When do essay prompts and supplement info come out?

College Essays
1

<p>I'm a junior right now and would like to start learning more about the college application process; you know - to start thinking about my essays and such. I thought the prompts would be released in the fall, but I've heard that some are already available apparently. Can anyone tell me about this?</p>

2

<p>Only a handful of colleges change their supplemental essays every year. UChicago is a notable example. In the meantime, you can work on your CommonApp essay, as the prompt never changes.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the help, geniustai. And I can find the CommonApp stuff online, right?</p>

4

<p>Yep.</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/DownloadForms/CombinedFirstYearForms2011.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/DownloadForms/CombinedFirstYearForms2011.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I chose to use my own topic for my essay (CommonApp is pretty flexible). It’s helpful because you can write your main essay without worrying about having to fit the prompt. Gave me quite a lot of freedom and inspiration.</p>

<p>As for the other institution-specific essays, you can start writing them now too. For example, you can start writing the Why UChicago or Why Northwestern essays (they are required every year). Look around the college website to find if they have their supplement from 2010-2011 term uploaded, and you can start from there.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

5

<p>Going from my experience in the college admission process this year, I am going to recommend that you go ahead and work on that Common Application essay. However, get people to check your grammar and try to do another version of the same essay and see which you like better. You have until late December to get it right!</p>

6

<p>Okay, thanks for the help!! Do most Ivys and first-tier schools have new prompts every year? How about liberal arts colleges like Williams?</p>

7

<p>Most Ivies and first-tier schools have same prompts every year. I am not familiar with LACs, however.</p>

8

<p>Interesting…I was, for some reason, under the impression that prompts came out in the fall of senior year and that’s why people started their essays then.</p>

9

<p>We just like to procrastinate :).</p>

10

<p>Haha…I guess it IS possible to finish college apps over the summer then?</p>

11

<p>^Indeed. I finished drafts in the spring and refined them for maybe an hour a week over the next months.</p>

12

<p>Omg, looking back on this thread as a just-turned-senior…I’m already wanting to procrastinate!</p>

13

<p>Where can we find previous supplement prompts (for schools that usually have the same prompts every year)?</p>