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Are you applying to college and considering using the Common Application portal? If so, you will need to write the Common App essay which is a requirement for all applicants. However, with such a wide range of prompts, you may be wondering what to write your essay about. This guide will highlight key tips on what your Common App essay should be about, so feel free to use the tips below as inspiration during your essay-writing process!
What Should Your Common App Essay Be About?
The Common App essay is a way for admissions officers to get to know you outside of academics and grades. Hence to answer the above question, your Common App essay can be about anything that helps the admissions officers get to know you better as a person. For example, you could showcase your identity, beliefs, background, talents, ability to overcome challenges, etc. as these show admissions officers your personality beyond academics, which gives a more holistic perspective to your application. For an in-depth guide on some essay ideas for each Common App essay prompt, check out this post here.
After you look through the essay ideas linked in the above post, read the tips below for some things to keep in mind when choosing a topic to write your Common App essay on.
Do's
Choose a relevant prompt: There are usually 7 prompts given by the Common App each year, which span a variety of topics such as personal identity, gratitude, overcoming challenges, etc. You should choose a prompt that feels the most relevant to you. For brainstorming tips on how to choose a prompt, read this post here.
Keep it personal: Choose a topic that allows you to talk about your emotions, personal growth and aspirations for the future. Provide sufficient anecdotes and examples to support your narrative.
Maintain an appropriate tone/voice: Unlike some other formal college essays (such as the UCAS personal statement) that require a more academic response, the Common App is a more casual way for admissions officers to get to know you. Hence, the tone and voice of your essay should be appropriate to the topic being discussed. Most essays written by students tend to have a casual tone with an active voice.
Don'ts
Don't discuss academics: As mentioned before, the Common App essay is a way for admissions officers to learn more about you outside of academics, so you should avoid discussing grades and academics in your essay. However if applicable, you may be able to link your narrative to explain what you want to study at college. Examples of how to do this can be found in this post here.
Don't list your full life story: Although it may be tempting to write about all your achievements and showcase your extracurricular participation, you should avoid doing so as this distracts from the focus of your essay by talking about too many things. Instead, focus on one main achievement/event/challenge, etc. (depending on the prompt) and discuss this in depth.
Don't copy others: Make sure the topic you choose to write about is focused on your life and story. Do not try to copy what your friends, peers, or others on the Internet have based their essays on. You should also avoid clichéd topics, as outlined in this post here.
We hope that this guide has provided you with some useful tips on what your Common Essay should be about. Good luck with your college applications!
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