Common App Essay Examples to Help Get Accepted

What is the Common App Essay, and Why Does it Matter?

The Common App is accepted by over 1,000 colleges and universities. As part of this application, you’re asked to submit one essay between 250–650 words, based on a list of prompts. Make no mistake: this essay isn’t just another box to check.

It’s your chance to speak directly to admissions officers, and because thousands of students apply with similar academic records, your essay is what can make you unforgettable. It's not about trying to impress with your accomplishments but about sharing something true, something human, and something unique to you.

The Current Prompts

You’ll choose from seven prompts, ranging from personal identity to overcoming failure to simply writing about a topic of your choice. The prompts are intentionally broad because what matters most isn’t the topic, but how you approach it.

Whether you write about building a robot, learning to dance, dealing with anxiety, or growing up bilingual, your story needs to be authentic and meaningful. The prompt is just the frame. The art is in what you choose to paint inside it.

What Great Common App Essay Examples Can Do for You

When you read a strong Common App essay, you can feel it. There's something captivating about the voice, the vulnerability, or the way the story unfolds. So, what exactly do successful essays have in common? How do you write a memorable Common App essay?

First, don’t try too hard to be impressive. Instead, focus on one specific moment, experience, or idea and explore it with depth. Beginning with a vivid scene and then drawing the reader into a reflective journey is a great way to approach the essay.

Don’t be afraid to be personal. Some of the best essays tackle difficult topics: a stutter, a parent’s illness, a cultural identity struggle, or a failure. However, the essay isn't about the hardship itself; it’s about how the student grew from it. Make sure that you avoid dwelling on the negative and focus, instead, on how you overcame it.

Most importantly, great essays feel like they could only have been written by that one student. They have a unique voice, even if the topic isn’t unique. You don’t have to write about something dramatic to stand out. You just have to write about something true.

Avoiding the “Copy‑Paste” Trap

Now, you might be thinking: “Can I just use someone else’s essay as a template?” Be careful. Reading essay examples can be incredibly helpful, but they’re not blueprints.

The goal is to understand why an essay works, not to try to reproduce it. Admissions officers read thousands of essays every year. They’ve seen the “perfect” sports injury story and the “I started a nonprofit” essay hundreds of times. What they haven’t seen is your perspective.

So, use examples to get inspired, but don’t lose your voice in the process. You’re not trying to be someone else. You’re trying to be the most honest, insightful version of you.

Common App Essay Examples

Common App Prompt #2

Prompt: 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?

Essay Example #1: The Day I Failed the Solo

My hands trembled as I stepped up to the microphone in our school auditorium. I had practiced the solo, an alto line in our jazz ensemble’s final performance, for months. Halfway through, I choked. I hit the wrong note, then another. My voice cracked. The band slowed to accommodate me, and for the first time in my music career, I was completely off.

The applause at the end felt distant. I barely made it off the stage before crying in the hallway. That night, I considered quitting. I had poured everything into that performance. So, why had I failed?

My choir teacher said something that stuck: “You didn’t fail. You performed. And performers recover.” I returned to rehearsal the next day, humiliated but determined. I listened to recordings of myself, identified where I lost rhythm, and worked on breathing under pressure. At our next concert, I sang a new solo. It was not perfect, but it was mine, and I finished strong.

Now, I view setbacks not as endpoints, but as part of the process. That failed solo taught me how to take a breath, stay on stage, and keep singing even when I miss a note.

Common App Prompt #6

Prompt: 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?

Essay Example #2: The Spiral of the Nautilus

When I first saw a nautilus shell in a museum, I thought it was beautiful. It was not until I learned it followed the Fibonacci sequence, a spiral rooted in mathematics, that I became obsessed. How could nature follow math so perfectly?

Since then, I have started to see patterns everywhere. Pinecones, hurricanes, and the arrangement of sunflower seeds are just a few examples. I began sketching them, reading books like The Golden Ratio, and even used a 3D printer to design my own models of fractals.

My fascination with mathematical beauty led me to art, coding, and architecture. I now keep a notebook where I log every new example of spirals in nature. It is not about collecting facts; it is about discovering harmony in the world around me.

When I get stuck, I turn to YouTube channels like Numberphile or reach out to my math teacher, who encourages my side projects. Learning about these patterns makes me feel connected to something larger, like I am not just solving problems, I am witnessing a universal language at work.

The nautilus taught me that math is not just numbers; it is the fingerprint of the universe.

Common App Prompt #1

Prompt: 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.

Essay Example #3: Third Culture Kid

I have never had a quick answer to the question, “Where are you from?” Born in Cairo, raised in Toronto, and currently living in Seattle, I speak three languages and dream in two. My accent changes slightly depending on who I am talking to. Home is a moving target.

For a long time, I felt like I did not belong anywhere. I was too Canadian for my Egyptian cousins, too Egyptian for my Canadian classmates, and too “new” in the U.S. to feel American. However, instead of resisting my identity, I began to embrace it.

Now, I see my “in-between” status as an advantage. I can connect with people from different backgrounds. I celebrate Eid and Thanksgiving. I can read Arabic poetry and debate the best poutine in Montreal.

This identity has made me curious, adaptable, and empathetic. Whether I am volunteering at a refugee center or joining a new robotics team, I find ways to bridge cultures. I do not fit neatly into one place, and I am finally proud of that.

My application would be incomplete without this story, because my background is not just where I have been; it is how I see the world.

How to Write Your Own Common App Essay

Let’s walk through a writing process that many students have used successfully.

Start with brainstorming. Think about moments in your life that changed you even in small ways. When were you challenged? When did you feel most alive? What do you care deeply about? Don’t judge your ideas too quickly; the story that seems “boring” at first might actually be the most powerful.

Once you have a few ideas, write freely. Don’t worry about structure or grammar yet. Just get your thoughts down. Often, your best material comes out in the second or third draft, not the first.

As you revise, focus on clarity and reflection. Are you telling a story, or just listing accomplishments? Are you showing how you’ve grown, or just describing what happened? Use specific details and scenes but also take time to explain why the story matters.

Keep your audience in mind. By the end of your essay, an admissions officer should feel like they’ve met you. Not just your resume, but you: your values, your voice, your spark.

As always, if you need help, seek expert advice.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the best Common App essays come from students who are willing to be real. You don’t need a dramatic story. You don’t need a perfect ending. You just need to reflect, write honestly, and revise with care.

Use examples as a guide but not as a crutch. Your story is worth telling, and if you’re not sure how to begin, just start writing. You can always revise. What matters most is that your voice comes through and that you’re proud of what you’ve shared.

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To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting