For over 15 years, I’ve been teaching students how to write standout college application essays. My students have been admitted to colleges from the University of Michigan to Yale to UTAustin to UCLA.
The Common Application essay (also known as Common App) is all about finding your best story, writing it well, and using it to show colleges who you are and what matters to you. That’s the basis of a memorable essay and taking direct aim at your dream school.
So I thought I’d share some of my best tips and answer questions about the Common Application essay and Common App essay prompts for 2020.
In this post I’ll answer these questions:
- What’s the Common Application Essay?
- What are the Common App Essay prompts for 2020?
- What is the Common App essay word limit for 2020?
- What are colleges looking for in a Common App essay?
- What is the point of the Common App essay?
- How important is the Common App essay?
- Is one Common App prompt better to answer than another?
- Does my Common App essay need a title?
- What makes a good Common App essay?
Applying To College 