<p>When everyone says, "oh I wrote about this for my college essay," are you choosing from one of the 5 prompts (common app) or making up your own??</p>
<p>Do most people just make up their own or choose one of them??? (confused)</p>
<p>I don't know about "most people," but I don't think you should worry too much about what other people are doing. Find something that you think represents you well, and write about it. Use the common app prompts to inspire you.</p>
<p>IMO choosing one of the prompts is better than picking a random topic unless you already have a topic in mind that you have a lot of experience with and are passionate about. Picking the "choose your own topic" choice can be dangerous if you pick something that is really out there and cannot focus it to show something about you.</p>