Top 3 Tips for Answering Common App Prompt 5
Top 3 Tips for Answering Common App Prompt 5
“Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.”
Every protagonist has an origin story, an inciting incident that sends them on their quest and ultimately leads to self-discovery. Harry Potter got the invitation to Hogwarts that gave him a new purpose and appreciation for his heritage. Peter Parker survived a radioactive spider bite that, instead of killing him, unlocked the superhero within. Dorothy Gale traveled all the way to the magical land of Oz only to realize “there’s no place like home.”
Common App prompt 4 gives students the opportunity to share their own origin story. What set you on your current course? How did you come to understand the world in the way that you do? If reflecting on these kinds of moments within your life excites you, and if you have a strong understanding of what those moments have been for you, this might be the best prompt to use to craft your personal statement.
But, as always, there are stronger ways than others to approach this topic. Students run the risk of writing about accomplishments that are too common or expected to truly move an admissions officer. Likewise, there are potential red flags inherent in some of the realizations that students have.
Before you devote too much time on your idea, pay attention to our top three tips below for successfully answering Common App prompt 4.
Make Sure Your Accomplishment is Impressive
There are undoubtedly many things you have accomplished that you’re proud of. And hopefully your high school experience has been filled with more successes than setbacks. Still, for your answer to this Common App essay prompt to captivate your reader, the accomplishment or event you highlight must rise to the ranks of “out of the ordinary.” Your admissions officer wants to be impressed by what you’ve done or the novel way you did it.
For example, winning student body president is a great achievement. But virtually every high school has a student body president or some elected student representation. Winning this distinction won’t likely set you apart within a crowded pool of qualified applicants. Here are a few other examples of nice but common achievements that are generally best to avoid using as the main theme of your main essay:
Winning the big game
Acting or singing in the school play
Earning your driver’s license
Becoming an Eagle Scout or Gold Award recipient
Having your bar or bat mitzvah
Remember, the more unique your achievement or event is, the easier it will be for an admissions officer to understand why it’s special to you. It will also be easier for you to draw conclusions about what you learned from the experience that cast you in a compelling light. Again, there are exceptions to every rule. But before you pick your example, ask yourself (as well as trusted advisors) what makes it special. If you struggle to identify clear ways that your approach or your success are extraordinary, we recommend you choose a different direction for your personal statement.
Make Sure Your Growth is Demonstrable
After you’ve chosen your impressive accomplishment, reflect on the growth that it sparked within you. There should be clear evidence of your continued evolution.
Let’s say, for example, that you chose to write about completing your first novel. As great as that accomplishment is, your reader will want to know about what happened after. How have you become savvier to the world of publishing or contest submissions? What have you learned from inevitable rejection of your work or less than glowing feedback? How have you continued to improve your craft or seek greater challenge? How has this experience made you a stronger student?
The way you respond to questions like these add layers of personality to your essay that resonate with admissions officers more strongly than a recount of the facts surrounding your accomplishment.
Here’s another example: let’s say that you choose to write about the moment you realized you have a different belief system than your parents. There’s a lot of room for vulnerability in a topic like this; but what will really leave an impression on your reader is the way you write about your growth after this moment. Did you independently seek new community? How did you take control of the process of redefining your relationships with your loved ones? What lessons did you learn from mistakes you may have made along the way?
Reflect on questions like these relative to your own situation and cite examples that illustrate your growth.
Make Sure Your New Understanding is Actionable
Pay attention to each word in the Common App essay prompt; there’s a very important “and” towards the end. To successfully answer this prompt, the achievement or event you focus on must have also sparked new self-understanding or greater awareness of others.
Take action on this new understanding. Admissions officers value evidence that gives them a glimpse of how you might contribute to their campus’s culture. Here are some examples of how you might make your understanding actionable:
Founding a new club or non-profit organization using your accomplishment as your source of credibility to do so
Turning a local project regional or national by continuing your research or engagement past the due date
Coaching others in your area of expertise
Mentoring younger students to take help them take your ideas further than you were able to
Doing follow-up research about the questions sparked from your new growth
Investing time and talent in learning more about the cultures and experiences of the “others” you reached a new understanding of
When you put these three elements together, you have a strong chance of writing a memorable essay. But remember, you cannot create substance from thin air. It all starts with having a body of work that will excite an admissions officer. Working with an admissions expert is a great way to identify your strongest stories and craft a well-planned application.
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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