Do I have to follow college essay prompts?

Before rewriting, put the prompt above your draft and underline every task it asks you to do. Beside each task, note which paragraph answers it. If you can’t point to one, that’s the part to revise. Save the original first; you may be able to keep the story and change its focus.

I’m helping promote EZCollegeApp. It displays the prompt and word limit beside a school’s essay draft, which is useful for this check. Compare with the current prompt in your application, and don’t force the same draft into every supplement.

Ideally, you very much should. The essay is a strong part of your application. It does give you some flexibility though, the common app offers several essay prompts, so you will likely have some flexibility in choosing one that best fits your story.

You should be focusing on the prompt's essence and, if you still have doubts, consult a counselor or advisor on this matter.

Each college has a specific essay prompt. It is important to answer the prompt. If your essay does not address the prompt, often those are the first students to be cut out. So make sure you are answering the prompt THAT specific college asks.