It’s time to apply to college! The 2025-2026 college application cycle is underway, which means we get to share with you our favorite part of the application: the Common App essay. If you’re just now learning what the Common App even is, we wish we could live in your world, but it’s a single application platform that lets you apply to up to 20 colleges at once. Sounds efficient, right? It is. Kind of. Except, notably, some big names (looking at you, UC system, Georgetown, MIT) don’t participate in the Common App, which is a little (a lot) annoying.
One of the perks of the Common App is the Common App essay. It’s one essay that gets sent to every school on your list, and while most colleges will also ask for supplemental essays, this one is the non-negotiable. Since every school sees it, yes, it does need to be perfect. Not to apply undue pressure, or anything, but it is very important.
Over the next few posts, we’re breaking down all seven Common App prompts. We’ll tell you which ones we love (prompt #7), which ones we avoid, and how to brainstorm, write, and revise an essay that actually sounds like you, not what you think colleges want to hear. And heads up: we don’t subscribe to the usual essay advice you’ll find on the internet. In fact, we often do the opposite. But our strategy works, and we’ve got the results to back it up.
Let’s start with Prompt #1.
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.
We’re just gonna say it: this is not our favorite Common App prompt.
Why? Because you’re going to get asked this question (or some version of it) a lot. Most schools have a supplemental essay that asks about your background, identity, or community. If you use up your best material here, you’re going to be stuck trying to answer the same question ten more times with increasingly recycled answers. Not fun, not strategic. Also, if you’re filling out the Common App the right way, pieces of your identity or background should already show up in your activities list or through your supplemental essays. You don’t need to cram it all into this one space.
Beyond that, this question can make some students deeply uncomfortable, and for good reason! It subtly nudges you to “other” yourself, as if you need to prove how different or disadvantaged you are to be interesting. You absolutely do not. You don’t have to mine your trauma, explain your identity, or write a personal statement that sounds like it belongs in a hardship memoir just to get into college. This is us giving you permission to not write about something traumatic – and in fact, there’s a whole part of the Common App meant for that.
Another downside to this prompt is that it has a tendency to accidentally turn into an essay about someone else. We know your grandma has lived a remarkable life and makes the best soup on the planet, but your personal statement needs to center you. Not that you can’t mention someone else, but you need to be the focus.
Now that being said, if you’re committed to prompt #1, you can still write a killer essay within its confines. Let’s talk about exactly how you can do that.
Common App Essay Prompt #1 Example Topics
If your first instinct is to write about something big, think race, religion, trauma, or even your extracurriculars, pause. Step away from the keyboard. Take a beat. Let’s think about this.
It’s not that those topics aren’t important. They are. They just show up in every applicant pool, every year. Admissions officers have read hundreds (probably thousands) of essays about being the team captain, surviving adversity, or discovering a passion for your major through band/robotics/model UN. These essays start to blend together. And there are other places to write these very same things within school supplements.
And look, we’re not saying these experiences doesn’t matter. We’re saying that if your identity is shaped by something heavy, that might be better suited for the additional information section. You don’t need to write about the worst thing that’s ever happened to you to prove you're worthy of college admission. (Hot take, we know.) And if your entire essay is you saying you changed your worldview by being soccer captain? Save it for your supplements, or better yet, skip it.
We want your Common App essay to reveal something new, personal, and unexpected. So, when you brainstorm this prompt, think smaller. Zoom in. What’s something unique, weird, or just quietly meaningful about you? Maybe you’re a savant when it comes to the banjo. Maybe you’ve got a party trick so bizarre your friends beg you to do it at every gathering. On the other hand, perhaps what makes you you isn’t rare; it’s just deeply sincere. That works too. Maybe you’ve mastered the art of making risotto and channel your inner Hell’s Kitchen contestant every Sunday. This prompt doesn’t have to be dramatic to be effective.
The key here is focus. This prompt has a bad habit of making people ramble. That’s why we love the small stuff, because it naturally lends itself to storytelling. It’s much easier to write a tight, memorable essay about a single night you cooked a five-course meal than to sum up your entire cultural identity in 650 words.
Now that you’ve got a sense of how to approach this prompt, let’s talk about how to actually write it.
Common App Essay Prompt #1 Example Guide
Alright, time to turn your idea into an actual essay. Easier said than done, we know. But here’s our strongest advice: tell a story. Yes, we’ve said that already, but we’re saying it again because that’s how important it is. If you spend 650 words philosophizing about your personality or narrating your resume, you're going to end up with a vague blob of words instead of a compelling Common App essay. A story gives your essay structure, focus, and most importantly, life.
Start at the beginning. Literally. Set the scene and drop us into the moment. Think of it like the opening shot of a movie. What do you see? Hear? Smell? Touch? Taste? The more specific and sensory your details, the more grounded and engaging your story will feel. Bonus points if you use something universal to reel the reader in: the crunch of gravel under your sneakers, the scent of garlic sizzling in a pan, the low rattle of a late-night car ride.
If you’re stuck on your first line, you don’t have to start with it. Skip to the second line. Or the last. Write the middle first. Write the ending. Come back to the beginning once you know where you’re going. Some of the best intros are written last!
As you get into the meat of your story, remember: you don’t need some massive conflict or dramatic turning point. Think of your essay like a mini-movie about your life. What are the beats that move it forward? Maybe you misread a recipe (salt instead of sugar mishaps, anyone??). Maybe you missed an exit. Maybe your little cousin asked a question that threw you into an existential spiral while you were making waffles. Small, honest moments often reveal more than dramatic ones, especially when told with care and detail.
And now, the ending. Please, please end on a high note. That doesn’t mean your essay has to be sappy or overly optimistic, but give your reader something that feels complete and satisfying. Ending on a bummer is not going to resonate with admissions officers. Call back to where you started. Show us what changed. If you opened with your journey to perfect a specific dish, maybe close with how you finally nailed it, and what that small success taught you.
Pro tip: admissions officers are human. They’re reading hundreds of essays, many of which are deeply heavy. If your story allows for it, leave them smiling. Be the essay that lifts their spirits at 4:52 PM before they log off for the day.
Once you’ve got a draft, it’s time to revise. Read it out loud, you’ll catch weird phrasing and awkward pacing that way. Then, try retyping the whole thing into a fresh doc. It helps you notice what’s working and what’s not. After a few rounds of edits, ask one or two people you trust for feedback. Just one or two. The more people you bring in, the more conflicting advice you’ll get, and then your essay stops sounding like you. Too many cooks spoil the broth!
Look, is this our favorite Common App prompt? Nope. Prompt #7 stans all the way. But if you approach it with creativity, originality, and a clear personal story, you can absolutely write something memorable.
Need help with your Common App essay? Reach out to us today.