Despite all the talk about the new Common Application essay prompts, the real focus of the essay remains the same. As always, the implied subject of the essay is YOU. Colleges use the essay to learn more about you in ways they can’t perceive or discover based on the information compiled by the other sections of the application. You are more than a list of activities, biographical data, test scores, and grades. It’s your job to use the essay to reveal who you are and how your experiences and values have shaped the way you think, believe and act. Therefore, no matter which prompt you choose to respond to, plan on telling a story that is unique to you, and that will help to distinguish you from all of the other applicants with similar grades and scores.
Prompt # 1 asks about a story central to your identity. In telling this story (about an experience, a person, or something that was meaningful to you), you will be sharing why this is important to you and what you’ve gained or how you’ve changed because of this experience, person or event.
Prompt # 2 asks you to talk about a time when you experienced failure. Since we all have failed at something, it is not the failure that is important, but how it affected you and how you grew or changed as a result.
Prompt # 3 asks you to reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. Here too, you’ll tell a story about a specific event, but, more importantly, share why you acted as you did and what you learned from the experience.
Prompt # 4 asks applicants to describe a place in which they are perfectly content and why this place is meaningful to them. Once again, the place you’ve chosen is unimportant but what it means to you reveals what you value.
For Prompt # 5, writers are asked to talk about a time, experience, or event that marked their transition from childhood to adulthood. Don’t think only of a formal transition such as a confirmation or debutante ball, but consider other experiences that mark such life transitions. Share the story about that time and why it mattered to you.
