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University of Colorado Boulder 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 15

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

University of Colorado Boulder 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essays of 250 words  

Supplemental Essay Type(s):   Why

What do you hope to study, and why, at CU Boulder? Or if you don’t know quite yet, think about your studies so far, extracurricular/after-school activities, jobs, volunteering, future goals, or anything else that has shaped your interests.

This prompt is asking you to: describe what you want to study, explain why you like it so much, and address how you cultivated this interest. The admissions officer reviewing your application will expect you to connect your intended major to some prior experience and/or passion. In other words, tell a story. Lucky for you, we would have advised you to start with an anecdote anyway. The essays that stick with us are the ones that jump off the page with concrete descriptions from real life. What interests you and why? How have you gone about learning more about your major? When did your interest begin? What will this degree allow you to do? How have you already explored your inclination? While you don’t need to narrow in on the exact moment you became interested in geology or music education, try to focus on one significant experience. And if you’re going in undecided, take some time to explore CU Boulder’s academic offerings and choose a few to highlight in your response. Admissions doesn’t expect you to have your whole life figured out just yet–but they do expect you to put time and energy into your response.  

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 University of Colorado Boulder Supplemental Essays

Katie Dixon is a former content writer at Scholarships360. Katie is an undergraduate student at Louisiana State University pursuing a degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Journalism. Katie worked as a reporter for the LSU Reveille Newspaper and now works at the State Library of Louisiana.

Learn about our editorial policies

Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research institution that focuses on aerospace, biosciences, energy, environmental sciences, and other major areas. If you are interested in becoming a Colorado Buffalo, it’s time to get to work on your University of Colorado Boulder supplemental essay! Writing stellar essays will help you stand out among all the applicants, so keep reading to learn how! 

The University of Colorado Boulder requires the Common App Personal Essay (250–650 words). Students should choose one of the seven essay prompts offered. In addition, students must submit one supplemental essay which we will go over below!

The UC-Boulder supplemental essay prompt

Research and innovation are a huge part of the University of Colorado’s identity. Before you begin writing, read Colorado Boulder’s strategic plan to learn more about them. This will help you tie your future plans with theirs. They want to know how you will fit in and push the University forward. Let’s take a look at the prompt:

“Please share a bit more about your academic interests. What do you hope to study, and why, at CU Boulder? Or if you don’t know quite yet, think about your studies so far, extracurricular/after-school activities, jobs, volunteering, future goals, or anything else that has shaped your interests.” (250 words)

Think of this prompt as a two-part question. Why did you choose your major? Why did you choose their college? As the prompt states, if you are unsure of a major, focus on what you do when you are not in school. If those activities  happen to relate to a possible major, by all means share! The goal is to connect back to UC-Boulder in a way that shows you belong there. 

Questions to consider:

• What inspired your interest in the major?
• How will Colorado Boulder tie into your future career plans?
• What will you bring to the table? 

Why your major?

Write about what you’ve done thus far that relates to your major of interest. Include clubs, classes, summer programs, etc. If someone special  inspired you, write about conversations you’ve had with them or speeches you’ve attended. 

Dig deep into how you will contribute to this career field. Write about the area you’d like to concentrate in and how you envision your future work. Lastly, write about how the University will further your specific interests to begin merging the two questions for this essay prompt. 

Why Colorado Boulder University?

Imagine you are already enrolled. Visualize what your experience would look like attending their college. Include ways you will attribute to Colorado Boulder. Write about how you would better their community. 

Spend some time researching Colorado Boulder to learn more about how you would fit in. Include their specific programs, classes, and learning techniques in your essay that tie your future career plan to your journey to get your degree. 

Think of ways you have contributed to your high school or outside programs and write how you will continue to show these attributions on campus. Don’t only tell them, show them through examples.

See also : College essay primer: Show, don’t tell

Writing tips:

• Use specific examples of experiences that show your role in the community. At what point did you look around and feel you belong? How has this role shaped you? Get personal. Write about how your role there made a difference. What conflict did you encounter and how was it resolved? You want to make the essay as visual as possible. 
• Try not to repeat what you wrote on other statements in the application process. You want to share as many qualities as you can with the reader.
• Sit down and just write. Don’t worry about the word limit on your first draft. Write everything that comes to mind involving your portrayed community. Then, choose your favorite details and re-write a shorter draft. 
• Connect the skills and values you are writing of with those of  the university. Do they have a similar community that you’d like to join?
• Be direct. Use powerful sentences that show confidence in yourself throughout the essay. 

Additional resources

• How to write a 250 or 500 word essay
• How to write an essay about yourself
• Guide to writing a great supplemental essay
• What looks good on college applications?

Final thoughts for students

When all is said and done, the University of Colorado Boulder supplemental essays are relatively straightforward. Try not to overthink when you begin writing. Your best bet is to write a rough draft without a  word limit. Show your best qualities and skills through examples and write of how you will continue to use them at college. These tips will help you write essays that stand out to Colorado Boulder University. While on your college admissions journey, make sure you apply for all the scholarships you are eligible for as well!

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University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Why this major short response.

What do you hope to study, and why, at CU Boulder? Or if you don‘t know quite yet, think about your studies so far, extracurricular/after-school activities, jobs, volunteering, future goals, or anything else that has shaped your interests.

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?

Writing the CU Boulder Admissions Essay

Written by Steve Fernandez-Brennan on October 6th, 2020

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• writing college essays ,

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How to Write the University of Colorado Boulder Essay 2018-2019

University of Colorado Boulder, also known as CU Boulder, is the flagship university of the University of Colorado system and one of the oldest public universities in the Southwest. UC Boulder is a large university, with more than 30,000 undergraduate students enrolled every year. Founded in 1876, the university has been home to 12 Nobel laureates and 20 astronauts. In addition to its academic prestige, their athletic teams have won numerous national championships, most notably in skiing.

Accepted students had an average SAT of between 1140 and 1370 and an ACT of 25-30. While CU Boulder is a less selective university, with an acceptance rate of 77%, the essay still plays a role in admissions. With the following guide, CollegeVine is here to help provide some tips on how to tackle this essay.

CU Boulder Application Essay Prompt

CU Boulder’s supplementary essay requires a response of between 250-650 words. This is a pretty wide berth, but overall it is best to stick to the longer end, in order to include as much detail in your response as possible.

As a vibrant community of learners dedicated to inclusive excellence, the students, faculty and staff at the University of Colorado Boulder seek to be open and respectful of contrasting beliefs and opinions. Every student has a unique life experience and a set of circumstances by which they are shaped and influenced. Your background may have been shaped by family history, cultural traditions, race, ethnicity, religion, politics, income, ideology, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Reflect on your unique background and tell us about a time when you had to relate to someone whose life experience was very different from your own. how did you approach the difference if put in a similar situation again today, would you respond differently if so, how.

There are three main points you want to get across in your response for this prompt: 1) how your background is unique, 2) how you related to someone else who is different from you and how you handled the situation, and 3) how you would react to the same situation today. Since the most important part of your response is the interaction between you and the other person, the bulk of your essay should be spent on points two and three.

However, it is still necessary to inform the admissions council of your unique background by devoting around a paragraph to discussing it. It is even more essential to convey the story you choose to tell effectively, and to end it with a brief, but comprehensive, overview of your current thoughts on your previous interaction.

Here, it is a good idea to comment on your growth as a person. Maybe you were inspired to interact with more people of different backgrounds through a service trip or time spent abroad. Talk about what you would have done differently in the situation you choose to describe, but also show how you’ve changed and matured since that encounter. Lastly, make sure to tie this into how you interact with others today, and how this will benefit you at UC Boulder.

How to structure your essay response:

• Point 1: Your Unique Background — this shouldn’t be just one characteristic, but a plethora of things that have culminated in your upbringing and development.
• Examples: You were adopted, your parents are significantly older than those of your friends, you have a disability, you’ve lived in the same house for all your life, you’ve moved often, or you had a full-time job all throughout high school.
• Point 2: The Story — discuss your interaction with someone different from you.
• Examples: “ I volunteered at my town’s local living center, and befriended an 88-year-old woman,” “During my sophomore year of high school, I participated in a student-exchange program, and spent a semester at a school in Warsaw,” “When I started babysitting my neighbor’s 11-year-old daughter, I had no idea that I would learn as much from her as she would from me.”
• Point 3: Personal Growth — reflect on the story from point two, focusing on what you would have done differently, and how the experience changed you.
• Examples: “I would have asked her more questions. What did she think the future would be like? What was her take on the war?,” “After that day, I decided I wanted to learn more about the immigration process. I signed up to help out at a refugee assistance center, helping recent immigrants improve their English skills.”
• Conclusion — tie your narrative to something specific at CU Boulder.
• Examples: “My time spent abroad, speaking a different language and really becoming integrated into the community, furthered my desire to study intercultural relations and inspired me to publish my own scholarship. The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at CU will help make this possible,” “INVST Community Studies will give me concrete skills that can help me further help out the community around me.”

Final Comments

CU Boulder takes great pride in really making an effort to get to know its students. It provides holistic and comprehensive academic advising in order to personalize undergraduate students’ schedules. This commitment toward individual support means that CU Boulder faculty and staff really care about getting to know each student.

Your essay should show the admissions committee some of what distinguishes you from everyone else. It should also convey your passion, drive, and strength of character. In commenting on your growth, discuss what your plans are for the future. In writing of the interaction between you and another person, show your strengths and how you make up for your weaknesses. Infuse your essay response with details that will make the admissions committee want to get to know you better.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Should AI read your college essay? It’s complicated

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In a new study, researchers developed a series of artificial intelligence tools that can scan through essays in college applications, picking out evidence of key personal traits. That includes qualities like leadership and perseverance. 

The team also designed the tools not to show a preference for applicants from particular racial or gender backgrounds—avoiding the “algorithmic bias” that plagues many AI systems, such as some facial recognition software .

The study was led by researchers from CU Boulder and University of Pennsylvania and was published in October in the journal “Science Advances.”

“Our paper shows that AI doesn’t need to be a biased black box as it has been in a lot of other situations,” said Benjamin Lira, a doctoral student in psychology at UPenn and first author of the study. “You can actually have AI that advances the aims of holistic admissions, which looks at applicants as a whole and not just their grades or test scores.”

These tools should never replace experienced, feeling admissions officers and are not currently in use at any college, said study co-author Sidney D’Mello. But, under the right circumstances, AI could help admissions officers identify promising future students who may have previously gone unnoticed amid thousands of applications.  

Sidney D'Mello

“We advocate for transparency, where the AI provides explanations and clearly communicates when it is less confident in its decisions,” said D’Mello, professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science and Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder. “People can then decide for themselves how much they should trust it.”

‘I like cheese’

The research drills down on what may be the secret sauce for college admissions: When it comes to personal essays, what are colleges and universities looking for? Even experienced admissions officers don’t always agree on that point—or even with each other, Lira said. 

“Humans have limitations,” he said. “You’re not going to read the first essay of the day in the same you read the last one before lunch.” 

In their latest research, he and his colleagues set out to see if they could use AI to try to make that process more reliable. To do that, the team tapped into a mountain of data—more than 300,000 (completely anonymous) applications that prospective students had submitted to colleges in the U.S. in 2008 and 2009. Each included a 150-word essay that applicants wrote about their extracurricular activities or work experiences.

First, the team recruited a cohort of real admissions officers to read a sample of these essays. The professionals scored the essays for evidence of seven traits that colleges might want to see in incoming freshmen. They included intrinsic motivation (“Running track is so much more than a sport to me”) and what the researchers call “prosocial purpose,” or the willingness to help others (“Helping children realize their hidden talents is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had”). The team also trained undergraduate students to identify evidence of those traits in the essays based on existing theories and research on personal qualities.

The researchers fed those insights into a series of AI platforms called large language models to train them to identify evidence of personal qualities going beyond simple word spotting. 

Afterward, when the AI platforms read new essays, their results largely lined up with the judgements of the human readers. The AI also seemed to assign beneficial personal qualities evenly across applicants from all demographic backgrounds—although, echoing previous findings, female writers were slightly more likely to demonstrate prosocial purpose than males.

“If I say ‘I donated clothing to a homeless shelter,’ the AI will tell me that it has a 99.8% probability of showing prosocial purpose,” Lira said. “But if I say something like ‘I like cheese,’ that drops to less than 1%.”

Surprising discovery

What really surprised the researchers, however, was just how important the language embedded in even these short essays seemed to be. 

Students whose essays showed evidence of leadership, for example, were more likely to graduate from college in six years than those who didn’t—even after the researchers accounted for the applicants’ test scores, demographics and a host of other factors. The relationship was small but could still provide colleges with clues to help their students, said study-co-author Stephen Hutt, who earned his doctorate degree in computer science from CU Boulder in 2020. 

“We could actually use these college applications to inform the retention models that universities employ to identify at-risk students much sooner, getting them support in their freshman year, rather than waiting until after,” said Hutt, now an assistant professor at the University of Denver.   For D’Mello, the study shows how much information is hiding in human language—if you only know where to look.

“I was amazed by how a 150-word open-ended response contained sufficient information on whether a student would graduate college six years later,” he said. “Language is really an amazing thing.”

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CU Boulder pros and cons

Hello. My son is trying to decide between SDSU vs CU Boulder for business. He was admitted to both and having a tough time deciding. He would be going fall 2021. Can those who have attended provide any feedback on the schools? pros/cons. Social life, academics, football, sense of community, will classes be in person? Etc. thanks in advance.

Are you in-state at either one? Both will have big sports, parties, and campus life. Boulder is the quintessential college town, San Diego is of course a major city. Have you been able to visit (even if just to walk around on your own)?

Thanks. Planning on walking around over spring break but will be tough to get a sense of it fully

Hi, We are in a similar situation. Currently in Boulder visiting from the midwest. Trying to get a feel for the campus and students walking around on our own. Daughter trying to choose between CU Boulder, Colorado College and University of Puget Sound! Lucky choices to have but tough decision too.

It’s been awhile since I was an undergrad at CU Boulder but, since there are no other responses, I will try to answer some of your questions.

Firstly, congratulations to your son! The Leeds School of Business is well-regarded and has good career placement within the state and region.

In regards to life in Boulder, it is a wonderful place to spend four years. The surrounding area boasts abundant nature and recreational opportunities from hiking to rock climbing to skiing and mountain biking. No equipment? No problem! Students can rent equipment from the CU Rec Center or from one of the local sporting goods stores.

CU has a work hard/party hard atmosphere. Students are quite social and know how to have a good time. With nearly 32k undergraduates, students can easily find their people at CU. I joined the Boulder Freeride club as an undergrad and spent many weekends (and some weekdays) on the slopes with the friends I met there. My daughter found her people in the vocal music scene and in the Residence Hall Association (RHA). Neither my daughter nor I had any interest in Greek Life so I can’t speak with any authority on the atmosphere in the sororities/fraternities.

Football games are a family affair. They are well-attended by current students and the many alumni who still live in the area, many of whom have kids at CU. On Friday nights before game day, the marching band and football team “stampede” down Pearl St. It’s very festive.

The only drawback I can think of is that CU can be overwhelming both in size and geography. There are ways to make the school feel smaller (e.g. Living and Learning Communities), but students will have to seek out those opportunities. Still, there is no getting around the trek across campus. Some dorms and buildings are a bus ride away from central campus and students will need to plan accordingly especially during winter.

Hopefully, a current CU Boulder parent or student can address your concerns about fall scheduling plans.

Hi. I’ve lived in Boulder for a dozen years and my daughter just accepted admission for Fall 2021.

The latest from CU is that they are planning to have most classes in person with some consideration for students who still need to be remote. Students should not assume that they will be able to take remote classes.

I did Boulder undergrad and SDSU grad school for MBA. I’d still choose CU for undergrad. However, SDSU is rising in better professors and career support. CU has everything there w majority of students in 10 miles radius w slopes to ski in less than an hour. SDSU has upperclassman move to PB which is 30 min drive. The beach life is a blast but it definitely takes discipline to get to class. Beach vs Mtn? Costs? Similar personalities of kids at both schools. Find what ur kid feels is most authentic to their personality if costs are not the issue. Best of luck. Proud Buff and Aztec alum.

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Military question: anyone have experience with residency exemptions for in-state tuition?

Hey ya'll,

Just like the title says. I'm wondering what documentation you provided the school and what they accepted or didn't accept.

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