by Marie Todd
Tips for Answering the Common App Essay Prompts 2025-2026
Whether you are applying to be a first-year student or a transfer student, you will find that many undergraduate universities and colleges use the Common App. There are more than 1,000 Common App member schools in the United States, Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and worldwide. These institutions are united in their commitment to taking a holistic approach to the admissions process. This commitment means that they will evaluate you based on more than just numbers (your test scores and GPA). They pledge to consider your essay responses as a significant factor in their overall assessment of your application. Whether or not you submit standardized test scores along with your application, the impact of your essays can be immense. They are your chance to tell these schools more about you by providing additional context for your accomplishments.
The best way to ace your Common App essay is to start working on it early. If you begin brainstorming and taking notes now, you’ll have plenty of time to develop your ideas and create a remarkable essay that’s well thought out, detailed, and interesting to read – a recipe for college admissions success!
Again, your essays help round out the picture of who you are and what is important to you, and why. They also provide insight into the sort of student you might be in college. This year, once again, the core prompts are the same as they were in the previous cycle, though minor changes have been made to the two optional Additional Information questions. The Community Disruption prompt is now framed as Challenges and Circumstances to broaden the scope of responses. And the word limit for the Additional Information question has been reduced to 300 words for first-year applicants and 1,500 characters for transfer students.
The application’s core essay options were created to provide countless opportunities for you to express your character, community, identity, and aspirations. Regardless of which essay prompt you address, it is essential to give yourself time to think about the information you are conveying and what it reveals about you. It is also important to invest energy into revising your responses. Although the process of refining your essays might feel time-consuming, each rendition of your essays should further clarify your intentions while projecting something meaningful about you. Your goal is to tell the admissions committees something that is not already conveyed elsewhere in your application while also expressing your individuality.
Common App Essay Prompts
Regardless of the prompt you choose, the word limit for your essay is 650 words. Please note that in addition to the main Common App essay, many schools require additional supplemental essay responses. Tips for those essays are the subjects of other blog posts.
Common App Essay #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.
Describe your unique background, identity, interest, or talent, and explain in detail what it reveals about what you value. Why is it so meaningful to you? This is an opportunity to discuss various topics that are unique to you: your cultural heritage, burning interests, outstanding talents, sense of identity, or unusual circumstances. Then discuss how this information, revelation, reflection, experience, talent, or interest plays out in who you are and the way you look at the world. How does it shape who you are? What context does the information you shared provide about you? In short, why is the information you selected meaningful to you, and how is it central to the way you view yourself? How does the information you shared help prepare you for your future? How does it influence how you interact with the world?
Common App Essay #2
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?
In earlier years, this prompt asked about what you learned from a failure that might be fundamental to later success. The obstacle you discuss can be big, small, personal, or societal, but you must focus on the impact it had on you (how did it shape you?). It is possible that this obstacle was not completely resolved and presents an ongoing challenge. At the core of this question is this: How do you deal with adversity, and what does that say about you? Clearly describe the specific challenge, setback, or failure you experienced. Discuss what you learned from the experience and how it affects you in your day-to-day life, as well as its impact on your way of thinking. Don’t focus on the setback itself; rather, emphasize what you learned about yourself and how the event changed your perspective or behavior. How did you grow from the experience? Did it inspire or motivate you in some way? What lessons can you apply that might lead to success in the future? Maybe you learned that hard work pays off or that balance is important in your life or that you want to make different decisions in the future. If you can, discuss how you handled a similar, subsequent obstacle using the lessons learned and with a different, far more positive outcome. Or you could discuss how you are continuing to work through the obstacle.
As you craft your essay and reflect on this experience, remember that your goal in this response is to demonstrate resilience.
Common App Essay #3
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
This is a more open-ended version of the previous prompt. It allows you to address something that didn’t sit right with your values but doesn’t require you to have actively challenged the belief or idea. The focus of this prompt is on your way of thinking and processing the world around you. You can either talk about your actions and impact or explain your rationale for not taking action. Recount a time when you stood up for something or seriously considered doing so. Explain what created the conflict that motivated you either way. What was your thought process? What factors came into play as you pondered the issue? What was the outcome, and how did it affect you and others? Discuss why this is so meaningful to you. Be sure to convey your passion for the issue. What do your actions and rationale reveal about you? Then, think about whether or not you would make the same decision again and why. Make sure you clearly communicate your values and beliefs. What did you learn from the experience?
Common App Essay #4
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
This prompt was introduced in the 2021-2022 application cycle and replaced the seldom-addressed prompt about solving a problem. The past few years have been unprecedented and have presented many challenges, but there have also been moments of clarity and goodness. This prompt is grounded in the concepts of gratitude and kindness. It is based on research that shows that reflecting on the positive influence people have had on you increases your happiness and likelihood of success. Choosing to address this prompt provides an opportunity for you to recognize humanity. It encourages you to share joy and appreciation. Your response to this question will allow you to focus your discussion on something specific that someone did that benefited you and how their behavior inspired you. As you write your essay, consider the impact of that person’s actions. It might have been a teacher, friend, family member, or even a total stranger. Why were you surprised by this person’s support/action/comment/gesture? Explain what made you happy or thankful. Why was this event significant to you? What were you motivated to do differently? How did it change your perspective about yourself or the world?
Common App Essay #5
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
This prompt expands your options for discussing personal growth. It asks you to reflect on yourself – to identify how you were prior to a period of significant personal growth and then consider that impact on your perceptions of yourself and those around you (family, community, world). Think about how you might have gained independence, become more self-aware, or internalized a sense of personal responsibility. Provide rich context as you detail your selected accomplishment, event, or realization, and then focus on how it demonstrates a significant transition in your life. Why was this event so important to you? You can consider this with respect to your culture, community, and/or family. Take it a step further, and discuss how this new understanding of yourself or others motivates you and how it might serve as a foundation in the future.
Common App Essay #6
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?
This is your opportunity to discuss something that completely enthralls you! The scope is endless, but the underlying question gets at what you find interesting, as well as why and how you go about growing intellectual competence. Are there people/mentors in your life to support you? What sparked your interest? How do you go about acquiring new knowledge? How do you gather and synthesize information? What did you learn about yourself through this topic, idea, or concept? You need to make a case for why this topic, idea, or concept is so captivating to you. Your discussion should convey your enthusiasm, wonder, and passion! Consider how you might explore or delve deeper into this topic/idea/concept in the future. How might your plans for the future support your efforts?
Common App Essay #7
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.
Yes, this prompt is as open-ended as it seems. It really is an opportunity to write about anything you want! A word of caution to anyone who might view this prompt as an easy way out of writing a new essay by selecting a previous work to use for this option: Do not simply upload the last essay you earned an A on in your English or history class. The goal is to convey who you are and what matters to you. No matter what topic you choose, allow some time for additional editing. This essay should be an excellent example of your writing abilities and should also spotlight something that is significant to you or about you. Think about what you want the admissions committee to know about you and your life experiences that you have not communicated elsewhere in your application. Consider what the content of this essay might say about you as a person. What does it reveal about your way of thinking, values, character, and/or perspective on the world? How might it enhance the other portions of your application?
If none of the essay prompts immediately jump out at you, give yourself some time to reflect on your life experiences. Talk with your parents and teachers about your ideas. Eventually, you will discover a topic that excites you and reveals something significant about you. The subject of your essay doesn’t have to be completely novel. However, it should reflect your unique perspective while clearly communicating your best self. Think about what is important to you and why. This is your opportunity to differentiate yourself from other applicants. Be thoughtful, and remember that this is your chance to make a compelling impression. Keep in mind that all the Common App member schools are interested in learning more about you through your essays!
Marie Todd has been involved in college admissions for more than 20 years. Marie has both counseled applicants to top colleges and evaluated more than 5,000 applications for the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; College of Engineering; School of Kinesiology; School of Nursing; and Taubman College of Architecture. Want Marie to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch.
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