Essay

As part of the Common Application, you will be asked to write one essay between 250 and 650 words. You must stay within that word count. You will be asked to write a response to your choice of one of the seven prompts listed below. This essay is designed to demonstrate your ability to write clearly and concisely and help you set your application apart.
 

• 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.

In our supplemental scholarship section, you will be asked to answer the first two questions below. You may also be asked a third major-specific question depending on the academic preferences you list in your Common Application. While this supplement is optional, we recommend you fill it out regardless. If you do not answer these questions, you will not be considered for OU leadership, community service and major-based scholarships. Please answer all of these questions in 650 words or less.
 

• The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in educating leaders of communities in Oklahoma, as well as across the country and the world. Please share your leadership experiences and why they are important to you.

• The University of Oklahoma is the home of a vibrant, diverse and compassionate University community that is often referred to as “the OU family”. Please describe your cultural and community service activities and why you chose to participate in them.

• What is your career area of interest, and why do you have a desire to work in this particular field?*

* The third, academic-based question is asked by certain academic departments. Therefore, it may or may not appear in your scholarship section depending on the academic preferences you list in your application.