Complete Strategies: Common App Essay Prompts (2018-19)

If you’re signing up to one or more or two colleges, there is a chance that is good’ll have to use the typical Application, and that means you’ll probably have to write a Common App essay.

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to find out about the essay. I’ll break down each and every Common App essay prompt by covering:

• What is the question asking?
• What do college admissions officers want to hear from you?
• What topics can you effectively write about?
• What should you avoid at all costs?

This is your complete guide that is starting Common App essays. At the end of looking over this, you should have plenty of ideas for your own essays and directions to publish a really strong personal statement.

Basic Info on the App that is common Essay

Before we dig into the gritty that is nitty of individual prompts, let us quickly go over the logistics of this Common App essay and some general ideas to keep in mind.

Most — but Not All — Schools Require the Essay

Although not every school in the usa requires an essay as part of their application, the most popular Application has traditionally required you to definitely submit a blanket personal statement. That policy changed recently, and the essay happens to be optional for some schools.

However, this policy has been adopted by only a small number of schools, including DePaul University, Georgia State University, Hampshire College, Old Dominion University, This new School, and the University of Idaho. A few of them require an additional writing supplement instead.

If you’re applying to more than one or two schools on the App that is common’ll almost certainly want to write an answer into the Common App prompts. As a result, i would suggest sending your essay to schools even though they don’t explicitly require it. You’re writing it anyways and it’s the way that is best for the school to make it to know you as a person.

It is also worth noting that because of the way this technique is established, you could theoretically send a different essay to each school. However, doing this isn’t a good usage of your time: if schools want to know something more specific about yourself they’ll require a supplement. Focus on writing just one great statement that is personal.

Look closely at the Word Limit

The paper writer word that is exact for the Common App essay has varied somewhat over the years, nevertheless the current range is 250-650 words. You have to stay in this particular length; in fact, the online application won’t enable you to submit less than 250 words or more than 650.

Some schools will state that if this isn’t enough room, you are able to send them a physical copy of your essay. Don’t do this. In spite of how tempting it might be, stick to the word limit. Otherwise, you risk seeming self-indulgent.

Generally speaking, I would recommend shooting for an essay between 500 and 650 words long. You intend to have room enough to really explore one specific idea, but you don’t have to include everything. Editing is an important an element of the essay writing process.

The phrase limit is a lot like this wire that is barbed you should not cross it, no matter how tempted you will be.

Don’t Stress Way Too Much Concerning The Question

While you’ll see, the Common App prompts are very general and leave a complete lot of room for interpretation. Moreover, colleges interpret the questions generously — they’re more worried about learning something interesting about yourself than with whether your topic fits the question perfectly. Per a Common App survey, 85% of member schools ” have the prompts should really be left ready to accept broad interpretation.”

You are able to come up with just about anything and also make it work, so for those who have a thought, don’t let the fact it does not fit neatly into one of these brilliant categories stop you. Treat these breakdowns as jumping off points to help you start brainstorming, not the word that is final the method that you need certainly to approach the essay.

Ensure you Look at This Year’s Prompts

The Common App change to the prompts fairly frequently, so be sure you’re acquainted with probably the most up-to-date versions of the Common App essay questions. That you can take the exact same approach they did if you have friends or siblings who applied in past years, don’t assume.

This guide will go the details over of most seven current prompts, but first let us talk about some overall advice.

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4 Strategies For Finding Your essay that is best Topic

While you’re brainstorming and preparing to write your essay, you’ll want to keep these tips at heart.

You need to search for the topic that is best, the same as this bird is trying to find food.

Make It Personal

The point of a personal statement is to, well, make a personal statement, that is to express, tell your reader something about yourself. As a result, your topic needs to be something meaningful for you.

What does it mean for a subject to be “meaningful to you personally”? First, it means that you genuinely care about this issue and would like to write your college essay onto it — no one ever wrote a fantastic essay on a subject that they felt they had to create about.

Second, this means that this issue shows off a quality or trait you want to highlight for the admissions committee. For instance, say I wanted to create about my summer job with the Parks Department. It isn’t adequate to simply tell a tale about my feud with a raccoon that kept destroying most of the progress I made repairing a bench; I would personally intend to make it clear what that experience shows about my character (perseverance) and explain what it taught me (there are some things in life you just can’t control).

Understand that the absolute most thing that is important that your essay is all about you. These suggestions may sound obvious, but once you are used to writing academic essays it may be tricky to dive deep into the own perspective.

Spend Some Time

Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm and write, and that means you don’t feel rushed into jotting something down in regards to the very first thing it is possible to show up with and sending it next to. I would recommend starting the writing process 2 months prior to your first deadline.

On a note that is similar you ought to make the essay seriously: it is an important part of your application and worth investing enough time directly into get right. That you aren’t really interested in their school if you just dash something off thoughtlessly, admissions officers will recognize that and consider it evidence.

Avoid Repetition

Your essay should illustrate something you haven’t talked about elsewhere, or take a different angle on it about you beyond what’s in the rest of your application. Try to write about a topic.

A college essay is not a resume — it is the opportunity that is best to demonstrate off your specific personality to admissions committees. Pick your topic accordingly.

Get Specific

The best topics usually are the narrowest ones: essays focused on just one interaction, an individual phrase, or a single object. The greater amount of specific you can get, the more unique your topic shall be to you. A lot of people have tried out for a school play, for instance, but each had their particular particular connection with doing so. One student saw trying out for the role of Hamlet as the culmination of many years of study and work that is hard was devastated never to have it, while another was simply proud to own overcome her nerves enough to test when it comes to chorus line in West Side Story. These would make completely different essays, and even though they may be on basically the same topic.