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2018-2019 Common Application Essay Prompts

The Common Application has announced that the 2018-2019 personal essay writing prompts will be the same as the seven 2017-2018 prompts. This is great news, as it allows Juniors to now start thinking about their responses to the prompts ahead of the college application writing season coming up this year. 

 

Meredith Lombardi, Associate Director, Outreach, and Education for The Common Application states: “Through the Common App essay prompts, we want to give all applicants the opportunity to share their voice with colleges. Every applicant has a unique story. The essay helps bring that story to life”. 

 

Here are the 2018-2019 Common Application Personal Essay Writing Prompts: 

 

1. 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. 

2. 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? 

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 

4. 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 that is 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. 

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that 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? 

7. 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. 

 

All the best, 

Team Insight 

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