Having Serious Trouble with Common App Essay

College Essays
1

<p>I've been trying to write my common app essay for one and a half weeks now, and I'm really having a lot of trouble with it. I choose prompt #1, which reads as follows (for those who don't already know it):</p>

<p>"Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you."</p>

<p>I have absolutely no idea what the word "impact" means in this prompt. I can think of many memorable experiences, but I'm afraid to use any of them because I don't know if they had an "impact" on me. And since I don't know what "impact" means to begin with, I can't search for anything to write about. As you can see, I'm going around in circles, and its just frustrating. </p>

<p>If I know what the correct definition of "impact" is (in the context of the prompt), I'm sure I will be able to find something to discuss in my common app. My question therefore is this: What does an experience (call it X) have to do to me to be something that had an impact? </p>

<p>Does X have to change how I behave? [i.e., After X, I became less shy around others] Does X have to change what I care about, enjoy, or do for fun? [i.e. As a result of X, I became fascinated with subject Y] Does X have to change my view of the world? </p>

<p>I appreciate any and all advice you can give me about what "impact" means (srry for the variables BTW, I just like using them).</p>

2

<p>I think all your definitions of “impact” would suit the prompt. It’s purposely vague enough so that everyone can interpret it differently. As long as you answer how it affected you in some way (all of your examples are write-able topics), you should be fine. Like you said, you could write about how X changed your worldview, how X changed your personality, or how as a result of X, you became fascinated with a particular subject area.</p>

<p>I was stuck writing my Common App essay for over a month. You just have to force yourself to start writing about a topic. Have your teacher review your draft and see if it fits the prompt.</p>

3

<p>Thanks buublyperfection. Anyone else have suggestions?</p>

4

<p>I am having a lot of trouble with these types of questions too. College essay prompts are so damn vague. And bubblyperfection is right. There’s no right answer, they’re looking for something along those lines but what you write about and how you write about it isn’t an issue.</p>

<p>I think the problem a lot of people have with it is that it seems almost too simple and they don’t want to be flat and boring. But if it’s personal to you, it will come across that way. Colleges I don’t think are really evaluating your intellect in the essay, yeah to some extent, writing is a necessary skill, but they want to get to know YOU.</p>