Microsoft Word - College_Essay_List

A Sampling of College Essay Questions

Common App Personal Essay

Question - The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps

you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know

about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that

question and write an essay using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.

A) Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their

application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

B) Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did

you learn?

C) Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the

same decision again?

D) Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there,

and why is it meaningful to you?

E) Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal that marked your transition from childhood to

adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Length - 250 - 650 words

Popular question at many universities

Question – What are your goals for your education and your future? How will our university help you reach

your goals?

Length – 250 words maximum

Auburn University

Question - Describe a significant experience, achievement, or failure in your life and its effect on you.

Length - 2000 characters maximum

College of Charleston

Question - Please respond to ONE of the following:

A) Tell us about your hometown; explain how your hometown has shaped you.

B) Choose one word to best describe you; share why you have chosen this word.

Length - 250-750 words

Emory University

Question - Imagine you are a professor, charged with teaching a new course. Emory University offers over

1,000 courses in a wide range of academic subjects. You are free to choose whatever subject you want.

What class would you create? What would you hope students would leave your class having learned?

(Don’t forget to include your class title!)

Length - 250 words maximum

Florida State University

Question - Florida State University is more than just a world-class academic institution preparing you for a

future career. We are a caring community of well-rounded individuals who embrace leadership, learning,

service, and global awareness. With this in mind, which of these characteristics appeals most to you, and

why?

Length - 500 words maximum

Georgia College and State University

Question - As part of our mission to provide students with a liberal arts education, Georgia College & State

University strives to create an atmosphere that instills in students exceptional qualities of mind and

character including respect for human diversity and individuality. Viewing diversity as the characteristic of

being different from those around you, please tell us how you feel you can contribute to the overall student

body of Georgia College. You are encouraged to think past traditional conceptions of diversity such as race

and gender. Including examples and situations that have molded you into the person you currently are is

encouraged.

Length - 200-300 words

Georgia Institute of Technology

Question - Georgia Tech's motto is: 'Progress and Service.' What does that mean to you?

Length - 150 words maximum

Indiana University

Question - Use the space below to provide a brief personal statement, sharing information about your

background or experience that may not be readily available from the application or supporting documents.

If there are any special circumstances related to your academic performance or to your reasons for your

interest in Indiana University Bloomington, please share those here.

Length - 300 words maximum

Stanford University

Question - Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate

that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.

Length - 250 words maximum

University of Florida

Question - Please write a concise narrative in which you describe a meaningful event, experience or

accomplishment in your life and how it will affect your college experience or your contribution to the UF

campus community. You may want to reflect on your ideas about student responsibility, academic integrity,

campus citizenship or a call to service.

Length - 400-500 words

University of Georgia

Question - Please describe your most significant activities (e.g., academic or leadership enrichment,

volunteer programs, work) in EACH of the past three summers. Do not duplicate entries in other sections.

Cite the length of time spent in each activity. Describe personal accomplishments, leadership roles,

selectivity, and what benefits you received in each activity. You may include more than one significant

activity per summer.

Length - 300 characters maximum

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Question - Choose ONE of the prompts below and respond:

A) Why do you do what you do?

B) You were just invited to speak at the White House. Write your speech.

C) What one thing should all students know before their high school graduation?

D) What concerns you about your world? What do you hope to do to make it better?

E) UNC Professor Barbara Fredrickson – an expert in positive emotions – has defined love as “micro-

moments of connection between people, even strangers.” Tell us about a time when you experienced a

“micro-moment of connection.” What did you learn?

Length - 400-500 words

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Question - Tell us something that you have not already told us in this application that will help us to better

understand your potential for academic success as a college student.

Length - 2000 characters maximum

Vanderbilt University

Question - Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

Length - 250 words recommended (400 words maximum)

A sampling of schools with no essays required this application year – 2014-2015

Georgia Southern University

Georgia State University

Kennesaw State University

Louisiana State University

University of Alabama

University of Mississippi

Kim Roman, MSW Independent College Consultant 404-936-3217

Kim@customcollegeplanning.com www.customcollegeplanning.com