Your shopping cart


Your Cart is currently empty.
Common Application Esssay
Click here to order editing for your common application essay - only $79.99!

How to Write a Common Application Essay

Near the GMAT and LSAT exam prep books in the downtown Boston Barnes & Noble, there is an entire shelf filled with books of advice on how to write a personal statement.  Most of them, frankly, are not worth reading, although you may learn something from looking at what as worked for other people in the past.  Our staff concluded that the best of the bunch, perhaps surprisingly, was College Admissions Essay for Dummies by Geraldine Woods.

We think that the most important points about writing an application essay of any kind can be summarized quite easily.

  • Read the essay question carefully and make sure that you are actually answering it.
  • Be authentic.  Whatever your story is, there's a way to spin it to make it interesting and unique.  Don't try to be somebody else - it's bound to backfire.
  • Be interesting.  This applies to every aspect of the essay, beginning with the opening, which should never simply repeat the essay prompt (e.g. "An ethical dilemma I faced was...").
  • Don't say anything negative, about yourself or anyone else, unless it can be placed in the context of a challenge overcome.
  • Steer clear of sensitive issues, in particular religion and politics (unless, obviously, you are applying to a school with a religious ethos).
  • Strike the right balance between arrogance and modesty.  Obviously, the point of this essay is to show off your outstanding qualities, but this has to be done carefully.
  • Don't make any mistakes.  With many more applicants than there are places in programs, a spelling or grammar mistake is a legitimate reason for the reader to say "Next!"

The 2008-9 essay prompts for the Common Application Essay are as follows:

  • Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
  • Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
  • Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
  • Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
  • A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
  • Topic of your choice.

Common Application Essay Length

The official form states that this essay should be a minimum of 250 words.  For candidates applying to competitive programs, an essay in the region of 500 to 750 words would seem about right, and 1000 words would probably be considered lengthy.  Obviously this essay is an opportunity for the applicant to showcase their unique qualities and creativity.  It is also a chance to show an ability to organize one's thoughts in a structured way and express them coherently in an interesting and intelligent manner.

As these documents are used by admissions committees as a way of getting a feel for the personality of the applicant, it is very important that they are in the candidate's own words.  We can edit these documents conservatively, correcting only real grammatical or stylistic mistakes and suggesting ways in which organization and expression can be improved.  That means that the applicant can rest assured that the document they are submitting is not only correct, but genuinely represents them as a person.

Universal College Application

Some schools now accept applications made using the Universal College Application.  This application requires two essays, a short one expanding on extracurriculars and other activities and a longer one broadly similar to the Common Application essay.  The prompts are as follows:

  • Short essay: Tell us more about one of your extracurricular, volunteer, or employment activities (100-150 words). If you need more space, please attach your response to the
    end of the application.
  • Personal statement: Please write an essay (500 words or fewer) that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event.