New Essays for the Common App ("CA4")

The Common Application – a not-for-profit membership organization – has released the 2013-2014 application essay prompts (part of "CA4") and there's been a steady thread of discussion: some are praising the changes and others are raising concerns. (The Common App also recently announced 39 new member institutions; that pushes the total number of colleges and universities up over 525 for 2013-2014.)

Last year, over 2.5 million applications were submitted through the Common App Online, and over 480 colleges and universities are using the Common App for their 2012-2013 application cycle. The Joyce Ivy Foundation uses the Common App essays prompts for our Summer Scholars application, in part, so that students may gain familiarity with the topics as well as the process of composing application essays. It's safe to say, the Common App plays a major role in admissions in the United States.

Initially, it was reported that the Common App would make changes to the essay prompts but enforce the 500 word limit (Dec 4, 2012). Following a considerable amount of discussion and feedback, the Common App updated its announcement and pushed the limit up to 650 words (Feb 5, 2013).

Here is the current set of essay instructions and prompts:

Please write an essay of 250 – 500 words on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below, and attach it to your application before submission. Please indicate your topic by checking the appropriate box. This personal essay helps us become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself. NOTE: Your Common Application essay should be the same for all colleges. Do not customize it in any way for individual colleges. Colleges that want customized essay responses will ask for them on a supplement form.

1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
6. Topic of your choice.

And here are the changes for 2013-2014 from the Common App announcement:

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.

1. 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.
2. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
4. Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

The new essay topics are great. All are topics I would find interesting – and valuable – when reviewing applications. I'm also in favor of giving applicants the additional 150 words, along with the reminder that"650 words is the limit, not the goal." (Nicely phrased, Common App.)

I'm sorry to see "Topic of your choice" go. Many of the best application essays I've read have been expressions of a student's experience that wouldn't fit neatly into one of the other prompts. Yes, applicants frequently fall into the trap of writing more about the topic of their essays (the experience, moment, person of influence, winning goal) than they do themselves, but I believe there is an important place in a holistic admissions process for "topic of your choice."

I invite you to weigh in. I've gone over my 650 word limit.