Common App
Personal Essay
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?
Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650
words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.
Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel
obligated to do so. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their
application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.
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?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your
thinking? What was the outcome?
Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual
challenge, a research query, and an ethical dilemma— anything 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.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a
new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging 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?
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.
