ut austin turing scholars essay

What is the Turing Scholars Honors Program?

The Turing Scholars Program is an honors program for outstanding Computer Science undergraduates at UT Austin. Housed in the nation's 10th ranked CS department, the program's mission is to provide a CS education that is second to none.

The program combines the advantages of a small college—small class sizes, strong community, close interaction with faculty, and honors housing—with the advantages of a large research university, including a large variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, and ample opportunities for interdisciplinary studies.

The Turing Scholars program seeks to matriculate around 50 students every year, leading to an incredibly close-knit cohort of students passionate about computer science.

Learn more ›

The program provides a highly rigorous computer science curriculum taught by world-class faculty, culminating in an undergraduate thesis senior year.

Student feedback, high placement at top technology companies and graduate schools, scholarship awards, conference publications, and corporate endorsement all point to one conclusion: the Turing Scholars program is highly successful.

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2 Awesome UT Austin Essay Examples

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the hardest colleges to get into in Texas . With a competitive acceptance rate, the school is moderately selective. Writing strong essays, however, will certainly boost your chances. 

UT Austin requires one long essay and three short answers, with an additional optional short answer question. There are also a handful of program-specific prompts. 

In this post, we’ll analyze sample essays written by a real applicants, sharing what they did well and what could be improved.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our UT Austin essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. 

Essay Example #1

Prompt: Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation, title and author at the beginning of your essay (prompt from the 2020-2021 cycle). 

“Fortunately, among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father.”

– Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart 

Like most children, I aspired to my father. 

I saw my dad as an image of whom I wanted to be. Charismatic, genuine, respected among his peers – he embodied the qualities I saw essential to being a successful person. 

The most appealing to me, however, was my father’s medical background. As the first person to attend university in our extended family, he had always been revered for his accomplishment of becoming a doctor. 

As a direct consequence, biology was a keen passion during my childhood. I remember how each evening, as I was being tucked into bed, I would unload an avalanche of questions on my dad, many of them amusingly simple such as: If my body is 70% water, why don’t I have water spilling out of my finger every time I get a papercut? In school, I’d stay after class to probe my teachers about the topics I had read of but did not yet comprehend. And anytime I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I, without a whiff of doubt, bolted out I was going to be a doctor. 

However, as I got older, I developed new interests – in particular, social science and leadership – which did not always align with my childhood goals of medicine and biology. 

With this dichotomy in my mind, I decided to spend my sophomore summer volunteering at a hospital. 

Once there, it suddenly dawned on me that, for my entire life, I had viewed being a doctor through rose-tinted glasses since the reality of being a medical professional differed wildly from my perceptions. The dozens of biology textbooks I had read had not prepared me for a single drop of blood, as seeing just one could send me into an exhausting realm of dizziness. With every additional day of volunteering, it became painfully clear – I could not follow in my father’s footsteps. 

Disappointed, I began contemplating what made my experience in the hospital so bad and if anything could be done to improve people’s – whether patients’, doctors’, or volunteers’ like myself – experience. Then, a light-bulb switched on: what if I could improve the look of the hospital? As it stood, the hospital was incredibly run-down and inspired depression rather than hope. 

With a goal to improve the hospital’s appearance and thus create a friendlier environment for the people inside, I started the Better Setting – Better Getting project, which was going to decorate the hospital with photographs of nature. Having done so, there was a question of financing ー with the hospital administration over-budget, I had to source the funding entirely from the private sector. It was challenging but, a few dozen cold-calls and a handful of live-pitches later, I found a corporate partner that recognised my vision. Finally, I was ready to make my goal a reality. Legal roadblocks and printing nuances still stood in the way, but, with the enthusiastic support of the hospital community, I was able to navigate my way through. Today, dozens of wall-sized nature photos emit joy and hope into the halls of the hospital. 

My hospital volunteering, which had begun with heartbreak and disillusion, turned out to be a defining experience of self-discovery. It helped me close my chapter on medicine, a chapter I had so often doubted, and helped me validate my passion for leadership; it allowed me to operate free of doubt, knowing that I don’t have to follow my father’s footsteps. Above all, it made me realise that, although I would never be a doctor, I could nonetheless have a positive impact on society in my very own way.

What the Essay Did Well

The author begins with a quote from a historical fiction novel that the author has read. Although their essay topic doesn’t tie directly in with the novel’s plot, the quote they chose is profound and serves as a hook that piques the reader’s interest about the essay subject. 

The author starts the essay by mentioning their father. Their use of first person and writing style makes their first lines seem like the narration at the beginning of a film. This introduction draws the reader in as it seems like the author is building up to something. Similarly, your introduction should start as if you are telling a story to provide the most engaging experience for the reader. 

The author then delves more into their father’s background and describes his medical prowess by showing, rather than telling, readers about it. Instead of saying that his father is exceptional, the author presents a specific detail about how he was the first in his family to attend university. Phrasing your writing like this allows the reader to infer through descriptive detail rather than simply absorbing your words at face value. Ensuring that you create this immersive writing style might take more time, but it is worth it as it will make your essay more memorable to admissions officers.

Eventually, the third-to-last paragraph is the climactic point the reader has been waiting for. It is the most important part of the essay ー it’s time for the author to describe how they grew from the incident. During this portion of your essay, you should take readers through your thought process as you begin to formulate a solution for your conflict. It is not enough to say that you learned something new or to merely state that you felt like a changed person. You must provide concrete examples of how you reached a solution and what that solution entailed. Here, the author mentions their distaste for the hospital, specifically, its aesthetic. This sets readers up to hear their solution. 

In the next paragraph, the author describes how they resolved part of their issues with the hospital and were able to grow into their new career path. When detailing your solution, make sure you are centering yourself as the agent of change and give specific details as to your specific impact in your environment. In this essay, the author doesn’t just say “I learned that I had a passion for business.” Rather, they show readers how their skills developed and mention specific steps they took, like live pitching and navigating legal roadblocks. 

The author concludes this essay by summarizing their journey and bringing their essay back to their chosen quote. By wrapping up their essay in this manner, they underscore their growth in a way that flows well and is easy to read. Furthermore, their open-ended, future-facing final thoughts demonstrate that they intend to continue growing. This inclusion is a key part of any good essay; ending your essay on a strong, future-facing note evokes confidence and illustrates a readiness for the challenges that come with college and beyond.

What Could Be Improved

One area of improvement for this essay is that the section on their transformation is relatively brief. The author spends multiple paragraphs giving context but only dedicates one to the actions behind their growth. The author might want to trim other areas of the essay in order to fully develop this paragraph. They could describe what they did more thoroughly, and really delve into the steps they took to carry out the mentioned processes like so:

Essay Example #2

Prompt: Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

I woke up. The curtains filtered the sun rays, hitting my face directly. I got up, looked from the bathroom to the kitchen, but my dad wasn’t there. I plopped on the couch, then the door opened. My dad walked in, clutching a brown paper bag with ninety-nine cent breakfast tacos. After eating, we drove to a customer’s house. He sat me in a chair, lifted the floorboard, and crawled under the house to fix the pipes. As he emerged, he talked, but my mind drifted to the weight of the eleven-millimeter hex wrench in my hand. My interest in mechanical engineering originates from my dad, who was a plumber. When I was fifteen, my dad passed away from cancer that constricted his throat. Holding his calloused hand on his deathbed, I wanted to prevent the suffering of others from cancer. Two years later, when I was given a topic of choice for my chemistry research paper, I stumbled upon an article about gold nanoparticles used for HIV treatment. I decided to steer the topic of gold nanoparticles used for cancer treatment instead, entering the field of nanotechnology. After reading numerous articles and watching college lectures on YouTube, I was utterly captivated by topics like using miniscule devices to induce hyperthermia as a safe method of cancer treatment. Nanotechnology is multi-disciplinary, reinforcing my interest in pursuing mechanical engineering as a gateway to participate in nanoscience and nanotechnology research at the University of Texas at Austin. I have learned that nanotechnology is not limited to stories like mine, but to other issues such as sustainable energy and water development that I hope to work towards. It is important for me to continue helping others without forfeiting my interest in nanotechnology, working in collaboration with both engineering and the medical field.

The introduction of this essay stands out for its narrative style. The first sentences only give hints of the story to come, which builds intrigue and keeps the reader engaged. The introduction transitions seamlessly into a vivid, personal story that shows where the author’s academic interests come from. Using a short anecdote like the one in this essay is the most effective way to explain your major choice.

The author then guides readers through their intellectual journey of discovering their academic passions. They demonstrate their passion by discussing specific details about cancer treatments and nanotechnology. Indeed, “nerding out” over your intellectual interests is an excellent way to prove that you are highly motivated to learn about them in college.

Lastly, the end of the essay looks forward to the future. We learn that the author’s dream is to cure cancer, and they want to do it by gaining multidisciplinary knowledge about engineering and medicine. We learn too that UT Austin is a part of the author’s vision. They show their interest in the school by discussing more than the major they want to pursue at UT Austin, highlighting research and the opportunity to explore new applications of nanotechnology.

The main area for improvement in this essay is its formatting. While formatting is far less important than the content of an essay, it can do much more than you would think to make your essay more impactful. This essay only needs one formatting change — paragraph spacing. Here is an example of the improvements:

I woke up. 

The curtains filtered the sun rays, hitting my face directly. I got up, looked from the bathroom to the kitchen, but my dad wasn’t there. I plopped on the couch, then the door opened. My dad walked in, clutching a brown paper bag with ninety-nine cent breakfast tacos. 

After eating, we drove to a customer’s house. He sat me in a chair, lifted the floorboard, and crawled under the house to fix the pipes. As he emerged, he talked, but my mind drifted to the weight of the eleven-millimeter hex wrench in my hand. 

My interest in mechanical engineering originates from my dad, who was a plumber. When I was fifteen, my dad passed away from cancer that constricted his throat. Holding his calloused hand on his deathbed, I wanted to prevent the suffering of others from cancer. 

Two years later, when I was given a topic of choice for my chemistry research paper, I stumbled upon an article about gold nanoparticles used for HIV treatment. I decided to steer the topic of gold nanoparticles used for cancer treatment instead, entering the field of nanotechnology. After reading numerous articles and watching college lectures on YouTube, I was utterly captivated by topics like using miniscule devices to induce hyperthermia as a safe method of cancer treatment. 

Nanotechnology is multi-disciplinary, reinforcing my interest in pursuing mechanical engineering as a gateway to participate in nanoscience and nanotechnology research at the University of Texas at Austin. I have learned that nanotechnology is not limited to stories like mine, but to other issues such as sustainable energy and water development that I hope to work towards. 

It is important for me to continue helping others without forfeiting my interest in nanotechnology, working in collaboration with both engineering and the medical field.

This new paragraph spacing makes the essay much easier to read. Separating certain parts into paragraphs puts powerful emphasis on the ideas that need them; for example, turning the sentence “I woke up” into its own paragraph creates a captivating hook that intrigues readers into finding out what happens next.

With the new format, it is also easier to see that the fourth paragraph would benefit from a few transitional phrases. To connect the author’s interests in mechanical engineering and cancer solutions, the paragraph could be reworded like so: 

My interest in mechanical engineering originates from my dad, who was a plumber. My interest in finding solutions to cancer — and how mechanical engineering could create them — comes from my dad too. When I was fifteen, he passed away from cancer that constricted his throat. Holding his calloused hand on his deathbed, I wanted to prevent the suffering of others from cancer. 

Where to Get Your UT Austin Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UT Austin essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. In fact,  Alexander Oddo , an essay expert on CollegeVine, provided commentary on the essays in this post. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, turing scholars vs mit: pros and cons.

I have been accepted into the Turing Scholars Honors Program at UT Austin and also got into MIT. I'm majoring in Computer Science. Can someone help me understand the pros and cons of each? How are research opportunities and the CS community at both places? I'm so torn!

Congratulations on getting accepted into both MIT and the Turing Scholars Honors Program at UT Austin! These are both fantastic choices for Computer Science, but they differ in several ways. Let's compare some of the pros and cons of each:

1. Prestige: MIT has unparalleled prestige in the field of computer science, which can open doors when it comes to internships, job opportunities, and graduate programs.

2. Research Opportunities: MIT has numerous cutting-edge labs and research centers, giving you access to a wide array of research opportunities and allowing you to work with top faculty in the field.

3. Academic Flexibility: MIT uses an interdisciplinary approach to education, encouraging students to pursue various fields of study and combine interests.

1. Cost: MIT can be more expensive, although it does offer substantial financial aid packages.

2. Competitive Environment: MIT has a notoriously challenging and intense academic environment, which may not suit everyone.

Turing Scholars (UT Austin) Pros:

1. Honors Program Benefits: Being a part of the Turing Scholars program gives you access to smaller classes, dedicated honors housing, research opportunities from the start, and a tight-knit community.

2. Strong CS Program: UT Austin's computer science department is highly ranked, offering an excellent education in the field.

3. Cost: Compared to MIT, studying at UT Austin might be more affordable for some students, especially in-state residents.

Turing Scholars (UT Austin) Cons:

1. University Size: UT Austin is a large public university, which means that outside of the Turing Scholars community, you might feel less connected to the larger student body.

2. Prestige: While the CS program at UT Austin is highly regarded, it may not carry the same level of prestige as MIT.

In terms of research opportunities, both options provide a rich environment for exploring your interests, though MIT may have more advanced facilities and globally recognized research centers. As for the CS community, at MIT, you'll find a diverse group of highly motivated students passionate about computer science, while the Turing Scholars Honors Program offers a smaller, tight-knit community within the larger UT Austin campus.

Ultimately, it's essential to consider your personal preferences, learning style, and financial situation when making this decision. Visit both campuses if possible and ask current students about their experiences to get a better understanding of each college's atmosphere.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN APPLICATION

Everything You Need to Know About Honors Programs at the University of Texas at Austin

If your student is intellectually curious and wants to be surrounded by a cohort of peers who are too, one of the freshman honors programs at the University of Texas at Austin might be a good fit. Unlike some universities, UT doesn’t have just one honors track. Instead, it offers three paths: a college-wide program, department-specific programs, and major-specific programs. 

The honors programs offer a home-within-a-home on campus, inspiring gifted students with rigorous classes, world-class professors and thought leaders, and dedicated advisors. Plus, the smaller size of each program gives students a close-knit community where they can make deep connections.

To be considered for an honors program, the student first applies to the University overall, then adds an honors program application. Alternatively, students can enter their honors essay on the ApplyTexas Application. Students can start the application process by responding to the short-answer question(s) of the program of their choice, which will display on their ApplyTexas or Coalition application. Most freshman honors programs also require a separate expanded resume, and some require one letter of recommendation.

Students self-report on their resume any AP or IB scores they may have taken or plan to take.

Let's take a look at some of UT’s most popular honors programs

LIBERAL ARTS HONORS (LAH)

LAH is a college-wide program that embraces 140 freshmen each year. Started in 1990, it is considered a small liberal arts college within the larger research university. Students in the program still have a declared major. For example, you might major in Mexican American Studies within the Liberal Arts Honors program. But students also get to strengthen their critical thinking skills through required LAH classes, such as “Reacting to the Past” and “Ideas of Civic Engagement.”

The multi-disciplinary approach offers an interactive and flexible curriculum that stresses real-world application. Liberal Arts Honors students often study abroad and participate in internships. They see themselves as global citizens and natural leaders. The program provides talented students with enriched learning opportunities as they move through their college years. If students want to “be the change they want to see in the world,” this program is for them.

LAH admissions requirements: 

• Apply for LAH Honors on the ApplyTexas or Coalition application or via the online Honors Application
• Expanded resume
• A commitment to a liberal arts education 
• Writing skills, as demonstrated in essays (writing is a key component of the program)
• A challenging academic course load; for example, taking AP/IB classes where offered and maintaining a full senior year course load
• Leadership positions, especially those gained by committing to one or two organizations throughout high school 
• LAH short answer essay
• LAH Personal Statement

LAH Short Answer Prompt

At the University of Texas at Austin, we say that what starts here changes the world. The Liberal Arts Honors Program seeks change agents, students who are going to draw upon a liberal art education to make lifelong contributions to society that will make life better for their fellow citizens in the 21st century. Please tell us succinctly and imaginatively how a liberal arts education will help you become such a change agent and what contributions you expect to make.

(250 words)

LAH Personal Statement Prompt

Help us get to know you better. Please write five sentences (numbered 1–5) that give us some insight into you, your life, your interests and your experiences. There are no right answers — feel free to be creative and think outside the box.

Need help with your UT Austin Application?

You might be interested in our 1:1 Coaching Program for Students Applying to the University Of Texas at Austin

PLAN II HONORS

Plan II   is an interdisciplinary arts and science honors major with a core curriculum. This curriculum builds from one year to the next, with specific courses offered in a carefully designed order to empower students with problem solving abilities, analytical skills, and writing prowess. The work culminates in a capstone thesis, an extensive independent research and writing project.

Students working toward a Plan II degree are allowed to take electives, but they must follow the Plan II core curriculum requirements. The Plan II Honors requirements range from a year-long world literature course from the ancients to the present, to a four-semester sequence in modes of reasoning, theoretical math or calculus, life sciences, and physical sciences.

Many students in this program are planning on graduate school, whether in economics, history, medicine, or law. Often, Plan II students take an additional year and earn a second, specialized degree––in business or architecture, for example. It is intellectually rigorous. These are students who enjoy engaging in scholarly debate both inside and outside the classroom, who aren’t afraid of leading discussions, and who seek rigor in their coursework.

Plan II is often compared to an Ivy League-style of education. Admission is competitive, with around 1.400 applications for 175 freshman spots. Admission criteria is holistic, often taking into consideration a student’s intellectual spirit, imagination, and originality, as well as leadership skills and the desire for a broad education. In other words, if your student loves to learn and enjoys being challenged, this may be the right home for them.

Plan II admissions requirements: 

• Apply for Plan II Honors on the ApplyTexas or Coalition application or via the online Honors Application 
• Note: Plan II is housed in the College of Liberal Arts, so Liberal Arts must be one of the two college choices 
• The Plan II personal statement 
• A short answer essay response

Plan II Short Answer Prompt

If you could add one required course—on any topic—to your high school’s curriculum, what would it be and why? What would you have liked to learn that wasn’t available to you?

Limit your response to no more than 250 words.

Plan II Personal Statement Prompt

This is five sentences that allow you to tell the reviewer about yourself. Use these five sentences to describe yourself, your life, and your experiences that, taken together, form an accurate view of who you are and why the interdisciplinary nature of the Plan II honors program appeals to you. This is your chance to shine. Don't list what was provided in other areas of your application. Be creative! Be unique! Be you!

The college essay & resume for UT Austin process can feel overwhelming. Our program provides an experienced coach and a proven framework, working one-on-one to reduce the stress so the student can tell a compelling story.

Our program for students applying to UT Austin includes:

• Guiding students through the UT expanded resume development process
• Managing your student’s essay timeline for one long essay and four school-specific supplemental essays
• Coaching students through a targeted set of college essays, including one long essay  and four school-specific supplemental essays
• Providing students with suggested edits and proofing for this targeted set of college essays
• Review of essays and application by our internal admissions committee

Your student will be carefully matched with a coach based on personality, working style, and first-choice major—it’s just one of the many ways we modify our proven process to meet individual student needs.

THE CANFIELD BUSINESS HONORS PROGRAM (CBHP)

CBHP offers students with academic abilities and leadership skills the analytical tools and interpersonal skills needed to thrive as a business leader. The CBHP is a degree program within the highly-ranked McCombs School of Business. It provides intellectual challenge and professional development for students, while also providing a smaller community group in the McCombs environment.

CBHP courses are accelerated and modeled after those in the MBA program. In fact, the McCombs School's most experienced faculty teach CBHP classes. There's an emphasis on class discussion and presentations, case study analysis, and research on actual business decision-making. The small class size (generally 30-45 students, restricted to students in the program) encourages deep interaction between students and faculty and creates a welcoming learning community.

CBHP provides students with training, networking opportunities, and support during their college years. Admissions is competitive, but according to UT, those who do find a spot feel that the effort it took to get accepted pays off. 

CBHP admissions requirements: 

• Submit regular UT application
• List "Unspecified Business" as the first choice major
• Apply to Honors application 
• Answer the "Canfield Business Honors Program" essay prompt
• Submit a letter of recommendation from an academic source (e.g., teacher, professor)

CBHP Short Answer Prompt

Canfield Business Honors is more than a major and program at the University. It is a community. During the last four years of high school, what community have you had the most impact in and how did you achieve that impact?

Limit 250 words.

THE TURING SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Turing Scholars Program is an honors program hosting approximately 150 students that is designed to challenge outstanding Computer Science undergraduates. The program's curriculum offers an accelerated path through the department's core CS curriculum, which itself is the nation’s 8th-ranked computer science program. 

If you are admitted to the Turing Scholars Honors Program as a freshman, you take the special sections of the freshman classes and the special sophomore Turing Scholars classes. The Turing program also provides honors versions of popular upper-division classes and includes an undergraduate honors thesis that allows students to explore cutting-edge research. There is a minimum number of honors classes that you must complete in order to graduate as a Turing Scholar in Computer Science.

The Turing Scholars Honors Program considers a range of applicants, from those new to computer science to those who have taken so many CS classes that they would place out of the freshman sequence. But a demonstrated interest in computer science through classes or personal projects is definitely a plus for applicants. 

Based on information from UT and student feedback, along with stats for placement in summer jobs and internships, scholarship awards, and corporate endorsement, it's clear that the Turing Scholars Honors Program is a valuable and enriching program. 

Turing admissions requirements: 

• Honors application 
• A letter of recommendation from a math or science teacher
• The program looks for highly motivated students with strong math and science backgrounds, with a demonstrated interest in computer science through classes or personal projects
• Evidence of leadership as exhibited by significant extracurricular involvement helps as well

Describe your significant activities, employment, and achievements, particularly those relevant to the study of computer science. Also describe your educational and career goals.

Please limit your response to no more than 500 words.

College of Natural Sciences (CNS) honors programs

College of Natural Sciences honors programs fall into three categories: college programs, departmental programs, and academic distinctions.

College Honors Programs

CNS's college honors programs allow motivated students to take advantage of the resources of one of the largest science colleges in the world. Each program is designed to foster faculty-student collaboration and to promote exploration of academic, cultural, and social interests. Students can apply to one of three cohorts.

Dean's Scholars

A four-year Bachelors of Science honors degree program for students with a demonstrated interest in scientific research. 

• Students receive training in research methods, develop their own research projects, and write theses under the direction of faculty in the College of Natural Sciences. Each Dean's Scholar has a faculty mentor, an academic advisor who meets with them from their first semester to their last, and a peer mentor.
• Dean's Scholars take classes together, attend special dinners hosted by faculty members, hear guest speakers during weekly Friday lunches, and take weekend field trips to places such as the McDonald Observatory and the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas. 
• Dean's Scholars go on to enter PhD, MD, and other professional programs. 

Health Science Scholars

An honors program for future health professionals. 

• HSS students have a long track record of community service in high school, and they continue serving each semester at the University of Texas, whether in health care or another area of need.
• Students in HSS learn to communicate effectively. They are required to write papers in the sciences and the humanities, and to present their work orally. For their culminating project, they write a substantive research thesis and present their findings at either the CNS Honors Symposium or another research forum open to the public.

Polymathic Scholars

An honors program for science majors with multidisciplinary interests beyond or within the sciences. Students in his program are the Renaissance people in the College of Natural Sciences.

• Polymaths begin their studies with "Originality in the Arts and Sciences," a course that emphasizes authentic, creative research. In their second year, with guidance from faculty, they design a field of study shaped by their own questions. They discover who's working on those questions and begin developing the knowledge and skills to answer them.
• Polymaths practice writing and presenting their work before groups large and small. Their studies culminate during their last year in a substantial research thesis and presentation at the annual Honors Symposium. 
• Polymathic Scholars are intellectually diverse. Graduates often pursue PhDs and MDs.

Departmental Honors Programs

Turing Scholars  (Computer Science) (see above)

Honors in Advanced Nutritional Sciences   (Human Ecology)

HANS offers students the opportunity to perform cutting edge research to optimize human health and disease prevention. 

Honors in Advanced Human Development and Family Sciences  (Human Ecology)

HAHDFS is an accelerated program for undergraduates interested in how children develop, how families form and function, and how individuals and their family relationships change across the life span. 

Texas Honors Computer Science and Business   (Texas CSB)

Texas CSB is a new integrated honors degree program between the Canfield Business Honors Program and the Department of Computer Science. Texas CSB provides a rigorous four-year undergraduate curriculum aimed at preparing students for top technology careers.

Academic Distinctions and Honors Events

Academic distinctions and honors events celebrate and recognize exceptional achievement through departmental honors, honors societies, and special events.

CNS Honors Admissions requirements:

• The program looks for signs of a committed interest in science or math, and success in advanced classes in those subjects
• The materials include essays and letters of recommendations, one of which must be from a science or math instructor
• The program also looks for evidence that the student has researched and understands the target program

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How UT Reviews Applications

UT Austin has a special way of looking at applications from students who want to go to their school. It's called the fit-to-major model, and it means that they look at everything in your application—your grades, test scores, essays, resume, and recommendation letters—to see how well it matches up with the major you want to study. They really want to find students who have shown that they're interested and good at the things they'll be learning about in their major. They also want to see that you've done things outside of school that relate to what you want to study.

Choosing the right major is super important because it's the biggest part of your application. UT Austin wants to see that you understand why you picked your major and how it fits with what you want to do in the future.

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Receive personalized, 24/7 advice in any language to navigate the UT application process and complete a strong application. This free resource is utilized by thousands of students each year. Give it a try!

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If you are interested in joining the Turing Scholars Honors Program and have excelled in your current CS and math courses, please consider the following opportunities.

Join the Turing Scholars program

Current entry-level CS majors may apply for admission to the Turing Scholars Honors Program by submitting this online application , and then emailing a resume to the address on the online application. Applications will be accepted until December 10, 2024 for students wanting to begin the program in Spring 2024 . Successful applicants will be placed in honors courses as appropriate for their background.

Enroll in individual honors courses

Our CS honors courses typically have a limited number of spaces available for non-Turing Scholars. Any strong student is welcome to apply for enrollment.

You may fill out a request for each CS honors course that you wish to take. Separate requests are needed because the forms are evaluated by the individual faculty members who teach the course. In some cases, faculty may ask you to also make an appointment for a brief interview.

If you are selected for enrollment in a CS honors course, the CS Advising Center will add you to the course and email you (you need not be present for the add).

Students interested in applying for the Turing Scholars Honors Program are particularly encouraged to apply for individual CS honors courses. These courses not only allow you to explore the Turing Scholars program, but a strong performance in these classes greatly enhances your chances of being admitted to the Turing Scholars Program.

Turing Scholars Honors Program Department of Computer Science The University of Texas at Austin 2317 Speedway, Stop D9500 Austin, TX 78712 [email protected]

Director, Turing Scholars Honors Program Professor of Computer Science Calvin Lin GDC 5.512

Recruiting & Admission Coordinator Alejandra Bernal​​ [email protected]

Essays & Short Answers

Summer/Fall 2025 Essay

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.

Please keep your essay between 500–650 words (typically two to three paragraphs).

The Common App personal essay will complete the UT Austin essay requirement.

Spring 2025 Essays

All freshman Spring 2025 applicants must submit Topic A in ApplyTexas.

Please keep your essay between 500–700 words (typically two to three paragraphs).

Spring 2025 Essay Topic

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Submitting Your Essay

You can submit your essays:

• In conjunction with your application.
• Using the Document Upload System in MyStatus.

*Students do not need to submit other Common App essays. We’ll only review what is required.

Short Answers

Submit the required short answers to prompts in your admission application. Answers are limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words per prompt, typically the length of one paragraph.

Summer/Fall 2025 Prompts

• Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?
• Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why? ( Guidance for student s: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work or a family responsibility.)

Optional Short Answer

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.

Spring 2025 Prompts

• Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.
• The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate.

Submitting Your Short Answers

You can submit your short answers with either your Common App or Apply Texas application. Short answer responses must be completed in order to submit your application.

Transfer applicants must submit one essay responding to Topic A. Applicants to the School of Architecture are required to upload Topic D in addition to Topic A. 

Essay Topics

Topic a (required).

The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application. You may also want to explain unique aspects of your academic background or valued experiences you may have had that relate to your academic discipline. The statement of purpose is not meant to be a listing of accomplishments in high school/college or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admission committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and the other application information cannot convey.

Topic D (School of Architecture majors only)

Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study, describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

Submitting Your Essay(s)

Departmental Honors

Some honors programs are available for specific majors in the College of Natural Sciences.

Honors in Advanced Nutritional Sciences

Students in this program receive an honors degree in their area of study, take small honors versions of major courses and write and present a thesis. With a small community of honors scholars, students work closely with faculty and experts in the field, exploring and performing cutting-edge research to optimize human health and disease prevention. 

Honors in Advanced Human Development and Family Sciences

Students in this program receive an honors degree in their area of study, take small honors versions of major courses and write and present a thesis. With a small community of honors scholars, students work closely with faculty and experts in the field, exploring and performing cutting-edge research in human development, romantic and family relationships and social and public policy. 

Turing Scholars 

This honors program, only for Computer Science majors, has curriculum that offers an intense, accelerated path through the department’s core curriculum. It offers special honors versions of popular upper-division courses and includes an undergraduate honors thesis that allows students to work closely on cutting-edge research. Turing Scholars will be admitted into Turing Pods, which is the students’ small community.

Texas Honors Computer Science and Business 

This honors program is for students interested in being admitted into both computer science and as an unspecified business major. (When asked while applying for first- and second-choice majors, students will place the major they are more interested in as their first-choice.) Students will participate in both CS Pods and Business Honors Program seminars. For more information regarding Texas CSB, reach out to [email protected]

Texas Robotics Undergraduate Program  

This program earns students a minor in robotics and offers a robust experience, inclusive of research, coursework and an optional living-learning community experience. The new Texas Robotics Undergraduate Program includes a holistic, multidisciplinary study of robotics with hands-on robotics research, courses across engineering and computer science, engagement with Texas Robotics events and programs and a community of fellow future makers and innovators that will change the world. Students may apply as high schoolers, regardless of experience level, or in the spring of their first or second year if they are computer science majors.