Common Application Essay Topic Pre-Writing Strategies Tips and Reminders

Common Application prompts 2013-2014: Instructions. The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don’t feel obligated to do so. (The application won’t accept a response shorter than 250 words.)

Common Application Prompts • Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. • Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? • Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? • Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? • Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

activities might help you achieve your goals. ApplyTexas Essay Prompts A, B and C For U.S. Freshman and International Freshman Applications Essay A: Describe a setting in which you have collaborated or interacted with people whose experiences and/or beliefs differ from yours. Address your initial feelings, and how those feelings were or were not changed by this experience. Essay B: Describe a circumstance, obstacle or conflict in your life, and the skills and resources you used to resolve it. Did it change you? If so, how? Essay C: Considering your lifetime goals, discuss how your current and future academic and extra -curricular activities might help you achieve your goals.

. Once you have selected a topic [or two], try one of the following. . . .

The “Old Stand-by” of the sunburst or the spider web: Put the topic (a shortened version) in the middle of a page and see how many ideas burst forth or radiate out from the middle. Add details to these ideas—becoming more and more specific as you continue. Would this make a good essay? Does it answer the prompt?

Environment

Listing Listing: Create a list of the ideas that come to mind when you read through the topics. Cross-Reference this list to see which ideas or concepts appear more than once Select one [or more] of these listed topics and see how many details [who, what, when, where, why, how] you can recall. Would this make a good essay? Does it answer the prompt?

Lifetime goals in relation to current activities: Ultimate Goal: work as a nurse in a neonatal care unit Academics: Anatomy & Physiology (advanced) Tech Program for medical training—(list courses & experiences) Extra-curriculars: Volunteer in a hospital (details) Babysitter / caregiver (details)

Free Writing Free Writing: Literally set a timer for 3-5 minutes [or you can do this to your favorite song] and sit down with pen/paper or at the computer and write/type continuously until the time expires. Don’t over think this—just try to get your ideas on the page Don’t stop to check your work or ponder what you should write Don’t stop to check your text messages, either! After the time ends, examine your work What should your keep? What should you “move” to another section or put aside for another topic? What should you add / or detract to fully and concisely answer the topic? Have you included all the details needed to make this piece real and interesting? Is your essay lacking voice? In other words, does it sound too generic or fake?  

Remember *Ultimately, the 250-500 word count is designed to make a good, concise essay. Many colleges will ask students to upload responses, and when the essay is too long, it will be rejected or cut short. **Note, the college essay differs from a TAKS essay in that you may be asked to recall a specific event or story, BUT the college essay insists that you have grown, developed, changed, or continued to process the experience. It is not JUST the moment, the person, or the event that concerns the reader; your growth is the focus.