This week, Great College Advice’s Jamie Berger discusses Prompt 2 of the Common App essay, which he (affectionately) calls “the failure prompt”. Here’s the prompt:
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?
Students are reluctant to write about negative experiences
Every year, after working with applicants on how they want to introduce themselves through the Common App personal essay, we take a look at the prompts, the framework for their self-reflection.
And every year, as much as I’m fond of the “challenge, setback, or failure” prompt, and have one or two students who could make good use of it, I’ve only worked with one student who chose it. Year in and year out, they see “failure” and think, “nuh-uh, I’m not falling for that trap!”
All our lives, we are taught to smile, give a firm handshake, and put our best foot forward; conversely, we are told – especially in making a first impression in everything from an interview to a date to an application – never to accentuate or even mention negatives. That’s why there’s the cliche/joke of someone in a job interview who, when asked, “What’s your biggest weakness?,” replies, “I just work too darn hard” or “I care too much.” That is, their only negative is an extreme positive.
So, as much as I like the prompt, and the boldness it demands, I understand that college applicants feel like it’s a lose-lose. Either they point out something “bad” about themselves, or they seem like they’re being fake by flipping the question around to point out how awesome they are.
Who, in particular, might be wise to choose Common App prompt 2?
- A student who had a rough academic freshman or sophomore year for any number of legitimate reasons – illness, an unexpected switch to a new school, family turmoil … – and has since steadily improved.
- A student who had an injury or illness that ended a career in a serious sport, dance, or other physical pursuit and found another great outlet for their skills, interests, and genius!
- A student who got in trouble somewhere along the line – and for whom colleges will undoubtedly be informed of said trouble – who wants to address their misstep. (Warning: do NOT try this without consulting your school counselor!)
The Common App essay is the place where you show colleges something of who you are that they won’t see in your transcript or test scores – you introduce the actual human being that is you. It’s where you show them your skill as a thoughtful self-reflective writer; and where you show them your emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and path of growth into adulthood. What better way to do all that than to step up and address a challenge, setback, or, yes, FAILURE? Go ahead and write a draft of it. Even if you decide not to use it, it will still inform your essay.
Need Help with the Common App Essay?
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