University of Virginia (UVA) Supplemental Essays 2025-26 — Prompt & Advice

August 27, 2025

uva supplemental essays university of virginia

The University of Virginia is one of the handful of flagship public institutions in the United States that attract massive numbers of high-achieving applicants from around the country/globe each and every year. In the most recent admissions cycle, over 64,000 students applied and only 15% were accepted. While becoming a Cavalier is challenging for a Virginia resident, out-of-staters and international applicants face an even tougher admissions gauntlet. You’ll likely need a straight A average (or very close) to get serious consideration at the 2025 version of UVA. An SAT in the 99th percentile (or better) doesn’t hurt either. And that brings us to today’s main topic: the UVA supplemental essays.

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2025-2026 UVA Supplemental Essay

In a fascinating move, UVA chose to eliminate its supplemental essay requirement for the vast majority of applicants. Per Dean J in her excellent “Notes from Peabody” blog:

“Happy August 1st! As usual, the Common App opened next year’s application a little early and I got my first “is this right” email from a counselor at 6:56 PM.

The UVA screens on the Common App are correct. UVA retained the short answer question for students applying to the School of Nursing. There are no extra writing prompts for the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Architecture, or the Kinesiology program.

I’ll miss the old short answers on the UVA part of the app. Dean Schlachter and I collaborated on creating many of the prompts from the back in the day and enjoyed the process of writing and tweaking those every year. That being said, UVA applicants have always given us wonderful Common App essays and we’ll be eager to see your responses to those prompts this year.”

Since supplemental writing is now only required from applicants to the School of Nursing, non-nursing students can cross UVA off their essay-writing to-do list. If you are a prospective nursing student, however, below is the University of Virginia’s supplemental prompt for the 2025-26 admissions cycle along with our advice for composing a winning essay:

Describe a health care-related experience or other significant interaction that deepened your interest in studying Nursing. (300 words)

“A nurse is not what you do, it is who you are.”

This quote from an anonymous source captures the idea that becoming a nurse is more of a calling than a profession you just stumble into. Nurses are willing to work long shifts in the service of others, be on the frontlines of a pandemic, and deal with life’s toughest challenges (e.g., suffering and death) on a regular basis. Many applicants share stories of caring for sick relatives or going through a tough medical episode themselves as inspiration for wanting to study nursing—and positively impact the lives of others in the process. No matter what you choose, though, this essay is a chance to show the admissions committee that you are a passionate and mature nursing candidate and that nursing is genuinely “who you are.”

How important are the UVA supplemental essays?

The essays (both the Common App essay and the supplemental response(s)) are “important” to the UVA admissions committee. This places them in the same tier of importance as extracurricular activities, recommendations, and talent/ability. Standardized test scores are rated a notch below as “considered.”

At UVA, the rigor of your coursework, class rank, GPA, character/personal qualities, and state residency status are the most important factors in the admissions process. However, application components like the essay can serve as a critical tie-breaker between similarly credentialed applicants.

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College Admissions

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.