Common Application Essay prompts

 The 2017-2018 Common Application Essay prompts are as follows:

2017-2018 Common App Essay Prompt
    

1. 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
2. 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?
3.Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. 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?
7.  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. 


 The key is to use the essay to  talk about how you think and what you are like as a person rather than tell a story. The word limit is 650 words.

 I will  look at each prompt individually in the coming days

Class of 2022

August marks the start of the admissions cycle.


  There re only 5 ,onths left to  Jan,2018 and  3 months left for the Early  application cycles.
 By now you should have completed the SAT or ACT and  if not happy with your score -  get ready to retake it soon. Take 2 SAT II tests  so all your standardised testing requirements are out of the way.



 In  the coming days Iwill look  at the new common application essay prompts and ther  University of California   application.






 

Late Deadlines

 The  Jan 01 Deadline has come and gone and hopefully you have completed  your applications.

 Chances are that you still have a few left.
 There are many strong programs with  late and rolling deadlines.

 
Jan 15:

•  Washington University in St.Louis
• Case Western Reserve  University
• Clark University 
• Rensselaer Polytechnic

February 01:

• University of  Michigan - Ann Arbor
•  Worcester Polytechnoc Institute
•  University of Wisconsin - Madison 
• Ohio State University - Columbus

Rolling:

• University of Pittsburgh
• Penn State University 
• Michigan State University

Dont Panic

 2 Days left for the big Jan 01 deadline. Dont Pan - many ezcellent universities have  Jan 15 or Feb 01 deadlines.
 Washington University, Case Western Reserve University and  Michigan  are thr first that come to mind  but ther eare  more.   Keep reading for details.

Last mint minute advice

 Her s some last minute advice before you click on the submit buttom.


 1. Proofread   Make  sure you do not   eliminate yourself with silly errors. 

2.  Do a word count on all your essays. Be under the  word limit for al essays.If its not specified stick to under 250 words.
3.  make sure questions are answered correctly . Its easy to make stupid errors. Some applications ask you to rate how likely are you to change your major on a 1-5 scale.  Dont make it seem as if you are  fickle minded and very likely to change when you   have only one real interest and have even written your essaays on this.

4. stay calm
5.    take a print out or save the form as a pdf file for your records.

The Supplementary Essay

The Supplementary Essay

 The supplementary Essay aspect of the Common Appication is one of the most feared  parts of the application and chances are  it is the part you have been putting off until the last minute possible.  Many schools have a "Why us"  essay requirement   But now it is the last week and you need to get that essay  done. 

 Here are my tips

 First    be specific. Dont copy and paste things. Even if you are applying to  10  universities.  

Talk about  your interests and  how they complement/ fit the  university. Mention names, if  you have visited the campus - talk about it, it need not be flattering- you can say that " even though the dorms look like dull concrete blocks-  I could sense a real feel of community and belonging"Mention people by name  if thry have  any connection tio the university.

   Make sure the  reader gets a good idea of who you are and how you can fit in.     Accepting a class of students is much like  creating a team.  The admissions department  wants people from different majors, clubsm hobbies  and  passions,   They want someone who will be a  computer geek, a  sports jock, an easy going artist, a political activist, even a class clown.

 By portraying yourself as realistically  as possible  - they can see if you  fit the university team.

 Read this  post on The Optional Statement  from the  Tulane University  to get a feel of an admission officers perspective.

 

 

One week left

ONE Week

There only a week left to get your applications in.   That means about 100  working hours.


 Even if you are a serious procrastinator by now you need  to have  asked for recommendations and    done some basic research on universities


 This is what you need to get done in the last few days:

1.  Finalise a list of universities to apply to. Select   5 to 10.  2 or 3 should be  aspirational where you know you probably wont make it but there is no harm in being optimistic. 2-3 are realistic and 1or 2 are safe.
2.  Start the common application.
3.  Write your common ap essay
4.  Start writing supplementary essays for each college. Many essays are the " Why  this college" type of essay. Avoid the copy/pate temptation.   You need to  write individual essays that are focused on each school.
5.  get your recommendations confirmed for the schools you are applying to
6. click submit on the applications. remember to take print outs  for your own reference  before submitting. You  can recycle in April.
7.  Now wait - focus on enjoying the remaining part of the school year.  
8.  Admission responses come in  late  March /Early April.