It’s week three of our “How to Write the Common App Essay” breakdown blog! No curveballs here… This post’s subject is Prompt #3. We’re going one by one through all of your options because we know this is a big decision; it’s not only the first essay most applicants write, but it’s also the most important because it has to introduce who you are and it goes to every school on your list.

If you’ve done your homework (cough cough, that means reading about Prompt #1 and Prompt #2), our next sentence won’t surprise you. We’re upfront about the fact that we highly recommend Prompt #7 to our students because it gives you the space to write a truly one-of-a-kind personal essay. Still, if you prefer a little structure and Prompt #7 feels dangerously loosey goosey, it just might not be for you, and the key here is to select a prompt that sets you up to do your best work.

So now we’ll cut to the chase! Here’s what Prompt #3 asks you to do:

Common App Prompt #3

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Our Assessment

While Prompt #3 isn’t at the top of our list of enemies, it’s not exactly our favorite either.

Let’s start with its strong points: Prompt #3 is super upfront about topic and structure. It’s giving you a chance to demonstrate a particular quality colleges value (flexibility, open-mindedness, willingness to grow, yada yada), and it more or less directs you to tell a story.

Of course, the story has to be about a time that you changed your mind, but you’ve got a really simple template to follow here. In the beginning, you held a certain viewpoint, whether consciously or unconsciously; in the middle, an event occurred or a period of time transpired that complicated this perspective or inspired a change in your mindset; and in the end, you arrive at a new understanding that has led you to behave differently, broadened your horizons, or improved your life in some way. Bada bing? Yes, certainly, bada boom.

Now to its weaknesses: this Prompt sometimes tempts students to write persuasively, but this isn’t about winning a debate or exploring a philosophical concept. Step back from the rhetoric and investigative journalism, folks, because the truth is that admissions officers are NOT reading this for your hot takes and their own political education. At the end of the day, this essay needs to be an entertaining, we’ll even say pleasant, read, and it needs to help us get to know you. More important than the topic by far is what your writing reveals about your personality and your thinking process.

This is ultimately a story about your personal development; it’s not a place to virtue signal that you care about the right causes or to talk about large-scale problems that overshadow your distinct qualities as an applicant and the contributions an individual can make. Let’s say you’re going to write about realizing the urgency of addressing global warming; you could produce an intelligent, moving essay that explores climate grief, but that’s more of a cultural critique and exploration of this generation’s spiritual reckoning with the conditions of climate change than it is a characterizing personal essay. It also doesn’t tell us how you plan to move forward or the impact you’d like to make.

And this touches on the riskiest possible downfall of this prompt — you’re in danger of alienating readers or, to be totally honest, looking like a jerk depending on what viewpoint you discuss and how you frame it. While in an ideal world, all admissions officers are fair and have perfect politics, the truth is that they’re people and might hold unpopular or contradictory views. In the scheme of things, 650 words are not many, and you won’t have the space to get into the nuances of complex issues. That’s why we advise you to stay away from hot-button issues, conversations considered “divisive” in the mainstream, and changes of heart that have the potential to cause offense or emotional harm.

Listen, we’re big fans of open dialogue, accountability, and self-interrogation. If we want to form a broader coalition in building a more equitable society, then we’re fundamentally encouraging people to change their minds when they learn new information. That means we can’t punish them for not having always had one stance or another. There are real conversations to be had about received teachings, deprogramming, and personal transformations. And still: it’s probably not the safest bet to talk about the year you joined the Westboro Baptist Church even if you later found reasons to leave.

How to Do It Right

If you’ve made it this far, you know what not to do: pen a manifesto or philosophical treatise instead of writing a personal essay, outline a political platform instead of writing a personal essay, or reveal an attitude that casts you in a bad light instead of playing it safe when writing a personal essay. But what qualifies as a workable topic, then? We’re so glad you asked!

As always, we’re going to tell you to narrow it down to a short anecdote. This prompt cues you to write about a “belief” or “idea,” but it’s easy to start rambling and writing about abstract concepts if you don’t have a tangible event with memorable details to illustrate your point.

Let’s return to the eco-conscious student feeling despondent about environmental catastrophe. We said writing an essay about climate grief could make cogent points without really fitting the assignment, and that’s true. But there’s another way to talk about her burgeoning identity as a sustainability activist. She’s sitting on the subway reading the rotating ads overhead, and she starts to notice just how many feature food delivery apps whose messaging is more or less that “life is hard enough without cooking your own dinner.” At first, this is relatable, but then it’s enraging. She realizes that these promotions aren’t written by friends who get the struggle of everyday life; they’re placed by tech companies who make money off of our resignation, exhaustion, and political apathy. When she gets off at her stop, she walks by a community garden on her way home, and this is the “aha!” moment. It’s not that she’s going to end rampant consumerism, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and eliminate single-use plastic on her own; it’s that she realizes something is better than nothing, there is always a small action we can take on the local or individual level, and hope matters. Giving up reinforces the status quo, and she’s decided she’s not going to subscribe to environmental fatalism.

This is a totally different essay; instead of speaking broadly about a global issue and concluding in futility, the writer gives us glimpses of scenes we can see and understand. It’s not a logic puzzle; it’s a story that shows how her feelings about environmental initiatives changed from defeat and despair to inspiration and inner conviction. As readers, we can appreciate that she’s observant of her surroundings, thoughtful, resilient, caring, and passionate. It’s an essay about the environment, yes, but it’s also about the writer and how she moves through the world.

Getting to Your First Draft

Congrats! Now we’re at the part that takes you from despair to inspiration. There are plenty of areas in your life you can draw from, and we’ve jotted down some questions to get you started.

• Do you have any rules you live by? Have you ever broken one, and, if so, what happened?

• Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone for a project or assignment? Were you as uncomfortable as you expected to be? Did anything great come out of it?

• Have you ever gotten inspiration or stumbled upon a good idea in an unexpected place?

• Can you think of a time when you’ve changed your mind and, in the process, surprised yourself?

• Are your favorite foods different than they were when you were younger? Are there any flavors or textures you used to hate that you now love?

As you’re brainstorming, remember that a funny and poignant essay can start with the smallest detail. You can begin narrowing down the possibilities by thinking about the personality trait you’d really like to highlight — curiosity? Imagination? A taste for adventure?

Once you’ve decided on your approach, you can start to write. You can work from an outline if that’s how you find your groove, or if you’re struggling to get into a flow it can alleviate the pressure to set a timer and do some automatic writing. Once you’ve set things in motion, it’s easier to see the natural shape your essay should take.

Obviously, your work doesn’t end here — but by the time you have an idea and a rough draft, the hardest part is over. From here, you’ll need to make several rounds of revisions, and, when you’ve taken your writing as far as it can go on your own, we recommend getting some input from a trusted third party who can read with fresh eyes (to avoid muddying the waters, though, you really should seek feedback from two people max!).

At this point, you’re not just well on your way — the finish line is definitely in sight. You’ve got this!

Need help with your Common App essay? Reach out to us today.