college of idaho essay prompts

2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog > Admission

• Welcome from the Provost and Dean of the Faculty
• About The College of Idaho
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Student Types Defined

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The Admission Office is responsible for managing the admission process for prospective students. Admission is granted on a selective basis. The Admission Committee, consisting of College administrators, faculty, and staff, reviews policy set by the Admission Office to admit students who show promise of success at the College. In its selection process, the Admission Office reviews past academic performance, participation in high school and community activities, recommendations, writing samples, and standardized test scores. (There is also a test-optional process for students who choose not to submit test scores.) The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, age, religion, disability, national and ethnic origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity in administration of its admission and financial aid policies.

To learn more about how to apply for admission, please visit our website at   www.collegeofidaho.edu/apply .

First-Time Students

A first-time student is defined as a student who has no prior post-secondary experience (except as noted below) and is attending The College of Idaho for the first time at the undergraduate level. First-time students also include students enrolled in the fall term who attended the College for the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (those with alternative credits—AP, IB, and concurrent or dual-enrollment credits earned before graduation from high school). First-time students follow the same application process as first-year students (see Applying for Admission ).

First-Year Students

A first-year student is defined as a student who has prior post-secondary experience (college-level course work) but has completed less than the equivalent of one full year of undergraduate work (that is, less than 28 credits). For more information on the application process, please see Applying for Admission .

Transfer Students

A transfer student is defined as a student entering The College of Idaho for the first time but known to have previously attended a post-secondary institution at the same level (e.g., undergraduate or graduate). Transfer students should refer to the  PEAK for Transfer Students  page of this catalog to fully understand their requirements for graduation. For more information on the application process for transfers, please see Applying for Admission .

Students may begin the application process as early as August 1st after the last semester of their junior year in high school. The address for mailing materials is:

Our fax number is (208) 459-5757. Our email is [email protected] .

In order to be considered for admission, students should submit the following materials:

• An application for admission with the personal essay requested on the application. Visit www.collegeofidaho.edu/apply .
• An official high school transcript that includes all work from the 9th grade to the date of application (see note on official transcripts below). Upon graduation, a final transcript must be submitted. GED scores may be presented in lieu of an official high school record.
• A transcript of any college work attempted.

Transcripts are official only when mailed directly from the school to The College of Idaho or delivered in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution to the Admission Office. Transcripts may also be sent electronically through a digital credential service such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse. Colleges and universities in Idaho and Treasure Valley Community College may fax official transcripts to the Registrar's Office.

• Official ACT or SAT test scores and, if applying test-optional, your test-optional materials. If applying test-optional, your test scores will not be used for the admission process, but we may use them to determine class placement.

The College will accept ACT/SAT test scores as officia l if they are printed on the high school transcript; if they are sent directly from ACT/College Board to The College of Idaho in electronic or paper form; or if the ACT/SAT paper scores are faxed directly from the high school to the College. Downloaded scores may also be accepted for admission review purposes. Special allowances may be made for international students.

• Letter of recommendation from an academic source (teacher or counselor). This can be emailed, mailed, or faxed. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Office of Admission.

Students who have graduated from high school at least two years prior to their anticipated date of enrollment and do not have ACT or SAT scores should consult with an admission counselor about test scores, the test-optional process, and counselor/teacher evaluation requirements.

A personal interview and campus visit are highly recommended. Register for a campus visit at www.collegeofidaho.edu/visit . While there is no course of study for high school students required for admission, the following combination is strongly recommended:

• English: 4 years
• Language: 3 years
• History and Social Science: 4 years
• Laboratory Science: 3 years
• Mathematics: 4 years

Application Deadlines*

Early Action I: November 15 Early Action II: January 15 Regular Decision: February 15 *Please note that if a deadline falls on a weekend, applicants are able to submit their materials by the next weekday.

Applicants admitted by Early Action I will be informed no later than mid-December and will qualify for early consideration of scholarships and financial aid. Applicants admitted by Early Action II will be informed no later than mid-February.

The deadline for Priority Consideration is February 15. Applications received by this date will be given priority in the regular admission and financial aid process. Notification is rolling and based on availability. Applications received after February 15 will be considered based on availability.

Admitted students responding with their tuition deposit/matriculation fee of $300 on or before May 1 are guaranteed a place in the class.

Students who have already completed at least 28 semester credits or 42 quarter credits of continuous enrollment at regionally accredited colleges or universities will be considered for admission on the basis of that academic record (rather than their secondary school record) provided they have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. Students who have completed fewer than 28 semester or 42 quarter credits should apply as first-year applicants, but may be granted advanced credit for that work.

Transfer applicants must submit an application for admission and official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. A personal essay is required, and a recommendation letter is strongly encouraged but may be waived at the discretion of the Office of Admission. The transfer application deadline is August 1. Any applications submitted after this date will be considered by petition only.

College Transcripts

Students are required to include in their applications for admission official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. Official final transcripts for high school and college course work are required prior to attending classes. Financial assistance, in the form of both merit- and need-based aid from the College, is dependent on academic performance and on the receipt of transcripts. Any discrepancies between final transcripts and those presented at the time of admission will be reviewed by the Vice President for Enrollment Management and could result in changes to financial aid awards and/or violations of our Honor Code.

Credits earned at regionally-accredited colleges or universities will be evaluated by the Registrar's Office, and credit will be given in accordance with College policy only after a student has been accepted. Please see  Transfer Credit  for information and policy related to the transfer evaluation process.

International Students

International students may begin the application process as early as  August 1 after the last semester of their junior year (or equivalent) in high school. The address for mailing materials is: The College of Idaho Office of Admission 2112 Cleveland Blvd Caldwell, ID 83605 Our fax number is (208) 459-5757 and our email is [email protected] .

In order to be considered for admission, international students should submit the following materials:

• An application for admission.
• An official high school transcript that includes all work from the 9th grade to the date of application (see note on official transcripts below the next bullet point). Upon graduation, a final transcript must be submitted. GED scores may be presented in lieu of an official high school record.
• Transcripts of any college work attempted. Note on official transcripts:   If applicant is studying in the United States, transcripts are official only when mailed directly from or delivered in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution to the Admission Office. If applicant is studying outside the United States, transcripts may be received electronically when sent by the applicant’s secondary school. If a student has taken college coursework, The College of Idaho requires that transcripts be evaluated by World Education Services ( www.wes.org ), the Academic Credential Evaluation Institute ( www.acei-global.org ) or another approved credential evaluation service.
• Guidance counselor and/or teacher evaluations.
• A short essay/personal statement on one of the essay topics in the application.

International applicants are also required to submit one of the following official test scores:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) for non-native English speakers: minimum paper-based score of 550, minimum computer-based score of 213, and minimum iBT score of 79*.
• ACT or SAT exam scores**.
• An IELTS language proficiency score of 5.5 or higher ( www.ielts.org ).
• Duolingo scores may also be accepted to meet English proficiency requirements.

* Similar English proficiency tests may also be accepted if deemed appropriate by the Admission Committee. Students who fail to meet the English language requirement may enroll in an ESL language center at another institution. Proficiency certification of ESL meets the English language requirement for admission.

** The College of Idaho will accept ACT/SAT test scores as official if they meet the criteria outlined in the First-Year Students  section. Students must provide evidence of adequate financial resources by submitting a Verification of Finances Form with supporting information from their bank or an International Student Financial Aid Form offered through the College Board. (A recent version of the document may be found on our website here .) Given the amount of time it may take to secure a student visa, international students are encouraged to apply as early as possible and no later than June 1 or December 1 depending on start term. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Vice President for Enrollment Management. International applicants are encouraged to visit the College website at www.collegeofidaho.edu for additional information regarding programs, student life, and other aspects of an international student's experience at The College of Idaho. Applications may be downloaded from the College website or the Common Application website. For more information, please contact the Admission Office at [email protected] .

Homeschooled Students

Homeschooled students may be admitted with a transcript from an accredited homeschool program or GED.

Students with average or below-average SAT or ACT scores or sub-scores less than 500 SAT or 20 ACT will be required to have an on-campus interview and possibly subject testing.

Non-Degree-Seeking Students

Non-degree-seeking students must submit a short application for admission and official transcripts from each college or university they have attended. Students who complete 12 credits at The College of Idaho must then complete the full admission process and earn admission as a degree-seeking student in order to continue their studies.

Students who have already completed a bachelor's degree at The College of Idaho or another accredited institution will be exempt from the 12-credit limit.  Access the non-degree seeking application here .  Return the form to the Registrar either in person or by email to [email protected] .

Re-Admission

Students in good academic, disciplinary, and financial standing who leave the College for one or more semesters and do not request a leave of absence, or whose leave of absence has expired, may re-enroll in the College within six years of their first term of enrollment. Re-enrollment under these circumstances does not require petitioning or a new application for admission.  Simply contact the Registrar to re-enroll at [email protected] or at 208-459-5400. 

Students who have not attended the College for more than six years must file a new application for admission. Students who were academically suspended or left while not in good standing should consult the Academic Standing  policy in this catalog. Students who were placed on Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence should refer to the Leave of Absence policy in the catalog and contact the Dean of Students' Office.

Students who have graduated from The College of Idaho and wish to return to the College to continue their education fall into two main categories: 1) those wishing to enhance their current degree by adding a major or taking additional courses and 2) those seeking to earn a second baccalaureate degree.

Alumni wishing to continue their education begin the process by filing a Returning Student Information Form with the Registrar's Office.

Notification of admission for Early Action I applicants occurs no later than mid-December, if a complete application has been submitted by the November 15 deadline. (An application is deemed complete when all required aspects of the application have been received by the Office of Admission.) Applicants for admission who submit materials before the Early Action II deadline of January 15 will be notified no later than mid-February. Applicants for admission who submit materials before the Regular Decision deadline of February 15 will be notified after that date on a rolling basis. For applications submitted after February 15, notification of admission is rolling and based upon availability in the incoming class. Please note that all offers of admission are made with the expectation that students will complete their remaining coursework at a level comparable to the one presented to the Admission Committee at the time of application. Should there be a significant drop in your final grades or a failure to meet high school requirements that delays graduation, your offer of admission may be rescinded by The College of Idaho. In such cases, please contact the Office of Admission at [email protected] to discuss your enrollment options.

Probationary Admission

Students not meeting the minimum standard for regular or conditional admission may be admitted to the College on a probationary basis. If admitted on a probationary basis, the student will immediately be placed on academic probation (see section on Academic Standing ). Applicants so admitted may enroll for only 12 units of credit during fall and spring semesters and 3 units of credit during the winter semester. Students admitted on probation may not represent the College in intercollegiate athletics or receive institutional financial aid. Note: This status does not apply to new students with fewer than 12 transfer credits.

Regular Admission

First-year applicants who have graduated from high school, presented acceptable GED scores in lieu of a high school record, or met the College's homeschool policy (see Homeschooled Students ), and transfer applicants whose college record is of sufficient quality may be admitted to the College in clear standing.

Boone Fellows Program

Our selective admission program considers grades, test scores, and a host of other quantitative measures. However, our experience has taught us that scores and grades, while valuable, do not fully measure one's potential. The Boone Fellows program is a distinct admission program that considers those measures as well as a wide range of personal qualities. Students who are considered for the Boone Fellows program must schedule an on-campus interview with the Dean of Students and the Vice President for Enrollment Management or their designees.

Benefits of the Boone Fellows Program

Students admitted into the Boone Fellows program will experience a highly individualized course of study for their first two semesters at the College. Boone Fellows will meet with their faculty advisor (usually the Dean of Students) to consider their individual strengths and weaknesses and to build an academic program designed to help them succeed at The College of Idaho. Other points of note:

• Housing, extracurricular clubs, social life, study time, and all those things that make college extraordinary will be the same for Boone Fellows as for other students.
• Boone Fellows take a limited course load (usually 9-10 credit hours per semester) and are not eligible for intercollegiate athletics in their first two semesters (fall and spring).*
• As part-time students, Boone Fellows' credits will be charged at one-half the regular per-credit tuition rate. Boone Fellows will also be eligible for need-based federal aid on a prorated basis.

*Boone fellows may petition to move to full-time status after the fall semester, with the support of the Dean of Students.

Enrollment Deposit

To secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable $300 enrollment deposit is required of all admitted students who plan to attend The College of Idaho. The enrollment deposit is applied to the student's bill. This deposit is due by May 1 or thereafter as determined by the Vice President of Enrollment or designee. Campus housing requests and course registration priorities are processed after receipt of the enrollment deposit and are based on deposit date.

Please note: International students’ I-20 review process will not take place until the enrollment deposit has been received.

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2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

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60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications

Ideas to inspire every college applicant.

Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.

Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts

2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.

Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).

• 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.

More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.

• Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

• What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
• Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
• Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
• What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

• Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.

• Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
• Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
• Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

• Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
• What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
• Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
• Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
• Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
• Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
• When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
• Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
• Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

• Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.

These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.

• What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
• Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
• What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
• How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?

• Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
• What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
• If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
• What gives meaning to your life?
• If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
• If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?

• Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
• What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
• Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.

Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.

• What does it mean to you to be educated?
• What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
• Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
• Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?

• What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
• If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
• Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
• Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
• What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.

• Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.

• You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

• Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
• If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
• If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
• Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
• If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
• If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
• My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
• If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
• What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
• Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?

• Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
• If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
• What website is the internet missing?

How do you help your students prepare their college application essays? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships.

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Writing Center

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Welcome to the Writing Center at College of Western Idaho. We are here to support your academic, professional, and creative writing projects. From research papers and essays to resumes and personal statements, our writing tutors can help at any stage of the writing process. 

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Schedule an in-person or online appointment with a writing tutor.

Send us your writing for written feedback.

Find support to succeed in your classes. 

Help others succeed in writing!

Our Services

While our writing tutors do not edit or proofread papers, we work alongside you to: 

• offer strategies for revision and help identify errors
• foster critical thinking and inquiry
• create more meaningful, well-constructed writing
• and teach you skills applicable to any writing situation.

Let's connect! We offer in-person and online appointments . You can also send us your writing to receive written feedback. 

Writing Resources

Writing Center handouts are a great resource for anyone with a writing assignment. Access this robust collection of handouts for assistance with: 

• APA, MLA, and Chicago formatting
• the writing process from brainstorming and paragraph structure to how to write a thesis statement or integrate a quote
• writing an essay
• character development and settings for creative writing
• selecting a topic, researching, and how to create effective note cards and visual aids for speeches
• ... and more!

Writing Center Handouts

Revisions are a key component to good writing.

• Leave yourself plenty of time to revise.
• Feedback provided to you through the Writing Center are merely suggestions. Since this is your writing, you must decide how best to use the feedback. 
• Feedback may not cover all potential areas for revisions or corrections. Rather, our tutors will engage with your work to guide you through revisions in ways that keep  you  in charge of your writing.
• After making changes to your work, consider submitting a revised draft, or schedule an appointment for follow-up feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can the writing center help with.

Our tutors are experienced readers and writers who can work with a variety of writing from all across the disciplines. This includes academic and creative writing, personal statements for graduate or professional schools, applications for internships, and scholarships. We can also help with reports or writing from your workplace.

Writing Center services do not include proofreading. That said, our tutors will help you find patterns of error and work with you on how you can learn to fix those errors yourself.

What if I don't have anything written yet?

While a draft is helpful, it is not necessary to receive support from the Writing Center. Our team is happy to help brainstorm ideas to get you started.

How often may I schedule an appointment?

To ensure you have time to work on your writing between visits to the Writing Center, appointments are limited to: 

• 1 appointment per day, either 30- or 60-minute sessions
• 2 hours per week, Monday through Saturday
• 1 assignment per session

What should I bring to my appointment?

The most important thing to bring to your Writing Center appointment is an openness to work on your writing! Other things that help make a session successful are the assignment sheet, class notes, or course materials that pertain to the assignment and any written work you have completed so far.

How many pages can we review during my appointment?

To receive a thorough review of your writing, seven (7) pages is the maximum amount for one appointment. Please schedule additional appointments for writing more than seven (7) pages long.

Does my writing have to be printed?

While our team is happy to review your writing on any medium, please consider a printed copy gives you something to make notes on and may help you see the paper in a new way and get a sense of how your reader will see it. If you do not have a printed copy available, please be prepared with a digital version.

How do I obtain verification for my visit?

Upon request, the Writing Center can email you an appointment verification of your visit.  

What is the cancelation policy?

• Appointments are marked as completed 10 minutes into an appointment block.
• Students who arrive after the 10-minute mark will be asked to reschedule.
• If you make an effort to communicate with us within 24 hours of your missed appointment,  missed / no-show   will be removed from your account.
• Three  missed / no-shows  with no communication will result in being blocked from scheduling future appointments for the rest of the semester. Students may still utilize the Writing Center via a drop-in or email consultation. 
• If we happen to miss an email or phone call to cancel your appointment and the appointment is marked as  missed / no-show , our team will correct the error.

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Tutoring Services and the Writing Center will be closed for the following during the Summer 2024 semester:

• Break between semesters: May 12 - June 3
• Juneteenth National Independence Day: June 19
• Independence Day: July 4

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2023-2024 Common App essay prompts

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We are pleased to announce that the Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2023-2024.

It’s not just for the sake of consistency that we have chosen to keep the essay prompts the same for the upcoming application year. Our past research has shown that overall satisfaction with the prompts exceeded 95% across our constituent groups - students, counselors, advisors, teachers, and member colleges. Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations.

We know some schools are beginning to have conversations with juniors and transfer students about their college options. As we’ve always said, this is not a call for students to begin writing. We hope that by sharing the prompts now, students will have the time they need to reflect on their own personal stories and begin thinking about what they want to share with colleges. As you assist students with their planning, feel free to share our Common App Ready resource on approaching the essay (in English and Spanish ). You can also visit our YouTube channel to view our breakdown of all 7 Common App essay prompts . 

"Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations." Meredith Lombardi, Director, Education and Training, Common App

Students who are ready to start exploring the application can create their Common App account prior to August 1. With account rollover , we will retain any responses to questions on the Common App tab, including the personal essay.

Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2023-2024.

• 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.

We will retain the optional community disruption question within the Writing section. 

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 53 stellar college essay topics to inspire you.

College Essays

Most colleges and universities in the United States require applicants to submit at least one essay as part of their application. But trying to figure out what college essay topics you should choose is a tricky process. There are so many potential things you could write about!

In this guide, we go over the essential qualities that make for a great college essay topic and give you 50+ college essay topics you can use for your own statement . In addition, we provide you with helpful tips for turning your college essay topic into a stellar college essay.

What Qualities Make for a Good College Essay Topic?

Regardless of what you write about in your personal statement for college , there are key features that will always make for a stand-out college essay topic.

#1: It’s Specific

First off, good college essay topics are extremely specific : you should know all the pertinent facts that have to do with the topic and be able to see how the entire essay comes together.

Specificity is essential because it’ll not only make your essay stand out from other statements, but it'll also recreate the experience for admissions officers through its realism, detail, and raw power. You want to tell a story after all, and specificity is the way to do so. Nobody wants to read a vague, bland, or boring story — not even admissions officers!

For example, an OK topic would be your experience volunteering at a cat shelter over the summer. But a better, more specific college essay topic would be how you deeply connected with an elderly cat there named Marty, and how your bond with him made you realize that you want to work with animals in the future.

Remember that specificity in your topic is what will make your essay unique and memorable . It truly is the key to making a strong statement (pun intended)!

#2: It Shows Who You Are

In addition to being specific, good college essay topics reveal to admissions officers who you are: your passions and interests, what is important to you, your best (or possibly even worst) qualities, what drives you, and so on.

The personal statement is critical because it gives schools more insight into who you are as a person and not just who you are as a student in terms of grades and classes.

By coming up with a real, honest topic, you’ll leave an unforgettable mark on admissions officers.

#3: It’s Meaningful to You

The very best college essay topics are those that hold deep meaning to their writers and have truly influenced them in some significant way.

For instance, maybe you plan to write about the first time you played Skyrim to explain how this video game revealed to you the potentially limitless worlds you could create, thereby furthering your interest in game design.

Even if the topic seems trivial, it’s OK to use it — just as long as you can effectively go into detail about why this experience or idea had such an impact on you .

Don’t give in to the temptation to choose a topic that sounds impressive but doesn’t actually hold any deep meaning for you. Admissions officers will see right through this!

Similarly, don’t try to exaggerate some event or experience from your life if it’s not all that important to you or didn’t have a substantial influence on your sense of self.

#4: It’s Unique

College essay topics that are unique are also typically the most memorable, and if there’s anything you want to be during the college application process, it’s that! Admissions officers have to sift through thousands of applications, and the essay is one of the only parts that allows them to really get a sense of who you are and what you value in life.

If your essay is trite or boring, it won’t leave much of an impression , and your application will likely get immediately tossed to the side with little chance of seeing admission.

But if your essay topic is very original and different, you’re more likely to earn that coveted second glance at your application.

What does being unique mean exactly, though? Many students assume that they must choose an extremely rare or crazy experience to talk about in their essays —but that's not necessarily what I mean by "unique." Good college essay topics can be unusual and different, yes, but they can also be unique takes on more mundane or common activities and experiences .

For instance, say you want to write an essay about the first time you went snowboarding. Instead of just describing the details of the experience and how you felt during it, you could juxtapose your emotions with a creative and humorous perspective from the snowboard itself. Or you could compare your first attempt at snowboarding with your most recent experience in a snowboarding competition. The possibilities are endless!

#5: It Clearly Answers the Question

Finally, good college essay topics will clearly and fully answer the question(s) in the prompt.

You might fail to directly answer a prompt by misinterpreting what it’s asking you to do, or by answering only part of it (e.g., answering just one out of three questions).

Therefore, make sure you take the time to come up with an essay topic that is in direct response to every question in the prompt .

Take this Coalition Application prompt as an example:

What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What's the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?

For this prompt, you’d need to answer all three questions (though it’s totally fine to focus more on one or two of them) to write a compelling and appropriate essay.

This is why we recommend reading and rereading the essay prompt ; you should know exactly what it’s asking you to do, well before you start brainstorming possible college application essay topics.

53 College Essay Topics to Get Your Brain Moving

In this section, we give you a list of 53 examples of college essay topics. Use these as jumping-off points to help you get started on your college essay and to ensure that you’re on track to coming up with a relevant and effective topic.

All college application essay topics below are categorized by essay prompt type. We’ve identified six general types of college essay prompts:

Why This College?

Change and personal growth, passions, interests, and goals, overcoming a challenge, diversity and community, solving a problem.

Note that these prompt types could overlap with one another, so you’re not necessarily limited to just one college essay topic in a single personal statement.

• How a particular major or program will help you achieve your academic or professional goals
• A memorable and positive interaction you had with a professor or student at the school
• Something good that happened to you while visiting the campus or while on a campus tour
• A certain class you want to take or a certain professor you’re excited to work with
• Some piece of on-campus equipment or facility that you’re looking forward to using
• Your plans to start a club at the school, possibly to raise awareness of a major issue
• A study abroad or other unique program that you can’t wait to participate in
• How and where you plan to volunteer in the community around the school
• An incredible teacher you studied under and the positive impact they had on you
• How you went from really liking something, such as a particular movie star or TV show, to not liking it at all (or vice versa)
• How yours or someone else’s (change in) socioeconomic status made you more aware of poverty
• A time someone said something to you that made you realize you were wrong
• How your opinion on a controversial topic, such as gay marriage or DACA, has shifted over time
• A documentary that made you aware of a particular social, economic, or political issue going on in the country or world
• Advice you would give to your younger self about friendship, motivation, school, etc.
• The steps you took in order to kick a bad or self-sabotaging habit
• A juxtaposition of the first and most recent time you did something, such as dance onstage
• A book you read that you credit with sparking your love of literature and/or writing
• A school assignment or project that introduced you to your chosen major
• A glimpse of your everyday routine and how your biggest hobby or interest fits into it
• The career and (positive) impact you envision yourself having as a college graduate
• A teacher or mentor who encouraged you to pursue a specific interest you had
• How moving around a lot helped you develop a love of international exchange or learning languages
• A special skill or talent you’ve had since you were young and that relates to your chosen major in some way, such as designing buildings with LEGO bricks
• Where you see yourself in 10 or 20 years
• Your biggest accomplishment so far relating to your passion (e.g., winning a gold medal for your invention at a national science competition)
• A time you lost a game or competition that was really important to you
• How you dealt with the loss or death of someone close to you
• A time you did poorly in a class that you expected to do well in
• How moving to a new school impacted your self-esteem and social life
• A chronic illness you battled or are still battling
• Your healing process after having your heart broken for the first time
• A time you caved under peer pressure and the steps you took so that it won't happen again
• How you almost gave up on learning a foreign language but stuck with it
• Why you decided to become a vegetarian or vegan, and how you navigate living with a meat-eating family
• What you did to overcome a particular anxiety or phobia you had (e.g., stage fright)
• A history of a failed experiment you did over and over, and how you finally found a way to make it work successfully
• Someone within your community whom you aspire to emulate
• A family tradition you used to be embarrassed about but are now proud of
• Your experience with learning English upon moving to the United States
• A close friend in the LGBTQ+ community who supported you when you came out
• A time you were discriminated against, how you reacted, and what you would do differently if faced with the same situation again
• How you navigate your identity as a multiracial, multiethnic, and/or multilingual person
• A project or volunteer effort you led to help or improve your community
• A particular celebrity or role model who inspired you to come out as LGBTQ+
• Your biggest challenge (and how you plan to tackle it) as a female in a male-dominated field
• How you used to discriminate against your own community, and what made you change your mind and eventually take pride in who you are and/or where you come from
• A program you implemented at your school in response to a known problem, such as a lack of recycling cans in the cafeteria
• A time you stepped in to mediate an argument or fight between two people
• An app or other tool you developed to make people’s lives easier in some way
• A time you proposed a solution that worked to an ongoing problem at school, an internship, or a part-time job
• The steps you took to identify and fix an error in coding for a website or program
• An important social or political issue that you would fix if you had the means

How to Build a College Essay in 6 Easy Steps

Once you’ve decided on a college essay topic you want to use, it’s time to buckle down and start fleshing out your essay. These six steps will help you transform a simple college essay topic into a full-fledged personal statement.

Step 1: Write Down All the Details

Once you’ve chosen a general topic to write about, get out a piece of paper and get to work on creating a list of all the key details you could include in your essay . These could be things such as the following:

• Emotions you felt at the time
• Names, places, and/or numbers
• Dialogue, or what you or someone else said
• A specific anecdote, example, or experience
• Descriptions of how things looked, felt, or seemed

If you can only come up with a few details, then it’s probably best to revisit the list of college essay topics above and choose a different one that you can write more extensively on.

Good college essay topics are typically those that:

• You remember well (so nothing that happened when you were really young)
• You're excited to write about
• You're not embarrassed or uncomfortable to share with others
• You believe will make you positively stand out from other applicants

Step 2: Figure Out Your Focus and Approach

Once you have all your major details laid out, start to figure out how you could arrange them in a way that makes sense and will be most effective.

It’s important here to really narrow your focus: you don’t need to (and shouldn’t!) discuss every single aspect of your trip to visit family in Indonesia when you were 16. Rather, zero in on a particular anecdote or experience and explain why and how it impacted you.

Alternatively, you could write about multiple experiences while weaving them together with a clear, meaningful theme or concept , such as how your math teacher helped you overcome your struggle with geometry over the course of an entire school year. In this case, you could mention a few specific times she tutored you and most strongly supported you in your studies.

There’s no one right way to approach your college essay, so play around to see what approaches might work well for the topic you’ve chosen.

If you’re really unsure about how to approach your essay, think about what part of your topic was or is most meaningful and memorable to you, and go from there.

Step 3: Structure Your Narrative

• Beginning: Don’t just spout off a ton of background information here—you want to hook your reader, so try to start in the middle of the action , such as with a meaningful conversation you had or a strong emotion you felt. It could also be a single anecdote if you plan to center your essay around a specific theme or idea.
• Middle: Here’s where you start to flesh out what you’ve established in the opening. Provide more details about the experience (if a single anecdote) or delve into the various times your theme or idea became most important to you. Use imagery and sensory details to put the reader in your shoes.
• End: It’s time to bring it all together. Finish describing the anecdote or theme your essay centers around and explain how it relates to you now , what you’ve learned or gained from it, and how it has influenced your goals.

Step 4: Write a Rough Draft

By now you should have all your major details and an outline for your essay written down; these two things will make it easy for you to convert your notes into a rough draft.

At this stage of the writing process, don’t worry too much about vocabulary or grammar and just focus on getting out all your ideas so that they form the general shape of an essay . It’s OK if you’re a little over the essay's word limit — as you edit, you’ll most likely make some cuts to irrelevant and ineffective parts anyway.

If at any point you get stuck and have no idea what to write, revisit steps 1-3 to see whether there are any important details or ideas you might be omitting or not elaborating on enough to get your overall point across to admissions officers.

Step 5: Edit, Revise, and Proofread

• Sections that are too wordy and don’t say anything important
• Irrelevant details that don’t enhance your essay or the point you're trying to make
• Parts that seem to drag or that feel incredibly boring or redundant
• Areas that are vague and unclear and would benefit from more detail
• Phrases or sections that are awkwardly placed and should be moved around
• Areas that feel unconvincing, inauthentic, or exaggerated

Start paying closer attention to your word choice/vocabulary and grammar at this time, too. It’s perfectly normal to edit and revise your college essay several times before asking for feedback, so keep working with it until you feel it’s pretty close to its final iteration.

This step will likely take the longest amount of time — at least several weeks, if not months — so really put effort into fixing up your essay. Once you’re satisfied, do a final proofread to ensure that it’s technically correct.

Step 6: Get Feedback and Tweak as Needed

After you’ve overhauled your rough draft and made it into a near-final draft, give your essay to somebody you trust , such as a teacher or parent, and have them look it over for technical errors and offer you feedback on its content and overall structure.

Use this feedback to make any last-minute changes or edits. If necessary, repeat steps 5 and 6. You want to be extra sure that your essay is perfect before you submit it to colleges!

Recap: From College Essay Topics to Great College Essays

Many different kinds of college application essay topics can get you into a great college. But this doesn’t make it any easier to choose the best topic for you .

In general, the best college essay topics have the following qualities :

• They’re specific
• They show who you are
• They’re meaningful to you
• They’re unique
• They clearly answer the question

If you ever need help coming up with an idea of what to write for your essay, just refer to the list of 53 examples of college essay topics above to get your brain juices flowing.

Once you’ve got an essay topic picked out, follow these six steps for turning your topic into an unforgettable personal statement :

• Write down all the details
• Figure out your focus and approach
• Structure your narrative
• Write a rough draft
• Edit, revise, and proofread
• Get feedback and tweak as needed

And with that, I wish you the best of luck on your college essays!

What’s Next?

Writing a college essay is no simple task. Get expert college essay tips with our guides on how to come up with great college essay ideas and how to write a college essay, step by step .

You can also check out this huge list of college essay prompts  to get a feel for what types of questions you'll be expected to answer on your applications.

Want to see examples of college essays that absolutely rocked? You're in luck because we've got a collection of 100+ real college essay examples right here on our blog!

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

Idaho college murders: Former King Road roommate recalls learning of killings

It could have "happened while I was there," Ashlin Couch said on "GMA."

More than a year after her friends and former roommates were killed in an off-campus house in Idaho, Ashlin Couch said she wished she could have said a proper goodbye.

Couch had lived until May 2022 in the sixth bedroom in an off-campus house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho. Four University of Idaho students were killed in the house months later, in November 2022.

"It crosses my mind more that that could've happened while I was there," Couch said in an interview on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday. "And, you know, you never know, like how long someone is watching your house."

MORE: University of Idaho murders 1 year later: Where the case stands

Police arrested Bryan Kohberger, a graduate student at Washington State University, in December 2022 and later charged him with first-degree murder and burglary . A judge entered a plea of not guilty for Kohberger in May 2023.

Couch had moved out months after graduating in December 2021, but kept in touch with her former roommates, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, she said. Both were killed in the house, along with Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in November 2022.

Couch recalled getting a text from the University of Idaho alerting her to a suspected homicide on King Road. She recalled texting a thread with her former roommates on it, she said, asking if anyone had "heard from Maddie?"

"And I remember, like my last text message to her was like, are you OK?" Couch said. "And, I feel like right then and there, I kind of just knew that something was wrong."

The three-story house where she had lived with her friends was demolished in December 2023.

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The killings were often on her mind and, more than a year later, she was still having difficulty walking to her car in the dark, she said.

But she also wished she could say a proper goodbye to her friends.

"And that's one thing that I just wish that I could do at least one more time," she said. "Like, you know, just give her one last hug. Just to be able to say goodbye.”

ABC News' Emily Shapiro, Sasha Pezenik and Kayna Whitworth contributed to this report.

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