Common Application Prompt 6: Be Warned!

The Common Application added two prompts that are new 2017-18.

Now pupils can choose from seven prompts (rather than five) to inspire their individual statement ‘Common App’ essay.

The seventh new Application that is common prompt enables you to write about anything you want, and you can discover more about any of it and the brand new prompts in New Common Application encourages for 2017-18.

The other prompt, the Common that is new Application 6, essentially asks you to write about one of your intellectual interests.

This New Common Application Prompt 6

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging you lose all track of time that it makes. Why does it captivate you? What or that do you turn to when you intend to learn more?

We like Common Application prompt 6 you a chance to highlight your heady side (how you think) because it gives.

I believe many students will be attracted to it because it has a more concept-related theme and is new.

But, I believe there could be a pitfall that is potential composing an essay about one of the intellectual interests.

No matter how much you love any ‘topic, idea or concept,’ it can still be challenging to reveal in a real way that is interesting and compelling.

It’s not impossible, but could be tricky.

First, there is the trap of composing an essay that is more like an essay that is academic of a personal declaration because the subject it self is ‘intellectual.’

It is critical that whatever ‘topic, idea or concept’ you compose about for Common Application prompt 6 allows you to create many of the essay about YOU rather than a report-like essay simply about whatever ‘topic, concept or concept’ you choose compose about.

For example, because you feel passionately about that topic), try not to make your essay a piece only about what that is, why it’s a concern and why it fascinates you if you want to write about the ‘topic’ of climate change.

Instead, search for a real option to result in the subject more personal in your essay; to personalize your topic. The target is to use your ‘topic, concept or concept’ to showcase your ‘intellectual curiosity.’

‘Intellectual fascination’ is a way that is fancy of how you think and learn.

How to Personalize Common Application Essay Prompt 6

Two Tips that is hot for Application prompt 6: Include a story and an issue (usually these get together anyway).

Look for a story that is personal illustrate the main point you want to create about whatever ‘topic, idea or concept’ you compose about.

( Don’t think the typical Application people are interested in real-life stories in these essays? They stated it entirely on their internet site announcing the essay that is new for 2017: The target of these (essay prompt) revisions is to assist all candidates, aside from background or access to counseling, see themselves and their tales within the prompts.)

racism thematic statement

Find a real-life moment or experience to illustrate what inspired your interest or something like that associated with your fascination with this topic. Like that, the essay obviously shifts to being more in regards to you than simply the topic.

One concept could be to start your essay recreating one associated with the brief moments when you ‘lost monitoring of time’ or were ‘captivated’ by the ‘topic, idea or concept.’

Then you can get onto explain why it ‘captivates’ you a great deal (ie, why it is loved by you so much), then share how you sought to learn more.

Here’s another Red Flagfor Common Application Essay prompt 6:

You will have a potentially bland explanation of why the ‘topic, idea or concept’ excites you if you simply answer each of the questions in this prompt.

You are going to only ‘tell’ us you learned more about it about it and how. Good chance this will not expose a great deal you think (reason, analyze, etc.) and what you appreciate your ‘intellectual curiosity. about you and how’

That is why it’s helpful to work in some type of challenge/problem/obstacle associated to your ‘topic, idea or concept’ so you create a platform in your essay to talk about your intellectual curiosity beyond an explanation that is general.

Ideally, you intend to show your critical thinking, reasoning, analytical ability and insights in action in a personal statement and your essay for Common Application prompt 6.

Simply because whatever topic, concept or idea you chose to write about is fascinating, both by itself and to you, does not necessarily mean your essay are going to be similarly compelling.

It’s up to you discover a way to feature your personality that is own as relates to the ‘topic, concept or concept’ to make your essay meaningful.

How to Inject Interest in Common Application Prompt 6to Create Interest

Another way to inject interest into an essay about what turns you on intellectually is always to think of a ‘time’ you are writing about that you faced any type of obstacle (which is a type of problem) learning more about the ‘topic, concept or idea.

Or any ‘time’ where your pursuit or passion of learning more caused you some type of problem or challenge.

By introducing a nagging issue or barrier related to your passion or curiosity in a certain ‘topic, concept or idea,’ you can then go onto explain how you handled that problem and what you discovered from it.

(whenever you share what happened with that problem or barrier, you are going to naturally inform a story that is little. Bingo! You will have both an engaging story that is personal an interesting problem to feature in your essay.)

We know this sounds difficult, but I guarantee that with a couple type of issue associated with your ‘topic, concept or concept’ will juice your essay up in a normal way, which help you work with more about yourself and how you think, feel and learn.

What that you don’t want is an essay that goes…

I was hooked when I learned about the concept of quantum physics in high school. It was so interesting and complex, and made me think in many ways We never did before. I went house and read as much as I possibly could hellip; as I could on the Internet and checked out books from the library to learn as much.

Your fascination for quantum physics could be a topic that is good but you would need to make it personal. The writing above was too general, and didn’t reveal anything about the writer’s character or personality.

Notice how there ended up being absolutely nothing specific or personal. No story and no problem. Dullsville,

Quantum physics is fascinating, but why did it hook YOU? That’s where you need to inject something about your experience or background that shows the audience more about your interest.

About it, don’t stop there after you include a story the relates to the ‘topic, idea or concept’ you are passionate about, and how you pursued learning more.

Shift into what you learned from that pursuit to dig deeper into your intellectual curiosity.

Here are a questions that are few could ask associated with your ‘topic, concept or concept’:

• Did you learn anything you never expected to discover about it, or YOURSELF?
• Share both the good plus the bad about what you discovered. ( absolutely Nothing is black and white.)
• Did you discover any full life lessons from delving into the ‘topic, concept or idea’ (something you learned about YOURSELF)?
• Why does what YOU discovered about your ‘topic, concept or concept’ matter to you, to others and to the world?
• Did studying this topic, idea or concept cause you to other ideas or interests in your lifetime?
• While attempting to learn more regarding the topic, concept or idea, what did you learn about YOURSELF and exactly how you think and learn?
• Looking back at your research of this topic, concept or idea, what did you read about what YOU appreciate most in your life?
• Are you still learning about this subject, concept or idea? Is really, exactly why is that good, too?

For university admission counselors, English instructors, parents and counselors that are educational have worked with the Common Application prompts in the past:

This Common that is new Application 6 reminds me personally of the old Common App prompt: ‘Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content.’

It was ditched by The Common Application people year that is last purportedly because it failed to inspire strong personal statements.

Term on the road among admissions counselors and university application essay wonks that it prompted dull and often sappy essays like myself(and based on what I saw with my students) was.

We believe this Common that is new Application 6 has the exact same potential pitfalls.

Rather than explaining an accepted place, it asks about a ‘topic, idea or concept.’ Rather than being ‘perfectly content’ there, it should prompt you to ‘lose all track of time.’ Same some ideas. Same pitfall.

People like to state, oh yay, a prompt that is positive this Common Application prompt 6 because it doesn’t straight ask the students to include some kind of issue or ‘bad thing’.

But there is a reason that is good soliciting problems in essays. (Notice most the other prompts include some type of problem, in the type of obstacles, stories, setback, challenge, failure, issue, concern, etc.)

There’s good explanation for this: whenever students wrote about their places that are blissful the essays had been often terrible because they were boring.

Why?

It’s difficult to write an essay about what you love if absolutely nothing happens. The library is loved by me, or I love visiting my grand-parents or We love hiking in the woods. Those are great things to love, but if all you write about is how much they are loved by you and why, chances are the essay is not all that compelling.

What makes essays interesting are tales. Something needs to happen. And for something to happen, something needs to get laterally a problem.

Then your essay could be interesting if you knocked over a shelf of books onto the head librarian, or your grandparents home flooded during a hurricane or you came face-to-face with a mama bear on your hike.

Why? For you and want to know how you handled the problem and what happened because we suddenly feel. This is why real-life stories are so effective plus the college admissions that are best essays consist of them.

My guess is that Common Application prompt 6 will inspire a large amount of dull essays for the reason that is same the old ‘perfectly content’ one: It asks students to write about one thing they love.

It will depend on counselors, teachers and parents to help students push themselves with this essay prompt in order to make something that is sure, that it includes not only expression and thinking but an experience or moment.

This is usually a generalization, but I believe ab muscles students whom will want to compose about Common Application prompt 6 are exactly the same ones who can require to be encouraged and coached to create sure to not let it get too scientific or weighed down in esoteric or language that is technical theme.

They are usually the exact same pupils (those who are interested in chemistry, video gaming, engineering, technology, physics, computer science, etc.) whom require that extra push to find ways to make their essay readable, personal and non-academic.

The bullet that is magic?

Find a juicy problem (a personal experience) that related to whatever ‘topic, concept or concept’ you reveal!

Once you have small tale, you take your way to an essay that is excellent.

Here’s an example outline that is intended to help you get started making certain to deal with the relevant questions in the prompt. There are many ways to approach your essay, so use this in any direction you want if it makes sense and feel free to take it.

Here is a Sample Outline for Common Application Essay Prompt 6

1. Start by sharing a brief moment, event or experience that illustrates one thing about (or relates to, or an instance of) the topic, concept or concept you are writing about. Try to include some kind of problem (an obstacle, challenge, mistake, setback, etc.) This is called an ‘anecdote.’ (1 to 2 paragraphs)
2. Back tale: provide some background now or context for that moment, incident or experience and explain more regarding the subject, concept or concept. Add your point that is main you love it so much.
3. Share more about this topic to your experience, idea or concept using other real-life examples that further help your main point (Why you love it so much). You handled it if you included some type of ‘problem’ related to your topic, idea of concept, explain how.
4. Look at share the actions you took to discover more regarding the topic, concept or idea. Then share what you learned if you included a problem, this is where you can go into the step you took to deal with it and. Add the manner in which you thought you felt, who you worked with, etc about it, how.
5. MANY IMPORTANT: exhibit (look back) with this experience related to your topic, concept or concept and explain what you discovered not just about the subject, concept or concept but what you discovered you learn, what you value, etc. about yourself(how)
6. Link back again to the beginning of your essay and give a status enhance on that nagging problem or moment you described at the start of your essay. Then restate the point that is main you learned all about your topic,idea or concept and about YOURSELF. End with how you expect to apply what you discovered in your dream that is future and.

Please don’t let all my caution scare you off this prompt if it talks to you.

More Tips that is brainstorming for App Prompt 6

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