We’re back with another post in our series breaking down each Common App prompt, and today we’re diving into Prompt #3.
At TKG, we’re longtime fans of Prompt #7 (the open-ended “write whatever you want” option) because it gives students the most creative freedom. But, we also know that kind of blank page energy can be intimidating. If you’re someone who prefers a little structure, Prompt #3 might be a good fit. That said, there are definitely a few things to consider before committing to this question.
Quick refresher: the Common App essay is sent to every school you apply to through the platform. It’s the only part of your application that gives admissions officers a real sense of who you are as a person, beyond your GPA, course load, and test scores. That means it should be thoughtful, polished, and say something meaningful about you. If you’re going to obsess over one part of your Common App, this is the one to lose a little sleep over.
So, without further ado, Prompt #3:
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Let’s be totally honest with you: we’re not huge fans of Prompt #3. Yes, it has the potential to tell a solid story (which is the backbone of any great Common App essay), but it’s also kind of a trap.
Okay, not a full-on trap, but definitely a prompt with some pitfalls that you need to carefully consider before you tackle it. First off, this exact question, about a belief or idea you challenged or changed, shows up in tons of school-specific supplements. Probably at least a few on your list. If you use your best material here, you can’t reuse it later. Every part of your Common App should show a different side of you, so repeating stories or themes is wasted space.
Now for the second trap: writing about the issue at hand instead of yourself. The biggest mistake we see with Prompt #3 is students launching into an essay about a social or political topic and forgetting to mention their own personal growth. A great Common App essay is always, always about you, not about big issues you cannot solve like homelessness, racism, or climate change.
A piece of advice? From us to you? Please, avoid hot-button topics altogether. Even if your views now align with what you believe is the “mainstream” opinion, things like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, guns, and religion are landmines. Admissions readers are real people with real beliefs, and you have no idea what their individual beliefs are, even if the schools you’re applying to have personalities you think are distinct. No matter how thoughtful your argument, you risk alienating your audience, coming across as ignorant, or at worst, bigoted or biased in a significant way.
Now, with all of that said, you can absolutely write a great essay for Prompt #3. We’ve seen it done. But we’ve also seen a lot of students fall into these exact traps and end up with essays that miss the mark. So with that in mind, let’s walk through how to brainstorm this prompt in a way that’s strategic, self-aware, creative, personal, and unique.
Common App Essay Prompt #3 Example Topics
The best way to approach Prompt #3 (and honestly, any Common App essay) is to tell a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. But with this one in particular, students often get stuck in the beginning. They spend way too much time lingering on their “bad take” era, over-apologizing, or painting themselves as clueless, without ever getting to the actual point of the prompt: what changed and what came out of it. Don’t fall into that trap. We don’t need 600 words of self-flagellation followed by a one-sentence “but now I see things differently.” That won’t work.
It helps to break this prompt down into a simple outline. Just seeing it as a clean, three-part structure can make it way easier to figure out what kind of story you might want to tell.
What you used to believe.
What challenged that belief?
What did you do with that realization?
As you start thinking about what story you want to tell, it helps to work backwards from you. What traits do you want this essay to highlight? Are you adaptable? Curious? Reflective? Maybe even a little funny? Ask a few people who know you well (friends, siblings, parents, teachers) to describe you in five words. See what repeats. Then think: what stories in your life actually show those traits?
As with most Common App prompts, small is better – especially when it comes to this one. You might feel drawn to big topics like climate change or education reform, and that’s totally fine, but the story you tell should be grounded in something personal and specific. Think global, act local, right? Are we still saying that?
For example, maybe you saw a documentary about ocean pollution and realized you had no idea how wasteful your own habits were. So you went home and launched a full-blown sustainability campaign, but in your own house. You banned single-use plastics and guilt-tripped your dad into composting. You’re not going to solve climate change at 17, we’re sorry, but you can make an impact in your community in a smaller way. That’s a story. It’s small, it’s personal, and it shows initiative, reflection, and change.
You can even go smaller than that, and maybe even a little silly. Maybe you used to be a card-carrying picky eater until you were ambushed by an Indian buffet and realized you actually really like lamb vindaloo. Now you’re an expert on all the best spots in town and even learned how to make tandoori. Maybe your personal style went from “just rolled out of bed” to “I actually care how I show up,” or you ditched your iPhone after years of brand loyalty and became a devout Android user. While not the essay you probably conceptualized while reading the prompt, these are still stories of self-awareness, openness, and evolution. When they’re written well, they’re way more effective (and way more you) than a generic “I realized injustice exists” essay.
Let’s talk about how to actually write this thing.
Common App Essay Prompt #3 Example Guide
Translating your story to the page can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. You’ve got 650 words to work with, which is somehow both too much and never quite enough. Structure is your friend here, and thankfully, Prompt #3 lends itself to a pretty straightforward arc: what you used to believe, what challenged that belief, and what came out of that change.
Let’s go back to our picky-eater-turned-Indian-food-convert. The beginning of your essay should drop us straight into the before. What was your original mindset? Maybe you’d always turned your nose up at anything outside your comfort zone (burgers, pizza, chicken tenders, repeat). So when you showed up and realized dinner was an entire Indian buffet, your brain short-circuited. That’s a great opening. You could start with something simple, like: “The wait at Olive Garden is like an hour. We’re going to Tandoori Palace instead.” and then launch into the internal panic spiral that sentence triggered. Use specifics. We want to smell the cardamom in the air, hear the sounds of Bollywood coming from the TVs, and feel the rising heat from the buffet containers, spicy curry, and social pressure.
The middle of your essay is where the shift happens, the actual challenge to your belief. This is dinner. You’re staring at unfamiliar food, politely dying inside, but you sit down anyway. And then something weird happens: it’s… good? Like, really good. Maybe tikka masala becomes a revelation. Maybe the mango lassi saves your life. Whatever it is, this section is your turning point, your belief getting shattered and changed for good.
And finally, the ending. This is where you show us the change. And spoiler alert: this essay only works if you do change your mind. The prompt technically says “question or challenge” a belief, but an essay where you wrestle with something and ultimately decide “nah, I was right all along” isn’t exactly a showstopper. So give us growth. Maybe you went home from that dinner and decided to start trying a new dish every week. Maybe you dragged your family to your favorite Indian place or started learning to cook your own. Whatever it is, end on a high note. You want your essay to feel complete, memorable, and not bum the reader out.
As for the logistics of writing: if the intro is stressing you out, skip it and come back later. It’s way easier to write a strong opening once you know where the story’s headed. And if you can’t think of the perfect first line? Just write the second one.
Once you’ve got your draft down (and yes, it’ll probably be too long at first), it’s editing time. Read it out loud – it’ll help you catch awkward phrasing or clunky transitions. Some students (and counselors who write blog posts) find it helpful to retype the whole thing into a new doc to see it with fresh eyes. Go through three or four rounds of revision before sharing it with a trusted reader or two. Emphasis on two. Any more than that and you’ll end up with ten different opinions that all contradict each other and you’ll be staring at your words in endless self-doubt. Don’t do that!
Once your essay feels clear, personal, and actually like your voice, congrats! You’re ready to hit submit. You’ve got this.
While Prompt #3 is not our favorite, mostly because it overlaps with so many common supplement questions and has a penchant for dragging you into its trap, there’s still plenty of room to make it work. The key is to keep your story small, personal, and focused. Don’t go too broad with your topic, and definitely don’t let the issue overshadow you. This prompt isn’t about proving you understand the world’s problems, its about showing how you think, reflect, and grow. If you can do that in a way that feels honest and specific, Prompt #3 might be exactly the right fit.
Need help with your Common App essay? Reach out to us today.