<p>I'm just starting the common app essay for next year (getting a little head start), and I keep hearing how important it is to be unique. Does this mean that I should do my own question? Do most people stick with the traditional questions? And if I do write my own question, does it have to be similar?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Edit: I've been reading more. So basically the essay is about a story and then analyzing it?</p>
<p>Kind of. The essay is more like a story about you. Learn how to tell a good story about yourself, and your essay will be good to go. (This is more difficult than I’m making it out to be, but that’s the gist of it.)</p>
<p>You can choose one of the Common App prompts; personally, I think they’re boring and don’t give you much room to express your personality and passions (which is what top colleges particularly want to know about), but you’re welcome to use them. I wrote an essay that didn’t quite fit any of the prompts, so I marked “topic of your choice”. It worked out pretty well for getting into CMU’s SCS (which is apparently about as selective as MIT and Caltech, though too many of my friends got in to believe that).</p>
<p>(Tip: you don’t even have to provide a topic/question/prompt if you pick “Topic of your choice”. You just submit an essay.)</p>