Hello fellow applicants! I'm a high school junior and I'm starting to think about the common app essay. Does anyone know what the essay prompts will be for the 2024 application cycle? I want to get an early start on brainstorming and drafting. Thanks!
Hello! It's always a good idea to get a head start on your college essays. While the specific prompts for the Common App 2024 application cycle have not been officially released, the Common App essay prompts have remained relatively consistent over the past few years, with some minor changes from time to time. To give you an idea of what to expect, here are the prompts from the 2023 application cycle:
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.
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?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
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.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
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?
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.
While there might be slight changes, you can still use these prompts as a starting point for brainstorming and drafting your essay. Just make sure to double-check the actual prompts when they're officially released for the 2024 application cycle before finalizing your essay. Good luck!
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