Type to search

Ramapo College of New Jersey | RCNJ

Mahwah, New Jersey4-yearPublic

Want to see your chances of admission at Ramapo College of New Jersey | RCNJ?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Ramapo College of New Jersey | RCNJ’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-A-Prompt Short Response

Required
800 Words

Please select two of the following essay prompts to answer:


Option 1

1. Most people belong to many different communities; groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interests, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Describe a community to which you belong and your place within it.


Option 2

2. What kind of impact would you like to make in the world? What is it that you aspire to? Please be as specific as possible.


Option 3

3. Please tell us about a creative or scholarly work that has really resonated with you or made a big impact on you. It could be a work of fiction, a film, a piece of music or art, a piece of journalism, or something else.

Common App Personal Essay

Required
650 words

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.


Option 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.


Option 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?


Option 3

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?


Option 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?


Option 5

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.


Option 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?


Option 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.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Join thousands of students getting and giving peer feedback on college essays—all for free!