THE COMMON APPLICATION ESSAYS

SHORT ESSAY

Briefly elaborate on one of your extra-curricular activities or work experiences (150 word maximum).

LONG ESSAY

The Common Application Essay topics for 2011-2012 are the same as they were for 2010-2011. Select one of the following topics and write your essay (250 to 500 words):

  • Evaluate a significant personal experience, achievement, risk, 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 an individual who has had a significant influence on you and describe that influence.

  • Describe a fictional character, historical figure, or creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has profoundly influenced you and explain that influence.

  • Colleges look for a wide range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences. 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.

  • Discuss a topic of your choice.

Key features to any essay include the following: a specific academic interest or talent, a reflection of your personality, a degree of informality, honesty, self-deprecating humor, and energy/vitality.