My son wrote a great common app essay using the struggle/obstacle prompt(#2). He wrote this without looking ahead at individual college essay(that’s on the common app). The individual college has the same required essay prompt regarding an obstacle. He will obviously not use same essay twice on application and he doesn’t want to rewrite his 600 word common app essay. Any suggestions, will it be ok to write again on a similar topic just a different situation? The individual college essay is only 250 words. Thanks
Write a completely separate common app essay for that one college. Sorry… but that is best. One of my kids had this issue, too. Real estate in the common app is valuable – cutting corners is not the best way to get admitted.
What is the wording on the actual (required) supplemental essay? I am sure the wording and requirements are different. All schools that utilize the common app agree to the common app essays, so requiring a supplemental essay that covers a common app topic without providing alternative options is not encouraged. Let’s make sure that you and your son fully understand the prompts first. Sooooo many applicants simply do not understand the prompts and consequently answer the essays incorrectly. - Admissions Track
The prompts are very similar. However, for the individual college it is 1 of 2 optional essays/short answer in addition to a required essay regarding major choice.
common app prompt: (250-650 words)
*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?
optional college essay (250 words)
*Discuss any obstaclesand/or hardshipsyou have encountered and how you dealt with them.
Imo, the 2nd is more specific. It might show your context. The UC app had a similar question, a chance to describe what’s going on. Not sure if it’s still a prompt.
The Comm App prompt is less about the challenge itself (that’s just the starting point fot the writing ) and more how it was mastered, what realizations were gained, what positives (including how he thinks/acts and interacts now.) “…a time when you faced…”
Google the individual prompt and you’ll see discussion of it on CC. Both give the applicant a chance to show strengths the colleges look for, how he tackles a hurdle or a pothole, his thinking, resilience, etc.
That’s how he approached the common app one more how how he mastered it. He was just concerned about writing about 2 similar topics.
It happens. Not a show stopper. Each is a chance to show perspective, balance, good will and more. In the case of UC, that question was somewhat literal, a chance to describe life circumstances (which they stated they account for.)
See the other threads.