Many things have changed about the common app over the years, but one of the most obvious changes in recent memory is adding an optional mini-essay about COVID-19. The common app added it last year and the question will probably be sticking around for the foreseeable future.
You can find it in the additional information section. In this section, there are two prompts, both of which are 100% voluntary. the COVID-19 additional essay is a 250-word section to write about COVID-19 and other disaster-sized events that could have impacted you during your high school experience (but it’s really kind of just for COVID-19.) The section reads:
“Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. For more information, check out our COVID-19 FAQ.”
COVID affected truly everyone on earth. So you might be thinking, well, I have to answer this question. It affected me! We want to push back against this. Application readers know that this period has been a weird and hard time for all students, but that doesn’t mean they want to read an essay about how prom was canceled (even though we know that was a huge bummer).
Should I write this essay? What should I write about?
This section is really all about giving context. COVID changed a lot of things and those things could have affected your grades or test scores. Opening up about those circumstances will help the reader to understand where you are coming from and why there might be some gaps in your application.
Some essay topics that would make sense for this section:
You live somewhere where no ACT or SAT tests being administered in your country.
You got sick and missed 8 weeks of school and your teachers are waiting for you to feel better to give you your grades.
Your parents both lost their jobs and you needed to move across the country to live with your grandma.
A parent got sick and you had to care for your sister which made you miss class and drop out of extracurriculars.
You don’t have a designated workspace and you live with multiple people so taking online classes was incredibly challenging.
While everyone is technically allowed to add information to this section, this space was made for people with life-altering situations like the ones we mentioned above.
Even if something life-altering happened to you, you don’t necessarily have to write about it. Writing about trauma can be very hard and emotionally triggering. If you aren’t ready to talk about heavy topics here, you don’t have to.
Why shouldn’t I write this essay? What shouldn’t I write about?
This section was made for heavy topics. If you don’t have something truly life-altering, skip it.
Technically there is nothing stopping you from writing about the soccer season getting postponed, but you have to remember that your essay will be sandwiched between other essays that deal with very hard topics. If the essay before you is all about losing a parent and the one after you is about getting a job to support your family, having a less than life-changing experience might not leave the best taste in the reader’s mouth.
Here are some essay topics that we think would be inappropriate for the gravity of the section:
You had to do chores around the house for the first time and that made you feel more adult.
You couldn’t go on a trip you really wanted to go on or any other big event got canceled.
One of your many extracurriculars got moved to zoom.
You didn’t like online classes.
If you’re still unclear, this section is like the meme of when Kim Kardashian lost a diamond earring in the ocean. She is crying and Kourtney yells at her, “Kim, there are people who are dying.” Your essay will be next to truly tragic stories. And while your experience also matters, it might be dwarfed by the scope and severity of other people’s stories. In this scenario, don’t be Kim.
This year has been a wild and harrowing year. Everyone is going to leave it with a story. This isn’t to say your story isn’t important or hard or even interesting, it is more about what this section was made for and who it was made to serve. When it comes to this essay, our quick advice is if it isn’t immediately clear on what you would write this essay about, it’s ok just to skip this one. Knowing when and when not to write something can show real maturity and confidence that will leave an overworked reader with a good feeling about you. And really, that is all that we hope for.
Still worried about your common app? We would love to help! Contact us here.