The Common App Is Open—Here's How To Craft An Ivy League-Worthy Essay
The Common Application opened on August 1st, marking the official start of the 2025–26 admissions season. The Common App is the hub for students' applications—including their activities lists, letters of recommendation, and supplemental essays. One of the most consequential—and daunting—elements of the Common App is the personal statement. While a student's grades and test scores lay the foundation for their candidacy, what truly differentiates them is the story they tell about who they are on their application. This application narrative should be cohesively developed and presented throughout all of a student's application materials, and the personal statement offers a particularly crucial opportunity to convey that narrative in their own words. It therefore shapes and guides how admissions officers view other elements of their application.
What are the Common App prompts?
The Common App provides students with seven prompts to choose from as they write their essay. For the 2025–26 application cycle, students may select one of the following: 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
Students who are intimidated by the challenge of selecting a topic or narrowing their ideas might find inspiration in the first six prompts, while the seventh prompt provides students with the open-ended opportunity to write about whatever they would like. This option ensures that students won't be pigeonholed in trying to answer any particular question and can allow their creativity to flourish.
How can students make their personal essay stand out to Ivy League admissions officers?
Daunted by the challenge of telling a compelling story in only 650 words, many students resort to cliches, write a half-baked essay, or outsource their writing to uninspired AI-generated prose. An Ivy-League worthy essay, on the other hand, requires forethought, strategy, and a clear understanding of the unique type of writing characteristic of a compelling personal statement. Here are three steps students should take to write an essay admissions officers won't forget:
It is impossible to share your entire autobiography in 650 words—and you should not try. Admissions officers are not looking to read your entire life story. Instead, they want a snapshot of who you are—your values, core qualities, goals, personality, and unique voice—through an emblematic story or anecdote. Rather than telling a sweeping story or narrating years of your life, focusing on a particular moment, object, facet of your identity, or impactful experience will allow you to provide greater detail, a critical component of a standout essay. Narrowing in on a specific story that might seem mundane or unnoticeable to others can allow you to showcase your creativity and individual outlook. Keep in mind that admissions officers read thousands of essays every admissions cycle; differentiating your essay from others' will require you to articulate what specifically distinguishes you.
Don't write that you're 'passionate about helping others.' Instead, illustrate for admissions officers the exact moment your passion began. Don't just claim you're 'curious about the world.' Draw your readers into a moment in which your curiosity led you to challenge yourself or change your mind. Don't write that you've 'overcome challenges.' Choose one defining hurdle you have overcome and articulate how it uniquely shaped you. While you don't have to respond directly to a Common App prompt in your response, answering a particular question may help you choose your essay topic if you find yourself struggling.
With the ubiquity of AI language, students have to be all the more intentional about getting creative and avoiding cliche, ChatGPT terms and phrases. Even where students have not used AI, cliché language and other common AI constructions can lead admissions officers to doubt the authenticity of students' writing. While AI can be helpful in brainstorming, students should keep in mind that even the ideas an AI bot generates may be generic, overused, or shallow, and brainstorming should never end with AI.
Instead of relying on artificial intelligence, students should embrace their creativity and strive to share their unique voice and perspective in their essays. If you're the class clown, don't be afraid to weave in your sense of humor. If you write poetry in your spare time, embrace rich, descriptive language (but don't whip out the thesaurus and select words you wouldn't normally use!). One of the best ways to determine whether your distinct voice is reflected in your essay is to enlist the editorial support of a friend or family member who knows you well. You might read the essay aloud to them or allow them to read it independently and then ask whether they would be able to identify you as the writer if they had read the essay blind.
One of the most important qualities that admissions officers look for in the personal essay is self-awareness. Your essay should not cast you as the unproblematic hero of every story. Admissions officers know that you aren't perfect, nor do you know everything—instead, they want to see that you are aware of your own shortcomings, teachable and open-minded, and mature enough to identify your own blind spots and take action to learn and grow. As you choose a story and begin drafting, consider not only the skills you possess, but also the experiences that have caused you to rethink your perspectives, learn something new about yourself, identify a weakness, or overcome a struggle (whether internal or circumstantial).
At the same time, keep in mind that your essay is a professional piece of writing. While some students fall into the trap of writing a hero narrative, others assume that they can garner sympathy from admissions officers by sharing tragic or highly personal stories. You should be honest and introspective, but avoid trauma dumping or overly intimate disclosures.
In addition to the above, one of the most important steps students can take toward crafting an Ivy League-worthy personal statement is starting early . A great essay is not written on the first try. Developing a story, conveying your voice, and connecting your experiences to a deeper insight about who you will be on campus all require significant effort and will occur through the process of trial and error. The sooner a student starts refining their ideas, the more polished and compelling their essay will be.
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The Common App Is Open—Here's How To Craft An Ivy League-Worthy Essay
Student writing an essay getty The Common Application opened on August 1st, marking the official start of the 2025–26 admissions season. The Common App is the hub for students' applications—including their activities lists, letters of recommendation, and supplemental essays. One of the most consequential—and daunting—elements of the Common App is the personal statement. While a student's grades and test scores lay the foundation for their candidacy, what truly differentiates them is the story they tell about who they are on their application. This application narrative should be cohesively developed and presented throughout all of a student's application materials, and the personal statement offers a particularly crucial opportunity to convey that narrative in their own words. It therefore shapes and guides how admissions officers view other elements of their application. What are the Common App prompts? The Common App provides students with seven prompts to choose from as they write their essay. For the 2025–26 application cycle, students may select one of the following: 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 Students who are intimidated by the challenge of selecting a topic or narrowing their ideas might find inspiration in the first six prompts, while the seventh prompt provides students with the open-ended opportunity to write about whatever they would like. This option ensures that students won't be pigeonholed in trying to answer any particular question and can allow their creativity to flourish. How can students make their personal essay stand out to Ivy League admissions officers? Daunted by the challenge of telling a compelling story in only 650 words, many students resort to cliches, write a half-baked essay, or outsource their writing to uninspired AI-generated prose. An Ivy-League worthy essay, on the other hand, requires forethought, strategy, and a clear understanding of the unique type of writing characteristic of a compelling personal statement. Here are three steps students should take to write an essay admissions officers won't forget: It is impossible to share your entire autobiography in 650 words—and you should not try. Admissions officers are not looking to read your entire life story. Instead, they want a snapshot of who you are—your values, core qualities, goals, personality, and unique voice—through an emblematic story or anecdote. Rather than telling a sweeping story or narrating years of your life, focusing on a particular moment, object, facet of your identity, or impactful experience will allow you to provide greater detail, a critical component of a standout essay. Narrowing in on a specific story that might seem mundane or unnoticeable to others can allow you to showcase your creativity and individual outlook. Keep in mind that admissions officers read thousands of essays every admissions cycle; differentiating your essay from others' will require you to articulate what specifically distinguishes you. Don't write that you're 'passionate about helping others.' Instead, illustrate for admissions officers the exact moment your passion began. Don't just claim you're 'curious about the world.' Draw your readers into a moment in which your curiosity led you to challenge yourself or change your mind. Don't write that you've 'overcome challenges.' Choose one defining hurdle you have overcome and articulate how it uniquely shaped you. While you don't have to respond directly to a Common App prompt in your response, answering a particular question may help you choose your essay topic if you find yourself struggling. With the ubiquity of AI language, students have to be all the more intentional about getting creative and avoiding cliche, ChatGPT terms and phrases. Even where students have not used AI, cliché language and other common AI constructions can lead admissions officers to doubt the authenticity of students' writing. While AI can be helpful in brainstorming, students should keep in mind that even the ideas an AI bot generates may be generic, overused, or shallow, and brainstorming should never end with AI. Instead of relying on artificial intelligence, students should embrace their creativity and strive to share their unique voice and perspective in their essays. If you're the class clown, don't be afraid to weave in your sense of humor. If you write poetry in your spare time, embrace rich, descriptive language (but don't whip out the thesaurus and select words you wouldn't normally use!). One of the best ways to determine whether your distinct voice is reflected in your essay is to enlist the editorial support of a friend or family member who knows you well. You might read the essay aloud to them or allow them to read it independently and then ask whether they would be able to identify you as the writer if they had read the essay blind. One of the most important qualities that admissions officers look for in the personal essay is self-awareness. Your essay should not cast you as the unproblematic hero of every story. Admissions officers know that you aren't perfect, nor do you know everything—instead, they want to see that you are aware of your own shortcomings, teachable and open-minded, and mature enough to identify your own blind spots and take action to learn and grow. As you choose a story and begin drafting, consider not only the skills you possess, but also the experiences that have caused you to rethink your perspectives, learn something new about yourself, identify a weakness, or overcome a struggle (whether internal or circumstantial). At the same time, keep in mind that your essay is a professional piece of writing. While some students fall into the trap of writing a hero narrative, others assume that they can garner sympathy from admissions officers by sharing tragic or highly personal stories. You should be honest and introspective, but avoid trauma dumping or overly intimate disclosures. In addition to the above, one of the most important steps students can take toward crafting an Ivy League-worthy personal statement is starting early . A great essay is not written on the first try. Developing a story, conveying your voice, and connecting your experiences to a deeper insight about who you will be on campus all require significant effort and will occur through the process of trial and error. The sooner a student starts refining their ideas, the more polished and compelling their essay will be.
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Now Playing: Best Air Fryers: Cheap vs. Expensive 19:24 Cornell chicken FAQs What is the most important ingredient for Cornell chicken? Aside from the obvious -- the bone-in chicken -- the apple cider vinegar is perhaps the most important part of the Cornell chicken marinade. It adds a unique "tang" and a depth of flavor that defines Baker's BBQ recipe. Adding the egg also allows the skin to crisp over, adding a great texture to bite into.
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