Class of 2017, College Essays Await!
May 31st, 2016The Common Application and the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success have both released their essay topics for next year. Now is when the fun starts! Brainstorming, daydreaming, identifying the best parts of who you are to share through your prose with admission committees can be a wonderful exercise. Become a playwright or a screenwriter; think of vibrant details that can come alive through story-telling, giving readers a wonderful sense of your voice and personality.
We’re often conflicted about offering examples of essays past, as it’s so important that students’ essays be authentic and very much their own. Some colleges, however, have done us the favor of posting “essays that worked” so new applicants can have some useful context.
- Here’s Connecticut College’s link to essays that worked: https://www.conncoll.edu/admission/apply/essays-that-worked/
- And here’s a similar link shared by Johns Hopkins University: https://apply.jhu.edu/apply/essays-that-worked/
Whether or not you’re applying to either college, the sites are well worth exploring as they offer excellent tips and examples.
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On a more concrete level, here’s what you need to know about the Common Application and Coalition essays.
The Common App has been around for a long time and has over 600 college and university members at this time. Their essay topics sometimes change from year to year but for the 2016-2017 year they will offer the same five questions as last year. You’ll choose one essay prompt out of the five given, with a recommended 650 word limit. To find the essay prompts for the Common App, follow the link below.
Read more at Common Application>>
The Class of 2017 will be the first to have the option of applying through the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success if they wish. This application currently serves about 90 college and university members, many of which overlap with the Common Application membership. The Coalition’s essay prompts have themes similar to those from the Common App, with the exception of the last, “topic of your choice.” As with the Common App, applicants will choose one of the five essay prompts, each with a recommended word limit of 550 words. To find the essay prompts for the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, follow the link below.
Read more at Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success>>
We look forward to brainstorming with our Comprehensive advisees who are rising seniors, and reading everyone’s essays when ready for review in the months to come. Summer is a great time for many things, including tackling college essays and applications.
Tagged: Applications, College, Essays
