2023-2024 Common App essay prompts
Applicants applying with the QuestBridge Application will complete the questions above via the Yale QuestBridge Questionnaire, available on the Yale Admissions Status Portal after an application has been received.
Applicants submitting the Coalition Application or Common Application will respond to one of the following prompts in 400 words or fewer.
Essentially, this prompt is asking you to discuss a time when things didn’t go according to plan. Perhaps it was a project that failed, a parent’s unexpected illness, or a personal barrier, to name a few. Note that the Common App wants you to reflect on two questions: 1) how the situation affected you and 2) what you learned. As such, you’ll want to approach this question with a solid degree of self-awareness. How have your experiences enabled you to grow?
Common App Essay Prompts 2024-25 - College Transitions
As students consider how they will contribute to the University of Michigan campus community and respond to question and essay prompts, they may wish to highlight things that had an impact on them such as: their involvement in clubs, competing as a student-athlete, studying abroad, going on a mission trip, being engaged in debate, participating in the performing or visual arts, having alumni ties to the institution, making a difference in their community, serving in a leadership capacity, being an entrepreneur, and many others.
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.)
This prompt could best be described as the “intellectual curiosity” prompt. If that’s the quality you want to make sure to showcase on college applications, this prompt could be an excellent option. Questions to consider as you brainstorm: what topics keep you up at night? What sends you down a Google or Wikipedia rabbit hole? What could you research, write, read, or talk about for hours? (You likely won’t need to think too hard about what this subject is!) Once you have your subject, think about why it interests you so much as well as how you like to learn about it. Ideally, this essay will reveal more about your intellectual passions as well as your preferred learning style.
The sky’s the limit here, as long as your topic is personal and reveals more about who you are as an applicant and prospective community member. Consequently, the only no-no would be to submit an academic, impersonal essay for this prompt.
There are 7 Common App essay prompts
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Advice on Your Common App Essay Prompts : r/studytips - Reddit
There's a quiet debate about Common App essay prompts. Some folks urge students to pay no attention to prompts. They tell students just to write what they feel represents them and then pick a prompt that seems to fit when they’re done.
Youll also answer one essay prompt as part of your application
You should choose the prompt that enables you to write the strongest essay possible. The basic rules for writing a stellar college essay vary little from the general guidelines for producing any excellent piece of personal writing: be authentic, tell a compelling story, and diligently edit, revise, and polish your product. But where to begin?
Common App Essay Ideas? Answered - CollegeVine
Since the Common App essay prompts are so open-ended, many of our students start writing an essay on a topic that is important to them first and then decide on a prompt later. This is an especially helpful strategy if none of the prompts catch your attention. However, if there is a prompt that feels particularly interesting, you can absolutely tailor your writing process to that specific option.
Common App Essay prompts - College Confidential Forums
Are you going to enter college in the near future? If so, you have probably faced some problems while choosing the most appropriate topic among the college essay prompts and writing an effective essay to make your college realize that you will become one of their most successful students. A Common App personal statement allows you to introduce yourself to admissions committees and encourage them to accept your application.
How to Answer Each Common App Prompt | #1 Guide
Over the years, the prompts have evolved. Nine years ago, they changed dramatically. The current list is studied and analyzed every year by colleges and the Common App Organization. The consensus is that these work. They make it (relatively) easy for students to produce a personal statement that conveys valuable information about who they are.