each school on the school search page.  

School search  

Track progress

View progress on your Core Questions and school-required questions on your dashboard. Each application card on your dashboard shows the steps needed to complete your application.  

You can also see your progress by opening your application and looking at the progress bar at the top of the page.  

After submitting your application

Send transcripts.

Colleges and universities ask that you send official transcripts for any college courses taken. Send transcripts directly to the school you’re applying to . You cannot upload transcripts through the ApplyTexas portal.

Pay application fees

Some colleges and universities require an application fee. You may see a fee shown when submitting your application. If so, you will need to pay to schools outside of the ApplyTexas portal.

Fee waivers help students who may not be able to afford this application fee. To be eligible for a fee waiver, students may need to show paying the application fee will cause financial hardship.

Supporting documents

Some schools may require you to submit additional documents. For example, if you applied to an arts program, schools may ask you to send in a portfolio. They may also ask for a Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). The school collects these documents. Schools will send information about how to submit these documents.

Send test scores

M any schools requir e you to send entrance exam scores. You can submit your application without them, but schools won’t review your application until they receive your scores. Find specific entrance exam requirements for each program on the school search page.

If you wish to register for an exam, visit the test’s site.  

Wait for admissions decisions

Congrats! By this point you will have submitted your application and completed any required next steps, such as paying fees and submitting transcripts. The school will send admissions decisions directly to you. While you wait for this decision, you can review your submission and apply to additional schools using ApplyTexas.

Texas Tech University El Paso Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for Texas Tech University El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page .

about Texas Tech University El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine

Secondary Deadline :  Secondary Fee : $60 FAP Waiver :  CASPer Required :  Screens Applications : No Accepts Application Updates : 

The mission of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine is to provide an outstanding education and development opportunities for a diverse group of students, residents, faculty and staff; advance knowledge through innovation and research; and serve the needs of our socially and culturally diverse communities and regions. 

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine will promote wellness and relieve human suffering through excellence in health care, intellectual innovation and service beyond borders.

All prompts have a 300 word limit.

1. The mission of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine is to provide an outstanding education and development opportunities for a diverse group of students, residents, faculty, and staff; advance knowledge through innovation and research; and serve the needs of our socially and culturally diverse communities and region.” Recognizing the components of this mission and that PLFSOM is located on the US/Mexico border, please describe why you are interested in applying to our school. 

2. The Foster SOM student honor code states “In my capacity as a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso School of Medicine medical student, I will uphold the dignity of the medical profession. I will, to the best of my ability, avoid actions which might result in harm to my patients. I will protect the dignity of my patients and the deceased and will protect their confidential information in accordance with the prevailing standards of medical practice. I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will enter into professional relationships with my colleagues, teachers, and other health care professionals in a manner that is respectful and reflective of the high standards and expectations of my profession. I will not tolerate violations of this Code by others and will report such violations to the appropriate authorities.” Please describe past experiences or personal attributes that reflect your affinity with this honor code. 

3. Please describe any unique personal experiences or disadvantage (educational, financial or otherwise) and their significance to you in your pursuit of a medical degree. 

1. “The mission of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-Paul L. Foster School of Medicine is to provide an outstanding education and development opportunities for a diverse group of students, residents, faculty, and staff; advance knowledge through innovation and research; and serve the needs of our socially and culturally diverse communities and regions.” Recognizing the components of this mission and that PLFSOM is located on the US/Mexico border, please describe why you are interested in applying to our school. (300 words or less)

2. Please describe how a parent, guardian, friend, relative, or mentor influenced your aspirations to obtain a medical degree. If not applicable, please so indicate. (300 words or less)

3. The TTUHSC medical student honor code states “In my capacity as a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine medical student, I will uphold the dignity of the medical profession. I will, to the best of my ability, avoid actions which might result in harm to my patients. I will protect the dignity of my patients and the deceased, and will protect their confidential information in accordance with the prevailing standards of medical practice. I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will enter into professional relationships with my colleagues, teachers, and other health care professionals in a manner that is respectful and reflective of the high standards and expectations of my profession. I will not tolerate violations of this Code by others and will report such violations to the appropriate authorities.” Please describe briefly past experiences or personal attributes that reflect your affinity with this honor code. (300 words or less)

4. Please describe any personal experiences OR disadvantage (educational, financial or otherwise) and their significance to you in your pursuit of a medical degree. If not applicable, please so indicate. (300 words or less)

The secondary application essay prompts from this medical school application cycle are the same as above.

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.

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• Secondary Essay Prompts

Secondary Essay Prompts – Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine

Secondary Essay Prompts for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso, TX.

2019 – 2020

• “The mission of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-Paul L. Foster School of Medicine is to provide an outstanding education and development opportunities for a diverse group of students, residents, faculty, and staff; advance knowledge through innovation and research; and serve the needs of our socially and culturally diverse communities and regions.” Recognizing the components of this mission and that PLFSOM is located on the US/Mexico border, please describe why you are interested in applying to our school. (300 words or less)
• Please describe how a parent, guardian, friend, relative, or mentor influenced your aspirations to obtain a medical degree. If not applicable, please so indicate. (300 words or less)
• The TTUHSC medical student honor code states “In my capacity as a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine medical student, I will uphold the dignity of the medical profession. I will, to the best of my ability, avoid actions which might result in harm to my patients. I will protect the dignity of my patients and the deceased, and will protect their confidential information in accordance with the prevailing standards of medical practice. I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will enter into professional relationships with my colleagues, teachers, and other health care professionals in a manner that is respectful and reflective of the high standards and expectations of my profession. I will not tolerate violations of this Code by others and will report such violations to the appropriate authorities.” Please describe briefly past experiences or personal attributes that reflect your affinity with this honor code. (300 words or less)
• Please describe any personal experiences OR disadvantage (educational, financial or otherwise) and their significance to you in your pursuit of a medical degree. If not applicable, please so indicate. (300 words or less)

2018 – 2019

This school requires CASPer (Computer Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) as part of the medical school secondary application.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is responsible for providing primary health care to 108 counties of West Texas. We are interested in hearing about the areas of medicine that interest you.

Please indicate the area(s) of medicine you are interested in and briefly describe your significant activities for each respective interest in the available text box.

• Practicing in an underserved area
• Rural health
• Medical Research
• Medical Academics
• Primary Care
• Border Health
• Public Health Other (Please describe below)
• Of the activities listed in your primary application, identify 3 that you consider to be the most meaningful in your pursuit of a medical career and explain why. (300 words or less)
• What do you like or dislike most about the area you are from; your hometown? (300 words or less)
• Please describe what you would see as the “ideal” practice for you. (Where, what type of practice – clinic, hospital, specialty, who would be your patients, etc.). (300 words or less)
• MD/PhD (must complete the AMCAS application as the primary application)
• MD/JD (must complete the AMCAS application as the primary application)
• I am not applying to a dual degree or special program
• Please tell us about your favorite recreational/leisure activities (300 words or less).

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.

2017 – 2018.

• The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. Please describe how your personal characteristics or life experiences will contribute to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine community and bring educational benefits to our student body. (1000 characters)
• Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 characters)
• Why have you chosen to apply to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (1 page, formatted at your discretion, upload as PDF)

2016 – 2017

• “The mission of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – Paul L. Foster School of Medicine is to provide an outstanding education and development opportunities for a diverse group of students, residents, faculty, and staff; advance knowledge through innovation and research; and serve the needs of our socially and culturally diverse communities and regions.” Recognizing the components of this mission and that PLFSOM is located on the US/Mexico border, please describe why you are interested in applying to our school. (300 words or less)
• The TTUSHC medical student honor code states “In my capacity as a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine medical student, I will uphold the dignity of the medical profession. I will, to the best of my ability, avoid actions which might result in harm to my patients. I will protect the dignity of my patients and the deceased, and will protect their confidential information in accordance with the prevailing standards of medical practice. I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will enter into professional relationships with my colleagues, teachers, and other health care professionals in a manner that is respectful and reflective of the high standards and expectations of my profession. I will not tolerate violations of this Code by others and will report such violations to the appropriate authorities.” Please describe briefly past experiences or personal attributes that reflect your affinity with this honor code. (300 words or less)
• Please describe any personal experiences or disadvantage (educational, financial or otherwise) and their significance to you in your pursuit of a medical degree. If not applicable, please so indicate. (300 words or less)

Secondary essay webcast with Dr. Jessica Freedman, founder and president of MedEdits Medical Admissions.   Read more about Dr. Freedman.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine

Topics covered in this presentation:

• When should I submit my secondary essays?
• Pay attention to the word/character limits.
• Can I recycle secondary essay prompts for multiple schools?
• Identify topics that you left out of your primary application.
• And, much more.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Admissions Requirements

Learn more about this school:

Secondary Essay Prompts for Other Schools

Do you want to see secondary essay prompts for other medical schools?

Select a school below:

Secondary Essay Prompts By School

*Data collected from MSAR 2022-2023, 2022 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book, and institution website.

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on each medical school’s website. MedEdits does not guarantee it’s accuracy or authenticity.

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Secondary Essay Prompts – Mayo Medical School, Rochester, MN

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How to Write Perfect ApplyTexas Essays

College Essays

The ApplyTexas college application contains many essay prompts, and each of the most popular colleges in Texas has different requirements for which essays they expect applicants to answer.

So how do you get advice on writing your best ApplyTexas essays, no matter which school you're applying to? Look no further than this article, which completely unpacks all possible ApplyTexas essay prompts. We'll explain what each prompt is looking for and what admissions officers are hoping to learn about you. In addition, we'll give you our top strategies for ensuring that your essay meets all these expectations and help you come up with your best essay topics.

To help you navigate this long guide, here is an overview of what we'll be talking about:

What Are the ApplyTexas Essays?

Comparing applytexas essay prompts a, b, and c, dissecting applytexas essay topic a, dissecting applytexas essay topic b, dissecting applytexas essay topic c, dissecting applytexas essay topic d.

• Dissecting the UT and Texas A&M Short Answer Prompts
• Briefly: ApplyTexas Essay Topic E (Transfer Students Only)

The ApplyTexas application is basically the Texas version of the Common Application , which many US colleges use. It's a unified college application process that's accepted by all Texas public universities and many private ones. (Note that some schools that accept ApplyTexas also accept the Common App.)

The ApplyTexas website is a good source for figuring out whether your target college accepts the ApplyTexas application. That said, the best way to confirm exactly what your school expects is to go to its admissions website.

Why Do Colleges Want You to Write Essays?

Admissions officers are trying to put together classes full of interesting, vibrant students who have different backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, goals, and dreams. One tool colleges use to identify a diverse set of perspectives is the college essay .

These essays are a chance for you to show admissions officers those sides of yourself that aren’t reflected in the rest of your application. This is where you describe where you've come from, what you believe in, what you value, and what has shaped you.

This is also where you make yourself sound mature and insightful—two key qualities that colleges are looking for in applicants . These are important because colleges want to enroll students who will ultimately thrive when faced with the independence of college life .

Admissions staff want to enroll a diverse incoming class of motivated and thoughtful students.

ApplyTexas Essay Requirements

There are four essay prompts on the ApplyTexas application for first-year admission (Topics A, B, C, and D). For Topics A, B, and C, there are slight variations on the prompt for transfer students or those looking to be readmitted. We’ll cover each variation just below the main topic breakdown. There are also several short-answer prompts for UT Austin and Texas A&M , as well as Topic D for art and architecture majors and  Topic E for transfer students only . Although there are no strict word limits, colleges usually suggest keeping the essays somewhere between one and one and a half pages long.

All Texas colleges and universities have different application requirements, including which essay or essays they want. Some schools require essays, some list them as optional, and others use a combination of required and optional essays. Several schools use the essays to determine scholarship awards, honors program eligibility, or admission to specific majors.

Here are some essay submission requirement examples from a range of Texas schools:

• You are required to write an essay on Topic A .
• You also have to answer three short-answer prompts (250–300 words each) .
• If you're applying for a studio art, art education, art history, architecture, or visual art studies major, you'll have to write a short answer specific to your major .
• UT Austin also accepts the Common App.

Texas A&M

• If you're an engineering major, you'll have to respond to  a short-answer prompt .
• Texas A&M also accepts the Common App .

Southern Methodist University

• You must write an essay on Topic A .
• You may (but do not have to) write an essay on Topic B .
• You also have to answer two short-answer prompts .
• SMU also accepts the Common App and Coalition App and has its own online application, so you have the option to pick and choose the application you want to fill out .

Texas Christian University

• You must write an essay on any of the topics (A, B, or C) .
• TCU also accepts the Common App and Coalition App has its own online application, so it's another school for which you can choose the application you want to use.

The essays required as part of each admissions application differ from college to college. Check each institution's website for the most up-to-date instructions.

Three of the ApplyTexas essay topics try to get to the heart of what makes you the person you are. But since Topics A, B, and C all focus on things that are essential to you as a person, coming up with a totally unique idea for each can be difficult—especially since on a first read-through, these prompts can sound really similar .

Before I dissect all of the ApplyTexas essay prompts, let's see how A, B, and C differ from one another. You can then keep these differences in mind as you try to think of topics to write about.

ApplyTexas Prompts

Here are the most recent prompts for Topics A, B, and C on the ApplyTexas application.

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

You've got a ticket in your hand. Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

How to Tell Topics A, B, and C Apart

One helpful way to keep these topics separate in your mind is to create a big-picture category for each one: Topic A is outside, Topic B is inside, and Topic C is the future .

In other words, Topic A is asking about the impact of challenges or opportunities on you and how you handled that impact. Topic B is asking about your inner passions and how these define you. Finally, Topic C wants to know where you're going from here. These very broad categories will help as you brainstorm ideas and life experiences you can use for your essay .

Although many of the stories you think of can be shaped to fit each of these prompts, think about what the experience most reveals about you. If it’s about how your external community shaped you, that'd probably be a good fit for Topic A. If it’s a story about the causes or interests that you're most passionate about, save it for Topic B. If it’s primarily about an event that you think predicts your future, it'll likely work well for Topic C.

(Note: if you are a transfer student writing the essay variation for Topics A, B, or C, keep in mind that these variations still ask you about the outside, inside, or future respectively.)

Your years-long passion for performing in theater productions is an appropriate subject for ApplyTexas Topic B essays.

Now, we'll thoroughly deconstruct everything you need to know about Topic A, the first ApplyTexas essay prompt.

What’s the Prompt Asking, and How Should You Answer It?

This prompt wants to see how a particular external experience as a high school student has shaped you . The prompt uses the phrase "your story," signaling that admissions staff want to know what you believe has had the biggest impact on you.

Step 1: Describe Your Experience

The first part of the prompt is about identifying and describing specific experiences you've had as a high school student. You don't want your essay coming across too vague, so make sure you're focusing on one or two specific experiences, whether they've been positive or negative. The prompt suggests zeroing in on something "unique," or something that has affected you in a way it hasn't impacted anyone else.

You'll want to choose an opportunity or challenge that you can describe vividly and that's really important to you. In other words, it   needs to have had a significant impact on your personal development.

It should also be an experience that has been part of your life for a while . You're describing something that's affected you "throughout your high school career," after all.

Step 2: Explain How This Experience Shaped You

You shouldn't just describe your experience—you also need to discuss how that experience affected you as a person . How did this particular opportunity or difficulty turn you into the person you are today?

It's best if you can think of one or two concrete anecdotes or stories about how your chosen experience(s) helped shape you. For example, don't just say that a public piano recital made you a hard-working person— describe in detail how practicing diligently each day, even when you weren't feeling motivated, got frustrated by particular parts of the piece you were performing, and experienced stage fright showed you that working toward your goals is worthwhile, even when it's hard.

Elaborating on how a specific challenge or obstacle that you faced during your high school career helped shape your current perspective and personality is one option for Topic A essays.

What Are Readers Hoping to Learn About You?

Admission staff are looking for two main things. First, they want to see that you can be mature and thoughtful about your surroundings and events in your life . Are you curious about the world around you? If you've really reflected on your experience, you'll be able to describe the people, places, and events that have impacted you as a high school student in a nuanced, insightful way.

Second, they want to see how you stand out from other applicants . This can be accomplished in one of two ways: (1) you can emphasize how you are somehow different because of your experience and how it impacted you, or (2) you can emphasize how you learned positive qualities from the event that differentiate you from other students. Basically, how did your experience turn you into a special, interesting person?

How Can Your Essay Give Them What They Want?

How can you make sure your essay is really answering the prompt? Here are some key strategies.

#1: Pick a Specific Experience

You'll need to select a particular opportunity or obstacle to zero in on. Opportunities include travel, internships, volunteer or paid jobs, academic events, and awards. Challenges might include competitions, performances, illnesses, injuries, or learning something new. Remember, you'll want to focus on one or two particular events or experiences that have truly contributed to your personal growth .

As you're choosing the experiences you want to write about, think about significant things that happened to you in connection with those events. Remember, you'll need to get beyond just describing how the opportunity or challenge is important to you to show how its impact on you is so significant .

#2: How Did This Experience Shape You?

You then need to consider what about your experience turned you into a person who stands out . Again, this can be about how you overcame the difficulty or how the opportunity fostered positive qualities or traits in you that would make you an appealing member of the college's student body. You want to make sure you have a clear message that links your experience to one, two, or three special traits you have.

Try to think of specific stories and anecdotes related to the event. Then, thoughtfully analyze these to reveal what they show about you. Important adults in your life can help you brainstorm potential ideas.

#3: Think of the Essay Like a Movie

Like a good movie script, a college essay needs characters, some action, and a poignant but ultimately happy ending . When you’re planning out your personal statement, try to think of the story you’re telling in movie terms. Ensure that your essay has the following features:

• Setting: As you're describing your experience, taking time to give a vivid sense of place is key. You can accomplish this by describing the actual physical surroundings, the main "characters" in your community, or a combination of both.
• Stakes: Movies propel the action forward by giving characters high stakes: win or lose, life or death. Even if you are describing your experience in positive terms, there needs to be a sense of conflict or dynamic change. In the anecdote(s) you've selected to write about, what did you stand to gain or lose?
• External conflict resolution: If there's an external conflict of some kind (e.g., with a neighbor, a family member, a friend, or a city council), you need to show some level of resolution.
• Internal conflict resolution: Inner conflict is essentially about how you changed in response to the event or experience. You'll need to clearly lay out what happened within you and how those changes have carried you forward as a person.

Describing your feelings before, during, and after the opportunity or challenge is a crucial element of a Topic A college essay.

#4: Add Details, Description, and Examples

Your essay will really stand out if you add effective examples and descriptions.

For example, imagine Karima decides to describe how learning to navigate public transit as a high school first-year student made her resourceful and helped her explore the city she grew up in. She also discusses how exploring the city ultimately changed her perspective. How should she frame her experience? Here are some options:

I was nervous about taking the El by myself for the first time. At the station, there were lots of commuters and adults who seemed impatient but confident. At first, I was very afraid of getting lost, but over time, I became as confident as those commuters.

I felt a mixture of nerves and excitement walking up the Howard red line turnstile for the first time. What if I got lost on my way to the museum? I was worried that I would just seem like a nuisance to all of the frowning commuters who crowded the platform. If I needed help, would they help me? Was I even brave enough to ask? When the metal doors opened, I pressed my nails into my palms and rushed in after a woman with a red briefcase. Success! At least for the first step. I found a sideways-facing seat and clutched my macrame bag with my notebook and sketching supplies. A map hung above my seat. Pressing my finger to the colorful grid, I found my stop and counted how many I still had to go. I spent the entire train ride staring at that map, straining my ears for everything the conductor said. Now, when I think about the first time I rode the El by myself, I smile. What seemed so scary at the time is just an everyday way to get around now. But I always look around on the platform to see if any nervous kids linger at the edges of the commuter crowds and offer them a smile.

Both versions set up the same story plotwise, but the second makes the train ride (and therefore the author) come alive through the addition of specific, individualizing details , such as the following:

• Visual cues: The reader "sees" what the author sees through descriptions such as "frowning commuters who crowded the platform," "woman with a red briefcase," and "colorful grid."
• Emotional responses: We experience the author’s feelings: she "felt a mixture of nerves and excitement." She wonders if she's brave enough to ask for help. The train ride was "so scary at the time" but feels "everyday" now.
• Differentiation: Even though the commuters are mostly a monolithic group, we get to see some individuals, such as the woman with a red briefcase.

ApplyTexas Topic A Essay Ideas

There's no one best topic for this essay prompt (or any other), but I've included some potential ideas below to help you get started with your own brainstorming:

• Describe a time you organized the people around you to advocate a common local cause.
• Hone in on a particular trip with one or more family members.
• Identify a time when you were no longer in your comfort zone. Describe how you adapted and learned from that experience.
• Discuss being a minority in your school or neighborhood.
• Describe going through a cultural or religious rite of passage as a high school student.
• Elaborate on how you moved from one place to somewhere totally different and handled your culture shock.

ApplyTexas Topic A for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

If you are applying to transfer or to be readmitted, you likely already have some college experience. So in this case, ApplyTexas offers a personal statement option that allows you to write about your life beyond your high school years. This option still asks you to demonstrate what in your experience has turned you into a unique individual. But if, for instance, you left college and now are reapplying, you’ll want to address how some aspect of that experience made an impact on who you are now. Otherwise, follow the advice above for the standard Topic A prompt.

Here’s the current Essay Topic A prompt for transfer applicants:

The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application. You may also want to explain unique aspects of your academic background or valued experiences you may have had that relate to your academic discipline. The statement of purpose is not meant to be a listing of accomplishments in high school or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admissions committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and other application information cannot convey.

Next up, let's go through the same process for ApplyTexas Topic B, taking it apart brick by brick and putting it back together again.

What’s the Prompt Asking?

At first glance, this prompt seems pretty vague. "Tell us about yourself" is not exactly the most detailed set of instructions. But if we dig a little deeper, we can see that there are actually two pretty specific things this question is asking.

#1: What Defines You?

This prompts posits that "most students"—which likely includes you!—have some kind of defining trait . This could be "an identity, an interest, or a talent," so you need to express what that defining trait is for you specifically.

For instance, are you an amazing knitter? Do you spend your free time researching cephalopods? Are you a connoisseur of indie movies or mystery novels? Or maybe you have a religious, cultural, ethnic, or LGBTQIA+ identity that's very important to you. Any of these things could plausibly be the main, framing theme of your essay.

#2: How Does That Defining Trait Fit Into "You" Overall?

Even though you have some kind of defining trait, that's not the entirety of you. Essentially, you need to contextualize your defining trait within your broader personality and identity. This is where the "tell us about yourself" part comes in. What does your defining trait say about you as a person? And how does it fit into your overall personality, values, and dreams?

In a Topic B college essay, you could potentially describe your knowledge of chess and how it exemplifies your talent for thinking several steps ahead.

Admissions staff are hoping to learn two main things:

#1: What You're Passionate About

It's essential that this essay communicates genuine passion for whatever you write about. College is a lot of work, and passion is an important driving force when things get busy. Therefore, readers are looking for students who are really engaged in the world around them and excited about specific causes and activities!

#2: How You View Yourself (and How Successfully You Can Communicate That)

A strong, well-developed sense of self goes a long way toward helping you weather all the changes you're going to experience when you attend college. Even though you'll change and grow a lot as a person during your college years, having a sense of your own core traits and values will help those changes be exciting as opposed to scary .

Colleges are looking for a developed sense of self. Additionally, they are looking for students who can communicate messages about themselves in a clear, confident, and cohesive way .

The challenge with this prompt is giving a complete picture of you as a person while still staying on message about your defining trait. You need to be focused yet comprehensive. Let's explore the best ways to show off your passion and frame your identity.

#1: Define the Core Message

First, you need to select that defining trait . This could be pretty much anything, just as long as you're genuinely invested in this trait and feel that it represents some core aspect of you.

It should also be something you can describe through stories and anecdotes . Just saying, "I'm a redhead, and that defines me" makes for a pretty boring essay! However, a story about how you started a photography project that consists of portraits of redheads like you and what you learned about yourself from this experience is much more interesting.

Be careful to select something that presents you in a broadly positive light . If you choose a trait that doesn't seem very serious, such as your enduring and eternal love of onion rings, you risk seeming at best immature and at worst outright disrespectful.

You also want to pick something realistic —don't claim you're the greatest mathematician who ever lived unless you are, in fact, the greatest mathematician who ever lived (and you probably aren't). Otherwise, you'll seem out of touch.

#2: Fit Your Message into the Larger Picture

Next, consider how you can use this trait to paint a more complete picture of you as a person . It's great that you're passionate about skiing and are a member of a ski team, but what else does this say about you? Are you an adventurous daredevil who loves to take (reasonable) risks? Are you a nature lover with a taste for exploration? Do you love being part of a team?

Select at least two or three positive messages you want to communicate about yourself in your essay about your key trait.

In a Topic B essay, a student could connect their long-time passion for cooking to their penchant for adding their unique touch to every project they take on.

#3: Show, Don't Tell

It's much more interesting to read about things you do that demonstrate your key traits than it is to hear you list them. Don't just say, "Everyone asks me for advice because I'm level-headed and reasonable." Instead, actually describe situations that show people asking you for advice and you offering that level-headed, reasonable advice.

#4: Watch Your Tone

It's important to watch your tone as you write an essay that's (pretty overtly) about how great you are. You want to demonstrate your own special qualities without seeming glib, staid, self-aggrandizing, or narcissistic .

Let’s say Andrew wants to write about figuring out how to grow a garden, despite his yard being in full shade, and how this desire turned into a passion for horticulture. He could launch into a rant about the garden store employees not knowing which plants are right for which light, the previous house owner’s terrible habit of using the yard as a pet bathroom, or the achy knee that prevented him from proper weeding posture.

Alternatively, he could describe doing research on the complex gardens of royal palaces, planning his garden based on plant color and height, using the process of trial and error to see which plants would flourish, and getting so involved with this work that he often lost track of time.

One of these approaches makes him sound whiny and self-centered, whereas  the other makes him sound like someone who can take charge of a difficult situation .

ApplyTexas Topic B Essay Ideas

Again, there's no single best approach here, but I've outlined some potential topics below:

• Are you known for being really good at something or an expert on a particular topic? How does this impact your identity?
• Discuss how you got involved in a certain extracurricular activity and what it means to you. What have you learned from participating in it?
• Describe something you've done lots of research on in your free time. How did you discover that interest? What have you learned as a result?
• What's your most evident personality trait? How has that trait impacted your life? (You can ask friends and relatives for help with this one.)
• Relate the importance of your LGBTQIA+ identity.
• Discuss your religious or cultural background and how this defines you.
• Describe your experience as a member of a specific community.

ApplyTexas Topic B for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

The ApplyTexas variation on Topic B is specifically designed for two different possible application situations. The first is for people who are applying as nondegree-seeking or postbaccalaureate students (aka “transient students”). In this case, they ask you to discuss the courses you want to take and what you hope to accomplish if you are admitted. That means they still want you to focus this essay on what you are passionate about, as mentioned above, but they expect that passion to be based on courses the university offers more directly.  

The second is for students who are reapplying after being suspended for academic reasons. In this situation, they ask you to describe any actions you have taken to improve your academic performance and to give them a reason why you should be readmitted. You’ll still need to focus on your positive traits in this variation, so this can be a tricky task. As in the example above, you’ll need to watch your tone and not come across as whiny. Instead, confront the cause of your academic suspension and what you learned from that experience; then, turn it into a newfound strength. Maybe you learned new study habits you can describe for them. Maybe working full-time while you were suspended improved your work ethic. Whatever you choose, show how a negative situation changed into a positive learning experience for you, and focus on the better person you are now because of it. 

Here’s the current prompt for Essay Topic B for transfer applicants:

If you are applying as a former student and were suspended for academic reasons, describe briefly any actions you have taken to improve your academic abilities and give reason why you should be readmitted. If you are applying as a nondegree-seeking or postbaccalaureate application, briefly describe the specific objectives you wish to accomplish if admitted, including the courses in which you would like to enroll.

Now, we can take apart Topic C to get a good handle on how to tackle this future-facing essay.

You've got a ticket in your hand—where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

If ApplyTexas Topic A and Topic B were all about your past experiences, Topic C wants you to give readers a glimpse of your imagined possibilities .

There are basically two potential approaches to this question. We'll break them down here.

Option 1: Describe Your Long-Term Goals

One approach to this prompt is to use your essay as a chance to describe your long-term goals for your career and life .

For some students, this will be a straightforward endeavor. For example, say you’ve always wanted to be a doctor. You spend your time volunteering at hospitals, helping out at your mom’s practice, and studying biology. You could easily frame your "ticket" as a ticket to medical school. Just pick a few of the most gripping moments from these past experiences and discuss the overall trajectory of your interests, and your essay would likely be a winner!

But what if you’re not sure about your long-term goals yet? Or what if you feel like you really don't know where you're going next week, let alone next year or 10 years from now? Read on for Option 2.

Option 2: Demonstrate Thoughtful Imagination

Although you can certainly interpret this as a straightforward question about your future, you can also use it as a chance to be more imaginative.

Note that this entire question rests on the metaphor of the ticket. The ticket can take you anywhere; you decide. It could be to a real place, such as your grandmother's house or the Scottish Highlands or the Metropolitan Museum. Or it could be somewhere fantastical, such as a time machine to the Paleolithic.

The important point is that you use the destination you select—and what you plan to do there—to prove you're a thoughtful person who is excited about and actively engaged with the world around you .

The destination you choose to write about, whether realistic or fantastical, should be clearly linked to a specific goal or set of goals that you wish to pursue or are currently pursuing.

If you're on a direct path to a specific field of study or career, admissions officers definitely want to know this. Having driven, goal-oriented, and passionate students is a huge plus for any college. If this sounds like you, be sure your essay conveys not just your interest but also your deep love of the subject, as well as any related clubs, activities, or hobbies you’ve done during high school.

If you take the more creative approach to this prompt, however, realize that in this essay (as in all the other ApplyTexas essays),  the how matters much more than the what . Don't worry that you don't have a specific goal in mind yet. No matter where your eventual academic, career, or other pursuits might lie, every activity you've done up to now has taught you something, whether that be developing your work ethic, mastering a skill, learning from a mentor, interacting with peers, dealing with setbacks, understanding your own learning style, or persevering through hardship. Your essay is a chance to show off that knowledge and maturity.

So no matter what destination you choose for your ticket (the what ), you want to communicate that you can think about future (and imagined!) possibilities in a compelling way based on your past experiences (the how ).

Whether you take the ideas of "where you are going" and "what you are doing" in a more literal or more abstract direction, the admissions committee wants to make sure that no matter what you study, you'll be able to get something meaningful out of it . They want to see that you’re not simply floating through life on the surface but are actively absorbing the qualities, skills, and know-how you'll need to succeed in the world.

Here are some ideas for how to show that you have thoughtful and compelling visions of possible futures.

#1: Pick Where You're Going

Is this going to be a more direct interpretation of your goals (my ticket is to the judge's bench) or a more creative one (my ticket is to Narnia)? Whichever one you choose, make sure that you choose a destination that is genuinely compelling to you . The last thing you want is to come off sounding bored or disingenuous.

#2: Don’t Overreach or Underreach

Another key point is to avoid overreaching or underreaching. For instance, it’s fine to say that you’d like to get involved in politics, but it’s a little too self-aggrandizing to say that you’re definitely going to be president of the United States. Be sure that whatever destination you select for your ticket, it doesn’t come off as unnecessary bragging rather than simple aspiration .

At the same time, make sure the destination you've chosen is one that makes sense in the context of a college essay. Maybe what you really want is a ticket to the potato chip factory; however, this essay might not be the best place to elaborate on this imagined possibility.

While you can of course choose a whimsical location, you need to be able to ground it in a real vision of the kind of person you want to become . Don't forget who your audience is! College admissions officers want to find students who are eager to learn . They also want to be exposed to new thoughts and ideas.

#3: Flesh It Out

Once you've picked a destination, it's time to consider the other components of the question: What are you going to do once you reach your destination? What will happen there? Try to think of some key messages that relate back to you, your talents, and your goals .

#4: Ground Your "Journey" in Specific Anecdotes and Examples

The way this question is framed is very abstract, so ground your thoughts about your destination (whether it's more straightforward or more creative) in concrete anecdotes and examples that show you're thoughtful, engaged, passionate, and driven.

This is even more important if you go the creative route and are writing about an unusual location. If you don't keep things somewhat grounded in reality, your essay could come across as frivolous. Make sure you make the most of this chance to share real-life examples of your desirable qualities.

Imagine Eleanor’s essay is about how she wants a ticket to Starfleet Academy (for the uninitiated, this is the fictional school in the Star Trek universe where people train to be Starfleet officers). Which essay below conveys more about her potential as a student?

My ticket is to Starfleet Academy. There, I would train to become part of the Command division so I could command a starship. Once I was captain of my own starship, I would explore the deepest reaches of space to interact with alien life and learn more about the universe.

I've loved Star Trek since my dad started playing copies of old episodes for me in our ancient DVD player. So if I could have a ticket to anywhere, it would be to Starfleet Academy to train in the command division. I know I would make a superb command officer. My ten years of experience in hapkido have taught me discipline and how to think on my feet. Working as a hapkido instructor in my dojo the past two years has honed my leadership and teaching qualities, which are essential for any starship commander. Additionally, I have the curiosity and sense of adventure necessary for a long career in the unknown reaches of space. Right now, I exercise my thirst for exploration through my photography blog. Using my DSLR camera, I track down and photograph obscure and hidden places I find in my town, on family trips, and even on day trips to nearby cities. I carefully catalogue the locations so other people can follow in my footsteps. Documentation, after all, is another important part of exploring space in a starship.

Both versions communicate the same things about the imagined destination, but the second essay does a much better job showing who Eleanor is as a person. All we really learn from the first excerpt is that Eleanor must like Star Trek .

We can also infer from version 1 that she probably likes leadership, exploration, and adventure because she wants to captain a starship, but we don't really know that for sure. Admissions officers shouldn't have to guess who you are from your essay; your essay should lay it out for them explicitly and articulately.

In the second essay, by contrast, Eleanor clearly lays out the qualities that would make her a great command officer and provides examples of how she exemplifies these qualities . She ties the abstract destination to concrete activities from her life, such as hapkido and photography. This provides a much more well-rounded picture of what Eleanor could bring to the student body and the school at large.

Eleanor's essay about her desire to explore the final frontier creatively illustrates her curiosity and leadership potential .

ApplyTexas Topic C Essay Ideas

I've come up with some sample essay ideas for the two different approaches to this prompt.

Possibility 1: Your Concrete Goals

• Describe your goal to pursue a particular academic field or career and discuss how specific classes or extracurricular activities ignited that passion
• Discuss how your plans to pursue politics, project management, or another leadership role were fostered by a first experience of leadership (this could be a straightforward leadership position in a club or job or a more indirect or unplanned leadership experience, such as suddenly having to take charge of a group).
• Discuss how your desire to teach or train in the future was sparked by an experience of teaching someone to do something (e.g., by being a tutor or by helping a sibling deal with a particularly challenging class or learning issue).
• Describe your goal to perform on stage, and discuss how your past experiences of public creativity (e.g., being in a play, staging an art show, performing an orchestra, or being involved in dance,.) led you to this goal

Possibility 2: Creative/Abstract Destination

• What would you do if you could visit the world of a favorite childhood book, movie, or TV series? What qualities does that show about you?
• Is there a relative or friend you would like to visit with your ticket?
• Is there a particular historical period you would like to time travel to?
• Is there a destination you've always wanted to go to that you've read about, heard about, or only conjured up in dreams or in a moment of creativity?

Remember to tie your imaginative destination to concrete details about your special qualities!

Topic C for Transfer, Transient, or Readmit Students

ApplyTexas offers a Topic C alternative in case there is personal information you want them to consider along with your application, such as why you are transferring to a new school. They still want you to focus on the future, but they encourage discussing any hardships, challenges, extenuating circumstances, or opportunities that have affected your abilities and academic credentials (in a positive way). They also want you to discuss how these circumstances can help you contribute to a diverse college community. In this case, this variation is not fundamentally different from the ticket question; it just asks for a more specific focus. So if this variation applies to you, use the advice above for question C option one. 

Here’s the current prompt for Essay Topic C for transfer applicants:

There may be personal information that you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents, educational goals, or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to creating a diverse learning environment.

Would you use your ticket to visit Renaissance Italy, a journey you metaphorically hope to take as a history major?

If you're applying to one of several fine arts fields, you might have to write this essay.

Personal interaction with objects, images, and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image, or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

If you’re applying to study architecture, art, or art history, one of the essays you will likely have to write is this one. This essay topic is trying to ask as broadly as possible about an experience with art that has moved you in some way. This means that your options for answering the question are quite varied. So what are the two different parts of this prompt? Let's take a look.

Part 1: Observation and Reaction

Think of a time you experienced that blown-away feeling when looking at something human made. This is the reaction and situation the first part of the essay wants you to recreate. The prompt is primarily interested in your ability to describe and pinpoint exactly what quality made you stop in your tracks. The huge set of inspiring object options the prompt offers tells us that your taste level won't be judged here.

You can focus on a learning experience, which includes both classes and extracurricular activities, or you can focus on a direct experience in which you encountered an object or space without the mediation of a class or teacher. The only limit to your focus object is that it is something made by someone other than you. Your reaction should be in conversation with the original artist, not a form of navel-gazing.

The key for this part of the essay is that your description needs to segue into a story of change and transformation . What the essay topic is asking you to show isn’t just that you were struck by something you saw or learned about, but that you also absorbed something from this experience that impacted your own art going forward.

Did seeing the Angkor Wat Temple during a trip abroad with your family foster your intellectual passion for Southeast Asian art or religious monuments?

Part 2: Absorption

This brings us to the second part of the essay prompt: this is where you need to move from the past into the present — and then at least gesture meaningfully toward the future.

It’s one thing to look at a piece of art, such as a sculpture or architectural form, and feel moved by its grace, boldness, or vision. But it’s a sign of a mature, creative mind to be able to take to heart what is meaningful to you about this work and then transmute this experience into your own art or your interpretation of others' creative works.

This essay wants to see that developing maturity in you ; therefore, you should explain exactly how your own vision has changed after this meaningful encounter you've described. What qualities, philosophy, or themes do you now try to infuse into what you create or how you analyze art?

More importantly, this essay prompt asserts that being affected by something once isn’t enough. That’s why in this second part of the essay,  you also need to explain what you’ve been doing to keep having similarly moving encounters with other creative works .

You have some choice, too, when it comes to answering, "What have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?" For example, you could describe how you’ve sought out other works by the same artist who moved you the first time. Or you could describe investigating new media or techniques to emulate something you saw. Or you could discuss learning about the period, genre, school, or philosophical theory that the original piece of art comes from to give yourself a more contextualized understanding.

If you’re planning an academic career in the visual arts or architecture, then you’re entering a long conversation started by our cave-painting ancestors and continuing through every human culture and society since.

This essay wants to make sure that you aren’t creating or interpreting art in a vacuum and that you have had enough education and awareness to be inspired by others. By demonstrating how you react to works that move you—not with jealousy or dismissal but with appreciation and recognition of another’s talent and ability—you're proving that you're ready to participate in this ongoing conversation.

At the same time, this essay is asking you to show your own creative readiness.  For example, describe not only the work you have produced but also your ability to introduce new elements into that work—in this case, inspired by the piece you described. This way, you can demonstrate that you aren’t a one-note artist but are mature enough to alter and develop what you make. Or if you want to major in art history or art education, relate how your perspective on a particular piece of art or architecture is shaped by your unique perspective, based on your experiences, education, and cultural identity.

A student might write their Topic D essay on how Michelangelo's Madonna della Pietà   has influenced their own artistic renderings of youth and beauty in grief.

What are some best practices for teasing out the complexities of art in written form? Here are some helpful tips as you brainstorm and write your essay.

#1: Pick One Piece of Art or Learning Experience

Once you’ve chosen between these two contexts, narrow down your selection even further . If you're writing about an educational encounter, don’t forget that it can come from an informal situation as well. For example, you could write about something you learned on your own from a documentary, a museum visit, or an art book.

If you're writing about a direct experience with art, don't necessarily fixate on a classic piece . Alternatively, you could discuss a little-known public sculpture, a particularly striking building or bridge you saw while traveling, or a gallery exhibition.

Whatever you end up writing about, make sure you know some of the identifying details . You don’t need to know the answers to all the following questions, but do your best to research so you can answer at least two or three of them:

• Who is the artist?
• Where is the piece on display?
• What kind of work is it?
• With what materials was it made?
• When was it made?

#2: Figure Out Why You Were Struck by This Particular Work

The make-it-or-break-it moment in this essay will be your ability to explain what affected you in the object you're writing about . Why is it different from other works you’ve seen? Were you in the right place and time to be moved by it, or would it have affected you the same way no matter where or when you saw it? Did it speak to you because it shares some of your ideals, philosophies, or tastes—or because it was so different from them?

Be careful with your explanation because it can easily get so vague as to be meaningless or so obscure and "deep" that you lose your reader. Before you start trying to put it down on paper, try to talk out what you plan to say either with a friend, parent, or teacher. Do they understand what you’re saying, and do they believe you?

#3: Make a Timeline of Your Own Creative Works

When you think about what you've been making or thinking about making during your high school career, what is the trajectory of your ideas? How has your understanding of the materials you want to work with or study changed? What message do you want your works to convey, or what message in others' works most resonate with you? How do you want your works to be seen or engaged with by others? What is the reason you feel compelled to be creative or involved in the arts?

Now that you’ve come up with this timeline, see whether your changes in thought overlap with the art experience you're planning on describing . Is there a way you can combine what was so exciting to you about this work with the way you’ve seen your own ideas about art evolve?

#4: Use a Mix of Concreteness and Comparisons in Your Description

Just as nothing ruins a joke like explaining it, nothing ruins the wordless experience of looking at art as talking it to death does. Still, you need to find a way to use words to give the reader a sense of what the piece that moved you actually looks like —particularly if the reader isn't familiar with the work or the artist that created it.

Here is my suggested trick for writing well about art. First, be specific about the object. Discuss its colors, size, what it appears to be made of, what your eye goes to first (e.g., bright colors versus darker, more muted ones), what it represents (if it’s figurative), where it is in relation to the viewer, whether or not you can see marks of the tools used (e.g., brush strokes or scrapes from sculpting tools).

Second, step away from the concrete, and get creative with language by using techniques such as comparative description. Use your imagination to create emotionally resonant similes. Is there a form of movement (e.g., flying, crawling, or tumbling) that this piece feels like? Does it remind you of something from the natural world (e.g., a falling leaf, a forest canopy being moved by wind, waves, or sand dunes shifting)?

If the work is figurative, imagine what has been happening just before the moment in time it captures. What happened just after this point? Using these kinds of nonliteral descriptors will let your reader understand both the actual physical object and its aesthetic appeal.

Dissecting the UT and Texas A&M Short-Answer Prompts

Both UT Austin and Texas A&M require short answers as part of their first-year applications. For both schools, some prompts are required by all applicants, whereas others are required by those applying to certain majors or departments.

We'll go over the UT Austin prompts, followed by the Texas A&M prompt.

UT Austin Short-Answer Prompts

UT Austin requires three short answers from all first-year applicants and also offers an optional prompt. Each short answer should be approximately 250–300 words , or one paragraph.

Short Answer 1: Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

Short Answer 2: Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.

Short Answer 3: 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.

Optional Short Answer: Please share background on events or special circumstances that may have impacted your high school academic performance.

What Are These UT Austin Short-Answer Prompts Asking?

Obviously, these short-answer prompts are asking four different things, but they do have some similarities in terms of their overall goals.

These prompts basically want to know what you can offer UT Austin and why you'd be a great fit as a student there . They also want to know why you chose UT Austin and your specific major.

In other words, all these prompts essentially work together as a "Why This College?" essay .

How Can You Give UT Austin What They Want?

Admissions officers will be looking for evidence that you're genuinely interested in the school, the major you've chosen, and the career you want to pursue . Make sure to identify features of the program that appeal to you. In other words, why UT Austin? What makes you a good fit here?

Be as specific as possible in your responses. Since you won't have much room to write a lot, try to focus on a particular anecdote, skill, or goal you have.

Admissions officers also want to see that you have an aptitude for your chosen career path , so if you have any relevant work, research, or volunteer experience, they definitely want to know this! It's OK to take a broad view of what's relevant here.

Finally, they're looking for individuals who have clear goals as well as a general idea of what they want to do with their degree . Are you interested in working with a specific population or specialty? Why? What led you to this conclusion?

Texas A&M Engineering Prompt

All engineering applicants to Texas A&M must submit an esssay responding to the following 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?

What Is This Texas A&M Engineering Prompt Asking?

The engineering prompt wants to know two essential things:

• What are your future goals for your specific field of interest (i.e., the kind of engineering field you want to go into or are considering going into)?
• What environmental or external factors (e.g., a person, a mentor, a volunteer experience, or a paper or book you read) contributed to your development of these goals?

How Can You Give Texas A&M What They Want?

Be as specific as possible in your response. For the engineering prompt, what admissions officers want to know is simply what your biggest engineering ambition is and how you came to have this goal.

You'll want to be as specific as possible. Admissions officers want to see that you have a clear future in mind for what you want to do with your engineering degree. For example, do you plan to go on to a PhD program? Why? Do you have a particular career in mind?

In addition, make sure to specify the main inspiration for or motivation behind this goal. For instance, did you have a high school teacher who encouraged you to study engineering? Or perhaps you decided on a whim to take a computer science class, which you ended up loving.

Remember that the inspiration for your engineering goals doesn't have to be limited to something school-related. If you get stuck, think broadly about what initially got you interested in the field.

Briefly: ApplyTexas Essay Topic E (Transfer Students)

US transfer students and international transfer students must typically submit an additional essay responding to the following prompt (or must submit an essay on one of the topic variations listed above ).

Choose an issue of importance to you—the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope⁠—and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

What's the Prompt Asking?

This prompt, which is intended for transfer students, essentially wants to know what hardship, challenge, or social issue has affected you on a personal level (or a larger group you're part of) and why you think this particular issue is so important to you .

For example, maybe you identify as LGBTQIA+ and have personally experienced discrimination in your local community because of your sexual orientation or gender identity. Or perhaps you grew up in a wealthy family but have begun to see recently how widespread the issue of homelessness really is and now are making a more conscious effort to find ways to remedy this problem in your own community.

The issue you choose doesn't have to relate to a wider social issue; it could be a learning disability you have, for instance, or the fact that you no longer share the same religious beliefs as your  family.

The most important part of this question is the connection between the issue and yourself . In other words, why is this issue so important to you ? How has it affected your life, your goals, your experiences, etc.?

This essay is a way for admissions officers to get to know you and what matters to you personally on a much deeper level than what some of the other essay topics allow, so don't be afraid to dive into topics that are very emotional, personal, or special to you .

Furthermore, be sure to clearly explain why this particular issue—especially if it's a broader social issue that affects many people—is meaningful to you . Admissions officers want to know about any challenges you've faced and how these have positively contributed to your own growth as a person.

The Bottom Line: Tips for Writing ApplyTexas Essays

The ApplyTexas application contains four essay prompts (Topics A, B, C, and D), with different schools requiring different combinations of mandatory and optional essays . There are also short-answer prompts for UT Austin, as well as a Topic E only for transfer students.

One way to keep these three similar-sounding essay topics (A, B, and C) separate in your mind is to create a big-picture category for each one:

• Topic A is about your outside .
• Topic B is your inside .
• Topic C is about your future .

Now, let's briefly summarize each essay topic:

Essay Topic A

• Overview:  Describe any unique experiences you've had as a high school student and how these have shaped who you are as a person.
• Pick a specific aspect of your experience.
• Describe how it made you special.
• Describe the setting, stakes, and conflict resolution.
• Add details, description, and examples.

Essay Topic B

• Overview:  Describe a defining trait and how it fits into the larger vision of you.
• Define the core message.
• Fit that core message of yourself into the larger picture.
• Show things about yourself; don’t tell.
• Watch your tone to make sure that you show your great qualities without seeming narcissistic, boring, glib, or self-aggrandizing.

Essay Topic C

• Overview:  Describe "where you are going" in either a literal, goal-oriented sense or a more imaginative sense.
• Pick where you’re going, but don’t over- or underreach.
• Flesh out your destination. How does it relate back to you?
• Ground your “journey” in specific anecdotes and examples.

Essay Topic D

• Overview:  Describe being affected by a work of art or an artistic experience to make sure that you are ready to enter a fine arts field.
• Pick one piece of art or one specific experience of learning about art.
• Figure out exactly why this work or event struck you.
• Examine your own work to see how this artwork has affected your creativity or engagement with art or art history.
• Use a mix of concrete descriptions and comparisons when writing about the piece of art.

Short-Answer Prompts

• Overview: Specific to UT Austin applicants
• Describe your relevant experiences and interests up to this point.
• Describe what about the program appeals to you and how you will use your degree (i.e., your future goals).
• Treat the prompts as parts of a "Why This College?" essay.

Essay Topic E (Transfer Students)

• Overview: Specific to US and international transfer applicants
• Pick an issue that means a lot to you and has had a clear effect on how you see yourself.
• Emphasize how this issue or how you've treated this issue has ultimately had a positive impact on your personal growth.

What's Next?

Curious about the other college essay choices out there? If your target college also accepts the Common Application, check out our guide to the Common App essay prompts to see whether they would be a better fit for you.

Interested to see how other people tackled this part of the application? We have a roundup of 100+ accepted essays from tons of colleges .

Stuck on what to write about? Read our suggestions for how to come up with great essay ideas .

Working on the rest of your college applications? We have great advice on how to find the right college for you , how to write about your extracurricular activities , and how to ask teachers for letters of recommendation .

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Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Texas Sues G.M. Over Collection and Selling of Driver Data

The lawsuit accuses the automaker of tricking drivers into sharing detailed driving records that were then sold to insurance companies.

By Stacy Cowley

The state of Texas sued General Motors on Tuesday, accusing the automaker of collecting detailed driving data on 16 million drivers and selling it to insurance companies without their consent.

“Millions of American drivers wanted to buy a car, not a comprehensive surveillance system that unlawfully records information about every drive they take and sells their data to any company willing to pay for it,” said Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general.

A G.M. spokeswoman said the company had been “in discussions” with the attorney general’s office and was reviewing the complaint. “We share the desire to protect consumers’ privacy,” she said.

The lawsuit followed an investigation Mr. Paxton opened after The New York Times reported that General Motors and other automakers had collected and sold to insurance companies extensive records on customers’ driving behaviors, including data on the start and end times of their trips and instances of hard braking and speeding. Many customers’ insurance premiums soared because of the data contained in those reports.

General Motors said in March, shortly after The Times report was published, that it would stop sharing such information with data brokers.

Texas’ complaint against General Motors and its OnStar subsidiary says that beginning in 2015, the automaker sold its customers’ driving data to outside vendors, including LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Verisk Analytics and Wejo. Some of those companies then calculated a “driving score” for each customer and sold that information to insurers. G.M. collected millions of dollars from these deals through upfront payments and ongoing royalties, according to the legal filing.

LexisNexis and Verisk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wejo filed for bankruptcy in 2023.

Customers were typically enrolled in the data collection program at General Motors dealerships, through what the lawsuit described as a “deceptively designed sales flow to ensure that customers would sign up for G.M.’s products and unwittingly be enrolled in G.M.’s Driving Data collection scheme.”

The company’s data collection disclosures were buried in a 50-page document that said the gathered information would be used for purposes like improving G.M. cars’ safety and maintenance. Customers who refused to enroll were shown messages warning them that some of their vehicles’ safety features would be deactivated.

The lawsuit, filed in a state district court in Montgomery County, accuses G.M. of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeks a court order instructing the automaker to destroy all of the driving data it has collected. The state is also seeking restitution for affected customers, including 1.8 million Texans.

Two Democratic senators — Ron Wyden of Oregon and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts — sent a letter last month to Lina Khan, the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission, urging her agency to investigate how the auto industry collects and shares customers’ data.

Stacy Cowley is a business reporter who writes about a broad array of topics related to consumer finance, including student debt, the banking industry and small business. More about Stacy Cowley

Texas voter guide for college students

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. The last day to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 25. Early voting in person is from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1.

Sign up for The Brief , The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

The Nov. 5 election is quickly approaching, and Texans will have the opportunity to vote for several federal, state and local officials, including president.

The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization, is dedicated to helping Texans navigate the intricacies that may come with voting by mail or voting as a student or as a Texan with disabilities. This year, we’ve created a series of guides in addition to our comprehensive voter guide; this is our guide for college or high school student voters.

A fraction of Texas voters cast their ballot and an even smaller number of young people vote. During the 2022 midterms, only 49% of registered Texas voters between 18 and 24 participated, compared to 86% of voters 65 and older.

Young people ages 18-25 make up nearly 15% of Texas’ adult population, according to census data from 2023. The issues most older generations find important may differ from those younger people most care about.

“It sounds cliche, but young people are the future at the end of the day,” said Karyn Fu, a Rice University student majoring in biosciences and social policy analysis who is also an election judge in Harris County.

Congress and the president shape national policies that affect young Texans, like student loan payments and environmental laws. Local officials also directly affect young people when it comes to housing and transportation policies.

“There are a lot of different things that are happening on a day-to-day basis, even on the local level, that are shaped by who we elect,” said Tessa Mitterhoff, Travis County regional field coordinator for MOVE Texas , a nonpartisan group that works to get young Texans civically engaged.

Young voters face several obstacles to voting under Texas’ strict voting laws. Student IDs are not an acceptable form of required identification and the state forbids same-day, online and automatic voter registration. Many colleges also lack on-campus voting locations, partially due to a 2019 state law prohibiting temporary voting sites during the 12 days of early voting.

Mitterhoff said these constraints and low turnout makes it more important that young voters cast ballots. “I think if you're able to show up, it is like a powerful statement,” she said.

Here’s what college students and other young voters need to know to be ready for the election, including how to register, where to find voting locations and what people need to bring to the polls.

• Election Day: Nov. 5, 2024
• Last day to register to vote: Oct. 7, 2024
• First day of early voting by personal appearance: Oct. 21, 2024
• Last day of early voting by personal appearance: Nov. 1, 2024
• Last day to apply for ballot by mail: Oct. 25, 2024
• Last day for a county to receive a mailed ballot: Nov. 5, 2024 (Election Day) or Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 if postmarked (see more details in our guide to voting by mail )

How to check your voter registration in Texas

One of the most common issues young people face when voting is thinking they're registered to vote when they’re not or being unsure where they should vote if they’ve moved.

You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website . You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in:

• Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth.
• Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in.
• Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

How to avoid long voting lines

Limited time or schedule conflicts are another common challenge to voting for young people like busy college students. If your campus has a polling place on Election Day, the lines can be hours long. Early voting can help voters avoid long lines, but only certain polling places participate. You can check which polling places participate in early voting here or through your county. Early voting for the general election will occur from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1.

Texas law says voters have the right to vote during work hours without being penalized or losing pay, but this may not apply if a worker has two hours before or after work to vote. If Election Day is your only option, you have the right to cast a ballot as long as you’re in line by 7 p.m.

How do I register to vote in Texas?

• Before you register to vote, it's important to be aware of the eligibility requirements.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must reside in the county where you’re registering.
• Must be at least 17 and 10 months old, and 18 by election day.
• Cannot be convicted of a felony.

More information on eligibility criteria can be found here .

The voter registration application can be obtained in several ways.

• The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 5 election is Oct. 7.
• You can have the form mailed to your residence.
• The application can be printed out and mailed to your county election office.
• If you need to update your driver's license, you can register to vote online through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license.
• Find a county voter registration official and they will help you register.
• Check to see if your campus keeps voter registration applications on hand at the library or other places.
• Organizations like MOVE Texas often set up booths on campuses around Texas to register students as the deadline approaches.

To register, you’ll need identification. Here are the documents accepted:

• Texas driver's license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
• Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS.
• Texas personal identification card issued by DPS.
• Texas handgun license issued by DPS.
• United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph.
• United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph.
• United States passport (book or card)

More information about identification requirements can be found here .

How do I decide where to register to vote as an out-of-state student?

Deciding where to register to vote as an out-of-state student depends on your preference. As a full-time student, registering to vote in your college state is more manageable because you'll spend most of your time there. With elections typically occurring during the school year, accessing polling places is convenient, eliminating the need to request a mail-in ballot. Getting registered on campus is accessible at most universities in Texas and some campuses have polling places where students can vote on Election Day.

If you are really involved in your community back home and want to stay registered there, absentee voting may be a good option. However, you’ll need to plan ahead of time. You can see the Texas deadlines for absentee and vote-by-mail here .

What if I can’t make it to the county I’m registered to vote in on Election Day?

If you can’t make it to the county you’re registered to vote in on Election Day, there are a few avenues you can take.

• Absentee vote
• Request a limited ballot (only if the county you’re registered in and the county you’re voting in are both in Texas)

Early voting in person takes place 17 days before Election Day and ends four days before Election Day. Early voting polling locations are supposed to be listed here two days before early voting starts. It’s the same online tool to check if you’re registered to vote and shows all the nearest polling places for both Election Day and early voting.

Absentee voting is voting by mail. In order to be eligible, you must be out of the county on Election Day and during the period for early voting in person. More eligibility criteria can be found here . To vote by mail, you must fill out the application for a mail-in ballot. You can request the application here or print it yourself and mail it to your county’s early voting election clerk . If you need to vote by mail, apply early to give yourself as much time as possible to get your ballot sent to you and to mail it back by Election Day. Applications must be received — not postmarked — by the early voting clerk in your county by Oct. 25. You can learn more about the absentee voting process in our guide to voting by mail .

If you can’t make it to the Texas county you’re registered to vote for, but will still be in the state, you can request a limited ballot. You can vote in person or by mail with a limited ballot and can only vote early. If voting in person with a limited ballot, you can only vote at the main early voting location, which is usually the office of the election administrator or county clerk who runs elections in your county . The main early voting polling place should be noted in a county’s list of early voting locations. Upon request for a limited ballot, you will be required to fill out a limited ballot application . The limited ballot only includes statewide and federal elections. It will not contain any county or precinct elections.

What you’ll need to bring with you to the polling place

• When voting in person, you must bring one of the seven approved photo IDs to vote in Texas:
• A state driver’s license (issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety)
• A Texas election identification certificate (issued by DPS)
• A Texas personal identification card (issued by DPS) A Texas license to carry a handgun (issued by DPS)
• A U.S. military ID card with a personal photo
• A U.S. citizenship certificate with a personal photo
• A U.S. passport

Check out this story for more details.

If you don’t have one of those photo IDs or have an out-of-state ID, but you’re registered in Texas, then you can still vote by filling out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and will have to present one of the following types of supporting identification documents:

• A valid voter registration certificate
• A certified birth certificate
• A document confirming birth admissible in a court of law that establishes your identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
• A copy of or an original current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other document that shows the voter’s name and address. (Any government document that contains a voter’s photo must be an original.)

You can cast a provisional ballot if you have a valid photo ID but forgot it. Still, you will have to visit the local voter registrar’s office within six days of Election Day to present an acceptable ID or documentation in order for the ballot to be counted. A registered voter without a valid photo ID or any of the supporting documents can also cast a provisional ballot .

Phones or any other device that can communicate wirelessly or be used to record sound or images are not allowed in the polling booth. So it’s helpful to research a sample ballot, which you can find through your county or other organizations, beforehand and bring a paper list of your election choices. Here is more information on what’s allowed in the polling place.

Here are some resources that can help make voting more accessible for you.

• Early voting is a great resource if you have a busy schedule because you’re less likely to have to wait in line for hours and can even vote on weekends.
• You can find your sample ballot and some voter guides on Vote411 . The Texas Tribune and many other news organizations also post information about elections and what you may see on your ballot, so keep an eye out for that.
• If you’re looking to get more involved in elections, you can sign up to be a poll worker. Polling locations are understaffed, it’s a paid position and you can vote there. Learn more about becoming an election clerk here .
• The Secretary of State’s Office has a helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) to reach state attorneys available to assist voters and election officials with questions.
• A coalition of voting rights groups runs voter protection hotlines in several languages. Disability Rights Texas also offers a helpline for people with disabilities.

Disclosure: MOVE Texas, Rice University and Texas Secretary of State have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here .

The full program is now LIVE for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival , happening Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations on topics covering education, the economy, Texas and national politics, criminal justice, the border, the 2024 elections and so much more. See the full program.

Correction, Aug. 12, 2024 at 11:58 a.m. : Correction: A previous version of the Texas college student voter guide incorrectly stated the day of the 2024 November election. The correct date for Election Day is Nov. 5.

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Lillian Vest

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@LillianVest33

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2024-2025 Texas Tech El Paso (Foster)

• Thread starter wysdoc
• Start date Apr 12, 2024

Plain-spoken Texan

• Apr 12, 2024

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Interview Feedback

Full Member

• Jun 5, 2024

Questions​

Admissions advisor

• Jun 10, 2024

2024-2025 list of schools and their SJTs

browntexaspremed

• Jul 1, 2024

IS Interview Invite just now. Complete 6/11  

AkGn said: IS Interview Invite just now Click to expand...

AkGn said: IS Interview Invite just now. Complete 6/11 Click to expand...

MsChuuicyBaby

IS II Complete 6/23 LM 82  

Avatararrow

Avatararrow said: Dang…. Never would’ve expected that a TX school would send out II’s this early. Kind of bummed I didn’t get an II since this is literally my top choice school but I know that this is only the beginning of the cycle Is it safe to assume that people who interview in the first round are probably like the cream of the crop? I figure everyone who interviews first round is probably getting accepted unless they bomb the interview since the school liked them that much. I’m asking to give myself hope that maybe I’m just not the ultimate amazing tier applicant maybe, but that I still have a shot especially given they’ve probably reviewed my app Sorry just my neurotic premed self coming alive 🥸 Click to expand...

OOS II today complete 06/03  

TheDeadrok said: What are the available dates for interviews? Click to expand...

• Jul 2, 2024

wysdoc said: 2. The Foster SOM student honor code states “In my capacity as a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso School of Medicine medical student, I will uphold the dignity of the medical profession. I will, to the best of my ability, avoid actions which might result in harm to my patients. I will protect the dignity of my patients and the deceased, and will protect their confidential information in accordance with the prevailing standards of medical practice. I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will enter into professional relationships with my colleagues, teachers, and other health care professionals in a manner that is respectful and reflective of the high standards and expectations of my profession. I will not tolerate violations of this Code by others and will report such violations to the appropriate authorities.” Please describe past experiences or personal attributes that reflect your affinity with this honor code. ( 300 words or less ) Click to expand...

bsajeev said: What are they asking with this prompt? Do they want us to focus on reporting ethics violations to higher ups? or can we focus on any one aspect of the question? Click to expand...

Mybosswontapproveofthis

Where can I find what submission date TMDSAS is currently reviewing? I submitted 18JUN and wanted to know when I could get verified  

Mybosswontapproveofthis said: Where can I find what submission date TMDSAS is currently reviewing? I submitted 18JUN and wanted to know when I could get verified Click to expand...

TMDSAS Homepage

ChairWallington

• Jul 4, 2024
• Interview Schedule is shown at the bottom. Time of interview will be available until day of interview.

ChairWallington said: I'm confused about when we are supposed to sign our interview agreement. It says, " Do not sign until the interview day" on the instructions page but then " Sign until day of Interview" on the actual agreement. So the instructions sound like I have to wait until the day of the interview while the note at the top of the agreement sounds like the day of would be too late. Also +1 to 7/1 IS II. Also, I have no idea what the bullet below is referring to because I don't see any time schedule below the bullet or anywhere on the contract. There's a time table above the bullet but that's above. Does "time of interview" refer to my specific MMI? Are we supposed to log back in after lunch at different times or something? Interview Schedule is shown at the bottom. Time of interview will be available until day of interview. Click to expand...

• Jul 5, 2024

Tarre Vizsla

• Jul 9, 2024
• Jul 10, 2024

Strong Power. Thank You!

are you guys reusing the TMDSAS optional essay for the 3rd secondary prompt or writing a new one altogether?  

Strong Power. Thank You! said: are you guys reusing the TMDSAS optional essay for the 3rd secondary prompt or writing a new one altogether? Click to expand...

Adiemus said: Questions​ Every question is required. 1. The mission of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine is to provide an outstanding education and development opportunities for a diverse group of students, residents, faculty, and staff; advance knowledge through innovation and research; and serve the needs of our socially and culturally diverse communities and region.” Recognizing the components of this mission and that PLFSOM is located on the US/Mexico border, please describe why you are interested in applying to our school. (300 words or less) 2. The Foster SOM student honor code states “In my capacity as a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso School of Medicine medical student, I will uphold the dignity of the medical profession. I will, to the best of my ability, avoid actions which might result in harm to my patients. I will protect the dignity of my patients and the deceased, and will protect their confidential information in accordance with the prevailing standards of medical practice. I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will enter into professional relationships with my colleagues, teachers, and other health care professionals in a manner that is respectful and reflective of the high standards and expectations of my profession. I will not tolerate violations of this Code by others and will report such violations to the appropriate authorities.” Please describe past experiences or personal attributes that reflect your affinity with this honor code. (300 words or less) 3. Please describe any unique personal experiences or disadvantage (educational, financial or otherwise) and their significance to you in your pursuit of a medical degree. (300 words or less) @wysdoc Click to expand...

bsajeev said: is #3 a diversity essay or an adversity one? Click to expand...

• Jul 12, 2024

got some questions since this is a school I would be pretty happy with going to: For the interview, is it purely MMI or can traditional interviews be expected? I heard in previous years to the MMI there were 2 interviews, is that still the same? (1 MMI and 1 traditional) Also, how likely is it that your interview will be in Spanish if you stated on your app you are an intermediate speaker?  

Also is there anything I can do after submitting secondary to show me interest? I was thinking of sending like an update letter but I don’t know the policy if you send something before an II.  

Avatararrow said: Also is there anything I can do after submitting secondary to show me interest? I was thinking of sending like an update letter but I don’t know the policy if you send something before an II. Click to expand...

wysdoc said: @Avatararrow you're going to enjoy a Foster interview when it comes your way. Refer to the Interview Feedback link in the first post of this thread to see what kinds of questions past applicants say they were asked. Your interviews will be in English It's way too early to send any updates, it could make you look like you forgot something on your primary. They need time to read those hundreds (eventually thousands) of applications and decide whom to interview. If you have something new and significant to report you can send it in a month or two, if you haven't heard about an interview by then. Last year Foster sent out batches of interview invitations 14 times, between July and January. They have only sent one batch so far. Click to expand...

OOS interview invite received just now  

IWishICouldPhysics

• Jul 13, 2024

IS interview invite received today; barely any days open though, definitely none I can make, so hopefully they open up more within the next few days  

IWishICouldPhysics said: IS interview invite received today; barely any days open though, definitely none I can make, so hopefully they open up more within the next few days Click to expand...

• Jul 14, 2024

wysdoc said: If this is the case for any of you: send a brief email saying thank you for the interview invitation, you are unable to attend the dates listed but would like to schedule an alternate date. If you have some period you will be unavailable, say that too so you won't have an awkward back and forth... ("I am out of the country until August 1, I am available to interview after that date") Click to expand...

bsajeev said: are they virtual? Click to expand...

InterviewHarvester

Ii hunting specialist..

• Jul 16, 2024

+1 II last week. Longtime lurker, just decided to make an account. LM 82.  

InterviewHarvester said: +1 II last week. Longtime lurker, just decided to make an account. LM 82. Click to expand...

TheDeadrok said: IS or OOS? Congrats man! Click to expand...

• Jul 17, 2024

2 questions: 1) are interviews open or closed file here? 2) I saw someone talking about the interview possibly being in Spanish?? Is that legit? I speak Spanish but would be much more comfortable doing my interview in English.  

wop said: 2 questions: 1) are interviews open or closed file here? 2) I saw someone talking about the interview possibly being in Spanish?? Is that legit? I speak Spanish but would be much more comfortable doing my interview in English. Click to expand...

• Jul 18, 2024

InterviewHarvester said: IS. thanks. Expecting to harvest many more IIs. Click to expand...

IWishICouldPhysics said: Completely unrelated, I just want to say that I love everything about your profile, may you harvest many IIs Click to expand...

• Jul 22, 2024

Does anyone know how long each candidate's MMI session will last? I see that there is quite a long block in the afternoon for MMIs and it seems like we will be assigned a specific time for the interview but wondering how long that session will last.  

vegyaki said: Does anyone know how long each candidate's MMI session will last? I see that there is quite a long block in the afternoon for MMIs and it seems like we will be assigned a specific time for the interview but wondering how long that session will last. Click to expand...

gundelfingen

I received interview today, Texas resident, Lizzy 72.3  

shmockles18

+1 II today. IS LM 77  

II In State today. 525/4.0 LM: 83 complete on 7/11  

Similar threads

• Apr 10, 2024

• Apr 13, 2024

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Regents approve $6.3M for Texas Tech Health El Paso clinical sciences building, cancer center design

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The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents voted 8-0 to approve spending $6.3 million for the design of the planned Clinical Sciences Building at the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus during its quarterly meeting Aug. 8-9 at the system’s Lubbock headquarters.

The proposed five-story, 352,000-square-foot structure will be built on the north end of campus near Interstate 10. Two thirds of the building will be for clinical sciences and cost an estimated $186 million. The rest will house the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center . Its second-stage design process started in June 2023.

Billy Breedlove, vice chancellor for Facilities Planning and Construction, pointed out that the clinical services center and cancer center are being tracked as two separate projects with two separate funding streams. The regents’ recent decision only involved the clinical sciences side. Regent Cody Campbell was not present.

As presented, the clinical sciences services would be on the south end of the building. Each center would have its own entrance.

The expenditure will pay for services such as design development, construction documents and administration, and cost estimates, and will allow planning for the clinical sciences side to catch up with the cancer center. Both centers will be constructed simultaneously.

Richard Lange, TTHEP president, said that the regents’ support is a significant step in the university’s mission to provide world-class cancer care to the Borderplex.

“This allows us to move forward with our plans to build a future where every patient receives the highest level of compassionate and comprehensive care close to home,” Lange said. “We look forward to breaking ground soon, here at Texas Tech Health El Paso.”

Breedlove, whose presentation included a conceptual site plan and a cutaway view of the building, said that the new building would do the job of three existing buildings and be more economical. He added that the existing TTHEP clinical sciences space, about 173,000 square feet, is on University Medical Center of El Paso property and has benefited the community for about 40 years. It serves about 1,200 patients daily and is at full capacity.

The new building will continue to offer the existing clinical options such as the Breast Care Center, surgery, neurology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedic surgery and rehabilitations, and several sub-specialties.

“We’ve had our meetings (and) have included all those clinicians in all of this, and so their input is very valued for our design team,” said Breedlove, who added that his people are working with HDR, one of the country’s largest medical design teams on this project.

The two centers will have exam and procedure rooms to support the clinical practices of the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, such as nurses’ stations, lab support, medicine storage, clinical supply rooms and waiting areas.

The conceptual design included a parking lot with about 1,000 spaces, but Breedlove said designers may suggest the construction of the first level of a parking garage. He mentioned that his team wanted to project possible needs and offer the kinds of options for the next 20 years that may involve the need to purchase additional nearby properties.

The funds approved Aug. 8, as well as the previously approved $2.3 million, will come through the Revenue Finance System and be repaid with Capital Construction Assistance Projects Legislative appropriations, as well as gifts and institutional funds.

Breedlove said the multiple funding sources for separate projects that are part of the same building is among the project’s challenges.

Dustin R. Womble, chair of the facilities committee, asked how this kind of combined project could create future conflicts on how expenses get allocated. Breedlove said that the system will need to work hard to ensure that the costs are divided correctly.

Another challenge will be how to deal with the existing railroad operations on the tracks just south of the proposed building site. Breedlove said that Lange wants to create a “quiet zone” in that area where trains are known to blow their whistles long and hard on a daily basis.

A TTHEP spokesman said that Lange is involved in preliminary discussions with several transportation entities to consider options. Breedlove said an initial concept is a tunnel for vehicles and pedestrians to pass under the train track area, and hinted that it could mean buying additional property.

Board chair Mark Griffin, who earlier in the meeting  asked Lange if additional land was needed for this project.

“We’re in the final completion stage of that,” Lange said.

When Regents’ asked for a project timeline, Breedlove said he hoped to present design packages in November along with site and utility packages, some foundation packages in February, and a guaranteed maximum price by May. He said that all funds for the project must be allocated by June 2025. He said the site is basically clear and construction should take no more than three years.  

The Regents approved the initial concept of the Clinical Sciences Building in November 2023. It awarded a little more than $2 million for early design services to include cost estimates and a project schedule. In May, the Regents approved expenditures of $307,000 for the project’s pre-construction activities such as site analysis and a constructability review, and designs for the cancer clinic.

Daniel Perez

Daniel Perez covers higher education for El Paso Matters, in partnership with Open Campus. He has written on military and higher education issues in El Paso for more than 30 years. More by Daniel Perez

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by Daniel Perez, El Paso Matters August 13, 2024

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E-Rate Is in Legal Jeopardy. Here’s What Schools Stand to Lose

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More than 106,000 of the nation’s schools benefited over a three-year period on a source of federal tech funding to set up and maintain internet connectivity that is now under legal threat.

That’s one key data point in a new fact sheet released by the Federal Communications Commission in response to a 9-7 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals . The 5th Circuit ruled that the funding mechanism for the FCC’s Universal Service Fund or USF, which finances the E-rate , a federal program critical to K-12 broadband connectivity, amounts to a “misbegotten tax” and is unconstitutional.

The USF, which is financed through fees on certain telecommunications services, funds different programs aimed at providing telecommunications services to schools, libraries, rural hospitals, people living in poverty, and people in remote rural areas.

The FCC is expected to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Consumers’ Research, a conservative nonprofit watchdog organization that brought the lawsuit against the FCC, believes the role of setting the tax to fund the E-rate and other USF programs belongs to Congress, rather than the FCC and the Universal Service Administrative Company, a private entity the agency tapped to determine how much to charge telecommunications companies.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called the decision “misguided” and said the agency “will pursue all available avenues for review.”

A coalition of more than a dozen education organizations, including the Consortium for School Networking and AASA, the School Superintendents Association, called the ruling “absurd.”

The decision “could lead to cutting off broadband access for tens of millions of students, educators, and library patrons,” a statement from the coalition said.

Here are a few key figures about the E-rate program and its impact on schools, according to the FCC fact sheet .

$7 billion     The amount of E-rate funding schools and libraries received between 2022 and 2024 for broadband connectivity.

106,000     The number of schools nationwide that received E-rate funding between 2022 and 2024.

California, Texas, New York, Alaska, and Florida     The five states that received the most E-rate funding between 2022 and 2024: California, $911 million; Texas, $612 million; New York, $481 million; Alaska, $451 million; and Florida, $373 million.

California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois     The five states with the highest numbers of students and schools benefiting from E-rate funding: California, 6.5 million students, 11,600 schools; Texas, 5.8 million students, 9,500 schools; Florida, 3.1 million students, 4,480 schools; New York, 2.9 million students, 5,800 schools; and Illinois, 2 million students, 4,490 schools.

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Eric Smith, Tech Hubs Director, to Visit Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub in Texas

Eric smith to highlight the region’s strength as a global leader in fablet-based semiconductor manufacturing.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Tech Hubs Director Eric Smith will visit Texas to meet with representatives of the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub , which serves both Oklahoma and Texas. The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s  Economic Development Administration (EDA) , designated the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub, led by Southern Methodist University, as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hubs) in October 2023.

The Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub highlights the region’s role as an emerging global leader in fablet-based semiconductor manufacturing. While there, Smith will work with the Hub to strengthen their strategy to meet the immediate and future demands of the semiconductor industry while advancing a technology sector critical to U.S. national security.

The Tech Hubs Program is a flagship initiative aimed at advancing U.S. leadership in critical technologies and industries. The designation of the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hubs is a strong endorsement of the region’s plan to supercharge its critical technology ecosystem and become a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing over the next decade, advancing U.S. national security and global competitiveness.  

“The Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub embodies the spirit and potential of the Tech Hubs program to take centers of excellence and make them world-class tech ecosystems through targeted investments,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “That’s precisely why I’ve asked Director Smith to travel to Texas to meet with leadership and provide technical assistance on their strategy. The Tech Hubs Program is crucial to ensuring tech industries vital to U.S. economic and national security start, stay, and grow in the U.S., and that’s why I’m committed to future rounds of funding and working with lawmakers to support additional federal resources to support all of our designees.”

The Tech Hubs Program, authorized for $10 billion in the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, is designed to increase the capacity and pace with which Americans make, deliver, and deploy innovative technologies, creating new, growing companies and new, good jobs. 

Read more about the Tech Hubs program at  TechHubs.gov .

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)  The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth. 

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Release of AI-Graded Test Scores Frozen, Permanent Injunction Requested

School districts allege Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath violated the Education Code in the development and use during the 2023-2024 school year of the standardized testing system.

August 14, 2024 at 02:31 PM

4 minute read

Education Law

Adolfo Pesquera

Share with email, thank you for sharing, what you need to know.

• A San Antonio law firm is recruiting Texas school districts to join a lawsuit aimed at banning a student testing system using AI graders.
• Five school districts got a temporary restraining order and now seek a permanent injunction.
• The lawsuit also alleges the education commissioner exceeded his authority by not providing proper notice of changes in the testing system.

The O’Hanlon, Demerath & Castillo law firm is recruiting Texas school districts to participate in an evidentiary hearing for a permanent injunction barring release of AI-graded student test scores.

Plaintiff attorney for five school districts, David Jay Campbell of O’Hanlon Demerath, successfully argued before Travis County 250th District Court Judge Karin Crump on Monday, who in turn granted a temporary restraining order.

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Graduate Writing Center

• Office of the Provost
• Writing Centers of Texas Tech

Graduate Writing Starter Pack

Graduate writing often includes larger or more complex projects than many students have previously worked on. However, beginning with a clear picture of what is required can help you make strategic choices across your time in graduate school. To be successful, you must know your material, craft your message effectively for your audience, and prioritize consistent progress to meet longer-term goals. 

Knowing your Material: Graduate-level writing draws extensively from existing literature. Often, we encounter material long before we have an effective use for it. Or, we may have a pile of sources and not be sure how to glean the most useful information from them. To get the most out of your research efforts, you can utilize the resources below:

Finding Sources ( Library Resources ) For every field, there is a discipline-specific librarian who can help you find high-quality and relevant resources. The library is also able to request sources from other libraries or journals .

Organizing Citations ( Citation Managers ) Learn more about the citation managers supported by the TTU Libraries through the guides on their website: Zotero Guide ; Mendeley Guide ; EndNote Guide . 

Conceptualizing your Topics ( Literature Crosswalk – Matteson & Walker, 2020) As you grow within your discipline, you may find that the same article is applicable to multiple research questions or literature reviews. Tracking variables and results of interest and noting which themes emerge as you read articles (for classwork or research) will help you more easily organize your arguments in not only the current paper, but all future ones on related topics.

Understanding your Discipline (Reverse Outlining: STEM ; Humanities ) Before you begin to craft your message, you need to understand not only what information is known and noteworthy in your field, but also how that information is communicated. While you are reading to gain important knowledge in your field, it is also worth the time to understand how fellow scholars organize and highlight information as they build their arguments.

Crafting your Message: Once you have gathered your resources, it is time to synthesize them into your emerging argument. This starts at the sentence level, building towards a holistic argument that ultimately uses the structure favored by your field's publications (see Reverse Outlining, above). 

Paraphrasing ( Paraphrasing Principles ) Once you have found your sources, synthesizing the material in an ethical and effective way is a vital step in producing credible academic documents. This process requires careful citation, interpretation, and integration of existing research to build on others' scholarship in a way that incorporates your unique contributions and understanding while appropriately crediting theirs.

Organizing your Perspective ( MEAL Paragraph ) Every paragraph needs a purpose along with evidence or reasoning that supports its purpose and a connection to the next steps in the broader work. While not every paragraph needs to follow this pattern, using the MEAL (main idea, evidence, analysis, link) technique is a powerful way to consistently accomplish those three goals. 

Finding the Words ( Manchester Academic Phrasebank ) Also mentioned briefly in the paraphrasing resource above, the Manchester Academic Phrasebank is a collection of useful sentence templates that allow you to readily find a framing that reflects the way you intend your reader to interpret your inclusion of information or arguments. Using these templates is not plagiarism because these sentences do not contain data or arguments; instead, they represent ways to showcase data or support arguments.

Prioritizing your Progress: Complex projects benefit from clear management. Understanding your biggest deadlines, how to break them down into sustainable steps, and most importantly, what motivates you to stay on track, will help you make steady progress throughout your academic career.

Graduate School Timeline ( infographic ; formatting checklist ) While you are likely working on multiple projects at any given time, the most salient deadlines to the completion of your degree will be those related to your graduation document (e.g., portfolio, thesis, dissertation). The grad school website offers important i nformation about the graduation process , and you can email the ETD office for clarification about defense-related forms and document formatting. 

SMART Goals ( SMART Goals How-tos ) With large projects, it is important to develop sustainable habits. By creating goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely, you can build momentum through a series of small wins. Understanding your project(s) at this scale can help you track and complete the necessary tasks to achieve your larger goals

Focus Tools There are several apps that can support your focus and goal tracking. If you prefer working alone, you can support your word count goals with websites like Written Kitten , which rewards you with a picture of a cute kitten each time you achieve a certain level of word count progress; Write Honey , which allows you to track a daily writing streak based on word count; or The Most Dangerous Writing App , which creates a high-stakes environment for bursts of continuous writing. If you prefer to use time-based methods, you can try the traditional Pomodoro Technique , or variations like Flora or Forest that allow you to plant virtual (or in the paid version, real) trees. Apps like Habitica gamify tasks based on habits, daily goals and larger projects and can be used alone or with a group to complete quests. And for those of you who work best with others, Focusmate allows you to schedule co-working time blocks for accountability with individuals from around the world.  

Local Accountability ( GWC Thesis and Dissertation Boot Camp ; GWC writing groups ) Finally, the GWC offers two programs that support accountability and community in the writing process:

• Our writing groups are available to all students and post-docs who have a larger writing project (e.g., coursework, publications, thesis, or dissertation) they want to focus on across a whole semester.
• Thesis and Dissertation Boot Camp is available to students who are working on their thesis or dissertation at the proposal stage or later and would like to dedicate three hours for four days in a row to making concentrated project.

Application deadlines happen in the first few weeks of the semester, so check out our website at www.grad.writingcenter.ttu.edu to learn more!

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August 13, 2024

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How are hurricanes named? Experts explain how naming conventions for major storms have evolved over the years

by Susan Himes, Texas A&M University

The state of Texas is no stranger to hurricanes and damaging storms. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Disaster Assessment and Recovery, DAR, continues to assist Texans recovering from Hurricane Beryl amidst what is expected to be an above-average Atlantic hurricane season.

Anyone who has ever been through a hurricane or witnessed the aftermath can certainly recall the storm by name.

"Back in 2008, probably the first time AgriLife Extension did a major emergency response was for Hurricane Ike," said Dr. Monty Dozier, DAR program director. "That was the first time we engaged as an animal responder to that magnitude, and it was one of the largest livestock recovery operations ever in the history of the U.S. And when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, we worked well into the following year helping Texans recover and rebuild."

The DAR unit works in partnership with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, part of The Texas A&M University System. Even before the formation of DAR, AgriLife Extension agents were a key part of the emergency assistance network ready to serve Texans in the wake of hurricanes.

"They are names you never forget," Dozier said. "They are also names you never want to hear again."

Naming protocol changes over the years

Before they ever made landfall, the names of Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Harvey and many others were known. But that wasn't always the case.

Originally, hurricanes were named after the fact. They were also typically assigned their name according to where and when they made landfall, such as the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 or the Galveston Hurricane of 1915.

As the science of weather forecasting advanced, storms were identified by their latitude-longitude, but this confused most people. When tracking and flying into hurricanes increased, the NATO phonetic alphabet came into use—think Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo and Foxtrot.

It wasn't until 1953 when the National Hurricane Center started the first name list. Initially, all hurricanes were given female names. This changed in 1979 when male names were added to the list.

Today, storms receive names in alphabetical order as they form. With Hurricane Beryl, for example, the name tells us it was the second-named storm of the Atlantic season following Tropical Storm Alberto in June.

"This year, the NOAA National Weather Service outlook for the Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30, predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal season," said Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas state climatologist and Regents Professor in the Texas A&M College of Arts and Sciences Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

What each storm will be named is known well in advance, as there is a master list in use each year. The list of storm names for the North Atlantic is recycled every six years, which means the names we hear in 2024 will reappear in 2030, with a few exceptions.

Retiring a hurricane name

The World Meteorological Organization decides if a particular hurricane is of sufficient historical interest to have the name retired, Nielsen-Gammon said. There are names it would not be appropriate to use again.

Hurricane names are retired due to human and property losses associated with the storm. That's why you will never see another hurricane named Katrina or Harvey.

"There are anywhere from zero to four or five names retired each year, depending on how active and impactful any given season is," Nielsen-Gammon said.

If it is a particularly busy storm season, tracked storms may use up the names designated for that year. This happened in both 2005 and 2020, and the Greek alphabet was then utilized for the remaining storms, which caused confusion. Zeta, for example, is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet but people could understandably think it was the last. Now a list of back-up names is kept at the ready.

In other parts of the world, like the Central Pacific, once the list of names runs out, they continue onto the next list.

Supporting Texans, regardless of the name

With a presence in all 254 Texas counties, AgriLife Extension is prepared to embed local disaster response teams in communities when needed. This comprehensive network positions DAR as one of the most unique and effective disaster response infrastructures in the nation.

In an active hurricane season, multiple storms can be swirling at the same time. Knowing which specific ones are strengthening or weakening is crucial for preparation and planning, Dozier said. Names keep everyone on the same page.

"Texas represents over 20% of the U.S. coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, so we are always watching these storms and ready to respond to A through W—the last letter we use for hurricane names—if need be," he said.

Provided by Texas A&M University

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news Education

A-F grades for Texas schools blocked again by a judge

Accountability scores were set to be published thursday..

5:42 PM on Aug 12, 2024 CDT — Updated at 6:33 PM on Aug 12, 2024 CDT

A Texas judge once again blocked the release of A-F accountability grades for public schools that were to be published Thursday.

The order comes in response to a lawsuit from a handful of districts, alleging the grades would be invalid because they’re based on results from flawed STAAR tests. The school officials questioned the use of computers to score students’ essays on the assessment.

The temporary restraining order, granted Monday by Travis County District Judge Karin Crump, stops the Texas Education Agency from releasing new grades for campuses and districts — at least for now. A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26.

Related: What are Texas’ A-F school grades, and why do they matter?

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Last year’s grades also were blocked by a lawsuit from several districts, including Dallas Independent School District , that alleged changes to scoring methods would unfairly give campuses lower marks.

Education Commissioner Mike Morath has lamented the legal battle and defended the state’s methodology for grading schools.

Texas’ A-F accountability system evaluates every public school and district across the state, giving families a feel for how their local campuses are performing. The ratings are a major factor in how the community perceives local schools.

Related: Dallas ISD will join lawsuit seeking to block new A-F school scores

Texas Education Agency officials said they are reviewing the filing.

“It is disappointing that a small group of school boards and superintendents opposed to fair accountability and transparency have once again filed a lawsuit aimed at preventing A-F ratings from being issued and keeping families in the dark about how their schools are doing,” agency officials said in a statement.

Last year’s lawsuit took aim at the state’s revised formula for grading campuses and alleged that Morath didn’t give districts enough notice about what measures, methods and procedures would be applied to their new scores.

The second lawsuit goes further: It takes issue with the validity of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, test. The A-F grades are largely based on these standardized test scores.

It argues that the commissioner can’t assign A-F ratings because the test isn’t “valid and reliable.”

“It is our goal to invalidate the STAAR test that all students took across the state of Texas, and all resulting metrics built on that score as well,” said attorney Nick Maddox, who is working with the school districts.

The state quietly rolled out the use of computer scoring for student’s STAAR essay questions in December, along with other changes.

Related: Computers scoring Texas students’ STAAR essay answers, state officials say

“During the 2023–24 school year, the Commissioner radically changed the way the new STAAR test is being administered by replacing human graders with AI grading,” the lawsuit states. “This change was made without ensuring that this radical change would not impact the new STAAR test’s validity and reliability.”

Many districts noticed a large number of high schoolers scored zeroes on their written responses.

Scores generated this way “threaten to unfairly — and unlawfully — lower the A–F ratings of many school districts and campuses,” the lawsuit states.

Agency officials have stood by the automated grading system, saying it is not the same as the generative AI that powers programs such as ChatGPT. They described it as a tool with narrow abilities that improves efficiency and is as accurate as human scorers.

If state officials released A-F scores as planned, districts could face harmful consequences, according to the lawsuit. Failing grades can trigger intervention from the state — such as the takeover of Houston ISD .

Morath championed the accountability system Monday morning during a hearing in front of the Legislature’s House Public Education Committee. He called the STAAR test reliable, adding that the release of A-F scores benefits kids and families by letting them know how well the schools are doing at educating students.

“It does work,” he said.

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.

Talia Richman , Staff writer . Talia is a reporter for The Dallas Morning News Education Lab. A Dallas native, she attended Richardson High School and graduated from the University of Maryland. She previously covered schools and City Hall for The Baltimore Sun.