Common App Essay Examples

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We've found 22 essays on Common App
The Process of Common App to College in the United States

One of the biggest decisions you will have to make is where you wish to receive an education from. Unless transferring or dropping out you will be at that college for at least four years, so it is quite an important choice. Another difficult decision …

EducationGovernmentSchoolUniversity
Words 967
Pages 4
The Lack of Effectiveness in the Common App to the Current HIV Crisis

As an outsider who shares many values with sincere and faithful Christians, I am troubled with the apparent lack of effectiveness of their most common approaches to the current HIV crisis. The Christian ultimate objective of saving souls is not universally shared, and arguments from …

EthicsPhilosophyScienceSociety
Words 765
Pages 3
Common Courtesy

Impact of Common Courtesy on Public Transit: Literature review Common courtesy is likely seen as less and less of a social norm in public nowadays. With the hussle and bussle of city buses there is no exception for the lack of courtesy given in small …

Character TraitsEtiquetteExperimentStatistics
Words 1202
Pages 5
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Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

Thomas Paine is one of the important founding fathers of America who with his powerful language won over the hearts of the Americans. Thus he united America to rebel against the greatest super power in the world at the time – England. Thomas Paine came …

Thomas Paine
Words 1005
Pages 4
Common Definition of Terrorism

Abstract There is much difficulty when it comes to establishing what a terrorist actually is because of the lack of definition that exists on an international level. The difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter cannot easily be identified as a result of this, …

JusticeTerrorismViolence
Words 1971
Pages 8
Commonwealth Games

After having organized the Asiad Games successfully in 1982 at Delhi, India has been fortunate enough to be honoured by Commonwealth Games Federation to perform the duties of a host nation to the 19th edition of Commonwealth Games scheduled to be inaugurated on October 3, …

GamesSportWealth
Words 1033
Pages 4
Seasonal Variation Common Pediatric Problems

Background: Seasonal fluctuation is an of import public wellness phenomenon. Many common human diseases display predictable seasonal tendencies depending upon direct or indirect factors act uponing patient results. Pakistan lacks clear cut informations about this issue. Seasonal fluctuation assumes critical importance when it comes to …

AsthmaDiseaseEpidemiologyHealthMedicineSocial Problems
Words 1693
Pages 7
Common Misconceptions of Sports Suppluments

Common Misconceptions In today’s society, many people have started to develop misconceptions about sports supplements. Because people started this mentality, they have tried to make their own misconceptions about them and telling other people to avoid them. Sports Supplements, also known as ergogenic aids, are …

CaffeineSport
Words 1058
Pages 4
First Commonwealth Financial Corporation

Will the BSC program at First Commonwealth provide Board members with the information they need to fulfill their governance responsibilities? Does a board really need information beyond the results reported in a company’s monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports? To engage board member’s expertise much …

BankCorporationCorporationsGovernance
Words 2088
Pages 8
Equity method and common stock

FASB interpretation no. 35 has given the criteria to be applied in dealing with equity method of accounting for investment where an enterprise invest less than 50% of the voting stock in a company. Through the guideline given by APB opinion no. 18, equity method …

BusinessFinanceInvestment
Words 638
Pages 3
Commonwealth History The Birth Of The Modern Commonwealth

The birth of the modern Commonwealth, as we recognise it today, really began with the independence of India and Pakistan from Britain in 1947. In 1949, India’s desire to become a republic and to cut constitutional ties with the British monarchy while remaining within the …

BirthDemocracyHistoryJusticeMonarchy
Words 744
Pages 3
Commonly known

Electronic commerce which Is commonly known as E-commerce or E-business Is a modern concept of doing business. In layman’s language, It Is the buying and selling of products and services over electronic systems which mainly comprises of Internet. In this form of business the payment …

E-commerceEssay ExamplesRetail
Words 1142
Pages 5
Specific Application of English Law in Malaysia’s Commercial Matters

3. 1. 2 Specific Application of English Law(common law and rules of equity) The specific application of English law is under the section 5 CLA 1956 which provides for the application of English law in commercial matters in Malaysia as a whole, differs in its …

Common LawJusticeMalaysia
Words 559
Pages 3
Management Essays: Common Approaches to Write about Risks

Risk management is mostly a practical subject, where the theoretical foundation is represented merely through different models that should be applied in practice. Due to the nature of essays, a risk management essay will mostly focus on the theory, rather than practice, which is mostly …

Management
Words 286
Pages 2
Common Sense Economics

Macroeconomics Professor Coppedge December 5, 2011 Common Sense Economics Common Sense Economics is packed with valuable information, and approaches presenting this information in a way that is less dry than a conventional textbook. Although there is a lot to learn in this book, I feel …

EconomicsMoneyTax
Words 700
Pages 3
Reclaiming the Commons

My paper is based on the article entitled “Reclaiming the Commons”, by Naomi Klein. In this article the author defines what anti-globalization movement means in her own words. The meaning and origins of the term anti-globalization movement is disputed amongst various socialists and economists, but …

ActivismGlobalizationPolitics
Words 1579
Pages 6
Common Ion Effect in Equilibrium

Dissolution and precipitation reactions are very important chemical reactions because it is applied to many aspects of the industries in medicine, food, water etc. The objectives of this laboratory experiment is to become familiar with dissolution and precipitation equilibria, develop a lab technique suitable for …

ChemistrySolutions
Words 822
Pages 3
A Royal Salute to the Commonwealth

A royal salute to the Commonwealth The article “A royal salute to the Commonwealth” is written by Peter Osbourne, a British journalist and a political commentator. It reflects on the role of Commonwealth as being a better applicable organisation for England than NATO and the …

Essay Examples
Words 988
Pages 4
Common Law and Equity

The Development of Common Law and Equity Common Law has been functioning in England since the 1250’s, two centuries after William the Conqueror defeated Earl Harold Godwinson in the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and became King. It was then in 1066 that Law began …

Common LawJustice
Words 1525
Pages 6
Common App Essay

Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? I remember the days when I was working on my junior year project about biochemistry. We were directed to discuss about the effect of Aspartame …

Essay Examples
Words 454
Pages 2
English: Literature and Common Courses

UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT (Abstract) BA Programme in English under Choice based credit semester systemSchool of Distance Education/ Private mode- Syllabus in tune with Choice based credit semester System School of Distance Education regulations-approved implemented with effect from 2011 admissionOrders issued  GENERAL AND ACADEMIC BRANCH­IV­‘B’ SECTION  No: GAIV/B2/9842/2010 Dated, Calicut …

English LiteratureLiteratureTeaching
Words 8881
Pages 33
God and The Common Good Approach : Allowing Evil to Demonstrate Empathy

When one looks at the atrocities in the world today and the example used by Johnson of the innocent infant burned in a building, a common reaction is empathy and sympathy. If Johnson insists on viewing God as a mortal and asserting that a human …

EmpathyEvilGodGood and Evil
Words 103
Pages 1
Table of contents

Going to college is a life-changing experience. For many high school students, this is the first time that they have to make an important decision that will shape their future. While applying to college may be one of the most stressful periods in a person's life, it can be made a bit easier if you start preparing for it in time. Today, we will look at college essays – specifically, the common app essays that are part of most college applications.

If you are wondering what kind of essay this is, what is considered a successful common app essay, how long can or should a common app essay be, or what are the common app essay prompts for this year – do not worry, we will cover all this and much more in this detailed guide about writing the best common app essays ever!

What is the Common Application essay?

Common application — or common app for short — is a type of application that most students have to submit to get into university. A lot of colleges require applicants to write a common application essay on one of the topics that are assigned for that year. In addition, there might be another secondary or supplemental essay that applicants have to submit as well, but that is not nearly as important as the common app essay.

In short, the common app essay is a 650-word essay that serves to show an applicant's talents, achievements, interests, and aspirations that will give admissions officers a clear idea of whether this applicant is good enough to get into that college or not. This essay is very important as it can make up for nearly 30 percent of the admissions decision. The rest of the decision is based on the overall schoolwork of a student, their exam scores, volunteer work, community service, and so on.

How to Write the Common Application Essays 2021-2022

One of the first things you need to do when preparing for the common app essay is to look at the topics assigned for the essay and choose one that you want to write. If you are having trouble choosing a topic, you can talk to someone close to you and ask for advice or maybe even consult a teacher that you think would be able to help you out. Once you have made your decision on the topic, it could be a good idea to brainstorm and do some freewriting as preparation for the final essay.

There is usually a deadline for submission, so you will want to keep that in mind as well. Start early and take the task seriously — you do not want to be late with your submission or leave it for the last moment. Outline what you want to include in the essay, what your focus will be on, or what the thesis paragraph will include. That will make it easier for you to make a cohesive and coherent essay. You should also consider looking up common app essay examples or sample common app essays just to get the feeling of what your essay should be like.

Once you start with writing, you will need to divide the essay into paragraphs. Here are the paragraphs you should have:

  • Introductory paragraph
  • Thesis paragraph
  • Body paragraphs – one for each idea you elaborate on
  • Conclusion paragraph – this is where you will wrap the story up and point to the thesis statement or main idea again.

You should re-read your essay at least a few times before submitting it, check for any grammar or spelling errors. A word of advice is to never write in a know-it-all tone or attempt to write like a professional, older writer. The purpose of this essay is not to give the admissions officers something to read but to let them see your personality, what your interests are, what you want to achieve in the future. Believe me, once you really get into it, you might even find that 650 words are not nearly enough to tell your story.

Choosing your Common App Essay Topic

Below you can find seven common app essays prompts that you can choose from when writing your essay. Six of the topics are somewhat limiting but still great if you do not have a definite idea about what you want to write. They focus on the applicant's background, something that they have lived through, accomplished, a dilemma they might have had, a realization, and so on.

If the first six options do not sound interesting to you, the final option is to write on a topic of your choosing — the one that you are really passionate about and might have already written on. If you decide to go with this one, you will need to think  hard about what you will write about, as it should be something that will dazzle the university admissions officers enough to let you join.

If you have a problem coming up with a topic or forming your essay on one of the topics given, you can always ask a teacher to help you get rid of that writer's block, or you can seek assistance from a professional service. At PHDessay, we have so many great writers that can help you out with whatever you need or even write an essay for you. It is very simple to order an essay from our website, while our professional authors will be happy to assist you and help you write an essay that you will be proud of.  

Think about Statement

Your thesis must be arguable; it must state a claim or refute a claim about your issue. A thesis must have some chance of being true in order to be debatable. It should not, however, be widely recognized as true; instead, it should be a statement that people can disagree with. It's important to remember that a thesis includes both an observation and an opinion:

observation + opinion (the "why") = thesis

Seeing if your thesis creates a powerful antithesis is an excellent approach to determine how strong it is.

Common thesis pitfalls:

  • A thesis in the form of a fragment.
  • A thesis that is overly broad.
  • A thesis that is phrased as a question. (The thesis is usually derived from the solution to the question.)
  • Extraneous information is included in a thesis.
  • A thesis that begins with the words "I believe" or "In my opinion."
  • A thesis that deals with a tired or cliched topic.
  • A thesis that includes phrases that lead to erroneous generalizations (all, none, always, only, everyone, etc.)

What Makes a Great Common App Essay?

No matter what topic you choose to write on, you should always put your best effort forward when writing a common app essay. You have to remember that the admissions officers will not be able to see you or get to know you at all when you apply to the college — all they will have to go on is your application and the essay!

What will make your common app essay better than someone else's essay is the story you tell and how you tell it. Do not be afraid to get in touch with your feelings and tell your story in great detail, explaining how an experience changed your life, what you learned from it, or how it helped you come to some realization. Also, remember that you are writing for an admission officer that is going to determine whether you get into the college of your choosing or not, so you have to write it in a down-to-earth tone, to be respectful, insightful, and unique in your writing.

Last but not least, you should always go back and re-read your essay before submitting it. I cannot stress this enough — grammatical or spelling errors are a big no-no when writing a common application essay. It will be best if you get started on the essay early, think about the topic long and hard, get a second opinion as well as some advice from teachers and family, and only then start actually writing the essay that you will submit.

Make the most of the 650 words that are given to you — this is your chance to show everyone what you are all about, what you aspire to become, and why you are a perfect candidate for that college.

What Are the 2020-2021 Common App essay prompts?

Luckily for college applicants, there is more than one topic they can choose from when it comes to writing successful common app essays that will get them into college. The topics for this year are the same as last year ones, so you might recognize them if you took an interest in them last year. Here is the full list of essay topics:

  1. There are certain students that have a background or interest without which their application would be simply incomplete.If this is the case, please share that story of yours.
  2. The lessons we learn when overcoming obstacles can be essential to reach success in the future. Please share a story of a challenge or failure, how did it affect you, and what have that experience meant to you?
  3. Reflect on a time when you questioned some of your beliefs or ideas you’ve heard. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
  4. Reflect on something that one has done for you that has affected you in a surprisingly positive manner. Has this motivated you?
  5. Discuss an achievement or experience that signified a personal growth and/or sparked a new understanding of your personality of that of others.
  6. Describe an idea or topic that you find extremely engaging and that makes you totally forget about time and events around you. Why is that captivating for you?
  7. Write an essay addressing any topic you want. This can be one of already completed ones, one based on a different prompt, or one of your own design.

If you read closely up to this point, you should have a clear idea of what the common app essay is really about. This essay might be just the thing that will change your life and get you into the college of your dreams. So, give it your all — you will not regret it!

Common App Essay Topics

Common App Essays On Beauty

  1. Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder
  2. She Walks in Beauty Analysis
  3. Physical Beauty vs Inner Beauty
  4. Response to the Story “Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self”
  5. Beauty and Brain
  6. Beauty Is Skin Deep
  7. Natural Health Beauty Tips
  8. Quality management of client care in the hair & beauty sector
  9. A Comparison and Contrast of Ideas of Beauty
  10. Advantages Of Beauty Contests

Common App Essay Topics On Interests

  1. My Interest in Becoming a Firefighter
  2. My Interest in Biology and Chemistry
  3. The Lessons We Take from Failure
  4. Soccer - My Main Source of Joy
  5. The Statement of Study: My Interest in Chemical Engineering
  6. An Overview of The Practice of Origami
  7. Collecting Rare Original Versions of Books
  8. Cycling for The Children and Adults
  9. My Hobby is Technology
  10. Swimming – One of My Most Invigorating Hobbies

Common App Essay Topics On Disease

  1. Concepts of Alzheimer’s disease
  2. Citrus Greening Disease in The United States
  3. Countering to the Hepatitis Disease
  4. Alcoholism Disease or Self Will
  5. Psychological Disorders: Parkinson’s Disease
  6. Environment, Disease and Crime in Egypt
  7. The Disease of Autism
  8. Prevention of Disease
  9. Heart Disease: Nutrition
  10. Diagnosis a Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Common App Essay Topics On Astronomy

  1. Black Hole Growth in the Early Universe
  2. Can Light Escape from Black Holes?
  3. Early Astronomers: Aristotle, Copernicus, Galileo, and Ptolemy
  4. Hydrodynamics on Supercomputers: Interacting Binary Stars
  5. Experimental Determination of the Moon Angular Diameter
  6. Kepler’s Planetary Laws: Observational Background
  7. Copernicus and Heliocentric Models of the Galaxy
  8. The Big Bang Theory: the Genesis of the Universe
  9. What Is the Fate of the Universe?
  10. What Would Happen if the Earth Stopped Rotating?

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Main Facts About This Article 

👆Type of Essay

Common App

📝Type of Article

Step By Step Guide + Examples

🧐Main 3 Parts of Essay

Intro, Body, And Conclusion

✍️How to Write Essay

Brainstorming, Drafting, Revising, Proofreading

✅Could You Write My Essay?

Sure, We Are Professional Essay Writers

Frequently asked questions

What is a good Common App essay?
Learning from failures can help us to be more successful in the future. Recall a time in your life when you were faced with a problem, a failure, or both. What has this experience taught you? Recall a time when you challenged or questioned a belief.
How long should a Common App essay be?
What should you aim for? Common App essays should be between 500 and 650 words. This allows you to write an extensive essay on the topic of your choice. If you don't have a possibility to send online essay, some colleges will allow you to send them a printed copy.
How do you start a common app essay?
How to write an essay for a regular application 1. Get started early. Writing good paper takes time. 2. Write outline. 3. Write Introduction. 4. Be realistic. 5. Be you. 6. Get help with editing. 7. Proofread 8. Submit the final edit.
What do colleges look for in common app essay?
Admission officers look for students whose essays reflect their character and point-of-view through real-life experiences. They are not looking for contrived situations. Admission officers state that most essays they review should be versatile, unique and describe personality of students who wrote them.
How important is the common app essay?
Common App essays are a crucial part of college applications. A 2019 study by The National Association for College Admissions Counseling found that 56.4% of colleges considered a common app essay moderately to significantly important.
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