Today we’re opening up the Common App – here’s how to answer every question

The Common Application for the 2024–2025 application cycle begins today. With the platform officially opening, signaling the start of college admissions season, many students are beginning the daunting process of crafting their personal statements. The personal statement is a key opportunity to showcase individuality, character, and intellectual depth. In just 650 words, students should strive to capture their authentic voice and perspective through a compelling and creative narrative. The process requires extensive brainstorming, strategy, and editing to craft an essay that stands out from the thousands of other applicants applying to top colleges.

As students choose a topic and begin brainstorming essays, consider these key points to create a great essay on any topic:

1. Significant background of the encouragement

Prompt: Some students have such a meaningful background, identity, interest, or talent that they feel their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, share your story.

This prompt encourages you to share an aspect of your identity or an experience that is central to who you are. Start by thoughtfully considering the aspects of your identity that are unique to you; then try to think of a specific anecdote or experience that portrays those qualities. While detail and specificity are key to all engaging essays, they are especially important in this one, because you should to show (instead to say) admissions committees things that are the quintessence of who you are.

Your dissertation should also have a message — in addition to telling the admissions committee about your background, identity, interests, or talents, you should also focus on what you’ve learned from that part of your identity, how it has developed over time, and how you’ll use it in college and in the future.

2. “Overcoming Obstacles” Prompt

Prompt: The lessons we learn from obstacles can be fundamental to later success. Tell me about 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 is an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and the ability to learn from adversity—qualities that elite universities value highly. Start by choosing a specific incident in which you faced a significant challenge or setback—it could be an academic setback, a personal loss, or a time when you stepped outside your comfort zone. Students often make one of two common mistakes when approaching this question. First, many students rely on platitudes and overused metaphors. Remember, admissions officers will likely read hundreds of essays telling the stories of students who failed to score the winning goal or failed their sophomore English test. Try to choose a story that only You you can say, and if you choose a topic that you think might be popular with other students, think about how you can talk about it in a unique and unexpected way. On the other hand, some students fall into the opposite problem, sharing a particularly personal, traumatic, or triggering experience that affected them. While it should convey personal insights, a personal statement is still a professional document, and you should not make the reader feel uncomfortable or uneasy about the information you are sharing.

Finally, recognize that admissions officers are not interested in the challenge itself, but in how you responded to it. Focus on the steps you took to overcome the obstacle, what you learned about yourself in the process, and how the experience shaped your future actions and attitudes. Highlight any new skills, perspectives, or motivations that emerged from the experience that demonstrate your ability to grow and adapt in the face of adversity.

3. Prompt to change perspective

Prompt: Think about a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What made you think? What was the outcome?

The best colleges seek to admit students who are willing to engage in critical thinking and who have the intellectual courage to challenge norms or ideas. In this essay, consider starting with an anecdote—beginning your essay in the media res can be an engaging way to grab the reader’s attention and quickly establish the stakes of your narrative. As you share your story, remember that the purpose of the essay is to demonstrate your open-mindedness, your commitment to seeking truth, and your willingness to engage deeply with complex issues. It also demonstrates your ability to respect diverse viewpoints while developing your own reasoned position. As such, you should guide the admissions committee through the process of growth and change step by step, clearly articulating how the experience affected you and how your changed perspective will strengthen the campus community if you enroll.

4. Gratitude Prompt

Prompt: Think about something someone did for you that made you happy or grateful in a surprising way. How did that gratitude affect or motivate you?

As with the previous two prompts, this one asks students to share a specific anecdote, and students should consider starting with their own narrative before branching out to explore the broader topic of gratitude. Start by sharing a specific time someone did something for you that made you unexpectedly grateful. It could be a small act of kindness, a meaningful gesture, or a moment of support that left a lasting impression on you. Then explore how that experience of gratitude affected your actions or attitude. When doing this, avoid platitudes or buzzwords—instead of expressing that the experience made you feel “good” or “appreciated” or the equivalent, share how it affected your perspective or actions in the future. The best responses are those that illustrate actionable change, not vague feelings.

5. Personal development prompt

Directions: Discuss an achievement, event, or observation that initiated a period of personal growth and new understanding of yourself or others.

The college years are a time of growth and transformation, and this prompt encourages students to demonstrate their capacity for self-reflection and learning. So, while this prompt may encourage you to describe a significant event or accomplishment, what you really want to show is a period of transformation and the reflection that comes with it. Don’t feel like the accomplishment, event, or realization has to be particularly groundbreaking or groundbreaking—sometimes the little things can make a big impression. Finally, if you do choose to write about an accomplishment, make sure you’re not bragging. This prompt is an opportunity to show self-awareness, not to brag about your accomplishments.

6. Amazing concept

Prompt: Describe a topic, idea, or concept that you find so engaging that you lose track of time. Why does it fascinate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Intellectual curiosity and genuine passion are the distinguishing features of the best college admissions landscape. For this prompt, focus on a specific topic that really fascinates you, whether it’s a specific academic subject, a philosophical idea, or a creative pursuit. Many students come up with an answer to this prompt based on what they think will impress the admissions officer—but if you’re not genuinely interested in Kantian ethics, the admissions officer will be able to tell. No matter how silly, mundane, weird, or bizarre your “fascinating idea” may be, if it’s true for you—write about it!

While your answer should describe how a particular aspect of the topic fascinates you and why it resonates with you on a deeper level, it should also demonstrate how you took the initiative to explore the topic in a unique way. Did you seek out books on the topic? Did you take an online course to expand your knowledge? Did you start a club to connect with others who share your interests? Did you develop a passion project that mobilized your interest in serving your community?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choosing. It can be an essay you’ve already written, one that answers another question, or one you designed yourself.

If none of the above prompts help you express yourself effectively, remember that the Common App has an open-ended prompt where you can write about a topic of your choice! This is a great opportunity to share a story that doesn’t fit neatly into the other prompts but is crucial to understanding who you are. If you choose this prompt, make sure your essay is well-structured and coherent, with a clear theme or message that ties everything together.

The Common App essay is more than just a part of your application; it’s a chance to speak directly to admissions officers and showcase your true self. Taking the time to brainstorm and edit will allow you to submit an essay that showcases your unique voice and original perspective to admissions officers at top colleges.