Roadmap to College: What Are Some Common Essay Questions?
Many colleges keep the same essay questions for many years, while others change the questions every year or every few years. College applications are usually available beginning in August, so find out the essay topic of each school you are applying to, unless the college participates in the Common Application© or the Universal College Application.
Common Application Topics
The topics on the Common Application are the essays you use if you apply using this service, which is free to students. There are currently six essay topics from which you can choose. You are instructed to write a minimum of 250 words on the following prompts:
Common Application Essay Topics:
| 1. |
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. |
| 2. |
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you. |
| 3. |
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence. |
| 4. |
Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. |
| 5. |
A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you. |
| 6. |
Topic of your choice. |
The personal statement from the Universal College Application by ApplicationsOnline, LLC, is limited to 500 words and the prompt is:
Please write an essay (500 words or fewer) 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.
As you can see, the questions on these applications are quite similar and they are broad enough that you can really write about almost anything!
If you choose to use the Common Application or Universal College Application, many colleges require you to write additional essays on a college’s supplement, which is an addendum to these applications. If you choose not to use the Common Application or Universal College Application, you can apply using the college’s own application, if it has one.
The essay prompts you will be given are general enough so you have plenty of leeway to write about what you want, especially if you choose the “topic of your choice” essay. It is strongly suggested that you don’t pick something too controversial, such as politics, abortion, or gay rights, because you don’t know who’s reading your essay and where they’re coming from. The best advice is to write about what you know and what you’re passionate about. Sometimes the most trivial, everyday topic in your life is the easiest to write about, especially if you put your own spin on it.
Take Action
- this article with friends and family.
- Have a question about College Application Materials? Ask it here.
- Publish your work on education.com.
