Common App Prompts - How To Choose One That Works for You
This year’s Common Application (and swanky brand new platform) was unveiled on August 1st and in a rather underwhelming announcement, reinstated the same seven personal essay writing prompts that we’ve seen in years past. Why would they repeat the same prompts? After annually poling admissions officers, applicants, parents, and counselors, the powers that be at the Common App have deemed these seven essays options the most effective in accurately understanding the applicant.
Directly from the folks at Common App re: instructions, purpose, and length requirements: The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)
The Common App Website shares this year’s Essay Prompts:
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
What This Means for This Year’s Graduating Class:
• Know the data. Interestingly, the most popular essay prompt choice of last year’s application season is Option #5 (23.6%), followed by Option #7 (22.5%). After knowing this, does this sway your choice?
• Start now. With the release of this year’s Common App personal essay prompts, this is a terrific opportunity for seniors to leverage the last fleeting weeks of summer break and start brainstorming, drafting, editing, and revising essays now.
Happy Writing!