Personal Essay

A Personal Essay is the main writing component of a college application. It's your opportunity to tell a college admissions committee who you are beyond your grades, test scores or recommendation letters. It can demonstrate that you can write clearly, express yourself effectively, and it allows you to describe your aspirations, values or passions.

The Personal Essay is a chance for you to speak in your own voice. This means that you convey your topic clearly but in a less formal and more conversational tone. The Personal Essay is NOT a creative writing test, nor is it a term paper or dissertation.

Most admissions counselors expect about a one-page, single-spaced essay. The Common App allows for 250-650 words, while the Coalition App provides space for up to 550 words.

Common App

https://www.commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts

Other Colleges

To view prompts for non-Common App or non-Coalition App schools, go to its freshman or undergraduate admissions website to access all application questions.

To view additional prompts in any online application, answer all main profile and academic questions first. Some prompts are only visible depending on how you answer academic questions.

Your junior year is the appropriate time to begin thinking about what you would like to say. Even if you do not know the specific questions, you can start developing a personal essay and trying out topic ideas. Exact essay questions can be viewed when the latest college applications come out in the summer, but the questions often remain the same for several years.

Fairview Language Arts teachers introduce the personal essay in the spring of your junior year. You will be encouraged to explore a topic and produce a working draft.

Most students applying to a number of selective colleges will begin exploring several topics and angles over the summer before senior year. 

Personal Essay prompts are meant to be open-ended, so that any topic a student chooses can be used to answer one or more of the prompts.

Many students (and teachers) are tempted to begin by collecting all of the college essay prompts, and then proceed to massage their own personal stories to fit the prompts.

Consider thinking about topics that are important to you first, then choose the prompt that fits your topic.

Decide on five to six topics that you want to convey about yourself. Some topics to explore might include:

• An activity that consumes most of your time; such as a job, caring for younger siblings, an extracurricular project or club, or a favorite pastime. Believe it or not, when juggled with full-time course work, even the most mundane, time-consuming tasks involve critical thinking, planning, an execution process and a goal.

• A big influence in your life or the way you think; such as an event, person, class, or encounter. Include a short list of things you did that resulted in a shift in the path your life took or caused you to make a different decision.

• A future goal that you want to pursue; including a short list of courses or activities that contributed to this decision, and how you hope to attain that goal in college. An intent to pursue specific opportunities offered by colleges, whether you’ve declared a major or not, is a clear statement that you are not applying to a school blindly. Fleshing out the content of this topic will require website research on each school’s academic programs, clubs and accessible community opportunities.

• An extracurricular in which you hope to be heavily involved in college (and make sure each college on your list offers this activity) and why.

• A description of what you like to do in your free, unstructured time.

• Any other topic of importance to you.

• Avoid repetition. Don't rehash anything that can already be found on another part of your application. Remember, the personal essay is an opportunity to convey what activity lists, test scores or transcripts cannot elaborate.

• Topics regarding extreme beliefs or lifestyles should be measured. While colleges welcome students with varying opinions, a tone that conveys any form of intolerance is a red flag.

• Don't try to be someone else. If you are not normally a funny person, your college essay is not the place to start.

• Know what's TMI (too much information). Avoid topics about your love life, sexual experiences, drugs or alcohol abuse, pranks or illegal activity. Your essays need to reflect the kind of student you will be on a college campus, and offering too much information about your personal life is not necessary. Note that application forms provide a "Disciplinary History" space for you to disclose and explain infractions. See the Disciplinary History FAQ for more guidance.

• Avoid complaints or extreme negativity about your parents, teachers, coaches, peers, employer, or anyone else.

• Refrain from expressions that may depict conceit or bias.

• Don't make it about someone else. While it's acceptable to write about your travels, your grandmother, the child you babysit or your boss, remember that the personal essay is about YOU.

• Do not plagiarize or fabricate any part of your essay. Most colleges use readily available technology to check for plagiarism. A college can rescind an admissions offer if you represent yourself dishonestly.

Click here to see a step by step guide to writing your essay.

Writing a personal statement takes time. You will most likely review and edit the document several times before you hit the submit button.

Have someone else proof read your essay before submitting it. Parents, LA teachers, volunteers in the CCC can all help with proofreading your essays.