2017-2018 Common Application Essay Prompts
The 2017-2018 Common Application Essay Prompts Have Been Announced!
The Common Application is where most students start the college application process. One application and one common essay can be used to apply to 700 colleges (but there is an additional fee for each college you apply to!)
Don’t be intimidated by the Common Application Essay. You can do this!
If you find the essay challenging, you are not alone. Take it step by step and start by reading the essay prompt options, below. There are seven choices for a prompt; you select one prompt for your common app essay. Note that you can also choose a prompt where you create a topic of your choice (#7.) Your essay has a maximum word length of 650 words.
The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Think about qualities you have that make you a strong student and a great addition to their school. You might be a great listener, very organized, enthusiastic, curious, etc.
If you are stuck, try taking the free Essay Coaching quiz on how to select a strong topic.You’ll receive a score on your idea. Most importantly, text discussing each question appears with your score at the end. Scroll down and read it carefully for tips. It’s L-O-N-G and helpful!
Below are the 2017-2018 Common Application Essay Prompts
Each prompt notes whether the prompt is new, revised, or not changed since the 2016-2017 Common App essay prompts.
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. [No change]
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? [Revised]
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? [Revised]
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. [No change]
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. [Revised]
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? [New]
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. [New]
Need more assistance with writing your story or your college application essay? No one was born knowing how to write, let alone write an application essay! Write debbie@essaycoaching.com. We educate and motivate. You create.
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