How would you rank the popularity of each of the common app prompts for 2016?

Applying to College
1

How often do you think each of these prompts get chosen?

1.Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could have taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

2

If you Google “common app prompt popularity” there’s a Forbes article that says last year they were as follows:

  1. 47%
  2. 17%
  3. 4%
  4. 10%
  5. 22%
3

Follow up question, do you think that should inform how I choose a prompt? Would it be a good idea to stay away from 1?

Also how much can you stretch the definition of prompt 3? For example could I write about a conception that I fought internally for many years then finally this (senior) year decided to “fight” outwardly?

4

You’re overthinking this. You should choose the prompt that you can most deeply or naturally address – not survey it for commonality among other 17 year olds.

5

Because the prompts are so broad, many people take, say, prompt #1 and go in thousands of different directions. Don’t worry about the commonality of a prompt.