Common App Essay prompts of 2023

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

- Direct your attention to the significant terms "background," "identity," "interest," and "talent," and utilize them as starting points for generating ideas. Consider aspects of your personality, hobbies, past experiences, or achievements that could be noteworthy to an admissions officer. These categories could range from something as insignificant as being moved by a particularly impactful movie, to something as significant as the challenge of adjusting to a new school, state, or country. The crucial aspect to keep in mind when approaching this prompt is that your perspective and story should be distinctively personal to you, and not something that could be applied to other students.



2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

- The recommended approach for writing a Common App Essay Prompt #2 essay is to focus on the student's emotional and mental reaction, as well as the steps taken to overcome a difficulty or obstacle. Emphasize qualities such as determination, humility, and personal growth. The difficulties explored can be diverse, with the inclusion of "challenges and setbacks" in addition to "failures." These could range from something as significant as the death of a family member to something as practical as financial struggles faced by the student or their family, or as minor as a mistake that cost them a school contest. It is advised that students avoid selecting trivial challenges, such as not obtaining tickets to a concert or those that depict dangerous or harmful behavior, such as illegal activities or actions that harm others. However, if the student can pinpoint a specific event or challenge in their life and demonstrate what they learned from it and how they grew, this prompt has the potential to yield a compelling essay.

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

- Ironically, the “challenge” essay is one of the most challenging prompts the Common App essay presents, though it is now slightly easier with the addition of the option to discuss a time you merely questioned an idea instead of directly challenging it. The student must speak passionately about their beliefs and worldview, which are often difficult subjects to fit into short narratives. Thus, Common App Essay Prompt #3 can be one of the hardest questions to aim in a positive direction without making yourself sound condescending or judgmental of other views.

- That being said, you can respond to this prompt in a way that is insightful and personal, as it was for a student who stood up to parents’ staunch position on one’s public expression of sexual identity. If you can articulate your thoughts and feelings while showing your willingness to earnestly consider the ideas of others, you will stand out as an excellent addition to any college campus. If this prompt jumps out at you and you can think of a time you challenged a belief and it made a difference, go for it!

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

- Common App Essay Prompt #4 asks students to talk about a time when they felt gratitude for something someone did. Gratitude has become a quality that individuals are encouraged to connect to and reflect on, which explains the commonality of essays on gratitude in college classes. This question offers students the opportunity to reflect on how gratitude impacts or directs their own lives, as well as how giving thanks for the little things in life can inspire and energize them.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

- The terms "accomplishment" and "event" in Common App Essay Prompt #5 offer some flexibility in interpretation. As a result, the essay written in response to this prompt could pertain to anything from a small event to a significant occurrence in the student's life. An accomplishment event might comprise occasions such as birthdays or weddings, or notable achievements like winning a competition or receiving a prestigious award.

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

- The fundamental aim of college, at least in its historical context, is to pursue knowledge and self-enlightenment. Therefore, it could be advantageous for an admissions officer to comprehend how the student demonstrates self-motivated learning and the reasons for their interest in captivating subjects. Common App Essay Prompt #6 serves as an opportunity to provide insight into the student's thought process and how they seek out new sources of information and inspiration, or new perspectives to evaluate and analyze. Essentially, this prompt offers a glimpse into the student's mind.

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

- This prompt was first introduced to the 2017-2018 Common App prompts. Although Prompt #1 is similar to “choosing a topic of your choice,” Common App Essay Prompt #7 offers students a lot of freedom and flexibility to illustrate their character, background, growth, worldview, or any other important central facets important to being a college student. You could really take any number of directions with this essay prompt–but as always, be sure that you are addressing the prompt fully and not being too trivial (or cliche) in your subject matter and how you tell your narrative.