For students applying to the University of Illinois
UIUC Supplemental Essays for 2026–27
Your UIUC supplemental essays drafted from your notes: both first-choice major essays or the undeclared pair, plus any second-choice answer, each near 150 words.
Free to start. No card needed.
How to write your UIUC supplemental essays
The first major essay asks for one experience from the past three to four years, "in detail." Treat it as evidence that you fit the major, since the college you apply to helps review your application1. Illinois' admission policy gives an example: ACES, its agriculture college, notes experiences that "directly correlate" with your chosen field. Tell one class, project, job or club closely: what you did, what surprised you or went wrong, and what you learned. "I measured soil moisture at three depths for six weeks" beats a paragraph about loving science.
For the goals essay, name a real target: a job, a problem you want to solve or a community you want to serve. The prompt says "personal and/or career goals," so it doesn't have to be a job title. Then show how the major gets you there, with one course or lab you found on Illinois' own website. If you're undeclared, give each of your two or three possible majors its own reason, and use the high school courses the prompt invites you to mention.
Pick a second choice you'd genuinely study, and give its essay a real reason of its own. Illinois' applicant FAQ2 suggests a major similar to your first, possibly in another college. Then edit the set together, because Illinois' essay tips3 say "Do not repeat things already in your application." If an essay runs long, the essay shortener trims it without losing your voice. Finish before you submit: Illinois' FAQ says writing-prompt answers can't be changed afterward.
Illinois' 2026–27 questions
Every UIUC supplemental essay question, word for word
Declared applicants answer the two first-choice major questions. Undeclared applicants answer the two undeclared questions instead, and listing a second-choice major adds one more. The wording below is copied from Illinois' essay prompts page3.
| Question | Exact wording | Length |
|---|---|---|
| First-choice major 1 | Explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. | About 150 words |
| First-choice major 2 | Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from Illinois and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. | About 150 words |
| Undeclared 1 | What are your future career or academic goals? You may include courses you took in high school and how these impacted your goals. | About 150 words |
| Undeclared 2 | What are your academic interests? Please include 2-3 majors you’re considering at Illinois and why. | About 150 words |
| Second-choice major | Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals. | About 150 words |
You answer these in the Writing section of the Illinois questions on the Common App. Illinois' page shows no year; checked October 29, 2026, and the wording matches last year's questions.
How it works
What are the UIUC supplemental essays for 2026–27?
The UIUC supplemental essays are two or three short answers of about 150 words each, written in the Illinois questions section of the Common App. Every one is about your major and your goals: there is no separate "Why Illinois?" question. Which ones you answer depends on whether you declare a major and list a second choice. On top of them, you write one Common App essay of 250 to 650 words.
Short as they are, these answers carry weight, because you apply directly to a major or program. Illinois' first-year policy1 puts grades and course rigor first, but also weighs your strengths and experiences as they relate to that program. The policy adds that "every word of the application is considered." For top consideration, Illinois says to apply early: non-binding Early Action closes November 1, 2026, and the regular deadline is January 5, 2027, per its dates page4.
Start by pasting notes, activities, a résumé or your Common App essay into the box at the top, or drop in files. River plans the set so each essay uses a different experience or angle, then aims each one at 130 to 150 words. It never invents an Illinois course or program, and any it adds comes from Illinois' own website, with the link. Missing details become brackets for you to fill. Use the college essay writer for your Common App essay, and the Purdue and Rutgers pages if you're applying there too.
How it works
From your notes to your Illinois essays
Add your notes
Paste notes, activities or a résumé, or drop files, and name your majors. Pick essays or let River choose.
River plans the set
It gives each essay a different experience or angle and never invents an Illinois course or program.
Get your drafts
Your doc lists each question, its essay and exact word count, plus a checklist of open brackets and deadlines.
Make them yours
Fill the brackets, ask River to grade or try another experience, then put each essay in your own words.
Illinois essays · example
- An experience in your major · openingLast July, the north field on my grandpa's farm near Pontiac went three weeks without rain, and nobody could say how dry the soil was 18 inches down. So I built a sensor to find out.
- Your goals after Illinois · openingI want to build soil sensors cheap enough for farms like my grandpa's, where every field but the north one is still checked by walking the rows and guessing.
- Second-choice major · openingBuilding the sensor taught me I like the hardware as much as the data, so my second choice is Engineering Technology and Management for Agricultural Systems.
What you'll get
Every UIUC major essay drafted from your own experiences
- An experience essay about your first-choice major, told through one real moment
- A goals essay that connects what you want to do with what the major teaches
- Each answer near 150 words, plus the second-choice or undeclared versions if you need them
Before and after
Your notes in. Your Illinois essays out.
Summers on my grandpa's corn and soybean farm near Pontiac, IL. Last July the north field went 3 weeks without rain and nobody knew how dry the soil was deep down, so I built a soil-moisture sensor with an Arduino and buried it 18 inches. It texts my grandpa a reading every morning. For his other fields he still walks the rows and guesses. FFA chapter treasurer. AP Physics. First choice: Agricultural and Biological Engineering (Grainger). Second choice: Engineering Technology and Management for Agricultural Systems (ACES), since Mechanical can't be a second choice. I like the hardware as much as the data. Want to make sensors cheap enough for small farms.
Explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. (opening) Last July, the north field on my grandpa's farm near Pontiac went three weeks without rain, and nobody could say how dry the soil was 18 inches down. So I built a sensor to find out. It cost [how much], and every morning it texts him a number instead of a guess. Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from Illinois and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. (opening) I want to build soil sensors cheap enough for farms like my grandpa's, which covers [how many] acres.
The sensor carries the experience essay, and its cost carries the goals essay. Brackets mark the numbers only the student knows.
What lands in your doc
What's in your Illinois essays
- An experience essay built on one class, project, job or club from the past three to four years
- A goals essay that names a concrete target and shows how your first-choice major leads there
- The undeclared pair instead, naming two or three Illinois majors with a reason for each
- A second-choice answer with its own story or angle, explaining a real interest, never a backup
- Any Illinois course or program River adds, taken from Illinois' own website and linked under the answer
- Exact word counts near 150, brackets for missing facts, and a checklist with Illinois' deadlines
Questions applicants ask
Common questions
How many supplemental essays does UIUC require?
UIUC requires two or three supplemental essays of about 150 words each. With a declared major, you write about an experience related to that major and your goals after college. Undeclared applicants write about their goals and interests instead, and a second-choice major adds one more essay. Your Common App essay of 250 to 650 words comes on top. Illinois lists every question on its essay prompts page3.
What do undeclared applicants write for UIUC?
Undeclared applicants answer two questions in place of the major essays: "What are your future career or academic goals?" and "What are your academic interests?" The second asks for two or three Illinois majors you're considering and why, so give each a reason from your own classes or activities. If a specific major appeals, Illinois' applicant FAQ2 says to list it as your second choice, which adds that essay.
Should I choose a second-choice major at UIUC?
Yes, if you'd gladly study another major. Illinois' applicant FAQ2 strongly recommends one, especially for competitive programs like engineering or business. If your first choice is out of reach, you're reviewed for your second, and an offer there keeps you wait-listed for your first. Some majors can't be second choices, including Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering, and Illinois residents get preference for second-choice spots.
When are UIUC's 2026–27 deadlines?
Early Action closes November 1, 2026, with required materials due November 7; the regular deadline is January 5, 2027, with materials by January 11. Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. Central. Early Action decisions come January 29 and regular decisions February 26, according to Illinois' first-year dates page4. If you're picked for an honors program or a scholarship, you'll hear by April 1.
Can I use AI to write my UIUC essays?
AI can help you plan and spot weak lines, but the words you submit should be your own. Illinois takes first-year applications through the Common App. Common App's fraud policy5 says fraud may include intentionally misrepresenting "the substantive content or output of an artificial intelligence platform" as your own original work. Treat River's drafts as a starting point and rewrite each essay in your words.
How do I write my UIUC essays with River?
Paste your notes, activities, résumé or Common App essay into the box at the top, or drop in files, and name your majors. River drafts each essay you need near 150 words, marks missing facts with brackets and asks for any missing story instead of inventing one. Your drafts open in your free River workspace, where you can fill the brackets and ask for a grade.
Is the UIUC supplemental essay writer free?
Yes, it is free to start. Your Illinois essays open in a River workspace, where you can edit them, share them or ask River to change them. You can also have River grade them or try a different experience. Paid plans add more AI use and access to the most advanced models.
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