University of Texas SMC at Dallas – Southwestern Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts

Required Essays: Respond to all three questions below and limit answers to 5000 characters per question. Please use specific, concrete examples from your past experiences.

1. Describe a group project or activity of which you are most proud. *Required

Consider the following in your response: What aspect made you most proud? How was it accomplished? How did you deal with disagreement or conflict in the group? How did you get fellow group members to embrace a position or view your perspective?

2. Describe a time that you have witnessed someone acting unethically or dishonestly, or experienced behavior of harassment or discrimination. *Required

Consider the following in your response: What did you do? What made the situation difficult for you personally? Describe your reaction and what you might do differently now in retrospect.

3. Describe an example of a very difficult assignment, task, or situation that you did not think you could accomplish. *Required

Consider the following in your response: How did you approach it? If you were tempted to quit, why did or didn’t you? What made you stay the course despite obstacles? What did you learn from the experience?

4. Have you engaged in any public service activities for a duration of greater than a year in length (examples: Military, Peace Corps, Teach for America, etc.). Yes or No? If so, please describe the experience and impact on your personal and professional development. Please limit your response to 5000 characters or less. *Optional

5. Please explain any academic discrepancies or extenuating circumstances that you feel the Admissions Committee should know. Please limit your response to 5000 characters or less. *Optional