2018-19 Common Application Prompts

It's official! The folks at the Common Application announced today that last year's essay prompts will remain unchanged. This means that the ever-popular "topic of your choice" option will remain in place for the upcoming admissions cycle. This enables students to tell their story, even if it does not fit into one of the other choices. The prompts are below, but please note that we do not advise starting to write your college essay until after you have completed your junior year.

INSTRUCTIONS

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)

PROMPTS (PICK ONE)

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.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

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Collegewise was established in 1999 to help students and their families navigate the college search and application process step-by-step, one-on-one. We advise students on picking out the right colleges, balancing out the list, brainstorming the essays, and working through all of the logistics so they've applied to all of their desired colleges well in advance of application deadlines and are admitted to the right college(s) for them. Typically, 100% of Millburn students are admitted to one of their top three choices.

If you feel that your family may benefit from guidance around college admissions, please reach out to Rhiannon Schade, the director of our Millburn office, at rhiannons@collegewise.com.

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