Let us rejoice, there is a new common app essay prompt and it’s actually not half bad! Before we dive in, it’s only fair to mention that at TKG, we always choose prompt #7. Always. Prompt #7 is, in our opinion, far superior to the rest because you can take it in any direction you so choose. We’ve copied the prompt below for reference:
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.
A lot of people take one look at this prompt and want to run as far away as possible. That’s one of the reasons why we love it so much. But if you can get past the open-ended nature of this prompt, the fun will indeed begin. It’s open, you never have to worry about not answering the question, and it gives you the breathing room you need to take center stage.
But we digress. You came here for information on the new prompt, not our favorite old one. Let’s dig in:
“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?”
This is a very nice prompt. The question itself is a soothing read. And given that 2020 was a very hard year and a lot of students chose to write their common app essays about the pandemic, this prompt feels like even more of a breath of fresh air. In February, the common app essay blog post (linked here) had this to say about the new prompt:
“An essay prompt can’t erase the loss and anxiety of the last 12 months, but it can validate the importance of gratitude and kindness. We hope students see the new prompt for what it is intended to be: an invitation to bring some joy into their application experience.”
Joy, we love to see it. Far too often, people take the common app essay too seriously. It’s undoubtedly the most important piece of writing for college applications, but a lot of students think that their essay needs to be dark and trauma-ridden for it to be noticed. The issue here is the essays that aim to be thought provoking almost always miss the mark, and adults don’t love reading about teenage drama. (If you’ve experienced extenuating circumstances that you want to mention, you should use the additional information section essay.) That’s why this prompt is a good option: it’s inviting you to celebrate joy and gratitude, two things we all need in our lives.
Keep reading for our tips:
Do:
Think small. Go an inch wide and a mile deep. No grand gestures necessary!
Brainstorm multiple stories. Hopefully, you’ll be able to think of a lot of examples for this prompt. But your job isn’t just to decide on a story, it’s to write about the experience that allows you to show your personality and how you think.
Don’t:
Write your essay about the person who did something nice for you. Your essay still needs to be about you. You’ll need to introduce a secondary character, but you should be the focal point of the essay.
Get on a high horse. Read this part of the question again: “How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?” Please, don’t get on a soapbox here.
Your response to this question should be in the form of a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Before you start writing, we suggest taking a look at the ideas that you brainstormed and mapping out what a potential essay might look like. As lovely as this prompt is, it has pitfalls. In prompts like this, it’s easy to get lost in the story. As you write, make sure that you’re keeping the most important thing in mind: your common app essay is a story about yourself that highlights one of your (many) unique characteristics. Our last tip? The second question reads: “How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?” Instead of breaking form to answer this question, allow your response to be implied throughout the story. Good luck!
If you’re not sure where to start in the college process, contact us here.