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.
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.
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?
- What affects your beliefs and actions?
- What do you love to do or think about?
- Do your interests and hobbies shape your aspirations? How do they 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?
- What is your intended major? How did your interest in the subject develop?
- Who do you look up to? Who are you because of them?
- What can you spend endless time thinking about?
- Do you have a hobby you spend time on just for fun?
- What are your core beliefs? How have they shaped you?
- Do you have an extracurricular activity that’s rare or unique?
- How did you get started on your favorite activity?
- Is there a life experience that changed you in a positive way?
- How do you spend your free time?
- How would your friends describe you?
- What is a story only you can tell?
- How have you changed throughout high school?
- How has your family’s background influenced who you are?
- What achievement are you most proud of?
- What is a lesson you have learned that has shaped you?
- What topic could you give a PowerPoint presentation on at any given moment?
An essay that truly reveals your personality will help differentiate you from students who might otherwise look similar in grades and test scores. Use it as an opportunity to showcase why you’re an exemplary student colleges strive for. Use our guide to further brainstorm your Personal Statement essay.
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