What is the most common essay prompt?
Ava White
Updated on March 15, 2026
What is the most common essay prompt?
According to the folks at the Common Application, in the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Option #7 (topic of your choice) was the most popular and was used by 24.1% of applicants. The second most popular was Option #5 (discuss an accomplishment) with 23.7% of applicants. In third place was Option #2 on a setback or failure.
What do you write in a sports essay?
Stunning essay topics on sports
- Sport and doping.
- Idolizing athletes in popular sports.
- Most popular sports by country.
- Why youth should be engaged in sports.
- Sport skills classification.
- Sports and gender differences.
- The perceptual style in sports.
- Body confidence in sports.
What are common prompts?
Tackling the Common App Essay Prompts
- Prompt #1: Share your story.
- Prompt #2: Learning from obstacles.
- Prompt #3: Challenging a belief.
- Prompt #4: Solving a problem.
- Prompt #5: Personal growth.
- Prompt #6: What captivates you?
- Prompt #7: Topic of your choice.
- Describe a person you admire.
How long is a 650 word essay?
Answer: 650 words is 1.3 pages single-spaced or 2.6 pages double-spaced. Documents that typically contain 650 words are high school and college essays, short blog posts, and news articles. It will take approximately 2 minutes to read 650 words.
What should you avoid in Common App essay?
Cliché College Essay Topics to Avoid + How to Fix Them
- Résumé of your life and achievements.
- Sports injury, challenge, or success.
- Immigrant story.
- Tragedy – death, divorce, abuse.
- Working hard in a challenging class.
- Someone you admire (a person you know or historical figure)
- Volunteer trip.
Is it OK to write a college essay about sports?
So, yes, you can write a sports essay — it just has to be a sports essay unlike any other.
What should you not talk about in a college essay?
College Admissions Essay Topics to Avoid
- Summary of your academic and personal achievements.
- A sports-related obstacle or success.
- An immigration story.
- Tragedies you’ve experienced.
- Overcoming a challenging course.
- Someone you look up to.
- A volunteer experience.
- Moving to a new home.
Are sports essays bad for college?
Every year, students who are accomplished athletes come to us with the same College Essay Myth. “But College Essay Advisors,” they say. The notion that all student who play sports write college essays about their athletic pursuits is simply inaccurate. …
What to write about in sports?
What Are the Elements of Sports Writing?
- highlights of the game.
- the names of the teams involved.
- the type of sport.
- score or final outcome.
- when and where the game was played.
What is essay prompt?
An essay prompt is a statement that presents a specific topic or issue, followed by a set of questions which require an essay response. Essay prompts are frequently used in English composition courses and college entrance exams to test writing, analytical, and reasoning skills.
How do you write a 2000 word essay?
For example: In a 2000 word essay, you will have 1500 words to use. Each main point you make should typically use 1-3 paragraphs, which should average around 200-400 words in total. This will give you room for around 5 key points, each supported by 2 or 3 references.
What do students who play sports write about in college essays?
The notion that all student who play sports write college essays about their athletic pursuits is simply inaccurate. Last year one our our students, a star football player, wrote about his aptitude for solving puzzles. Another student on the school rowing team wrote about her family’s immigration story.
Are the common application essay prompts different for 2021-22?
Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. For the 2021-22 application cycle, the Common Application essay prompts remain unchanged from the 2020-21 cycle with the exception of an all new option #4.
What are the essay prompts designed to do?
The essay prompts are designed to encourage reflection and introspection. The best essays focus on self-analysis, rather than spending a disproportionate amount of time merely describing a place or event. Analysis, not description, will reveal the critical thinking skills that are the hallmark of a promising college student.
Can an essay prompt bring some joy to your application?
An essay prompt can’t erase the loss and anxiety of the last 12 months, but it can validate the importance of gratitude and kindness. We hope students see the new prompt for what it is intended to be: an invitation to bring some joy into their application experience.