Year after year, CommonApp reuses its seven essay prompts for students’ college applications. Each of these prompts aims to uncover different aspects of the applicant’s life; from a kind act that has impacted him or her to a unique memory from childhood, the CommonApp essay serves to help aspirating college attendees stand out amongst their application cohort.
However, this essay differs from the typical high school literature class assignment. In a project with no rubric or guidelines, students feel lost in their pursuit of answering a broad prompt. Crafting a creative college essay does not daunt as severely as numerous rising applicants think — and the Internet offers various resources to help upcoming applicants brainstorm. An individual, exceptional essay topic follows three prominent factors and holds the potential to elevate a college application.
“Read the prompts carefully and also read multiple exemplars. One of my favorites is about the writer’s love of Costco — you can find that one online easily. Think about how the writers of the exemplars share something specific and unique about themselves. I would narrow down prompts by eliminating those that don’t apply to you first, then brainstorming for those you have left. There are several good brainstorming resources on the CollegeEssayGuy website — I’ve used some of these with my students, and they are a great starting point,” magnet American Literature teacher Alexandra Yeganagi said.
Foremost, a college essay includes bits and pieces of the applicant’s unique spirit. Whether the writer possesses qualities such as comedy, prestige or charm, an essay that sprinkles in his or her loveable characteristics showcases relatability and helps college admissions boards expand their knowledge of the prospective student.
When writing the CommonApp essay, it remains vital to remember that colleges look for authenticity and honesty. Writing about a generic topic — such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic — does not help the student stand out unless he or she can include specific and unique nuance. College essay readers look for students who will stand out, so including individuality in his or her response to the prompt stands as a way to submit a memorable essay.
Additionally, a stellar essay includes a topic that holds importance for the writer. Once again, a generic topic will not help a student stand out — it also will not read as vital to the centrality of the teenager. Admissions committees desire to hear about topics that a college resume cannot exhibit, one that a student remains passionate about. Each of the CommonApp prompts aims to emphasize a unique aspect of the applicant, as well as an important facet of the person as a whole.
“Aside from using the prompts that CommonApp provides, the most important thing is to try to show your college/university application reviewers something important about yourself. I would avoid writing about the impact that the pandemic had on you, and in general, I would advise not writing about something that happened to you more than a couple of years ago, unless you can demonstrate that the impact is long-lasting. Some of my favorite student essays: the story of the Converse a student wore while volunteering, told through the point of view of the shoes; a chronological account of tiny memento books the student made at the end of each year; a heart-wrenching essay about the student’s immigration experience. There is no topic too small, and the possibilities are endless,” Yeganagi said.
In reading a college essay, admissions boards desire to look deeper into the student’s life and passions. Emotion allows readers to connect with the writer, providing a deeper bond and insight into the student’s life, thoughts and feelings. Including emotion in writing displays nuance and passion, characteristics that writing about mere achievements could not provide.
Lastly, a college essay that includes reflection on a personal experience allows college admissions boards to observe how an event has personally shaped the writer. Simply recounting an event does provide insight, but showing consideration also helps the reader realize its impact on the applicant’s personal life. Similar to the emotion category, reflection adds a deeper nuance to the topic and creates an individualized essay that will help the student stand out. By showing how a writer felt when he or she experienced a specific event, essay readers can connect with the moral of the story more easily.
Overall, a college essay topic may seem challenging, but when the writer boils the prompt down to its basic parts, they can see that a CommonApp essay essentially provides a new level of knowledge into his or her life. Though a broad guideline for an important project poses intimidating aspects, there remains no incorrect answer for prompt responses, but simply to allow the words to reveal an important feature that builds up the writer’s personality, for that remains what admissions readers look for.
