Students applying to schools using The Common Application will have some new choices next fall when it comes to crafting their college essay.<\/p>\n
The nonprofit announced this week<\/a> that it has added two new questions to its 2017-18 application.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFirst, there\u2019s a new prompt that invites you to discuss your curiosity, and the counselors and admission officers we\u2019ve spoken to are excited to see where you take it,\u201d Scott Anderson, Common App\u2019s senior director for access and education wrote in a Huffington Post<\/em> piece aimed at students<\/a>. \u201cSecond, you\u2019ll find the return of an explicit invitation to write an essay on a topic of your choice, a change that may have some of you celebrating the freedom to write anything you want.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, three Common App essay prompts regarding student beliefs and experiences have been reworded. The changes were based on feedback from more than 5,000 individuals, including students.<\/p>\n \u201cThe goal of these revisions is to help all applicants, regardless of background or access to counseling, see themselves and their stories within the prompts,\u201d according to the Common App website<\/a>. \u201cThey are designed to invite unencumbered discussions of character and community, identity, and aspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet even though the prompts are available, it\u2019s probably too early for high school juniors to begin drafting their essays, Anderson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe prompts weren\u2019t released this early to get you writing,\u201d he told students in his Huffington Post<\/em> piece. \u201cThey were released to get you thinking\u2013about yourself, about what is important to you, about the interests and experiences and talents and relationships that reveal who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n No matter which topic students choose, creativity counts. Good essays are easier to craft when you write about a topic you\u2019re passionate about, admission professionals say.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest mistakes students make is writing what they think others want to hear, rather than about an issue, event, or person they care about,\u201d according to a NACAC tip sheet<\/a>. \u201cAn essay like that is not just boring to write. It’s boring to read\u2026Think of your essay as a creative way to help college officials get to know you as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n