Flexibility in the Common App Prompts
by Albert Leo
With the Common App essay being such an important component of an application, a lot of students will scrutinize over choosing the “right” prompt or whether they are answering the prompt completely.
This kind of attitude is not surprising. We’ve been conditioned throughout school to read the directions clearly, to make sure that you answer the question completely. In math, there’s often one correct answer. Even when doing rhetorical analysis of a passage for a writing assignment, there’s evidence that has to be pulled from the page. These are important things to keep in mind, but that kind of rigid thinking doesn’t allow for our Essay Narwhals to be as fluid in writing the essays for college applications.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, here are the prompts for the Common App for the year 2021-2022:
- 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.
- 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?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- 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 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?
- 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.
We can break down some of these prompts in future blog posts, but before we do, I wanted to go even broader to concentrate on one to give a guide on the others:
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.
There’s a reason this last prompt is included. Ultimately, there is no real correct prompt. Students will sometimes say ‘oh my story might match prompt #3 better than #4.’ It doesn’t really matter. When you enter your essay into the portal, they don’t force you to pick a prompt which they then judge by a specific rubric.
If you want to talk about how your identity (#1) was informed by a moment of growth (#4), you’re allowed to construct an essay that has elements of both. The prompts are only there to guide you to create a narrative about yourself. There is no one right answer, only more interesting stories (the content) told more skillfully (the craft).
I encourage Essay Narwhals to talk with our mentors about several different topics that can answer different prompts and even think of stories that might not fit so neatly in any of the prompts.
Remember, your Common App essay is meant to paint something personal about yourself that can’t be told through transcripts and lists of accomplishments. Leave nothing off the table and focus more on what you want to tell about yourself than picking a particular prompt. They’re just a starting point if you have no idea where to begin.
Some of the most powerful essays I’ve read are the ones that speak from the heart and their values that don’t necessarily fit into the first six prompts. One of my students constructed a story that involved a slow unconscious transition to independence. Much of the essay were these small moments that occurred within a hypothetical day, from going to school by himself to helping a shy little girl pick out a cake at his bakery job.
It’s important to note this flexibility applies only to the Common App prompts. For the supplemental essays, you will want to make sure that you are answering each school’s specific questions. However, the Common App is intentionally left open ended as to not restrict the kinds of answers the colleges will receive.
So if you find yourself veering off from expectations, but still staying true to yourself, that might even be a more surprising and fun essay to read. As a Narwhal, you’re not confined to swim around the normal haunts. Be playful!
