Top 3 Tips for Answering Common App Prompt 6
Top 3 Tips for Answering Common App 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?”
Common App essay prompt six is for deep thinkers, those students who get lost in the big ideas or the technical minutiae that bring them to life. This is not a place just to talk about something you like to study; it’s to reflect on something you need to study.
If this sounds like you, we encourage you to think about choosing this prompt. But before you dive in too deeply, consider our top three tips to help you write an essay that makes your passions stand out from the crowd.
Show Us, Don’t Just Tell Us
Your reader wants to gain a deep understanding of why the topic, idea, or concept that you choose to write about has captured your imagination. The “what” is much less important than the “why.” In fact, you are likely to have a similar “what” as many other students who choose this question. Whether your interest stems from a love of science or the humanities or developed from something you read or were taught in a faith community, it is not likely to be completely uncommon.
That’s ok! You can demonstrate how you have made your passion personal by writing in a way that highlights the specific takeaways and reflections you’ve drawn. Let’s say, for example, you are interested in computer science to the point where you spend almost all your free time coding. Rather than detailing all the various programs you’ve written, use the space in your essay to show us how developing those programs has helped you grow as a person or made you more aware of the world around you in some capacity.
You can also help set the scene about how your passion manifests by providing descriptive images of your process. Is there a location in your house you go to work on your passion projects? Have you carefully curated your workspace to fit your needs? Have you surprised yourself to realize that you had been working on a project until the sun came up? Focus on these kinds of details and your story will come to life for your reader.
Acknowledge Your Teachers
You didn’t develop your passion or topic of interest in a vacuum. You were inspired by an author, a teacher, a parent, a mentor, or someone else who planted a seed that you have been cultivating. Make sure your essay acknowledges these people and the role they’ve played.
Beyond simply paying tribute, this helps establish context for why you love what you love. It also gives your reader a sense of how you continue to seek new information or refine your knowledge – translatable skills for your upcoming college career. Admissions officers love finding students who are thirsty for knowledge and proactive about their education.
Have you gone above and beyond school assignments or expectations to deepen your knowledge? Have you connected with people more expert than you and actively sought their mentorship? Can you point to specific ways that you engaged with a topic, idea, or concept for the sake of learning rather than for a grade or recognition?
If you answered yes to these, you are well on your way having the substance you need to successfully answer Common App prompt six.
Expand on Your Unique Next Steps
Just as the “why” is crucial to your essay, so is the “what next.” Elaborate on your plan for how you intend to turn the concept or idea that has captivated you into something actionable.
Certainly, you’re allowed to change your mind. But having a sense of the direction you hope to travel will give admissions officers a better view of how you might interact with their curriculum and align with the values of their university.
Here is where specificity matters. The novel approach you hope to take in exploring your captivating concept will differentiate you from others who share similar interests. Returning to the computer science example: your essay would grab the reader much stronger if you could point to specific future goals like developing code that helps bridge a language gap for a community that matters to you or if you were committed to using your love of game design to build fun games that taught skills like empathy.
The more you can show your connection to the world around you through the concept or idea that captures you, the stronger your essay will read. Properly reflecting on these ideas will likely take multiple drafts and constructive guidance. But by starting early and working methodically – just like you do in developing your passions – you can write an amazing essay!
The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.
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