The Common Application can be used to apply to over 800 colleges or universities in the USA.
For the Common App, you will need to submit an answer to an essay prompt. The good news is: the Common App provides a list of seven essay prompts, and those for the 2019/2020 year are the same as those from the previous year. So if you need help, you can surely find samples and ideas online.
The essay prompts for 2019/2020 are at the bottom of this post. You should choose one of these prompts and write an essay of no more than 650 words.
Tips for Writing Your Essay
Everyone is going to give you basically the same advice for writing your essay: Be original, genuine, and interesting. Try to stand out. Proofread and rewrite. Make sure there are no errors, and get a proofreader if necessary.
This advice is about all you need. However, it is also worth considering hiring someone to help write your essay. Some students are simply not very good at writing, and there are plenty of majors, from highly sophisticated engineering programs to labor-intensive technical programs, that require little in the way of writing talent. If writing is not your strong suit, a professional writer can help give you a leg up in your application.
Of course, we recommend our Essay Writing Service, though you may have acquaintances who would be even better writing help. Feel free to contact our writing service or email writer@essaysmith.com, and we’d be glad to help out!
The 2019/2020 Common App Essay Prompts
Here they are, the essay prompts used for both the 2018/2019 and the 2019/2020 Common Application:
- Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.
- The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma — anything of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
- Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.