Your 650-word personal statement. The Common App essay is sent to every undergrad school you apply to — it is the most important piece of writing in the application.
6-12 weeks of drafting and revision
Free
Common Application portal
A 250-650 word personal essay you choose from a set of prompts on the Common Application, supplemented by school-specific essays (typically 100-500 words each).
It is the only place in the application where you, in your own voice, tell the admissions officer who you are. Strong essays have placed average-test-score applicants into top schools; weak essays have sunk perfect-grade ones.
Read all current Common App prompts at commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts.
Brainstorm 5-10 personal stories. Pick the one only you could tell.
Write a complete first draft 3 months before the deadline. Then put it away for a week.
Revise. Rewrite. Have at least 3 different people read it — a teacher, a friend, and someone outside your context.
Finalise the essay 2 weeks before the deadline so you are not editing under pressure.
A structured list of your extracurriculars, leadership, work, awards, and community service — submitted as part of the Common App or as a separate PDF. (Grad applicants: see the Academic CV guide instead.)
Recommendation letters — typically 2 teachers + 1 counsellor for undergrad; 3 academic / research professors for grad applications. The third-party voice that corroborates everything else in your application.
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