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Are you applying to college using the Common App platform and need to submit the Common App essay? If so, you may have looked over the 2024-25 essay prompts, which can be found here. Whether you have already decided that you want to answer Prompt 5 or if you are just looking around to see which prompt fits your experiences best, this post is here to give you an in-depth guide about how to answer Prompt 5 so that you can craft an engaging essay!
Common App Essay Prompt 5 Guide
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (250-650 words)
To effectively answer this prompt, you should keep the following points in mind.
Have an engaging opening: Start your essay off with an introduction to the accomplishment, event or realization that you will be discussing in the essay. More information on how to craft a good hook can be found here.
Give context: Provide context for the accomplishment, event or realization. Was it an academic achievement, a personal milestone, or a significant moment in your life? Make sure you provide enough context for the reader to understand why this event matters to you.
Explain the significance: Talk about the significance of this accomplishment, event or realization. Did it spark a new period of personal growth? Was it something that you had been working towards for a long time? This will help the reader understand why this moment was significant in your life.
Describe your emotions: Talk about how you felt as a result of completing this achievement or event. Did completing this achievement make you feel excited, nervous, stressed, happy, etc? Talking about your emotions will help your essay feel more personal to the reader.
Describe challenges: If applicable, explain if you faced any challenges while completing this achievement or event. Briefly describe how you overcame these challenges to achieve your end goal. This shows the reader your persistence and dedication to achieving your goals. A good example can be seen here.
Explain the realization: If your essay focuses on a realization, describe when you came to that realization. Did it happen instantaneously or gradually over time? Did a certain conversation, experience, or observation make you have a shift in perspective?
Understanding yourself: What did this achievement, event or realization help you understand about yourself? Did it teach you perseverance, persistence, problem-solving, etc.? Did you have to overcome any of your fears to accomplish this achievement or participate in this event? A good example can be found here.
Understanding others: What did this achievement, event or realization help you understand about the people around you? For example, did it develop your collaboration skills, communication, teamwork, etc.? Did it teach you to have more patience, be more empathetic, etc.?
Lessons learned: Identify the main lessons you learned from participating in the experience or accomplishing the achievement. Describe how you plan on using these skills in future, such as in college and beyond. A good example can be found here.
We hope that this guide has helped you identify some things to keep in mind when tackling Prompt 5 of the Common App essay. Good luck with your college applications!
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