Posted July 9, 2025 by EdTech Classroom college-admissions

Your Go-To Guide to the Common Application Essay in 2025

If you’re getting ready to apply to college, chances are you’ll be filling out the Common Application (Did you know it’s used by over 1,000 colleges across the U.S.?!). One of the most important parts is the Common App essay. It’s your chance to tell admissions officers who you really are beyond grades and test scores.

In this guide, you’ll learn Common Application essay tips, see how to tackle each prompt, and discover how to write a college essay that can help you get into college.

In this blog post, we’re covering:

What is the Common App Essay, and More Importantly, What are the Prompts?
The Common App Essay Prompts Explained
How to Write Your Common App Essay Step-by-Step
My Top Common Application Essay Tips
Common Pitfalls to Avoid

What is the Common App Essay, and More Importantly, What are the Prompts?

The Common Application is a standardized college application platform that lets you apply to multiple colleges with one main application. Each year, it releases a set of essay prompts (short questions meant to spark personal, reflective essays).

For the 2025-2026 application cycle (which often stays similar year to year), the prompts are designed to give you flexibility. They range from discussing a meaningful experience to reflecting on a challenge or a topic that fascinates you. You’ll choose one prompt and write an essay of up to 650 words.

You can create an account here.

The Common App Essay Prompts Explained

The Common App Essay prompts remain pretty consistent from year to year. In fact, the tweaks are so minor, you’ll probably never notice a change.

The Common App usually reveals any changes to the prompts early in the year (around February ish), allowing students ample time to prepare.

Here are the 2025 Common App Essay Prompts:

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.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Now, let’s break them down.

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 prompt is great for personal stories tied to culture, family, passions, or long-term hobbies:

What this prompt is asking you: Who are you at your core? What’s essential to your identity? This could be tied to your family, culture, religion, language, a unique upbringing, or a passion that defines you.
How to brainstorm this prompt: What’s something most people wouldn’t know about you just from your résumé? What’s a story that illustrates where you come from or what drives you? What do you spend hours on without being told to?
What colleges learn about you: How do you see yourself? What’s deeply important to you? How does your background shape how you see the world and your perspective?

Check out this guide to Prompt #1

Prompt #2: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

This prompt is great for thinking about setbacks, how you have grown from challenges, and how you handle those challenges.

What this prompt is asking you: How do you respond to difficulties? Are you resilient, reflective, and willing to grow?
How to brainstorm this prompt: When did something not go your way (i.e. a failed tryout, a class you struggled in, a big mistake)? How did you respond? What did it teach you that you still carry with you?
What colleges learn about you: How do you problem-solve? What is your approach? Do you have humility and a capacity to grow?

Check out this guide to Prompt #2

Prompt #3: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

This prompt is great for showing intellectual curiosity, moral courage, or open-mindedness.

What this prompt is asking you: Are you intellectually curious or morally courageous? Do you think critically, even when it’s hard?
How to brainstorm this prompt: Was there a time you spoke up for something you believed was right? Have you ever changed your mind about something important? Did you ever question traditions or challenge assumptions in your community?
What colleges learn about you: What are your values? Do you have integrity and a willingness to engage with complex ideas?

Check out this guide to Prompt #3

Prompt #4: Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

This prompt is great for showing gratitude, reflection, and the value of your relationships with others.

What this prompt is asking you: Can you recognize how others have impacted your life? Are you reflective and appreciative? How does gratitude influence what you do next?
How to brainstorm this prompt: Was there a small act of kindness that left a big mark on you? Has anyone helped you through a tough time or encouraged you in an unexpected way? How did this make you think differently or inspire you to act?
What colleges learn about you: How do you value relationships? Are motivated by appreciation, not just achievement?

Prompt #5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

This prompt is great for showcasing your accomplishments, “coming of age” stories, and pivotal moments.

What this prompt is asking you: What was a turning point for you? How did you mature, or see the world differently afterward?
How to brainstorm this prompt: Was there a big moment that shifted your perspective? How are you different because of this experience? What new understanding did it bring?
What colleges learn about you: How do you self-reflect and grow, especially after you accomplish something big?

Prompt #6: Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

This prompt is great for showing academic passion or how your mind works.

What this prompt is asking you: What genuinely excites your mind? Are you an independent learner?
How to brainstorm this prompt: What do you get obsessed with or dive deep into just for fun? How do you explore this interest further, through reading, creating, discussing?
What colleges learn about you: Are you intellectually curious and passionate? How would you contribute to an academic community?

Prompt #6: Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

This prompt is great for… literally anything! This is your safety net if none of the other prompts quite fit your story.

What this prompt is asking you: No seriously, this is asking you to write about literally anything.
How to brainstorm this prompt: Is there a story you’re dying to tell that doesn’t neatly fit the first six prompts? Do you want to write about something quirky, creative, or a mash-up of different experiences?
What colleges learn about you: What is your unique perspective and what do you feel is most important to share?

How to Write Your Common App Essay Step-by-Step

Writing your Common App essay might feel overwhelming, but breaking it into manageable steps makes the process far less intimidating. Follow this clear roadmap to craft a standout college essay that captures who you are and why you’d thrive on campus.

1. Brainstorm

Spend time reflecting on experiences that shaped you. What stories show your character, growth, or passions? Make a list.

These should be meaningful experiences, such as moments of joy, challenge, curiosity, or transformation.

2. Choose the right prompt

Pick the prompt that best fits your story, not the other way around. Pick the one that lets you tell your strongest, most authentic story. BUT, don’t try to force a story into a prompt… and don’t try to force your whole story.

3. Start with a Hook (draft a compelling opening)

Hook the reader in the first paragraph. Use a vivid scene, a surprising statement, or a thought-provoking question. A hook is SO important.

Your first few lines should draw the reader in. Start with an image, action, or line of dialogue.

4. Build the narrative

Show, don’t just tell. I know it’s a cliché from English class… but it’s a cliché for a reason. Use specific details to bring your story to life. What does your story look like, feel like, smell like, etc?

5. Reflect

Tie it back to why this matters. How did you change or grow? How does it prepare you for college? This reflection is often the most powerful part.

6. Revise

Strong essays often go through 5+ drafts. Sweet spots with my clients is around 7. Read it aloud, get feedback, and tighten your language. Revise for clarity. Revise for impact.

Common App Essay Tips

Lastly, I’ve got lots of tips for you… but I think these are the most important:

Be authentic: Write in your real voice. Don’t try to guess what colleges want. The right college will want you.
Use concrete details: Instead of saying “I love soccer,” describe how it feels to step onto the field. Show colleges that you know how to write.
Focus on depth: One small story, deeply explored, is better than a list of everything you’ve done. You don’t need to share your whole life story, just a powerful glimpse.
Connect back to you: Even if you write about someone else, show how it changed or shaped you. This is an important one (which I’ll comment on again in the pitfalls below).
Start early: The best essays come from having time to rethink and revise. Plus, senior year gets busy. Starting early will help you stay less stressed.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Avoid these common pitfalls when writing your Common App essay to help improve your changes to get into college:

AVOID sounding generic or cliché: Avoid phrases like “hard work pays off” or “I learned to never give up.” Make it personal. Try to avoid sounding like ChatGPT (and definitely don’t be using ChatGPT!).
AVOID rehashing your résumé: Your activities section already lists your achievements. Use the essay for stories and insights.
AVOID being overly dramatic or insincere: Don’t manufacture tragedy or exaggerate. It’ll be obvious to the reader.
AVOID writing about someone else: If you’re focusing your essay on your relationship with someone else, make sure you don’t just write about them. Write about you. How did they change YOU? How did they shape YOU? Or vice versa. Colleges need to learn about you. They aren’t admitting your grandma or camp counselor.
AVOID skipping proofreading: Typos or sloppy grammar can distract from your story. Colleges are accepting you for academics too, and they want to know you know how to write.