The 2025-2026 Common App Essay Prompts Have Been Announced! Start early to Maximize Success with Common App Essay Tips!

ByAimee Heller
A photo illustrating college advisor South Florida from International College Counselors offers Common App essay tips for the 2025-26 Common App.

Good news for current high school juniors! The Common Application has announced that the essay prompts for the 2025-2026 application cycle will remain unchanged. This means that students can start brainstorming and drafting their essays early without worrying about any last-minute changes.

While the prompts remain the same as last year, the way a student answers them should still be personal, reflective, and compelling. The essay is the chance for a student to tell admissions officers their story—what makes the student unique—beyond grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

Below, we break down the seven essay prompts and offer some pro Common App essay tips on how to craft a standout response. 

We understand that writing the Common App essay can be tricky—it can be challenging to find the right topic, make it engaging, and ensure it reflects a student’s personality while staying within the word limit. It’s not just about writing well; it’s about crafting an enthralling narrative that helps the admission committee understand who you are and what you can offer to their community.

This is where having an expert advisor can make a big difference. At International College Counselors, our experienced advisors provide personalized guidance to help students brainstorm ideas, structure their essays, and refine their writing to make the strongest impact. With our support, students can submit essays that capture their unique story and impress admissions readers. Contact us for help on crafting an essay that stands out!

Now, onto the seven essay prompts and some pro Common App essay tips on how to craft an amazing essay.

Understanding the Common App Essay Prompts and Common App Essay Tips on How to Approach Them

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.

💡 ICC Tip: This is the “tell us who you are/what you will bring to our school” prompt. If you have a unique cultural background or deep passion that has contributed to or largely shaped your identity, this is your chance to share it. Select a topic that genuinely defines who you are—something that has shaped your perspective; influenced your growth, aspirations, and choices; and one that would make you feel that your application was incomplete if you left it out. When answering this prompt, focus on storytelling. Instead of just stating facts about your background or interests, bring the reader into your world. Most importantly, reflect on why this part of your identity or experience matters.

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?

💡 ICC Tip: Colleges love resilience. However, we recommend that you avoid writing about minor struggles (like getting a B on a test) or purely negative stories. Instead, show how you overcame a more substantial adversity, demonstrating your perseverance, self-awareness, and problem-solving skills. Make sure the focus is on personal growth, not just the challenge itself. Colleges don’t expect perfection—they want to see how you handle difficulties and what you learn from them. Colleges value students who adapt, persist, and turn setbacks into learning experiences.

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

💡 ICC Tip: This prompt offers a great opportunity to showcase critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and personal growth. Colleges want students who engage deeply with ideas and are willing to challenge their own perspectives. If you’ve ever spoken up about an issue, changed your mind on a significant topic, or taken a stand for something, this is a great prompt. Be sure to reflect on why this moment mattered and how it shaped your perspective. Note that the outcome is less important than your reflection. Show your ability to think independently, engage with complexity, and grow from the experience.

4. 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?

💡 ICC Tip: Gratitude can be powerful. Rather than writing a generic “thank you” to a person, focus on a moment when an act of kindness or generosity shifted your perspective or changed the way you interact with the world. Keep the essay about your growth and response, rather than just writing about the person you’re describing. Be sure to reflect on how this experience shaped your goals, values, or approach to challenges.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

💡 ICC Tip: The key here is to showcase growth. Pick a moment that led to real personal growth, not just an achievement on paper. Maybe you learned something new about yourself through a leadership role, a job, a personal challenge, or even a small but profound moment. Be introspective and explain how this event changed your perspective or direction in life.

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?

💡 ICC Tip: This is the “intellectual curiosity/passion” prompt. Choose a topic that truly and authentically excites you, whether it’s a niche area of science, an artistic passion, or even a personal hobby. The key is to demonstrate enthusiasm and depth of engagement. Colleges want to learn what matters to you and why. If you consider yourself a lifelong learner, this could be your prompt.

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.

💡 ICC Tip: If none of the other prompts resonate with you, this is your “catch all” option. Just make sure that your essay tells a story about who you are, your values, and your experiences. If you have an essay that combines multiple prompts or have a creative, unconventional idea that doesn’t neatly fit into the other categories, this is your prompt.

IMPORTANT UPDATES TO ADDITIONAL ESSAYS

There have been a few updates to two sections of the Common App.

The current “Community Disruption” question will now be known as the “Challenges and Circumstances” question, broadening its scope to encompass a wider range of student experiences. The word and character limits for this section remain the same (250 words for first-year applicants; 1250 characters for transfer applicants).

Meanwhile, the word count for the “Additional Information” section has been reduced. First-year applicants will now have a maximum of 300 words instead of 650, while transfer applicants will be limited to 1500 characters instead of 3500.

The updated language of the “Challenges and Circumstances” question that students will see beginning August 1, 2025, is:

Sometimes a student’s application and achievements may be impacted by challenges or other circumstances. This could involve:

  • Access to a safe and quiet study space
  • Access to reliable technology and internet
  • Community disruption (violence, protests, teacher strikes, etc.)
  • Discrimination
  • Family disruptions (divorce, incarceration, job loss, health, loss of a family member, addiction, etc.)
  • Family or other obligations (caretaking, financial support, etc.)
  • Housing instability, displacement, or homelessness
  • Military deployment or activation
  • Natural disasters
  • Physical health and mental well-being
  • War, conflict, or other hardships

💡 ICC Tip: The newly revised “Challenges and Circumstances” question allows students to provide important context for admissions readers. Given the essay’s limited length, the focus should be on explaining how a specific life experience has impacted a student’s academic journey, rather than deep personal reflection or a broader growth narrative.

💡 ICC Tip: The “Additional Information” section of the Common App is an opportunity for students to provide crucial information that doesn’t fit elsewhere in their application. Students can use it to elaborate on unique projects, independent research, or other significant experiences that don’t fit in the main Activities section.

💡 ICC Tip:  Do not rely on AI to write the essay.

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS

No matter where your family is in the college admissions process, International College Counselors can help you with every aspect, including building and honing the college list, fine-tuning college applications, and writing admission essays. The expert team at International College Counselors includes former college admission officers, high school directors and counselors, and writing professionals with a combined 250+ years of experience, helping students and families successfully navigate the college application journey. For personalized guidance and more Common App essay tips , contact International College Counselors at 954-414-9986 or email Marlene at [email protected].