Common Application Prompts for 2020-2021 Remain the Same as 2019-2020

The Common Application has announced that the 2020-2021 essay prompts will remain the same as the 2018-2019 essay prompts. With that knowledge, high school juniors can get an earlier start on their primary essay. And, with the availability of the Common App account rollover, they can get a jump start on other parts of the Common Application.

Getting started on college applications prior to the start of the senior year can make the process more manageable, alleviate stress, and lead to better outcomes.

Here are the 2020-2021 Common Application essay prompts: (respond to ONE)

1. 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.
2. 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?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. 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?
7. 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.

Lynn Lubell

Lynn Radlauer Lubell, Publisher of InLikeMe.com and Founder of Admission By Design, an Educational Consultancy based in Boca Raton, Florida.