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Indiana University of Pennsylvania | IUP’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts
Select-A-Prompt Essay
Résumé Section
Option 1
Tell us your favorite:
Book
Movie
Academic subject
Saying/expression
Option 2
Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers, including any jobs you have held.
Option 3
List by author and title books you enjoyed most in the past year, indicating with an asterisk (*) the readings that were not required for class.
Option 4
List activities/clubs/organizations in which you’ve participated, noting any leadership roles.
Option 5
Identify the most meaningful school or community activity in which you’ve participated. How did your participation impact others in your school or community?
Option 6
List service/volunteer experiences.
Personal Statement Essay
Personal Statement—required for students who have been out of school for a year or more only. This is optional for all other students.
Select-A-Prompt Essay
In approximately 500 words, answer one of the following questions. Note that we seek developed essays, not short, single-paragraph answers. We realize that things like indents and spacing are difficult to represent on a web entry screen. Please know that your essay will be judged on content and not on formatting.
Option 1
Write about a moment that illustrated your shift from child to adult in your family or community.
Option 2
What book, artwork, film, or music has changed the way you think about the world? How so?
Option 3
Some students have a background, identity, interest, talent, or challenge that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
Option 4
Think about someone you routinely see but never notice. Reflect on why you think this is. How might this newfound awareness change you?
Option 5
Some say social media is superficial with no room for expressing deep or complex ideas. We challenge you to defy these skeptics by describing yourself as fully and accurately as possible within the 280-character limit of a tweet. Use the rest of your word count to reflect upon this challenge.
Cooks Honors College Short Response 1
What, specifically, motivated you to apply to the Cook Honors College, and what unique characteristics or contributions will you bring to our honors community?
Cooks Honors College Short Response 2
Describe how your high school transcript or test scores are, or are not, an accurate reflection of your potential for intellectual growth.
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.
Option 1
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.
Option 2
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?
Option 3
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Option 4
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?
Option 5
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Option 6
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?
Option 7
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.
