Just in…the main essay prompts for the Class of 2025 have been announced! And they’re the EXACT same as last year:
- 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.
Every year, I like to share a few tips to inspire students to tackle this important part of their application.
- Any topic can work; it’s how you handle it that matters. I’ve seen winning essays on many of the “forbidden” (note the quotes – nothing is off the table when you have a creative approach) topics – the 3 D’s (death, depression, divorce), C (camp), and S (sports). Don’t be afraid of a topic. Just avoid being cliche, boring, or writing what ANY teenager could say.
- Write the story only YOU can tell. At a professional writing group I once led, a member said, “If I asked you to give me a story about a Danish prince, could you deliver Hamlet?” That line always stuck with me. If 10 people wrote about a Danish prince (or any subject for that matter), I guarantee you each person could take a unique twist.
- AI can’t write your essay…and shouldn’t. Don’t trust a machine to generate your life story. I’ve been studying the AI effect on admissions and will be sharing more about it. The magic in your essay is YOU! AI can’t possibly know your unique, personal, interesting stories that could spark a bigger idea that screams authenticity about YOU. More on this in separate posts coming soon.
Think about some of the wildest, craziest, best experiences of your life, and see if one of them might ignite a bigger idea? I like to look for unique glue when I’m brainstorming with students. It’s amazing how seemingly unrelated stories can be woven together to surprise the reader. If I was brainstorming my own college essay, I’d think about some of my life experiences.
True stories about me, each a possible spark for a story: As a kid, I fell off a swingset, hit my sister’s head, and chipped my front tooth. I love dolphins and swam with them twice, surprised that their skin felt like cold, wet leather. I flew in the Goodyear Blimp when I was 6 months pregnant, even though I was terrified, but I didn’t have a choice. When my husband played his guitar and sang a song that he wrote just for me, I smiled for so long that I had a hard time getting my top lip over my teeth because they were so dry from smiling so much. My group of 8 best friends from growing up has shared more ups, downs, and sideways than I can count, and they can read me in an instant. I lost both of my parents in 2017 within 6 months of each other, and it was the most brutal, heartwrenching experience of my life, AND it made me reflect so much on legacy and how what we leave behind can be the biggest treasure imaginable.
Back to college applications and a reality check. YES, there was a historic number of applications submitted this year, including a continued increase in the number of applications per student. This led to more deferrals, as admissions offices were FLOODED with applications to review. Again, I saw many examples where creative, authentic essays made a difference for applicants. There’s no guarantee, of course, but when the stakes are high, invest the time to put your best foot (aka words) forward!
Here are links to some past articles I wrote on this topic that may help as well:
- Class of 2024 Main Essay Prompts & Ideas – The prompts are the SAME this year!
- Any Idea Can Lead to a Great Essay – What’s Yours? – An idea is just an idea, until…Check out some of my ideas to spark YOUR best ideas!
Remember, it’s a process…get started early, and you’ll shine like a star! Join me for my FREE INTRO on March 10th @ 7 pm EST – grab your spot here!
