How should you tackle that short essay about your favorite activity on the Common Application?
Continue readingCommon App Essay – A Guide for a Perfect College Essay
The Common App essay is the most important way to stand out in the college application process. Writing it may be easier than you think. Check out this comprehensive guide.
Continue readingCollege Essay About Academic Interests
How do you write a college essay about academic interests for the Common Application or the Coalition application? Get expert tips to write the essay that college admissions officers want to read.
Continue readingCommon App Essay Prompt 1: Background, Identity, Interest, or Talent
Writing your Common App essay about your background, identity, interest, or talent is a great way to stand out from the crowd–if you zero in on what the essay prompt is really asking you. Exercise care in choosing to write on Common App Essay Prompt 1. If you fully understand what the prompt is asking, you’ll be better able to write a fantastic Common App essay that can help you shine in the admissions office.
Continue readingTake a look at the 2017-2018 Coalition Application essay prompts!
The Common Application essay prompts came out last week; today, we wanted to take a look at a list of the Coalition Application essay prompts.
The Coalition Application website recommends that each prompt be answered in 300-400 words, and strongly recommends that you do not exceed 500-550 words. Here are the prompts:
- Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
- Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.
- Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?
- What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?
- Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
Both applications have similar questions about your personal beliefs being challenged, and both have a “submit an essay of your choice” prompt as well. Interestingly, the Common Application took out their choose-your-own prompt a few years ago; it’s interesting to see it back in the lineup now that the Coalition Application has chosen to include it.
It’s also important to highlight that the Coalition essays are shorter by about 100 words. As you decide which application platform you want to use–and which application prompts you want to address, you need to consider whether you can say what you want to say in 550 words or fewer. In some cases, that extra 100 words can make a world of difference. On the other hand, a pithy essay can be more effective.
Either way, the goal is to write an essay that represents you well and helps you to stand out in the admissions process.
Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant and College Admissions Expert
Related articles:
The Cardinal Rule for Writing a Perfect College Essay
How To Write A Perfect College Essay for the Common Application–Your Background Story
How to Write the Perfect College Essay–Tell a Good Story
How To Write The Perfect College Essay–Paint A Picture
How To Write the Perfect College Essay–Grab Some Attention
The Common Application Apologizes to Counselors for Glitches in Releasing New Version
Today the Common Application sent an email to all counselors apologizing for causing havoc for both students and member colleges–which has caused panic in the offices of college counselors everywhere. It’s a good letter, so I’m posting it here in its entirety.
Continue readingHow to Write the Perfect College Essay for the Common Application–Transition to Adulthood
Mark’s final post in a series on essays explore the prompt in which students are asked to recount an incident that marks their transition from childhood to adulthood.
Continue readingReady to Submit Your Common Application? Why You Should Preview it First!
Ready to hit that submit button? Wait just one minute and take the time to use the Common Application’s pdf preview option.
Continue readingCommon Application Updates on The Horizon
While this year’s rising seniors may only face small changes to the Common Application, big changes are on their way for the Common Application in 2013-14!
Continue readingPreview the Common Application Now So You Are Ready For August
Check out a pdf version of the 2012-13 Common Application to start familiarizing yourself with the application so you can be ready to start filling it out in August!
Continue reading