From yesterday’s Common Application announcement:
“Carmen Lopez, Executive Director of College Horizons, a non-profit dedicated to college success of Native American and Native Hawaiian students, believes this is especially true for students served by her program. “As a community-based organization that services underrepresented students, College Horizons has found the Common App’s new essay prompts to be highly effective. Students are presenting themselves as multi-dimensional, writing with an authentic voice, and writing meaningfully as both students and Native students.”‘
The quote comes from yesterday’s Common Application press release regarding a decision to retain the current essay prompts found on the 2013-2014 version of the college application form for 2014-2015. The Common Application is a non-profit organization that provides a consolidated application for students and educators to use when applying to any of the organization’s 500+ member colleges. The vast majority of institutions that College Horizons currently partners with use the Common Application in their undergraduate admissions. College Horizons also utilizes the Common App as a curriculum tool when preparing high school students for the college admissions process.
The essay prompts are provided below:
- Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
- Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
- Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
- Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.