Here are the most important Common App essay tips:
Gain instant access to 25 exclusive full-length examples covering all seven prompts, plus comprehensive analyses for each to help you craft stellar essays.
Common App prompts are the set of seven essay prompts released each year by the college admissions site Common Application. Students are asked to submit one essay of 250 to 650 words in response to a prompt of their choice. About a quarter of US institutions accept Common Apps, and even those that don’t use the site will often use essay prompts modeled after the Common App’s. Gain instant access to 25 exclusive full-length examples covering all seven prompts, plus comprehensive analyses for each to help you craft stellar essays. The prompts most students choose to respond to are “Share an essay on any topic of your choice” and “Discuss an accomplishment.” That being said, write about whichever prompt feels the most compelling to you. An enthusiastic response to a less frequently answered prompt will outshine a lackluster response about a popular one. Gain instant access to 25 exclusive full-length examples covering all seven prompts, plus comprehensive analyses for each to help you craft stellar essays. Personal statement (PS): When people refer to the personal statement, they’re talking about the 650-word Common Application Essay, which all schools using the Common App will see. Your personal statement is your major chance to articulate the qualitative aspects of yourself to the admissions committee and the admissions committee’s major chance to get to know you as a person. Throughout this guide, "Common App Essay," "Common App personal statement," and "personal statement" are used interchangeably. Her experience responds well to prompt #3 about challenging a belief or idea. She answers all parts of the prompt, describing when she began to question her religion and the outcome of doing so. This student was able to develop her own beliefs and stand up for them while remaining respectful of her family’s beliefs. This demonstrates her courage, critical thinking skills, and compassion for others. Her essay is well thought out and well written, letting her voice and self-reflection shine through.
Why does the Common App Essay—and other college essays—matter?
In the first of our Common App essays that worked, the student writes about her exploration of her religion. She shares her thought process on how she came to be atheist even though she grew up in a very Catholic family.
Common App Essay Prompts 2024–2025
Secondary or supplemental essays: These are the essays that schools can choose to have you write on top of the core Common App Essay. They might invite you to talk more about an extracurricular activity on your resumé, to reflect on a quote from a famous alumna/alumnus of the college, or to share your thoughts on any number of wide-ranging topics.
Brainstorming Common App Essay topics
Common App Prompt #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.
Common App Essay Guide Part 1: Ideation
Common App Prompt #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.
What I wrote about for my Common App Essay
The Common App Essay prompts are diverse enough that they allow you to write about pretty much anything. Therefore, we encourage you to brainstorm your best stories first and then think about which question to answer. Admissions committees have no preference for which prompt you choose. Additionally, we encourage you to review additional successful .
5 Common App Personal Essay Red Flags
Furthermore, keep in mind that the contains an optional, 250-word space to describe. Therefore, you do not need to use your Common App Essay to provide this context. That said, it’s also perfectly fine to write about or touch on COVID-19—if the pandemic is a backdrop that allows you to shine a light on what’s unique and interesting about you in the manner we described above.