“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.”
OR
“Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?”
I don’t know how to start my essay.
I feel that the essay should be about me and not something I have accomplished, my life is pretty generic; there is nothing special in my life. I go to school - come back - do my homework - eat - sleep - repeat.
So what should I write in the main common app essay?
I did the first prompt, and I talked about an interest. Your interest really doesn’t have to be anything too special or unique–it is about how you show how an ordinary item or activity has greatly affected you and the way you think and act. Once you have something you want to write about, you should focus more first on creating an outline of your essay, showing which direction you want to go to when you write. The actual writing (and especially the hook/opening) can come after you have all these, when you already have a clear idea in mind. Good luck!
If you don’t quickly know what you’d write about for #2, you should do #1.
Start by listing every identifying characteristic of yourself, even the most mundane. Where you live, what subjects you like, what you watch on tv, where you grew up, what you like to eat, etc. From there, see if you can remember a story that includes a few of those things in it. The whole point of this essay is to let the AOs know who you are, something they couldn’t know from scores/GPA/activities. It doesn’t have to be [amazing] but it should be personal. If you dropped your essay in the hallway at school without your name on it, someone picking it up should be able to tell it is you.
Also, read some example essays. Some people write about really small incidents/quirks. Good luck!
Think of something about yourself that has always been a part of you. Quirkiness is good. I chose the first prompt, and wrote about how I have always used creativity/make-believe to deal with unpleasant or challenging situations. I know people who have written about one small event that sort of symbolizes themselves (think the Johns Hopkins paper crane essay). Also, just write to get your ideas out at first, don’t feel cornered by a certain prompt. If you can’t use one of the other prompts, #1 would work for anything.
1 is essentially a free write. I used that prompt and compared a spontaneous night terror experience to my entire academic life in regards to my peers/goals I want to accomplish. It ended up fitting perfectly in describing my background. You honestly can write about anything.