<p>common app gives a choice to pick a topic to write a personal essay.</p>
<p>is it possible to submit a different eaasy for each college? Or, is it the case that the essay submitted has to go to ALL the colleges?</p>
<p>If you apply online, the same essay will be sent to all the colleges, because what happens is when you apply online, you list all the colleges you're applying to, fill out the common app, and then press submit, and your application goes to each of the colleges, so you can't fill your application and essay out differently for each college, if you apply online. You can submit different essays if you apply on paper. Most people only write one essay and then submit that, rather than write a bunch of different essays, because there's not much point in spending more time trying to craft good essays when you already have a good one.</p>
<p>Actually, you can submit different essays EVEN IF you apply online. The common app allows you to create different "versions" that you can have for each college. (I forgot what the max number was but I had three versions). </p>
<p>At least you could last year, not sure about this year.</p>
<p>Really! I didn't know that! I just submitted one essay when I applied last year. Except I don't get why you'd send different essays, because you already have one. The Common App essay isn't supposed to be geared to a certain college.</p>
<p>Admissions officers have told me that they like it when it is, though... I guess you just have to juggle and go with it.</p>