TEXAS a&m: new essay and short answers for 2022 (Penny linsenmayer)

As the ApplyTexas application portal went live early Sunday morning, students and counselors in Texas learned that Texas A&M will now require students to respond to the diversity essay prompt that was optional last year and respond to two new short answer prompts. 

DIVERSITY ESSAY (250-300 words)

Again, though this was an optional prompt last year, it is now required. 

Texas A&M believes that diversity is an important part of academic excellence and that it is essential to living our core values. Describe the benefits of diversity and inclusion for you personally and for the Texas A&M community.

In answering this prompt, consider your own personal diversity and/or your commitment to promoting and living in a diverse and inclusive community. You should also note that diversity is not limited to ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic factors. You are unique and should feel free to use this space to spotlight your own interests, talents, perspective, background, family, and experiences. If you lived overseas or speak more than one language, that's worth highlighting. Maybe you have a unique hobby that isn't yet represented in a club on campus. 

Don't forget that you also want to link your diversity of lived experience to Texas A&M and the greater Aggie community. Texas A&M's core values are: excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service. Respect in particular might be a good focal point for your essay -- for respect for others and differences is a key underpinning of inclusion and commitment to diversity. 

SHORT ANSWER PROMPTS (200-300 words)

Again, these are new to the 2022 cycle!

1. Describe a life event which you feel has prepared you to be successful in college. 

This is asking you to reflect on and relate some specific event that will help you be successful as a college student. This could be something academic - perhaps poor performance on a final exam caused you to reexamine your study skills or time management. Or it could be something you learned about yourself in a sports competition or another extracurricular activity. Maybe your performance dipped below your expectations, and you gradually realized that you needed to refocus your attention or energy to that activity in order to improve your results. Or your summer job may have helped you understand responsibility in a new way. This is a broad prompt and a short answer, so don't over-think it. Relating one experience or event, the lessons you learned, and how those lessons correlate to success is a good strategy.

2. Tell us about a person who has most impacted your life and why.

This one is a little more clear-cut. You can choose a national or international celebrity or public figure, an author or musician, a social media influencer, a family member, teacher, friend - you name it. Again, you only have 200-300 words, so there's no need to try to give the individual's life history. Keep the focus on YOU and explain how and why that person affected your life.