Common Application TopicAnswered
Hi! I am currently writing my common application, and I'm trying to avoid all of the "red flags" in a common app essay topic. Would that include writing about your intended field/major and how it affects you as a person?
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2 answers
Honestly I feel this could be a good topic, as long as the essay remains focused primarily on you and you don't repeat info in your supplemental later down the line. I feel like any topic can be done well or poorly, so try not to focus on "red flags" instead try writing an essay that encompasses you as a person.
In the 2023-2024 Common Essay prompts the one you are talking about is no longer an option. These are the current 7 prompts.
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. 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?
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.
The most successful admits to top colleges take calculated risks when writing their personal essay. They all know that when there are 25 people for each admission spot they have to stand out in the crowd and reveal something unique and memorable about themselves that makes the reader take notice and serve as the impetus to advocate for them in committee.
Therefore do not think about avoiding "red" or "yellow" flags but rather think about what you can say about your personal character and the way your look at your world to make the reader fall for you and think you are a really unique and clever person that would add to the diversity on campus they are seeking.
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How can this be a good topic if it's not even an option?