The Common Application just released its prompts for the 2026-2027 application cycle. Your Common App essay, or personal statement, is a chance for you to show admissions readers who you are, what makes you tick, and where your interests lie. Dig deep and consider the things that matter to you and what story you want to tell.
Here’s the list of the Common App prompts—but if you scroll to the end, you can see that you can write about anything you want!
- 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.
- 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?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- 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?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- 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?
- 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.
According to the Common App, the following is the breakdown of the proportion of students who attempt each prompt:
- Topic of your choice: 28%
- Facing adversity: 23%
- Personal growth: 20%
- Background, identify, interest, or talent: 18%
- Intellectual curiosity: 5%
- Gratitude: 3%
- Challenging an idea: 3%
Before you start writing, think deeply about the kind of person you are and what’s most important to you. Here are some questions that can be helpful for that self-reflection:
- What do you value in yourself and others? Why is it important and how does it affect your beliefs and actions?
- What do you love to do or think about? Does it shape your aspirations? How does it motivate what you do?
- Is there a specific experience (impressive or not) that stands out in your memory? Why does it stand out? Does it demonstrate a character trait you possess or a belief you have, or did you learn something from it, etc.?
- Do you have a daily routine, tradition, or relationship with another person that’s especially meaningful to you? How has it shaped your personality, goals, beliefs etc.? What does it say about what you prioritize?
Your Common App essay is a chance for you to show admissions readers who you are, what makes you tick, and where your interests lie. Dig deep and consider the things that matter to you and what story you want to tell.
There’s no need to write a specific prompt if none of them seem tailored to your experience. While the Common App prompts can be great for generating ideas, there can be pitfalls to trying to write to a prompt. You might feel you need to tell a particular kind of story or exaggerate it (challenges don’t have to be major life events and realizations don’t have to be profound epiphanies!). You might also find that the focus shifts away from yourself, for example, if you’re writing about another person or a topic you love. While you’ll want some kind of story – a narrative thread to hold the essay together – what’s most important is revealing something about who you are. The story is just the springboard.
This is your chance to let colleges see the person behind the transcript. An essay that truly reveals your personality will help differentiate you from students who might otherwise look similar in grades and test scores. And a really authentic essay will be much more fun to read! Try to put aside the stress and enjoy writing your college essay. If you’re excited to share your story, you’re more likely to engage your readers.
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