The Common Application has 5 essay prompts plus an option to write on a topic of ones own choosing. Applicants are to write one essay on one of these prompts. I don’t really have a huge preference for one over another. Do colleges treat all essay prompts equally or are some of these prompts more favored? Do Admission Commisions prefer students to write one of the designated prompts so they can compare students? I understand that these are difficult questions for fellow college applicants or even college alumnis to answer, so if anyone out there knows the answer I’d really appreciate it. Thanks a bunch.
<p>I don't think it would be fair for them to favor one question over the others, so if they are, it's probably a deep secret.</p>
<p>If you're asking how you should choose one of these questions, I'd advise that you think a little bit about what the typical answer to each of the questions is. What cliche experiences does everyone talk about in their essays? Then choose the one/two topics where your answer would be strikingly different, write the essays, and see which turns out better.</p>
<p>Of course, laziness can play a factor, too. I think my essay selection had something to do with which essays were common to most of my applications. <<-- not a good way to choose.</p>
<p>I doubt if one prompt is better than others. I made a list of various topics (more specific than the prompts) that would fit with the different prompts, ditched the ones I thought would be too whiny/cliched/boring, started 3 or 4, ditched a couple more before finishing, and had just one that I did a good job writing and editing. Then I later went back and finished one of the others for scholarship applications. I would say it is worth writing more than one rough draft and seeing how it goes. You can probably tell if you just wrote something good w/ potential or not. Overall, I think the most important thing when choosing the topic is to write about something you care about--not so much trying to look good, but more personal, and specific to you.</p>