(250 - 650 word limit)
(500 - 650 word limit)
Word Limits: You MUST stay within the limits set by each app for the essay.
Note for the Common App: if you write an essay shorter than 500 words, there is a good chance the colleges will not take you seriously.
(See individual prompt for word limit.)
Sometimes colleges will ask for an essay AND a personal statement or JUST a personal statement. These personal statements are tricky because the attached instructions are often vague and/or give little direction to the writer. This link to the Purdue OWL will help you get started, but make sure you check out the Advice page to hear what your English teachers have to say about writing this essay.
(See individual prompt for word limit.)
Some schools, like the University of Illinois and University of Chicago (see below), require more than one essay. Many times the additional essays ask students to respond to very specific questions about:
why they chose that school
what major they are interested in
what they will bring to the campus
These questions should be answered in as direct a fashion as possible. You should also do some research on the school before trying to respond to the prompt.
If you picked a school because you "thought it had a cool name" or "your brother said it would be awesome," your essay will probably not be successful. Instead, do research on that school your brother thinks is so fly. Try to find two or three things about the school that make you excited. This could include clubs, activities, dorm life, classes (I know, crazy, right?), professors, majors, or study abroad programs.
If you are applying somewhere like the University of Hawaii or Florida International University, you do not want to say you are excited about lying on the beach all day. (They know that already and don't need to be reminded.) Location can sometimes be important but remember that you are trying to show the school that you are a someone who wants to be a part of the community and a serious student.
The University of Chicago is considered one of the top schools in the world, like Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. Students who apply here have to have top grades and be really interested in being academic! As you can imagine, it is very hard to get into (6.5% acceptance rate) and not really for everyone.
However, the university does publish very interesting prompts each year. Take a look at some of the prompts and, if you're up for a challenge, try to write one. Even if you don't apply to this school, the exercise will make you a better writer and might help you to figure out what you want to say about yourself in your actual college essay.