U.S. Education News; College Essay Prompts Get Absurd. ‘So Where Is Waldo, Really?’ Essays might now play a greater role in admissions. Good luck writing them.

With affirmative action banned, application essays ask about “life experience,” the one place in admissions where discussing race is still explicitly legal. By Anemona Hartocollis and Colbi ...

The start of this year’s application cycle was more momentous than usual, as colleges introduced new essay prompts and adjusted requirements for a post–affirmative action world. Even in a typical year ...

What Does a College Application Entail? Here’s what the typical college essay involves. Common Essay Prompts. The Common App, which allows students to apply to multiple colleges simultaneously ...

An important part of the Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 colleges, is the personal essay. Students are given six options as prompts, as well as a seventh option which is ...

Tips for Writing a College Application Essay from Bucknell Admissions Counselors. March 3, 2025. by Matt Hughes. ... As soon as you've narrowed down the list of schools where you want to apply, check ...

How to Pick a College Essay Topic. You usually have several broad, open-ended essay prompts to choose from. Successful essays focus on a specific experience, hobby or quirk that reveals something ...

An important part of the Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 colleges, is the personal essay. Students are given six options as prompts, as well as a seventh option which is ...

Both the college essay format — short but riveting, revealing but uplifting, insightful but not so self-centered that it will upset any potential admissions counselor — and the prompts that ...

The college essay may become more important after the Supreme Court’s decision, and a place where students can highlight their racial or ethnic backgrounds — but with a big caution sign from ...

It may help to identify minority students, but experts caution against expecting essays to replace affirmative action. One of the essay prompts on the Common Application is: “Some students have a ...