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College Admissions , College Essays
When talking about college essays, we tend to focus on the Common Application prompts , and it's true that many students will need to write a Common App essay. However, there are actually quite a few schools, including both public and private universities, that don't use the Common App and instead ask applicants to respond to their own college essay prompts.
Luckily, college essay prompts tend to be pretty similar to each other. In this guide, I'll list all the college essay questions for popular schools in the US (and a few abroad) and then break down the patterns to help you brainstorm topics and plan how to approach multiple essays efficiently. After reading this guide, you'll be able to strategize which essays you'll write for which colleges.
Feature image: Mayr /Flickr
Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?
The short answer: the essay gives admissions committees a sense of your personality beyond the statistics on the rest of your application. The essay is your chance to show the committee your unique perspective and impress them with your maturity and insight.
College application essay prompts are written with this goal in mind. Admissions officers want to give you the chance to share your interests, aspirations, and views on the world, so most prompts ask about how your experiences have shaped you or what you're excited about studying or doing in college. I've collected a ton of examples below and provided some analysis to help you begin planning and crafting your own essays.
Keep in mind that the personal statement alone won't be enough to get you in— your grades and test scores are still the most important factors in your application . That being said, a stellar essay can help bring a borderline applicant over the top or give an excellent but not extraordinary student the opportunity to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.
As such, the essay tends to matter most for very competitive schools. Non-competitive schools generally don't ask you to submit an essay.
Complete List of College Essay Prompts
This list collects the 2022 college essay prompts for major state universities, top-50 schools, and other popular schools which have their own unique questions. They're divided by region, with all optional essays listed at the end.
I left off the Common App supplements, as those often require a substantially different approach. I also stuck to four-year schools, meaning I didn't include special two-year programs, such as Deep Springs College or Miami Dade College's Honors Program (both of which require essays).
Finally, note that these prompts are for freshman applicants, so the requirements might be different for transfer students .
General Applications
There are three general applications you can use to apply to many different schools at once:
Common Application
Universal college application, coalition application.
Each application has its own personal statement requirement. Some schools will ask for additional supplemental essays.
Many more schools accept the Common App than they do the UCA or Coalition Application , though some will accept more than one of these applications.
For the Common App essay, you pick one of the prompts and write 250-650 words about it. Here are the prompts for the 2022-2023 school year:
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.
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?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
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.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
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?
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.
The UCA essay prompt is completely open ended and has a 650-word limit. Here is the 2022-2023 prompt:
Please write an essay that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event.
For the Coalition Application, you'll pick one of five prompts listed below. While there is no hard word limit, the range guidelines are 500-650 words. Here are the prompts for 2022-2023:
What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?
Now that you know the essay requirements for the three general applications, let’s look at the application essays for specific schools . To keep things organized, we’ve grouped schools based on the region of the US in which they’re located.
Northeast/Mid-Atlantic
The Great Dome at MIT
Georgetown University
Georgetown asks applicants to write one short essay (about half a single-spaced page) and two longer essays (approximately one single-spaced page each). Each applicant must respond to the first two prompts and can choose among the other four based on the specific program she's interested in.
Short Essay: Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
All Applicants: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.
Applicants to Georgetown College: What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achieve this aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosen course of study).
Applicants to the School of Nursing & Health Studies: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, Human Science, or Nursing).
Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service: The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?
Applicants to the McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.
For more Georgetown application tips, check out our articles on the Georgetown essays and how to get into Georgetown .
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT doesn't ask for a single personal statement but rather asks applicants to respond to a series of questions with just a paragraph or two of about 200 words each .
We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.
Describe the world you come from (for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town). How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations?
MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds and experiences together to better the lives of others. Our students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way you have collaborated with people who are different from you to contribute to your community.
Tell us about a significant challenge you've faced (that you feel comfortable sharing) or something that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?
For more details on how to get into MIT , read our other articles on the MIT application process , tips for MIT essays , and an example of a real MIT acceptance letter !
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Indiana University Bloomington
IU asks for 200-400 words on your plans and interests.
Describe your academic and career plans and any special interest (for example, undergraduate research, academic interests, leadership opportunities, etc.) that you are eager to pursue as an undergraduate at Indiana University. If you encountered any unusual circumstances, challenges, or obstacles in pursuit of your education, share those experiences and how you overcame them. Please note that this essay may be used in scholarship consideration.
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois asks for two essays (or three only if you selected a second-choice major other than what's noted on your application). All responses should be approximately 150 words.
You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program, and if you've selected a second choice. Each response should be approximately 150 words. If You're Applying to a Major: 1. Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. 2. Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. If You're Applying to Our Undeclared Program in the Division of General Studies: 1. What are your academic interests and strengths? You may also include any majors you are considering. 2. What are your future academic or career goals? If You've Selected a Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared): Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals.
If you're applying to UIUC, check out our UIUC essay tips article as well!
University of Wisconsin–Madison
All applicants must complete two essays for UW–Madison. The essays should be 250-650 words in length and may be used for scholarship and campus program review.
If you apply through the Common Application, you’ll be asked to reply to one of the freshman Common Application essays in lieu of the first essay prompt below, but you’ll be required to respond to the second prompt below.
If you apply through the UW System Application, the following two essays are required:
This part is all about you. Tell us about something you've done — academically or personally — and what you've learned from it. Was it a success or a challenge? Did it represent a turning point in your life? How did this particular moment in your life influence you, and how will it continue to influence you as you pursue your college education?
Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest.
Kyle Field at Texas A&M ( Ed Schipul /Flickr)
The ApplyTexas application is used by all Texas public universities and some private colleges. There are four ApplyTexas essay prompts. Which ones you need to respond to will depend on where you're applying. UT Austin, for example, requires applicants to submit at least one essay responding to Topic A on the ApplyTexas application. .
While there's no set word limit, the online application will cut off each essay at 120 lines (~1000 words).
Topic A: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
Topic B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
Topic C: You've got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?
Topic D: Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept the Apply Texas Application. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education , you are not required to write this essay.
Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?
We go into all the ApplyTexas prompts in detail here !
University of Georgia
For UGA, applicants must write two essays, one 200-300 words and one 250-650 words . Both essays are required for all applicants. The longer personal essay uses the Common Application prompts for 2023 ; the prompt for the shorter essay is as follows:
The c ollege admissions process can create anxiety. In an attempt to make it less stressful, please tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself from your high school years that you have not already shared in your application.
For a more detailed discussion of the UGA essays, read this article .
The Campanile at UC Berkeley
University of California
Students applying to the UC system must respond to four out of eight short personal insight questions. The maximum word count for each response is 350 words.
- Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
- 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.
- What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
- Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
- 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?
- Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
- What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
- Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
Learn more about the UC essays , the UC application , and how to choose which UC schools to apply to with our complete guides .
University of Oregon
Applicants to the University of Oregon are required to submit one essay of 650 words or fewer. You also have the option to write a second essay (maximum of 500 words), but it’s not required.
The essay prompts are as follows:
The UO is interested in learning more about you. Write an essay of 650 words or less that shares information that we cannot find elsewhere on your application. Any topic you choose is welcome. Some ideas you might consider include your future ambitions and goals, a special talent, extracurricular activity, or unusual interest that sets you apart from your peers, or a significant experience that influenced your life. If you are applying to the UO's Robert D. Clark Honors College, feel free to resubmit your honors college application essay.
Optional second essay: As you've looked into what it will be like to attend Oregon, you've hopefully learned what makes Ducks Ducks. No two are alike, though, so tell us what makes you you, and how that connects to our campus community. We are interested in your thoughts and experiences recognizing difference and supporting equity and inclusion, and choosing one of these two options will guide you in sharing those thoughts. You can learn more about equity and inclusion at Oregon by visiting the Equity and Inclusion website . Maximum statement length is 500 words. This statement is not required.
University of Washington
In addition to its specific prompts, the University of Washington gives specific advice about what its admissions officers consider to be good writing before the prompts:
"At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.
Essay Prompt (Required): Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped shape it. Maximum length: 650 words.
Short Response (Required): Our families and our communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. Maximum length: 300 words
You can also find more tips on the University of Washington essays in this blog article .
International
Generally speaking, international schools are less likely to ask for an essay, since admission tends to be heavily focused on grades and test results. However, a few popular international schools do ask for a personal statement as part of their application.
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UK Schools)
UCAS is a general application for UK schools (similar to the Common App in the US). There's no specific prompt for the personal statement—instead, applicants are required to write an essay describing what they want to study, why they want to study it, and what they bring to the table. There is a 4,000-character/47-line limit.
University of British Columbia
UBC asks applicants to fill out a personal profile consisting of five to seven short-answer questions that vary depending on the program you're applying to. Answers should be 50-200 words.
Depending on which degree program you apply to, you’ll be asked to answer some or all of the following questions on the UBC application:
- Tell us about who you are. How would your family, friends, and/or members of your community describe you? If possible, please include something about yourself that you are most proud of and why.
- What is important to you? And why?
- Family/community responsibilities
- Creative or performing arts
- Work/employment
- Service to others
- Tell us more about one or two activities listed above that are most important to you. Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response.
- Additional information: You may wish to use the space below to provide UBC with more information on your academic history to date and/or your future academic plans. For example: How did you choose your courses in secondary school? Are there life circumstances that have affected your academic decisions to date? What have you done to prepare yourself specifically for your intended area of study at UBC?
- Please submit the names of two referees who know you well and can comment on your preparedness for study at UBC. Examples of referees include an employer, a community member, a coach, a teacher/instructor, or anyone who knows you well. One of the referees you select must be able to speak to one of the activities/experiences described in one of your long-answer responses above. For applicants who are currently attending a high school, one of your referees must be a school official (e.g., Grade 12 or senior year counsellor, teacher, or IB coordinator). Neither referee should be a friend, family member, or paid agent.
Some programs of study may ask applicants to respond to the questions above and some additional, program-specific questions when completing the personal profile.
University of Cambridge
Optional Essays
Some schools don't require an essay from all applicants but do recommend or require an essay for certain programs. I've listed a selection of those prompts below.
Arizona State University
Students applying to the Barrett Honors College at ASU must submit one essay of 300 to 500 words in response to one of the following prompts (your response may be critical or creative):
Prompt 1 Discuss how a specific piece of art (painting, literature, photograph, etc.) or popular culture (song, comic book, etc.) helped you realize something new about yourself or the world. What was that realization, and how did the piece of art or pop culture bring about this change in your thinking? Do not simply describe the piece of art or pop culture; instead, focus on its effect on you and how it makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience. Prompt 2 Tell us about a habit or way of thinking that others would recognize as “uniquely you.” This is something you value and would hesitate to give up because it is a distinct part of who you are or what makes you different - why is it so? Be sure to share how this aspect of your identity makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience.
City University of New York
Applicants to Macaulay Honors College must write two essays: an “about you” essay, and an essay describing your plans for college. Each response should be around 500 words, give or take a few within reason.
Essay 1: About you. (Select one of the options below.) 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. OR Tell us about an area or activity, outside of academics, in which you have invested a lot of time and effort. Tell us why. What did you learn? How was it meaningful?
Essay 2: About your plans for college. Please discuss all points below. Why do you want to go to an honors college ? There are many benefits of being a Macaulay student, such as the Macaulay community, special courses, Honors advisement, cultural passport, opportunities funds, and other financial benefits. Please describe how these features will shape you and your college experience, including, what you expect to bring to the college community and what you expect to get out of your college experience.
Florida International University
Only applicants who don't meet the criteria for automatic admissions and whose applications undergo holistic review will need to submit a 500-word essay:
Students requesting appeal or additional review of their admission status must submit a written statement including:
Your goals and educational or professional objectives
A summary/explanation of past academic performance
Information and/or circumstances that may have affected past academic performance
- Any other information the student wishes to have considered
Ohio University
For the Ohio University application, students who've been out of school for more than a year must submit an essay explaining what they've done in their time off from school.
Applicants who have been out of high school for more than one year must submit an essay detailing activities since graduation.
Additionally, applicants to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism are encouraged, though not required, to submit an essay detailing how they want to help shape the future of journalism.
For all other applicants, submitting an essay here is optional; however, if you do wish to write an essay, the application suggests that you describe any academic challenges you’ve faced, academic and career objectives, or involvement in community affairs (recommended length is 250-500 words).
Those interested in Ohio University's OHIO Honors Program (including the Cutler Scholars Program) are required to answer the following essay prompt (limit 250 words):
Students in the OHIO Honors Program represent all majors on campus and take engaging honors courses while applying what they learn outside of the classroom. Students choose from classes and experiences across three pathways: community engagement, research and creative activity, and leadership . Students in OHP can move among the three pathways as their interests evolve and they develop their goals. What pathway is most exciting to you right now, and why?
Finally, those interested in the Honors Tutorial College are must answer the following two essay prompts (in about 500 words each):
HTC Question 1: Please explain why you have chosen your particular program(s) of study.
HTC Question 2: We expect that one reason you seek a tutorial education is for the one-on-one interaction with faculty, but other than that, what interests you about pursuing a tutorial-based undergraduate education? What aspects of your education and life experience have prepared you for a tutorial education with its emphasis on research and creative activity?
Type 1: Questions About a Meaningful Experience
This type of college essay question is the most common. The exact focus of these prompts can vary quite a bit, but they all ask you to reflect on an important experience. Some questions specify a type of experience whereas others don't, simply opting to have applicants write about whatever matters to them.
There are three basic sub-types that you'll see when dealing with these prompts. Let's look at an example of each.
#1: Overcoming a Challenge
These prompts ask about how you dealt with a particular challenge or solved a problem. Below is a typical example of this question type from the MIT application:
Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?
To address a question like this, you need a topic that has real stakes —that is, something that you genuinely struggled with. Even though it can seem as though you should only discuss positive experiences and feelings in your college essay (you want to impress your readers with how awesome you are!), unwavering positivity actually hurts your essay because it makes you seem fake.
Instead, be honest : if you're writing about a negative experience, acknowledge that it was unpleasant or hard and explain why. Doing so will just make your overcoming it that much more impressive.
#2: Engaging With Diversity
Questions about diversity ask how you interact with those who are different from you . See an example below from the Common Application:
When approaching this type of question, you need to show that you're thoughtful about new ideas and perspectives. Colleges are full of students from all kinds of backgrounds, and admissions officers want to know that you'll be accepting of the diversity of other students, even if you don't necessarily agree with them.
Also, make sure to pick a specific instance to focus on. Writing a general essay about how you accept others won't impress admissions officers—you need to show them an example of a time that you did so.
#3: Growing Up
Finally, this type of prompt asks about a transitional experience or rite of passage that made you feel like an adult. I've reprinted another example from the Common App:
For these types of prompts, you want to show personal growth. Explain to the reader not just who you are but also how you've changed . (Really, this is a good idea no matter which prompt you're addressing!)
College can be challenging, so admissions officers want to know that you have the maturity to deal with (likely) living on your own, managing your own life, and planning for your future.
Regardless of the exact prompt, the key to this type of college essay is to show what you've learned from the experience. Admissions officers don't care that much about what happened to you—they care about what you think and feel about that event. That's what will give them a sense of who you are and what kind of college student you'll make.
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.
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.
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60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications
Ideas to inspire every college applicant.
Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.
Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts
2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.
Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).
- 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.
- 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?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- 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?
- 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.
More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.
- Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
- What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
- Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
- Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
- What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?
- Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.
- Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
- Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
- Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.
- Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
- What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
- Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
- Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
- Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
- Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
- When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
- Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
- Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
- Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
- Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.
These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.
- What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
- Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
- What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
- How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?
- Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
- What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
- What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
- If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
- What gives meaning to your life?
- If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
- If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?
- Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
- What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
- Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.
Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.
- What does it mean to you to be educated?
- What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
- Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
- Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?
- What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
- If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
- Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
- Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
- What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.
- Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
- Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.
- You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.
- Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
- If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
- If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
- Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
- If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
- If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
- My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
- Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
- If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
- What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
- Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?
- Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
- If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
- What website is the internet missing?
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CollegeVine's essay prompt database
Find your college’s application essay prompts for 2023-24
Latest essay prompts for the top 100 schools.
At CollegeVine, our goal is to make the college application process a little less stressful, so we’ve compiled the latest essay prompts for the top 100 schools in one easy, searchable database.
Also, every year we create free guides on “ How to Write X School’s Essays ” for the top 100 schools. In these guides, we give you tips and tricks on how to approach each prompt. As such, our prompt database also contains a link to each school's Essay Breakdown.
Manage your college essays in one place for free.
College Essay Prompts: Complete List, Analysis, and Advice
Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?
Colleges ask for an essay as part of the application process for several reasons. Firstly, the essay provides an opportunity for applicants to showcase their writing skills, critical thinking abilities, and communication style. It allows admissions officers to assess the applicant's ability to articulate ideas, analyze information, and construct coherent arguments.
Additionally, the essay helps colleges gain insight into the applicant's personality, values, experiences, and aspirations. It offers a more holistic view of the applicant beyond their grades and test scores, allowing the admissions committee to understand their unique qualities and potential contributions to the campus community.
Furthermore, the essay allows colleges to assess an applicant's fit with their institution. By reading the essay, admissions officers can evaluate whether the applicant's interests, goals, and values align with the values and mission of the college. They are looking for students who will thrive academically and personally within their specific campus environment.
Moreover, the essay serves as a tool to differentiate applicants. In a highly competitive admissions process, where many candidates have similar academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and test scores, the essay provides an opportunity for applicants to stand out and leave a lasting impression. A well-written and compelling essay can leave a positive and memorable impact on the admissions committee.
Finally, the essay allows colleges to assess an applicant's writing ability, which is crucial for success in college-level coursework. Strong writing skills are important for academic success, as students are expected to write research papers, essays, and other written assignments throughout their college career.
Overall, colleges ask for an essay to gain a deeper understanding of the applicant, evaluate their fit with the institution, differentiate among candidates, and assess their writing abilities. It is an important component of the application process that allows applicants to showcase their strengths and provide a more comprehensive picture of who they are as individuals.
Complete List of College Essay Prompts
Providing a complete list of college essay prompts is not feasible within the scope of a single response, as the list can vary widely depending on the college or university and the specific application cycle. However, I can provide you with an overview of the types of essay prompts you may encounter during the college application process.
1. Personal Statement: This is a common essay prompt that asks applicants to share their personal experiences, values, aspirations, or significant events that have shaped their lives. It provides an opportunity for applicants to showcase their unique qualities and reflect on their personal growth.
2. Common Application Essay: The Common Application is used by many colleges and universities, and it includes several essay prompts from which applicants can choose. These prompts typically revolve around personal experiences, challenges, achievements, or beliefs.
3. Supplemental Essays: Many colleges require applicants to submit supplemental essays in addition to the main personal statement. These essays are specific to each college and may focus on various topics such as why you are interested in that particular institution, how you will contribute to the campus community, or your academic and career goals.
4. Creative or Reflective Essays: Some colleges may offer more creative or open-ended essay prompts that allow applicants to showcase their writing style, imagination, or critical thinking skills. These prompts may require you to write a short story, respond to a hypothetical situation, or analyze a specific topic from a unique perspective.
5. Academic Essays: Certain colleges or specific programs within colleges may require applicants to submit academic essays related to their intended field of study. These prompts may ask you to discuss your academic interests, research experience, or a specific topic relevant to your chosen major.
6. Social or Ethical Issues: Colleges may include essay prompts that encourage applicants to explore social or ethical issues, such as diversity, social justice, or community service. These prompts assess your awareness of societal challenges and your ability to think critically about them.
7. Personal Background or Identity: Some colleges may ask applicants to write about their cultural or personal background, including their heritage, family, or unique experiences. These prompts allow applicants to share their perspectives and contribute to the diversity of the campus community.
Remember, the essay prompts can vary from year to year, so it is important to refer to the specific application requirements of each college or university to which you are applying. Take the time to carefully read and understand the prompts, brainstorm ideas, and craft your essays to effectively convey your thoughts, experiences, and goals.
Optional Essays
Optional essays, as the name suggests, are additional essay prompts that some colleges and universities offer as part of the application process. These essays are typically separate from the required personal statement or main essay. While they are labeled as "optional," it's important to note that they can still play a significant role in the admissions process and should not be overlooked.
Here are some key points to consider about optional essays:
1. Purpose: Optional essays serve various purposes, depending on the college or university. They may provide an opportunity for you to provide additional information about yourself that you feel is not adequately covered in other parts of your application. They can also allow you to address specific circumstances, such as academic or personal challenges, gaps in your academic record, or significant achievements or experiences.
2. Demonstrating Interest: Some colleges may use optional essays as a way to gauge your level of interest in their institution. By taking the time to complete these essays, you can show your enthusiasm and commitment to attending that particular college, which can be advantageous in the admissions process.
3. Highlighting Strengths: Optional essays can be used to showcase your strengths, talents, or unique qualities that may not be evident in other parts of your application. This is an opportunity to go beyond the basic information and provide deeper insights into your character, interests, or experiences.
4. Addressing Weaknesses: If you have any academic or personal weaknesses that you believe need further explanation, optional essays can be a platform to address these concerns. This could include discussing a dip in grades, explaining a disciplinary action, or elaborating on personal circumstances that may have affected your academic performance.
5. Supplemental Material: In some cases, colleges may allow you to submit supplemental material along with the optional essay. This could include samples of your work, such as an art portfolio, a research paper, or a performance recording. Make sure to review the specific guidelines provided by each college regarding the submission of supplemental material.
6. Writing Style and Tone: When writing optional essays, it is important to maintain a consistent writing style and tone that aligns with the rest of your application. Keep in mind that these essays should still adhere to the principles of strong writing, including clarity, coherence, and relevance.
7. Consideration and Time: While optional essays may require additional effort, it's essential to carefully consider whether or not to complete them. Evaluate whether the essay prompt aligns with your strengths, goals, or experiences, and determine if it provides valuable information that can enhance your application. If you choose to write an optional essay, allocate sufficient time to brainstorm, draft, revise, and edit your response to ensure it meets your standards.
Remember, even though optional essays are not required, they can provide an opportunity to stand out from other applicants and provide a more comprehensive picture of who you are as a candidate. Approach these essays with care, thoughtfulness, and a genuine desire to showcase your strengths and interests.
The 3 Main Types of College Essay Questions
When it comes to college applications, one of the most important components is the college essay. College essay prompts can vary widely across different institutions, but they generally fall into three main types: personal statement prompts, specific prompts, and supplemental prompts. Each type serves a different purpose and requires a unique approach.
1. Personal Statement Prompts: Personal statement prompts are the most common type of college essay question. They typically ask students to reflect on their personal experiences, values, goals, or challenges. These prompts are intentionally broad to allow applicants to showcase their individuality and provide insight into their character. Examples of personal statement prompts include:
- "Share a significant experience or achievement that has had a profound impact on your life."
- "Discuss a time when you faced a challenge or setback and how it affected you."
- "Describe a person who has influenced your life and explain why."
When responding to personal statement prompts, it's important to be authentic and introspective. Reflect on your experiences, values, and aspirations, and use the essay as an opportunity to reveal your personality, growth, and self-awareness.
2. Specific Prompts: Specific prompts are more focused and require applicants to address a specific topic or question. These prompts may be related to a particular academic interest, a field of study, or a specific event or experience. Examples of specific prompts include:
- "Describe how your background or experiences have shaped your interest in engineering."
- "Discuss a book that has had a significant impact on your life and explain why."
- "Describe a time when you collaborated with others to solve a complex problem."
When responding to specific prompts, it's important to demonstrate your knowledge, passion, and engagement with the topic. Draw connections between your experiences and the specific area of interest, and provide concrete examples and evidence to support your ideas.
3. Supplemental Prompts: Supplemental prompts are additional essay questions required by some colleges and universities in addition to the personal statement. These prompts are specific to each institution and may focus on topics such as community, diversity, or a particular aspect of the college's culture. Examples of supplemental prompts include:
- "Why are you interested in attending our college?"
- "Describe how you would contribute to our campus community."
- "Discuss a time when you had to navigate cultural differences or challenges."
When responding to supplemental prompts, it's important to research the college or university and tailor your response to reflect your knowledge of the institution's values, mission, and resources. Highlight specific aspects of the college that align with your interests and goals, and showcase how you can contribute to the campus community.
Regardless of the type of essay prompt, it's crucial to approach your response with thoughtfulness and clarity. Take the time to brainstorm, outline, and revise your essay, ensuring that your ideas are well-organized and effectively communicated. Additionally, pay attention to word limits and any specific guidelines provided by the college or university.
Ultimately, the goal of college essays is to provide admissions officers with a deeper understanding of who you are as a person and how you will contribute to their campus community. By carefully considering and responding to the three main types of essay questions, you can create a compelling and authentic essay that helps you stand out among other applicants.
How to Plan Your College Essay Writing
Planning your college essay writing is a crucial step in the process of crafting a compelling and well-structured essay. By taking the time to plan and organize your thoughts, you can ensure that your essay effectively communicates your ideas and presents a cohesive narrative. Here are some key steps to help you plan your college essay writing:
1. Understand the Essay Prompt: Begin by carefully reading and understanding the essay prompt. Highlight key instructions, requirements, and themes. Make sure you have a clear understanding of what the prompt is asking and the specific focus or angle you should take in your response.
2. Brainstorm Ideas: Once you understand the prompt, start brainstorming ideas and potential topics. Reflect on your personal experiences, achievements, challenges, and values. Consider how these aspects of your life align with the prompt and which ones you want to highlight in your essay. Jot down any ideas that come to mind, and don't worry about organizing them at this stage.
3. Create an Outline: With your ideas in mind, create an outline for your essay. An outline provides a structure and roadmap for your writing, helping you organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow. Start with an introduction that grabs the reader's attention and clearly states your thesis or main idea. Then, outline the main points or arguments you want to make in the body paragraphs, ensuring each point supports your thesis. Finally, plan a conclusion that summarizes your main points and leaves a lasting impression.
4. Organize Your Ideas: Once you have an outline, organize your ideas and evidence within each section. Consider the most effective order for presenting your points and supporting evidence. Ensure a smooth transition between paragraphs and use topic sentences to introduce each new idea. This organization will help the reader follow your thoughts and create a coherent and persuasive essay.
5. Develop a Writing Schedule: Set aside dedicated time for writing your essay. Create a schedule that works for you, allowing enough time for brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing. Break down the writing process into manageable tasks and set deadlines for each stage. Adhering to a schedule will help you stay focused and ensure you have ample time to refine your essay.
6. Write a Strong Introduction: Start your essay with a compelling introduction that hooks the reader and sets the tone for the rest of the essay. Consider using an engaging anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a captivating quote to grab attention. Clearly state your thesis or main idea, providing a preview of what the reader can expect from your essay.
7. Develop Coherent Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a specific point or argument that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. Then, provide evidence, examples, or personal experiences to support your point. Make sure there is a logical progression from one paragraph to the next, ensuring a cohesive and well-structured essay.
8. Craft a Compelling Conclusion: End your essay with a strong conclusion that reinforces your main points and leaves a lasting impression. Summarize your key arguments and provide a sense of closure. Consider ending with a thought-provoking statement, a call to action, or a reflection on the broader significance of your essay's topic.
9. Revise and Edit: After completing your first draft, take the time to revise and edit your essay. Review your essay for clarity, coherence, grammar, and spelling errors. Ensure that your ideas are effectively communicated and that your essay flows smoothly. Consider seeking feedback from trusted mentors, teachers, or peers to gain additional perspectives and make further improvements.
10. Proofread: Before submitting your essay, thoroughly proofread it for any typos, grammatical errors, or inconsistencies. Pay attention to formatting guidelines and ensure your essay is within the specified word limit. Take the time to make any necessary revisions and polish your essay to make it the best possible version.
By following these steps and planning your college essay writing process, you can effectively organize your thoughts, develop a strong essay structure, and create a compelling and impactful essay that stands out to college admissions officers. Remember to allow yourself enough time to brainstorm, draft, revise, and edit, as the planning stage is crucial for producing a high-quality essay.
Conclusion
Planning your college essay writing is an essential step that can significantly enhance the quality and effectiveness of your essay. By understanding the essay prompt, brainstorming ideas, creating an outline, organizing your thoughts, and developing a writing schedule, you can approach your essay with clarity and purpose. Additionally, focusing on writing a strong introduction, coherent body paragraphs, and a compelling conclusion will further strengthen your essay's impact. Remember to revise, edit, and proofread your essay to ensure it is polished and error-free. By investing time in the planning process, you can craft a well-structured and persuasive college essay that showcases your unique qualities and captures the attention of college admissions officers.
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Get help writing your college application essays. Find this year's Common App writing prompts and popular essay questions used by individual colleges.
The college essay is your opportunity to show admissions officers who you are apart from your grades and test scores (and to distinguish yourself from the rest of a very talented applicant pool).
2023–24 Common App Essays
Nearly 700 colleges accept the The Common Application , which makes it easy to apply to multiple schools with just one form. If you are using the Common App to apply for college admissions, you will have 250–650 words to respond to ONE of the following prompts:
- 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.
- 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?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- 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?
- 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.
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Tackling the Common App Essay Prompts
Prompt #1: share your story..
Answer this prompt by reflecting on a hobby, facet of your personality, or experience that is genuinely meaningful and unique to you. Admissions officers want to feel connected to you and an honest, personal statement about who you are draws them in. Your love of superheroes, baking chops, or family history are all fair game if you can tie it back to who you are or what you believe in. Avoid a rehash of the accomplishments on your high school résumé and choose something that the admissions committee will not discover when reading the rest of your application.
Prompt #2: Learning from obstacles.
You're trying to show colleges your best self, so it might seem counterintuitive to willingly acknowledge a time you struggled. But overcoming challenges demonstrates courage, grit, and perseverance! That’s why the last piece of this prompt is essential. The obstacle you write about can be large or small, but you must show the admissions committee how your perspective changed as a result.
Prompt #3: Challenging a belief.
Your answer to this question could focus on a time you stood up to others or an experience when your own preconceived view was challenged. Choose this prompt if you have a relevant—and specific!—experience to recount (and reflect on). A vague essay about a hot button issue doesn’t tell the admissions committee anything useful about YOU.
Prompt #4: Reflecting on gratitude.
Colleges are looking for students with unique experiences that can enhance their future campus community, and this is your chance to share that by recognizing what someone else has done for you. Even though this prompt requires you to reflect on the action of another person, make sure that the focus remains on how the act of kindness impacted you and the way you live your life. This essay should make you and the reader smile.
Prompt #5: Personal growth.
Just like Prompt #2, the accomplishment or event you write about can be anything from a major milestone to a smaller "aha" moment. Describe the event or accomplishment that shaped you but take care to also show what you learned or how you changed. Colleges are looking for a sense of maturity and introspection—pinpoint the transformation and demonstrate your personal growth.
Prompt #6: What captivates you?
This prompt is an invitation to write about something you care about. (So avoid the pitfall of writing about what you think will impress the admission office versus what truly matters to you). Colleges are looking for curious students, who are thoughtful about the world around them. The "what or who do you turn to when you want to learn more” bit isn't an afterthought—it's a key piece of the prompt. Make sure you explain how you pursue your interest, as well.
Read More: QUIZ: Test Your College Knowledge!
Prompt #7: Topic of your choice.
This question might be for you if you have a dynamo personal essay from English class to share or were really inspired by a question from another college’s application. You can even write your own question! Whatever topic you land on, the essentials of a standout college essay still stand: 1.) Show the admissions committee who you are beyond grades and test scores and 2.) Dig into your topic by asking yourself how and why. There isn’t a prompt to guide you, so you must ask yourself the questions that will get at the heart of the story you want to tell.
More College Essay Topics
Individual schools sometimes require supplemental essays. Here are a few popular application essay topics and some tips for how to approach them:
Describe a person you admire.
Avoid the urge to pen an ode to a beloved figure like Gandhi or Abraham Lincoln. The admissions committee doesn't need to be convinced they are influential people. Focus on yourself: Choose someone who has actually caused you to change your behavior or your worldview, and write about how this person influenced you .
Why do you want to attend this school?
Be honest and specific when you respond to this question. Avoid generalities like "to get a good liberal arts education” or “to develop career skills," and use details that show your interests: "I'm an aspiring doctor and your science department has a terrific reputation." Colleges are more likely to admit students who can articulate specific reasons why the school is a good fit for them beyond its reputation or ranking on any list. Use the college's website and literature to do your research about programs, professors, and other opportunities that appeal to you.
Read More: 5 Ways College Application Essays and High School Essays Are Different
What is a book you love?
Your answer should not be a book report. Don't just summarize the plot; detail why you enjoyed this particular text and what it meant to you. What does your favorite book reveal about you? How do you identify with it, and how has it become personal to you?
Again, be honest in answering this question—don't choose a classic from your literature class or a piece of philosophy just because you think it will make you seem smarter. Writing fluently and passionately about a book close to you is always better than writing shakily or generally about a book that doesn't inspire you.
What is an extracurricular activity that has been meaningful to you?
Avoid slipping into clichés or generalities. Take this opportunity to really examine an experience that taught you something you didn't previously know about yourself, got you out of your comfort zone, or forced you to grow. Sometimes it's better to write about something that was hard for you because you learned something than it is to write about something that was easy for you because you think it sounds admirable. As with all essay questions, the most important thing is to tell a great story: how you discovered this activity, what drew you to it, and what it's shown you about yourself.
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College Essay Prompts: Tips and Insights to Pick the Right One
As you plan your college-application application essay, you face the infamous question:
Which prompt do I pick?
Most college admissions guidelines–including the common app and state-specific applications like the University of California (UC) app–give you the option to pick between multiple prompts.
This article will help you pick the best prompt and select a topic, including guiding questions, brainstorming strategies, and ideas about how to structure your essay.
What is a College Essay?
A college essay is a short, personal writing task included as part of your college application.
It’s a chance to demonstrate your approach to life and challenge, share what matters to you, and tell a story that helps admissions counselors observe how you interact with your environment. It’s also a chance to demonstrate your writing skills, unique style, and storytelling ability.
A college essay will typically include the following narrative elements:
Storytelling: One or multiple scenes, stories, or a sequence of moments that pull the reader into your world. Some essays utilize a montage storytelling style, jumping between a series of snippets or scenes that build a cohesive picture.
Detail: Vivid description of setting, characters, or emotions. Writers can use strategies like sensory detail or “slowing down time” to emphasize critical moments.
Reflection: The part where you step back and comment on the story or events. A reflection explains why these events matter, what you learned, what you’d do differently, or what they reveal about you. The reflection usually explains the story’s theme or central message.
Theme: Usually included in your reflection and at the end of your paper, a theme is a story’s main idea, central message, or lesson learned. It explains the “ So what? ”.
The way you organize these elements depends on how you structure your essay. Check out my essay outlines for help with that.
Essay Prompts: Impact on Storytelling, Structure, and Topic
The Common App includes the following 7 prompts, each with a distinct focus:
(Background and Identity) 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.
(Lesson from Failure) 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?
(New Realization) Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
(Acting with Gratitude) Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
(Growth and Development) Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
(Personal Interest) 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?
(Open) 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.
Which College Essay Prompt Should You Pick?
The best college essay prompt for you is the one that inspires your most meaningful, unique, and enthusiastic topics and stories.
This might be a specific event or story that you experienced, but it also might be a topic or hobby you've practiced and developed over many years. You may even choose to write about a creative project, or describe your cultural identity.
The prompt you pick will affect your essay’s topic (focus), theme, structure, reflection, the stories you include, and the details you emphasize.
Therefore, I recommend first brainstorming a topic and theme for your paper, then deciding which prompt best fits your chosen topic.
The insights, questions, and brainstorming strategies below will help you pick the best topic and essay prompt.
College Essay Prompt 1: Background and Identity
Prompt: 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.
This prompt does not ask for a story, but instead about a background, identity or interest. While brainstorming, think about your activities, hobbies, and interests that have lasted over long periods of time. Consider cultural backgrounds, sports, creative pursuits, and things you spend a lot of time doing.
Questions to Guide Thinking
What parts of your culture impact your life, and how? Consider family, friends, ethnicity, environment, and school.
What activities or hobbies have you continued for a long time? How has your approach changed?
Which activities (school and non-school) consume most of your free time? Why have you spent so much time on them?
What skill are you most proud of? How did you develop that skill? Describe your process for learning it.
Topic Brainstorming Strategies
Use a Google doc or notebook to brainstorm:
Freestyle bullet-point list (5 minutes): Read through the questions above. In a bulleted list, jot down all the words, stories, images, and people that come to mind as you ponder the questions.
“How I Spend My Free Time” list: Think about how you choose to spend your free time. After listing your top free-time activities, rank them starting with #1 being your most time-intensive activity. Consider using one of your top 3 as an essay topic.
Essay Structure Ideas
Montage of scenes : Rather than focusing on one story or event, this structure uses separate “snippets” or scenes to build a montage outlining your history with the topic or activity. You can arrange the scenes in chronological order, or jump around. A montage usually employs an ABABAB mixture of storytelling and reflection.
A sequence of items: Your topic, culture, or activity may feature key items. For example, vacation souvenirs, accolades like trophies, photographs, jerseys, or trinkets around your room. Structure your essay in ABABAB style , with each item and its significance occupying a paragraph.
One or two key stories: Pick one or two stories that demonstrate a key idea about your topic or background. This could be a moment you learned a major lesson, or a moment you accomplished great success. If choosing two stories, you can parallel one story from the beginning of your journey with a more recent story–discussing how you’ve grown.
College Essay Prompt #2 : Lesson from Failure
Prompt: 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?
Your experience of a “challenge, setback, or failure” is a great opportunity to demonstrate your mindset, determination for success, and approach to learning and growth. You can focus on an internal struggle–like grief, stress, overcoming nerves or fear–or an external struggle like a lost game or challenging activity.
Your essay will probably mix internal and external struggles.
What are your all-time biggest mistakes? How did each one change you?
When was a time you failed at something multiple times, or despite intense preparation? How did you respond?
Do you have any failures or mistakes that you’re glad happened? Why are you glad that you failed?
Bullet-point list (5 minutes): Create a bullet-point list of every word, image, and experience that comes to mind as you read the above questions. Consider any challenges and difficult or painful moments you’ve experienced. Put a star next to the 3 most meaningful items from your list, and consider those as potential topics.
“My Biggest Mistakes” 3-column T-Chart: From left to right, label the three columns Mistake , Details , and Reflection . In the Mistake column, list mistakes you’ve made that taught you a meaningful lesson. Under Details , describe a few key images or particulars from the event. In the Reflection column, describe the takeaway or lesson learned.
Story first, reflection second: Begin your essay by telling the story’s full plot without uninterrupted, with sensory detail, storytelling elements like dialogue, and a climax moment. Then, use your essay’s second section to reflect, comment on lessons learned, and explain your growth. For more guidance, check out my AAABBB essay outline .
“The Turning Point”: Identify the moment in your story when the tone changes–usually, from negative to optimistic, such as when you said, “enough is enough.” Then, divide your story in two: before the turning point, and after . Begin your essay by telling the story, but pause at the turning point, using a reflection paragraph to zoom in on the moment. What went through your mind? What did you realize? What made this moment stand out? Then, finish your story, before reflecting back on the whole journey.
College Essay Prompt #3 : New Realization
Prompt: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Universities want to see evidence of you using independent and critical thinking, because these are leadership qualities. Brainstorm times when you challenged a status quo–your own, a friend’s or family member’s, or even a social norm.
When did you go against what everyone else was doing? Why?
Have you ever done something that surprised you? Why did it surprise you, and what caused you to do it?
Have you ever intentionally changed your mindset, to become more optimistic or focused on something? What was the result?
When did you shed a bad habit and replace it with a more productive one? What caused this change, and how did it turn out?
Have you ever disagreed with someone in a position of power, based on what you felt was right?
Bullet-point list (5 minutes): Brainstorm a list of every experience, word, or attitude that comes to mind as you read the questions above. Select your top 3 as potential topics.
Old me/new me T-Chart: Label the left-hand column Old me and the right-hand column New me . On the left, list outdated habits, beliefs, or self-imposed limitations that you previously held. Under “new me”, list the new mindset or habit that has taken the old one’s place.
“This, I Believe” paper: Begins by introducing a key belief, moral, or idea you hold. Spend the first paragraph explaining why this philosophy is important. Then, spend the middle of your essay describing the events that helped you develop this belief, or when you had to defend it against something, someone, or yourself. In the final paragraph or two, explain how this belief helps you in other aspects of your life–relationships, work, school, learning, hobbies, or self-growth.
“The Turning Point”: Identify the “turning point” in your story, when you had a sudden or important realization. Begin your essay by telling the story up until the turning point, then zoom in on the realization, devoting a whole paragraph to what went through your mind and how or why it transformed. Then, finish telling the story before devoting the final paragraphs to reflection about how that realization or belief impacts your present life.
College Essay Prompt #4 : Acting with Gratitude
Prompt: Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Universities want to see that you demonstrate appreciation, teamwork, and curiosity toward those around you. This prompt addresses how you feel about other people, and what you notice and appreciate about the world. Aim to find something unique and personal to be thankful for.
What qualities do you most appreciate in a friend or family member? When did someone display this quality?
Which opportunities have brought unexpected blessings?
What are some unique opportunities that you’ve had, and how have they led to unique experiences?
Has someone ever helped you when you were in a desperate or dire situation? How did that momentum carry you forward afterward?
Bullet-point list (5 minutes): Brainstorm a list of all the words, experiences, people, and lessons learned that come to your mind as you read the above questions. Select the top 3 as potential topics.
“People I appreciate” three-column T-Chart: From left to right, label the columns People , Qualities , and Stories . Under People , list friends, family, teachers, coaches, or anyone else who you appreciate. Under Qualities , list the 2-3 qualities that you find most special and inspiring about each person, or physical and non-physical gifts they’ve given you. Under Stories , note a situation where this person demonstrated those qualities to benefit you. Keep in mind that this doesn’t need to be a single event but can also be a chain or pattern of helpful actions this person has demonstrated.
Literal vs figurative gifts T-Chart: Create a T-Chart with left-labeled Literal gifts and right Figurative gifts. On the left, list the physical or outward gifts that people have given you–items, actions, or displays of support. On right, describe the unseen benefit, impact, lesson, or opportunity you gained from each gift.
“Who I Was, Who I Am Now”: Begin by describing what your life was like before the event or person–what was missing, any flaws or lack that you had but perhaps didn’t realize. Then, describe the event(s) with as much sensory detail as possible. Aim to identify the story’s most important moment, using storytelling strategies like sensory detail to slow down time. To close your essay, reflect on how you’ve changed since then–what new perspective, approach, or attitude will you take with you?
“Multiple Ways I Use My Gift”: Begin your essay by telling your chosen story with sensory detail. Then, use the majority of your essay to describe multiple ways that this event has impacted you. You can describe the people you now help, the leadership you display, the qualities you enact, and hobbies or habits you’ve taken up as a result of your chosen story. Separate each resulting benefit into its own paragraph.
College Essay Prompt #5 : Growth and Development
Prompt: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
This prompt has two parts: the event itself, and then the transformation and growth resulting from the event. Think about experiences and accomplishments you’ve had that created a “ripple effect” – like a stone hitting the water and your benefits and changes that rippled and expanded from it.
In which ways have you recently grown? Think about the positive impacts this growth has made on you, your community, and your environment.
What is something you realize now, that you didn’t realize previously? What caused this realization?
How do you help or provide service to those around you? Why do you do this, and what caused you to start doing it?
What are your most productive habits, practices, or routines? How did you develop them?
Bullet-point list (5 minutes): List all words, images, people, and places that come to mind based on the above questions, and choose. Put a star next to the top 3 as potential topics.
Moments of leadership T-Chart. Label the left-hand column Leadership and under it, make a list of situations or groups where you assumed a leadership role–with friends, in school, on a team, or any other group. Label the right-hand column New understanding , underneath describing what you learned from that leadership experience.
Timeline: Draw a horizontal line across your page. Choose a starting point when some significant period in your life began–a school year, a stressful time period, joining a team, a single day, or a week-long summer camp. Create a timeline, plotting key events and moments from beginning to end. Create multiple timelines for key time periods in your life, and consider using one to outline your essay.
Chronological, mixed storytelling and reflection (ABABAB): Beginning your essay with the timeline’s first event, use each paragraph to walk one step forward through your journey of personal growth and understanding. In each paragraph, mix storytelling and reflection. Explain what physically happened , intermixing reflection to comment on how you grew at each stage. For support, use the ABABAB outline template .
College Essay Prompt #6 : Your Interest
Prompt: 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?
Universities want to see your interest and curiosity in the world. They also want to see that you take initiative and act on these interests, creating projects and building something new. Think about projects you’ve started, things you’ve built, and tasks you’ve designed to further pursue your passions.
What are your favorite projects or tasks that you’ve ever created? What inspired you to begin each project?
How do you spend most of your free time? What are your favorite hobbies, and how do you progress at them?
What are your goals, both school-related and non-school-related? Why are these goals important to you, and how do you work toward them?
“My Dream Day”: Imagine you had a whole day to do whatever you wanted, with no obligations. How would you spend your time to balance fun and productivity? Schedule your day, mapping out time blocks for each activity. Consider using one of these activities, and your related goals, as an essay topic.
Take inventory of your environment: Look around your room, house, or phone photo gallery. Consider your clothing, posters, trophies, and the objects you have. List all the activities and interests that seem significant. Star your favorite 5 and consider them potential essay topics.
“A Timeline of my Relationship with ___”: Structure your essay as a chronological timeline of your relationship with your selected topic. Begin at the initiation of your relationship with the topic–years ago or months ago. Use each paragraph to chronicle a new stage in your relationship with the topic, mixing storytelling and reflection in ABABAB style .
“Snapshots of my relationship with ___”: Pick out three or four images (“snapshots”) of your history with the topic. These can be seemingly regular, mundane moments, like working in your room or practicing with a team. Devote one paragraph to each image, bringing the mundane moment to life by describing your internal excitement, and using vivid sensory language to describe your environment and actions.
For more, check out my tips on how to write a personal statement for college .
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2023-2024 Common App essay prompts
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We are pleased to announce that the Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2023-2024.
It’s not just for the sake of consistency that we have chosen to keep the essay prompts the same for the upcoming application year. Our past research has shown that overall satisfaction with the prompts exceeded 95% across our constituent groups - students, counselors, advisors, teachers, and member colleges. Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations.
We know some schools are beginning to have conversations with juniors and transfer students about their college options. As we’ve always said, this is not a call for students to begin writing. We hope that by sharing the prompts now, students will have the time they need to reflect on their own personal stories and begin thinking about what they want to share with colleges. As you assist students with their planning, feel free to share our Common App Ready resource on approaching the essay (in English and Spanish ). You can also visit our YouTube channel to view our breakdown of all 7 Common App essay prompts .
"Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations." Meredith Lombardi, Director, Education and Training, Common App
Students who are ready to start exploring the application can create their Common App account prior to August 1. With account rollover , we will retain any responses to questions on the Common App tab, including the personal essay.
Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2023-2024.
- 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.
- 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?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- 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?
- 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.
We will retain the optional community disruption question within the Writing section.
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Essay Prompts for College
Most common essay prompts for college.
Bonus Material: Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays
If you’re gearing up for the college application process, you already know what you likely have ahead of you: not just a personal statement, but supplemental essays for most of the schools you’re applying to.
These application essays are crucial and can tip the scales in your favor when admissions committees make the decision about whether to send you an acceptance letter.
But did you know that many schools share extremely similar supplemental essays? By reading our guide below, you can know what to expect–and you can even save yourself time and effort by efficiently reusing your supplemental essays.
Saving time and effort isn’t just a nice bonus: it lets you dedicate your resources to crafting better, more compelling, more successful essays. And, at the end of the day, it means better chances of admission to your dream school.
Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays
Jump to section: “Main essays:” the Common App essay prompts “Main essays:” The University of California PIQs Why should you categorize the supplemental prompts? The “Why us” essay The Academic interest essay The Extracurricular essay The Community essay The Diversity/Identity essay The “Creative” essay Next steps
“Main essays:” the Common App essay prompts
For most of you, the Common App essay will be your “main essay,” meaning it’ll go to just about all of the schools on your list. The vast majority of schools accept the Common App for college admissions applications, so you’ll be writing one long personal statement in response to one of the Common App’s 7 prompts.
In addition, you’ll have to write supplemental essays for each school, which is what most of this blog post will focus on. To skip straight there, you can click here: Why should you categorize the supplemental prompts?
Below are the 7 Common App prompts, which tend not to change from year to year:
- 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.
- 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?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- 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?
- 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.
“Main essays:” The University of California PIQs
While there are a few scattered schools that don’t take the Common App, the biggest of these are the University of California schools, all of which share one application that’s totally different from the Common App.
Instead of writing one “main essay” and then additional supplements, you’ll have to respond to four “Personal Insight Questions,” all with the same word counts (a max of 350 each) and importance. Your responses will go to all of the UC schools you apply to.
We’ve also written a dedicated guide on how to answer all of the UC PIQs, with examples of real successful responses that you can check out here .
The UC PIQ prompts from 2023-2024 are listed below.
- Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
- 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.
- What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
- Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
- 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?
- Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
- What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
- 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?
As you read on, you’ll notice that lots of these prompts actually overlap with common supplemental essay topics–meaning you can reuse your UC PIQ answers for other schools!
Why should you categorize the supplemental prompts?
Although two different schools’ essay prompts might be worded differently, you can often see that they’re basically asking the same kind of question. In reality, there are a few incredibly common kinds of supplemental prompts that recur frequently across different universities.
This matters for two main reasons.
The first is simple: if you can identify what kind of prompt each one is, you’ll be able to understand what the admissions officers are looking for. For example, let’s say you clearly identify that one of Dartmouth’s supplemental prompts falls into the “Community” category. Then, you’ll be in a better position to give them the kind of response they’re looking for.
The second reason is simply that treating lots of these supplemental prompts as the same types of prompts will save you tons of time. How? If you’re smart, you can recycle the majority of your school-specific supplemental essays and use them for multiple schools without rewriting most of the essays.
To be clear: you’ll still almost always have to tweak the essay, adding in some school-specific details or adjusting the word count. But by using our breakdown of common college essay prompt types, you can prepare a template for each one, using the same template across multiple applications.
Read on below for a detailed list of what types of essay prompts commonly recur across universities. You can also click the button below to download a collection of the prompts provided last year by 50 of the top universities.
Here are the most common types of supplemental essay prompts:
The “Why us” essay
The academic interest essay, the extracurricular essay, the community essay, the diversity/identity essay, the “creative” essay.
This is one of the most common types of supplemental college essay prompts. If you’ve started doing your research, you’ve probably seen that lots of colleges ask a question that basically boils down to: “Why do you want to come to our university specifically?”
Below, take a look at a few prompts that all fall into this category so you can see what we mean about how commonly this one comes up:
Please briefly describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University. This statement should be 500 words at most; however, it is neither necessary nor expected that you reach this maximum length. We strongly encourage you to focus on content and efficiency rather than word count. While submitting this prompt is optional, we recommend that all applicants do so. (500 words) What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words) Why are you interested in applying to and attending Swarthmore? (250 words)
Despite radically different word counts, these are clearly the same question: why us? The bad news is that although this question type is really, really common, many students approach it incorrectly.
The good news? We’ve actually written a detailed post that breaks down everything you need to do to answer the “Why us?” prompt perfectly here.
If you want a detailed guide on how to approach that essay, check out that link.
Here, we’ll cover briefly what admissions officers want to see from you when they ask “why us?”
- Specific elements of their school’s curriculum, programs, or culture that appeal to you.
- How your values and experiences make you a good fit for those specific aspects of the school.
In a nutshell, this essay is 50-50: it’s half about why you like the school, and half about why they ought to like you.
You should create a standard template for this essay, then add specific details for each individual school on your list to ensure that the essay is tailored to every university.
This essay can come in one of two main forms, but the question is the same: what are you interested in, why, and how will you pursue that interest at college?
Take a look at a few different-looking examples below:
Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 words, Carnegie Mellon University) Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (Approximately 250 words) Brooks School of Public Policy: Why are you drawn to studying public policy? Drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the Brooks School will help you achieve your life goals. (650 words, Cornell School of Public Policy)
The questions all look a little bit different, but don’t be fooled: they’re all the same. And here’s why it matters to keep it in mind: even though CMU, unlike USC and Cornell, doesn’t ask how you’ll pursue your major, they still want to know.
Any time you’re asked about your major and/or your academic interest, the university is looking for you to provide three things:
- A description of what specifically interests you.
- An explanation (or better yet, a story!) for why it interests you.
- A brief discussion of how you’ll pursue that interest/major at their university.
The level of detail will vary depending on word count, but the objective is the same: answer what, why, and how.
Not sure how to frame your intellectual interests in a way that’s appealing to admissions officers? Our college essay coaches are experts who can help you do just that: reach out to us now to get connected with a personalized mentor!
This one is straightforward, and, like the above, super common. In a nutshell, colleges will want to hear you describe in greater detail one of your extracurricular activities/experiences. Most students use this to go into more detail about one of the things listed on their Common App or UC activities sections, often choosing the activity that’s most unusual or most impressive.
Here are a few sample prompts to help you identify what this looks like:
Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (150 words, Princeton) Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 words, Stanford) Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (½ page, Georgetown)
As you can see, these tend to be shorter prompts, sometimes even being just short-answer questions, as in Stanford’s case. In any case, the goal is the same: describe something you’re involved with in an interesting and engaging way.
A word of advice: you really should pick something unusual and/or something in which you’ve attained notable success. Bonus points if this activity, whatever it is, is fundamentally altruistic.
All these essays should contain the following components:
- A story or anecdote about the activity.
- A discussion of why it matters.
Don’t get too hung up on “what” here: college admissions officers don’t really want to hear the boring details about your exact role or club elections. They’d much rather hear an interesting story combined with a thoughtful reflection on why this activity is important to you.
While academics are a huge part of college, so is the idea that you and your fellow students will form a cohesive, inclusive, and productive learning community. As a result, many colleges will present you with a supplemental essay prompt that asks you to reflect on community: what do you look for in one, what do you bring to one, what do you think one needs?
These essays should be taken seriously–often, the colleges that ask this question do so because they place a particular emphasis on building strong communities of students. Even students with jaw-dropping academics might find themselves rejected by elite universities if admissions officers don’t see those students as a good community fit.
Take a look below for some examples of “Community” prompts from last year:
Reflect on a time when you have worked to enhance a community to which you feel connected. Why have these efforts been meaningful to you? You may define community however you like. (400 words, Yale) What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 words, Duke) How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words, UPenn)
One thing you might notice from the above examples is that the “Community” prompt tends to be a staple of especially selective or elite universities. Which makes sense: these schools receive thousands of applications with amazing test scores and GPAs, so they’re really looking for something else to differentiate their applicants.
A few quick pointers on this kind of prompt:
- Offer at least a brief definition of what “community” means to you.
- Use an anecdote/moment from your life to provide a specific example of how you’ve been an engaged community member in the past.
- You might want to check out our post on the “Why us?” prompt here , which also offers further guidance on how to research community offerings at universities.
Last year, 25 of the top universities in the US asked some version of the Community prompt. For more examples of what those prompts looked like and what schools asked them, check out our free collection of last year’s essay prompts below.
And, if you need someone to guide you through the process of writing this kind of essay, there’s nobody better than one of our college essay experts , who have all successfully navigated the college application process themselves.
A similar essay prompt to the Community essay is one that asks about your identity and background, often through the lens of diversity.
Quite often, this question is linked to ideas of community. What makes it different is its focus on you: where do you come from, and how has that shaped how you view the world?
Take a look below for a few samples of what this kind of prompt can look like:
As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. (1 page, Georgetown) The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. How do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world? (200-250 words, California Institute of Technology) We seek a diverse student body that embodies the wide range of human experience. In that context, we are interested in what you’d like to share about your lived experiences and how they’ve influenced how you think of yourself. (250 words max, optional, Duke)
As you can see, these essay prompts can have different angles. Some simply ask the terrifyingly broad question of “who are you?” Others focus on “lived experiences,” which is a way of asking about how your life has been shaped by your identity and what you’ve gone through.
If you’re a student who strongly relates to a particular aspect of your identity–this might mean identifying as part of a marginalized or minority group, being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or simply having any other identity that has profoundly shaped you–this is the perfect essay prompt for you to expound on why that identity is important to you and what it means for your worldview.
While this prompt can sometimes be an optional one, it often isn’t. Some students, especially those who don’t strongly identify with a particular identity or group, find this prompt especially intimidating. But you really shouldn’t: you are who you are, and you should interpret these prompts broadly so that you can write about an identity/worldview that is true to who you are.
- Interpret this prompt broadly, making it fit your understanding of “identity” or “diversity”
- Absolutely use real moments from your life in your response to this prompt
- Feel free to connect your identity to your views on community, social issues, or education more broadly.
While the majority of supplemental essay prompts you’ll see during the college application process will fall into one of the above categories, some schools will present you with odd, unusual, or creative prompts.
Whether you view this as a fun opportunity to flex your creative writing skills or as a burden will really depend on how comfortable you are taking risks in your writing. The positive spin is that these essay prompts allow you to get outside the box a bit. The negative side is that these essays aren’t generally recyclable for other schools–you’ll have to write these from scratch.
To see what we mean by the “Creative” supplemental essay, take a look at a few of the prompts below. Note that these tend to change each year, so the examples below are from the 2022-2023 application cycle.
Was it a cat I saw? Yo-no-na-ka, ho-ka-ho-ka na-no-yo (Japanese for “the world is a warm place”). Moze jutro ta dama da tortu jezom (Polish for “maybe tomorrow that lady will give a cake to the hedgehogs”). Share a palindrome in any language, and give it a backstory . (UChicago, 1-2 pages) What advice would a wisdom tooth have? (UChicago, 1-2 pages) Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (UPenn, 150-200 words)
As you can see, these prompts don’t really fit into a category–the whole idea is that they’re unusual. UChicago in particular is famous for having these creative prompts, all of which change yearly.
Because these essay prompts are by nature so different, it’s hard to give generalized advice on them.
A few rules of thumb to keep in mind:
- Don’t try to reuse other supplemental essays if they don’t fit the prompt. It’ll be clear to admissions commissions that you’re not really answering the question.
- Feel free to get creative and take risks. It’s what they’re asking for, after all.
But, really, because these essays are so unusual and tough, the best way to be sure you’re handling them well is to work with an expert college essay editor. Reach out to us now to get paired with an essay coach who has not only helped students like you, but has successfully navigated the college application process themselves.
Now, it’s time to check out the schools on your own list and start planning on how to tackle their supplemental prompts.
Identify what schools you’re interested in, then put together a list of all the supplemental prompts. Then, categorize those prompts according to our guide above so that you can more efficiently address each one, reusing parts of your essay where it makes sense to do so.
A great resource to start with is our spreadsheet of the Top 50 Supplemental Prompts asked by colleges. Although that list is from 2022-2023, the majority of these supplemental prompts don’t change much from year to year, so you can use these to predict what you’ll likely be asked this year.
If you get started and realize you might need some extra support, reach out to our expert essay coaches–at PrepMaven, we’ve helped countless students get into schools like Princeton, Harvard, and UChicago.
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The Perfect College Application Essay: Topics, Prompts, and Tips
At Their Most Basic, College Admissions Essays Are Personal Statements That Students Write In Order To Complete Their Application And Apply To College.
Of course, that makes college essays seem easy. In reality, writing a college application essay is a complex process that every college-hopeful will have to go through. It involves personal reflection, patience, practice, and lots of outside help.
Fortunately, we’ve got everything you’ll need to prepare for writing an essay of your own.!
This article will cover how to write a college application essay, including common mistakes made on college essays, personal statement topics, tips for writing a successful admissions essay, and what the best admissions essays include. If you’re ready to take your college essays to the next level, then read on!
What You’ll Find In This Article:
- What You Need to Know About College Admissions Essays
- 6 Mistakes Students Make on College Application Essays
- Common Requirements for College Essays
- What Colleges Look for in an Admissions Essay
- 5 College Application Essay Topics and Prompts
- How to Write the Perfect College Application Essay
- Preparing for the Road Ahead
What You Need To Know About College Admissions Essays
When discussing college applications, one of the most crucial parts to understand is the essay, or personal statement.
You see, the college admissions process is not totally determined by numbers. This makes the admissions essay one of the most critical part of the application for students, because it allows them to show admissions officers who they really are.
While GPA, extracurricular activities, and academic achievements are important, the undergraduate experience is more focused on individuality and community. College admissions officers want to know how students will fit into their school culture, and the essay is typically how they judge that. Your GPA, SAT and ACT scores simply don’t paint the full picture of what you might bring to a college’s campus.
However, this is actually a huge benefit for you!
Even if your GPA or SAT scores aren’t perfect, you still have the opportunity to write an amazing college admissions essay—and often, this is the deciding factor between an average versus an outstanding college application!
6 Mistakes Students Make On College Application Essays
Some of the biggest downfalls for students writing college admissions essays are actually common mistakes that are easy to avoid—so long as you know what to look for.
Often times students fall into the trap of writing about their accomplishments and not themselves, miss the point of the prompt, or simply don’t edit what they wrote. Knowing these common mistakes can help guide you on what to do and what not to do when writing your essay.
#1: YOUR ESSAY READS LIKE A RESUME...
The point of a college application essay is to be personal, hence college essays often being called “personal statements.”
Most college essay prompts ask you not for a list of accomplishments or credentials, but for a personal essay that gives insight into who you are and what you could offer a college community.
You’ve already sent colleges your transcript, test scores, AP or IB classes, and lists of your activities. That portion of the application acted like a resume, meaning the essay is where you can focus on a unique experience or event that shaped who you are. If you miss this opportunity to talk about yourself, you’re also missing out on your best chance to stand apart from other applicants.
Which leads to another big mistake…
#2: YOU FOCUS ON OTHERS RATHER THAN YOURSELF...
Another major pitfall students face is focusing on others rather than themselves. Many students write their entire essay about an idol or family member, completely neglecting who they are.
Yes, it can feel strange or even difficult to talk about yourself in the first person, especially since you’re often taught to avoid “I” statements in school essays . However, this is a very different type of essay—the whole point is to give admissions officers insight into who you are!
Because of this, don’t be afraid to talk about yourself, your actions, and your thoughts.
The reason colleges give you the opportunity to write a personal essay is in the hope that you’ll reveal more about yourself. Make it crystal clear to the admissions officer what type of person you are so they can picture you, a unique individual, on their college campus.
#3: YOU RELY ON GIMMICKS...
Although you should be personable and relaxed in your essay, some people go too far and end up writing an ultra-casual biography.
This is another major mistake students make, often because they’re told by well-meaning teachers or mentors to imagine their essay as if they were talking to a friend or making a speech. This leads to poorly written essays that rarely even stay true to the prompt.
While your essay needs to be personal, it’s still being sent to a prestigious institution. You’re seeking higher education, not catching up with an old friend, so remain professional.
Fortunately, “professional” is exactly what it sounds like—intelligent, thoughtful, introspective, and respectful. There is no need to rely on jargon or even break out the thesaurus, but remember who will ultimately read your essay: a representative for the college you so badly want to attend.
#4: YOU NEVER EDITED YOUR ESSAY...
Unfortunately, this mistake is extremely common and extremely detrimental.
You spend so much time picking a college essay topic, writing the best admissions essay you can, and submitting your essay—but never stop to reread it.
It’s crucial that you edit your essay and search for any errors that might reflect poorly on your writing: grammatical or spelling mistakes, unclear sentences, slang, and poor formatting. Better yet, if you have the resources, enlist a parent, peer, teacher, or counselor to help edit your essay alongside you. Often you won’t catch your own mistakes, so having a second set of eyes can save your college application.
While this is one of the easiest mistakes to make, it’s also the easiest to fix. Simply take the extra time to ensure your essay is polished—don’t let a misplaced comma or a run on sentence be the reason you don’t get into your dream school!
#5: YOU IGNORED THE PROMPT...
Another dangerous mistake is not following the guidelines of your college essay prompt.
Oftentimes, students become so wrapped up in making their essay sound good that they forget to answer the questions colleges are asking. While this can be difficult, it’s critical that you pinpoint exactly what colleges are looking for in their prompts and then focus on that above all else .
For example, perhaps the prompt asked you what you learned from your biggest hardship, but you decide to talk about how being captain of the soccer team taught you leadership—this isn’t what the prompt is looking for and, unfortunately, this mistake can ruin your college application.
This is where getting the help of a college counselor , someone who has experience reading and interpreting college essay topics, can be a life-saver. A college counselor can help you identify exactly what your college essay prompts are asking for, how that relates to the topics you already want to write about, and how you can combine the two throughout your whole essay.
#6: YOUR ESSAY IS GENERIC...
The purpose of a personal statement is to show off who you are, so it’s crucial that you differentiate yourself in a meaningful way. You don’t want to end up writing about the same topic as everyone else, because that means admissions officers won’t remember you or your essay.
Here are some things to avoid:
- Don’t write about broad public issues that haven’t had a genuine impact on you. These will come across as generic and likely won’t say anything unique about who you are as a person.
- Avoid cliches whenever possible—they’re cheesy and ineffective. If you want to write about scoring the winning goal for your football team, make sure you have a unique spin that will stand out to admissions officers.
The key to making your essay memorable is to make it individual and to incorporate your identity. By showing college admissions officers a well-rounded picture of who you are, they’ll be far more likely to remember you and, best of all, want you at their school!
Common Requirements For College Essays
Length requirements:.
Whether you’re a student beginning the process of applying to college or a parent that wants to know more, some of the requirements for college essays don’t become available until the Common and UC Applications go live.
Fortunately, here are some requirements you can expect based on previous years:
- The Common Application’s personal statement, which goes to every college, is 650 words.
- The UC Application often includes two personal statements, 500 words each, or about two pages double spaced.
- Individual colleges will ask for supplemental essays in addition to the Common and UC Applications. These essays may range from several short answer essays, about 250-300 words, to an additional personal statement tailored to the particular college, about 650 words.
- There are often secondary essays required, depending on where you’re applying to college.
TOPIC REQUIREMENTS:
Although the specific topic requirements of college admissions essays change every year, there are a few topics that are recurring on the Common and UC Applications.
Prompts often focus on:
- Your background
- Your personal identity and how you developed it
- Major life lessons you’ve learned
- And any life-changing experiences you’ve had.
(You can find sample prompts for these topics later in the article!)
The prompts given by colleges for supplementary essays can vary drastically.
However, it’s common for schools to ask:
- Why you want to attend their college
- What kind of clubs you would join
- What you would contribute to their campus
- What your favorite book, movie, or hashtag is (the University of Southern California is known for these questions)
What Colleges Look For In An Admissions Essay
The key to writing a perfect college essay lies in capturing the reader’s attention.
Admission officers read dozens of college admissions essays daily, so yours needs to stand out. You should try to immediately hook the reader and explain why you’re the right fit for their college. Be specific about your own experience and write about what matters to you the most.
While there’s no one correct college essay format, there are characteristics of outstanding college essays . The best college essays show who you are as an individual, often recounting an experience that has deeply impacted you. These essays are thoughtful, developed, insightful, and introspective. Above all, the best college essays don’t have errors that distract from your main point.
A POWERFUL HOOK:
You should have a strong hook in the first few sentences of your college essay.
Your reader should be intrigued and want to know more, because you only have a limited amount of time to get their attention. However, many students find it easier to write their hook after they’ve already finished the essay and know their main point. Regardless of when you write your hook, double check that it’s impactful and strong before submitting your college essay.
Some effective ways of hooking a reader include:
- Setting the scene. Go into detail about what was happening in that moment. Make it vivid. If you’re a strong creative writer this can be especially effective.
- Opening with an anecdote . Nothing is more individual than your own experience. Personal anecdotes can help you capture the tone of your essay.
- Reveal a common misconception. You can give great insights into who you are by calling out a misconception that relates to part of your identity. It shows how you’re different from the very beginning of your essay.
A STRONG TOPIC:
To complement a strong hook, you need an equally strong topic.
This is your chance to appeal directly to an admissions officer, so the best topics should be closely related to your individual story. Choose something unique to your situation or life.
While you can certainly talk about more common experiences, they should always connect back to an insight into your own personality. For instance, there could be thousands of soccer players applying to the same college as you, but by showing how your experiences playing soccer shaped other aspects of your life, you can quickly differentiate yourself.
Above all, give your essay impact by highlighting your unique self.
VIVID (AND VISUAL) DETAILS:
Including in-depth descriptions and visual details not only helps show your story to your reader , but it’s also much more interesting and attention-grabbing.
Compare these two statements:
- I was a dancer in high school, but due to an injury I had to quit.
- Every day at 3:15 I would frantically put my hair into a bun on the car ride to ballet class. I was always fidgeting with excitement—ballet could never come soon enough. So when I was told my hips were giving out, my world changed. There were no more messy buns in the car, no more tired TV binges after I got home from practice, and no more fidgeting with excitement. I was told I would never dance again.
Which of these examples is more compelling?
If you’re being honest with yourself, the second one is. It tells a story using strong details that allow you to see the change this injury caused. While it’s harder to write, it’s far more effective, and can make or break your college essay’s success.
A PROFESSIONAL TONE:
Don’t use overly academic or technical language just to impress your college admissions officer, but make sure your writing is professional. You should write your essay the same way you would speak to a boss or teacher —it’ll be obvious if your essay is flooded with complicated words just for the sake of showing off, and it will ultimately detract from your main point.
While it’s important to write in a way that shows off your intelligence, don’t try to sound unnaturally academic. College admissions essays require you to strike a balance between casual and formal, with the goal being to show off your unique personality in a respectful, professional way. Your essay acts as an interview, so you want your reader to feel like they are talking to you and getting to know you through your essay.
CONCISE WRITING:
College application essays typically have a maximum word count of about 500-650 words and, once you start writing, this word count can quickly creep up on you. This means that your essay should be concise, yet detailed. As hard as that may sound, simply get to the point of your essay and you should find you have plenty of words to spare. Many students ramble on because they’re unsure what to say, and quickly run out of words as a result—while also boring their admissions officer.
Decide what you want to write about before you start writing, so you don’t fall into this trap. A clear, concise, and interesting essay will grab the admission officer’s attention, keep their attention, and show them your individual identity.
5 College Application Topics And Prompts
A crucial aspect of college essay writing is knowing what exactly you are going to write about.
While the specific prompts for each application don’t come out until early August, there are many recurring prompts that you can expect to see. Knowing what these college essay prompts will be about beforehand can help you get a head start for when topics finally release.
ESSAYS ABOUT IDENTITY:
Identity focused essay prompts will ask you specific questions about your interests and community, but will fundamentally be focused on what makes you who you are. These prompts are great if your identity is a big aspect of your life.
Here are some examples from the Common and UC Applications:
- 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 Application, 2018.
- Describe the world you come from (for example, your family, community or school) and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations — UC Application, 2018.
- Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are? — UC Application, 2018.
ESSAYS ABOUT CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO:
Another common essay prompt asks about individual experiences where you felt compelled to go against the norm. Usually the purpose of prompts like these are to show the reader that you’re independent, a leader, or have a strong set of individual values.
Here’s an example prompt:
- Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What pushed you to act? Would you make the same decision again? — Common App, 2018.
These prompts call for you to discuss an experience that required some sort of strong action on your part. This would be particularly great is you’ve participated in a social cause or challenged a school policy.
ESSAYS ABOUT A MAJOR EXPERIENCE:
Prompts about formative experiences ask you to recount particularly life-changing events that defined who you grew into.
For example:
- Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family — Common App, 2018.
An essay based on this prompt would discuss a personal situation that had a major impact on your beliefs, identity, life-path, or actions.
ESSAYS ABOUT VOLUNTEER WORK:
Essays about volunteer work or community outreach don’t tend to use that specific wording, but rather use other language that relates to helping others or solving problems.
Here’s an example prompt that fits well with volunteer work:
- 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 — Common App, 2018.
This is a great way to not only highlight your values, but show how you’re already begun putting those values into practice. Of course, make sure your essay still relates back to you as a person. Whether it resonates with you because of a personal experience or connects to what you plan to study in college, volunteer work can be a great topic to focus on for your college essay.
ESSAYS ABOUT PAST MISTAKES:
Probably the hardest to write (and write well), essays about personal mistakes can also be a great chance to show humility and an aptitude for growth—both traits college admissions officers want to see.
- The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? — Common App, 2018.
Use these prompts as a chance to show off your maturity. While it may seem counter-intuitive to talk about a failure when trying to show off how qualified you are, remember that we all make mistakes. It’s how we handle those mistakes with grace and kindness that set us apart from others.
How To Write The Perfect College Application Essay
Now that you know what mistakes to avoid when writing your college essay and are equipped with some topics and prompts, you can begin writing your college application essay. Here’s how to write the perfect college admissions essay!
START EARLY:
One of the best things you can do for your college essay is to get a head start . If you know what prompts to expect (like the ones we discussed above) then you can work on practice essays long before the final topics are released and can begin developing ideas.
Even if you don’t have the time or energy to go that far, you should make sure to start your essay as soon as topics are officially available. You need plenty of time to think about the topics you’ll be writing about, as well as time to write multiple drafts and edit them thoroughly. This is the most important part of your college application, so give yourself as much time as possible to make sure you get into the college you want.
WRITE MULTIPLE DRAFTS:
Something as important as a college admissions essay should not be done in one shot—this essay should be something that you put a lot of time, effort, and consideration into.
This is why writing multiple drafts of your college essay is extremely important. It gives you a chance to quickly get your thoughts down, without worrying about quality, and then refine your essay from there. If you only write one draft you risk leaving out important information and failing to develop your ideas. Writing multiple drafts also gives you a chance to catch any errors that could reflect poorly on your essay.
THINK ABOUT THE QUESTION:
You need to be thoughtful in your essay.
Think carefully about the question being asked, both to ensure you answer the prompt and to show off your personality. You also want to be insightful. Your reader is trying to picture you attending their particular college, so showing your intelligent, thoughtful nature helps them see you as a thriving student in their school.
EDIT YOUR WRITING:
If you only take one thing from this article: proofread and edit!
No one writes their best work on their first try. If you leave time to reread and edit your essay you’ll think about your topic and gain new insights in the process. Most importantly, editing can transform your essay from something average to something impressive and memorable.
Of course, many students aren’t equipped to edit their own writing—especially alongside all of the other important tasks that go into submitting a college essay. It’s hard to be objective about your own work, especially if you’re feeling rushed, so make sure to seek outside help if you feel you need it.
No matter how good your essay may be, it can’t truly shine unless your writing is polished as well.
Just like we said above, you really need a second set of eyes on your essay.
When you read your own work, you often skip over mistakes because you know what you intended to write—even if that’s not what ended up on the page. You’ll miss major grammatical errors and will leave behind sentences or even whole paragraphs that simply don’t make sense to anyone but yourself. In an essay that’s only 600 words, that’s a huge amount of lost real estate.
Fortunately, there are many people out there who want to help you write the best possible college admissions essay possible:
- College-aged Siblings
- College Counselors
Of everyone on this list, college counselors are by far the best resource out there. However, keep in mind that counselors are usually swamped with requests for help come application time.
In these instances, bringing in an outside counselor can often be your best bet.
These professionals can go in-depth with you on a one-on-one basis, helping you not only polish your essay, but refine your entire application strategy. In fact, many students prefer to seek outside counselors for this very reason—a school counselor rarely has the time to work on both your application and essay together.
If you’re hoping to get into any of the top colleges in the US, you’ll want to strongly consider hiring a professional counselor to help.
Preparing For The Road Ahead
Applying to colleges is an intimidating process, but we hope these tips have helped you feel that much more prepared for the journey ahead.
Of course, this article isn’t all we have to offer.
Whether you’re a student dreaming of Yale, Standford, or Harvard, or a parent looking to support your kid however you can, we’re here to help. WeAdmit is a team of college counseling professionals who intimately understand the admissions process. Whether you’re struggling to write the perfect essay or aren’t even sure where to apply yet, we can work with you one-on-one to refine your application strategy and support you through the many twists and turns of applying to college.
Are You Ready? Let’s Get Into College!
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- Choosing Your College Essay Topic | Ideas & Examples
Choosing Your College Essay Topic | Ideas & Examples
Published on October 25, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on July 3, 2023.
A strong essay topic sets you up to write a unique, memorable college application essay . Your topic should be personal, original, and specific. Take time to brainstorm the right topic for you.
Table of contents
What makes a good topic, brainstorming questions to get started, discover the best topic for you, how to make a common topic compelling, frequently asked questions about college application essays, other interesting articles.
Here are some guidelines for a good essay topic:
- It’s focused on you and your experience
- It shares something different from the rest of your application
- It’s specific and original (not many students could write a similar essay)
- It affords the opportunity to share your positive stories and qualities
In most cases, avoid topics that
- Reflect poorly on your character and behavior
- Deal with a challenge or traumatic experience without a lesson learned or positive outlook
Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.
Spend time reflecting on and writing out answers to the following questions. After doing this exercise, you should be able to identify a few strong topics for your college essay.
Writing about yourself can be difficult. If you’re struggling to identify your topic, try these two strategies.
Start with your qualities
After identifying your positive qualities or values, brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities.
Start with a story
If you already have some memorable stories in mind that you’d like to write about, think about which qualities and values you can demonstrate with those stories.
Talk it through
To make sure you choose the right topic, ask for advice from trusted friends or family members who know you well. They can help you brainstorm ideas and remember stories, and they can give you feedback on your potential essay topics.
You can also work with a guidance counselor, teacher, or other mentor to discuss which ideas are most promising. If you plan ahead , you can even workshop multiple draft essays to see which topic works best.
If you do choose a common topic, ensure you have the following to craft a unique essay:
- Surprising or unexpected story arcs
- Interesting insight or connections
- An advanced writing style
Here are a few examples of how to craft strong essays from cliché topics.
Here’s a checklist you can use to confirm that your college essay topic is right for you.
College essay topic checklist
My topic is focused on me, not on someone else.
My topic shares something different from the rest of my application.
My topic is specific and original (not many students could write a similar essay).
My topic reflects positively on my character and behavior.
If I chose to write about a traumatic or challenging experience, my essay will focus on how I overcame it or gained insight.
If I chose a common topic, my essay will have a surprising story arc, interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style.
Good topic!
It looks like your topic is a good choice. It's specific, it avoids clichés, and it reflects positively on you.
There are no foolproof college essay topics —whatever your topic, the key is to write about it effectively. However, a good topic
- Is meaningful, specific, and personal to you
- Focuses on you and your experiences
- Reveals something beyond your test scores, grades, and extracurriculars
- Is creative and original
Yes—admissions officers don’t expect everyone to have a totally unique college essay topic . But you must differentiate your essay from others by having a surprising story arc, an interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style .
To decide on a good college essay topic , spend time thoughtfully answering brainstorming questions. If you still have trouble identifying topics, try the following two strategies:
- Identify your qualities → Brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities
- Identify memorable stories → Connect your qualities to these stories
You can also ask family, friends, or mentors to help you brainstorm topics, give feedback on your potential essay topics, or recall key stories that showcase your qualities.
Most topics are acceptable for college essays if you can use them to demonstrate personal growth or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are:
- Overly personal (e.g. graphic details of illness or injury, romantic or sexual relationships)
- Not personal enough (e.g. broad solutions to world problems, inspiring people or things)
- Too negative (e.g. an in-depth look at your flaws, put-downs of others, criticizing the need for a college essay)
- Too boring (e.g. a resume of your academic achievements and extracurriculars)
- Inappropriate for a college essay (e.g. illegal activities, offensive humor, false accounts of yourself, bragging about privilege)
Here’s a brief list of college essay topics that may be considered cliché:
- Extracurriculars, especially sports
- Role models
- Dealing with a personal tragedy or death in the family
- Struggling with new life situations (immigrant stories, moving homes, parents’ divorce)
- Becoming a better person after community service, traveling, or summer camp
- Overcoming a difficult class
- Using a common object as an extended metaphor
It’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic. However, it’s possible to make a common topic compelling with interesting story arcs, uncommon connections, and an advanced writing style.
If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Academic writing
- Writing process
- Transition words
- Passive voice
- Paraphrasing
Communication
- How to end an email
- Ms, mrs, miss
- How to start an email
- I hope this email finds you well
- Hope you are doing well
Parts of speech
- Personal pronouns
- Conjunctions
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- 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. You may use the additional comments field to note extraordinary circumstances related to COVID-19, if necessary.
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.
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100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle & High School – 2024
April 15, 2024
Some high school students dream of writing for a living, perhaps pursuing an English major in college, or even attending a creative writing MFA program later on. For other students, creative writing can be useful for school assignments, in English and other subjects, and also for preparing their Common App essays . In a less goal-oriented sense, daily freewriting in a journal can be a healthy life practice for many high schoolers. Not sure where to start? Continue reading for 100 creative writing prompts for middle school and high school students. These middle/high school writing prompts offer inspiration for getting started with writing in a number of genres and styles.
Click here to view the 35 Best Colleges for Creative Writing .
What are Creative Writing Prompts?
Similar to how an academic essay prompt provides a jumping-off point for forming and organizing an argument, creative writing prompts are points of initiation for writing a story, poem, or creative essay. Prompts can be useful for writers of all ages, helping many to get past writer’s block and just start (often one of the most difficult parts of a writing process).
Writing prompts come in a variety of forms. Sometimes they are phrases used to begin sentences. Other times they are questions, more like academic essay prompts Writing prompts can also involve objects such as photographs, or activities such as walking. Below, you will find high school writing prompts that use memories, objects, senses (smell/taste/touch), abstract ideas , and even songs as jumping-off points for creative writing. These prompts can be used to write in a variety of forms, from short stories to creative essays, to poems.
How to use Creative Writing Prompts
Before we get started with the list, are a few tips when using creative writing prompts:
Experiment with different formats : Prose is great, but there’s no need to limit yourself to full sentences, at least at first. A piece of creative writing can begin with a poem, or a dialogue, or even a list. You can always bring it back to prose later if needed.
Interpret the prompt broadly : The point of a creative writing prompt is not to answer it “correctly” or “precisely.” You might begin with the prompt, but then your ideas could take you in a completely different direction. The words in the prompt also don’t need to open your poem or essay, but could appear somewhere in the middle.
Switch up/pile up the prompts : Try using two or three prompts and combine them, or weave between them. Perhaps choose a main prompt, and a different “sub-prompt.” For example, your main prompt might be “write about being in transit from one place to another,” and within that prompt, you might use the prompt to “describe a physical sensation,” and/or one the dialogue prompts. This could be a fun way to find complexity as you write.
Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Students (Continued)
Write first, edit later : While you’re first getting started with a prompt, leave the typos and bad grammar. Obsessing over details can take away from your flow of thoughts. You will inevitably make many fixes when you go back through to edit.
Write consistently : It often becomes easier to write when it’s a practice , rather than a once-in-a-while kind of activity. For some, it’s useful to write daily. Others find time to write every few days, or every weekend. Sometimes, a word-count goal can help (100 words a day, 2,000 words a month, etc.). If you set a goal, make sure it’s realistic. Start small and build from there, rather than starting with an unachievable goal and quickly giving up.
100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Teens
Here are some prompts for getting started with your creative writing. These are organized by method, rather than genre, so they can inspire writing in a variety of forms. Pick and choose the ones that work best for you, and enjoy!
Prompts using memories
- Begin each sentence or group of sentences with the phrase, “I remember…”
- Describe a family ritual.
- Choose an event in your life, and write about it from the perspective of someone else who was there.
- Pick a pathway you take on a regular basis (to school, or to a friend’s house). Describe five landmarks that you remember from this pathway.
- Write about your house or apartment using a memory from each room.
- Write an imaginary history of the previous people who lived in your house or apartment.
- Write about an ancestor based on stories you’ve heard from relatives.
- What’s your earliest memory?
- Who was your first friend?
- Write a letter to someone you haven’t seen since childhood.
- Write about yourself now from the perspective of yourself twenty, or eighty, years from now.
- Write about the best month of the year.
- Write about the worst day of the year.
- Rant about something that has always annoyed you.
- Write about the hottest or coldest day you can remember.
- Visualize a fleeting moment in your life and as though it’s a photograph, and time yourself 5 minutes to write every detail you can remember about the scene.
- Draw out a timeline of your life so far. Then choose three years to write about, as though you were writing for a history book.
- Write about a historical event in the first person, as though you remember it.
- Write about a memory of being in transit from one place to another.
Objects and photographs as creative writing prompts
- Describe the first object you see in the room. What importance does it have in your life? What memories do you have with this object? What might it symbolize?
- Pick up an object, and spend some time holding it/examining it. Write about how it looks, feels, and smells. Write about the material that it’s made from.
- Choose a favorite family photograph. What could someone know just by looking at the photograph? What’s secretly happening in the photograph?
- Choose a photograph and tell the story of this photograph from the perspective of someone or something in it.
- Write about a color by describing three objects that are that color.
- Tell the story of a piece of trash.
- Tell the story of a pair of shoes.
- Tell the story of your oldest piece of clothing.
Senses and observations as creative writing prompts
- Describe a sound you hear in the room or outside. Choose the first sound you notice. What are its qualities? It’s rhythms? What other sounds does it remind you of?
- Describe a physical sensation you feel right now, in as much detail as possible.
- Listen to a conversation and write down a phrase that you hear someone say. Start a free-write with this phrase.
- Write about a food by describing its qualities, but don’t say what it is.
- Describe a flavor (salty, sweet, bitter, etc.) to someone who has never tasted it before.
- Narrate your day through tastes you tasted.
- Narrate your day through sounds you heard.
- Narrate your day through physical sensations you felt.
- Describe in detail the physical process of doing an action you consider simple or mundane, like walking or lying down or chopping vegetables.
- Write about the sensation of doing an action you consider physically demanding or tiring, like running or lifting heavy boxes.
- Describe something that gives you goosebumps.
- Write a story that involves drinking a cold glass of water on a hot day.
- Write a story that involves entering a warm house from a cold snowy day.
- Describe someone’s facial features in as much detail as possible.
Songs, books, and other art
- Choose a song quote, write it down, and free-write from there.
- Choose a song, and write a story in which that song is playing in the car.
- Choose a song, and write to the rhythm of that song.
- Choose a character from a book, and describe an event in your life from the perspective of that character.
- Go to a library and write down 10 book titles that catch your eye. Free-write for 5 minutes beginning with each one.
- Go to a library and open to random book pages, and write down 5 sentences that catch your attention. Use those sentences as prompts and free-write for 5-minutes with each.
- Choose a piece of abstract artwork. Jot down 10 words that come to mind from the painting or drawing, and free-write for 2 minutes based on each word.
- Find a picture of a dramatic Renaissance painting online. Tell a story about what’s going on in the painting that has nothing to do with what the artist intended.
- Write about your day in five acts, like a Shakespearean play. If your day were a play, what would be the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution?
- Narrate a complicated book or film plot using only short sentences.
- Read a short poem. Then write a poem that could be a “sister” or “cousin” of that poem.
Abstract ideas as creative writing prompts
- Write about an experience that demonstrates an abstract idea, such as “love” or “home” or “freedom” or “loss” without ever using the word itself.
- Write a list of ways to say “hello” without actually saying “hello.”
- Write a list of ways to say “I love you” without actually saying “I love you.”
- Do you believe in ghosts? Describe a ghost.
- Invent a mode of time travel.
- Glass half-full/half-empty: Write about an event or situation with a positive outlook. Then write about it with a miserable outlook.
- Free-write beginning with “my religion is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with organized religion as you’d like).
- Free-write beginning with “my gender is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with common ideas of gender as you’d like).
- Write about a person or character that is “good” and one that is “evil.” Then write about the “evil” in the good character and the “good” in the evil character.
- Write like you’re telling a secret.
- Describe a moment of beauty you witnessed. What makes something beautiful?
Prompts for playing with narrative and character
- Begin writing with the phrase, “It all started when…”
- Tell a story from the middle of the most dramatic part.
- Write a story that begins with the ending.
- Begin a story but give it 5 possible endings.
- Write a list of ways to dramatically quit a terrible job.
- Write about a character breaking a social rule or ritual (i.e., walking backwards, sitting on the floor of a restaurant, wearing a ballgown to the grocery store). What are the ramifications?
- You are sent to the principal’s office. Justify your bad behavior.
- Re-write a well-known fairytale but set it in your school.
- Write your own version of the TV show trope where someone gets stuck in an elevator with a stranger, or a secret love interest, or a nemesis.
- Imagine a day where you said everything you were thinking, and write about it.
- Write about a scenario in which you have too much of a good thing.
- Write about a scenario in which money can buy happiness.
- Invent a bank or museum heist.
- Invent a superhero, including an origin story.
- Write using the form of the scientific method (question, hypothesis, test, analyze data conclusion).
- Write using the form of a recipe.
Middle School & High School Creative writing prompts for playing with fact vs. fiction
- Write something you know for sure is true, and then, “but maybe it isn’t.” Then explain why that thing may not be true.
- Write a statement and contradict that statement. Then do it again.
- Draft an email with an outlandish excuse as to why you didn’t do your homework or why you need an extension.
- Write about your morning routine, and make it sound extravagant/luxurious (even if it isn’t).
- You’ve just won an award for doing a very mundane and simple task. Write your acceptance speech.
- Write about a non-athletic event as though it were a sports game.
- Write about the most complicated way to complete a simple task.
- Write a brief history of your life, and exaggerate everything.
- Write about your day, but lie about some things.
- Tell the story of your birth.
- Choose a historical event and write an alternative outcome.
- Write about a day in the life of a famous person in history.
- Read an instructional manual, and change three instructions to include some kind of magical or otherwise impossible element.
Prompts for starting with dialogue
- Write a texting conversation between two friends who haven’t spoken in years.
- Write a texting conversation between two friends who speak every day and know each other better than anyone.
- Watch two people on the street having a conversation, and imagine the conversation they’re having. Write it down.
- Write an overheard conversation behind a closed door that you shouldn’t be listening to.
- Write a conversation between two characters arguing about contradicting memories of what happened.
- You have a difficult decision to make. Write a conversation about it with yourself.
- Write a conversation with a total lack of communication.
- Write a job interview gone badly.
Final Thoughts – Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School
Hopefully you have found several of these creative writing prompts helpful. Remember that when writing creatively, especially on your own, you can mix, match, and change prompts. For more on writing for high school students, check out the following articles:
- College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
- 160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics
- 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
- Good Transition Words for Essays
- High School Success
Sarah Mininsohn
With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.
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What Sign, Symbol or Emoji Best Represents Your Generation?
And what does it say about you and your peers — your experiences, your interests, your hopes and your worries?
By Shannon Doyne
When you see peace signs, like those pinned to the graduation caps in the image above, what comes to mind? Does the symbol mean anything to you? Why do you think the students in the photograph might have been wearing it?
Are there any signs, symbols or emojis that you could see the students in your graduating class wearing in unison one day? Is there one image that you think best represents your generation?
In “ Does the Peace Sign Stand a Chance ?” Michael Rock, a founder of a design studio who also teaches brand strategy at the Yale School of Management, writes about the evolution of the peace sign:
The signs and symbols that designate our beliefs and affiliations are slippery. While the Christian cross, the Islamic star and crescent, the Jewish Star of David and their copyrighted, vigorously litigated corporate equivalents — swooshes, apples and targets — may prove resilient, a dizzying mix of familiar and newly minted graphic devices now compete for our dwindling attention. These days there is no movement without messaging. Even anarchy has a brand identity, its scratchy circled A logo has migrated from your corner lamppost to a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor Anarchy-edition All-Stars. From the pink hats of the Women’s March to the red hats of the Capitol raid, rainbows to thin blue lines, salute emojis to watermelon emojis , we are navigating a thicket of improvised graphic devices. Then there is the case of the peace sign. Originally devised in the late 1950s by the activist and designer Gerald Holtom as a symbol for the British antinuclear proliferation movement, the ubiquitous divided circle mark — derived by overlapping the flag-semaphore signals for the letters N and D to stand for Nuclear Disarmament — itself quickly proliferated as an open-source logo for global antiwar and counterculture movements. From its inception Mr. Holtom insisted that his mark remain forever in the public domain. But without the protections of centuries-old institutional traditions or menacing cease-and-desist letters, symbols are vulnerable to appropriation. Since no one owns the peace sign, it can be leveraged for whatever by whomever. (Looking at you, Craigslist.) Even by the early 1970s, the once highly charged peace symbol was devolving into an anodyne lifestyle and fashion motif akin to a smiley face.
Mr. Rock also includes what his current students think of the peace sign:
A highly unscientific survey of my Gen Z students and colleagues suggests that after decades of relentless commodification, younger generations may have lost the thread. The typical associations I heard — “hippie,” “Venice Beach,” “someone pretty easygoing and kind of disconnected,” “coexist” and “slacker” — sounded more like a marketer’s kombucha psychographic than a radical revolutionary. “I take one look at the peace sign, and it feels really dated and meaningless,” Gabby Uy, a 22-year-old college junior, told me. “It reminds me of being in elementary school, and this was on everybody’s water bottles or T-shirts, and the world seemed a lot simpler than it actually is.” “I wouldn’t consider it progressive or anything,” Ben Gertner, a 21-year-old college senior, concurred. “It’s more of an antiquated symbol of ‘just getting along’ — a kind of neutral blanket statement against war and violence.” “When I see the symbol, my first thought is always a capitalist trinket of sorts,” said Kali Flanagan, 19. While that may sound cynical, the connection to marketing is not entirely surprising considering this is a generation whose first encounter with the mark may have been being swaddled in peace-sign-patterned onesies or fed a bowl of Annie’s Organic Peace Pasta & Parmesan before going on to wear an Urban Outfitters Peace Crochet Bucket Hat, a pair of Vans Old Skool Peace Paisley slip-ons or even a Tiffany platinum and diamond peace pendant. One might be tempted to think that after decades in service of selling fast fashion, the peace sign is impossibly debased. But while some may dismiss it as anachronistic, others find it retains some of its original poignancy. “It is relevant to me,” Elizabeth Olshanetsky, 23, another college senior, said. “Two parts of my identity are currently war-torn: Jewish and having lots of family in Israel, and my parents growing up in the Soviet Union and us still having family in Ukraine and Russia.” Context still matters.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Before reading the article, did you know the origins of the peace sign? If not, where did you think it came from and what did you think it represented? Does learning about its history make you see it differently now?
“These days there is no movement without messaging,” Mr. Rock writes. What visual messages do you see in present-day movements? For example, if you’ve attended or seen video footage from protests, marches, demonstrations, parades or picket lines, what slogans and symbols have you seen emblazoned on the signs that people carried? What emojis have you observed being used in social media campaigns? How effective are these images at helping to spread the intended message?
Why do you think that images and graphics can hold so much power when it comes to spurring a movement or communicating ideas and beliefs?
Do you have a favorite symbol? Maybe it’s one that you like to draw over and over, or a brand logo that you admire, or an emoji that you use often. Why do you like it? What does it mean to you?
Is there anything that you wish had a symbol that doesn’t? If you designed that symbol, what would it look like? What would it represent? How would the symbol convey its meaning? How do you see it being used?
One might argue that if there was any symbol that best represented the ’60s and ’70s, it was the peace sign. If you had to chose a sign, symbol, emoji or some other image to represent your generation, what would it be? What does it say about you and your peers — your experiences, your interests, your hopes and your worries?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
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AI Prompt Engineering Isn’t the Future
- Oguz A. Acar
Asking the perfect question is less important than really understanding the problem you’re trying to solve.
Despite the buzz surrounding it, the prominence of prompt engineering may be fleeting. A more enduring and adaptable skill will keep enabling us to harness the potential of generative AI? It is called problem formulation — the ability to identify, analyze, and delineate problems.
Prompt engineering has taken the generative AI world by storm. The job, which entails optimizing textual input to effectively communicate with large language models, has been hailed by World Economic Forum as the number one “job of the future” while Open AI CEO Sam Altman characterized it as an “amazingly high-leveraged skill.” Social media brims with a new wave of influencers showcasing “magic prompts” and pledging amazing outcomes.
- Oguz A. Acar is a Chair in Marketing at King’s Business School, King’s College London.
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The UCA essay prompt is completely open ended and has a 650-word limit. Here is the 2022-2023 prompt: Please write an essay that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event.
2023-2024 Coalition for College Essay Prompts. More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process. Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. We Are Teachers.
Latest essay prompts for the top 100 schools. At CollegeVine, our goal is to make the college application process a little less stressful, so we've compiled the latest essay prompts for the top 100 schools in one easy, searchable database. Also, every year we create free guides on "How to Write X School's Essays" for the top 100 schools ...
With the right mindset and approach, college essay prompts can be a valuable opportunity for students to showcase their strengths and potential. How to Choose the Right College Essay Prompt. Choosing the right prompt is crucial to producing an outstanding college essay. With so many prompts available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
35 College Essay Prompts and Topics. The college application process can be stressful and sometimes overwhelming. A great way to stand out from the crowd and boost an application for a "reach" school is with a strong essay. We've put together a list of common prompts and advice for how to answer them. Describe a facet of your identity ...
The 3 Main Types of College Essay Questions. When it comes to college applications, one of the most important components is the college essay. College essay prompts can vary widely across different institutions, but they generally fall into three main types: personal statement prompts, specific prompts, and supplemental prompts.
2023-24 Common App Essays. Nearly 700 colleges accept the The Common Application , which makes it easy to apply to multiple schools with just one form. If you are using the Common App to apply for college admissions, you will have 250-650 words to respond to ONE of the following prompts: Some students have a background, identity, interest ...
Sample statement prompts: Talk about an unusual circumstance in your life. Share how you hope to use your college education. Discuss a list of books you have read in the last year. Common App essay prompts. Common App is an online platform designed to simplify the college application process.
As you plan your college-application application essay, you face the infamous question: Which prompt do I pick? Most college admissions guidelines-including the common app and state-specific applications like the University of California (UC) app-give you the option to pick between multiple prompts. This article will help you pick the best prompt and select a topic, including guiding ...
Below is the complete list of the Common App essay prompts. 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. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success ...
School-Specific Essay Prompts (150-200 Words for All): College of Arts and Sciences. The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences' curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major.
Common App essay prompts for 2023-2024 will remain unchanged as last year's prompts received a satisfaction rating of over 95% from students, counselors, advisors, teachers, and colleges. Find a college Plan for college. Why college matters Paying for college Your path to college. Apply to college. First-year application guide Essay prompts ...
Here are the most common types of supplemental essay prompts: The "Why us" essay. The Academic interest essay. The Extracurricular essay. The Community essay. The Diversity/Identity essay. The "Creative" essay. Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays.
How to answer all your college essay prompts in less time: Gather all your essay prompts and put them on a single spreadsheet. Play the overlapping prompt game: read through all your prompts and decide which might potentially overlap. Brainstorm the content and structure for a few "super" essays (i.e. essays that can work for several prompts).
Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family — Common App, 2018. An essay based on this prompt would discuss a personal situation that had a major impact on your beliefs, identity, life-path, or actions.
Here are some of our favorite quirky college application essay prompts from the 2023-24 college admissions season: Chapman University: What song should we be listening to while reading your application? Colgate University: My favorite food is…. Dartmouth College: Celebrate your nerdy side. Emory University: Reflection is a central tenant of ...
Here's a list of essay topics and ideas that worked for my one-on-one students: Essay Topic: My Allergies Inspired Me. After nearly dying from anaphylactic shock at five years old, I began a journey healing my anxiety and understanding the PTSD around my allergies. This created a passion for medicine and immunology, and now I want to become ...
If you do choose a common topic, ensure you have the following to craft a unique essay: Surprising or unexpected story arcs. Interesting insight or connections. An advanced writing style. Here are a few examples of how to craft strong essays from cliché topics. Common topic.
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 ...
There are options for just one essay (e.g., Common App Essay) or Complete Application Support (every essay + more) for 1, 3, 6, or all of your applications. View 1-on-1 Coaching Options Other ways Prompt can support you through the application process
Some high school students dream of writing for a living, perhaps pursuing an English major in college, or even attending a creative writing MFA program later on. For other students, creative writing can be useful for school assignments, in English and other subjects, and also for preparing their Common App essays.In a less goal-oriented sense, daily freewriting in a journal can be a healthy ...
From the pink hats of the Women's March to the red hats of the Capitol raid, rainbows to thin blue lines, salute emojis to watermelon emojis, we are navigating a thicket of improvised graphic ...
It is called problem formulation — the ability to identify, analyze, and delineate problems. Prompt engineering has taken the generative AI world by storm. The job, which entails optimizing ...