year up essay question

Once you write a first draft, put it in a drawer for a week. Taking some time away from it will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes. Then, try to read your essay from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about you. Would they be able to understand the story? Do you explain clearly what you learned? Does your intro grab the reader's attention?

It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or peer, to read your essay and give you feedback. Really listen to what they say and think about how you can improve your writing.

Finally, try reading your essay aloud. This will help you catch any weird or awkward phrasings.

What's Next?

If you're struggling with how to approach your personal statement, consider looking at some college essay examples .

The essay is just one part of the college application process. Check out our guide to applying to college for a step-by-step breakdown of what you'll need to do.

Finally, if you're planning to take the SAT or ACT , consider taking a look at our expert test-prep guides for some helpful advice on whatever you might be struggling with.

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Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

First-year requirements

• Subject requirement (A-G)
• GPA requirement
• Admission by exception
• English language proficiency
• UC graduation requirements

Additional information for

• California residents
• Out-of-state students
• Home-schooled students

Transfer requirements

• Understanding UC transfer
• Preparing to transfer
• UC transfer programs
• Transfer planning tools

International applicants

• Applying for admission
• English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS)
• Passports & visas
• Living accommodations
• Health care & insurance

AP & Exam credits

Applying as a first year

• Filling out the application
• Dates & deadlines

Personal insight questions

• How applications are reviewed
• After you apply

Applying as a transfer

Types of aid

• Grants & scholarships
• Jobs & work-study
• California DREAM Loan Program
• Middle Class Scholarship Program
• Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan
• Native American Opportunity Plan  
• Who can get financial aid
• How aid works
• Estimate your aid

Apply for financial aid

• Tuition & cost of attendance
• Glossary & resources
• Santa Barbara
• Campus program & support services
• Check majors
• Freshman admit data
• Transfer admit data
• Native American Opportunity Plan
• Apply for aid
• You will have 8 questions to choose from. You must respond to only 4 of the 8 questions.
• Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.
• Which questions you choose to answer is entirely up to you. However, you should select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances.

Keep in mind

• All questions are equal. All are given equal consideration in the application review process, which means there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.
• There is no right or wrong way to answer these questions. It’s about getting to know your personality, background, interests and achievements in your own unique voice.  
• Use the additional comments field if there are issues you'd like to address that you didn't have the opportunity to discuss elsewhere on the application. This shouldn't be an essay, but rather a place to note unusual circumstances or anything that might be unclear in other parts of the application. 

Questions & guidance

Remember, the personal insight questions are just that—personal. Which means you should use our guidance for each question just as a suggestion in case you need help. The important thing is expressing who you are, what matters to you and what you want to share with UC. 

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. Things to consider: A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities?

Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn't necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family? 2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. Things to consider: What does creativity mean to you? Do you have a creative skill that is important to you? What have you been able to do with that skill? If you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution? What are the steps you took to solve the problem?

How does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom? Does your creativity relate to your major or a future career? 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? Things to consider: If there is a talent or skill that you're proud of, this is the time to share it.You don't necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about it, feel free to do so). Why is this talent or skill meaningful to you?

Does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent? Does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom? If so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule? 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. Things to consider: An educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. For example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that's geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you; just to name a few.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you've faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them? What personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge? How did overcoming this barrier help shape who you are today? 5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you've faced and what you've learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you're currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends or with my family? 6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. Things to consider:  Many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can't get enough of. If that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs and what you have gained from your involvement.

Has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or future career? Have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, AP, IB, college or university work)? Are you inspired to pursue this subject further at UC, and how might you do that?

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place like your high school, hometown or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community?

Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community? 8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? Things to consider:  If there's anything you want us to know about you but didn't find a question or place in the application to tell us, now's your chance. What have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge or opportunity that you think will help us know you better?

From your point of view, what do you feel makes you an excellent choice for UC? Don't be afraid to brag a little.

Writing tips

Start early..

Give yourself plenty of time for preparation, careful composition and revisions.

Write persuasively.

Making a list of accomplishments, activities, awards or work will lessen the impact of your words. Expand on a topic by using specific, concrete examples to support the points you want to make.

Use “I” statements.

Talk about yourself so that we can get to know your personality, talents, accomplishments and potential for success on a UC campus. Use “I” and “my” statements in your responses.

Proofread and edit.

Although you will not be evaluated on grammar, spelling or sentence structure, you should proofread your work and make sure your writing is clear. Grammatical and spelling errors can be distracting to the reader and get in the way of what you’re trying to communicate.

Solicit feedback.

Your answers should reflect your own ideas and be written by you alone, but others — family, teachers and friends can offer valuable suggestions. Ask advice of whomever you like, but do not plagiarize from sources in print or online and do not use anyone's words, published or unpublished, but your own.

Copy and paste.

Once you are satisfied with your answers, save them in plain text (ASCII) and paste them into the space provided in the application. Proofread once more to make sure no odd characters or line breaks have appeared.

This is one of many pieces of information we consider in reviewing your application. Your responses can only add value to the application. An admission decision will not be based on this section alone.

Need more help?

Download our worksheets:

• English [PDF]
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• Focus and Precision: How to Write Essays that Answer the Question

About the Author Stephanie Allen read Classics and English at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, and is currently researching a PhD in Early Modern Academic Drama at the University of Fribourg.

We’ve all been there. You’ve handed in an essay and you think it’s pretty great: it shows off all your best ideas, and contains points you’re sure no one else will have thought of.

You’re not totally convinced that what you’ve written is relevant to the title you were given – but it’s inventive, original and good. In fact, it might be better than anything that would have responded to the question. But your essay isn’t met with the lavish praise you expected. When it’s tossed back onto your desk, there are huge chunks scored through with red pen, crawling with annotations like little red fire ants: ‘IRRELEVANT’; ‘A bit of a tangent!’; ‘???’; and, right next to your best, most impressive killer point: ‘Right… so?’. The grade your teacher has scrawled at the end is nowhere near what your essay deserves. In fact, it’s pretty average. And the comment at the bottom reads something like, ‘Some good ideas, but you didn’t answer the question!’.

If this has ever happened to you (and it has happened to me, a lot), you’ll know how deeply frustrating it is – and how unfair it can seem. This might just be me, but the exhausting process of researching, having ideas, planning, writing and re-reading makes me steadily more attached to the ideas I have, and the things I’ve managed to put on the page. Each time I scroll back through what I’ve written, or planned, so far, I become steadily more convinced of its brilliance. What started off as a scribbled note in the margin, something extra to think about or to pop in if it could be made to fit the argument, sometimes comes to be backbone of a whole essay – so, when a tutor tells me my inspired paragraph about Ted Hughes’s interpretation of mythology isn’t relevant to my essay on Keats, I fail to see why. Or even if I can see why, the thought of taking it out is wrenching. Who cares if it’s a bit off-topic? It should make my essay stand out, if anything! And an examiner would probably be happy not to read yet another answer that makes exactly the same points. If you recognise yourself in the above, there are two crucial things to realise. The first is that something has to change: because doing well in high school exam or coursework essays is almost totally dependent on being able to pin down and organise lots of ideas so that an examiner can see that they convincingly answer a question. And it’s a real shame to work hard on something, have good ideas, and not get the marks you deserve. Writing a top essay is a very particular and actually quite simple challenge. It’s not actually that important how original you are, how compelling your writing is, how many ideas you get down, or how beautifully you can express yourself (though of course, all these things do have their rightful place). What you’re doing, essentially, is using a limited amount of time and knowledge to really answer a question. It sounds obvious, but a good essay should have the title or question as its focus the whole way through . It should answer it ten times over – in every single paragraph, with every fact or figure. Treat your reader (whether it’s your class teacher or an external examiner) like a child who can’t do any interpretive work of their own; imagine yourself leading them through your essay by the hand, pointing out that you’ve answered the question here , and here , and here. Now, this is all very well, I imagine you objecting, and much easier said than done. But never fear! Structuring an essay that knocks a question on the head is something you can learn to do in a couple of easy steps. In the next few hundred words, I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned through endless, mindless crossings-out, rewordings, rewritings and rethinkings.

Top tips and golden rules

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been told to ‘write the question at the top of every new page’- but for some reason, that trick simply doesn’t work for me. If it doesn’t work for you either, use this three-part process to allow the question to structure your essay:

1)     Work out exactly what you’re being asked

It sounds really obvious, but lots of students have trouble answering questions because they don’t take time to figure out exactly what they’re expected to do – instead, they skim-read and then write the essay they want to write. Sussing out a question is a two-part process, and the first part is easy. It means looking at the directions the question provides as to what sort of essay you’re going to write. I call these ‘command phrases’ and will go into more detail about what they mean below. The second part involves identifying key words and phrases.

2)     Be as explicit as possible

Use forceful, persuasive language to show how the points you’ve made do answer the question. My main focus so far has been on tangential or irrelevant material – but many students lose marks even though they make great points, because they don’t quite impress how relevant those points are. Again, I’ll talk about how you can do this below.

3)     Be brutally honest with yourself about whether a point is relevant before you write it.

It doesn’t matter how impressive, original or interesting it is. It doesn’t matter if you’re panicking, and you can’t think of any points that do answer the question. If a point isn’t relevant, don’t bother with it. It’s a waste of time, and might actually work against you- if you put tangential material in an essay, your reader will struggle to follow the thread of your argument, and lose focus on your really good points.

Put it into action: Step One

Let’s imagine you’re writing an English essay about the role and importance of the three witches in Macbeth . You’re thinking about the different ways in which Shakespeare imagines and presents the witches, how they influence the action of the tragedy, and perhaps the extent to which we’re supposed to believe in them (stay with me – you don’t have to know a single thing about Shakespeare or Macbeth to understand this bit!). Now, you’ll probably have a few good ideas on this topic – and whatever essay you write, you’ll most likely use much of the same material. However, the detail of the phrasing of the question will significantly affect the way you write your essay. You would draw on similar material to address the following questions: Discuss Shakespeare’s representation of the three witches in Macbeth . How does Shakespeare figure the supernatural in Macbeth ?   To what extent are the three witches responsible for Macbeth’s tragic downfall? Evaluate the importance of the three witches in bringing about Macbeth’s ruin. Are we supposed to believe in the three witches in Macbeth ? “Within Macbeth ’s representation of the witches, there is profound ambiguity about the actual significance and power of their malevolent intervention” (Stephen Greenblatt). Discuss.   I’ve organised the examples into three groups, exemplifying the different types of questions you might have to answer in an exam. The first group are pretty open-ended: ‘discuss’- and ‘how’-questions leave you room to set the scope of the essay. You can decide what the focus should be. Beware, though – this doesn’t mean you don’t need a sturdy structure, or a clear argument, both of which should always be present in an essay. The second group are asking you to evaluate, constructing an argument that decides whether, and how far something is true. Good examples of hypotheses (which your essay would set out to prove) for these questions are:

• The witches are the most important cause of tragic action in Macbeth.
• The witches are partially, but not entirely responsible for Macbeth’s downfall, alongside Macbeth’s unbridled ambition, and that of his wife.
• We are not supposed to believe the witches: they are a product of Macbeth’s psyche, and his downfall is his own doing.
• The witches’ role in Macbeth’s downfall is deliberately unclear. Their claim to reality is shaky – finally, their ambiguity is part of an uncertain tragic universe and the great illusion of the theatre. (N.B. It’s fine to conclude that a question can’t be answered in black and white, certain terms – as long as you have a firm structure, and keep referring back to it throughout the essay).

The final question asks you to respond to a quotation. Students tend to find these sorts of questions the most difficult to answer, but once you’ve got the hang of them I think the title does most of the work for you – often implicitly providing you with a structure for your essay. The first step is breaking down the quotation into its constituent parts- the different things it says. I use brackets: ( Within Macbeth ’s representation of the witches, ) ( there is profound ambiguity ) about the ( actual significance ) ( and power ) of ( their malevolent intervention ) Examiners have a nasty habit of picking the most bewildering and terrifying-sounding quotations: but once you break them down, they’re often asking for something very simple. This quotation, for example, is asking exactly the same thing as the other questions. The trick here is making sure you respond to all the different parts. You want to make sure you discuss the following:

• Do you agree that the status of the witches’ ‘malevolent intervention’ is ambiguous?
• What is its significance?
• How powerful is it?

Step Two: Plan

Having worked out exactly what the question is asking, write out a plan (which should be very detailed in a coursework essay, but doesn’t have to be more than a few lines long in an exam context) of the material you’ll use in each paragraph. Make sure your plan contains a sentence at the end of each point about how that point will answer the question. A point from my plan for one of the topics above might look something like this:

To what extent are we supposed to believe in the three witches in Macbeth ?  Hypothesis: The witches’ role in Macbeth’s downfall is deliberately unclear. Their claim to reality is uncertain – finally, they’re part of an uncertain tragic universe and the great illusion of the theatre. Para.1: Context At the time Shakespeare wrote Macbeth , there were many examples of people being burned or drowned as witches There were also people who claimed to be able to exorcise evil demons from people who were ‘possessed’. Catholic Christianity leaves much room for the supernatural to exist This suggests that Shakespeare’s contemporary audience might, more readily than a modern one, have believed that witches were a real phenomenon and did exist.

My final sentence (highlighted in red) shows how the material discussed in the paragraph answers the question. Writing this out at the planning stage, in addition to clarifying your ideas, is a great test of whether a point is relevant: if you struggle to write the sentence, and make the connection to the question and larger argument, you might have gone off-topic.

Step Three: Paragraph beginnings and endings

The final step to making sure you pick up all the possible marks for ‘answering the question’ in an essay is ensuring that you make it explicit how your material does so. This bit relies upon getting the beginnings and endings of paragraphs just right. To reiterate what I said above, treat your reader like a child: tell them what you’re going to say; tell them how it answers the question; say it, and then tell them how you’ve answered the question. This need not feel clumsy, awkward or repetitive. The first sentence of each new paragraph or point should, without giving too much of your conclusion away, establish what you’re going to discuss, and how it answers the question. The opening sentence from the paragraph I planned above might go something like this:

Early modern political and religious contexts suggest that Shakespeare’s contemporary audience might more readily have believed in witches than his modern readers.

The sentence establishes that I’m going to discuss Jacobean religion and witch-burnings, and also what I’m going to use those contexts to show. I’d then slot in all my facts and examples in the middle of the paragraph. The final sentence (or few sentences) should be strong and decisive, making a clear connection to the question you’ve been asked:

  Contemporary suspicion that witches did exist, testified to by witch-hunts and exorcisms, is crucial to our understanding of the witches in Macbeth.  To the early modern consciousness, witches were a distinctly real and dangerous possibility – and the witches in the play would have seemed all-the-more potent and terrifying as a result.

Step Four: Practice makes perfect

The best way to get really good at making sure you always ‘answer the question’ is to write essay plans rather than whole pieces. Set aside a few hours, choose a couple of essay questions from past papers, and for each:

• Write a hypothesis
• Write a rough plan of what each paragraph will contain
• Write out the first and last sentence of each paragraph

You can get your teacher, or a friend, to look through your plans and give you feedback. If you follow this advice, fingers crossed, next time you hand in an essay, it’ll be free from red-inked comments about irrelevance, and instead showered with praise for the precision with which you handled the topic, and how intently you focused on answering the question. It can seem depressing when your perfect question is just a minor tangent from the question you were actually asked, but trust me – high praise and good marks are all found in answering the question in front of you, not the one you would have liked to see. Teachers do choose the questions they set you with some care, after all; chances are the question you were set is the more illuminating and rewarding one as well.

Image credits: banner ; Keats ; Macbeth ; James I ; witches .

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IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

• Test Information FAQ
• Band Scores
• IELTS Candidate Success Tips
• Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
• How to Prepare
• Useful Links & Resources
• Recommended Books
• Speaking Part 1 Topics
• Speaking Part 2 Topics
• Speaking Part 3 Topics
• 100 Essay Questions
• On The Day Tips
• Top Results
• Advanced IELTS

100 IELTS Essay Questions

Below are practice IELTS essay questions and topics for writing task 2. The 100 essay questions have been used many times over the years. The questions are organised under common topics and essay types. IELTS often use the similar topics for their essays but change the wording of the essay question.

In order to prepare well for writing task 2, you should prepare ideas for common topics and then practise applying them to the tasks given (to the essay questions). Also see model essays and tips  for writing task 2.

Below you will find:

• Essay Questions By Topic
• Essay Questions by Essay Type (for example Opinion, Discussion etc)

Please also note that my new Grammar E-book is now available in my store along with my Ideas for Essay Topics E-book and Advanced Writing Lessons. To visit store, click here: IELTS LIZ STORE

1) Common IELTS Essay Questions

IELTS practice essay questions divided by topic. These topics have been reported by IELTS students in their tests. Essay questions have been recreated as accurately as possible.

• Art   (5 essay questions)
• Business & Money   (17 essay questions)
• Communication & Personality   (20 essay questions)
• Crime & Punishment   (12 essay questions)
• Education   (17 essay questions)
• Environment   (12 essay questions)
• Family & Children   (8 essay questions)
• Food & Diet (13 essay questions)
• Government (6 essay questions)
• Health   (9 essay questions)
• Housing, Buildings & Urban Planning (8 essay questions)
• Language (6 essay questions)
• Leisure (1 essay question)
• Media & Advertising   (12 essay questions)
• Reading  (5 essay questions)
• Society   (10 essay questions)
• Space Exploration (3 questions)
• Sport & Exercise   (6 essay questions)
• Technology  (6 essay questions)
• Tourism and Travel   (11 essay questions)
• Transport  (7 essay questions)
• Work (17 essay questions)

2) IELTS Essay Questions by Essay Type 

There are 5 main types of essay questions in IELTS writing task 2 (opinion essays, discussion essay, advantage/disadvantage essays, solution essay and direct question essays). Click on the links below to see some sample essay questions for you to practice with at home.

• Opinion Essay Model Answer with Useful Tips
• Discussion Essay Model Answer with Useful Tips
• Solution Essay Model Answer with Useful Tips
• Direct Questions Model Essay 
• Adv/Disadv Model Essay with Useful Tips

3) Recent Essay Topics

You can also track recent essay topics on this page: IELTS ESSAY TOPICS 2024

Note: you must also prepare all other topics on the page above because questions are recycled each year.

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Test yourself with linking words, ielts speaking part 2 cue card topics – 2024, new reading exercise for you (july 2024), ielts gt writing task 1 letter: using the prompts for a high score, ielts writing task 1: multiple charts, graphs and tables.

Click Below to Learn:

• IELTS Test Information
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• Writing Task 2

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UChicago Supplemental Essay Questions

The University of Chicago has long been renowned for our provocative essay questions. We think of them as an opportunity for students to tell us about themselves, their tastes, and their ambitions. They can be approached with utter seriousness, complete fancy, or something in between.

Each year we email newly admitted and current College students and ask them for essay topics. We receive several hundred responses, many of which are eloquent, intriguing, or downright wacky.

As you can see from the attributions, the questions below were inspired by submissions from UChicago students and alumni.

2024-25 UChicago Supplement

Question 1 (required).

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.

Question 2: Extended Essay (Required; Choose one)

Essay option 1.

We’re all familiar with green-eyed envy or feeling blue, but what about being “caught purple-handed”? Or “tickled orange”? Give an old color-infused expression a new hue and tell us what it represents. – Inspired by Ramsey Bottorff, Class of 2026

Essay Option 2

"Ah, but I was so much older then / I'm younger than that now” – Bob Dylan. In what ways do we become younger as we get older? – Inspired by Joshua Harris, Class of 2016

Essay Option 3

Pluto, the demoted planet. Ophiuchus, the thirteenth Zodiac. Andy Murray, the fourth to tennis's Big Three. Every grouping has something that doesn’t quite fit in. Tell us about a group and its unofficial member, why (or why not) should it be excluded? – Inspired by Veronica Chang, Class of 2022

Essay Option 4

"Daddy-o", "Far Out", "Gnarly": the list of slang terms goes on and on. Sadly, most of these aren’t so "fly" anymore – “as if!” Name an outdated slang from any decade or language that you'd bring back and explain why you totally “dig it.” – Inspired by Napat Sakdibhornssup, Class of 2028

Essay Option 5

How many piano tuners are there in Chicago? What is the total length of chalk used by UChicago professors in a year? How many pages of books are in the Regenstein Library? These questions are among a class of estimation problems named after University of Chicago physicist Enrico Fermi. Create your own Fermi estimation problem, give it your best answer, and show us how you got there. – Inspired by Malhar Manek, Class of 2028

Essay Option 6

And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun!

Some classic questions from previous years…

Exponents and square roots, pencils and erasers, beta decay and electron capture. Name two things that undo each other and explain why both are necessary. – Inspired by Emmett Cho, Class of 2027

“Where have all the flowers gone?” – Pete Seeger. Pick a question from a song title or lyric and give it your best answer. – Inspired by Ryan Murphy, AB’21

“Vlog,” “Labradoodle,” and “Fauxmage.” Language is filled with portmanteaus. Create a new portmanteau and explain why those two things are a “patch” (perfect match). – Inspired by Garrett Chalfin, Class of 2027

Due to a series of clerical errors, there is exactly one typo (an extra letter, a removed letter, or an altered letter) in the name of every department at the University of Chicago. Oops! Describe your new intended major. Why are you interested in it and what courses or areas of focus within it might you want to explore? Potential options include Commuter Science, Bromance Languages and Literatures, Pundamentals: Issues and Texts, Ant History... a full list of unmodified majors ready for your editor’s eye is available here . —Inspired by Josh Kaufman, AB'18

You are on an expedition to found a colony on Mars, when from a nearby crater, a group of Martians suddenly emerges. They seem eager to communicate, but they're the impatient kind and demand you represent the human race in one song, image, memory, proof, or other idea. What do you share with them to show that humanity is worth their time? —Inspired by Alexander Hastings, Class of 2023, and Olivia Okun-Dubitsky, Class of 2026

Who does Sally sell her seashells to? How much wood can a woodchuck really chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Pick a favorite tongue twister (either originally in English or translated from another language) and consider a resolution to its conundrum using the method of your choice. Math, philosophy, linguistics... it's all up to you (or your woodchuck). —Inspired by Blessing Nnate, Class of 2024

What can actually be divided by zero? —Inspired by Mai Vu, Class of 2024

The seven liberal arts in antiquity consisted of the Quadrivium — astronomy, mathematics, geometry, and music — and the Trivium — rhetoric, grammar, and logic. Describe your own take on the Quadrivium or the Trivium. What do you think is essential for everyone to know? —Inspired by Peter Wang, Class of 2022

Subway maps, evolutionary trees, Lewis diagrams. Each of these schematics tells the relationships and stories of their component parts. Reimagine a map, diagram, or chart. If your work is largely or exclusively visual, please include a cartographer's key of at least 300 words to help us best understand your creation. —Inspired by Maximilian Site, Class of 2020

"Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" - Eleanor Roosevelt. Misattribute a famous quote and explore the implications of doing so. —Inspired by Chris Davey, AB’13

Engineer George de Mestral got frustrated with burrs stuck to his dog’s fur and applied the same mechanic to create Velcro. Scientist Percy Lebaron Spencer found a melted chocolate bar in his magnetron lab and discovered microwave cooking. Dye-works owner Jean Baptiste Jolly found his tablecloth clean after a kerosene lamp was knocked over on it, consequently shaping the future of dry cleaning. Describe a creative or interesting solution, and then find the problem that it solves. —Inspired by Steve Berkowitz, AB’19, and Neeharika Venuturupalli, Class of 2024

Joan of Arkansas. Queen Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Babe Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Mash up a historical figure with a new time period, environment, location, or occupation, and tell us their story. —Inspired by Drew Donaldson, AB’16

Alice falls down the rabbit hole. Milo drives through the tollbooth. Dorothy is swept up in the tornado. Neo takes the red pill. Don’t tell us about another world you’ve imagined, heard about, or created. Rather, tell us about its portal. Sure, some people think of the University of Chicago as a portal to their future, but please choose another portal to write about. —Inspired by Raphael Hallerman, Class of 2020

What’s so odd about odd numbers? —Inspired by Mario Rosasco, AB’09

Vestigiality refers to genetically determined structures or attributes that have apparently lost most or all of their ancestral function, but have been retained during the process of evolution. In humans, for instance, the appendix is thought to be a vestigial structure. Describe something vestigial (real or imagined) and provide an explanation for its existence. —Inspired by Tiffany Kim, Class of 2020

In French, there is no difference between “conscience” and “consciousness.” In Japanese, there is a word that specifically refers to the splittable wooden chopsticks you get at restaurants. The German word “fremdschämen” encapsulates the feeling you get when you’re embarrassed on behalf of someone else. All of these require explanation in order to properly communicate their meaning, and are, to varying degrees, untranslatable. Choose a word, tell us what it means, and then explain why it cannot (or should not) be translated from its original language. —Inspired by Emily Driscoll, Class of 2018

Little pigs, French hens, a family of bears. Blind mice, musketeers, the Fates. Parts of an atom, laws of thought, a guideline for composition. Omne trium perfectum? Create your own group of threes, and describe why and how they fit together. —Inspired by Zilin Cui, Class of 2018

The mantis shrimp can perceive both polarized light and multispectral images; they have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Human eyes have color receptors for three colors (red, green, and blue); the mantis shrimp has receptors for sixteen types of color, enabling them to see a spectrum far beyond the capacity of the human brain. Seriously, how cool is the mantis shrimp: mantisshrimp.uchicago.edu What might they be able to see that we cannot? What are we missing? —Inspired by Tess Moran, AB’16

How are apples and oranges supposed to be compared? Possible answers involve, but are not limited to, statistics, chemistry, physics, linguistics, and philosophy. —Inspired by Florence Chan, AB’15

The ball is in your court—a penny for your thoughts, but say it, don’t spray it. So long as you don’t bite off more than you can chew, beat around the bush, or cut corners, writing this essay should be a piece of cake. Create your own idiom, and tell us its origin—you know, the whole nine yards. PS: A picture is worth a thousand words. —Inspired by April Bell, AB'17, and Maya Shaked, Class of 2018 (It takes two to tango.)

“A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.” –Oscar Wilde. Othello and Iago. Dorothy and the Wicked Witch. Autobots and Decepticons. History and art are full of heroes and their enemies. Tell us about the relationship between you and your arch-nemesis (either real or imagined). —Inspired by Martin Krzywy, AB’16

Heisenberg claims that you cannot know both the position and momentum of an electron with total certainty. Choose two other concepts that cannot be known simultaneously and discuss the implications. (Do not consider yourself limited to the field of physics). —Inspired by Doran Bennett, AB’07

Susan Sontag, AB’51, wrote that “[s]ilence remains, inescapably, a form of speech.” Write about an issue or a situation when you remained silent, and explain how silence may speak in ways that you did or did not intend. The Aesthetics of Silence, 1967. —Anonymous Suggestion

“…I [was] eager to escape backward again, to be off to invent a past for the present.” —The Rose Rabbi by Daniel Stern Present: pres·ent 1. Something that is offered, presented, or given as a gift. Let’s stick with this definition. Unusual presents, accidental presents, metaphorical presents, re-gifted presents, etc.—pick any present you have ever received and invent a past for it. —Inspired by Jennifer Qin, AB’16

So where is Waldo, really? —Inspired by Robin Ye, AB’16

Find x. —Inspired by Benjamin Nuzzo, an admitted student from Eton College, UK

Dog and Cat. Coffee and Tea. Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye. Everyone knows there are two types of people in the world. What are they? —Inspired by an anonymous alumna, AB'06

How did you get caught? (Or not caught, as the case may be.) —Inspired by Kelly Kennedy, AB’10

Chicago author Nelson Algren said, “A writer does well if in his whole life he can tell the story of one street.” Chicagoans, but not just Chicagoans, have always found something instructive, and pleasing, and profound in the stories of their block, of Main Street, of Highway 61, of a farm lane, of the Celestial Highway. Tell us the story of a street, path, road—real or imagined or metaphorical. —Anonymous Suggestion

UChicago professor W. J. T. Mitchell entitled his 2005 book What Do Pictures Want? Describe a picture, and explore what it wants. —Inspired by Anna Andel

“Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.“—Miles Davis (1926–91) —Inspired by Jack Reeves

University of Chicago alumna and renowned author/critic Susan Sontag said, “The only interesting answers are those that destroy the questions.” We all have heard serious questions, absurd questions, and seriously absurd questions, some of which cannot be answered without obliterating the very question. Destroy a question with your answer. —Inspired by Aleksandra Ciric

“Mind that does not stick.” —Zen Master Shoitsu (1202–80)

Superstring theory has revolutionized speculation about the physical world by suggesting that strings play a pivotal role in the universe. Strings, however, always have explained or enriched our lives, from Theseus’s escape route from the Labyrinth, to kittens playing with balls of yarn, to the single hair that held the sword above Damocles, to the Old Norse tradition that one’s life is a thread woven into a tapestry of fate, to the beautiful sounds of the finely tuned string of a violin, to the children’s game of cat’s cradle, to the concept of stringing someone along. Use the power of string to explain the biggest or the smallest phenomenon. —Inspired by Adam Sobolweski

Have you ever walked through the aisles of a warehouse store like Costco or Sam’s Club and wondered who would buy a jar of mustard a foot and a half tall? We’ve bought it, but it didn’t stop us from wondering about other things, like absurd eating contests, impulse buys, excess, unimagined uses for mustard, storage, preservatives, notions of bigness…and dozens of other ideas both silly and serious. Write an essay somehow inspired by super-huge mustard. —Inspired by Katherine Gold

People often think of language as a connector, something that brings people together by helping them share experiences, feelings, ideas, etc. We, however, are interested in how language sets people apart. Start with the peculiarities of your own personal language—the voice you use when speaking most intimately to yourself, the vocabulary that spills out when you’re startled, or special phrases and gestures that no one else seems to use or even understand—and tell us how your language makes you unique. You may want to think about subtle riffs or idiosyncrasies based on cadence, rhythm, rhyme, or (mis)pronunciation. —Inspired by Kimberly Traube

In 2015, the city of Melbourne, Australia created a "tree-mail" service, in which all of the trees in the city received an email address so that residents could report any tree-related issues. As an unexpected result, people began to email their favorite trees sweet and occasionally humorous letters. Imagine this has been expanded to any object (tree or otherwise) in the world, and share with us the letter you’d send to your favorite. -Inspired by Hannah Lu, Class of 2020 

You’re on a voyage in the thirteenth century, sailing across the tempestuous seas. What if, suddenly, you fell off the edge of the Earth? -Inspired by Chandani Latey, AB'93 

The word floccinaucinihilipilification is the act or habit of describing or regarding something as unimportant or of having no value. It originated in the mid-18th century from the Latin words "floccus," "naucum," "nihilum," and "pilus"—all words meaning “of little use.” Coin your own word using parts from any language you choose, tell us its meaning, and describe the plausible (if only to you) scenarios in which it would be most appropriately used.  -Inspired by Ben Zhang, Class of 2022 

Lost your keys? Alohomora. Noisy roommate? Quietus. Feel the need to shatter windows for some reason? Finestra. Create your own spell, charm, jinx, or other means for magical mayhem. How is it enacted? Is there an incantation? Does it involve a potion or other magical object? If so, what's in it or what is it? What does it do?  -Inspired by Emma Sorkin, Class of 2021 

Imagine you’ve struck a deal with the Dean of Admissions himself, Dean Nondorf. It goes as follows: you’re guaranteed admission to the University of Chicago regardless of any circumstances that arise. This bond is grounded on the condition that you’ll obtain a blank, 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, and draw, write, sketch, shade, stencil, paint etc., anything and everything you want on it; your only limitations will be the boundaries of both sides on the single page. Now the catch… your submission, for the rest of your life, will always be the first thing anyone you meet for the first time will see. Whether it’s at a job interview, a blind date, arrival at your first Humanities class, before you even say, “hey,” they’ll already have seen your page, and formulated that first impression. Show us your page. What’s on it, and why? If your piece is largely or exclusively visual, please make sure to share a creator's accompanying statement of at least 300 words, which we will happily allow to be on its own, separate page. PS: This is a creative thought experiment, and selecting this essay prompt does not guarantee your admission to UChicago. -Inspired by Amandeep Singh Ahluwalia, Class of 2022

Cats have nine lives, Pac-Man has three lives, and radioactive isotopes have half-lives. How many lives does something else—conceptual or actual—have, and why? -Inspired by Kendrick Shin, Class of 2019

If there’s a limited amount of matter in the universe, how can Olive Garden (along with other restaurants and their concepts of food infinity) offer truly unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks? Explain this using any method of analysis you wish—physics, biology, economics, history, theology… the options, as you can tell, are endless.  -Inspired by Yoonseo Lee, Class of 2023 

A hot dog might be a sandwich, and cereal might be a soup, but is a ______ a ______? -Inspired by Arya Muralidharan, Class of 2021 (and dozens of others who, this year and in past years, have submitted the question “Is a hot dog a sandwich,” to which we reply, “maybe”)

“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.” – Jessamyn West -Inspired by Elizabeth Mansfield, Class of 2020

Top 25 Year Up Interview Questions & Answers

Get ready for your interview at Year Up with a list of common questions you may encounter and how to prepare for them effectively.

Year Up is a renowned non-profit organization that has been dedicated to closing the Opportunity Divide for young adults across the United States since its inception in 2000. Known for its intensive, one-year program that provides underprivileged young adults with hands-on skill development, corporate internships, and coursework eligible for college credit, Year Up has successfully empowered thousands of individuals to kickstart their professional careers. This article will delve into the potential interview questions one might encounter when seeking to join the Year Up team, offering insights into their unique mission and values.

Year Up Hiring Process

The Year Up hiring process is typically thorough and involves multiple rounds of interviews, including phone screenings, video calls, and in-person meetings. Candidates can expect to be interviewed by various team members from different departments, which may lengthen the decision-making process. The interview questions often focus on personal goals, work ethics, and cultural awareness, with some positions requiring skills assessments. Overall, the interview process is described as friendly and professional, with an emphasis on getting to know the candidate as a person rather than solely focusing on their resume.

Common Year Up Interview Questions

1. can you discuss your experience with managing and overseeing programs aimed at workforce development or youth engagement.

When hiring for a role focused on workforce development or youth engagement, it’s essential to ensure that candidates have the experience and passion for making a positive impact in these areas. By asking about your experience managing and overseeing such programs, interviewers want to gauge your understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that come with working on initiatives that support the professional growth and development of young people. They’re also looking for evidence of your ability to effectively lead, manage, and monitor the success of these programs.

How to Answer:

Start by highlighting specific programs you have managed or overseen in the past that focused on workforce development or youth engagement. Be sure to mention your role, key responsibilities, and the outcomes achieved. If you haven’t directly worked with such programs but have relevant skills, discuss how these could be applied efficiently for the company’s benefit. Remember to highlight your passion for youth development as it aligns with their mission.

Example: In my previous experience, I had the opportunity to manage a workforce development program that aimed at providing underprivileged youth with essential skills for employment. The program focused on both soft and hard skills training, including communication, teamwork, problem-solving as well as technical skills like computer literacy and basic accounting.

A significant part of my role was to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the program. This involved setting clear objectives, designing appropriate curriculum, coordinating with trainers, monitoring progress, and evaluating outcomes. One key initiative I introduced was partnering with local businesses to provide internships for our participants. This not only gave them practical exposure but also increased their chances of securing full-time jobs post-program.

Additionally, I have overseen various youth engagement activities such as community service projects and leadership workshops. These initiatives were designed to empower young people, foster civic responsibility, and build confidence. Through these experiences, I’ve learned the importance of creating an inclusive environment where every participant feels valued, heard, and motivated to achieve their potential.

2. How have you successfully attracted, developed, and retained a diverse team of professionals in previous roles?

Companies value diversity and inclusion because they understand that a diverse workforce fosters creativity, innovation, and higher employee satisfaction. By asking this question, interviewers want to gauge your commitment to cultivating a diverse environment and ensuring equal opportunities for all team members. They are interested in your strategies for attracting talent from various backgrounds, providing development opportunities, and creating an inclusive culture that makes everyone feel valued and respected. This helps the company maintain a competitive edge and better serve its diverse customer base.

Start by reflecting on your past experiences managing diverse teams. Talk about specific strategies you’ve employed, such as fostering an inclusive work environment or implementing diversity training programs. Highlight any positive outcomes from these initiatives like increased team productivity or improved employee satisfaction. If you’re new to leadership roles, discuss how you would apply principles of fairness and open communication to attract and retain a diverse team.

Example: In my previous roles, I have always prioritized creating a diverse and inclusive environment. For instance, when it came to recruitment, I ensured the job descriptions were unbiased and appealing to a wide range of candidates. I also utilized various platforms for job postings to reach different demographics.

Once on board, I focused on developing these professionals by providing opportunities for continuous learning and growth. This included mentorship programs, regular feedback sessions, and access to professional development resources. To retain them, I made sure they felt valued and heard. Regular check-ins, transparent communication about company goals and their role in achieving them, and recognition for their contributions played a key part in this.

Moreover, fostering an inclusive culture where everyone’s differences are respected and celebrated was crucial. I believe that diversity extends beyond hiring practices; it must be ingrained in the team’s everyday interactions and operations. By doing so, we not only retained our diverse talent but also attracted like-minded professionals who value such an environment.

3. Describe an instance where you had to develop and execute strategic plans for organization-wide initiatives.

Navigating the complexities of large-scale initiatives requires a unique blend of strategic thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Interviewers want to gauge your ability to create and execute plans that align with the organization’s goals, involve multiple stakeholders, and navigate potential challenges. By sharing your experience with such projects, you demonstrate your capacity to be a valuable contributor to the company’s success and growth.

Reflect on your previous experiences where you were responsible for strategizing and executing broad initiatives. Provide a specific example, outlining the situation, task, action, and result (STAR method). Highlight your thought process, leadership skills, team collaboration, problem-solving abilities, and how you ensured the plan’s success. If you have not had such an experience, discuss how you would approach this scenario, emphasizing strategic thinking and effective execution.

Example: In my previous experience, I was tasked with leading the development and execution of a new customer retention strategy. The organization had been experiencing increased churn rates, which were negatively impacting our bottom line. After conducting a thorough analysis of our customer data and market trends, I created a strategic plan that involved improving our customer service processes, implementing a loyalty rewards program, and enhancing our product offerings based on customer feedback.

The implementation phase required close collaboration with various departments including sales, marketing, operations, and IT. We established clear roles, responsibilities, and timelines to ensure smooth execution. Regular progress meetings helped us stay on track and address any issues promptly.

As a result of this initiative, we saw a significant decrease in churn rate within six months and an increase in overall customer satisfaction scores. This example highlights my ability to develop effective strategies and lead cross-functional teams towards achieving organizational goals.

4. Share a situation where you led a team through a challenging project and how you ensured its success?

Leadership skills and the ability to navigate challenges are essential qualities for many roles, especially in fast-paced environments. By asking about a challenging team project, hiring managers aim to learn how you can motivate, guide, and support team members to achieve a common goal while also demonstrating problem-solving and adaptability.

Reflect on past experiences where you demonstrated leadership and managed difficulties effectively. Discuss the challenge, your role as a leader, and the strategies you used to overcome it. Highlight how you encouraged team collaboration, delegated tasks efficiently, and navigated through problems. Importantly, focus on the successful outcome of the project and lessons learned from the experience. This will show your ability to lead and adapt in difficult situations.

Example: In one of my previous roles, I led a team tasked with the implementation of a new software system within a tight deadline. This was challenging due to the complexity of the system and resistance from staff members who were comfortable with the old system. To ensure success, I first communicated the benefits of the change to all stakeholders, emphasizing how it would make their work easier in the long run.

Next, I divided the project into manageable tasks and assigned them based on each team member’s strengths. I also set up regular check-ins to monitor progress and address any issues promptly. As a result, we not only completed the project on time but also achieved a smooth transition with minimal disruption to daily operations. This experience taught me the importance of clear communication, strategic planning, and adaptive leadership in managing complex projects.

5. Explain your approach to building partnerships with external organizations to support program goals.

Establishing and maintaining partnerships with external organizations is a key element of any successful program. By asking this question, interviewers want to gauge your ability to identify potential collaborators, communicate effectively with them, and foster mutually beneficial relationships. They’re also looking to see if you understand the importance of collaboration in achieving program goals and whether you have the skills to forge strong connections that can enhance the program’s impact and reach.

To answer this question, reflect on your past experiences where you’ve successfully built partnerships. Share specific strategies you used like understanding partners’ needs, maintaining regular communication, and providing mutual benefits. Highlight any successful outcomes from these partnerships that supported the program’s goals. If you’re new to this, outline a thoughtful strategy emphasizing relationship-building and aligning common objectives.

Example: In building partnerships with external organizations, my approach is to first understand the program goals and identify the types of partners that could help us achieve these goals. For instance, if the goal is to provide job training for underprivileged youth, potential partners could be companies willing to offer internships or local colleges offering relevant courses.

Once I have a list of potential partners, I would reach out to them to discuss possible collaboration. This would involve presenting our mission and explaining how partnering with us can also benefit their organization. It’s crucial to establish mutual benefits in any partnership, as this will ensure long-term commitment and success.

After securing the partnership, maintaining open communication lines is key. Regular updates on the progress of the program, addressing concerns promptly, and acknowledging their contributions are some ways to keep the relationship strong. Ultimately, it’s about fostering a collaborative environment where all parties are working towards a common goal.

6. How would you handle the process of placing students into internships while ensuring their growth and development?

Connecting students to internships that foster growth and development is a vital aspect of any educational or career development program. Interviewers want to understand your approach to assessing students’ skills, interests, and potential, as well as your ability to collaborate with industry partners. They seek insight into how you would create a tailored, mutually beneficial experience for both students and host organizations, ensuring that the internship placement leads to meaningful learning and professional development opportunities.

To answer this question, highlight your strategic thinking and proactive planning skills. Discuss how you would balance matching the student’s skill set to an appropriate internship while also considering their professional development needs. You could mention using regular check-ins to track progress or setting specific goals for students. Showcase any past experiences where you have successfully placed individuals in beneficial roles that catered to both their current abilities and future growth.

Example: In order to effectively place students into internships while ensuring their growth and development, it’s crucial to first understand each student’s individual skills, interests, and career goals. This can be achieved through one-on-one meetings, skill assessments, and feedback from their instructors. Using this information, we can then match them with an internship that aligns with their aspirations and provides them with the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in a real-world context.

However, simply placing the students in internships is not enough. It’s important to establish a structured mentoring program where experienced professionals guide these interns, providing constructive feedback and helping them navigate challenges. Regular check-ins should also be conducted to assess the students’ progress and address any issues or concerns. By doing so, we ensure that the internships serve as a valuable learning experience that contributes to their professional growth and prepares them for future careers.

7. What strategies have you used to maintain strong relationships with employers for continued partnership opportunities?

Building and maintaining strong relationships with employers is essential for any organization that relies on partnerships for success. By asking this question, interviewers want to know if you have experience in cultivating and nurturing connections with employers, as well as whether you possess the skills and strategies necessary for ensuring long-term collaborations. Showcasing your ability to communicate effectively, provide value, and address any concerns or challenges will be key in demonstrating your competence in fostering lasting partnerships.

In answering this question, focus on your proactive approach to relationship management. Highlight any strategies you’ve used such as regular check-ins, promptly addressing issues, and understanding the employers’ needs to provide customized support. Mention examples where these strategies have led to continued partnerships or increased opportunities. And if you’re less experienced, discuss theoretical methods you would employ based on your knowledge about effective relationship management.

Example: In my experience, maintaining strong relationships with employers for continued partnership opportunities requires communication and understanding. I’ve found that regularly scheduled check-ins are invaluable in keeping the lines of communication open. These meetings aren’t just about reporting progress or discussing issues but also provide an opportunity to understand their evolving needs and goals.

Additionally, delivering consistent results is crucial. This involves not only meeting targets but also going beyond expectations when possible. For instance, if a project finishes ahead of schedule or under budget, it’s important to communicate this success. It shows that you’re committed to providing value and can be trusted to deliver on future projects. Lastly, transparency has been key in my strategy. If challenges arise, addressing them proactively and honestly helps build trust and demonstrates your commitment to the partnership.

8. How do you ensure that instructional content aligns with industry needs and is relevant to participants’ career aspirations?

The question is about understanding the importance of curriculum relevance and adaptability to meet industry demands and students’ career goals. Employers want to know that you, as an instructor or curriculum developer, can stay informed about industry trends, collaborate with professionals in the field, and continuously update the learning materials. This way, you can better prepare students for their future careers and ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in their chosen industries.

When addressing this question, highlight your experience in conducting industry research and staying updated with trends. Show how you’ve customized content based on participants’ career goals. Discuss a time when feedback from learners led to significant changes in your instructional design. If you’re new to the role, share your strategy for maintaining relevancy like regular re-evaluation of course material or seeking expert opinions.

Example: To ensure that instructional content aligns with industry needs and is relevant to participants’ career aspirations, I believe in conducting regular research and maintaining strong connections with the industry. This includes staying updated on current trends, job requirements, and skill demands through various means such as attending seminars, webinars, subscribing to industry journals, and networking with professionals.

For instance, if we are preparing students for careers in IT, it’s crucial to understand what skills employers are currently seeking – whether it’s proficiency in a specific programming language or understanding of certain software systems. We can then incorporate these elements into our curriculum.

Moreover, I also believe in continuous feedback from students about their career goals and aspirations. Regular surveys or one-on-one discussions can provide valuable insights into what they expect from the course and how we can tailor the content accordingly. By combining an up-to-date understanding of the industry with a clear picture of student expectations, we can create a curriculum that not only meets but exceeds both industry standards and participant aspirations.

9. Describe your experience with developing and implementing retention strategies for student populations facing multiple barriers to employment.

Fostering student success and retention is a key aspect of organizations that aim to empower and prepare individuals for the workforce, especially those facing barriers to employment. By asking this question, interviewers want to gauge your experience, creativity, and commitment to supporting students and ensuring their long-term success in the program and beyond. It’s essential to demonstrate your understanding of the unique challenges these students face and your ability to develop and implement effective strategies that address their needs.

Start by sharing about any strategies you’ve designed or implemented in the past to help at-risk student populations stay engaged and employed. Highlight the successes of these initiatives, quantifying results if possible. If you lack direct experience, discuss similar situations where you’ve helped individuals overcome obstacles. Show your understanding of the complexities involved and express commitment towards creating effective solutions.

Example: In my experience, developing and implementing retention strategies for student populations facing multiple barriers to employment requires a multi-faceted approach. One successful strategy I’ve utilized is the creation of individualized learning plans that address specific needs and challenges faced by each student. This includes providing resources such as tutoring, mentorship programs, and career counseling services.

Another key aspect of this process involves fostering an inclusive and supportive community environment. For instance, I have organized workshops and events designed to build soft skills, promote networking, and enhance self-confidence among students. Additionally, I’ve also implemented feedback mechanisms where students can voice their concerns or difficulties, allowing us to promptly address any issues and prevent potential drop-outs.

Moreover, partnering with local businesses and organizations has been instrumental in creating internship opportunities and job placements for these students. These partnerships not only provide practical work experience but also expose students to various industries and professions, thereby broadening their perspective and improving their chances of securing stable employment post-graduation.

10. Discuss your approach to monitoring and evaluating program performance, including data analysis and reporting on key metrics.

Evaluating program performance is critical for the continued success and improvement of any organization. Interviewers want to know that you can effectively gather and analyze data, identify trends, and report on key metrics to drive decision-making. Your ability to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and communicate results with stakeholders will ensure the program consistently meets its goals and improves the overall impact on the participants it serves.

When answering this question, delve into your experience with monitoring tools or programs you’ve used in the past. Discuss how you’ve set key performance indicators (KPIs) and tracked progress against them. Highlight any positive outcomes as a result of your approach to tracking. If new to data analysis, propose an organized system you’d implement to track metrics effectively. Be sure to underline your commitment to using data for continuous improvement and program success.

Example: My approach to monitoring and evaluating program performance is systematic and data-driven. I start by identifying key metrics that align with the program’s objectives, as these will serve as the basis for evaluation. For instance, if we’re running a training program, some of the key metrics could be participant satisfaction, knowledge gained, and application of learned skills in their respective roles.

Once the metrics are defined, I use various tools such as Google Analytics, Excel, or specialized software like Tableau for data collection and analysis. The gathered data provides insights into areas where the program is excelling and where improvements can be made.

As for reporting, I believe in presenting data visually whenever possible because it makes complex information easier to understand. Dashboards are particularly effective as they provide an at-a-glance view of the program’s performance against the set metrics. It’s also essential to tailor reports to the audience, focusing on the most relevant information for each stakeholder group. This way, everyone involved gets a clear picture of the program’s progress and impact.

11. How have you integrated technology solutions to improve operational efficiency within your past work experiences?

Employers want to understand your ability to recognize opportunities for improvement and implement technology solutions that can streamline processes and enhance overall efficiency. Showcasing your past experiences with integrating technology demonstrates your adaptability and innovation skills, which are essential qualities for any company looking to stay ahead in a competitive market.

Reflect on your past experiences where you’ve implemented technology to enhance efficiency. Discuss specific software or tools and detail the positive impact they had, such as streamlining processes or improving productivity. Even if you don’t have direct experience, highlight your ability to learn new technologies quickly and apply them effectively based on your understanding of their potential benefits.

Example: In one of my previous roles, we had a significant issue with data management and tracking. The system in place was manual, time-consuming, and prone to errors. Recognizing the inefficiencies, I proposed the implementation of a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. After researching various options, we decided on a solution that could be customized to our specific needs. I led the integration process, ensuring it would work seamlessly with our existing software systems. This CRM not only automated many of our processes but also improved accuracy and accessibility of information. As a result, we saw an increase in productivity, better customer service, and more effective decision-making based on real-time data.

Additionally, I’ve leveraged technology for improving internal communication within teams. In another instance, I introduced a project management tool which streamlined task allocation, progress tracking, and collaboration. It provided transparency and accountability, significantly reducing email clutter and meeting times. These experiences have reinforced my belief in the power of technology as a tool for operational efficiency.

12. Can you give an example of how you’ve managed budgets and resources effectively to meet organizational objectives?

Organizations are constantly seeking individuals who can manage their budgets and resources efficiently to achieve strategic goals. By asking this question, interviewers aim to gauge your financial acumen, your ability to allocate resources wisely, and your understanding of the relationship between financial management and the organization’s overall success. Sharing examples of effective budgeting and resource management demonstrates your ability to contribute positively to the organization’s financial health and growth.

To answer this question, reflect on your experience where you successfully managed budgets and resources. You could discuss a time when you had to make strategic decisions to allocate budget or resources wisely, perhaps during a challenging financial period, or for a critical project. Highlight your ability to prioritize, strategize, and make necessary adjustments as needed. If possible, use specific numbers or outcomes to illustrate the effectiveness of your management skills. Be sure to show how these experiences can add value to their organization’s objectives.

Example: In one of my previous roles, I was responsible for managing a budget to implement a new software system. The project had a tight deadline and limited resources. To ensure efficient use of the budget, I started by breaking down the project into smaller tasks and allocated funds according to priority levels. By doing this, we were able to identify areas where costs could be minimized without compromising quality or timelines.

Additionally, I closely monitored expenditures throughout the project lifecycle, which allowed me to make necessary adjustments along the way. For instance, when we realized that training costs were higher than anticipated, I renegotiated contracts with our vendors to keep us within budget. As a result, we completed the project on time and 10% under budget. This experience taught me the value of detailed planning, proactive monitoring, and flexibility in managing budgets effectively to meet organizational objectives.

13. Describe your experience designing and implementing professional development programs for staff members.

Creating and implementing professional development programs is essential for any organization that values the growth and success of its employees. By asking this question, interviewers want to gauge your ability to identify skill gaps, create engaging and relevant training materials, and facilitate programs that empower staff members to excel in their roles. This demonstrates your commitment to fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the company.

Reflect on past experiences where you’ve designed or implemented professional development programs. Highlight the initiatives you took, your approach towards understanding staff needs, and the successful outcomes of these efforts. If you haven’t had direct experience, discuss steps you’d take to design such a program – like soliciting feedback from staff, researching best practices, and tracking progress post-implementation.

Example: In my previous experience, I was responsible for designing and implementing a professional development program aimed at enhancing the leadership skills of mid-level managers. The first step involved conducting a needs assessment to identify skill gaps and areas for improvement. This entailed gathering feedback from employees through surveys and one-on-one interviews.

After identifying the key areas of focus, I designed a comprehensive training curriculum that included workshops, mentoring sessions, and e-learning modules. The program also incorporated real-world case studies to ensure practical application of theoretical concepts. To measure its effectiveness, we used pre- and post-training assessments, as well as regular performance reviews. We saw significant improvements in leadership competencies among participants, which ultimately led to increased team productivity and morale. This process taught me the importance of tailoring professional development programs to the specific needs of staff members and continuously evaluating their impact.

14. How have you collaborated with cross-functional teams to address challenges and drive results?

Collaboration is key in any organization, and interviewers want to know if you have experience working with diverse teams to tackle challenges and achieve goals. Your ability to successfully navigate cross-functional teamwork demonstrates your adaptability, effective communication, and problem-solving skills, which are all valuable assets in any role or company.

To answer this question effectively, draw from your past experiences where you worked collaboratively with teams of diverse functions. Discuss specific incidents that demonstrate your ability to initiate cooperative efforts, resolve conflicts, and drive projects to completion. Highlight the results achieved and how these collaborations led to problem-solving or improved outcomes. If new to such scenarios, discuss your strategies for effective collaboration like open communication, mutual respect, and goal alignment.

Example: In my previous experience, I was part of a project that required collaboration with different teams including marketing, sales, and IT. We were facing the challenge of streamlining our customer service process to improve client satisfaction rates. My role in this project was to facilitate communication between all these teams and ensure everyone was aligned on our objectives.

I initiated regular meetings where each team could update others about their progress and challenges. This helped us identify potential bottlenecks early and allowed us to adjust our strategies promptly. For instance, when the IT team faced difficulties integrating new customer service software with existing systems, we worked together to find a solution which involved re-prioritizing some tasks and providing additional resources for the IT team.

As a result of this collaborative effort, we managed to implement the new process smoothly without disrupting our services. The improved process led to a significant increase in customer satisfaction rate. This experience has taught me the value of cross-functional collaboration in addressing challenges and driving results.

15. How do you balance competing priorities and manage time effectively when working on multiple projects simultaneously?

In any high-performing organization, employees are often expected to juggle various responsibilities and manage their time effectively. This question helps interviewers gauge your ability to prioritize tasks, allocate resources, and maintain focus while working under pressure. Demonstrating your time management skills and showcasing how you’ve successfully handled multiple projects or tasks in the past will reassure interviewers that you can handle the demands of the role.

To answer this question, reflect on your past experiences managing multiple tasks. Discuss the strategies you use like setting clear goals, prioritizing based on deadline and importance, or using project management tools to keep track of progress. Highlight instances where your approach ensured timely completion of all projects without compromising quality. If you’re new to such situations, discuss the steps you’d take, like seeking guidance, learning time-management skills, or breaking down large tasks into manageable parts.

Example: Balancing competing priorities and managing time effectively is a skill I’ve honed over the years. For instance, when tasked with multiple projects, my first step is to clearly understand each project’s scope, deadlines, and expected outcomes. This allows me to prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance using the Eisenhower Matrix method.

In addition, I use project management tools like Asana or Trello to keep track of all tasks and deadlines, which helps ensure nothing falls through the cracks. I also believe in regular communication with team members and stakeholders about progress and any potential roadblocks. This proactive approach not only keeps everyone informed but also allows for timely adjustments if needed.

Lastly, I am a firm believer in setting realistic expectations and asking for help when necessary. If it becomes clear that timelines are too tight, I don’t hesitate to communicate this early and discuss possible solutions, such as delegating tasks or extending deadlines. This way, quality is never compromised due to rushed work.

16. Can you share an example of a creative solution you have implemented to resolve a complex problem within your organization?

Creative problem-solving is a key skill for any professional, and interviewers want to know that you can think outside the box to address challenges. By asking for a real-life example, they hope to gain insight into your ability to analyze situations, come up with innovative ideas, and implement effective solutions. This helps them determine if you have the potential to make a positive impact within their organization.

When answering this question, consider a situation where your innovative thinking led to a solution that improved processes or efficiency. Describe the problem clearly, then focus on the unique approach you took and why it was effective. Be sure to highlight teamwork if it applies and share what impact your creative solution had on your organization. This will showcase your problem-solving skills as well as your creativity.

Example: In my previous organization, we were struggling with low employee engagement and morale which was affecting productivity. Traditional methods of team building and incentive programs weren’t yielding the desired results. I proposed a creative solution to implement an “Employee Passion Project” initiative. This allowed employees to spend a small portion of their work hours each week on a project related to our business but outside of their usual scope of work. The aim was to foster innovation, improve skills diversification, and increase job satisfaction.

The implementation required careful planning and communication to ensure it didn’t disrupt regular operations. We also set up a system for employees to present their projects and progress to the rest of the team periodically, fostering a culture of learning and sharing. Over time, this led to not just increased engagement and morale, but also innovative ideas that benefited the business. It demonstrated how non-traditional, creative solutions can effectively address complex problems.

17. Describe your approach to fostering a culture of continuous improvement among your team members.

Continuous improvement is essential for any team to stay ahead and adapt to the ever-changing environment. Interviewers want to know how you plan to create a culture where team members are motivated to learn, grow, and develop their skills. This helps ensure that the team is consistently performing at a high level and contributes to the overall success of the organization. Your answer should demonstrate your leadership abilities and showcase your willingness to support team members in their professional development.

Think about situations where you have encouraged team members to take ownership of their roles and improve. Highlight your ability to give constructive feedback, set clear goals, and foster a supportive environment. If applicable, mention any strategies or techniques that helped in creating this culture. Show how these efforts led to improvements for the individual, the team, and the company as a whole. Lastly, express your belief in continuous learning and improvement as vital elements of success.

Example: In fostering a culture of continuous improvement, I believe in setting clear expectations and goals for each team member. This involves regular one-on-one meetings to discuss performance, provide constructive feedback, and collaborate on personal development plans. It’s essential to create an environment where learning from mistakes is encouraged rather than penalized.

Moreover, I support the idea of ongoing learning and encourage my team members to attend relevant workshops, seminars, or courses that can enhance their skills. I also promote knowledge sharing sessions within the team so everyone can learn from each other’s experiences and expertise. By doing this, we not only improve as individuals but also grow collectively as a team, driving us towards our common objectives.

18. How have you previously engaged with community stakeholders to build awareness and support for your organization’s mission?

Engaging with community stakeholders is a key component of building awareness and support for any organization’s mission. Interviewers want to know if you have experience in developing relationships with local businesses, community leaders, and other organizations to create partnerships and opportunities that benefit everyone involved. They’re also interested in your ability to communicate your organization’s values and goals effectively, which can contribute to a positive reputation and increased support from the community.

In responding to this question, detail specific instances where you’ve interacted and built relationships with community stakeholders. Highlight your communication skills – from organizing meetings or events to creating informative materials about the organization’s mission. Show how these strategies improved awareness and support for past initiatives. If applicable, mention any innovative methods used to engage diverse stakeholder groups. Remember, it’s important to demonstrate a genuine passion for the mission as well.

Example: In my previous organization, we were launching a new initiative aimed at providing educational resources for underprivileged students. To build awareness and support, I initiated a multi-pronged engagement strategy with community stakeholders. This included hosting town hall meetings to introduce the program and gather feedback, as well as one-on-one discussions with local leaders, educators, and parents to understand their needs and concerns better.

I also collaborated with our communications team to create tailored messages that resonated with different stakeholder groups, ensuring they understood how the initiative would benefit them directly. We leveraged social media platforms, newsletters, and local media outlets to disseminate these messages widely. As a result of these efforts, we not only gained significant support from the community but also managed to secure additional funding from local businesses who wanted to invest in the project after seeing its potential impact. This experience demonstrated the power of effective stakeholder engagement in advancing an organization’s mission.

19. Can you discuss a time when you needed to adapt your leadership style based on the needs of your team or project?

Leadership flexibility is a key component of successful management, and interviewers want to know if you’re able to adjust your approach based on the situation, the team’s dynamics, or the project’s unique requirements. By asking about a specific instance, they’re assessing your ability to recognize when a change in leadership style is necessary and how effectively you can execute that change to ensure positive outcomes.

Reflect on your experiences leading different team projects. Speak about a specific occasion when you had to change your leadership style, perhaps shifting from a direct approach to more of a coaching or delegating style. Describe the situation in detail – why did you need to adapt? How did it affect the outcome? Remember to highlight that this shows your flexibility and understanding that not all teams or situations require the same leadership style.

Example: In a previous project, I was leading a team of highly experienced and self-motivated individuals. Initially, my leadership style was quite directive as that’s what I had found to be effective in the past. However, I quickly realized that this approach wasn’t working with this particular group. They were experts in their fields and didn’t need or appreciate being micromanaged.

Recognizing this, I shifted my leadership style from directive to more of a facilitative and consultative approach. Instead of instructing them on what to do, I started asking for their opinions and suggestions, facilitating discussions, and helping them reach decisions collectively. This change not only improved our team dynamics but also increased productivity and innovation within the team.

This experience taught me the importance of flexibility in leadership. It is crucial to adapt your style based on the unique needs and characteristics of your team to bring out their best performance.

20. What methods have you utilized to assess the impact of your organization’s programs on participants and their communities?

Evaluating the effectiveness of programs and their impact on participants and their communities is essential for any organization devoted to creating positive change. By asking this question, interviewers want to learn about your experience with assessment methods, data analysis, and your ability to use this information to refine and improve programs. This demonstrates your commitment to continuous improvement and understanding the real-world implications of the work you do.

Consider your experiences in monitoring and evaluation of programs. Highlight how you’ve used both qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the impact, like surveys or interviews with participants. Reflect on any changes made as a result of these assessments. If new to this, suggest ways you’d approach it, such as collaborating with stakeholders or using baseline data for comparison.

Example: In my experience, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods has proven most effective in assessing the impact of programs. For instance, I have used surveys to gather data on participant satisfaction, skill acquisition, and changes in behavior or attitudes. This provides measurable outcomes that can be tracked over time.

However, to truly understand the impact on individuals and their communities, it’s also crucial to include more nuanced qualitative methods. Therefore, I’ve conducted one-on-one interviews and focus groups, allowing for deeper insights into participants’ experiences and perceptions. Additionally, observing program activities and interactions can offer valuable context. To assess community impact, I’ve found it helpful to engage with local stakeholders, like schools or businesses, to hear their perspectives on any observable changes related to our programs.

21. How do you ensure clear communication within your team, particularly when dealing with remote colleagues or partners?

Establishing effective communication within a team is essential for smooth collaboration and achieving desired outcomes, especially when working with remote colleagues or partners. Interviewers ask this question to gauge your communication strategies and techniques, as well as your ability to adapt to different working environments. This allows them to assess if you can maintain the flow of information and prevent misunderstandings in a diverse and potentially dispersed team.

To answer this question, highlight your experience with various communication tools used for virtual collaboration such as email, chat apps, video conferencing, and project management software. Discuss how you use these tools to maintain clear and regular communication, share updates, and ensure everyone’s on the same page. Also talk about strategies you’ve used to overcome challenges of remote communication like scheduling regular check-ins or creating detailed meeting agendas.

Example: Clear communication within a team, especially with remote colleagues or partners, hinges on establishing and adhering to certain protocols. For instance, I believe in setting clear expectations about response times for emails or messages, so everyone knows when they can expect feedback or answers to their queries. This helps avoid any feelings of being ignored or overlooked.

Additionally, it’s crucial to leverage the right digital tools that facilitate effective communication. Platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams are excellent for quick conversations and real-time collaboration, while email might be better suited for more formal communications or detailed project updates. Regular video calls also help maintain a sense of connection among remote teammates, making interactions more personal than just text-based exchanges.

In terms of ensuring clarity, I always encourage my team members to articulate their thoughts and ideas succinctly, avoiding jargon whenever possible. I also promote an open culture where people feel comfortable seeking clarification if something is not understood. It’s important to remember that good communication is a two-way street—it’s as much about listening and understanding as it is about conveying information.

22. Describe a situation where you recognized an opportunity for growth or expansion within your organization and how you pursued it.

Hiring managers want to see that you possess the ability to identify growth opportunities for the organization and take the initiative to make it happen. This question is an opportunity for you to showcase your critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills. By sharing a specific example, you demonstrate your ability to think strategically, assess potential benefits and risks, and work collaboratively with others to drive positive change within the organization.

When answering this question, focus on a specific instance where you identified an opportunity for growth or expansion in your previous roles. Discuss the situation, how you recognized the potential, and the steps you took to capitalize on it. Highlight the results of your initiative, especially if it led to significant improvements. Be sure to emphasize your proactive attitude, strategic thinking, and ability to execute ideas, as these are qualities highly valued in any organization.

Example: In my previous organization, I noticed that we were getting a significant amount of traffic on our website but the conversion rate was quite low. This indicated to me that there was an opportunity for growth by improving the user experience and optimizing the sales funnel. I proposed this observation to my team and suggested implementing A/B testing methods to experiment with different site designs and call-to-action placements. After receiving approval, I led the project, coordinating with the web development and marketing teams. The results were highly encouraging as we saw a substantial increase in our conversion rates which directly impacted our revenue positively. By identifying and acting upon this opportunity, not only did we grow our customer base, but also improved our internal processes related to website management and data analysis.

23. How have you managed risks and mitigated potential issues within projects or initiatives you’ve overseen?

Handling risks and addressing potential issues are key components of successful project management. When interviewers ask this question, they’re looking to gauge how well you can identify potential roadblocks and proactively find solutions to prevent delays or setbacks. They want to ensure you can keep projects on track and deliver results while navigating unexpected challenges that may arise.

Reflect on your past experiences to showcase how you’ve successfully managed and mitigated risks in previous projects. Discuss the strategies you used, such as risk identification, prioritization, and action planning. Emphasize any instances where your proactive measures prevented potential issues. If you’re less experienced, outline a theoretical approach that demonstrates your understanding of risk management principles. Remember, showcasing critical thinking and problem-solving skills is key.

Example: In one of the projects I managed, we were developing a new software application. One of the major risks identified was that our team was not familiar with the latest technology stack required for the project. To mitigate this risk, I initiated a training program to upskill the team members and also brought in an external consultant with expertise in that area as a temporary measure. This not only mitigated the risk but also improved the overall competency level of the team.

Another potential issue was meeting the tight deadline set by the client. To manage this, I broke down the project into smaller tasks with clear deadlines and assigned them to different team members based on their strengths. Regular progress meetings were held to ensure everyone was on track. By doing so, we were able to deliver the project successfully within the stipulated time frame.

These experiences have taught me the importance of proactive risk management and effective communication in ensuring the success of any project.

24. Can you discuss your experience working with youth from diverse backgrounds, including low-income communities, and any unique challenges that may arise?

Supporting and empowering young people from diverse backgrounds requires a unique set of skills, understanding, and empathy. Interviewers want to gauge your experience and capacity to connect with, mentor, and guide individuals who may be facing various challenges in their lives. By asking this question, they aim to determine your cultural competence, adaptability, and ability to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all participants, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.

Begin by acknowledging the importance of diversity and inclusion, then delve into your specific experiences. Highlight instances where you’ve worked with youth from various backgrounds and low-income communities. Discuss any challenges encountered, focusing on what they taught you about empathy, adaptability, and problem-solving. If your experience is limited, explain how other experiences have prepared you to effectively work with diverse populations. Show enthusiasm for learning from different perspectives and contributing positively to Year Up’s inclusive environment.

Example: Throughout my professional journey, I’ve had the privilege of working with youth from diverse backgrounds, including those from low-income communities. One notable experience was when I facilitated a mentorship program aimed at enhancing their life skills and career readiness. The unique challenge that arises in such settings is the pre-existing barriers these youths face like limited resources, lack of role models, or even societal stigmas.

To address these challenges, I employed an empathetic approach to understand their individual situations better. For instance, I ensured that our programs were accessible by providing necessary resources and creating a safe, inclusive environment where they felt valued and heard. Additionally, I emphasized building strong relationships based on trust and respect, which helped them gain confidence and motivation to overcome obstacles. It’s not always an easy task, but seeing their growth and resilience makes it incredibly rewarding.

25. Explain how you would maintain strong relationships with alumni to encourage ongoing support and engagement with your organization.

Fostering connections with alumni is essential for any organization that values the long-term impact of its programs and services. By keeping alumni engaged, you can create a strong network of support, collaboration, and advocacy. Interviewers ask this question to gauge your understanding of the importance of alumni relations and your ability to develop strategies for maintaining these relationships, ensuring the organization continues to benefit from their expertise, connections, and experiences.

To answer this question, you should emphasize your skills in communication and relationship-building. Highlight instances where you’ve maintained relationships over time, perhaps through regular check-ins or by providing continued value to the person. Mention how you would use different methods like meetups, newsletters, and social media to keep alumni engaged with the organization’s work. If you’ve successfully encouraged ongoing support from stakeholders in a previous role, now is the time to share that accomplishment.

Example: Maintaining strong relationships with alumni is crucial for the ongoing success of any organization. One effective strategy I would employ is regular communication that provides value to our alumni, such as industry insights, networking opportunities, or ways they can continue contributing to Year Up’s mission. This could be done through newsletters, social media, and personalized emails.

Additionally, creating a sense of community among alumni is essential. Hosting events like reunions, webinars, or workshops can foster this feeling of belonging and keep them engaged with the organization. It’s also important to recognize their achievements and contributions, both during their time at Year Up and in their subsequent careers. Recognition not only makes alumni feel valued but also encourages continued support and involvement.

Lastly, understanding each alumnus’ individual interests and needs is key. By tailoring our approach to suit these unique preferences, we can ensure that our engagement efforts resonate on a personal level, thus strengthening our relationship with them.

Top 25 Whole Foods Market Team Member Interview Questions & Answers

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130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Questions on everything from mental health and sports to video games and dating. Which ones inspire you to take a stand?

By The Learning Network

Note: We have an updated version of this list, with 300 new argumentative writing prompts .

What issues do you care most about? What topics do you find yourself discussing passionately, whether online, at the dinner table, in the classroom or with your friends?

In Unit 5 of our free yearlong writing curriculum and related Student Editorial Contest , we invite students to research and write about the issues that matter to them, whether that’s Shakespeare , health care , standardized testing or being messy .

But with so many possibilities, where does one even begin? Try our student writing prompts.

In 2017, we compiled a list of 401 argumentative writing prompts , all drawn from our daily Student Opinion column . Now, we’re rounding up 130 more we’ve published since then ( available here as a PDF ). Each prompt links to a free Times article as well as additional subquestions that can help you think more deeply about it.

You might use this list to inspire your own writing and to find links to reliable resources about the issues that intrigue you. But even if you’re not participating in our contest, you can use these prompts to practice the kind of low-stakes writing that can help you hone your argumentation skills.

So scroll through the list below with questions on everything from sports and mental health to dating and video games and see which ones inspire you to take a stand.

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How to Answer the Questbridge Essay Questions

• Sasha Chada
• September 11, 2023

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We’ve written about Questbridge before , and still recommend it as an application option for students who meet its eligibility requirements . The scholarships it offers are quite valuable, and grant a pathway to college most students would benefit greatly from. 

Our last article sought to provide a general overview of the Questbridge app, but this one will instead focus on the essays. Questbridge asks applicants to answer two types of essays; long and short answers. We’ll go over the prompts, what they’re asking, and how you can go about answering them. Let’s get started!

Questbridge’s Main Essay

This is named the Personal Essay, and is in many ways quite similar to the personal statement asked for by the Common App. Here is the prompt: 

• We are interested in learning more about the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations, and accomplished your successes. Please describe how the most influential factors and challenges in your life have shaped you into the person you are today. (800 words)

This is a very broad prompt, which is both good and bad. Good, because you can write about almost anything. Bad, because you can write about almost anything. This can be a headache when trying to pick a topic. We recommend our article on brainstorming if you want advice on that. 

Generally, however, this essay should be about a self-definitive topic. You want to tell readers something about how you define yourself, and how some event or impact has affected the person you are. This is true for the Common App’s personal statement as well, and any essay you write for Questbridge can be edited to serve as a personal statement. 

Here’s an example of what I mean by self-definitional. I wrote my own personal statement on my time spent dancing. This was an activity I devoted long hours to, but more than that, it was part of how I defined myself. I was a dancer; dance was more than what I did, it was who I was. 

This essay does not need to be about one of your activities, but should center in some way on who you are, and what has made you you. We realize that this can be a tall order; check out some of our guides to the personal statement for more advice on how to approach an essay like this. 

Questbridge’s Second Essay

Questbridge asks for a second long essay. There are four potential prompts for this, and it has a 500 word limit. Here are the prompts: 

• Tell us about a concept, theory, or topic you have explored simply because it sparked your intellectual curiosity. Why do you find it intriguing? How do you want to explore it further?
• Describe an experience that caused you to change your perspective and/or opinion.
• What aspect of your current community do you admire and wish to bring to your future college community?
• Inclusivity involves embracing diversity and working to include people with backgrounds and experiences different from your own. Describe an experience where you have played a role in fostering inclusivity.

There are two things you should consider when choosing which prompt you should answer for this. The first is which stories do you have that will be most impactful, and the second is how best you can complement the story you told in your personal essay. 

Of course, you want to tell whichever story best shows off who you are, and what you will bring to a college. The first prompt allows you to show off your intellectual vitality , the second your willingness to learn from others, and the third and fourth how you will integrate with and contribute to a diverse and vibrant college community. Which of these you have the best story for depends on your own circumstances and experiences.

Most students, however, will have options for each of these prompts. You are all excited about learning, contribute to your community, and have interesting and unique points of view. What you should then consider is this essay in context. How does the information you include in this essay add to what you showed admissions officers in your personal essay?

Questbridge, like colleges, judges applications holistically , trying to create a full picture of who you are. This second long essay is a chance to show them (and admissions officers) a second facet of your character. You should avoid repeating any information you included in your personal essay in this one. 

Questbridge’s Short Answer Essays

In addition to the two longer essay questions, Questbridge asks a number of short answer questions, ranging from 35 to 200 words in length. This is far more essays, as an application, than the Common App or Coalition App. In turn, however, many of the colleges you can apply to through Questbridge require fewer supplemental essays, since the application itself supplies so much information about you. 

Questbridge also only allows you to input five activities, in contrast to the ten allowed by the Common App. These additional essay questions are intended to let you delve more in depth into what you do outside of the classroom, and can be a big help for students who participated in more than five activities in high school. 

We’ll go through each question, and cover what it’s asking, and how to answer it.

Tell us about one of your proudest achievements or moments and what it says about you. (200 words)

This question is open ended and straightforward. What accomplishments you care about most says something about you; what you value, and what you have worked towards. This can be either an extracurricular accomplishment, or something you achieved in your school work. What’s important is not just what you did, but why it matters to you. 

In your response, cover both the accomplishment in detail, scope and scale and the effort you put in, and why this accomplishment was important to you. You want to show readers your values, and what you care about celebrating success in. 

If you could meet a character from a book or a historical figure, who would it be and what would you ask them? (200 words)

This is again a chance to show off your values and personality. We recommend answering this question completely honestly. Don’t try to craft an answer based on what you think admissions officers want to hear, instead write an answer that shows off the best parts of you, and where your interests lie. 

We do recommend looking for less common answers, or responses that readers have not seen hundreds of times before. American presidents, protagonists of popular novels, and the most famous historical figures are often brought up for topics like this. If you do want to meet with George Washington or Julius Caesar, then that’s perfectly fine, but you should have something unique and interesting to say about why. 

Very Short Answer Questions

All of the following questions are to be answered in 35 words: 

• What is your favorite subject to study, and why?
• What are your favorite books and/or movies?
• What is your favorite source of inspiration?
• How do you spend a typical weekend?
• What compliment are you most proud of receiving and who gave it to you?
• After a challenging experience, how do you rejuvenate?
• What would you contribute to your future college campus community?

You may answer these in either sentences or lists as you find appropriate. We recommend answering the question about favorite books or movies as a list; it parallels Columbia’s list essays . You likely won’t be able to list every book or movie you enjoy, so try to curate a list that shows off your range of interests.

You should attempt to answer the rest of these questions earnestly and honestly. You do still want to show yourself in a positive light, but this is a good chance to show admissions officers little interesting glimpses of your life and personality. One student we worked with unwinds after a long and challenging experience with a nap; there’s nothing wrong with this, and answering in this way shows an aspect of their character, and how they handle the responsibilities they have assumed. 

For each question, spend one sentence answering it directly, and another providing context or details which expand upon your answer. It is not enough to merely say what your favorite source of inspiration is; give some reasons why and how it inspires you. Questbridge is giving you a wonderful opportunity to introduce yourself to admissions officers, and you should do your best to take advantage of it. 

The final question, about how you will contribute, is the most difficult to answer briefly. Many colleges ask questions like this as a full supplemental essay , which we refer to as the community essay. For this, we recommend focusing on one or two tangible ways you will contribute to a campus community, and exploring each in a sentence. Maybe you’ll bond with your roommates over home cooked meals, or participate in student government, or volunteer your time, or add your talents to artistic endeavors, or bring the school athletic glory; there are many ways to contribute. You need to explore what you bring to the table. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, the essay questions asked by Questbridge give you a lot of room to explore what matters to you, and where your interests lie. This is intentional, as is the open endedness of the questions. Questbridge is meant to provide students who may not have as many resources at their disposal a clear path to college, and part of this is eliciting the kind of information admissions officers want to know. 

Admissions officers want to know who you are, what you care about, and how you’ve spent your time. They want to know what challenges you’ve faced, and how your obligations may have impacted your academic journey. The essay questions are meant to explore who you are as a person and student, because that’s what admissions officers want to see. 

Of course, writing college essays, even ones which strive to be straightforward, is quite difficult. Defining yourself, and exploring your interests is not an easy task for many students. If you are looking for guidance answering Questbridge’s essay questions, or have other concerns about the application process, consider applying to our Laurel Scholars program . We’ve helped many students realize their collegiate dreams, and are always happy to hear from you.

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Want to write a college essay that sets you apart? Three tips to give you a head start

1. Keep it real. It’s normal to want to make a good impression on the school of your choice, but it’s also important to show who you really are. So just be yourself! Compelling stories might not be perfectly linear or have a happy ending, and that’s OK. It’s best to be authentic instead of telling schools what you think they want to hear.

2. Be reflective . Think about how you’ve changed during high school. How have you grown and improved? What makes you feel ready for college, and how do you hope to contribute to the campus community and society at large?

3. Look to the future. Consider your reasons for attending college. What do you hope to gain from your education? What about college excites you the most, and what would you like to do after you graduate? Answering these questions will not only give colleges insight into the kind of student you’ll be, but it will also give you the personal insight you’ll need to choose the school that’s right for you.

Have questions about college prep? We're here to help.

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How To Tackle The Weirdest Supplemental Essay Prompts For This Application Cycle

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Writing the college essay

How do you write a letter to a friend that shows you’re a good candidate for the University of Pennsylvania? What reading list will help the Columbia University admissions committee understand your interdisciplinary interests? How can you convey your desire to attend Yale by inventing a course description for a topic you’re interested in studying?

These are the challenges students must overcome when writing their supplemental essays . Supplemental essays are a critical component of college applications—like the personal statement, they provide students with the opportunity to showcase their authentic voice and perspective beyond the quantitative elements of their applications. However, unlike the personal essay, supplemental essays allow colleges to read students’ responses to targeted prompts and evaluate their candidacy for their specific institution. For this reason, supplemental essay prompts are often abstract, requiring students to get creative, read between the lines, and ditch the traditional essay-writing format when crafting their responses.

While many schools simply want to know “why do you want to attend our school?” others break the mold, inviting students to think outside of the box and answer prompts that are original, head-scratching, or downright weird. This year, the following five colleges pushed students to get creative—if you’re struggling to rise to the challenge, here are some tips for tackling their unique prompts:

University of Chicago

Prompt: We’re all familiar with green-eyed envy or feeling blue, but what about being “caught purple-handed”? Or “tickled orange”? Give an old color-infused expression a new hue and tell us what it represents. – Inspired by Ramsey Bottorff, Class of 2026

What Makes it Unique: No discussion of unique supplemental essay prompts would be complete without mentioning the University of Chicago, a school notorious for its puzzling and original prompts (perhaps the most well-known of these has been the recurring prompt “Find x”). This prompt challenges you to invent a new color-based expression, encouraging both linguistic creativity and a deep dive into the emotional or cultural connotations of color. It’s a prompt that allows you to play with language, think abstractly, and show off your ability to forge connections between concepts that aren’t typically linked—all qualities that likewise demonstrate your preparedness for UChicago’s unique academic environment.

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How to Answer it: While it may be easy to get distracted by the open-ended nature of the prompt, remember that both the substance and structure of your response should give some insight into your personality, perspective, and characteristics. With this in mind, begin by considering the emotions, experiences, or ideas that most resonate with you. Then, use your imagination to consider how a specific color could represent that feeling or concept. Remember that the prompt is ultimately an opportunity to showcase your creativity and original way of looking at the world, so your explanation does not need to be unnecessarily deep or complex—if you have a playful personality, convey your playfulness in your response; if you are known for your sarcasm, consider how you can weave in your biting wit; if you are an amateur poet, consider how you might take inspiration from poetry as you write, or offer a response in the form of a poem.

The goal is to take a familiar concept and turn it into something new and meaningful through a creative lens. Use this essay to showcase your ability to think inventively and to draw surprising connections between language and life.

Harvard University

Prompt: Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

What Makes it Unique: This prompt is unique in both form and substance—first, you only have 150 words to write about all 3 things. Consider using a form other than a traditional essay or short answer response, such as a bullet list or short letter. Additionally, note that the things your roommate might like to learn about you do not necessarily overlap with the things you would traditionally share with an admissions committee. The aim of the prompt is to get to know your quirks and foibles—who are you as a person and a friend? What distinguishes you outside of academics and accolades?

How to Answer it: First and foremost, feel free to get creative with your response to this prompt. While you are producing a supplemental essay and thus a professional piece of writing, the prompt invites you to share more personal qualities, and you should aim to demonstrate your unique characteristics in your own voice. Consider things such as: How would your friends describe you? What funny stories do your parents and siblings share that encapsulate your personality? Or, consider what someone might want to know about living with you: do you snore? Do you have a collection of vintage posters? Are you particularly fastidious? While these may seem like trivial things to mention, the true creativity is in how you connect these qualities to deeper truths about yourself—perhaps your sleepwalking is consistent with your reputation for being the first to raise your hand in class or speak up about a cause you’re passionate about. Perhaps your living conditions are a metaphor for how your brain works—though it looks like a mess to everyone else, you have a place for everything and know exactly where to find it. Whatever qualities you choose, embrace the opportunity to think outside of the box and showcase something that admissions officers won’t learn about anywhere else on your application.

University of Pennsylvania

Prompt: Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.

What Makes it Unique: Breaking from the traditional essay format, this supplement invites you to write directly to a third party in the form of a 150-200 word long letter. The challenge in answering this distinct prompt is to remember that your letter should say as much about you, your unique qualities and what you value as it does about the recipient—all while not seeming overly boastful or contrived.

How to Answer it: As you select a recipient, consider the relationships that have been most formative in your high school experience—writing to someone who has played a large part in your story will allow the admissions committee some insight into your development and the meaningful relationships that guided you on your journey. Once you’ve identified the person, craft a thank-you note that is specific and heartfelt—unlike other essays, this prompt invites you to be sentimental and emotional, as long as doing so would authentically convey your feelings of gratitude. Describe the impact they’ve had on you, what you’ve learned from them, and how their influence has shaped your path. For example, if you’re thanking a teacher, don’t just say they helped you become a better student—explain how their encouragement gave you the confidence to pursue your passions. Keep the tone sincere and personal, avoid clichés and focus on the unique role this person has played in your life.

University of Notre Dame

Prompt: What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

What Makes it Unique: This prompt is unique in that it invites students to share something about themselves by reflecting on someone else’s words in 50-100 words.

How to Answer it: The key to answering this prompt is to avoid focusing too much on the complement itself and instead focus on your response to receiving it and why it was so important to you. Note that this prompt is not an opportunity to brag about your achievements, but instead to showcase what truly matters to you. Select a compliment that truly speaks to who you are and what you value. It could be related to your character, work ethic, kindness, creativity, or any other quality that you hold in high regard. The compliment doesn’t have to be grand or come from someone with authority—it could be something small but significant that left a lasting impression on you, or it could have particular meaning for you because it came from someone you didn’t expect it to come from. Be brief in setting the stage and explaining the context of the compliment—what is most important is your reflection on its significance and how it shaped your understanding of yourself.

Stanford University

Prompt: List five things that are important to you.

What Makes it Unique: This prompt’s simplicity is what makes it so challenging. Stanford asks for a list, not an essay, which means you have very limited space (50 words) to convey something meaningful about yourself. Additionally, the prompt does not specify what these “things” must be—they could be a physical item, an idea, a concept, or even a pastime. Whatever you choose, these five items should add depth to your identity, values, and priorities.

How to Answer it: Start by brainstorming what matters most to you—these could be values, activities, people, places, or even abstract concepts. The key is to choose items or concepts that, when considered together, provide a comprehensive snapshot of who you are. For example, you might select something tangible and specific such as “an antique telescope gifted by my grandfather” alongside something conceptual such as “the willingness to admit when you’re wrong.” The beauty of this prompt is that it doesn’t require complex sentences or elaborate explanations—just a clear and honest reflection of what you hold dear. Be thoughtful in your selections, and use this prompt to showcase your creativity and core values.

While the supplemental essays should convey something meaningful about you, your values, and your unique qualifications for the university to which you are applying, the best essays are those that are playful, original, and unexpected. By starting early and taking the time to draft and revise their ideas, students can showcase their authentic personalities and distinguish themselves from other applicants through their supplemental essays.

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What is ChatGPT? Here's everything you need to know about OpenAI's chatbot

• ChatGPT is getting a futuristic human update. 
• ChatGPT has attracted users at a feverish pace and spurred Big Tech to release other AI chatbots.
• Here's how ChatGPT works — and what's coming next.

OpenAI has started rolling out an advanced voice mode for its blockbuster chatbot ChatGPT.

Sam Altman's company began rolling out the chatbot's new voice mode to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users in July. OpenAI said the new voice feature "offers more natural, real-time conversations, allows you to interrupt anytime, and senses and responds to your emotions."

The feature is part of OpenAI's wider GPT-4o launch, a new version of the bot that can hold conversations with users and has vision abilities. The chatbot's vision features are expected as a later release. 

The move is a big step for the future of AI-powered virtual assistants, which tech companies have been racing to develop.

Since its release in late 2022, hundreds of millions of people have experimented with the tool, which is already changing how the internet looks and feels to users.

Users have flocked to ChatGPT to improve their personal lives and boost productivity . Some workers have used the AI chatbot to develop code , write real estate listings , and create lesson plans, while others have made teaching the best ways to use ChatGPT a career all to itself.

ChatGPT offers dozens of plug-ins to ChatGPT Plus subscribers. An Expedia plug-in can help you book a trip, while one from OpenTable will nab you a dinner reservation. OpenAI has also launched Code Interpreter, a version of ChatGPT that can code and analyze data .

While the personal tone of conversations with an AI bot like ChatGPT can evoke the experience of chatting with a human, the technology that runs on large language model tools doesn't speak with sentience and doesn't "think" the way humans do. 

That means that even though ChatGPT can explain quantum physics or write a poem on command, a full AI takeover isn't exactly imminent , according to experts.

"There's a saying that an infinite number of monkeys will eventually give you Shakespeare," said Matthew Sag, a law professor at Emory University who studies copyright implications for training and using large language models like ChatGPT.

"There's a large number of monkeys here, giving you things that are impressive — but there is intrinsically a difference between the way that humans produce language, and the way that large language models do it," he said. 

Chatbots like ChatGPT are powered by large amounts of data and computing techniques to make predictions to string words together in a meaningful way. They not only tap into a vast amount of vocabulary and information, but also understand words in context. This helps them mimic speech patterns while dispatching an encyclopedic knowledge. 

Other tech companies like Google and Meta have developed their own large language model tools, which use programs that take in human prompts and devise sophisticated responses.

Despite the AI's impressive capabilities, some have called out OpenAI's chatbot for spewing misinformation , stealing personal data for training purposes , and even encouraging students to cheat and plagiarize on their assignments. 

Some efforts to use chatbots for real-world services have proved troubling. In 2023, the mental health company Koko came under fire after its founder wrote about how the company used GPT-3 in an experiment to reply to users. 

Koko cofounder Rob Morris hastened to clarify on Twitter that users weren't speaking directly to a chatbot, but that AI was used to "help craft" responses. 

Read Insider's coverage on ChatGPT and some of the strange new ways that both people and companies are using chat bots: 

The tech world's reception to ChatGPT:

Microsoft is chill with employees using ChatGPT — just don't share 'sensitive data' with it.

Microsoft's investment into ChatGPT's creator may be the smartest $1 billion ever spent

ChatGPT and generative AI look like tech's next boom. They could be the next bubble.

The ChatGPT and generative-AI 'gold rush' has founders flocking to San Francisco's 'Cerebral Valley'

Insider's experiments: 

I asked ChatGPT to do my work and write an Insider article for me. It quickly generated an alarmingly convincing article filled with misinformation.

I asked ChatGPT and a human matchmaker to redo my Hinge and Bumble profiles. They helped show me what works.

I asked ChatGPT to reply to my Hinge matches. No one responded.

I used ChatGPT to write a resignation letter. A lawyer said it made one crucial error that could have invalidated the whole thing .

Read ChatGPT's 'insulting' and 'garbage' 'Succession' finale script

An Iowa school district asked ChatGPT if a list of books contains sex scenes, and banned them if it said yes. We put the system to the test and found a bunch of problems.

Developments in detecting ChatGPT: 

Teachers rejoice! ChatGPT creators have released a tool to help detect AI-generated writing

A Princeton student built an app which can detect if ChatGPT wrote an essay to combat AI-based plagiarism

Professors want to 'ChatGPT-proof' assignments, and are returning to paper exams and requesting editing history to curb AI cheating

Related stories

ChatGPT in society: 

BuzzFeed writers react with a mix of disappointment and excitement at news that AI-generated content is coming to the website

ChatGPT is testing a paid version — here's what that means for free users

A top UK private school is changing its approach to homework amid the rise of ChatGPT, as educators around the world adapt to AI

Princeton computer science professor says don't panic over 'bullshit generator' ChatGPT

DoNotPay's CEO says threat of 'jail for 6 months' means plan to debut AI 'robot lawyer' in courtroom is on ice

It might be possible to fight a traffic ticket with an AI 'robot lawyer' secretly feeding you lines to your AirPods, but it could go off the rails

Online mental health company uses ChatGPT to help respond to users in experiment — raising ethical concerns around healthcare and AI technology

What public figures think about ChatGPT and other AI tools:

What Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and 12 other business leaders think about AI tools like ChatGPT

Elon Musk was reportedly 'furious' at ChatGPT's popularity after he left the company behind it, OpenAI, years ago

CEO of ChatGPT maker responds to schools' plagiarism concerns: 'We adapted to calculators and changed what we tested in math class'

A theoretical physicist says AI is just a 'glorified tape recorder' and people's fears about it are overblown

'The most stunning demo I've ever seen in my life': ChatGPT impressed Bill Gates

Ashton Kutcher says your company will probably be 'out of business' if you're 'sleeping' on AI

ChatGPT's impact on jobs: 

AI systems like ChatGPT could impact 300 million full-time jobs worldwide, with administrative and legal roles some of the most at risk, Goldman Sachs report says

Jobs are now requiring experience with ChatGPT — and they'll pay as much as $800,000 a year for the skill

ChatGPT may be coming for our jobs. Here are the 10 roles that AI is most likely to replace.

AI is going to eliminate way more jobs than anyone realizes

It's not AI that is going to take your job, but someone who knows how to use AI might, economist says

4 careers where workers will have to change jobs by 2030 due to AI and shifts in how we shop, a McKinsey study says

Companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Meta are paying salaries as high as $900,000 to attract generative AI talent

How AI tools like ChatGPT are changing the workforce:

10 ways artificial intelligence is changing the workplace, from writing performance reviews to making the 4-day workweek possible

Managers who use AI will replace managers who don't, says an IBM exec

How ChatGPT is shaping industries: 

ChatGPT is coming for classrooms, hospitals, marketing departments, and everything else as the next great startup boom emerges

Marketing teams are using AI to generate content, boost SEO, and develop branding to help save time and money, study finds

AI is coming for Hollywood. 'It's amazing to see the sophistication of the images,' one of Christopher Nolan's VFX guy says.

AI is going to offer every student a personalized tutor, founder of Khan Academy says

A law firm was fined $5,000 after one of its lawyers used ChatGPT to write a court brief riddled with fake case references

How workers are using ChatGPT to boost productivity:  

CheatGPT: The hidden wave of employees using AI on the sly

I used ChatGPT to talk to my boss for a week and she didn't notice. Here are the other ways I use it daily to get work done.

I'm a high school math and science teacher who uses ChatGPT, and it's made my job much easier

Amazon employees are already using ChatGPT for software coding. They also found the AI chatbot can answer tricky AWS customer questions and write cloud training materials.

How 6 workers are using ChatGPT to make their jobs easier

I'm a freelance editor who's embraced working with AI content. Here's how I do it and what I charge.

How people are using ChatGPT to make money:

How ChatGPT and other AI tools are helping workers make more money

Here are 5 ways ChatGPT helps me make money and complete time-consuming tasks for my business

ChatGPT course instruction is the newest side hustle on the market. Meet the teachers making thousands from the lucrative gig.

People are using ChatGPT and other AI bots to work side hustles and earn thousands of dollars — check out these 8 freelancing gigs

A guy tried using ChatGPT to turn $100 into a business making 'as much money as possible.' Here are the first 4 steps the AI chatbot gave him

We used ChatGPT to build a 7-figure newsletter. Here's how it makes our jobs easier.

I use ChatGPT and it's like having a 24/7 personal assistant for $20 a month. Here are 5 ways it's helping me make more money.

A worker who uses AI for a $670 monthly side hustle says ChatGPT has 'cut her research time in half'

How companies are navigating ChatGPT: 

From Salesforce to Air India, here are the companies that are using ChatGPT

Amazon, Apple, and 12 other major companies that have restricted employees from using ChatGPT

A consultant used ChatGPT to free up time so she could focus on pitching clients. She landed $128,000 worth of new contracts in just 3 months.

Luminary, an AI-generated pop-up restaurant, just opened in Australia. Here's what's on the menu, from bioluminescent calamari to chocolate mousse.

A CEO is spending more than $2,000 a month on ChatGPT Plus accounts for all of his employees, and he says it's saving 'hours' of time

How people are using ChatGPT in their personal lives:

ChatGPT planned a family vacation to Costa Rica. A travel adviser found 3 glaring reasons why AI won't replace experts anytime soon.

A man who hated cardio asked ChatGPT to get him into running. Now, he's hooked — and he's lost 26 pounds.

A computer engineering student is using ChatGPT to overcome learning challenges linked to her dyslexia

How a coder used ChatGPT to find an apartment in Berlin in 2 weeks after struggling for months

Food blogger Nisha Vora tried ChatGPT to create a curry recipe. She says it's clear the instructions lacked a human touch — here's how.

Men are using AI to land more dates with better profiles and personalized messages, study finds

Lawsuits against OpenAI:

OpenAI could face a plagiarism lawsuit from The New York Times as tense negotiations threaten to boil over, report says

This is why comedian Sarah Silverman is suing OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT

2 authors say OpenAI 'ingested' their books to train ChatGPT. Now they're suing, and a 'wave' of similar court cases may follow.

A lawsuit claims OpenAI stole 'massive amounts of personal data,' including medical records and information about children, to train ChatGPT

A radio host is suing OpenAI for defamation, alleging that ChatGPT created a false legal document that accused him of 'defrauding and embezzling funds'

Tips on how to write better ChatGPT prompts:

7 ways to use ChatGPT at work to boost your productivity, make your job easier, and save a ton of time

I'm an AI prompt engineer. Here are 3 ways I use ChatGPT to get the best results.

12 ways to get better at using ChatGPT: Comprehensive prompt guide

Here's 9 ways to turn ChatGPT Plus into your personal data analyst with the new Code Interpreter plug-in

OpenAI's ChatGPT can write impressive code. Here are the prompts you should use for the best results, experts say.

Watch: What is ChatGPT, and should we be afraid of AI chatbots?

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