College Essay Guides

Worksheets, activities, and articles to help you brainstorm, write, and polish your Common App personal essay and supplemental essays

How to Get Started

Picking a Topic

What are they looking for?: The Top Ten personal qualities that college admissions officers look for in applicants.

Picking a great topic: A one-page checklist to help you pick the best topic for your personal essay.

Brainstorming Exercises

Big Turns / Little Turns: My favorite Common App personal essay brainstorming activity.

Five Words Brainstorming Activity: A simple activity to generate some great essay ideas.

Bullet the Prompts: Another good brainstorming activity.

Values, Passions, and Light: More brainstorming. If the first three activities didn’t work for you, try these.

Revising & Polishing Your Essay

Revising your personal essay: A one-page checklist to help you know when your essay is done.

Questions for feedback: The right questions to ask when you share your essay with others. To paraphrase Jerry Maguire, “Help them help you!”

Understanding the “Big Six” Supplements

Why Our School Essay: The most common supplemental essay, in which you explain why a particular school is a good fit for you.

Contributions/Lived Experience Essay: An essay about how your lived experiences (including race/ethnicity) shaped you into the person you are today.

Intellectual Engagement Essay: An essay where you show your intellectual curiosity in action.

Activity Essay: An essay about an activity or work experience.

Community Essay: This essay explores your relationship to a community that’s important to you.

Diverse Perspectives Essay: Essay about a time when you engaged with someone with a different point of view.