As the summer continues, so does our series on various prompts of the Common App essay. If you’ve spent any time on our blog, you’re probably aware that we’re huge prompt #7 fans—aka, write an essay of your own design, but we know not all students are ready to embrace a structureless prompt. So today, we’re going to give you our takes on prompt #5, and give you some tips and tricks on how to write it.
Before we dive in, the Common App essay is the only part of your application that shows off who you are as a person, instead of just a compilation of stats and data. That means you need to write a stellar essay, one that’s brainstormed well, written perfectly, and edited multiple times. We don’t say this to give you any anxiety, we simply want you to write the best Common App essay you can!!!
Now, let’s jump into prompt #5:
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Okay, we’re going to be honest, this is not one of the prompts we love. In fact, simple to prompt #3, we think it’s a little bit of a… trap.
Yeah, we’re using this image again. Because it’s applicable!! This prompt often leads students to write about something incredibly cliche, like scoring the big goal, dealing with a move or school transition, or some academic achievement. Here’s the deal, gang, many of the things you think you want to write about here will be represented in your activities section and/or something better suited for a supplemental essay. While we know you probably want to brag about something, the Common App essay isn’t really the place for that! This is a space for you to show off your personality and add some humanization to your application.
This prompt can also make students think they need to write about their traumas. We want to be super clear: you are not your traumas, and you do not need to write about your traumas to get into college. If you have gone through something during high school that has impacted your transcript or educational progression, we recommend putting that information in the additional information section of the Common App.
Now, since we’ve slandered prompt #5 enough, let’s talk about what you should write about for this one instead! This one wants to talk about growth or personal change, and there are a lot of ways you can talk about that without pandering or falling into the multitude of traps this prompt presents.
Common App Essay Prompt 5 Example Topics
The best way to answer this prompt is by telling a story. Stories are great because they automatically give you a structure (beginning, middle, end), and they are more engaging and interesting to read for admissions officers. Essays that start with “The event that sparked personal growth in my life was…” are not engaging!
And guess what? Your story should be small, and it should reveal something about who you are as a person. Maybe you decided to start training for a 5k with your family., and it sparked a love of exercising that you didn’t know you had. Maybe your grandma roped you into learning how to crochet with her friends, so now you started a weekly crochet group with your friends. Maybe you heard an interesting lecture or sermon that set you off on an independent intellectual journey! Notice that these things are focused on moments that might not be considered major events, instead they’re more relatable, smaller things.
If you’re struggling to come up with your story, ask your friends and family for five words they’d use to describe you. You’re going to see a lot of overlap in the things people say, and those words will help you narrow down what to write about. If 4 out of 5 people say you’re funny and ambitious, we should probably write a humorous story about that time you went above and beyond to meet your goals.
Common App Essay Prompt 5 Example Guide
You’ve got your idea, but it’s not going to magically write itself! Writing a perfect Common App essay is a tough task (but we’re here to help!). You have 650 words to weave a captivating story with a strong beginning, middle, and end, so let’s break down each step in the process.
Let’s start at the beginning (a very good place to start) by creating a solid introduction. If you’re stuck on this, you can simply… write your conclusion last! Sometimes it’s easier to figure out how to start a story once you’ve finished it. For this prompt, your intro should be the “accomplishment, event, or realization” in question. Let’s give you an example using the crochet story we mentioned above. Maybe you had to join your grandma and her friends because you were her ride, so describe how you felt in that moment. Use vivid language to describe what the room looked like, felt like, sounded like, and smelled like.
In the middle of your story, we want to see how the incident impacted you in the short term. You went home and watched a million YouTube tutorials until you got blisters, or you started calling up your friends one by one, hoping to indoctrinate them into the craft.
To end the essay, we want to see the action that came from your changed perspective or personal growth. It’s not enough just to say it happened and have no follow-through! Show them some follow-through. In our story, maybe you mirror the introduction and have your friends come into the same homey and cozy space you entered at the beginning or end with you leading a group crochet lesson.
Once you’ve completed your draft (and it’s probably over 650 words), it’s time for some serious editing. Begin by reading your essay aloud to identify any awkward or unnatural sections, then make revisions. You might even find it helpful to retype the entire essay to catch errors and refine your writing. Go through this editing process 3-4 times before seeking feedback. Limit your reviewers to one or two trusted individuals—like a friend, parent, or teacher—to avoid conflicting advice and becoming overwhelmed.
Now that you’ve perfected your essay, you’re ready to submit!
Prompt #5 may not be our fave, but you can still tell a great story with this prompt. Just make sure to avoid repeating anything that’s already in your Common App or cliche topics, and you should be good to go!
We are experts in writing creative and unique college essays. If you need help brainstorming or writing your Common App essay, reach out to us today.