The Common App essay. Simply reading these words might send a shiver down your spine, but we’re here to tell you that the Common App essay doesn’t need to be scary – and it can actually be, dare we say, kind of fun? You heard the seniors before you talking about the Common App essay in hushed tones between classes, so you know how serious it is. And yes, the Common App is a serious factor in your application, but that doesn’t mean your Common App needs to be a serious essay. The essay is your one place to show off who you are as a person, beyond the numbers and the stats.
Maybe your school made you write a Common App essay in your junior year English class, or they had a bootcamp, or you have to come back for a few days this summer to write it with your classmates. We won’t say you should completely throw that writing out or disregard the advice you got, but we have our own, creative approach to the Common App essay that some schools might find unconventional, but we find that it works.
Brainstorming the Common App essay can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t need to be. Let’s walk you through how we help our clients come up with creative, innovative essays that grab the attention of admissions officers and get them into top colleges.
Need help with your Common App essay? Stuck on what to write about or need someone to help you edit your essay to perfection? We’ve helped countless students gain admission to top universities with our creative and unique essays. Reach out to us today if you need help.
What Is The Common App Essay?
The Common App essay is the essay that every single school on your list will (or can) see. It’s 650 words, and you can choose from one of seven prompts:
A good Common App essay always tells a story – and even though we are Question #7 fans (share an essay of your own design), you can use any of these prompts to tell a story. You want to use this space to share something about yourself that is not quantifiable, a quality, trait, interest, or value you have that you otherwise wouldn’t have the space to share. That doesn’t mean something like “hardworking” or “good at science,” since they can see that in your transcript or resume; instead, it means something like “empathetic” or “creative.”
What Should You Write About?
A good exercise to start this process is asking your friends and family to send you five words they would use to describe you. Not things like tall or blonde, but personality words! You will find that there’s a lot of overlap in how these people describe you, and it’s a good way to find out how other people see you. If four of your five friends text you some version of “nice, caring, empathetic, thoughtful,” then that’s a good indication that your essay could talk about the way you show up for people. Once you have your words, you have a framework to think about stories.
The words people send you might evoke memories of things you’ve done together. Write these down and think of the ways you’ve exemplified these traits with your friends and family. You can also ask your friends why they put those words down, because they might have a memory or example that you didn’t even realize resonated with them. While a story that ends up in your Common App essay may not be born of this exact exercise, it will give you a good roadmap of what you might want to talk about.
Find a Story
Something smart to do before you start actually writing your Common App essay is to fill out your activities section. This doesn’t need to be perfectly done, but you should know what 10 activities you’re going to list for the Common App. Once you’ve done that, you should eliminate these items from your potential Common App essay tank of ideas. We don’t want to tell them something they already know about you! If they already know it, then you’ve wasted 650 words instead of using that space to reveal something new about yourself. They already know you play soccer. They don’t need to hear about the big game-wining goal.
Instead, think back to those words. If “adventerous” came up a lot, stories of your nature escapades or spontaneous road trips can work well. For “thoughtful,” maybe you threw the greatest surprise party of all time for your best friend or always have the perfect plan for cheering someone up. The story doesn’t need to be big or grand, and it doesn’t have to connect to some larger lesson about how you’ve grown as a person. It can be about a commute, hotdogs, cooking eggs, or even a hedgehog.
Putting it Together
Once you have your idea, it’s time to put it on paper. Easier said than done, we know, but a good story is chock-full of details. We want to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch the things you’re talking about. Vivid language helps set you apart from the crowd, and we know you’ve heard “show, don’t tell,” a million times throughout school, but if there’s any essay where showing is important, it’s this one. You want to place your reader smack-dab in the middle of your story, grab their attention! We’ve got guides and examples on our blog on how to actually get into the nitty gritty of essay writing, but hopefully this gave you an idea of how to come up with the idea, or at least get the juices flowing.
Brainstorming is not easy, and if it was, they’d probably use a word less ominous than “storm” to describe it. It’s also not something you should rush. You need to take your time on your Common App essay, don’t wait until a few weeks ahead of your deadline and think that’ll be enough time to get it done. Start now, think a lot of thoughts, and hopefully you’ll have a solid idea in place (and drafted!) before school even starts.
Need help with your Common App essay? Reach out to us today.