UNC Chapel Hill Essays, Prompt by Prompt

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: What Carolina Asks for 2026-2027

Big news out of Chapel Hill: for the 2026-2027 application, UNC has removed its two short answer questions. There are no UNC-specific essays to write this year. None. Zero. Zilch.

So what does Carolina ask for? The required Common App personal essay, your extracurricular activities, and the additional information section. In UNC’s own words, those “will continue to be spaces where students can share their voice and passions.”

Translation: that one essay is now doing ALL the talking. No supplement is going to back it up, round out the picture, or rescue a so-so draft. Whatever Carolina learns about who you are beyond your grades and scores, it learns there (and in those activity descriptions).

Which means it deserves even more of your attention than usual. Pick the Common App prompt that lets you tell the story only you can tell, and make every word earn its spot. We break down all seven prompts, with a game plan for each, in our Common App essay analysis.

And don’t sleep on the activities list or the additional info box. With no short answers to lean on, those spaces carry more of your story than ever. Use them.