2026 - 2027 Common App Essay Prompts
It’s a great time to write the Common App essay! Here are the prompts for the coming year. Many students struggle to choose a topic for the essay. A good strategy is to make a list of all the things admissions officers will learn about you from the other parts of the application (including grades, classes, and activities). Write a list of characteristics you want readers to learn about you. For example are you persistent, intellectual, funny? List some anecdotes that evidence those characteristics. After these steps, review the prompts and see which one fits your personal narrative.
Common App Essay Prompts
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. (18% of students chose this topic last year.)
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? (23% of students chose this topic last year.)
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? (3% of students chose this topic last year.)
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? (3% of students chose this topic last year.)
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (20% of students chose this topic last year.)
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? (5% of students chose this topic last year.)
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. (28% of students chose this topic last year.)
If you have questions or would like to learn more about college admissions, please visit Excelsioradmissions.com or click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to learn how I can help with your college admissions process.
