Ideation: Core Concepts
Guide your brainstorming by thinking about the Common App prompts as falling into two broad categories
This lesson provides students with a framework for interpreting the Common Application personal statement prompts. We find it helpful to think about the prompts as falling into two broad categories: identity and personal development.
While each of the prompts poses a unique question, we believe that thinking in terms of these broad categories helps with the ideation process, as you can "cast a wide net" when you brainstorm, rather than straining to find the perfect memory/reflection to match a specific prompt.
Note that the essay prompts are numbered on the Common App website, and so we refer to the prompts by number for brevity's sake throughout the video.
Here are the official 2024-2025 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.
Identity-focused prompts: Numbers 1 and 6
Prompts 1 and 6 ask you to identify something that is central to who you are. Identity can be a trait you inherit (i.e., ethnic, religious, national, or regional), but it can also be a skill or practice you have chosen to cultivate (i.e., being a musician, a gamer, an actor etc.) especially if that trait/practice becomes central to how you see yourself. For example, Will - the guy in the video - attended a special arts high school where he “majored” in percussion, so often people in his friend group would refer to him as “Will the Drummer.” When selecting prompt 1 or 6, you should be mindful of how frequently other applicants are likely to select the same or similar “identity” that you are. It becomes more difficult to set yourself apart from other applicants if you choose a popular/crowded topic.
Growth, development, and evolution-focused prompts: Numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5
Each of these prompts approaches the concept of personal development from a different angle, but all require you to tell a story about how you have become the person that you are today. When we brainstorm with students, we typically first focus on prompts 1 and 6 and – if nothing jumps out at the student – we then start delving into their “origin” or development stories (which can almost always be adapted to fit one of these prompts). One tip we give students is that no one ever evolves solely from their successes. While students (understandably) like to focus on their victories, we prompt students to think of “The Valley of Despair” and begin with the moment when victory felt uncertain.
Achievements reinforce our worldview or approach to problem-solving; while success might make us more confident, it doesn’t actually force us to evolve. Prompts 2-5 are best answered by reflecting on challenges or hardships that led students to demonstrate resilience, ingenuity, and to readjust their approach in some way.
Is it possible to combine the identity and personal development prompts?
Absolutely! This is our perfect scenario: reframing your talent or identity within the context of your personal development. Through this approach, you capture the drama of a story that showcases your character, resilience, and ingenuity while also showcasing a talent or identity that sets you apart from other applicants. If possible, this is the optimal route to pursue!
Key Takeaways:
Read the prompts for the gist of questions, but don’t let yourself feel constrained by them.
Most of the prompts focus on your evolution; focus your future reflections on ways that you have developed as a person.