Every year, over one million students apply to college using the Common Application. Over 1,000 colleges and universities accept the Common Application, including all eight of the Ivy Leagues. By the time you begin filling out the Common App, your GPA, extracurriculars, and test scores are all more or less set in stone—that’s why writing a compelling personal statement is crucial. Your Common App essay has the power to set you apart from thousands of other applicants with similar academic profiles. And for schools like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, where thousands of qualified applicants are vying for coveted spots, a stellar essay can make or break your chances of admission.
So, how exactly do you write an exceptional essay that’s mature, personal, engaging, and unique… in under 650 words? Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all hack to writing the perfect Common App essay. You might be tempted to write what you think an admissions officer wants to read—but admissions officers want to see you express your ideas and feelings in your own voice.
That being said, knowing the do’s and don’ts of each prompt can help you to avoid making common mistakes and help you to write an essay your admissions officers won’t soon forget.
1. Create your application portals.
After submitting your applications, you will receive emails asking you to set up portals for each of your schools. Create these accounts right away and keep a document with links to each portal and your login information. Check your portals regularly, as this is primarily how your schools will communicate application updates to you. The portals will also show which materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores) each school has received and which are still missing. Additionally, most universities require you to upload a midyear report documenting your first semester grades, so make sure to upload yours as soon as possible! If a university has not yet received any materials you have submitted, contact their admissions office.
2. Be original.
While it can be immensely helpful to look at examples of past admitted students’ personal statements (Johns Hopkins provides a particularly helpful list), you want to be sure that you are not imitating someone else’s style or content at the expense of your own voice. The key to a personal statement is in staying true to yourself, not writing what you think admissions officers would want to see. Be as unique, original, and creative as feels authentic to you. Write an essay only you could write. The personal statement is an intentionally open-ended piece of writing, so you can be as unconventional as you want to be, as long as it clearly communicates the aspects of your personality that you want to make evident in your essay. At the end of the essay, you want the reader to get a better sense of who you are, how you see the world, how you’ve matured, and how you might uniquely add to their community.
3. Experiment with your topic.
If you start the writing process early enough, you’ll have plenty of time to experiment with your essay to communicate your point clearly and compellingly. Keep in mind that your first draft will never be perfect—essay writing is a process of trial and error, and the best personal statements are the result of extensive brainstorming, drafting, and editing. You can write a couple drafts or outlines responding to different prompts, then choose which topic will allow you to present the most accurate and captivating version of yourself. Or, you can respond to the same prompt in different ways, challenging yourself to discover your most authentic voice. Maybe respond to a prompt more directly in one and more abstract in another, or imagine you’re addressing a different audience in each one (the way you’d tell a story to your friend is very different than the way you’d tell it to your teacher, for instance). Once you have a few drafts to work with, read them all over before you decide which one has made it on to the editing round. It is important to remember that your essay topic is only as engaging as you think it is—as you experiment with your writing, pay attention to what you genuinely enjoy writing about. If you are forcing yourself to write about a topic that you think will impress the readers but that you yourself don’t find interesting, that feeling will shine through your writing.
4. Use your own voice.
While your personal essay should be a polished piece of writing, this does not mean that it should be stiff or formal—keep in mind that this is not an academic essay. That is to say, incorporating fancy vocabulary words won’t necessarily improve your essay the way you think it might. In fact, using words you don’t fully understand will likely hurt your essay by making it sound awkward and forced. On the other hand, don’t fall into the trap of sounding too colloquial by relying on cliches or slang to get your message across. When you get the urge to write idiomatically or use cliches, try to think of a more personal and nuanced way to convey your idea. Doing so will prevent your voice from getting lost in a sea of overused phrases. Finding an authentic, middle ground can be a real challenge, but it’s essential to ensuring that your essay is readable, engaging, and true to your personality.
5. Know when your essay is finalized.
It can be hard to recognize when it is time to conclude the editing process. Given the importance of the personal statement, many students find themselves stuck in an editing loop, tweaking and rewording endlessly and unsure of when to deem the essay ready for submission. However, this will likely leave you frustrated and unsatisfied when your essay might be perfectly structured, written, and edited. After you have gone through 2-3 rounds of revisions, have two trusted parties (whether a parent, a peer, a tutor, or a teacher) read through your final draft for any minor tweaks—these should be primarily grammatical edits or small word choice suggestions. Once you have made their suggested edits to your final draft, your personal statement is likely ready for submission. If you find yourself obsessively rewriting, reworking, or restructuring your final essay, close your laptop and do a final read through the following day. Odds are, a fresh set of eyes will help you recognize that your essay is complete.
KEY TIP
Peers, older siblings, or friends in college are great resources for editing your essay. While parents can be a good second set of eyes on your grammar and spelling, peers and friends closer to your own age who have just gone through the college admissions process can offer helpful feedback on the content, style, and voice of your essay.
For more tips and tricks, check out our Senior Mentor Henry’s short video guide to the personal statement!
COMMON APP ESSAY PROMPT #1:
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
DO: Tell a story only you can tell. This is your chance to show that you’re more than numbers on paper and demonstrate other aspects of your personality. When you set out to tell this story, make sure to be specific and choose a particular topic to hone in on. You can write about a physical feature, a certain food, or part of your history that sets you apart from other people. The key to this essay is to latch onto a concrete object or idea, and then transition to a more abstract discussion about it. Your essay should provide a narrative that is grounded in this main idea, but weaves in other details which reveal other facets of your identity and personality.
If you’re struggling to select a topic, start by reviewing your activities list—if this was the only information the admissions officers were able to read about you, what other aspects of yourself would be missing? Your essay should fill in the missing pieces.
DON’T: There are several classic pitfalls for this prompt. Number one is confusing the word “story” for “autobiography.” Don’t start this essay with the moment you were born and end it with you sitting at your desk writing this essay. Six hundred fifty words is not enough time to tell your whole life story well. The essay will end up feeling rushed and your reader won’t know much more about you by the end of it. A sharper focus will shed more light on your values than a chronological life story might. Another common mistake with this prompt is latching onto the “background” or “identity” portion of the prompt and writing a classic, self-pitying narrative of struggle and triumph. Lastly, should you choose to write about an “interest or talent,” avoid bragging about it. With any prompt, strive to balance humility with confidence.
COMMON APP ESSAY PROMPT #2:
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
DO: You might shy away from this topic because you think your life has been easy, or you haven’t overcome an enormous challenge–don’t! If this prompt jumps out at you, focus on a challenge that may seem small but made a huge difference in your character development. Sometimes the most insignificant instances make for the best stories. When tackling this prompt, focus on recent history rather than on an obstacle you overcame when you were young and may not remember with as much clarity. Once you choose the obstacle or setback you want to discuss, talk about your feelings in a mature and emotionally intelligent way, selecting an experience that demonstrates your potential to thrive in and learn from difficult situations. As with any other prompt, try to show, rather than tell, this growth. You could potentially juxtapose two situations: one in which you failed, and a later one in which you implemented what you learned the first time around in order to succeed.
DON’T: Students often fall into one of two common mistakes when tackling this question: first, many students rely on cliches and overused tropes. Keep in mind that admissions officers will likely read hundreds of essays recounting stories of students missing the game-winning goal or flunking a test in sophomore English. Try to select a story that only you can tell, and if you choose a topic you worry might be popular among other students, consider how you might recount it in a unique and unexpected way.
On the other hand, some students fall into the opposite problem, sharing about a particularly personal, traumatic, or triggering experience that impacted them. Though it should convey personal insights, the personal statement is still a professional document, and you should not make your reader uncomfortable or unsettled by the information you share. You can avoid this mistake by steering clear of issues that you haven’t fully processed and still view with bitterness or hopelessness. Remember, you are trying to demonstrate growth, not wallow or complain. Lastly, if you choose to write about a setback or failure, don’t deny the part you played. Self-awareness is a trait admissions officers love to see, and you can demonstrate that by being as unbiased and reflective as possible.
COMMON APP ESSAY PROMPT #3:
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
DO: Top colleges seek to admit students who are willing to engage in critical thinking and who possess the intellectual courage to question norms or ideas. Take this essay as an opportunity to share something about your ideology as well as demonstrate maturity, independence, and critical thinking skills. Include a healthy amount of conflict leading up to the resolution, so that this reads more like a story and less like an essay.
As you share your story, remember that the essay’s focus is to demonstrate your open-mindedness, your commitment to seeking the truth, and your willingness to engage deeply with complex issues. It also shows your ability to respect differing viewpoints while developing your own reasoned stance. As such, you should take the admissions committee through your process of growth and change step-by-step, clearly articulating how the experience impacted you and how your changed perspective will enhance their campus community should you enroll.
DON’T: Try not to write in a combative tone, because you never know what views your reader will hold. Certain topics, like civil rights or gender equality, are pretty cliche; unless those hot topics have personally affected you in a significant and unique way, steer clear of them. Don’t feel like you have to get political or philosophical either. You can write about a time you convinced all of your friends that Neapolitan is the best ice cream flavor by conducting a blind taste test at lunch every day for a week!
COMMON APP ESSAY PROMPT #4:
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?
DO: Begin with a narrative describing one specific instance that made you happy or thankful, even if the event or action occurred multiple times. Focus your essay on how the kind action itself was surprising or how your realization of your own gratitude surprised you. Something as small as a sibling making you food when you were feeling down can speak volumes about your values and personal life. Did your sibling’s unexpected kindness surprise you or were you surprised that you did not appreciate their actions until that particular moment? When discussing how your gratitude has motivated you, try to show how you’ve been affected through your writing rather than directly telling your reader how your thinking has changed. Highlight the emotional impact of the experience and how it has changed your perspective in the long term.
DON’T: Don’t make the essay all about how you benefited from the experience—consider the reciprocal nature of gratitude and reflect on how you have paid forward the kindness you received or how it has changed your interactions with others.
Additionally, don’t tell a story that can be written identically by thousands of other applicants. A seemingly mundane action can still make for a fantastic essay, but the details and impact of that action should be unique to you. Many students can talk about their supportive parents driving them to all of their activities, but only you can describe the discussions you had, the music that played, and specifically why those drives made you happy or thankful. Dig deep here—a Hallmark card can describe anyone’s gratitude, your essay should not!
COMMON APP ESSAY PROMPT #5:
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
DO: Use descriptive language and anecdotes to illustrate your story. Your writing should convey how you felt, what you experienced, and how you acted, rather than simply stating what happened. Additionally, focus on the second half of this prompt that asks you to describe “a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.” While this prompt might invite you to describe a major event or accomplishment, what you really want to show is a transformative period and the resulting reflection. Your college years are all about transitions and transformations. Show admissions officers that you are not only capable of growth, but also embrace change and strive to keep an open mind about yourself and others.
DON’T: Most importantly, if you choose to focus on an accomplishment, don’t brag. Much like prompt #2, avoid writing about events that everyone experiences or has experienced. If you do, be very careful not to write a generic and cliche essay—put your own unique spin on whatever narrative you choose to tell.
COMMON APP ESSAY PROMPT #6:
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
DO: First of all, it is important to note that this topic frequently appears in supplemental essay prompts, so you might consider saving this topic for those. If you do choose to respond to this prompt, take it as an opportunity to delve deeper into an activity mentioned elsewhere in your application that didn’t receive the attention it deserved.
Make sure to answer all aspects of the prompt—many students focus solely on the thing that interests them, but it is critical to highlight your learning process and reflect on how your engagement with this topic has influenced your perspective, skills, or goals. Finally, feel free to embrace your nerdiness. No need to play it cool. In fact, the more passionately you write about your nerdy obsession, the better!
DON’T: As tempting as it may be, don’t try to impress your reader with something obscure or complicated. If your passion in life really is quantum physics, just make sure you explain it in layman’s terms. Don’t get too abstract either; make sure to include a concrete example of how this fits into your life, so that your reader knows more about you (not just quantum physics) by the end of the paper.
Additionally, make sure to avoid turning this into a “I want to major in physics because…” paper. This is an especially tricky issue for international students applying to American universities. Most international universities want students to describe their academic interests, rather than their personality, in their college application essay. However, this Common App prompt is designed to help you tell your reader who you are, not just what you do.
COMMON APP ESSAY PROMPT #7:
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
DO: Get creative! Take advantage of this prompts’ flexibility and tell your story in a captivating, unique fashion. Carefully choose a story that demonstrates growth or an important character trait that you want colleges to know about.
DON’T: Since this prompt is so open-ended, the don’ts for this prompt are the same as the don’ts for every other prompt combined. However, there are some particular challenges this prompt poses as well. Due to this prompt’s extreme flexibility, you should be careful not to write an unfocused essay with a story that isn’t very relevant or overly broad.
KEY TIP
This prompt is our personal recommendation! It’s the catch-all prompt. If you’re having trouble getting started, just approach the personal statement like a diary entry and simply start writing. If the story doesn’t end up fitting in with any of the prompts, you can submit it as a response to Common App essay prompt #7.
Expert college application consulting
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many Common App essay prompts do you answer?
When applying through the Common Application, students are required to answer one essay prompt from a list of seven options.
Which Common App prompt is best?
There is no universally “best” Common App prompt. The best prompt for you to choose is the one that allows you to tell your story compellingly. Choose the prompt that resonates most with your experiences, background, and what you want to communicate to colleges. The key is to select a prompt that will enable you to highlight your strengths and originality.
What are the Common App essay prompts?
The Common App essay prompts are as follows:
- 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.
When do Common App essay prompts come out?
The Common App essay prompts are typically released in late January or early February for the upcoming application cycle. This early release gives students ample time to start brainstorming and drafting their essays well before the application deadlines.
Are the Common App essay prompts the same every year?
The Common App essay prompts tend to remain fairly consistent from year to year. However, the Common Application organization occasionally reviews and updates the prompts based on feedback from students, teachers, and admissions officers. While major changes are infrequent, it’s always a good idea to verify the prompts for the current application cycle.
Does it matter which Common App essay prompt I answer?
While it doesn’t matter which Common App essay prompt you choose, what matters is how well you write your essay and how effectively you communicate your story. The content, clarity, and authenticity of your essay are what will stand out to admissions officers, regardless of the prompt you select. Focus on writing a meaningful and personal essay that gives insight into who you are.
