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What is Common App?
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The Common Application, or Common App, is the central college application platform of more than 900 universities and colleges worldwide. It simplifies the process of multiple-school applications when a student only fills out one application that will go to different institutions. Thus, the common app saves time and cuts off from much-stressed management when handling different numbers of applications.
Under Common App, sections, where students upload their personal information, academic history, and extracurricular activities, are included in the application. Among the required materials, essays, letters of recommendation, and test scores can all be uploaded under the application. Common App is one of the widely used applications across the United States while also being accepted in many international schools.
Common App students can begin with an account free of charge, fill out all profiles, and maintain a list of deadlines across different schools in one place. Most schools have additional questions or essays beyond the standard application, which is called supplements. This platform is user-friendly with features that include a dashboard that tracks progress status, application fees, and submission status. Generally speaking, applying to a host of schools is made easier and more efficient through Common App.
Common App Prompts
Prompt 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.
So, you’ve got something about yourself that makes you, well… you. This is your chance to tell your story. The admissions team is ready to hear about that one thing in your life that, without it, you’d probably just be another person on the bus playing Candy Crush. But luckily, you're not.
Background: Maybe you grew up speaking three languages. No big deal, except when you confuse them and accidentally order a sandwich in French at a Spanish restaurant. Still, balancing multiple cultures has probably given you some serious mental gymnastics, and that’s worth sharing.
Identity: Perhaps you're the "class clown" (not the type that throws pies—though that would be cool). If making people laugh is how you survive the day, this could be a key part of your identity. Tell them how humor has saved you from awkward situations, like when you tried to compliment your teacher’s new haircut but ended up comparing it to your dog’s fur (oops).
Interest: Maybe you're super into something like extreme knitting. Yes, that’s a thing (probably). Explain how it keeps you calm when the world gets too loud, and how making scarves has taught you the patience of a monk—except you get to wear what you make.
Talent: If you’ve got a hidden talent, like being able to juggle three oranges while balancing on one foot, that’s definitely worth a mention. Or maybe you're great at coding, but no one sees the hours of frustration behind your latest app, where the computer refused to listen to your very reasonable requests. Share how your talent shaped you, with a few bumps and bruises along the way.
Key Tips:
- Write like you're having a casual conversation—no need to sound like a robot.
- Share how this piece of your life has made you smarter, stronger, or just more prepared to handle the awkwardness of adulting.
- And don’t forget: if it’s something that makes you laugh at yourself a little, include that too. If we can’t laugh at our own mess-ups, what’s the point?
So, what’s that thing that makes you incomplete without it? Whatever it is, tell your story. No one else can do it quite like you.
Prompt 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?
Everyone loves a good underdog story. Think about a time you hit a wall—figuratively, of course (unless you really did run into a wall, in which case, I’m sorry).
Maybe you tried out for the soccer team, only to discover that your true talent was more about dodging the ball than actually kicking it. Or maybe you aimed to bake the perfect cake for a family birthday, only to pull a sad, burnt pancake out of the oven. Hey, no one’s judging.
The important part here is the bounce back. What did you learn? Maybe you realized that failing is just part of figuring things out. Like, “Oh, that’s why my mom said not to microwave foil.” Or, more seriously, you discovered that hard work doesn’t always lead to instant success—but it definitely builds character (and maybe a few blisters).
Talk about how the experience made you stronger. Did you grow from it? Did you realize you’re more resilient than you thought? Like, “Sure, I failed that math test, but on the bright side, I now know how to kind of calculate the slope of a hill… if I squint.”
Whether you learned a new skill or simply learned to laugh at yourself, this essay is all about the journey. Because in the end, life is a series of setbacks and comebacks. And sometimes, those setbacks make for the best stories.
Prompt 3: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
We’ve all had that moment when something just doesn’t sit right, like when someone tells you pineapple belongs on pizza. (Seriously, who decided that?) But this essay is about a more serious belief or idea you decided to question.
Maybe you grew up believing something because it was what everyone around you thought. Then, one day, you paused and thought, “Wait, is this really how it works?” It could have been something small, like questioning whether homework really helps (spoiler: probably), or something bigger, like challenging a long-held tradition in your family or school.
For example, maybe you questioned the idea that “failing is bad” and decided to embrace it. You realize that trying and failing is just how we learn. Sure, it meant a few awkward moments—like the time you tried to lead a group project and ended up with a glue disaster—but in the end, you learned more by breaking away from that belief.
Talk about what pushed you to challenge this idea. Maybe it was a conversation, an experience, or just that one time in class when you raised your hand and thought, “You know what? This makes no sense!” And then, what happened after? Did your mind change? Did you convince someone else? Or did you end up with more questions than answers (which is totally fine too)?
Whatever the outcome, what’s important is that you were bold enough to challenge the status quo. Just like asking, “Do we really need a 7 a.m. class?” The world could use a few more people willing to ask those tough questions.
Prompt 4: 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?
Sometimes, life throws little surprises your way—like when a friend buys you coffee without asking, or when your sibling, instead of eating your leftovers, saves them for you (a rare miracle). This essay is about one of those moments, the kind that made you stop and go, “Wow, that was... unexpectedly awesome.”
Maybe it was something simple, like a teacher who took extra time to help you understand algebra (because, seriously, who actually gets algebra on the first try?). Or maybe it was a stranger who returned your lost wallet when you thought for sure it had gone to that secret dimension where lost things live, right next to missing socks.
Whatever it was, this moment of kindness stuck with you. Not because it was flashy, but because it was genuine. Maybe you didn’t expect to feel so happy when someone went out of their way for you, but here you are, still thinking about it.
Now, how did that gratitude change you? Maybe it made you realize that even small acts of kindness can have a big impact. Or maybe it pushed you to pay it forward—like helping someone with their homework even though your brain is also melting from the assignment. You could say, “I realized that sometimes, being nice isn’t just for them—it’s for me, too.”
This essay isn’t about some grand, life-changing moment. It’s about those little things that made you smile when you weren’t expecting it, and how they motivated you to be just a little bit better, even if it’s just by holding the door open for the next person... or not eating your roommate's leftovers.
Prompt 5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Sometimes, life hits you with a lightbulb moment, when you suddenly get something in a way you didn’t before—like realizing that your parents were right about needing sleep (who knew?). This essay is all about one of those moments that changed you and made you grow.
Maybe it was an accomplishment, like finally finishing that 1,000-piece puzzle after days of wanting to throw it out the window. Sure, it’s “just a puzzle,” but sticking with it showed you that you're more patient than you thought—and that you can survive staring at tiny pieces for hours without losing your mind (well, almost).
Or maybe it was an event, like volunteering for the first time at a local shelter. You went in thinking it was just about giving back, but you came out realizing that you also gained something—a new understanding of other people’s struggles. Plus, you learned how to carry ten trays of food at once without dropping them (a valuable skill for future dinner parties).
Then, there’s the personal growth part. What changed after this realization? Maybe you started thinking differently about your goals or how you treat others. You could write something like, “I realized that if I can survive a week without Wi-Fi during a school trip, I can survive pretty much anything.”
This essay is about showing how one experience helped you level up—not just in skills, but in understanding yourself or the world around you. And who doesn’t love a good level-up?
Prompt 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?
You know that feeling when you look at the clock and suddenly realize you’ve been doing something for hours and completely forgot the world existed? Yeah, that’s the magic we’re talking about here.
Maybe it’s coding. You sit down to write a program, and the next thing you know, the sun has set, and you’ve forgotten to eat (or worse, your coffee’s cold). There’s just something about solving puzzles with code that pulls you in. It’s like being a detective, except your clues are in ones and zeroes—and your main suspect is a missing semicolon.
Or maybe it’s reading about space. You dive into an article about black holes, and suddenly it’s midnight, and you’re halfway down a rabbit hole of quantum physics, trying to understand how time could slow down. Meanwhile, you still can’t figure out how to do your laundry without shrinking your favorite shirt.
But what really hooks you? Is it the challenge? The endless possibilities? Maybe it’s the thrill of discovering something new, like finding out that black holes can actually sing (look it up—it’s a thing). Whatever it is, it lights a spark in your brain and makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger.
And when you want to learn more, where do you go? Maybe it’s YouTube tutorials, books, or that one friend who seems to know everything about everything (we all have one). Whether it’s Wikipedia or a deep dive into Reddit threads, you’ve got your go-to sources that keep feeding your curiosity.
This essay is about what pulls you into “the zone” and why you keep coming back. It’s not just about what you love—it’s about the excitement of discovering something new every time you dig deeper. And, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to get lost in something like that?
Prompt 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.
So, here’s the thing: if I had to choose a topic that sums up who I am, it would be my epic quest to master the art of procrastination. Yes, you heard that right! Procrastination—my not-so-secret superpower.
It all started in middle school when I realized that “studying” often meant scrolling through memes instead of opening my textbooks. I’d tell myself, “I’ll start my essay after just one more video.” Spoiler alert: one video turned into a whole Netflix series. Who could resist watching a show about the secrets of the universe instead of writing about my own? It felt important at the time.
But one fateful night, I faced the ultimate challenge: a huge project due the next day. I panicked. My plan of binge-watching instead of working backfired spectacularly. I turned into a caffeine-fueled zombie, furiously typing at my keyboard as the clock ticked down. That’s when I realized something important: when you push yourself to the limit, amazing (and slightly questionable) things can happen. I finished that project, but my brain felt like a blender at high speed.
This experience sparked a new understanding of myself. While I might enjoy the thrill of last-minute rushes, I didn’t want my life to be a series of caffeine-fueled deadlines. So, I made a change. I became a planner! Yes, you read that right. I started writing schedules—color-coded, of course. I discovered that tackling tasks little by little not only reduces stress but also gives me more time to indulge in my favorite pastime: cooking elaborate meals for my friends that I pretend took hours, when really, they were just from the microwave.
Now, whenever I feel the urge to procrastinate creeping in, I remind myself of that night. And while I still indulge in some last-minute cramming (after all, old habits die hard), I’ve learned to balance my time better. The thrill is still there, but now I can savor my favorite shows guilt-free!
So, that’s my story—an ode to procrastination turned personal growth. It’s not just about waiting until the last minute; it’s about learning to embrace who I am while still striving to be better. And hey, if I can make a microwave meal look like a gourmet feast, maybe I’m not doing too bad after all!