How to Write the University of Washington Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2026/2027

Last Updated on 08/22/2026 by Ethan Sawyer

Want to attend college at one of the greenest schools in the country?

You’re in luck: In addition to its strong academic reputation (and the claimed “greatest setting in college football” at Husky Stadium), the University of Washington is considered one of the top 20 most environmentally friendly/sustainable universities in the US.

(Plus, Seattle is a pretty rad place.)

Below, we’ll talk you through how to write the University of Washington personal statement and honors program essay, with examples and tips + analysis for how to write yours.

If you want to get a clearer sense of all that the University of Washington is looking for, you can explore an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. And for insights into how the university envisions itself and its role, and how it wants to grow and evolve, read its strategic plan. Reading through these will give you a strong idea of what UW values.

Guidance from UW

Here’s what UW has said about in its Common App personal statement guidance:

Personal statement

At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. 

Choose the Common App essay prompt that will best help the UW get to know you beyond the information presented elsewhere in your application. We do not have a preference for which prompt you choose. Select the one that most effectively captures the story you want to share and respond in an essay of no more than 650 words. 

Tip: Write like it matters, not like you’re texting. This is an application for college, not a message to your friend. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories using your individual voice. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best.

All writing in the application, including your essay/personal statement, must be your own original work.  If you choose to have a parent, counselor, tutor, friend or AI tool review your writing, it must be done responsibly and ethically — again, it must be your own original work. We look forward to learning about you and your unique perspective through your writing.

How to Write the University of Washington Honors Program Essay

We want to know why you are excited to push your education outside the areas of academic learning with which you are most comfortable.

To help us understand your enthusiasm for exploring different ways of thinking and learning tell us: What do you pay attention to? What is a unique lens through which you see the world? How does that connect to your current interests and future curiosities? (450 words)

University of Washington’s Honors Program has a “rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum that promotes expansive, innovative thinking and conscious global citizen,” where they ask students to “take intellectual risks” and “seek an understanding of the interdependence of all branches of knowledge.” 

So it’s no wonder that this prompt asks prospective Honors Program students to touch on just that: interdisciplinary education and your enthusiasm for it. 

To brainstorm or create an outline for this essay, you might consider the following elements: 

1. Think about a time when you learned something completely new or explored different ways of thinking. This could be something you learned from a class, from speaking to someone with different interests or skill sets , or from engaging in an activity outside of your comfort zone. 
2. What did you learn from that experience? By asking yourself what you learned, you can further elaborate on how that experience influenced you or made you feel. Did the experience make you excited to seek other ways to expand your knowledge? Did the experience allow you to make connections between a comfortable area of study and a new area of study? If so, how did the new area of study enrich your understanding of a comfortable area of understanding? Reflecting on how this experience influenced you will help explain your reasoning behind and enthusiasm for learning unfamiliar things in the Honors Program. 
3. What might you be interested in exploring next, and why? In this section, you would have the freedom to touch on your intellectual curiosities for the future—what you hope to explore next at UW. Stronger responses might include more concrete details about specific classes or topics you hope to explore, and why. The “why” could be anything from curiosity to learn new things, or enthusiasm to explore innovative ways of approaching a problem in your selected field of study. 

And in particular, focus on the questions they’re directly asking you:

• What do you pay attention to? 
• What is a unique lens through which you see the world? 
• How does that connect to your current interests and future curiosities?

With a 450-word max, you’ll decent space to reflect and elaborate, ultimately showing your experiences with interdisciplinary learning and how you hope to continue pursuing interdisciplinary learning at UW. 

Want advice on dozens of other supplemental essays?
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Special thanks to Elica for contributing to this post.

Elica (she/her) is a college essay specialist who has a love of language in all forms; she has degrees in linguistics, has taught academic writing at the university level, and has been coaching students on their college and graduate school admissions essays for over 7 years. When she’s not working with students or writing, Elica can be found reading, printmaking, and exploring nature. 

Top Values: Collaboration | Curiosity | Patience