University of Tulsa 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

University of Tulsa 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: One essay of 250 words and two optional essays of 200 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Activity, Community

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (250 words)

Activity Essays like this one are more common than noise-canceling headphones in college dorm rooms. The most strenuous part, however, is selecting the activity you want to write about. So, we return to our favorite mantra: tell admissions something they couldn’t glean from anywhere else in your application. If you wrote your Common App essay about your time scooping ice cream at your local creamery, focus on a different activity or work experience that reveals a new aspect of your personality. This can be a great opportunity to highlight your leadership skills and any accolades you may have received. Were you nominated as captain of your ultimate frisbee team? Were you tapped to manage a team of volunteers at the food pantry? No matter what you choose, it should probably be something you’ve been involved in for a while, so you can demonstrate your growth and the impact that you have had on others. 

The following short answer questions are optional but are strongly recommended for best admission consideration.

Why UTulsa? Please explain why you would like to attend The University of Tulsa and how you see yourself contributing as a student. (200 words)

Now’s the time to put on your research hat and spend some time exploring the University of Tulsa’s campus or website so you can communicate your interest for admissions. In other words, show off your fit! Reference specific courses, professors, clubs, research labs, study abroad opportunities, and aspects of the campus culture that particularly excite you. Beyond what you would gain from your education, you should also think about what you would contribute to their community. Do you see an opportunity to bring your Korean culture to campus with a potluck or recipe swap? Are you ready to jump headfirst into the school paper to learn the ropes from upperclassmen and bring in a fresh perspective? Make sure to tell admissions something new that they wouldn’t already know about you by reviewing the rest of your application!

Is there any additional information you would like the admission committee to consider? (200 words)

If you think your application to UTulsa would be incomplete without an essay on _________ (fill in the blank), then this essay is for you. Maybe 200 words wasn’t enough for you to describe your personal interest in TU and address your family’s ties to the school, so you’d like to use this space to talk about visiting the Gilcrease Museum with your mom, an indigenous alumna whose art is featured there, and how campus already feels like home. Or, perhaps, you had a rough year in school and you’d like to explain the special circumstances that affected your academic performance. Finally, it’s worth noting that this submission is completely optional, so if you don’t feel like you have anything obvious to contribute here, feel free to skip it!