How to Write the Community Essay – Guide with Examples (2023-24)
September 6, 2023
Students applying to college this year will inevitably confront the community essay. In fact, most students will end up responding to several community essay prompts for different schools. For this reason, you should know more than simply how to approach the community essay as a genre. Rather, you will want to learn how to decipher the nuances of each particular prompt, in order to adapt your response appropriately. In this article, we’ll show you how to do just that, through several community essay examples. These examples will also demonstrate how to avoid cliché and make the community essay authentically and convincingly your own.
Emphasis on Community
Do keep in mind that inherent in the word “community” is the idea of multiple people. The personal statement already provides you with a chance to tell the college admissions committee about yourself as an individual. The community essay, however, suggests that you depict yourself among others. You can use this opportunity to your advantage by showing off interpersonal skills, for example. Or, perhaps you wish to relate a moment that forged important relationships. This in turn will indicate what kind of connections you’ll make in the classroom with college peers and professors.
Apart from comprising numerous people, a community can appear in many shapes and sizes. It could be as small as a volleyball team, or as large as a diaspora. It could fill a town soup kitchen, or spread across five boroughs. In fact, due to the internet, certain communities today don’t even require a physical place to congregate. Communities can form around a shared identity, shared place, shared hobby, shared ideology, or shared call to action. They can even arise due to a shared yet unforeseen circumstance.
What is the Community Essay All About?
In a nutshell, the community essay should exhibit three things:
- An aspect of yourself, 2. in the context of a community you belonged to, and 3. how this experience may shape your contribution to the community you’ll join in college.
It may look like a fairly simple equation: 1 + 2 = 3. However, each college will word their community essay prompt differently, so it’s important to look out for additional variables. One college may use the community essay as a way to glimpse your core values. Another may use the essay to understand how you would add to diversity on campus. Some may let you decide in which direction to take it—and there are many ways to go!
To get a better idea of how the prompts differ, let’s take a look at some real community essay prompts from the current admission cycle.
Sample 2023-2024 Community Essay Prompts
1) brown university.
“Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community. (200-250 words)”
A close reading of this prompt shows that Brown puts particular emphasis on place. They do this by using the words “home,” “College Hill,” and “where they came from.” Thus, Brown invites writers to think about community through the prism of place. They also emphasize the idea of personal growth or change, through the words “inspired or challenged you.” Therefore, Brown wishes to see how the place you grew up in has affected you. And, they want to know how you in turn will affect their college community.
“NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world-class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience.
We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. Please respond in 250 words or less.”
Here, NYU places an emphasis on students’ “identity,” “backgrounds,” and “diversity,” rather than any physical place. (For some students, place may be tied up in those ideas.) Furthermore, while NYU doesn’t ask specifically how identity has changed the essay writer, they do ask about your “experience.” Take this to mean that you can still recount a specific moment, or several moments, that work to portray your particular background. You should also try to link your story with NYU’s values of inclusivity and opportunity.
3) University of Washington
“Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300 words max) Tip: Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.”
UW ’s community essay prompt may look the most approachable, for they help define the idea of community. You’ll notice that most of their examples (“families,” “cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood”…) place an emphasis on people. This may clue you in on their desire to see the relationships you’ve made. At the same time, UW uses the words “individual” and “richly diverse.” They, like NYU, wish to see how you fit in and stand out, in order to boost campus diversity.
Writing Your First Community Essay
Begin by picking which community essay you’ll write first. (For practical reasons, you’ll probably want to go with whichever one is due earliest.) Spend time doing a close reading of the prompt, as we’ve done above. Underline key words. Try to interpret exactly what the prompt is asking through these keywords.
Next, brainstorm. I recommend doing this on a blank piece of paper with a pencil. Across the top, make a row of headings. These might be the communities you’re a part of, or the components that make up your identity. Then, jot down descriptive words underneath in each column—whatever comes to you. These words may invoke people and experiences you had with them, feelings, moments of growth, lessons learned, values developed, etc. Now, narrow in on the idea that offers the richest material and that corresponds fully with the prompt.
Lastly, write! You’ll definitely want to describe real moments, in vivid detail. This will keep your essay original, and help you avoid cliché. However, you’ll need to summarize the experience and answer the prompt succinctly, so don’t stray too far into storytelling mode.
How To Adapt Your Community Essay
Once your first essay is complete, you’ll need to adapt it to the other colleges involving community essays on your list. Again, you’ll want to turn to the prompt for a close reading, and recognize what makes this prompt different from the last. For example, let’s say you’ve written your essay for UW about belonging to your swim team, and how the sports dynamics shaped you. Adapting that essay to Brown’s prompt could involve more of a focus on place. You may ask yourself, how was my swim team in Alaska different than the swim teams we competed against in other states?
Once you’ve adapted the content, you’ll also want to adapt the wording to mimic the prompt. For example, let’s say your UW essay states, “Thinking back to my years in the pool…” As you adapt this essay to Brown’s prompt, you may notice that Brown uses the word “reflection.” Therefore, you might change this sentence to “Reflecting back on my years in the pool…” While this change is minute, it cleverly signals to the reader that you’ve paid attention to the prompt, and are giving that school your full attention.
What to Avoid When Writing the Community Essay
- Avoid cliché. Some students worry that their idea is cliché, or worse, that their background or identity is cliché. However, what makes an essay cliché is not the content, but the way the content is conveyed. This is where your voice and your descriptions become essential.
- Avoid giving too many examples. Stick to one community, and one or two anecdotes arising from that community that allow you to answer the prompt fully.
- Don’t exaggerate or twist facts. Sometimes students feel they must make themselves sound more “diverse” than they feel they are. Luckily, diversity is not a feeling. Likewise, diversity does not simply refer to one’s heritage. If the prompt is asking about your identity or background, you can show the originality of your experiences through your actions and your thinking.
Community Essay Examples and Analysis
Brown university community essay example.
I used to hate the NYC subway. I’ve taken it since I was six, going up and down Manhattan, to and from school. By high school, it was a daily nightmare. Spending so much time underground, underneath fluorescent lighting, squashed inside a rickety, rocking train car among strangers, some of whom wanted to talk about conspiracy theories, others who had bedbugs or B.O., or who manspread across two seats, or bickered—it wore me out. The challenge of going anywhere seemed absurd. I dreaded the claustrophobia and disgruntlement.
Yet the subway also inspired my understanding of community. I will never forget the morning I saw a man, several seats away, slide out of his seat and hit the floor. The thump shocked everyone to attention. What we noticed: he appeared drunk, possibly homeless. I was digesting this when a second man got up and, through a sort of awkward embrace, heaved the first man back into his seat. The rest of us had stuck to subway social codes: don’t step out of line. Yet this second man’s silent actions spoke loudly. They said, “I care.”
That day I realized I belong to a group of strangers. What holds us together is our transience, our vulnerabilities, and a willingness to assist. This community is not perfect but one in motion, a perpetual work-in-progress. Now I make it my aim to hold others up. I plan to contribute to the Brown community by helping fellow students and strangers in moments of precariousness.
Brown University Community Essay Example Analysis
Here the student finds an original way to write about where they come from. The subway is not their home, yet it remains integral to ideas of belonging. The student shows how a community can be built between strangers, in their responsibility toward each other. The student succeeds at incorporating key words from the prompt (“challenge,” “inspired” “Brown community,” “contribute”) into their community essay.
UW Community Essay Example
I grew up in Hawaii, a world bound by water and rich in diversity. In school we learned that this sacred land was invaded, first by Captain Cook, then by missionaries, whalers, traders, plantation owners, and the U.S. government. My parents became part of this problematic takeover when they moved here in the 90s. The first community we knew was our church congregation. At the beginning of mass, we shook hands with our neighbors. We held hands again when we sang the Lord’s Prayer. I didn’t realize our church wasn’t “normal” until our diocese was informed that we had to stop dancing hula and singing Hawaiian hymns. The order came from the Pope himself.
Eventually, I lost faith in God and organized institutions. I thought the banning of hula—an ancient and pure form of expression—seemed medieval, ignorant, and unfair, given that the Hawaiian religion had already been stamped out. I felt a lack of community and a distrust for any place in which I might find one. As a postcolonial inhabitant, I could never belong to the Hawaiian culture, no matter how much I valued it. Then, I was shocked to learn that Queen Ka’ahumanu herself had eliminated the Kapu system, a strict code of conduct in which women were inferior to men. Next went the Hawaiian religion. Queen Ka’ahumanu burned all the temples before turning to Christianity, hoping this religion would offer better opportunities for her people.
Community Essay (Continued)
I’m not sure what to make of this history. Should I view Queen Ka’ahumanu as a feminist hero, or another failure in her islands’ tragedy? Nothing is black and white about her story, but she did what she thought was beneficial to her people, regardless of tradition. From her story, I’ve learned to accept complexity. I can disagree with institutionalized religion while still believing in my neighbors. I am a product of this place and their presence. At UW, I plan to add to campus diversity through my experience, knowing that diversity comes with contradictions and complications, all of which should be approached with an open and informed mind.
UW Community Essay Example Analysis
This student also manages to weave in words from the prompt (“family,” “community,” “world,” “product of it,” “add to the diversity,” etc.). Moreover, the student picks one of the examples of community mentioned in the prompt, (namely, a religious group,) and deepens their answer by addressing the complexity inherent in the community they’ve been involved in. While the student displays an inner turmoil about their identity and participation, they find a way to show how they’d contribute to an open-minded campus through their values and intellectual rigor.
What’s Next
For more on supplemental essays and essay writing guides, check out the following articles:
- How to Write the Why This Major Essay + Example
- How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example
- How to Start a College Essay – 12 Techniques and Tips
- College Essay
Kaylen Baker
With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.
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College Admissions , College Essays
When talking about college essays, we tend to focus on the Common Application prompts , and it's true that many students will need to write a Common App essay. However, there are actually quite a few schools, including both public and private universities, that don't use the Common App and instead ask applicants to respond to their own college essay prompts.
Luckily, college essay prompts tend to be pretty similar to each other. In this guide, I'll list all the college essay questions for popular schools in the US (and a few abroad) and then break down the patterns to help you brainstorm topics and plan how to approach multiple essays efficiently. After reading this guide, you'll be able to strategize which essays you'll write for which colleges.
Feature image: Mayr /Flickr
Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?
The short answer: the essay gives admissions committees a sense of your personality beyond the statistics on the rest of your application. The essay is your chance to show the committee your unique perspective and impress them with your maturity and insight.
College application essay prompts are written with this goal in mind. Admissions officers want to give you the chance to share your interests, aspirations, and views on the world, so most prompts ask about how your experiences have shaped you or what you're excited about studying or doing in college. I've collected a ton of examples below and provided some analysis to help you begin planning and crafting your own essays.
Keep in mind that the personal statement alone won't be enough to get you in— your grades and test scores are still the most important factors in your application . That being said, a stellar essay can help bring a borderline applicant over the top or give an excellent but not extraordinary student the opportunity to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.
As such, the essay tends to matter most for very competitive schools. Non-competitive schools generally don't ask you to submit an essay.
Complete List of College Essay Prompts
This list collects the 2022 college essay prompts for major state universities, top-50 schools, and other popular schools which have their own unique questions. They're divided by region, with all optional essays listed at the end.
I left off the Common App supplements, as those often require a substantially different approach. I also stuck to four-year schools, meaning I didn't include special two-year programs, such as Deep Springs College or Miami Dade College's Honors Program (both of which require essays).
Finally, note that these prompts are for freshman applicants, so the requirements might be different for transfer students .
General Applications
There are three general applications you can use to apply to many different schools at once:
Common Application
Universal college application, coalition application.
Each application has its own personal statement requirement. Some schools will ask for additional supplemental essays.
Many more schools accept the Common App than they do the UCA or Coalition Application , though some will accept more than one of these applications.
For the Common App essay, you pick one of the prompts and write 250-650 words about it. Here are the prompts for the 2022-2023 school year:
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?
Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
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.
The UCA essay prompt is completely open ended and has a 650-word limit. Here is the 2022-2023 prompt:
Please write an essay that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event.
For the Coalition Application, you'll pick one of five prompts listed below. While there is no hard word limit, the range guidelines are 500-650 words. Here are the prompts for 2022-2023:
What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?
Now that you know the essay requirements for the three general applications, let’s look at the application essays for specific schools . To keep things organized, we’ve grouped schools based on the region of the US in which they’re located.
Northeast/Mid-Atlantic
The Great Dome at MIT
Georgetown University
Georgetown asks applicants to write one short essay (about half a single-spaced page) and two longer essays (approximately one single-spaced page each). Each applicant must respond to the first two prompts and can choose among the other four based on the specific program she's interested in.
Short Essay: Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
All Applicants: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.
Applicants to Georgetown College: What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achieve this aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosen course of study).
Applicants to the School of Nursing & Health Studies: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, Human Science, or Nursing).
Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service: The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?
Applicants to the McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.
For more Georgetown application tips, check out our articles on the Georgetown essays and how to get into Georgetown .
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT doesn't ask for a single personal statement but rather asks applicants to respond to a series of questions with just a paragraph or two of about 200 words each .
We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.
Describe the world you come from (for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town). How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations?
MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds and experiences together to better the lives of others. Our students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way you have collaborated with people who are different from you to contribute to your community.
Tell us about a significant challenge you've faced (that you feel comfortable sharing) or something that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?
For more details on how to get into MIT , read our other articles on the MIT application process , tips for MIT essays , and an example of a real MIT acceptance letter !
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Indiana University Bloomington
IU asks for 200-400 words on your plans and interests.
Describe your academic and career plans and any special interest (for example, undergraduate research, academic interests, leadership opportunities, etc.) that you are eager to pursue as an undergraduate at Indiana University. If you encountered any unusual circumstances, challenges, or obstacles in pursuit of your education, share those experiences and how you overcame them. Please note that this essay may be used in scholarship consideration.
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois asks for two essays (or three only if you selected a second-choice major other than what's noted on your application). All responses should be approximately 150 words.
You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program, and if you've selected a second choice. Each response should be approximately 150 words. If You're Applying to a Major: 1. Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. 2. Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. If You're Applying to Our Undeclared Program in the Division of General Studies: 1. What are your academic interests and strengths? You may also include any majors you are considering. 2. What are your future academic or career goals? If You've Selected a Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared): Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals.
If you're applying to UIUC, check out our UIUC essay tips article as well!
University of Wisconsin–Madison
All applicants must complete two essays for UW–Madison. The essays should be 250-650 words in length and may be used for scholarship and campus program review.
If you apply through the Common Application, you’ll be asked to reply to one of the freshman Common Application essays in lieu of the first essay prompt below, but you’ll be required to respond to the second prompt below.
If you apply through the UW System Application, the following two essays are required:
This part is all about you. Tell us about something you've done — academically or personally — and what you've learned from it. Was it a success or a challenge? Did it represent a turning point in your life? How did this particular moment in your life influence you, and how will it continue to influence you as you pursue your college education?
Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest.
Kyle Field at Texas A&M ( Ed Schipul /Flickr)
The ApplyTexas application is used by all Texas public universities and some private colleges. There are four ApplyTexas essay prompts. Which ones you need to respond to will depend on where you're applying. UT Austin, for example, requires applicants to submit at least one essay responding to Topic A on the ApplyTexas application. .
While there's no set word limit, the online application will cut off each essay at 120 lines (~1000 words).
Topic A: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
Topic B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
Topic C: You've got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?
Topic D: Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept the Apply Texas Application. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education , you are not required to write this essay.
Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?
We go into all the ApplyTexas prompts in detail here !
University of Georgia
For UGA, applicants must write two essays, one 200-300 words and one 250-650 words . Both essays are required for all applicants. The longer personal essay uses the Common Application prompts for 2023 ; the prompt for the shorter essay is as follows:
The c ollege admissions process can create anxiety. In an attempt to make it less stressful, please tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself from your high school years that you have not already shared in your application.
For a more detailed discussion of the UGA essays, read this article .
The Campanile at UC Berkeley
University of California
Students applying to the UC system must respond to four out of eight short personal insight questions. The maximum word count for each response is 350 words.
- Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
- Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
- What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
- Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
- Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
- Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
- What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
- Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
Learn more about the UC essays , the UC application , and how to choose which UC schools to apply to with our complete guides .
University of Oregon
Applicants to the University of Oregon are required to submit one essay of 650 words or fewer. You also have the option to write a second essay (maximum of 500 words), but it’s not required.
The essay prompts are as follows:
The UO is interested in learning more about you. Write an essay of 650 words or less that shares information that we cannot find elsewhere on your application. Any topic you choose is welcome. Some ideas you might consider include your future ambitions and goals, a special talent, extracurricular activity, or unusual interest that sets you apart from your peers, or a significant experience that influenced your life. If you are applying to the UO's Robert D. Clark Honors College, feel free to resubmit your honors college application essay.
Optional second essay: As you've looked into what it will be like to attend Oregon, you've hopefully learned what makes Ducks Ducks. No two are alike, though, so tell us what makes you you, and how that connects to our campus community. We are interested in your thoughts and experiences recognizing difference and supporting equity and inclusion, and choosing one of these two options will guide you in sharing those thoughts. You can learn more about equity and inclusion at Oregon by visiting the Equity and Inclusion website . Maximum statement length is 500 words. This statement is not required.
University of Washington
In addition to its specific prompts, the University of Washington gives specific advice about what its admissions officers consider to be good writing before the prompts:
"At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.
Essay Prompt (Required): Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped shape it. Maximum length: 650 words.
Short Response (Required): Our families and our communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. Maximum length: 300 words
You can also find more tips on the University of Washington essays in this blog article .
International
Generally speaking, international schools are less likely to ask for an essay, since admission tends to be heavily focused on grades and test results. However, a few popular international schools do ask for a personal statement as part of their application.
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UK Schools)
UCAS is a general application for UK schools (similar to the Common App in the US). There's no specific prompt for the personal statement—instead, applicants are required to write an essay describing what they want to study, why they want to study it, and what they bring to the table. There is a 4,000-character/47-line limit.
University of British Columbia
UBC asks applicants to fill out a personal profile consisting of five to seven short-answer questions that vary depending on the program you're applying to. Answers should be 50-200 words.
Depending on which degree program you apply to, you’ll be asked to answer some or all of the following questions on the UBC application:
- Tell us about who you are. How would your family, friends, and/or members of your community describe you? If possible, please include something about yourself that you are most proud of and why.
- What is important to you? And why?
- Family/community responsibilities
- Creative or performing arts
- Work/employment
- Service to others
- Tell us more about one or two activities listed above that are most important to you. Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response.
- Additional information: You may wish to use the space below to provide UBC with more information on your academic history to date and/or your future academic plans. For example: How did you choose your courses in secondary school? Are there life circumstances that have affected your academic decisions to date? What have you done to prepare yourself specifically for your intended area of study at UBC?
- Please submit the names of two referees who know you well and can comment on your preparedness for study at UBC. Examples of referees include an employer, a community member, a coach, a teacher/instructor, or anyone who knows you well. One of the referees you select must be able to speak to one of the activities/experiences described in one of your long-answer responses above. For applicants who are currently attending a high school, one of your referees must be a school official (e.g., Grade 12 or senior year counsellor, teacher, or IB coordinator). Neither referee should be a friend, family member, or paid agent.
Some programs of study may ask applicants to respond to the questions above and some additional, program-specific questions when completing the personal profile.
University of Cambridge
Optional Essays
Some schools don't require an essay from all applicants but do recommend or require an essay for certain programs. I've listed a selection of those prompts below.
Arizona State University
Students applying to the Barrett Honors College at ASU must submit one essay of 300 to 500 words in response to one of the following prompts (your response may be critical or creative):
Prompt 1 Discuss how a specific piece of art (painting, literature, photograph, etc.) or popular culture (song, comic book, etc.) helped you realize something new about yourself or the world. What was that realization, and how did the piece of art or pop culture bring about this change in your thinking? Do not simply describe the piece of art or pop culture; instead, focus on its effect on you and how it makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience. Prompt 2 Tell us about a habit or way of thinking that others would recognize as “uniquely you.” This is something you value and would hesitate to give up because it is a distinct part of who you are or what makes you different - why is it so? Be sure to share how this aspect of your identity makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience.
City University of New York
Applicants to Macaulay Honors College must write two essays: an “about you” essay, and an essay describing your plans for college. Each response should be around 500 words, give or take a few within reason.
Essay 1: About you. (Select one of the options below.) 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. OR Tell us about an area or activity, outside of academics, in which you have invested a lot of time and effort. Tell us why. What did you learn? How was it meaningful?
Essay 2: About your plans for college. Please discuss all points below. Why do you want to go to an honors college ? There are many benefits of being a Macaulay student, such as the Macaulay community, special courses, Honors advisement, cultural passport, opportunities funds, and other financial benefits. Please describe how these features will shape you and your college experience, including, what you expect to bring to the college community and what you expect to get out of your college experience.
Florida International University
Only applicants who don't meet the criteria for automatic admissions and whose applications undergo holistic review will need to submit a 500-word essay:
Students requesting appeal or additional review of their admission status must submit a written statement including:
Your goals and educational or professional objectives
A summary/explanation of past academic performance
Information and/or circumstances that may have affected past academic performance
- Any other information the student wishes to have considered
Ohio University
For the Ohio University application, students who've been out of school for more than a year must submit an essay explaining what they've done in their time off from school.
Applicants who have been out of high school for more than one year must submit an essay detailing activities since graduation.
Additionally, applicants to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism are encouraged, though not required, to submit an essay detailing how they want to help shape the future of journalism.
For all other applicants, submitting an essay here is optional; however, if you do wish to write an essay, the application suggests that you describe any academic challenges you’ve faced, academic and career objectives, or involvement in community affairs (recommended length is 250-500 words).
Those interested in Ohio University's OHIO Honors Program (including the Cutler Scholars Program) are required to answer the following essay prompt (limit 250 words):
Students in the OHIO Honors Program represent all majors on campus and take engaging honors courses while applying what they learn outside of the classroom. Students choose from classes and experiences across three pathways: community engagement, research and creative activity, and leadership . Students in OHP can move among the three pathways as their interests evolve and they develop their goals. What pathway is most exciting to you right now, and why?
Finally, those interested in the Honors Tutorial College are must answer the following two essay prompts (in about 500 words each):
HTC Question 1: Please explain why you have chosen your particular program(s) of study.
HTC Question 2: We expect that one reason you seek a tutorial education is for the one-on-one interaction with faculty, but other than that, what interests you about pursuing a tutorial-based undergraduate education? What aspects of your education and life experience have prepared you for a tutorial education with its emphasis on research and creative activity?
Type 1: Questions About a Meaningful Experience
This type of college essay question is the most common. The exact focus of these prompts can vary quite a bit, but they all ask you to reflect on an important experience. Some questions specify a type of experience whereas others don't, simply opting to have applicants write about whatever matters to them.
There are three basic sub-types that you'll see when dealing with these prompts. Let's look at an example of each.
#1: Overcoming a Challenge
These prompts ask about how you dealt with a particular challenge or solved a problem. Below is a typical example of this question type from the MIT application:
Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?
To address a question like this, you need a topic that has real stakes —that is, something that you genuinely struggled with. Even though it can seem as though you should only discuss positive experiences and feelings in your college essay (you want to impress your readers with how awesome you are!), unwavering positivity actually hurts your essay because it makes you seem fake.
Instead, be honest : if you're writing about a negative experience, acknowledge that it was unpleasant or hard and explain why. Doing so will just make your overcoming it that much more impressive.
#2: Engaging With Diversity
Questions about diversity ask how you interact with those who are different from you . See an example below from the Common Application:
When approaching this type of question, you need to show that you're thoughtful about new ideas and perspectives. Colleges are full of students from all kinds of backgrounds, and admissions officers want to know that you'll be accepting of the diversity of other students, even if you don't necessarily agree with them.
Also, make sure to pick a specific instance to focus on. Writing a general essay about how you accept others won't impress admissions officers—you need to show them an example of a time that you did so.
#3: Growing Up
Finally, this type of prompt asks about a transitional experience or rite of passage that made you feel like an adult. I've reprinted another example from the Common App:
For these types of prompts, you want to show personal growth. Explain to the reader not just who you are but also how you've changed . (Really, this is a good idea no matter which prompt you're addressing!)
College can be challenging, so admissions officers want to know that you have the maturity to deal with (likely) living on your own, managing your own life, and planning for your future.
Regardless of the exact prompt, the key to this type of college essay is to show what you've learned from the experience. Admissions officers don't care that much about what happened to you—they care about what you think and feel about that event. That's what will give them a sense of who you are and what kind of college student you'll make.
Once you write a first draft, put it in a drawer for a week. Taking some time away from it will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes. Then, try to read your essay from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about you. Would they be able to understand the story? Do you explain clearly what you learned? Does your intro grab the reader's attention?
It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or peer, to read your essay and give you feedback. Really listen to what they say and think about how you can improve your writing.
Finally, try reading your essay aloud. This will help you catch any weird or awkward phrasings.
What's Next?
If you're struggling with how to approach your personal statement, consider looking at some college essay examples .
The essay is just one part of the college application process. Check out our guide to applying to college for a step-by-step breakdown of what you'll need to do.
Finally, if you're planning to take the SAT or ACT , consider taking a look at our expert test-prep guides for some helpful advice on whatever you might be struggling with.
Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.
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60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications
Ideas to inspire every college applicant.
Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.
Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts
2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.
Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).
- 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.
More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.
- Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
- What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
- Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
- Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
- What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?
- Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.
- Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
- Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
- Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.
- Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
- What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
- Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
- Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
- Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
- Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
- When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
- Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
- Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
- Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
- Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.
These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.
- What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
- Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
- What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
- How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?
- Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
- What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
- What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
- If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
- What gives meaning to your life?
- If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
- If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?
- Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
- What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
- Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.
Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.
- What does it mean to you to be educated?
- What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
- Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
- Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?
- What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
- If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
- Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
- Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
- What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.
- Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
- Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.
- You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.
- Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
- If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
- If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
- Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
- If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
- If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
- My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
- Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
- If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
- What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
- Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?
- Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
- If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
- What website is the internet missing?
How do you help your students prepare their college application essays? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .
Plus, check out the ultimate guide to college scholarships.
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September 13, 2023
The Most Popular College Essay Prompts for 2023-2024
With the 2023-2024 college admissions cycle in full swing and now that all of America’s highly selective universities have released their supplemental essay prompts , let’s analyze the most popular types of essay questions asked of applicants to the Class of 2028. So here goes!
Most Common Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2023-2024
While there are many supplemental essay prompts across the highly selective universities for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, we at Ivy Coach have distinguished four prompts as the ones that pop up the most. These four types of supplemental essays are as follows:
The Why College Essay Prompt
Most of America’s elite universities ask applicants why they wish to attend their institutions. Why do they ask this question? Because America’s elite universities are a tad insecure, and they’re trying to control their yields (or the percentage of accepted students who choose to enroll). Asking students why they wish to attend is a proven way of measuring a student’s Demonstrated Interest — or the likelihood they’ll matriculate.
When students respond to Why College essay prompts and fill their answers with names of professors or classes or generic sentences that can apply to virtually any school in America, they’ve fallen through the trap door of effectively proving to the school that they’d attend if admitted. Admissions officers don’t want to waste offers of admission on students who — no matter how well qualified — have no intention of enrolling. It’s why a student can get into Harvard University but be denied to Cornell University. Harvard, we at Ivy Coach have long argued, is the only school that truly doesn’t care about Demonstrated Interest because Harvard knows students wish to attend. When a school’s yield is over 84% , as it was for the Class of 2027, they have that luxury!
Top Colleges with Why College Essay Prompts
The following elite universities have versions of Why College essay prompts. Some of these prompts are worded differently than others, but they’re all essentially asking the same question:
The Why Major Essay Prompt
Many of America’s top colleges ask why students wish to major in the disciplines they’ve selected on the application. They want to understand the origin story of a student’s chief academic interest. Too often, applicants set this origin story during their childhoods when it would behoove them to set it during their high school years.
Top Colleges with Why Major Essay Prompts
The following elite universities have versions of Why Major essay prompts. Some of these prompts are worded differently than others, but they’re all essentially asking the same question:
The Why College/Why Major Hybrid Essay Prompt
Many of America’s top colleges ask an essay with essentially two parts: Why Major and Why College. Thus, their essay should include the origin story of their interest in their chosen field and specifics about the program at the school that only apply to this particular institution.
Top Colleges with Why College/Why Major Hybrid Essay Prompts
The following elite universities have versions of Why College/Why Major hybrid essay prompts. Some of these prompts are worded differently than others, but they’re all essentially asking the same question:
The Community/Background Essay Prompt
In the wake of the United States Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw Affirmative Action , many of America’s elite universities added this prompt to their supplements this year. The prompt capitalizes on Chief Justice John Roberts ’ own words in the majority opinion banning the consideration of race in admissions decision-making.
In the majority opinion, Chief Justice Roberts wrote, “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”
The schools that ask this prompt offer all applicants a chance to tell their stories. But by focusing on candidates’ backgrounds, it’s also an opportunity for underrepresented minority applicants to write about their race so these schools can continue to admit diverse classes.
Top Colleges with Community/Background Essay Prompts
The following elite universities have versions of Community/Background essay prompts. Some of these prompts are worded differently than others, but they’re all essentially asking the same question:
Two Schools Deserving of Praise for Their Supplemental Essay Prompts
While many elite universities included a community/background question on their supplements this admissions cycle, few included the word “race” in the language of their questions.
After all, with these questions, America’s elite schools are capitalizing on the loophole penned by Chief Justice Roberts in the majority opinion outlawing Affirmative Action. They want to walk a fine line between continuing to admit a diverse class without facing litigation for not obeying the Supreme Court’s decision.
But there are two highly selective universities that bucked the trend and dared include the word “race” in their community/background questions: Johns Hopkins University and Rice University. In the world of college admissions, for bucking the trend and staring the Supreme Court right in the eyes, these schools are deserving of Profiles in Courage .
A School Deserving of Criticism for a Supplemental Essay Prompt
And while we applaud Johns Hopkins and Rice for daring to include the word “race” in their supplemental essay questions, we wish to shame the University of Virginia for asking what we at Ivy Coach have deemed the most outrageously inappropriate supplemental essay prompt on any of America’s elite college applications this year. That optional prompt is as follows:
If you have a personal or historic connection with UVA, and if you’d like to share how your experience of this connection has prepared you to contribute to the university, please share your thoughts here. Such relationships might include, but are not limited to, being a child of someone who graduated from or works for UVA, a descendant of ancestors who labored at UVA, or a participant in UVA programs.
While UVA’s admissions committee may defend asking this question with the misguided argument that it’s optional , that’s nonsense . UVA’s admissions committee is giving more space to mostly privileged students — the children of alumni and students who attended fancy shmancy UVA summer programs . As such, most students will choose not to answer the essay.
But that’s a mistake because any essay that’s optional in elite college admissions should not be considered optional . Instead, it’s an opportunity for an applicant to make their case for admission, to tell their story. How dare UVA’s admissions committee give extra space for legacy applicants and students who attended fancy shmancy UVA summer programs!
Get with the times, UVA! Legacy admission is on the way out, especially after the SCOTUS ruling outlawing Affirmative Action. Yet, your institution — a public flagship, no less — is seemingly doubling down on legacy status. Your founder, Thomas Jefferson, didn’t write our Declaration of Independence from an aristocracy so you could perpetuate a ruling class in our American meritocracy. Shame on UVA!
All that said, we encourage every applicant to respond to this 100-word question. You don’t need to be a legacy. You don’t need to have attended a UVA summer camp. Just fill the essay with Why UVA specifics. Treat it as a typical Why College essay. Regretfully, we just suspect most students will think the essay doesn’t apply to them — through no fault of their own — and leave it blank.
Ivy Coach’s Assistance with College Essays
If you’re looking to optimize your case for admission to America’s highly selective universities by submitting essays that inspire admissions officers to root for you, fill out Ivy Coach ’s free consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to outline our college admissions counseling services for applicants to the Class of 2028.
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Essay Prompts
Essay prompts for spring and fall applicants, freshman applicants.
All Applicants (except selected majors below):
Explain your reasons for seeking admission to Montclair State University, including what you believe are your academic strengths and interests. Be sure to explain any situations that may have had an impact, either positively or negatively, on your academic record.
In place of an essay, you may instead submit a writing sample from a graded class assignment.
Adult Learner Applicants (excluding RN to BSN applicants):
Submit a Personal Statement that demonstrates what you have learned through formal education and/or life experiences.
School of Nursing Applicants (BSN):
Please provide a brief personal statement describing why you wish to pursue a career in Nursing.
Applicants to Animation and Illustration, Dance, Music, Music Therapy, Musical Theatre, Theatre, Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design:
Please discuss why you wish to study your program of choice in the College of the Arts at Montclair. Be sure to include highlights of your experience related to your chosen academic program and how those experiences have shaped your current career goals.
Transfer Applicants
Providing an essay is optional. Should you choose to upload an essay, please provide a brief description of your educational goals. Be sure to explain any discrepancies that may be reflected on your transcript.
School of Nursing Applicants (RN to BSN):
Providing an essay is optional. Please provide a brief personal statement describing why you wish to pursue a career in Nursing.
Bergen Community College 2+2 Program (Educational Foundations for Elementary Teachers only):
Providing an essay is mandatory. In 500 words or less, tell us why you would like to become a teacher. What experiences have motivated you to choose this career path? Please use the Montclair Portrait of a Teacher to help guide you with the writing of this essay.
Applicants to Animation and Visual Effects, Illustration, Dance, Music, Music Therapy, Musical Theatre, Recording Arts and Production, Theatre, Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design:
College Essay Prompts: Complete List, Analysis, and Advice
Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?
Colleges ask for an essay as part of the application process for several reasons. Firstly, the essay provides an opportunity for applicants to showcase their writing skills, critical thinking abilities, and communication style. It allows admissions officers to assess the applicant's ability to articulate ideas, analyze information, and construct coherent arguments.
Additionally, the essay helps colleges gain insight into the applicant's personality, values, experiences, and aspirations. It offers a more holistic view of the applicant beyond their grades and test scores, allowing the admissions committee to understand their unique qualities and potential contributions to the campus community.
Furthermore, the essay allows colleges to assess an applicant's fit with their institution. By reading the essay, admissions officers can evaluate whether the applicant's interests, goals, and values align with the values and mission of the college. They are looking for students who will thrive academically and personally within their specific campus environment.
Moreover, the essay serves as a tool to differentiate applicants. In a highly competitive admissions process, where many candidates have similar academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and test scores, the essay provides an opportunity for applicants to stand out and leave a lasting impression. A well-written and compelling essay can leave a positive and memorable impact on the admissions committee.
Finally, the essay allows colleges to assess an applicant's writing ability, which is crucial for success in college-level coursework. Strong writing skills are important for academic success, as students are expected to write research papers, essays, and other written assignments throughout their college career.
Overall, colleges ask for an essay to gain a deeper understanding of the applicant, evaluate their fit with the institution, differentiate among candidates, and assess their writing abilities. It is an important component of the application process that allows applicants to showcase their strengths and provide a more comprehensive picture of who they are as individuals.
Complete List of College Essay Prompts
Providing a complete list of college essay prompts is not feasible within the scope of a single response, as the list can vary widely depending on the college or university and the specific application cycle. However, I can provide you with an overview of the types of essay prompts you may encounter during the college application process.
1. Personal Statement: This is a common essay prompt that asks applicants to share their personal experiences, values, aspirations, or significant events that have shaped their lives. It provides an opportunity for applicants to showcase their unique qualities and reflect on their personal growth.
2. Common Application Essay: The Common Application is used by many colleges and universities, and it includes several essay prompts from which applicants can choose. These prompts typically revolve around personal experiences, challenges, achievements, or beliefs.
3. Supplemental Essays: Many colleges require applicants to submit supplemental essays in addition to the main personal statement. These essays are specific to each college and may focus on various topics such as why you are interested in that particular institution, how you will contribute to the campus community, or your academic and career goals.
4. Creative or Reflective Essays: Some colleges may offer more creative or open-ended essay prompts that allow applicants to showcase their writing style, imagination, or critical thinking skills. These prompts may require you to write a short story, respond to a hypothetical situation, or analyze a specific topic from a unique perspective.
5. Academic Essays: Certain colleges or specific programs within colleges may require applicants to submit academic essays related to their intended field of study. These prompts may ask you to discuss your academic interests, research experience, or a specific topic relevant to your chosen major.
6. Social or Ethical Issues: Colleges may include essay prompts that encourage applicants to explore social or ethical issues, such as diversity, social justice, or community service. These prompts assess your awareness of societal challenges and your ability to think critically about them.
7. Personal Background or Identity: Some colleges may ask applicants to write about their cultural or personal background, including their heritage, family, or unique experiences. These prompts allow applicants to share their perspectives and contribute to the diversity of the campus community.
Remember, the essay prompts can vary from year to year, so it is important to refer to the specific application requirements of each college or university to which you are applying. Take the time to carefully read and understand the prompts, brainstorm ideas, and craft your essays to effectively convey your thoughts, experiences, and goals.
Optional Essays
Optional essays, as the name suggests, are additional essay prompts that some colleges and universities offer as part of the application process. These essays are typically separate from the required personal statement or main essay. While they are labeled as "optional," it's important to note that they can still play a significant role in the admissions process and should not be overlooked.
Here are some key points to consider about optional essays:
1. Purpose: Optional essays serve various purposes, depending on the college or university. They may provide an opportunity for you to provide additional information about yourself that you feel is not adequately covered in other parts of your application. They can also allow you to address specific circumstances, such as academic or personal challenges, gaps in your academic record, or significant achievements or experiences.
2. Demonstrating Interest: Some colleges may use optional essays as a way to gauge your level of interest in their institution. By taking the time to complete these essays, you can show your enthusiasm and commitment to attending that particular college, which can be advantageous in the admissions process.
3. Highlighting Strengths: Optional essays can be used to showcase your strengths, talents, or unique qualities that may not be evident in other parts of your application. This is an opportunity to go beyond the basic information and provide deeper insights into your character, interests, or experiences.
4. Addressing Weaknesses: If you have any academic or personal weaknesses that you believe need further explanation, optional essays can be a platform to address these concerns. This could include discussing a dip in grades, explaining a disciplinary action, or elaborating on personal circumstances that may have affected your academic performance.
5. Supplemental Material: In some cases, colleges may allow you to submit supplemental material along with the optional essay. This could include samples of your work, such as an art portfolio, a research paper, or a performance recording. Make sure to review the specific guidelines provided by each college regarding the submission of supplemental material.
6. Writing Style and Tone: When writing optional essays, it is important to maintain a consistent writing style and tone that aligns with the rest of your application. Keep in mind that these essays should still adhere to the principles of strong writing, including clarity, coherence, and relevance.
7. Consideration and Time: While optional essays may require additional effort, it's essential to carefully consider whether or not to complete them. Evaluate whether the essay prompt aligns with your strengths, goals, or experiences, and determine if it provides valuable information that can enhance your application. If you choose to write an optional essay, allocate sufficient time to brainstorm, draft, revise, and edit your response to ensure it meets your standards.
Remember, even though optional essays are not required, they can provide an opportunity to stand out from other applicants and provide a more comprehensive picture of who you are as a candidate. Approach these essays with care, thoughtfulness, and a genuine desire to showcase your strengths and interests.
The 3 Main Types of College Essay Questions
When it comes to college applications, one of the most important components is the college essay. College essay prompts can vary widely across different institutions, but they generally fall into three main types: personal statement prompts, specific prompts, and supplemental prompts. Each type serves a different purpose and requires a unique approach.
1. Personal Statement Prompts: Personal statement prompts are the most common type of college essay question. They typically ask students to reflect on their personal experiences, values, goals, or challenges. These prompts are intentionally broad to allow applicants to showcase their individuality and provide insight into their character. Examples of personal statement prompts include:
- "Share a significant experience or achievement that has had a profound impact on your life."
- "Discuss a time when you faced a challenge or setback and how it affected you."
- "Describe a person who has influenced your life and explain why."
When responding to personal statement prompts, it's important to be authentic and introspective. Reflect on your experiences, values, and aspirations, and use the essay as an opportunity to reveal your personality, growth, and self-awareness.
2. Specific Prompts: Specific prompts are more focused and require applicants to address a specific topic or question. These prompts may be related to a particular academic interest, a field of study, or a specific event or experience. Examples of specific prompts include:
- "Describe how your background or experiences have shaped your interest in engineering."
- "Discuss a book that has had a significant impact on your life and explain why."
- "Describe a time when you collaborated with others to solve a complex problem."
When responding to specific prompts, it's important to demonstrate your knowledge, passion, and engagement with the topic. Draw connections between your experiences and the specific area of interest, and provide concrete examples and evidence to support your ideas.
3. Supplemental Prompts: Supplemental prompts are additional essay questions required by some colleges and universities in addition to the personal statement. These prompts are specific to each institution and may focus on topics such as community, diversity, or a particular aspect of the college's culture. Examples of supplemental prompts include:
- "Why are you interested in attending our college?"
- "Describe how you would contribute to our campus community."
- "Discuss a time when you had to navigate cultural differences or challenges."
When responding to supplemental prompts, it's important to research the college or university and tailor your response to reflect your knowledge of the institution's values, mission, and resources. Highlight specific aspects of the college that align with your interests and goals, and showcase how you can contribute to the campus community.
Regardless of the type of essay prompt, it's crucial to approach your response with thoughtfulness and clarity. Take the time to brainstorm, outline, and revise your essay, ensuring that your ideas are well-organized and effectively communicated. Additionally, pay attention to word limits and any specific guidelines provided by the college or university.
Ultimately, the goal of college essays is to provide admissions officers with a deeper understanding of who you are as a person and how you will contribute to their campus community. By carefully considering and responding to the three main types of essay questions, you can create a compelling and authentic essay that helps you stand out among other applicants.
How to Plan Your College Essay Writing
Planning your college essay writing is a crucial step in the process of crafting a compelling and well-structured essay. By taking the time to plan and organize your thoughts, you can ensure that your essay effectively communicates your ideas and presents a cohesive narrative. Here are some key steps to help you plan your college essay writing:
1. Understand the Essay Prompt: Begin by carefully reading and understanding the essay prompt. Highlight key instructions, requirements, and themes. Make sure you have a clear understanding of what the prompt is asking and the specific focus or angle you should take in your response.
2. Brainstorm Ideas: Once you understand the prompt, start brainstorming ideas and potential topics. Reflect on your personal experiences, achievements, challenges, and values. Consider how these aspects of your life align with the prompt and which ones you want to highlight in your essay. Jot down any ideas that come to mind, and don't worry about organizing them at this stage.
3. Create an Outline: With your ideas in mind, create an outline for your essay. An outline provides a structure and roadmap for your writing, helping you organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow. Start with an introduction that grabs the reader's attention and clearly states your thesis or main idea. Then, outline the main points or arguments you want to make in the body paragraphs, ensuring each point supports your thesis. Finally, plan a conclusion that summarizes your main points and leaves a lasting impression.
4. Organize Your Ideas: Once you have an outline, organize your ideas and evidence within each section. Consider the most effective order for presenting your points and supporting evidence. Ensure a smooth transition between paragraphs and use topic sentences to introduce each new idea. This organization will help the reader follow your thoughts and create a coherent and persuasive essay.
5. Develop a Writing Schedule: Set aside dedicated time for writing your essay. Create a schedule that works for you, allowing enough time for brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing. Break down the writing process into manageable tasks and set deadlines for each stage. Adhering to a schedule will help you stay focused and ensure you have ample time to refine your essay.
6. Write a Strong Introduction: Start your essay with a compelling introduction that hooks the reader and sets the tone for the rest of the essay. Consider using an engaging anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a captivating quote to grab attention. Clearly state your thesis or main idea, providing a preview of what the reader can expect from your essay.
7. Develop Coherent Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a specific point or argument that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. Then, provide evidence, examples, or personal experiences to support your point. Make sure there is a logical progression from one paragraph to the next, ensuring a cohesive and well-structured essay.
8. Craft a Compelling Conclusion: End your essay with a strong conclusion that reinforces your main points and leaves a lasting impression. Summarize your key arguments and provide a sense of closure. Consider ending with a thought-provoking statement, a call to action, or a reflection on the broader significance of your essay's topic.
9. Revise and Edit: After completing your first draft, take the time to revise and edit your essay. Review your essay for clarity, coherence, grammar, and spelling errors. Ensure that your ideas are effectively communicated and that your essay flows smoothly. Consider seeking feedback from trusted mentors, teachers, or peers to gain additional perspectives and make further improvements.
10. Proofread: Before submitting your essay, thoroughly proofread it for any typos, grammatical errors, or inconsistencies. Pay attention to formatting guidelines and ensure your essay is within the specified word limit. Take the time to make any necessary revisions and polish your essay to make it the best possible version.
By following these steps and planning your college essay writing process, you can effectively organize your thoughts, develop a strong essay structure, and create a compelling and impactful essay that stands out to college admissions officers. Remember to allow yourself enough time to brainstorm, draft, revise, and edit, as the planning stage is crucial for producing a high-quality essay.
Conclusion
Planning your college essay writing is an essential step that can significantly enhance the quality and effectiveness of your essay. By understanding the essay prompt, brainstorming ideas, creating an outline, organizing your thoughts, and developing a writing schedule, you can approach your essay with clarity and purpose. Additionally, focusing on writing a strong introduction, coherent body paragraphs, and a compelling conclusion will further strengthen your essay's impact. Remember to revise, edit, and proofread your essay to ensure it is polished and error-free. By investing time in the planning process, you can craft a well-structured and persuasive college essay that showcases your unique qualities and captures the attention of college admissions officers.
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Bonus Material: Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays
If you’re gearing up for the college application process, you already know what you likely have ahead of you: not just a personal statement, but supplemental essays for most of the schools you’re applying to.
These application essays are crucial and can tip the scales in your favor when admissions committees make the decision about whether to send you an acceptance letter.
But did you know that many schools share extremely similar supplemental essays? By reading our guide below, you can know what to expect–and you can even save yourself time and effort by efficiently reusing your supplemental essays.
Saving time and effort isn’t just a nice bonus: it lets you dedicate your resources to crafting better, more compelling, more successful essays. And, at the end of the day, it means better chances of admission to your dream school.
Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays
Jump to section: “Main essays:” the Common App essay prompts “Main essays:” The University of California PIQs Why should you categorize the supplemental prompts? The “Why us” essay The Academic interest essay The Extracurricular essay The Community essay The Diversity/Identity essay The “Creative” essay Next steps
“Main essays:” the Common App essay prompts
For most of you, the Common App essay will be your “main essay,” meaning it’ll go to just about all of the schools on your list. The vast majority of schools accept the Common App for college admissions applications, so you’ll be writing one long personal statement in response to one of the Common App’s 7 prompts.
In addition, you’ll have to write supplemental essays for each school, which is what most of this blog post will focus on. To skip straight there, you can click here: Why should you categorize the supplemental prompts?
Below are the 7 Common App prompts, which tend not to change from year to year:
- 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.
“Main essays:” The University of California PIQs
While there are a few scattered schools that don’t take the Common App, the biggest of these are the University of California schools, all of which share one application that’s totally different from the Common App.
Instead of writing one “main essay” and then additional supplements, you’ll have to respond to four “Personal Insight Questions,” all with the same word counts (a max of 350 each) and importance. Your responses will go to all of the UC schools you apply to.
We’ve also written a dedicated guide on how to answer all of the UC PIQs, with examples of real successful responses that you can check out here .
The UC PIQ prompts from 2023-2024 are listed below.
- Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
- Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
- What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
- Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
- Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
- Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
- What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
- Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
As you read on, you’ll notice that lots of these prompts actually overlap with common supplemental essay topics–meaning you can reuse your UC PIQ answers for other schools!
Why should you categorize the supplemental prompts?
Although two different schools’ essay prompts might be worded differently, you can often see that they’re basically asking the same kind of question. In reality, there are a few incredibly common kinds of supplemental prompts that recur frequently across different universities.
This matters for two main reasons.
The first is simple: if you can identify what kind of prompt each one is, you’ll be able to understand what the admissions officers are looking for. For example, let’s say you clearly identify that one of Dartmouth’s supplemental prompts falls into the “Community” category. Then, you’ll be in a better position to give them the kind of response they’re looking for.
The second reason is simply that treating lots of these supplemental prompts as the same types of prompts will save you tons of time. How? If you’re smart, you can recycle the majority of your school-specific supplemental essays and use them for multiple schools without rewriting most of the essays.
To be clear: you’ll still almost always have to tweak the essay, adding in some school-specific details or adjusting the word count. But by using our breakdown of common college essay prompt types, you can prepare a template for each one, using the same template across multiple applications.
Read on below for a detailed list of what types of essay prompts commonly recur across universities. You can also click the button below to download a collection of the prompts provided last year by 50 of the top universities.
Here are the most common types of supplemental essay prompts:
The “Why us” essay
The academic interest essay, the extracurricular essay, the community essay, the diversity/identity essay, the “creative” essay.
This is one of the most common types of supplemental college essay prompts. If you’ve started doing your research, you’ve probably seen that lots of colleges ask a question that basically boils down to: “Why do you want to come to our university specifically?”
Below, take a look at a few prompts that all fall into this category so you can see what we mean about how commonly this one comes up:
Please briefly describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University. This statement should be 500 words at most; however, it is neither necessary nor expected that you reach this maximum length. We strongly encourage you to focus on content and efficiency rather than word count. While submitting this prompt is optional, we recommend that all applicants do so. (500 words) What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words) Why are you interested in applying to and attending Swarthmore? (250 words)
Despite radically different word counts, these are clearly the same question: why us? The bad news is that although this question type is really, really common, many students approach it incorrectly.
The good news? We’ve actually written a detailed post that breaks down everything you need to do to answer the “Why us?” prompt perfectly here.
If you want a detailed guide on how to approach that essay, check out that link.
Here, we’ll cover briefly what admissions officers want to see from you when they ask “why us?”
- Specific elements of their school’s curriculum, programs, or culture that appeal to you.
- How your values and experiences make you a good fit for those specific aspects of the school.
In a nutshell, this essay is 50-50: it’s half about why you like the school, and half about why they ought to like you.
You should create a standard template for this essay, then add specific details for each individual school on your list to ensure that the essay is tailored to every university.
This essay can come in one of two main forms, but the question is the same: what are you interested in, why, and how will you pursue that interest at college?
Take a look at a few different-looking examples below:
Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 words, Carnegie Mellon University) Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (Approximately 250 words) Brooks School of Public Policy: Why are you drawn to studying public policy? Drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the Brooks School will help you achieve your life goals. (650 words, Cornell School of Public Policy)
The questions all look a little bit different, but don’t be fooled: they’re all the same. And here’s why it matters to keep it in mind: even though CMU, unlike USC and Cornell, doesn’t ask how you’ll pursue your major, they still want to know.
Any time you’re asked about your major and/or your academic interest, the university is looking for you to provide three things:
- A description of what specifically interests you.
- An explanation (or better yet, a story!) for why it interests you.
- A brief discussion of how you’ll pursue that interest/major at their university.
The level of detail will vary depending on word count, but the objective is the same: answer what, why, and how.
Not sure how to frame your intellectual interests in a way that’s appealing to admissions officers? Our college essay coaches are experts who can help you do just that: reach out to us now to get connected with a personalized mentor!
This one is straightforward, and, like the above, super common. In a nutshell, colleges will want to hear you describe in greater detail one of your extracurricular activities/experiences. Most students use this to go into more detail about one of the things listed on their Common App or UC activities sections, often choosing the activity that’s most unusual or most impressive.
Here are a few sample prompts to help you identify what this looks like:
Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (150 words, Princeton) Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 words, Stanford) Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (½ page, Georgetown)
As you can see, these tend to be shorter prompts, sometimes even being just short-answer questions, as in Stanford’s case. In any case, the goal is the same: describe something you’re involved with in an interesting and engaging way.
A word of advice: you really should pick something unusual and/or something in which you’ve attained notable success. Bonus points if this activity, whatever it is, is fundamentally altruistic.
All these essays should contain the following components:
- A story or anecdote about the activity.
- A discussion of why it matters.
Don’t get too hung up on “what” here: college admissions officers don’t really want to hear the boring details about your exact role or club elections. They’d much rather hear an interesting story combined with a thoughtful reflection on why this activity is important to you.
While academics are a huge part of college, so is the idea that you and your fellow students will form a cohesive, inclusive, and productive learning community. As a result, many colleges will present you with a supplemental essay prompt that asks you to reflect on community: what do you look for in one, what do you bring to one, what do you think one needs?
These essays should be taken seriously–often, the colleges that ask this question do so because they place a particular emphasis on building strong communities of students. Even students with jaw-dropping academics might find themselves rejected by elite universities if admissions officers don’t see those students as a good community fit.
Take a look below for some examples of “Community” prompts from last year:
Reflect on a time when you have worked to enhance a community to which you feel connected. Why have these efforts been meaningful to you? You may define community however you like. (400 words, Yale) What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 words, Duke) How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words, UPenn)
One thing you might notice from the above examples is that the “Community” prompt tends to be a staple of especially selective or elite universities. Which makes sense: these schools receive thousands of applications with amazing test scores and GPAs, so they’re really looking for something else to differentiate their applicants.
A few quick pointers on this kind of prompt:
- Offer at least a brief definition of what “community” means to you.
- Use an anecdote/moment from your life to provide a specific example of how you’ve been an engaged community member in the past.
- You might want to check out our post on the “Why us?” prompt here , which also offers further guidance on how to research community offerings at universities.
Last year, 25 of the top universities in the US asked some version of the Community prompt. For more examples of what those prompts looked like and what schools asked them, check out our free collection of last year’s essay prompts below.
And, if you need someone to guide you through the process of writing this kind of essay, there’s nobody better than one of our college essay experts , who have all successfully navigated the college application process themselves.
A similar essay prompt to the Community essay is one that asks about your identity and background, often through the lens of diversity.
Quite often, this question is linked to ideas of community. What makes it different is its focus on you: where do you come from, and how has that shaped how you view the world?
Take a look below for a few samples of what this kind of prompt can look like:
As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. (1 page, Georgetown) The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. How do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world? (200-250 words, California Institute of Technology) We seek a diverse student body that embodies the wide range of human experience. In that context, we are interested in what you’d like to share about your lived experiences and how they’ve influenced how you think of yourself. (250 words max, optional, Duke)
As you can see, these essay prompts can have different angles. Some simply ask the terrifyingly broad question of “who are you?” Others focus on “lived experiences,” which is a way of asking about how your life has been shaped by your identity and what you’ve gone through.
If you’re a student who strongly relates to a particular aspect of your identity–this might mean identifying as part of a marginalized or minority group, being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or simply having any other identity that has profoundly shaped you–this is the perfect essay prompt for you to expound on why that identity is important to you and what it means for your worldview.
While this prompt can sometimes be an optional one, it often isn’t. Some students, especially those who don’t strongly identify with a particular identity or group, find this prompt especially intimidating. But you really shouldn’t: you are who you are, and you should interpret these prompts broadly so that you can write about an identity/worldview that is true to who you are.
- Interpret this prompt broadly, making it fit your understanding of “identity” or “diversity”
- Absolutely use real moments from your life in your response to this prompt
- Feel free to connect your identity to your views on community, social issues, or education more broadly.
While the majority of supplemental essay prompts you’ll see during the college application process will fall into one of the above categories, some schools will present you with odd, unusual, or creative prompts.
Whether you view this as a fun opportunity to flex your creative writing skills or as a burden will really depend on how comfortable you are taking risks in your writing. The positive spin is that these essay prompts allow you to get outside the box a bit. The negative side is that these essays aren’t generally recyclable for other schools–you’ll have to write these from scratch.
To see what we mean by the “Creative” supplemental essay, take a look at a few of the prompts below. Note that these tend to change each year, so the examples below are from the 2022-2023 application cycle.
Was it a cat I saw? Yo-no-na-ka, ho-ka-ho-ka na-no-yo (Japanese for “the world is a warm place”). Moze jutro ta dama da tortu jezom (Polish for “maybe tomorrow that lady will give a cake to the hedgehogs”). Share a palindrome in any language, and give it a backstory . (UChicago, 1-2 pages) What advice would a wisdom tooth have? (UChicago, 1-2 pages) Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (UPenn, 150-200 words)
As you can see, these prompts don’t really fit into a category–the whole idea is that they’re unusual. UChicago in particular is famous for having these creative prompts, all of which change yearly.
Because these essay prompts are by nature so different, it’s hard to give generalized advice on them.
A few rules of thumb to keep in mind:
- Don’t try to reuse other supplemental essays if they don’t fit the prompt. It’ll be clear to admissions commissions that you’re not really answering the question.
- Feel free to get creative and take risks. It’s what they’re asking for, after all.
But, really, because these essays are so unusual and tough, the best way to be sure you’re handling them well is to work with an expert college essay editor. Reach out to us now to get paired with an essay coach who has not only helped students like you, but has successfully navigated the college application process themselves.
Now, it’s time to check out the schools on your own list and start planning on how to tackle their supplemental prompts.
Identify what schools you’re interested in, then put together a list of all the supplemental prompts. Then, categorize those prompts according to our guide above so that you can more efficiently address each one, reusing parts of your essay where it makes sense to do so.
A great resource to start with is our spreadsheet of the Top 50 Supplemental Prompts asked by colleges. Although that list is from 2022-2023, the majority of these supplemental prompts don’t change much from year to year, so you can use these to predict what you’ll likely be asked this year.
If you get started and realize you might need some extra support, reach out to our expert essay coaches–at PrepMaven, we’ve helped countless students get into schools like Princeton, Harvard, and UChicago.
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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Jazz Concert — Review of a Jazz Concert at Bergen Community College
Review of a Jazz Concert at Bergen Community College
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Published: Feb 8, 2022
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Bryn Mawr College
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Bryn Mawr College’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts
A superhero overnight short response.
The desire to make a positive impact in the world is among the qualities that unite Bryn Mawr students. If you were granted a superpower that allowed you to eradicate one social inequity overnight, what would your cause be and why?
Why This College Essay
Why are you interested in Bryn Mawr?
Common App Personal Essay
The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.
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.
What will first-time readers think of your college essay?
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This school does not require essays or the essay prompts are not available yet. Sign up to be notified of any changes. Applying to Bergen Community College and trying to find all the correct essay prompts for 2023-24? Find them here, along with free guidance on how to write the essays.
How to write the community essay for college applications in 2023-24. Our experts present community essay examples and analysis.
For the Common App essay, you pick one of the prompts and write 250-650 words about it. Here are the prompts for the 2022-2023 school year: 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.
Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on Nov 29, 2023. Not sure what to write for your college essay? We've got you covered with a number of topics and prompts to help shape your unique story. As part of your college application materials, you'll likely be asked to submit a college essay.
Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees.
Applying to college and trying to find all the correct essay prompts? Search for your school's prompts in our database and easily find the prompts and CollegeVine's 2023-24 essay guides. Schools
Writing Center. Location: L-125. Phone: (201) 447-7489. Dr. John Findura, Writing Center Supervisor. About the Writing Center at Bergen. When you enter through the main doors of our Tutoring Center (L125) and pass the reception desk (where you'll make your appointments), you'll find the Writing Center at the far end of the room.
September 13, 2023. The Most Popular College Essay Prompts for 2023-2024. What's the most common supplemental essay prompt this year at America's elite universities? The community/background question.
5.0. Difficulty. 3.0. WRT201. Jan 4th, 2024. For Credit: Yes. Attendance: Mandatory. Would Take Again: Yes. Grade: A. Textbook: Yes. Professor Tomko gives great feedback on the essays you write. He's also a fantastic teacher and tries facilitating a comfortable learning environment.
Overview. Cost & scholarships. Admissions. Essay prompt. Acceptance Rate. Not reported. SAT. Average SAT. Not Reported. SAT 25th-75th. Not Reported. Students Submitting SAT. Not Reported. Math. Average (25th - 75th) Not Reported. Reading and Writing. Average (25th - 75th) Not Reported. ACT. Average ACT. Not Reported. ACT 25th-75th. Not Reported.
Bergen Community College 2+2 Program (Educational Foundations for Elementary Teachers only): Providing an essay is mandatory. In 500 words or less, tell us why you would like to become a teacher.
Providing a complete list of college essay prompts is not feasible within the scope of a single response, as the list can vary widely depending on the college or university and the specific application cycle. However, I can provide you with an overview of the types of essay prompts you may encounter during the college application process. 1.
September 29, 2023. | In Applying. | By Mike. Most Common Essay Prompts for College. Bonus Material: Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays. If you're gearing up for the college application process, you already know what you likely have ahead of you: not just a personal statement, but supplemental essays for most of the schools you're applying to.
Bergen Community College maintains locations in Paramus (main campus), Hackensack (Ciarco Learning Center), and Lyndhurst (Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands) serving more than 32,000 students in degree, continuing education and adult education programs.
This competition is sponsored by the Bergen Community College English Department, and for many years was coordinated by faculty member Geoffrey Sadock. It features poetry, scholarly essays, short stories, personal essays, drama, and essays from recent immigrants. Links to online content: Digital issues <<
March 24, 2021. By Eric Eng. 5 Things to Know When Writing a College Essay About Community + Real Examples. The vast majority of colleges have a series of essay prompts students have to complete along with their Common Application.
College application essay prompts can vary widely, but they usually fall into a few general categories. Here's a brief overview of these categories along with some examples: 1. Personal growth:
Essay Contest Awards. March 31, 2021 @ 2:00 am - 3:30 pm. Creative Writing teacher and Labyrinth editor, Mary Crosby, and Women's History Month Co-chairs, Caroline Kelley and Christine Eubank, will announce the awards for the 2021 Women's History Month Essay Contest. Awardees will read their prize-winning essays. Add to calendar. Details. Date:
Published: Feb 8, 2022. At Bergen Community College there was a jazz concert at West Hall in room 226. The jazz concert was played by mixed group of college students and Bergen catholic high schoolers.
862 Words. 4 Pages. Decent Essays. Preview. Bergen County Migration Analysis. Introduction Bergen County is located in Northern New Jersey and is part of the New York Metropolitan area. The community of Bergen County in New Jersey is very large. In fact, it is the largest county in New Jersey.
November 15, 2022 @ 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm. Are you gearing up for graduation and/or transfer? Do you feel overwhelmed and need help managing your transfer application? Do you need another set of eyes to review your applications before submitting? Come to a Writing Center workshop at the Tutoring Center in L-125! Add to calendar. Details. Date:
Bergen Community College Placement Test Essay | Top Writers. William. Level: College, University, Master's, High School, PHD, Undergraduate. Business Enquiries. Perfect writing solutions to all your enigmas. Quickly Contact Us. Check your inbox. Bergen Community College Placement Test Essay. Legal. Nursing Management Psychology Marketing +67. 567.
Applying to Bryn Mawr College and trying to find all the correct essay prompts for 2023-24? Find them here, along with free guidance on how to write the essays.