Examples of personal growth essays for Common App?

Hey everyone! I'm working on my essay for the Common App and I want to focus on personal growth. Does anyone know any good examples of personal growth essays that were successful? Would appreciate any advice or resources, thanks! 😊

Hello! It's great that you're focusing on personal growth for your Common App essay. Personal growth essays can be powerful and memorable ways to share your experiences with the admissions officers. Here are a few ideas and examples to get you started:

1. Overcoming a personal challenge: You could write about a time you faced a significant personal challenge, such as moving to a new city, dealing with a family issue, or struggling with mental health. The key is to focus on how you overcame the challenge and what you learned about yourself through that experience. For example, you could discuss how moving to a new city forced you to adapt, develop resilience, and learn to rely on your resourcefulness.

2. Discovering a passion or hobby: Share a story about how you discovered a new passion or hobby and how it has transformed your life or changed your outlook. For example, you could describe how joining your high school's robotics club ignited your interest in engineering and led you to take on leadership roles and participate in competitions, helping you develop essential teamwork and problem-solving skills.

3. Gaining perspective through travel or cultural experiences: If you've had the opportunity to travel or immerse yourself in a new culture, reflect on how those experiences contributed to your personal growth. For example, you could talk about your experiences volunteering in a different country and how it broadened your worldview or taught you about the importance of empathy and understanding in tackling global issues.

4. Developing empathy and understanding: Write about an experience where you gained deeper empathy and understanding for a person or group that you initially judged or misunderstood. For example, you could discuss how interacting with an autistic classmate grew your awareness of neurodiversity and the importance of individual accommodations in education.

To learn more about writing a personal growth essay, read this Common App prompt breakdown: https://blog.collegevine.com/common-app-prompt-five/

Remember, the most important part of a personal growth essay is to convey what you learned and how you changed as a result of the experience. Be genuine, reflective, and share your unique voice. Additionally, resources like CollegeVine's Essay Breakdowns and their Essay Guides can give you more insights and tips on writing successful essays. Good luck on your essay!