Schools / 2025-2026
University of VermontSupplemental Essays
All 3 required prompts, taken apart one by one: what each is really asking, plus annotated example essays, so you can see how to do it well.
- 1 (optional)
- Supplemental essays
- 6 (choose one)
- Prompts offered
- 500 words
- Word limit
- Test-optional
- Testing
Deadlines Early Action (non-binding) Nov 1 · Early Decision I (binding) Nov 1 · Early Decision II (binding) Jan 15 · Regular Decision Jan 15 Admit rate UVM admits a little under 60 percent of applicants, so it is reachable for strong students but not a sure thing. The supplement is technically optional, yet admissions openly recommends writing one. Treat "optional" as "expected" here: a thoughtful 500 words is one of the cheapest ways to separate yourself in a large applicant pool. Prompts verified from UVM’s official requirements ↗
UVM asks for one optional supplemental essay of up to 500 words, and you get to choose one of six prompts. The options range from a straightforward "Why UVM?" to a playful Ben & Jerry's flavor question to an identity-and-community prompt. UVM is test-optional, so scores are voluntary, which only raises the weight of what you write.
The core challenge is that "optional" is a trap. With an acceptance rate near 58 percent, UVM is selective enough that skipping the essay leaves value on the table, and admissions itself recommends writing one. The real task is picking the single prompt that lets you say something specific and true, then using all 500 words to be vivid rather than vague.
UVM readers are not chasing fancy vocabulary. They reward concrete detail: the name of the river you cleaned up, the exact flavor you invented, the line of a song that actually plays in your head. Specificity is the whole game in 500 words.
For 'Why UVM?', generic praise about rankings or pretty campus photos reads as filler. UVM wants to see that you understand its actual character: environmental focus, community feel, Burlington, and that you have a reason to be there beyond prestige.
The Ben & Jerry's and song prompts exist because UVM likes personality. A reader who smiles at your essay remembers you. Warmth, humor, and a clear point of view land well here.
UVM cares about social change and the environment, but it does not want you to recite that back. It rewards essays where your values show up through something you actually did, not slogans you repeat.
The smartest move is to pick the prompt that only you could answer. The Ben & Jerry's and song prompts look gimmicky, but they are often the strongest choices because they force a specific, personal anchor and they are nearly impossible to write generically. If you reach for "Why UVM?" by default, make sure you can name at least two concrete, UVM-only reasons (a specific program, the environmental ethos, a Burlington connection) or your essay will blur into every other applicant's.
Whatever you pick, remember the prompt is just a doorway into you. A great Ben & Jerry's flavor essay is not really about ice cream; it is about a cause you care about and why. A great song essay is not a music review; it is a story about a moment in your life. Choose the prompt that gives you the best excuse to show admissions something real about your character, then spend your words on scenes, not summary.
Why UVM?
This is the classic 'why us' essay. UVM wants to know what specifically draws you to the school and why you and UVM are a good match. Note that this is one of six optional prompts; you only answer one. Pick this only if you can name concrete, UVM-specific reasons rather than generic praise.
UVM is a large public university and wants students who actually want to be there, not students treating it as a safety. A specific, well-informed answer signals genuine interest and helps yield. It also tells readers how you would use the place: which programs, which communities, which parts of Burlington and Vermont.
Tie one specific program, lab, course, or major to something you already do or have done, so the connection feels earned rather than researched the night before.
Connect UVM's environmental and community ethos to a concrete value of your own, shown through an action you took, not a slogan you repeat.
Use Burlington or Vermont itself as evidence of fit: an interest, an activity, or a way of living that the location uniquely supports.
“Ever since I was little, I have dreamed of attending a top university with a beautiful campus, and the University of Vermont is the perfect place for me.”
“I want to study watershed science somewhere I can wade into Lake Champlain before lab and still make my 9:45, which narrows the list to exactly one school.”
- 1Opens with a specific, almost physical image of fit. It is funny and concrete, and you already believe this student knows what they want.
- 2Names specific UVM programs and ties them directly to the student's own project. This is the difference between fit and flattery.
- 3Closes on a value (environment as lived practice, not scenery) and a sense of belonging, which is exactly what 'Why UVM?' is fishing for.
- What is one UVM program, course, or research group I can name, and what have I already done that connects to it?
- If I deleted 'UVM' and wrote a different school's name, would this essay still be true? What detail makes that impossible?
- What about Burlington or Vermont specifically fits how I want to live and learn for four years?
- I named at least two specific, UVM-only reasons (program, course, club, or place), not just rankings or beauty.
- Every 'why' connects to something I actually do or have done, so my interest is shown, not claimed.
- The essay could not be copy-pasted to another school by swapping the name.
UVM is a community that celebrates the unique identity of every student, faculty and staff member. Tell us how your identities have shaped the ways you interact with the world.
UVM wants to understand who you are and how the parts of your identity (cultural, familial, personal, however you define it) shape how you move through the world and treat other people. This is the community and identity option among the six prompts. It is a strong choice if you have a specific facet of yourself that genuinely affects how you act.
UVM frames itself around community and wants to know what you would add to it. Readers are looking for self-awareness and for evidence that your identity translates into how you actually interact: how you listen, lead, include, or bridge. The word 'interact' is the key; they want behavior, not just labels.
Pick one identity that genuinely changes your daily behavior, then show a specific moment where it shaped how you treated someone or made a choice.
Focus on the 'interact with the world' half of the prompt; let the action carry the meaning rather than explaining your identity in the abstract.
A small, ordinary scene that reveals how you see and treat people is more convincing than a grand statement about hardship.
“My identity is very important to me and has made me into the strong, open-minded person I am today.”
“I am the kid in my family who translates, which means I have spent a lot of my life standing between two people and trying to make them both feel heard.”
- 1Defines an identity through a role and an action, not a label. The phrase 'make them both feel heard' previews the whole essay.
- 2Shows the identity translating into real-world behavior, which is exactly what 'interact with the world' asks for.
- 3Lands on a genuine insight about how the student treats people, signaling what they would add to UVM's community.
- Which part of my identity actually changes how I behave day to day, not just how I describe myself?
- What is one specific moment where that identity shaped how I treated another person or made a decision?
- What do I do for a community that no one assigns me, and where did that habit come from?
- I focused on how I interact with others, not just on naming an identity.
- I included at least one concrete scene instead of abstract statements about who I am.
- A reader finishes knowing what I would add to UVM's community.
Established in Burlington, VT, Ben & Jerry's is synonymous with both ice cream and social change. The 'Save Our Swirled' flavor raises awareness of climate change, and 'I Dough, I Dough' celebrates marriage equality. If you worked alongside Ben & Jerry, what charitable flavor would you develop and why?
This is UVM's signature playful prompt. They want you to invent an ice cream flavor that supports a cause, then explain why that cause matters to you. The 'why' is the whole point; the flavor is the wrapper. Choose this if you have a cause you genuinely care about and a sense of humor to deliver it.
UVM uses this prompt to find personality and values at the same time. A great answer is fun to read and reveals what you would fight for. Readers learn whether you can be creative, specific, and sincere all at once, and whether your values come from real experience rather than headlines.
Start from the cause you actually care about, then design the flavor backward so every ingredient and pun means something.
Anchor the cause in a personal story, so the essay is about you and not a general issue everyone already agrees on.
Let the humor and the heart share the page; the pun gets them smiling, the reason makes them remember you.
“My ice cream flavor would be called World Peace Swirl, because I think everyone should just get along and be kind to one another.”
“My flavor is 'Last Call,' a black-coffee base with shortbread cookies shaped like tiny diner mugs, and every pint funds overnight shelters that stay open past 2 a.m.”
- 1Specific flavor, specific cause, and a pun that already carries meaning. The 2 a.m. detail signals this is rooted in something real.
- 2Grounds the cause in a personal story. Now the essay is about the student, not a generic issue.
- 3Connects every ingredient back to the meaning. The flavor design does narrative work, which is the move this prompt rewards.
- 4Closes with a clear value and keeps the playful tone. Fun and sincere at the same time, exactly what UVM wants.
- What cause do I care about because of something I personally lived, not something I read?
- What flavor, base, mix-ins, and name could carry that cause so every detail means something?
- Where can humor and sincerity coexist so the essay is both fun and memorable?
- My flavor clearly supports a cause, and the 'why' is the heart of the essay.
- The cause is anchored in a personal story, so the essay is about me.
- Every ingredient or pun does meaning-work; nothing is random decoration.
Mistakes that sink UVM essays
Admissions recommends writing one, and at a 58 percent school you want every edge. A blank optional section is a missed chance to be more than your transcript. Write the 500 words.
The Ben & Jerry's prompt invites fun, but the question literally asks for a charitable flavor and why. If your answer is pure pun with no cause or meaning behind it, you have wasted the best part of the prompt.
If you could swap in another university's name without changing a word, start over. Name a specific program, course, club, or feature of Burlington and tie it to something you actually do or want.
With 500 words you have room for one or two real scenes. Telling me you are 'passionate about the environment' is weak. Putting me on the riverbank with a trash bag in your hand is strong.
UVM essay FAQ
Does UVM require a supplemental essay for 2025-26?
No. UVM's supplemental essay is optional, and you choose one of six prompts to answer in up to 500 words. That said, UVM admissions recommends writing one, and at an acceptance rate near 58 percent it is worth doing. Treat 'optional' as 'expected.'
How many supplemental essays does UVM have and how long are they?
There is one optional supplemental essay. UVM offers six prompts and you respond to just one, with a maximum of 500 words. The prompts include 'Why UVM?', an identity and community question, a Ben & Jerry's flavor question, an environment question, a song question, and a favorite-sentence question.
What are the UVM 2025-26 application deadlines?
Early Action (non-binding) and Early Decision I (binding) are due November 1. Early Decision II (binding) and Regular Decision are both due January 15. Confirm current dates on uvm.edu before you submit.
Is UVM test-optional for 2025-26?
Yes. UVM is test-optional, so submitting SAT or ACT scores is voluntary. If you self-report scores and then enroll, you will be required to send official scores. Because testing is optional, your essays carry more weight.
Which UVM prompt should I choose?
Choose the prompt only you could answer. The Ben & Jerry's and song prompts are hard to write generically and often produce the most memorable essays. Pick 'Why UVM?' only if you can name specific programs or features rather than generic praise.
What is UVM's acceptance rate?
UVM's most recently reported acceptance rate is roughly 58 percent for the Class of 2028, with a middle 50 percent SAT range of about 1290 to 1450 and an average weighted GPA around 4.0. It is reachable for strong applicants but still selective enough that the optional essay matters.
Prompts and facts verified against UVM How to Apply: First-Years, UVM Application Deadlines, College Essay Advisors: UVM 2025-26 Prompt Guide, CollegeVine: How to Write the UVM Essays 2025-2026 and UVM Class of 2028 Counselor Brochure (University of Vermont, 2025-2026 cycle). Supplements change yearly, re-verify each cycle.
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