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. 

As a high school senior preparing to apply to college, you are faced with the daunting task of writing an essay that will capture the attention of admissions officers to set you apart from the thousands of other applicants. Crafting a compelling narrative around your background story can be a powerful tool to showcase your individuality and leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee. To help you better understand how to address this prompt, we’ve highlighted the most important words within the prompt and examine each in detail. 

In our Common App essay guide post, we provide additional tips on how to tackle the Common App personal statement.

Defining Key Terms in Common App Essay Prompt 1 

Background 

College admissions officers know that some students have an interesting background that is the source of their identity. When discussing your background in your college application essay, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a part of your make-up that you may not have chosen or cannot be changed. This background can be:

• cultural,
• ethnic,
• familial,
• medical,
• physical,
• economic,
• or any other circumstances that affect your life.

There may be elements of this personal background or history that have shaped who you are today and can be acknowledged in your essay. 

When writing about your background in response to the Common Application Essay, it’s important to consider how these experiences have shaped you as a person. Also, recognize that not everyone has the same experiences and opportunities. Your background may have presented you with unique challenges or obstacles to overcome, and this can demonstrate your resilience and adaptability. Sharing your background will provide insight into your personality, your values, and your goals. 

By reflecting on your experiences, you may discover strengths or skills that you didn’t realize you possessed or recognize areas where you still have room for growth. Ultimately, your background is a part of who you are, and by embracing and sharing it, you can show the admissions committee how you have been shaped by your unique background and what you can bring to their campus. 

Identity 

Your identity may be related to your background. However, your identity is different from your circumstances or history. Your identity is how you define yourself. If you want to focus on your identity for this prompt, think about how you present yourself to the world. Perhaps your identity is something completely different from your background. By deepening your description of how your identity is important, you can communicate who you are in a clear and compelling way. 

So, if you want to focus on your identity for this prompt, ask yourself some questions:

• Who are you? 
• What are you?
• What motivates you and drives you forward in life?
• How does your identity reflect your values and beliefs?
• How does your identity guide your decisions and actions?

Your answers to these questions can reveal a lot about your character and what is most important to you. Take time to reflect on what makes you who you are and use that understanding to craft a compelling and authentic essay. 

Interest 

An interest is something that captures your attention and holds your focus. It could be a hobby, a passion, a cause, or even an academic subject that you find fascinating. Your interest can show:

• how you spend your free time,
• what you care about,
• and even how you approach challenges and opportunities.

This is your chance to showcase your personality and individuality in a way your background, identity, or talent may not.  

Even if your interest is not particularly unique, what’s important is that you are able to demonstrate how this interest has shaped you as a person and contributed to your growth and development. Think about what your interests say about you. Often, pursuing an interest requires dedication, commitment, and practice. By consistently engaging in an activity you’re passionate about, maybe you’ve learned discipline and time management.  

Use this as an opportunity to reveal your personality and individuality beyond what may be listed on your resume. It’s important to keep in mind that your Common App personal essay should add something new and unique to your application. You want to provide insight into your passions that aren’t already indicated on your application.  

Talent 

A talent is a natural ability or skill you possess in a certain area. This is similar to an interest, but it usually entails developing some sort of expertise or ability. Possible talents include music, math, writing, and athletics.  

Perhaps you have taught yourself origami or how to knit—and you have developed this into a talent that allows you to create gifts for your family and friends. Perhaps you have become excellent at woodworking or calligraphy and have used this talent in some sort of interesting way. Your talent is something that sets you apart and showcases your unique abilities. However, just like with interests, it’s important to remember that your Common App Essay should add something new and different to your application. 

When writing about your talent you want to be sure it’s a significant part of your identity or has had a profound impact on your life. Your essay should provide insight into the unique perspective and personal qualities that have been developed through the pursuit of your talent.  

Meaningful 

In choosing the focus of your essay, it is crucial to consider its inherent meaning and significance to you.  

The key lies in identifying the specific background, identity, interest or talent that holds the most profound meaning and impact on your life. It’s important to recognize the intrinsic importance and significance of the chosen focus. By selecting the most meaningful element, you lay the foundation for an essay that resonates with true authenticity. This will increase your odds of leaving a lasting impression on an admissions officer. 

Story 

When it comes to crafting a compelling Common Application Essay, the importance of storytelling cannot be overstated. Note thatthe last word of the prompt requests that you share a story. So, your essay will be considerably strengthened if you are able to relay an anecdote or short vignette which illustrates the real you.   

While this prompt asks for the story at the end, it’s likely that you’ll tell the story at the beginning of your essay. Your story acts as a starting point in the essay, helping to shed light on the core significance of the chosen background, identity, interest, or talent. It allows the reader to understand why this aspect of your life is important and why they should be interested in learning more about it. The story serves as a catalyst, moving the essay forward and creating a foundation for a deeper exploration of how the chosen item has influenced your personal growth, values, or aspirations. It’s the reflection on that story that will truly make your essay stand out. 

Incomplete Without it 

Incomplete. This word carries significant weight in the context of your application. This prompt offers you an opportunity to tell a story about yourself that is not related to your academic record or your primary extracurricular accomplishments already highlighted in your college application. If you find that your response to this prompt is a restating or an amplification of something that is already found on your application, consider writing about another topic. 

Common App Essay Ideas About A Background, Identity, Interest, or Talent That Worked  

Through our extensive experience working with students, the team at Great College Advice has seen many captivating essays. These narratives showcase the profound impact of personal experiences, offering a deeper understanding of their perspective. The essays below exemplify how individuals skillfully incorporate their background, identity, interests, or talent to create compelling narratives. 

• A student whose long-time hobby was doing magic, despite the fact that his friends thought it was nerdy and weird. He presented the essay with some dialogue in it in which friends admitted they thought he was pretty good at it, even though they didn’t think it was as cool as he did. This example exemplifies a student’s profound interest in magic, crafting a story of resilience and self-acceptance. Their essay reveals how their passion for magic is an integral part of their identity, making their application feel incomplete without sharing this significant aspect of their life. The student demonstrates the significance of embracing personal passions and finding fulfillment in activities that may be deemed unconventional or uncool by societal standards. 

• A student with a profound love for reading and exploring various mythologies, discovered significant parallels between the myths and mythical characters he encountered and his own life experiences. His essay reflected his love of reading, his love of family, his competitive spirit, and his determination – all while relating it to mythology. This student’s essay showcases his deep interest in mythology, while creating a captivating story that reflects his identity and personal growth. It demonstrates his ability to craft a captivating story that reveals his unique spirit and personal growth but also highlights the invaluable insight that admissions would not have otherwise known. 

Need Help with your Common App essay?  

Need some help writing a great college essay for the Common App? Having difficulty finding a good Common App essay topic? Please contact us for a free consultation. At Great College Advice, we provide personalized college consulting focused on helping make the process of preparing, selecting, and applying to college more successful, less stressful, and more fun. 

Want to know how to respond to the other Common App essay prompts? Here are some more helpful links.

• See our post with tips on prompt 2 of the Common App Personal Statement: 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? 
• See our recommendations on prompt 3 of the Common App Personal Statement: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 
• Prompt 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? 
• See our guide to prompt 5 of the Common App Personal Statement: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 
• See our essay tips for prompt 6 of the Common App Personal Statement: 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? 
• See our blog post on how to write prompt 7 of the Common App Personal Statement: 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. 

Since 2007, the expert team of college admissions consultants at Great College Advice has provided comprehensive guidance to thousands of students from across the United States and over 45 countries across the world. Great College Advice has offices in Colorado, New Jersey, Chicago, North Carolina and Massachusetts.

In addition to our one-on-one counseling, Great College Advice extends its support through one of the most active and resource-rich Facebook Groups for college-bound students and their families: College Admissions Experts. With over 100,000 members—students, parents, and experienced counselors—this vibrant forum offers peer support and expert advice like no other.

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But sometimes we get questions that really impress me. Yesterday, a young man in the eighth grade wrote asking very intelligent, well-crafted questions regarding his future plans. He was open and self-aware and displayed a maturity that sometimes is missing in students much older.

With his permission, I am going to share his question with you, as well as my answer. I think this young man is well-poised to map his educational journey.

Question: How to plan for college in 8th grade

To whom it may concern,

My name is (name withheld) and I currently am in eighth grade. I have an interest in screenwriting and am beginning to look at some college options. I do have some learning disabilities like having Tourettes syndrome and being foreign language exempt. Would something like being foreign language exempt prevent me from being able to go to a college?

Thank you and I hope you have a nice day.

Response: How to plan for college in 8th grade

You’re doing your planning early…good for you! You are also seeing that all this college finding stuff is a puzzle. You’ll want to check the admissions requirements for each college carefully. You’ll want to check if they have learning services programs to support you with your learning differences—if you need support. And you’ll want to look at the screen writing programs, of course.

Keep in mind, however, that many, many great screenwriters never went to a “screen writing program” or majored in such a thing. See if you can uncover where some of your favorites went to college. What did they study? Theater? English? History? Biology? I have a friend who has written for many different TV shows in Hollywood. I think he majored in English. [Addendum: I confirmed with my friend that he majored in “American Civilization,” a combination of history and literature.]

So keep asking questions, find people who do what you want to do, and ask they how they got there. Send them emails—just like you sent me one. You’ll be surprised how willing people are to share.

Good luck!

And then, to my surprise, the young man wrote me back.

Thank you for all of the advice. This will help me significantly.

Thanks again for all the help, I will use your advice to help me in my educational ventures.

This young man has plenty of time to explore, to ask more excellent questions, and to learn more about what sorts of educational experiences (both in and outside the classroom) will help him to achieve his goals. I always like to point out, especially with younger students, that there are many paths toward a goal: you just have to pick the one that fits you best, without losing sight of the goal. A focused screenwriting program may be what he needs. Or he may fit better in a smaller college that focuses on building general writing skills–that has a course or two in screenwriting. Or one that helps create excellent internships in the creative arts.

And if he has particular concerns that need to be addressed, like his learning differences and the limitations those may impose, he can begin now to adjust his path without every giving up on his ultimate goal of becoming the next Oscar-winning screenwriter.

One other thing: I was blown away by this young man’s willingness to write a complete stranger for advice. And what impresses me, also impresses admissions officers. So parents, please encourage your students to do their own investigations and to ask their own questions. Resist the temptation to do the research for them. Instead, guide them, encourage them, and watch over them as they communicate with those who can help them figure out how to get where they want to go.

The lessons learned through the process are at least as important as the lessons learned in the classroom.

Great College Advice

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This short video was created by one of my former students who is now at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.  His family hired me as their college counselor to help this young man figure out what he wanted.  After several  months of getting to know one another, of exploring various options, and pulling together essays and applications, he was able not only to get into a great college, but win some scholarship money, too boot!

If I can help you or someone in your family find the best college for them, please send me a shout.

Educational Consultant in Denver

The post Find Perfect College With a Counselor first appeared on Great College Advice.

As this short video explains, there is a dearth of good information about how to study in the USA, and many misconceptions about what it means to study in the United States.

Have a look!

Click here to read more about how I explain how to study in the USA in Chinese.

The post Study in the USA from Guangzhou, China first appeared on Great College Advice.

It’s a wonderful place.

About Colleges That Change Lives

From the CTCL website:

Keep the college search student-centered. Consider interests, strengths, and values, and reflect on what truly matters to you—academic programs, campus atmosphere, available support and resources, and extracurricular activities that align with your goals for personal and professional growth.

Explore colleges where you can connect with classmates and faculty and engage in high-impact educational experiences that empower you to shape your future.

Focusing on what inspires and motivates you will help you find college communities where you will thrive.

About Great College Advice: Since 2007, the expert team at Great College Advice has provided comprehensive admissions guidance to thousands of students across the United States and more than 45 countries. Our six counselors bring over 100 combined years of college admissions experience. Great College Advice also runs College Admissions Experts, one of the most active Facebook groups for college-bound families, with over 100,000 members.

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