2023-2024 COMMON APP*

ESSAY PROMPTS
Analysis and commentary from the Common App organization, college webinar
reviews, and our discussions with counselor on both sides of the application process.
PERSONAL STATEMENT — IN GENERAL

 Share qualitative and unique aspects of yourself with

admissions so they can get to know you beyond your
grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.
 You cannot capture your entire personality in a single
essay, so choose just one or two character traits that
differentiate you from your peers.
 You don’t necessarily need an incredible experience
or story. Choose something meaningful to you and
capture why it means so much to you in your writing!
 In a 650 word limit
PERSONAL STATEMENT — “BEST IDEAS”

Interesting (genuinely want to write

about)
Represent who you are/what you bring to
campus
Fairly unique—stands out from everybody
else
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.

Hints/Tips
 Favorite/Lots of flexibility
 Focus on “background, identity, interest or
talent” that is extremely “meaningful” to you
 Why is it so meaningful? How has it changed?
How has it changed your life/personality?
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.
Topic/idea questions
 What life experiences, interests, or achievements do I have that set
me apart from my peers?
 What have I achieved or experienced that has influenced my life or
shaped me into the person I am?
 What experiences or interests have shaped my career ambitions,
personality, or values?
 What background, identity, interest, or talent is an essential part of
who I am? (Think--if I couldn’t do it any more)
 What do I want admissions officers to know about me that isn’t
already on my application?
 KEEP IN MIND—GET SPECIFIC!

 Instead of a vague essay about your love of music, you could write about
how attending your first concert inspired you to make music yourself, so
you’re now self-taught on several different instruments.
 It’s also critical to write about how your background or identity has
changed, challenged, or motivated you.
 DO NOT simply write about the background without any personal context.
 For example, if you are writing about your Indian-American heritage, don’t
write too much about the heritage itself. There are thousands of other
Indian-American students applying to college the same time as you, so
you want to stand out.
 KEEP IN MIND—GET SPECIFIC!

 Your identity, interest, background, or talent will not help you

stand out. It’s your personal story in relation to one of these
elements that will help you stand out.
 In order to stand out, try to tell a story that features a conflict
stemming from your identity, interest, background, or talent.
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?
 This prompt has three parts, and an effective essay
must address all of them.
 First, you must talk about a challenge, setback, or
failure you’ve experienced.
 Next, you must explain how it impacted you
 And, finally, what you learned as a result.
 You must write a positive essay that focuses less on the
problem and more on the solution.
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?
Questions for you to consider include:
 Do I respond well to challenges and obstacles? Do I keep
trying, maintain a positive attitude? What experiences
demonstrate these qualities?
 What have been the biggest challenges in my life? Did
anything positive come from these experiences? What did I
learn?
 Are there any challenges or failures I’ve faced that made me
a better or more successful person in the end?
BEWARE OF

 Stay away from topics that may seem overdone, like

not getting to go to a friend’s party, or a little silly, like
not earning an “A”.
 Topics that call your judgment into question should
also be avoided, as well as anything that points to
illegal or illicit activity.
 BEWARE OF

 Remember that the focus of this essay should be on your ability to

overcome hardships, see the silver lining, and learn important lessons.
 Don’t fall into the “failure trap.” You might be tempted to write, at
length, about your challenge or setback—too much background info
on your challenge will take the spotlight off you.
 Remember to stay focused on growth, values, and lessons learned.
 Think about how you’ve changed and how those changes will
accompany you in college. How will these changes help you
contribute to a college campus?
3. REFLECT ON A TIME WHEN YOU QUESTIONED OR CHALLENGED A
BELIEF OR IDEA. WHAT PROMPTED YOUR THINKING? WHAT WAS THE
OUTCOME?

Straight from the Common App designers:

 This prompt calls for a passionate essay about ideas, values,
and beliefs. It’s particularly challenging because it can be
hard to write a positive essay that doesn’t get overly
preachy.
 It can also be difficult to write about a belief or value in just
650 words.
 Additionally, this prompt is a little risky because you want to
avoid overly polarizing topics that may be off-putting to the
admissions officer reading the essay.
 BRAINSTORMING

 If good, an essay addressing this prompt can be insightful

and demonstrate your ability to stand by your beliefs while
still considering the ideas of others.
 With a specific story to share, it can be a good choice.
 You should brainstorm using the following questions:
 Why are you someone who stands up for what you believe in?
 When have you stood by an unpopular opinion or belief? Why?
 What ideas, values, and beliefs deeply matter to you? Why?
 FINAL THOUGHTS
 Whether a serious or minor idea or belief, it should be something you strongly
believe in.
 You should discuss how this belief has impacted your life, rather than
preaching about why you’re right and others are wrong.
 It’s also good to demonstrate a willingness to consider other beliefs.
 Don’t denigrate or insult other viewpoints. You’re young, and your
perspectives will change as you grow older. You don’t want colleges
thinking you’re close-minded.
 Focus on the outcome. What impact did this challenge or endorsement of a
belief have on your life and community?
 Have a vision. How will this learning process change your actions moving
forward?
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?

 Newest Prompt! (2023)

 This prompt gives you a chance to
demonstrate how you view your past
experiences, those you’ve met, and how
you’re continuing to grow in the face of new
challenges and problems.
 It’s also very broad. It can be a large or small
gesture that someone has done for you.
ADVICE—THINK “PAY IT FORWARD”

 Make sure this is relevant to you on a personal level. Quickly

explain the assistance or the predicament you were in and tell
the reader who helped you.
 Ideally, this should be linked to your formative experiences,
goals, or passions.
 Spend no more than 25% of your essay explaining the
background of your problem, who helped you, and how they
helped you.
 Spend most of your essay telling the reader what you learned
and how you are going to apply this lesson to the future.
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?

Questions to consider
 What challenges have you faced in the past, and who has helped you deal
with them? How did this person help you? Encouragement? Advice?
 What is a meaningful problem you’ve faced in the past? Why did you need
help with it? What made the situation so tough for you?
 When have you already solved a problem or helped make a positive
change? Who helped you when you were making that positive change?
 What makes you want to take action and affect change? Who has inspired
you to make change?
 If you could change anything about the world, what would it be? How might
you change it? Who would you ask for help?
 ADVICE—THINK “PAY IT FORWARD”

 Colleges want to see that you are someone who appreciates help
when it’s given and that you are someone who will improve from the
experience.
 You need to tell a story that demonstrates how and why you are a
better person for having been helped by another generous soul.
 Spend 75% of your essay explaining how you’ve changed and what
you have done or are going to do to better the world around you.
Don’t get stuck in vagueness. Tell the admissions officer specific action
steps you have taken or will take to improve your home or community.
 Focus on how you can better the lives of others.
5. DISCUSS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, EVENT, OR REALIZATION THAT
SPARKED A PERIOD OF PERSONAL GROWTH AND A NEW
UNDERSTANDING OF YOURSELF OR OTHERS.

 Briefly discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization. The majority of the

essay should focus on how you learned and grew as a result.
 The event described in this essay can be big or small, and sometimes the
smaller events result in essays that are unique and surprising.
 You could write about meeting an important person, having an influential
volunteer experience, or learning something new while traveling or at camp
this summer.
 You may want to consider the following questions:
 What experiences or moments in my life have changed me as a person?
 What have I realized that has impacted my life and the way I live it?
 When have I learned something so important that it made me change or
grow?
5. DISCUSS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, EVENT, OR REALIZATION THAT
SPARKED A PERIOD OF PERSONAL GROWTH AND A NEW
UNDERSTANDING OF YOURSELF OR OTHERS.

 Remember to focus on some sort of transformation you have experienced,

causing you to learn and grow as a person. The event, realization, or
accomplishment described should have made you view the world in a
different, more mature manner.
 Have a vision. How will this realization change your actions moving forward?
 What does your personal growth entail? It’s not enough to state you’ve
grown — you must also show the college admissions officer how this growth
has changed or will manifest into your actions.
 Since your realization, how have you treated people differently, embarked
on problem-solving adventures, or approach challenges?
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?
Some key questions to consider:
 What floats your boat? Do you have an appetite for knowledge about
something specific? Or, as we asked in the breakdown for Prompt #1: what
do you love, and why do you love it?
 What lengths have you gone to in order to acquire new information about or
experiences related to a topic of interest?
 How do you typically seek to enrich your knowledge when something
appeals to you? Do you have a favorite corner of the library (or internet)? A
mentor who is open to answering your burning questions?
 What about the process of learning, especially about subjects that call out to
you, is satisfying?
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?
A few examples to get those wheels turning:
 Did the idea of open source code inspire you to create a tech startup with a few of
your friends? What new projects within the company are you most excited to work
on?
 Did an internship at an accounting firm inspire you to check the markets? Do you
participate in a mock trading that allows you to use the expertise you gather from
culling through economic news and analysis online and beyond?
 On a Sunday morning, could we find you lost in the literature of Kurt Vonnegut or
immersed in a collection of stories by Isaac Asimov?
 Have you taught yourself to master the compositions of Mozart and Beethoven and
break down the songs of Bruno Mars by ear in your spare time?
 Do you have an obsession with pizza so intense you study culinary arts and keep a
pizza journal of the 700+ slices you’ve consumed thus far?
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?
 Whatever you’re into, embrace it. Show your feathers. Let your
freak flag fly (within reason, obviously).
 This prompt is about the pursuit of knowledge and your desire to
proactively challenge yourself.
 Whether you are devouring the classics on your Kindle or nerding
out over the perfect cheese for calzone-making, your
attachment to a subject may inspire admissions to want to learn
more about it…and you.
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.

 WE do NOT like this one ‘cuz it is one of the ones above… for example, advice says
 Some questions to consider as you brainstorm, in addition to all of the ones we’ve posed
thus far:
 What do you want admissions to know about you that they wouldn’t be able to glean
from your transcript, test scores, or teacher recommendations?
 What are the stories that come up over and over again, at the dinner table or in the
cafeteria with your friends, that might give admissions some insight into who you are and
what is important to you?
 If you had ten minutes alone in a room with an admissions officer, what would you want
to talk about or tell him or her about yourself?
 What would you bring to a college campus that no one else would or could?
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.

OK, really…
 Do you spend 40 minutes each Friday night tutoring a class of elementary
school students in Cambodia? How has that impacted the way you mete out
your time and assess your commitments? (Q: What is the value of 40
minutes?)
 Did your parents let your older brother choose your name? What was his
inspiration? (Please tell us your name is Gaston.) What does your name
represent for you? How has it impacted your interactions in the world? (Q:
What’s in a name?)