University of Tulsa Supplemental Essays 2026–27: Prompts

The University of Tulsa application includes four supplemental essays totaling about 850 words [1]. This guide covers the core prompts that appear on the standard application for all prospective students. Depending on the specific college or special program you select, the university may ask you to complete additional specialized writing requirements.

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (250 words)

What this prompt is really asking: Admissions officers already have your activities list. This prompt wants the unwritten story behind one specific line item. They are looking for the day-to-day reality of your involvement and the specific skills you developed while doing it.

A strong approach:

• Focus on the micro: Zoom in on a single interaction, a specific project, or a regular Tuesday afternoon at work.
• Show your impact: Quantify what you achieved or explain how the organization changed because you were there.
• Highlight transferable skills: Connect your work experience or activity to traits you will bring to a college campus, like conflict resolution or time management.
• Vary the profile: If your personal statement covers a major academic interest, use this space to highlight a part-time job or community service role.

Most common mistakes:

• Summarizing the resume: Wasting word count repeating the exact timeline and titles already visible in your activities section.
• Choosing the "most impressive" activity: Picking an award you won rather than an activity where you actually spent significant time and energy.

Do you have any other connections to TU through friends, teachers, coaches, clergy, etc.? If so, please list that information here. (200 words)

What this prompt is really asking: Tulsa is a tight-knit campus community, and they want to map your existing network. This is a straightforward data collection question designed to understand how you first heard about the university and who might be advising your college search.

A strong approach:

• Be direct and precise: Name the specific person and explain your exact relationship to them.
• Contextualize the connection: Mention how this person influenced your decision to apply.
• Keep it brief: You have 200 words, but you do not need to use all of them. A clean 50-word answer is perfectly fine if it conveys the facts.

Most common mistakes:

• Forcing a connection: Inventing a tenuous link or listing an acquaintance you have not spoken to in years.
• Overwriting the narrative: Turning a simple list of connections into a sprawling personal essay about someone else.

Why UTulsa? Please explain why you would like to attend The University of Tulsa and how you see yourself contributing as a student. (200 words)

What this prompt is really asking: This prompt does double duty. The admissions committee wants to see hard proof that you researched their academic offerings, and they also need to know exactly how you will participate in their campus culture. The word "contributing" means they expect actionable plans, not just praise for the university.

A strong approach:

• Name the specifics: Identify one or two exact professors, upper-level courses, or undergraduate research centers that fit your academic trajectory.
• Bridge past to future: Connect a club you currently lead to a specific student organization you want to join in college.
• Target the contribution: Dedicate the second half of the essay to what you will give back, such as mentoring peers or organizing campus events.

Most common mistakes:

• Praising the location: Spending 100 words talking about the city of Tulsa instead of the university itself.
• Ignoring the second half: Answering the "Why UTulsa?" question perfectly while completely forgetting to explain how you will contribute.
• Using generic praise: Writing about small class sizes or beautiful architecture, which applies to hundreds of other schools.

Is there any additional information not provided elsewhere on your application that you would like the admission committee to consider? (200 words)

What this prompt is really asking: This is an institutional safety net. The university provides this space for you to explain context that does not fit neatly into a standard application box. It is entirely optional and meant for necessary logistical or personal clarifications.

A strong approach:

• Explain academic blips: Use this space to give context to a sudden drop in grades during a specific semester.
• Detail unusual circumstances: Clarify scheduling conflicts, family responsibilities, or school policies that limited your course selection.
• Stick to the facts: Write in a clear, objective tone without making excuses or writing a dramatic narrative.

Most common mistakes:

• Pasting a stray essay: Dropping in a generic supplemental essay written for another school just to fill the space.
• Over-explaining minor issues: Using 200 words to justify a single B+ in your sophomore year.

Writing these four essays effectively requires pacing. Tackle the longer extracurricular essay first to anchor your narrative, then move on to the highly specific "Why UTulsa?" response. Save the shorter logistical prompts for the end of your drafting process.