Common App Essay Prompt 7 Guide

Are you submitting your college applications through the Common App portal and need to complete the Common App essay? If so, you may have checked out the 2024-25 essay prompts, which can be found here. Whether you have already decided that you want to write about Prompt 7 or if you are just researching to see which prompt fits you best, this post is here to give you a detailed guide about how to answer Prompt 7 so that you can craft a strong essay! 

Common App Essay Prompt 7 Guide

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. (250-650 words)

This is a more open-ended prompt and much is left to your interpretation. As the prompt states, you could include an essay you have previously written or even design your own prompt. To effectively answer this prompt, you should keep the following points in mind. 

• Choose a topic you like: Select a topic that has a personal meaning to you. This could involve writing about a specific event or moment in your life that you feel is significant for admissions officers to know about but does not effectively provide an answer to the other prompts. A good example can be found here. 

   

• Explain the significance: Show the reader why this topic is important to you. Explain the personal connection you have to this topic and why it is meaningful to you. This helps the reader understand the motivation behind choosing to write about this topic and not about the other prompts given by Common App.

   

• Make it personal: Use personal anecdotes in your essay to bring your narrative to life. Talk about your experiences related to the topic to help the reader connect more deeply with your story. A good example can be found here.

   

• Personal growth: Describe how this topic has shaped you as a person. For example, has it influenced your values and how you interact with people? Did it change your perspective or help you develop new skills? What lessons have you learned from engaging with this topic or activity? A good example can be seen here. 

   

• Avoid clichés: Since you have more creative control when answering this prompt compared to other prompts, you may think of using some fancy topics or phrases to make your essay unique. However, many "grand" topics are often overused and hence will lessen the impact of your essay. A guide on how to avoid clichés can be found here. 

   

• Connect to your values: Describe how this topic relates to your core values such as creativity, integrity, curiosity, empathy, etc. How have you gained or developed these values as a result of participating in this activity? 

   

• Submitting a previous essay: If you are choosing to answer this prompt using an essay that you have already written, make sure you clearly outline the original essay prompt before you start writing the essay so that the admissions officer knows what the essay is based on. Keep in mind that writing the original essay prompt will count towards the word count of 250-650 words so make sure you have enough space for both the prompt and the essay itself.