The first step in writing the perfect college essay? Answer the prompt. That’s right. Pretty simple.
College admissions officers—as well as the members of the Common App—spend a lot of time crafting their essay prompts. They are looking for answers to specific questions so they can learn more about you. So give them the answer.
Analyze the Prompt
Before you start, you should carefully analyze the prompt. Look at the keywords. What are the individual elements of the assignment? How can you address each element? What are you being asked to do? What does the reader want to know about you? Physically underline the keywords, and jot down a few notes as you go.
For our updated Guide to the Common App Essay, please review this recent post.
But don’t try to over-analyze things. Don’t assume there is a right or a wrong answer to the question, or a right way or wrong way to address the prompt. They are looking for your answer, your response, and your reflections.
However, answering the prompt does not mean you have to write a boring, conventional essay. You may be able to figure out a way to bend the prompt a bit. Words and concepts are open to interpretation, and sometimes you can open up a whole new world of ideas by simply defining the terms of the prompt in a creative way.
Common App Prompt: Personal Growth
For example, prompt #5 of the Common App personal statement asks you to: Discuss an accomplishment or event or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
On its surface, this prompt seems to be asking about a specific moment in your life. But really, this prompt wants a before-and-after. Tell the college admissions officers about one way you’ve grown as a person, demonstrate that you are aware of that period of personal growth, and be able to reflect on it in a mature way.
Briefly Explain Your Story
At first glance, this prompt doesn’t seem to have a story at the heart of it. However, the focus is on a transition, which implies a description of “before” and “after” this event, accomplishment, or realization. So, you should retell the story briefly to help your reader understand the transition. But it must also be interesting for the reader. You don’t need to think of a story that is heroic or grandiose. While an “accomplishment” might bring about personal growth, sometimes the most mundane events or off-handed conversations can lead us to reevaluate ourselves or the world around us.
Describe the Catalyst and that Sparked Personal Growth
The story is not the heart of your essay–it is the pivot between how you thought or felt before the accomplishment, event, or realization, and how you thought or felt after it. You need to define the transitional moment so that your reader can visualize this change. College admissions officers do not care so much about the exact nature of these accomplishments or events or realizations. Rather they care about how you tell an interesting story about your transition to adulthood and how this change or transition led to a new and different understanding of yourself and the world around you.
Reflect on How You Have Grown
The real meat of your personal growth Common App essay is your reflection based on this brief anecdote from your life. By thinking deeply about what happened after this event, accomplishment, or realization, you can give your reader a sense of your increasing maturity and your priorities, values, and personality. College admissions officers want to understand the “real you” underneath all the academic and other data on your college application. This prompt is a great way to show them who you really are.
Dissect the Prompt in Order to Answer the Prompt
So, by breaking up the personal growth essay prompt into digestible pieces, you can make sure that you are actually taking care of Job #1: Answering the Prompt!
Need help writing the perfect college essay?
The expert college counselors at Great College Advice have years of experience helping students craft college essays that stand out to college admission officers. We know how to help you choose topics, structure the prose, hone the messages, and edit the essay to perfection. These essays are an essential aspect of the college application process, and you want to make sure your essay represents you well. If you need some personalized guidance on how to write the personal statement and supplemental essays, please give us a call or fill out our contact form. We’d be delighted to chat with you about how we can help.
