How to Write the Common App Essay for Prompt #1 in 2025
If you’re applying to college, one of the most popular essay questions on the Common Application is Prompt #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.
This essay prompt is perfect for telling a deeply personal story. It’s also one of the most frequently chosen prompts (because it’s a good prompt!).
In this blog post, you’ll learn what this prompt is really asking, how to brainstorm meaningful topics, see example ideas, and get strategic Common App essay tips to write a college essay that stands out.
What is this Common App Essay Prompt about?
There are 7 total Common App Essay prompts, but this one is about who you are at your core. It’s an invitation to share something essential about yourself (i.e. your roots, passions, or experiences that shape your perspective). Let’s take a look at the prompt again:
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.
At first glance it seems especially well-suited for stories about:
- Culture or ethnicity
- Family traditions
- Religion or language
- A unique upbringing or community
- A long-standing hobby, interest, or talent that defines you
If an admissions officer only read your essay (and not your résumé or activities list), would they still come away understanding what matters most to you?
Let’s take a closer look…
“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.”
This opening is intentionally broad. It means:
- Not everyone will answer this prompt. But if you do, it should be because this story is truly central to who you are.
- You’re not forced to squeeze your life into this question. Only use it if it genuinely fits.
“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.”
This is the heart of the prompt. Notice how many different options it gives you:
- Background: Your personal history, family circumstances, or environment. Could be where you grew up, your socioeconomic situation, or major events that shaped your life.
- Identity: How you see yourself and how others see you. This could include your culture, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or even philosophical beliefs.
- Interest: A passion, hobby, or subject you’re deeply curious about. Something you explore because it excites you, whether it’s astrophysics, baking bread, or writing spoken word poetry.
- Talent: A skill or ability you’ve cultivated. This could be artistic (playing piano), athletic (rock climbing), technical (building apps), or anything else you’ve spent time developing.
“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.”
This is the test of significance. It’s asking:
- Is this aspect of you so essential that leaving it out would feel like hiding a core piece of yourself?
- Would your story be misunderstood or lacking if this were missing?
Admissions officers are not looking for something “impressive.” Well, I guess they sort of are, but they’re mostly looking for something meaningful.
What Colleges Learn From This Essay
When admissions officers read your essay for Prompt #1, they’re hoping to learn:
- How you see yourself: What identity, interest, or experience is so meaningful it shapes how you move through the world?
- What is deeply important to you: What do you value, cherish, or prioritize?
- How your background shapes your perspective: Will you bring a unique viewpoint to campus? Do you show empathy, curiosity, or appreciation for differences?
Remember, colleges want a diverse class of students with varied stories, not only in demographics, but in experiences and interests.
How to Brainstorm for Common App Prompt #1
If you think you want to respond to Prompt #1, first you’ll want to do some brainstorming. Use the following questions to spark ideas. Don’t limit yourself just yet. Start by jotting down whatever comes to mind.
- What’s something most people wouldn’t know about you from reading your résumé?
- Is there a story that beautifully illustrates where you come from or what drives you?
- What do you spend hours on without being told? Is there something that brings you joy or flow?
- What are small moments in your life that felt big because they captured something about who you are?
- How has your background shaped how you see the world?
You don’t need a dramatic or unique story. Even simple topics, told with honesty and specific details, can be powerful. A quiet moment, like making dumplings with your grandmother or fixing bikes with your dad, can say far more about you than listing accomplishments.
Strategies for Choosing and Developing Your Topic
- Start with Themes, Then Uncover Stories: This might sound counterintuitive, but I actually think it’s best to consider themes or values you want to communicate. If you want to show you’re resilient, try thinking of small stories in your life that showcase that theme/trait. I recommend taking a look at this values exercise by the College Essay Guy to help you get started.
- Free-Write or Make a List: Jot down childhood memories, meaningful conversations, or even inside jokes that capture something real. Often, your best topic is buried in something casual.
- Ask People Who Know You Well: What do they see as your defining traits or moments? Sometimes others see your story more clearly than you do. At the end of the day, it’s your essay, but getting input can be helpful. Just try to avoid getting too many opinions.
- Focus on the Details, Even When Brainstorming: The small specifics, the color of your grandmother’s sari, the first fish you caught with your uncle, will make your story stand out.
Topic Ideas for Common App Essay Prompt #1
Here’s a big list of topic ideas to help you start brainstorming. Your reflections and specific details are what make them shine.
Background/Identity: Cultural or Family Stories
- Growing up bilingual, or navigating multiple cultures at home and at school
- Holiday traditions that feel central to your identity
- Foods, festivals, or customs that shaped your sense of belonging
- Your family’s business you grew up helping with
- Being the oldest sibling who translates documents for your parents
- How your grandparents’ immigration stories shaped your work ethic
- Finding pride in an accent you used to hide
- Teaching younger cousins to read in your first language
- Growing up in a small town where everyone knows you
- Advocating for your neighborhood when developers wanted to change it
Interest/Talent: Long-term interests, passions, or talents
- Practicing violin for 12 years and the way music calms you
- Sketching portraits on the subway, learning to notice details others miss
- Building robots in your garage, experimenting even when you fail
- Coding small video games or apps for fun, showing how you solve problems, tell stories, or build worlds others can experience
- Writing poetry you’ve never shown anyone
- Obsessing over astronomy because it makes you feel connected to something bigger
- Designing fashion or sewing your own clothes, exploring how style helps you express identity and creativity
- Teaching yourself new languages on Duolingo, fascinated by the challenge and the cultures behind each word
- Baking intricate desserts or mastering bread recipes, finding joy in the precision, patience, and sharing the results with family and friends
Final Common Application Essay Tips
- Be authentic: Use your real voice. Admissions officers can tell when you’re writing what you think they want to hear vs. if it’s authentic to you.
- Reflect deeply: The best essays don’t just narrate an event; they explore what it meant to you.
- Connect back to who you are today: How does this background, identity, interest, or talent continue to shape your choices, values, or goals?
- Revise carefully: Read your essay aloud. Check that it sounds like you, not a forced version of yourself.
How to Write the Common App Essay Prompt #1
Common App Essay Prompt #1 is your chance to share the story that makes you, you. Whether it’s your cultural background, a passion you’ve pursued for years, or a family tradition that shaped your worldview, this is the space to let admissions officers see what your résumé can’t show.
By being honest, specific, and reflective, you’ll write a college essay that not only answers the question, but also resonates, helping you take a big step closer to getting into college.
Need More Help?
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