Hi
I have couple of questions on common essay prompts.
Can we submit one common essay prompt for couple of colleges now and then use a completely different essay prompt for the other colleges ?
can we submit one version of the essay for few colleges and then a different version of the same essay prompt to other colleges?
Thanks in advance
I believe prior to last year the answer would have been no. Last year, if memory serves, you submitted common app one by one to each school and could make changes at any time up until submitted to a school. I would double check with guidance counselor as that can change at any time. You could also ask the help support people for common app.
Yes and yes. But you need to have submitted version 1 to those colleges you want to receive that version before making changes.
You can do that as Ski says, but why do you want to change your personal statement for different schools? If you want to showcase different things to different schools, why not use the additional info section for that? (which you would still need to change for each app though)
Yes, because the application you submit is what is updated in Common App. They get a pdf copy I believe.
So as you change it, it will update for the next school.
But why in the heck would you do something so craz?. The answer to the prompt is the answer to the prompt. And while no one truly knows, at many schools, the essay may not be read…or read in huge detail.
And you’re putting an awful lot on yourself requiring edits, re-reads, more re-reads and I can’t think of a possible reason why this would be a good idea.
What are you basing your view that essays aren’t read or important? First I have heard that.
About the only situation I can see doing this is if you have some reach schools where you write a “go big or go home” type of essay but it makes sense to go with a “safe” essay to safeties or matches. Small edits would be a waste of time. Spend your time and energy on the college specific essays/short questions to customize your pitch.
I said at many schools - many schools they are optional, many grant admission by a GPA/ACT index and that could be a boost, and I know a prof on the admission committee on a top 20 school where I live and she flat out told me that if the GPA and test score are below standards, they are rejected - or as she says, we don’t have the capacity, to read in depth each and every essay.
You can look on each school’s CDS to determine the importance of the essay for each college - because you have thousands of colleges so probably thousands of methods.
What I said was - no one truly knows - so i wasn’t stating a fact but saying we have no idea if the essay is important. There are kids that get in with lots of typos (that we know), there may be kids rejected because of typos (that we don’t know).
My personal feeling is at the smaller, higher end schools they probably carry more weight but the person I spoke with didn’t say they don’t read them - she said for kids that are obviously no, they throw them aside.
The OP is talking about changing their essay - and therefore is assuming that it carries such high importance that it would be worth doing so. Forgetting that I am against doing so, i’m just questioning - even if it’s kick butt, will it necessarily have as much impact as they think.
Why i said - may not be read.
You think Indiana U is turning down a 4.0 and a 36 - even if the essay was filled with expletives?
Don’t know - but highly doubt it - i think that person is accepted period, end of story.
I think…and may not be read.
I’m not giving a guarantee or fact - just an opinion. I’m doing this to let the OP know - don’t overthink it - do your one essay for Common - and alter your school specfic essays if there are any (and yes, IU has one).
But at those top 20 schools if you do pass the academic benchmark essays can be a deciding factor. So extremely important!!
Sounds like we need a lot more info from the OP to offer informed advice (although customizing common app essay seems wasteful). It is probably not a good idea to suggest that essays aren’t important or read to a broader perhaps less nuanced group of HS students who may tune in.
Keep in mind OP didn’t ask if he/she should do it, they asked could they do it.
Fair point - they asked if they should do it.
I say no - because there’s too much risk involved. What if they make a typo.
What if they write something unrelated to the school - on the school specific essays, my kids used the same one but had to change something - the town, nickname, professor’s name…something - and there’s risk in that.
We don’t know the school the OP is applying - I was simply making a comment that the essay “may not” have as much weight as it’s portraying. As you point out, it certainly may.
Just trying to let the OP know, they’re “likely” way over thinking.
The answer to his first question is yes - and I bet it happens regularly. Why - someone applies to three or four colleges and then in re-reading finds a typo and fixes it!!
The answer to his second question is also yes - and to go further, he could even use a different essay prompt.
Thanks for steering us back to the OPs question. These posts often delve off into tangential conversations - and yes, i’m guilty!!