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Arizona State University | ASU

Tempe, Arizona4-yearPublic

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Arizona State University | ASU’s 2024-25 Essay Prompts

Select-A-Prompt Short Response

Required
500 Words

The Barrett application essay allows you to address our admissions committee in your own voice. We have a deep interest in knowing why you are considering Barrett, The Honors College, and your essay will let us better see you as a future scholar in our community.

Keep the following in mind:

Your essay may take creative and intellectual risks, but be sure to address and integrate all elements of the prompt.
Your essay should give the admissions committee insight into how you reason and what you value.
The essay will also contribute to our assessment of your ability to write effectively and think critically, key skills for success in the honors curriculum. Essays that are general or impersonal are less successful. There is never a correct answer nor a preferred response to a prompt.

Applicants choose from one of three essay prompts to compose a 300 - 500 word essay.


Option 1

Barrett‘s core values are Community and Belonging, Leadership and Agency, and Courage and Curiosity. All three pairs are important to who we are, but which of these couplings most resonate with you and why? In answering the why, be specific by reflecting on both your lived experiences and the ways Barrett will be foundational to your time at ASU and beyond.


Option 2

Briefly tell us about something you enjoy and why. This can be an organized activity or something you informally pursue in your free time. The bulk of your essay should then be spent speaking to how this interest makes you a good fit for Barrett (not college in general, but specifically the honors experience at ASU).


Option 3

Identify a local, national, or global challenge – big or small – that you intend to play an active role in resolving. Be specific in explaining why this challenge is important to you, how it informed your selection of a field of study at ASU, and in what ways joining Barrett will prepare you to address this issue.

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