Anaylysis of Common App Essays Prompt #1

Common App Essay Prompt

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.

Analysis and Strategy: Connecting Your Activities to Your Story

This prompt is a direct invitation to share the story behind the accomplishments and activities listed elsewhere in your application. Your activity list provides the "what," but this essay is your opportunity to explain the "why." It allows you to give depth, personality, and context to the bullet points on your resume. The goal is to choose one activity—or a cluster of related activities—and use it as a vehicle to tell a meaningful story about your background, identity, interest, or talent.

Think of it this way: The activity list is the table of contents; the essay is the first chapter.

Leveraging Your Activities to Explore Your "Background" or "Identity"

Your background and identity are shaped by your experiences, and your activities are a record of those experiences. Use an activity to tell a story that reveals a core part of who you are or where you come from.

• Example 1: Connecting to Cultural Heritage
  • Activity List Item: Volunteer, Local Japanese Cultural Center.
  • Essay Story: Instead of just stating that you volunteered, tell the story of teaching a young child the art of origami. Describe their frustration and your patience, and reflect on how sharing this small piece of your heritage connected you more deeply to your own background and solidified your identity as a bridge between generations.
• Example 2: Connecting to Family and Responsibility
  • Activity List Item: Cashier, family-owned restaurant (20 hours/week).
  • Essay Story: Your essay isn't about making change or taking orders. It's about the conversations you overheard between regular customers, the responsibility you felt to your family, and how this environment shaped your understanding of community and hard work. This experience is a key part of your background and has forged your mature identity.
• Example 3: Connecting to Social Identity
  • Activity List Item: Founder and President, Girls Who Code Club.
  • Essay Story: The story isn't about being president. It's about the moment you saw a younger student's face light up after she wrote her first successful line of code. Reflect on why creating that space for other young women in STEM was so important to you and how it helped you find your own voice and confidence in a male-dominated field.

Leveraging Your Activities to Showcase an "Interest"

An "interest" can sound passive. Your essay is where you make it active, dynamic, and compelling. Show the admissions committee that this isn't just a hobby, but a passion that drives you.

• Example 1: From Interest to Intellectual Curiosity
  • Activity List Item: Member, Astronomy Club.
  • Essay Story: Don't write about the club meetings. Write about the first time you saw Saturn's rings through a telescope and the profound sense of wonder it sparked. Describe how that single moment launched you on a journey of independent reading, late-night stargazing, and a consuming interest in astrophysics that feels central to who you are.
• Example 2: Demonstrating Deep Engagement
  • Activity List Item: Maintained a blog reviewing historical films.
  • Essay Story: Your essay could focus on the challenge of reviewing one particular film that misrepresented a historical event you are passionate about. Discuss the deep-dive research you did to write your counter-argument, showing that your interest isn't superficial but is rooted in a genuine desire for accuracy and a love of history.
• Example 3: Showing Initiative and Passion
  • Activity List Item: Urban birdwatching (Independent Hobby).
  • Essay Story: This unique interest can make for a memorable essay. Tell the story of your quest to spot a specific, elusive peregrine falcon that was rumored to nest downtown. Describe your patience, the meticulous notes you took, and the eventual thrill of the sighting. This reveals your dedication, observational skills, and ability to find fascination anywhere.

Leveraging Your Activities to Define a "Talent"

A talent is more than an award or a title. An essay about a talent should focus on the journey: the practice, the failures, and the dedication behind the skill. This shows character and perseverance.

• Example 1: The Story of Growth
  • Activity List Item: First-chair Cello, Regional Orchestra.
  • Essay Story: The talent isn't just playing well; it's the discipline you developed. Write about a time you struggled to master a difficult passage. Describe the frustration, the hours of practice, and the breakthrough moment when your fingers finally flew through it. This story showcases your resilience and work ethic, which are more important than the talent itself.
• Example 2: Redefining the Talent
  • Activity List Item: Captain, Debate Team.
  • Essay Story: Your talent might not be public speaking, but listening. Tell a story about a debate where, instead of focusing on your own arguments, you truly listened to your opponent and found a flaw in their logic that no one else had noticed. This reframes your talent as one of thoughtful analysis and empathy rather than just loud persuasion.
• Example 3: Applying a Talent in an Unexpected Way
  • Activity List Item: Magician (performs at local children's hospitals).
  • Essay Story: Your essay isn't about how you do the tricks. It's about using your talent for sleight-of-hand to create a moment of joy and wonder for a sick child. Describe a specific interaction where a child forgot their illness for a few minutes, and reflect on how that experience taught you that the true magic was in the connection, not the illusion.