For students applying to the University of Illinois
UIUC Supplemental Essays for 2026–27
Illinois asks for two or three essays of about 150 words, all about your academic plans. Paste your notes and get each one drafted.
Free to start. No card needed.
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 eighteen 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 reading now comes from walking the rows and guessing.
- Second-choice major · openingMechanical Engineering is my second choice because the sensor taught me I like the hardware as much as the data it sends.
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
Illinois' 2026–27 questions
The Illinois essay questions, 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 page.
| 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, and you also write one Common App essay of 250 to 650 words. Illinois' page shows no year or update date; checked October 6, 2026, during the 2026–27 cycle.
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. Second choice: Mechanical Engineering. 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 eighteen 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. (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 the farm's budget carries the goals essay. Brackets mark the numbers only the student knows.
Why it works
What are the UIUC supplemental essays for 2026–27?
Illinois asks 2026–27 first-year applicants for two or three short essays of about 150 words each, plus one Common App essay of 250 to 650 words. With a declared major, you write about an experience tied to your first-choice major and your goals after graduating. Undeclared applicants get two questions about interests and goals instead, and a second-choice major adds one more. Every question is quoted above from Illinois' essay page.
River's Illinois essay writer drafts each answer from what you paste: notes, your activities, a résumé or your Common App essay. At 150 words there is room for one experience told well, so it picks your strongest one and gives it real detail. The goals essay names something concrete you want to do and shows how the major gets you there. Each answer shows its word count, and missing details become brackets you can fill in a minute. If you list a second-choice major, that answer gets its own story too.
These short answers carry real weight. Illinois says it considers how your background, interests and goals align with the major you selected, on its How Admission Works page, and The Daily Illini reported the admit rate fell from 63.3% in 2020 to 36.6% in 2025. Early Action closes November 1 and the regular deadline is January 5, per Illinois' dates page. Required materials follow by November 7 and January 11, and test scores are optional. For the Common App essay itself, use the college essay writer.
What lands in your doc
What's in your Illinois essays
- An experience essay built on one class, project, job or club from the last few years
- A goals essay that names a concrete target and how your first-choice major leads there
- The undeclared questions instead, naming two or three Illinois majors with a reason for each
- A second-choice major answer that explains a real link rather than a backup plan
- Every answer kept near Illinois' 150-word target, with the exact count shown underneath
- Brackets for details only you know, plus a check that nothing repeats your Common App essay
How it works
From your notes to your Illinois essays
Add your material
Paste notes, your activities or a résumé, or drop files. Include your first and second-choice majors.
Pick the essays
Write both first-choice major essays, the undeclared pair, or the second-choice answer on its own.
Review the drafts
Each essay appears in your doc with an exact count, and brackets mark facts only you know.
Finish and paste
Fill the brackets, trim toward 150 words if needed, then paste each essay into the Common App.
How to write the UIUC essays yourself
Pick one experience for the major essay, not three. Illinois asks you to explain it "in detail," and at about 150 words that means one class, project, job or club told closely. Say what you did, what surprised you or went wrong, and what it taught you about the field. Illinois' own tips say to be direct and make every word count, so skip any opening that restates the question. A sentence like "I measured soil moisture at three depths for six weeks" beats a paragraph about loving science.
For the goals essay, start with a real target: a job, a problem you want to work on, or a place you want to work. Then connect it to what the major teaches, with one example from your own experience. If you're undeclared, name two or three majors you're considering and give each a reason. For a second-choice major, explain the genuine link to your interests rather than calling it a backup. Goals can change later; what matters is that this one is real now.
Edit the set as a whole. Illinois' tips also say not to repeat things already in your application, so check that each essay adds something your activities and Common App essay don't. Keep every answer near 150 words, and if a draft runs long, the essay shortener trims it without losing your voice. Spell your major exactly as Illinois lists it, and read everything aloud. Then ask one person who knows the field whether your experience sounds real and specific, and fix anything that sounds borrowed. Also applying to Rutgers? See Rutgers' 2026–27 prompts.
Questions applicants ask
Common questions
How many essays does UIUC require?
Two or three Illinois essays plus one Common App essay. Applicants with a declared major answer two first-choice major questions of about 150 words each. Undeclared applicants answer two different questions, and listing a second-choice major adds a third. The Common App essay runs 250 to 650 words, according to Illinois' essay page.
How long should the UIUC essays be?
About 150 words each, the length Illinois states on its essay page. That is one solid paragraph, enough for one experience or one goal told with real detail. Aim close to 150 and check what the Common App box accepts before you finalize. Your Common App personal essay has its own separate range of 250 to 650 words.
What do undeclared applicants write for Illinois?
Two questions replace the major essays: "What are your future career or academic goals?" and "What are your academic interests?" The second also asks you to name two or three majors you're considering at Illinois and why. Treat it as a short map of your interests: list the majors, then give each one a reason from your own experience.
Do I have to write the UIUC second-choice major essay?
Only if you list a second-choice major. Illinois then asks you to explain your interest in it or your overall academic or career goals, so make the link to your first choice clear. If you are admitted to your second choice, Illinois says you are automatically considered, through its wait list, for your first-choice program.
When are UIUC's 2026–27 deadlines?
Early Action is due November 1, with required materials by November 7. The regular deadline is January 5, with materials by January 11. Early Action decisions arrive January 29 and regular decisions February 26, per Illinois' first-year dates page. Early Action at Illinois is non-binding, so you can still apply elsewhere.
Does UIUC require the SAT or ACT?
No. Illinois says first-year test scores are considered if you choose to submit them, on its How Admission Works page. Without scores, your coursework, activities and essays carry the review. Illinois also says senior-year courses are important, so keep your grades steady while you write.
Can I use the UIUC essay writer for free?
Yes. Sign up for River's Free plan with no credit card and you get a monthly amount of AI usage. Your Illinois essays stay in your own River workspace, where you can grade them, cut a draft toward 150 words and keep older versions. Usage resumes when the month resets, and the pricing page lists paid plans from $14 a month.
Your next step
More for your application
Make your major choice make sense in 150 words
Paste your notes, activities or résumé. River drafts each Illinois essay close to Illinois' 150-word target.