PERSONAL ESSAY
The personal essay section of the Common App provides applicants with an opportunity to express themselves, share their unique stories, and showcase their writing skills. It typically requires students to write a reflective and personal narrative on a topic of their choice or respond to one of several provided prompts. The personal essay allows applicants to delve deeper into their experiences, values, aspirations, and perspectives, offering admissions officers a glimpse into their personality and character beyond their academic achievements. This section is considered one of the most important components of the college process.
Summary & Analysis of Changes
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Timeline
2007-2008
In the 2007-2008 application there was no word maximum for the Personal Essay, only a minimum of 250 words. The instructions said that the essay would demonstrate a different way of getting to know the applicant outside of their grades, test scores, and “objective data”. The applicants were instructed to write an essay that would help admissions committees get to know them better as a person and student. It said that this was an opportunity for the applicants to demonstrate that they could organize their thoughts well and express themselves. There were six prompts, and they are as follows:
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1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
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2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
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3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
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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.
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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.
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6. Topic of your choice.
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 application a note was added to the initial instructions to not customize the essay for any specific college.
2011-2012
In 2011-2012 the Common Application introduced a word maximum of 500 words, creating a range of 250-500 words.
2014-2015
Until the 2014-2015 version the prompts had remained unchanged. This year the word maximum was bumped up from 500 to 650 and a reminder was included in the instructions that 650 words was the limit and not the goal. The initial instructions were also changed to emphasize the applicant “distinguishing themselves in their own voice”, and what part of themselves was not demonstrated by their objective data. The “choose your own topic” prompt was also removed, leaving five prompts for the applicants to respond to.
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1. Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
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2. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
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3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
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4. Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
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5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
2016-2017
In 2016-2017 a note was added that some colleges require a personal essay, and the applicant could still submit a personal essay even if it was not required by a certain college.​
2017-2018
2017-2018 was the next time that the prompts were changed. Two more were added, making seven to choose from, and the option to submit an essay on a topic of “your own choice” was reintroduced.​
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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.
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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?
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3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
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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.
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5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
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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?
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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.