Ahh, summer. The sun is shining, the beach is calling, and students everywhere are starting their Common App essays. Here at Options, we know that students who work on finish their Common App essays over the summer, start their last school year with much less stress and much more ready to take on the busy application season.
But how do you finish this essay if you’re not even sure where to start? We suggest a little brainstorming.
The Common App publishes seven prompts each year asking questions about their identity, challenges, beliefs, and accomplishments, and although the prompts matter, they don’t matter as much as you think they do. What’s really important is the story you want to tell. So let’s think about how we get to the story we all know you have.
Meet those milestones
When you first start brainstorming, it’s helpful to think about the milestone moments in your life. Make a list of the events that feel like big ones: birthdays, anniversaries, travel, wins, and losses. Think about times when you were challenged or times when you went above and beyond expectations, and don’t forget to include moments that changed your perspective on something or taught you a little more about yourself.
Sometimes using pictures or visual cues can help jog your memory, so scroll through your Instagram feed or take a look around your room (or any other meaningful place) for significant objects. While you might not write about your 8th-grade dance recital, there might be a smaller story there to tell.
Make it all about you
This essay, like most application essays, needs to be about you. We know your friends and family and dog are all great, but remember: they’re not applying to university. You are, so don’t be afraid to make the essay all about you.
We know it’s a little weird to write about yourself, but it just takes some practice. Use this brainstorming time to make lists of your goals, cherished memories, likes, dislikes, fears, and beliefs.
Details, details, details
The more detail you can include in your essay, the better. We know you only have 650 words, but each of those words needs to be fleshing out the details of your story. While we usually start with the big idea, we then need to narrow our focus to the vehicle which will convey our message.
A story about your entire journey as a Scout is much less interesting than one about the time you got stuck in a tree, dangling 30 feet above the ground, after your knot-tying prowess got the better of you. We want to invite our readers in with the minute details of our essay.
Once you’ve had a chance to brainstorm some of your milestones, start adding details. How did these events feel, look, sound, even smell? Who was there, or who wasn’t? What were you thinking? And most importantly, what was your takeaway? What did you learn?
If you need help brainstorming for your Common App essay, let our writing coaches be your guide. Call or email us today to book an appointment.
