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3 years ago
Admissions Advice

How can I choose the best essay prompt?

I have a major passion for cooking which is not demonstrated basically anywhere in my application. I'm a well-rounded student (national awards, major commitment to tutoring, babysitting, guitar playing, table tennis, etc...) with high stats aiming for top colleges with financial aid. So I think my essays will play a huge part in determining my final decision and I do not want to be anxious before writing them. So what would be the best way to choose a prompt in the common app essay? I am aware that I want to create a full image throughout the essays but I want to start working on the main one. (I do have lots of ideas but I do want to write about cliche stuff.....)

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3 answers

1
3 years ago

Hi there! Adding your interests and skills into your essays is a great way to stand out to colleges, because not only do you appear more well-rounded, but you are also able to write with genuine passion. Try to find prompts that ask less about general topics or prompts that show your ability through writing and focus more on prompts that ask specifically about you as a person. The topic doesn't have to be directly related to your interest in order for you to share a story about cooking or how it has impacted you. If you become really hard-pressed to find a way to bring your cooking skills in though, you can always come up with a prompt of your own to give yourself a lay-up into introducing those skills. Hope this helps!

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3 years ago

Just choose the last one which allows you to choose anything you want. Make sure you don't just talk about cooking though. Write about how it reflects on your character, dedication, or bigger aspirations. Show how you've learned or overcome challenges in cooking. Apply it to your bigger aspirations. Only if it's really that important to you, though. You don't necessarily have to include every little thing you do in your college application.

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3 years ago

There is a common app prompt that allows you to write about anything you want. What I did, was just write an essay (because I knew it would work anyways due to that prompt), and then try to see if the essay I wrote could possibly fit any other prompt.

Basically, you can write about anything and still be fine.

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Unweighted GPA: 3.7
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